Gunner faces me, his eyebrows together. “No bullshit, I’m glad. You were pretty wrecked when the two of you split up, dealing with parenting Syd and wondering what the hell you were going to do. How you were going to handle it and even wondering if you would be able to still be a firefighter. You’ve been an inspiration to everybody around here.”
“I did what I had to do to take care of my family, anyone else would have done the same,” I try to play off the praise; the truth is, I’m not used to it. “I don’t see this life I’ve lead as me making some sort of huge sacrifice for Syd’s life. She’s my daughter, and I would die for her. End of.”
Before we can say anything else, the alarm sounds, telling us we need to get prepared. Quickly we turn off the stove, not bothering to put anything away. That’s precious time we won’t be able to get back. Running, I ask my LT. “What are we facing? Gunner and I were in the kitchen and didn’t hear.”
“Fire, downtown,” his words are clipped. “Big one. It’s got the hardware store, the bed and breakfast, and the bank. We need to move now!”
My blood runs cold, and I allow myself a minute to say a prayer. Those buildings are all landmarks in Midnight Cove. If they’re gone, that will be a part of the history for our small town. It will leave a mark on the community that will take years to heal. Putting my gear on, I prepare to face whatever it is in our way, as I hop up and take my seat. Whatever it is, I at least know my crew, and I will face it together.
“It’s worse than I imagined,” I yell to Gunner, shaking my head. We’ve been fighting this blaze for the past hour, and it doesn’t even feel like we’re making any headway.
“It is, the whole fucking thing is engulfed,” he agrees with my sentiment.
When we have significant situations like this one, the fire department from one town overcomes and helps. In the distance I can hear their sirens, can even see their lights. Around us, a crowd has gathered, watching as pillars of a piece of town time forgot go up in flames. Glancing at each of the faces looking on in horror, I see Emma.
“I gotta go talk to Em for a minute,” I hook my thumb towards where she’s standing. Gunner nods but doesn’t take his shocked face away from the mess in front of us.
“Hey,” she smiles at me as I make my way over. “You okay?”
“Yeah, this is gonna be a shit show though, with these freezing temps, the water isn’t doing what it needs to do. What time is it?”
She looks at her phone. “Quarter to three.”
“Fucking son of a bitch,” I let the oaths flow from between my lips.
“What? Is something wrong?”
“Syd. She’s going to Courtney’s today, and I need to drop her off. Courtney can’t come get her because she’s sprained her knee. I told Court I’d bring her over.”
In my head, I’m trying to figure out who will be the best substitute since I can’t make it. My parents are out of town, Gunner is here with me, both of my sisters are at work.
“Do you need help?” She asks, probably not realizing what she’s setting herself up for.
“I do. I to ask you for a huge favor. You can say no if you have to, but know this would really help me out.”
“Okay,” she leans in so she can hear me better over the sounds of the scene.
“My parents are out of town, my sisters are at work, Gunner is here, and Courtney sprained her knee. She’s not allowed to drive, but I’m supposed to drop Syd to her today. Can you go pick up Syd at the school and take her to Courtney’s?”
I’m aware I’m asking her for way more than just a favor. This right here is encroaching on forever type of promises neither one of us has shared with the other.
“Will Courtney be mad?” She bites her bottom lip in the way I love.
“No, I’ll let her know you’re coming, fill her in on what’s happening here.”
“There’s only one problem.”
“What’s that?”
“I don’t have a booster seat for Syd.”
Immediately I’m trying to figure out how to make this work without being later than necessary to pick my daughter up. “You know what. Go to the station, my keys and truck are there. I’ll call ahead, tell them you’re coming to get it, and you can drive mine.”
“You? Want me? To drive your truck?”
Chuckling, I raise an eyebrow. “What’s so hard to believe about that?”
She laughs. “That’s like true-life boyfriend and girlfriend stuff, Ash.”
Leaning into her as closely as I can with all my gear on, I steal a kiss. “Well, I did tell you I love you the other night, and I have no regrets about that. I know I’ll have no regrets about this.”
She pulls me in for another kiss before she pushes against my chest. “Go back to work, I’ll take care of Syd.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
* * *
Emma
To say I’m nervous is an understatement. Here I am driving Ash’s truck, Syd’s in her booster seat, and I’m about to meet Courtney for the first time since our high school days. Not that she really even knew who I was in high school. I really wasn’t on her playing field.
“Are you excited to go to your mom’s?” I ask Syd as I carefully drive this behemoth to where the GPS is instructing me to go.
“Yes!” She nods enthusiastically. “It’s been better since the first time I went. Now I like going.”
“That’s good,” I encourage her a bit on the distracted side as I try to make sure I have enough room on the road to change lanes. I’ve never driven a truck this size, I legit thought I was gonna need to get someone to help me climb in.
“Are you going to spend the night with Dad?”
That question comes clear out of the blue. I start coughing, completely shocked she’s asked me this question. In some ways, I can understand it. I’ve been spending more time with them, but in other’s, I’m totally not sure how to answer this question.
“I don’t know, Syd, maybe. Would it bother you if I did?”
This is something that’s been on my mind a lot lately. Does it bother her I’m taking away time for the two of them?
“Nope, he smiles when you’re around.”
And at that moment I grin. “I smile when he’s around too, but I smile even bigger when I get to spend time with you.”
In the rearview, our eyes meet, and I love the fact she laughs.
“This is it, right?”
I pull up in front of a beautiful house with a nice lawn, two car garage and what looks to be a fenced in back yard with probably a pool during the summer.
“Yup,” she answers, already starting to unbuckle herself.
“Let me come out and help you,” I warn her.
It’s hard enough for me to get out of the truck, I can only imagine how hard it is for her. It takes some work, but I get her down and grab her overnight bag. My heart warms when she holds my hand as we walk to the door. At the same time though, it’s pounding, thinking of seeing Courtney.
When she opens the door, I seriously just about faint.
“Mom!” She drops my hand and hugs the legs in front of her tightly.
I don’t miss the wince as Courtney adjusts her stance. “Hey,” she reaches down, kissing Syd on the head. “Why don’t you go put your stuff up, and then we’ll see about a snack.”
Sydney waves to me before she grabs her bag and heads in what I assume is the direction of her bedroom.
“Ash got stuck at the fire downtown,” I immediately start speaking. “And everyone else was busy.”
We stare at each other for far too long, but I refuse to let her make me avert my eyes.
“He told me, thank you for bringing her,” she finally smiles.
I do my best to smile back. “You probably don’t remember me, but I went to school with you all, I’m Emma.”
She takes the hand I’m holding out. “No I do remember you, you’ve grown into a beautiful woman. Back then you were just as beautiful and to be honest I was kin
d of intimidated by you. Which is why I acted like you just didn’t exist,” she sighs. “I’m learning a lot of the things I did in the past weren’t the best ways to handle situations. I’m doing my best to make amends. It’s nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you too. For the record, Syd told me she was excited to come here today.”
An excitement flashes in her eyes. “Did she really?”
“She did,” I look back at Ash’s truck. “I need to get back, but hopefully I’ll see you again?”
“Yeah,” she answers. “Hopefully. It looks like the two of us need to finally become friends.”
And as I leave, I can’t help but be thankful that I seem to have passed my first test.
Seventeen
Emma
“No, you helped me the other day, I can help you today.”
Ash is cute as he stands in my kitchen, amongst everything I use to make and decorate cupcakes. If I’m honest, he makes the space look smaller, but also better. He’s wearing a tank top, which shows off his muscles and all that ink I’ve become so obsessed with. Sweat pants hang low on his hip bones, socks cover his feet, the hair on his head is in scattered disarray.
“I don’t know…”
“You have to admit I can make a mean bowl of oatmeal.”
I laugh loudly as he crosses his arms over his chest. “This is way different than oatmeal, Ash.”
“But I can still help,” he argues. “You have to make over one hundred cupcakes.”
There’s already a concentrated effort being put forth by the residents of our little spot on the map to get downtown back to its full glory. I’m donating a hundred cupcakes to the cause. Sighing, I give in. “Oh alright, but the moment you become a distraction you’re gone.”
The knowing smirk he gives me is almost my undoing. “You know you love me being a distraction.”
“Hmmm,” I don’t answer yes or no, probably because I’m afraid I’ll give myself completely away if I do.
“See,” he says to me two hours later, “I’ve managed to help you, and I haven’t hindered you one bit.”
“Okay, I’m sorry I thought badly of you,” I apologize as I watch him put the ingredients for another batch in the mixer. “Wait, don’t forget to…”
He doesn’t pay attention, turns it on, and stuff flies everywhere.
“Lock it in.”
I finish as we both start screaming, trying to keep things from getting all over my kitchen. By the time we get it turned off, his once white tank top is now brown. “Oh my god,” he wipes his face with the palm of his hand. “I am so sorry.”
Part of me knows I’m supposed to answer, but another part of me is looking at the mess and wondering how in the hell we’re going to clean this up. “Ash, I can’t believe you did this.”
“It’s not like I meant to,” he defends himself.
“I know, but the mess.”
“I’ll clean it up, it’s okay,” he’s trying to take the blame, and while I understand, I can’t help but think about all the work that’s going to have to go into the clean-up.
As I’m standing there freaking out, I feel a plop of something hit me on the part of my chest not covered by my shirt. Looking down I see a glob of icing. “What the fuck, Ash?”
“If you’re gonna freak out, I’ll give you something to freak out about,” he reaches in, grabbing another handful of icing, tossing it my way.
“Oh no you don’t!”
I hide behind the counter, reach up to grab my own handful and lob it in the direction I saw him go. I don’t hear him, can’t see him, and I know my apartment is small enough; there’s not many places for him to hide.
“Behind you,” I hear his deep voice, feel the heat of his breath on my neck as he puts his arms around me, holding mine to my sides. “And you can’t throw anything at me if you can’t use your arms.”
I’m laughing, struggling to get away from him as the two of us fight for control against one another. Icing is everywhere and to be honest, now it isn’t even about that. Now we’re having fun. When I finally get to the other side, bracing against my counter, I push back against him, and that’s when I feel it. He’s hard as a rock.
His grunt is enough to make my nipples peak, and I realize I like being held by him like this. It’s a split second decision, but I grind back into him again. The laugh has now taken on a hoarse quality, his breath, once puffing out with child-like excitement has now taken on a decidedly more adult pattern. I lower my head, dropping my chin to my chest, giving him free rein on my neck.
“Emma,” his voice is pulled from his throat. “Want you, right here, right now.”
“Yes,” I agree, thrusting back against him.
His tone is dark, full of gravel and enough to make goosebumps ripple along my skin. “Want you here, up against the counter, fucking you from behind, owning your neck, taking every bit you’re willing to give me.”
I moan because it’s all I can do. I hope he realizes I’m cool with whatever he wants. His mouth latches onto the spot where neck and shoulder meet, nipping. His hands, those fucking big hands of his, pull my shirt up and over my head, before they go back to where my breasts are encased in silk. Chocolate smears against the material as he pulls the cups down, roughly jerking at my nipples as he continues to work against the flesh he can get hold of. There’s not a chance in the world I have control over my lower body. I’m grinding up against him, feeling his cock jerk as he thrusts towards me. I want him, more than I’ve ever wanted anybody else in this moment. I want him to take me.
“Ash, take me, please take what you want.”
“You sure?”
I love that he asks, but I’m gone for him already, ready to whatever he wants. “Yes.”
Just like that, he’s pawing at both our sweatpants. We’re both naked from the waist down quicker than I ever imagined we would be.
“Stay right here.”
I listen, not because I have to, but because I want to. My eyes are closed, so my hearing is picking up the slack, I can tell he’s gone to his bag, and I can hear the crinkle of a condom wrapper. When he comes back to me, he first grabs my hands.
“Hold these there,” he instructs me to grip the counter. “And hang on baby, it’s gonna be a wild ride.”
When I grip the counter, he puts his hands on my hip bones, pulling me back, tilting me the way he likes, and shoves home. We both emit sounds of pleasure as he sets a punishing pace. Before I know it, we’re both sweating, he’s moved one hand up, gripping my hair, pulling my hair back and I love it. He directs me. Pushes me up and down on his length and my body knows what to do, it knows how to respond to him, that I’m here for his pleasure and he’s here for mine.
“Love feeling your chest rub against my back, all hot and sweaty,” I grip tighter, hoping the praise will make him push harder.
It does, and I cry out as it’s both pleasure and pain at the same time.
“Did I hurt you?” He pulls my hair to one side, mouthing my earlobe.
“No,” I shake my head, hoping he doesn’t stop. “Keep going, Ash, please keep going.”
His pace picks up, and I know he’s nearing the end, especially when one of his hands comes around my hip, his finger dragging against my clit. “Fucking love you, Em. Nobody gets me the way you do, nobody knows what I need like you do. I’m gonna come,” his voice echoes with the tempo he’s keeping as he slides into me, pulls out, slides in. “Gonna come,” he thrusts hard one more time, crowding my body against the counter.
I look behind me, watch as this man that has come to be so much to me, finishes inside me. His head is thrown back, his strong throat is working overtime as he gulps in huge deep pulls of air. His biceps down to his forearms are pulled tight, his abs are ridges against his skin. And the ink? The ink is the hottest thing about him, other than the fact he’s mine.
He keeps thrusting, keeps strumming at my clit until I feel myself tumble over the edge too.
It takes us a
while to come to ourselves, and when we do, his deep voice rumbles against my back. “Guess I need to clean up this mess huh?”
Turning around, I put my arms around his neck. “I’ll make you a deal.”
He grins, the grin I’ve learned is reserved just for me, and I smile back. “You help me clean this mess up? We’ll make another mess after all the cupcakes are done.”
His gaze heats and I know I’ve got him. “Deal,” he seals it with a kiss.
Eighteen
Ash
It’s been a hell of a day. We’ve had heavy rain, coupled with the amount of snow we had over the past few weeks, has made the roads slick, and there’s been minor flooding issues. Here in Midnight Cove, we deal with it all. All I want is to go home and take a nice hot shower.
As I pull into the driveway, I can’t help but feel a warmth in my gut when I see Emma’s car parked right next to where mine will go. For so many years, I’ve come home to an empty house or just a house with my daughter where I have to do a bedtime routine. I had no one to share anything with. In the last few months, that’s all changed.
Parking, I grab the bag of groceries Em asked me to get and make my way through the side door, which leads into the kitchen. Once there, I’m greeted by a barking dog. A new development thanks to Em and Syd ganging up on me. The bitch of it is – this dog likes me more than them.
“Get down, Max,” I hold the grocery bag up high, over his head and mine. “I’ll pet you in just a minute.”
To the side, I hear a soft laugh. Em’s standing at my counter, fixing something for dinner. “Good day at work?” She reaches out for the bag.
“Crazy day at work,” I walk closer so she can take it, but let our fingers touch purposely. “I’m glad to be home.”
“I’m glad you’re home,” she drops the bag, moving into my arms. “We missed you the last twenty-four hours.”
Inflame: Midnight Cove #1 Page 10