All In: An Everyday Heroes World Novel (The Everyday Heroes World)

by J. L. Drake

  “And?” she whispered as a little pink graced her cheeks.

  I spread two fingers apart to trace lines on either side of her warm opening.

  “And?” she repeated.

  “And when you were ready,” I moved her as I spoke, “I would hook my hands around your hips, and I would very slowly slide you down the couch, so you lay flat. All the while keeping my other hand right here.” Using the pads of my fingers, I brushed over her opening and felt how ready she was for me. I reached behind and grabbed my shirt, pulling it over my head, so I was only in my jeans.

  Her eyes were wide, and I could feel her warm breath as it huffed through slightly open lips. Her hands moved to my arms and traced my muscles with an excited little gasp. I stared down at this woman I was falling for a little too fast and allowed myself a moment for thought. Yes, I could see myself waking up and falling asleep next to her every day. I would be excited to come home knowing she was there waiting for me. I knew she was different from the rest. She was strong but vulnerable at the same time. She wanted to be loved in the right way and loved others the same.

  Letting go of my thoughts, I pushed two fingers inside her and watched as her chest rose and her eyes became hooded. Gently, I swirled around, spreading her arousal, and rubbed her nub and was granted a sexy moan.

  I leaned down and kissed her chest right above where the fabric started. The faint smell of her perfume was enough to have me dive into her neck and nibble.

  “Oh.” Her hands were on my belt, tugging it free and popping the button open.

  I stood back and dropped my pants but purposely left my boxer briefs on. My erection bobbed as I moved to close the blind. My arousal screamed at me to relieve the strain it was under. When I turned around, Arizona was standing in her heels as she reached behind her back and gracefully unzipped her dress. Peeling it free from her shoulders, it slid down her midsection and dropped to the floor where she stepped out of it. She stood in a lacy bra that looked to be fastened with just a few ribbons and her sexy as hell heels.

  We both stood there unbelievably turned on while each waited for the other to make a move.

  A sexy standoff.

  “What are you thinking?” I turned the tables on her.

  “All the wrong things.” She smirked and played with the ribbon on her bra.

  “Tell me,” I nearly commanded.

  “Come here?” She hooked her finger in my direction. When I got close, she pushed down my boxer briefs and bent to move them out of the way. On her knees, she looked up at me, and I could see her hunger.

  Her hand stroked my erection and fingered the head. With a swipe of her tongue, she eased me into her mouth at a painfully slow pace.

  I hissed and threaded my hand into her hair, making sure it wasn’t in her way. Her mouth took me to the root, and I jolted in need. At this rate, I knew I couldn’t take it for long, and that was not how this was going to be.

  She must have caught my thought as she pulled away, stood, and pushed me backward onto the couch.

  “Spread your legs,” she ordered, and I did without a thought. She was in my living room and had just taken me to the root. She moved to stand between them as I leaned forward and brushed my hands up her bare thighs and kissed her opening. On the second kiss, I switched and used my tongue to break her folds. She tasted as good as she looked.

  “Hey, I’m in control here.” She tried to sound stern, but I pushed farther in and lapped at her swollen bud. Her cries made me savage, so I grabbed her beautiful butt and pulled her closer to my mouth. “It’s been such a long time, Carter.” She whimpered in desperation. I ripped away, knowing I was moments from losing myself.

  Her hands pushed my shoulders so I would lean back, and she moved to straddle me. She hovered over my erection that was already slick from my own arousal. The tip met her warm, wet opening, and we both sucked in a sharp breath.

  She bit her lip as her eyes closed. She seemed to be controlling herself. I didn’t want that. I wanted her to let it out and take what she wanted with no boundaries. I licked between her breasts and nipped at her erect nipple through the fabric. I slid my hands up both her breasts and around her back to hook over her shoulders. Just as I did, I pushed into her inch by inch, savoring the delicious moment. She ripped at the ties of her bra and freed herself. I dove in and licked and nipped at her nipples. When she pulled up and I was almost out, I pushed her back down, meeting her with a flick at the end. She cried out louder, and I felt as though I couldn’t stop. Every time she took me all the way in, she would squeeze her muscles, leaving me in a frenzy.

  “More.” She playfully bit my ear, and I lunged forward, holding her around my waist, still inside her. She yelped and held on as I moved her to my long living room table, and I lay her there to do whatever I wanted.

  Hiking her legs over my shoulders, I moved at a good rhythm. Her heels dug into my back, and that alone nearly sent me over the edge.

  “So perfect,” I whispered as her head went from side to side as the build to her climax rose. Her nails scratched at the surface of the table, needing something to hold on to. She was unbelievably sexy, and I couldn’t stop watching her. Just as I saw her peak, I changed angles and dove in as deep as I could, plunging her off the ledge. Once I felt her body shake and her screams follow, I gave in to sweet bliss.

  “Yes,” she looked drunk, “now, that is how you have sex!”

  I laughed and kissed the side of her breast, trailing up to her nipple, then sucked it into my mouth.

  “I’m not done with you yet.” I hauled her up to her feet and dragged her to the bedroom. I had no idea what time we actually fell asleep, but I didn’t care because she was with me.

  I woke to the lingering smell of Arizona’s shampoo. I reached out to tug her back to me, but her side of the bed was cold. I blinked back the fog and read the clock. Nine thirty. What the hell? I never slept in. I rolled over and grinned at what we did last night. Three rounds, starting with the living room, bedroom, then the shower. I loved how she didn’t go home and stayed through the night. We had gotten over some tough hurdles and made it through to the other side. To think I could have walked away from her never knowing the truth. Never knowing how amazing she was naked scared me to the core.

  “Morning.” She appeared showered and dressed, with a toothbrush in her hand. “I need to stop by my parents’ place then help Jessi prep the rec center for tomorrow. When does your shift start?”

  “Noon.” I yawned and turned to admire her better. “Do you have to leave right now? What about in, say, forty-five minutes?”

  “I wish,” she made a groan, “but I gave my word I wouldn’t be late. But I wanted to—” Her phone rang, and she quickly pulled it from her purse. “Shoot, I have to go. I’ll text you later?”

  “Sure. Stop by if you can.”

  “Sure will.” Her eyes danced with interest before she gave me a kiss and raced to the bathroom to finish up.

  I could really get used to this.

  My phone buzzed and I was pulled from my thoughts.

  Cook: Get out of bed and meet me at the coffee shop.

  What?

  Carter: Why?

  Cook: I need your advice on how to deal with Jenelle’s boy toy.

  Ugh.

  Carter: Give me twenty.

  I groaned when I looked outside and saw it had started to snow again. I quickly washed up, changed, tossed some leftover Chinese food down my throat, and slipped on my NYFD jacket and winter hat. With my bag in hand, I slipped out of my cozy apartment and took one last deep inhale of Arizona’s shampoo.

  “Good morning, Mr. Carter.” Otis held the door open for me.

  “Morning, Otis. Did you happen to catch the game last night?”

  “Three-one. Green had one hell of a goal.” He looked excited. We both loved hockey, and both loved the Rangers. “
I also saw your pretty little number with a shopping list in her hand and one heck of a happy smile. You two have a good night?” His wink had me grinning back at him.

  “Yeah,” I nodded wanting even more of that happy smile, “we really did. Hope to have another after this shift.”

  “Yes, you do that.” He stepped back as someone came up the stairs. “You have a good day, now.”

  “You as well.” I hurried down the steps and out onto the sidewalk.

  I pulled my phone from my pocket and brought up her number. She answered on the second ring.

  “Miss me already?”

  “Hey,” I held up a hand to slow a car as I quickly crossed the street, “why don’t we do an early dinner, or late if you want?”

  “I need to drop some supplies off at the center for Jessi. We’re doing a Christmas party tonight. But if I can slip away, I will try my hardest.”

  “Oh, fun.” I loved that she cared so much for others. “Well, I’m on my way to meet Cook before shift, something about needing advice about his cousin and her situation with this guy she’s seeing.”

  “Huh,” she laughed lightly, “enjoy your chick moment.”

  “Yeah, thanks.”

  “I’ll text you later when I know more, okay?”

  “Great. I’ll talk to you soon.”

  “Bye.”

  As I rounded the corner, I spotted Cook’s truck and headed inside the coffee shop.

  Cook waved me over and leaned back as the waitress put our coffees down along with two bagels smothered in cream cheese. “Just in time.”

  “Just in time for a chick moment?” I teased, and he glared at me.

  “We both know this guy is a douche, and he needs to go.”

  “All right, fine. What do you have in mind?”

  After we mastered a brilliant plan of ratting her out to her sister and letting her do the dirty work, we headed toward the station. No more than three minutes into our shift, we were called out to a fire, and that was how the rest of our shift went. Call after call, situation after situation, so many people sent off to the ER for setting fires with candles or sparking old tree lights trying to decorate for Christmas. Seriously, candles and tree lights over a few years old should be banned from homes.

  Sadly, my day ended without getting to see Arizona. There was no way I would be able to sit through a dinner at the station with how exhausted I was. We planned to meet the next day, and my head hit my bunk pillow hard by two a.m. At least when I closed my eyes, I could see her face, and that made me feel better.

  The call pulled me from a deep sleep, and I jumped up, squinting to see the time. Nine a.m. Straining to hear the speaker, I caught something about a restaurant fire merely three blocks away.

  “Cook.” I hit the side window to his bunk as I raced by, making sure his ass was up and moving. We trained for long nights and days, but that didn’t always mean we’d be all in mentally.

  We met our team in the engine bay, and as the door rolled up, we were met with a sudden whoosh of cold air. Coffee wasn’t needed when the temperature was well below freezing. That jolt of cold did the trick to shake the cobwebs off.

  The lights and sirens were turned on, and we were on our way.

  “It’s so cold my nipples hurt.” Cook hunched over and rubbed his hands together.

  “It’s not from the cold.” I dripped with sarcasm, and he made a face at me. “Engine fifty-seven, en route. Do you have any details?” I used my radio to connect with the command center.

  “Fire near a heater, lots of smoke, owner says no one should be inside.”

  “Copy that.” I relayed the information to my team and squinted to see it was the new restaurant that was supposed to open in two days. I only knew about it because my sister was disappointed that she wouldn’t be here to see its grand opening.

  We jumped out, grabbed our hoses, and went right to work. Ten minutes later, the fire was out, and the owner looked like he wanted to hug us, which was a relief, as often it went totally the other way as we made such a mess.

  The police arrived to secure the scene as we headed inside the building to make sure all the embers were well drenched, and no other hot spots would ignite.

  “Carter.” Cook’s tone had me heading in his direction.

  “Oh, shit,” I whispered when I spotted the man lying on the floor in the room across from the one with the fire. It was clear he had been shot in the head. In his left hand was a long lighter, and in the other was a gun.

  “Suicide?” Cook examined the body carefully without touching anything while I called it in.

  “Seems that way, but why start a fire in the other room? Why not in the room where you’re going to end things?”

  “I hate the dead.” Cook shook his head. “They take too long to tell their story. Wonder if he left a note anywhere.”

  “Hard to say, but yeah,” I agreed and spotted a small piece of paper sticking out of his pocket. “And I have a feeling there’s a good story here.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Arizona

  The kids were playing video games in the rec room, and three of the girls were decorating cookies. Everything was at peace for the moment. I found myself missing Walker. I hoped his grandparents would let him visit soon. I should reach out to the CPS officer on his case and suggest it. Sounded to me like they could use a break now and then, anyway, and I was more than willing to have him here.

  “Okay,” Jessi came in holding five boxes, “I have pizza, I have sodas, chips and dip. Who’s hungry, because I am not cooking lunch after our party last night.” The silent heaven I was thoroughly enjoying was burst to hell by my best friend. All the kids raced over but stopped when they saw me holding up my hands.

  “Hands.” I pointed to the sink and laughed at the groans.

  “Did you hear what’s going on out there?” Jessi’s face told me I should be worried as she pointed at the TV in the next room.

  “No.” I went for the remote and turned on the news. The reporter was talking about a suicide fire at a restaurant that was to open two days from now.

  “Arizona,” Jessi moved to my side, “he worked for Young Inc.”

  “What?” I felt my heart pick up. “Who?”

  “He’s that guy who was always hanging out with Myles. He was his assistant, wasn’t he? But he never really seemed to like him.”

  “Who?” I repeated, not able to connect the dots.

  “You know, reddish-brown hair, shortish, wore that raincoat that looked like something from a Sherlock Holmes movie.”

  “Chester?” I felt the room tilt and my stomach sink.

  “Yes! Him.”

  “How?” I turned up the TV and strained to hear over the kids.

  “Gun,” she whispered.

  “How do you know this?”

  “I ran into my neighbor as I was coming in. He was warning me to keep the kids away from the TV.”

  “Good plan. What else did he tell you?”

  “One shot in the head, right in the dining room. Eww, why there? Why in a place people eat food?”

  “Jessi, I—” The words just stopped at my tongue. My mind immediately flew back to the conversation I’d had with him at the supermarket. What if this was bigger than I thought? What if Chester had been trying to tell me he was going to kill himself but just couldn’t communicate it? What would make him do such a thing?

  “What?” I could tell she knew something was up, and then Grady’s advice to share it with Carter bounced around in my head.

  “Come here,” I pulled her into the next room and made sure the coast was clear. “I ran into Chester the day before yesterday. He seemed like he was high on something, but he was really acting odd, and he told me I needed to watch my back.”

  “Wait. What?”

  “This was at the mark
et, but I think he was following me for a bit first. I just had this feeling. I really do think he was trying to warn me about something.”

  “Wait.” She waved her hand around like she was trying to keep up. “You saw him the day before yesterday?”

  “Yes.”

  “Did you tell your brothers any of this?”

  “No, but I did share it with Grady.”

  “What did he say?”

  “To tell my brothers, but I had a date with Carter, and yesterday my parents needed my help, and I wasn’t about to put them through any more grief than I already have. I was planning on telling Carter at dinner last night, but since the city is on this candle kick, he had to cancel.”

  “Arizona, this is big! You need to tell Carter, like, now.”

  “Ah.” She was right. If something bigger was coming, he had the right to know. No more secrets.

  “Go. I’ve got them. Just call me when you’re done.”

  “Okay.” I grabbed my coat off the back of the chair. “Yeah, I should go.”

  I rushed out into the chilly air and texted Carter I was on my way. When I got to the stoplight, I saw a sea of police cars and an EMT truck at the restaurant, but I didn’t spot Carter’s truck. I did a quick scan behind the police tape and still couldn’t find him. I also couldn’t help but wonder if I had asked Chester to have coffee with me or spent a little more time talking to him, he would still be alive. Was he really on drugs? Or did something just scare him so badly that he killed himself? Or did he really take his own life? Perhaps someone killed him and staged it as a suicide? My mind swirled with a hundred different thoughts, each worse than the last.

  Snowflakes started to fall harder, and with each step I took, I felt my throat tighten with grief. I prayed this wasn’t my fault, and that I didn’t let a man I knew and liked slip through my fingers because I was nervous of him and he was connected to a past I wanted to forget.