Chapter 10
Anika
I close my eyes and lean back, rubbing a hand over my full stomach.
So good, but I ate way too much.
I guess I got a second wind after waking up in Hog’s truck parked in my driveway. Apparently, I needed the nap and Hog sat patiently beside me, waiting for me to wake up.
The food he’d picked up had cooled off a little but a quick spin in the microwave fixed that, and by the time we dug in I’d been starving and gorged myself.
This time, I beat Hog to the dirty dishes and motion for him to stay put while I quickly wash the plates by hand.
“So, it doesn’t look good for my car, huh?” I prompt him to continue what he was telling me over dinner.
“No. Brick says with the amount of work and time involved; it’ll be cheaper for them to pay out.”
“Great…” I brace my arms on the counter and hang my head. “I love that car.”
“If you love it, and it’s worth the wait to you, Brick says he’ll see what he can do.”
I turn to face him and lean a hip against the counter.
“Yeah, but I don’t know if it makes sense. Renting for a day or two is fine but it adds up if we’re talking weeks. I might be better off biting the bullet and looking for something new.”
I groan at the thought of adding car shopping to my growing list of things to worry about. Too many damn bumps in the road lately.
“I maybe have another suggestion. I’m in the process of buying a new truck, I actually test drove one earlier today, planned to pick it up on Friday, which means you can have my old truck as long as you need it.”
Folding my arms over my chest, I slowly shake my head.
“I can’t let you do that.”
He looks genuinely perplexed. “Why the hell not?”
“Because you were probably going to trade it in,” I point out.
“Nah. What they’d give me for it is not even worth it. I was gonna hang on to it as a spare.”
I don’t know if that was true or not before he mentioned it, and I’m pretty sure I’ll never find out. He seems like a man who’d probably take that secret to the grave before he’d admit it.
Christ, I’m breaking my own rules not to be indebted to anyone left, right, and center these days. Already I owe this man big.
I push away from the counter and move toward him.
“You know you don’t have to do all of this for me, right?”
He doesn’t bother answering but fixes his eyes on me as I approach, his body turning slightly in his chair so he’s facing me straight on. When he slowly spreads his legs to make room for me, heat pools low in my belly and the air around me turns electric.
His hands come up to rest on my hips and he tilts back his head to look up at me. Tracing his jaw with my fingertips, I bend down and press a light kiss to his lips.
“What was that for? Not that I’m complaining,” he adds quickly.
I shrug and smile, leaning in for another kiss when his hold tightens on my hips.
“Sweetheart, any more of that and I need to know how you’re feeling.”
Puzzled, I pull back a little.
“Really? I thought it might have been obvious.”
He chuckles, flashing his teeth. “I mean how’s the pain?” he clarifies.
“I wasn’t feeling any.”
The smile fades off his face and his eyes darken.
“Sure?” he checks.
I nod, and the next thing I know, he’s up and backing me toward the living room. There he wraps his arms around me and—twisting so I’m on top—falls back in the pillows piled on my couch. One of his hands goes straight to my ass and the other slides up the back of my shirt.
“Much better,” he mumbles against my lips before slipping his tongue in my mouth.
It’s better than I imagined, feeling the rasp of his callused hands as he strokes and explores my skin. It’s giving me full-body shivers, and I’m eager to do some exploring of my own.
I drop my knees on either side of his hips and break the kiss, pushing off on his chest as I sit up. I hiss when I clearly feel the outline of his equipment.
Nice.
I slowly rock my hips, biting my lip when he hits me just right. Now it’s his turn to hiss, his hands slipping under the edge of my shirt and up my sides. The moment I feel him brush my breasts, I whip that shirt right off and out of his way.
It’s been way too long, I’m way too turned on, and I have way too many fantasies featuring this man I’d love to fulfill to be beating around the bush. I want his hands all over me.
“Fuck me,” he mumbles, as I reach behind me.
By the time I have my bra unhooked and off, he’s divested himself of his shirt. I spread my hands on his chest, loving the feel of his chest hair against my palms. But, apparently, Hog has little patience for me to explore, because the next moment I’m on my back, Hog’s hips nestled between my legs, and his talented mouth paying beautiful attention to my breasts.
“Yesss.”
My life is an absolute shit show right now, and the timing probably couldn’t be any worse, but this—what’s happening here—feels absolutely right.
Hog
My head wants to slow down so I can memorize everything.
Her scent, her shiny dark hair spread on her pillow, those amber eyes lighting up when she’s looking into mine. She’s so fucking beautiful.
“Please, Noah…”
Who the hell am I kidding? There’s no way in hell I can put the brakes on when she is begging for my touch.
I knew it when she pulled me up off the couch earlier and led me to her bedroom upstairs. When she stood beside the bed, stepped out of her pants and panties, and climbed in, I had to remind myself to breathe.
I stood frozen for a moment, unable to take my eyes off her, before I took my wallet from my back pocket, and with shaking fingers pulled out a condom I tucked in there, just in case. Then I stripped and joined her.
The condom still lies unused on the mattress because I’ve been too busy worshipping Anika’s body.
“Please…” she pleads again.
I use my thumbs to spread her lips wider, close my mouth on that shiny bundle of nerves I’ve exposed, and suck. Immediately her quivering thighs clench against my ears as her hips buck off the mattress. I keep my eyes aimed up so I don’t miss the look on her face as she comes.
As her body still trembles with the aftermath of her orgasm, I go up on my knees, grab the condom, rip off the foil, and roll it on. Then I hook my hands behind her knees and spread her wide to make room for me.
With my cock poised at her entrance, I pause to check.
“Okay?”
“Oh yeah,” she whispers, sinking her teeth in her bottom lip.
My arms are shaking and I’m sweating with the effort to enter her slowly, giving her body a chance to adjust. Anika, clearly not happy with my progress, reaches down, grabs my ass with both hands and with a tilt of her hips, pulls me deep inside her tight heat.
I’ve been walking around primed since the first time we kissed, so I have to concentrate—hard—not to blow the moment I’m buried to the root. Then Anika does this little roll with her hips while digging her blunt nails in the cheeks of my ass, and I can’t hold on.
My body runs on need and instinct, driving into her with a ferocity I’m sure I’m going to feel tomorrow. Worse, so is she, but she is right there with me, reaching for the summit.
Five minutes later my ears are still ringing, I haven’t regained my sight, and I continue to gasp for air, but at least my heart stopped galloping around my chest like a runaway horse. I guess I’ll live.
“Holy shit, Hog.”
I lift my head out of her neck and my weight off her body. Planting an elbow in the mattress, I take in her flushed face.
“When we’re naked, call me Noah.”
Her lips stretch in a lazy smile.
“Okay, then…holy shit, Noah.”
I can’t stop myself from smiling back as I use my free hand to grab one of hers, bringing it to my mouth for a kiss.
“Yeah.”
Now that I’ve caught my breath I should probably get cleaned up and get rid of this condom. I catch a glance at the alarm clock on the nightstand. It’s getting pretty late and I have to get up early.
I bend down and press a kiss to her lips.
“Be right back.”
I head into the bathroom and when I turn to close the door, I see Anika rolled on her side, watching me from the bed. Damn, I don’t really want to leave.
After I clean up, I wet a washcloth and return to the bedroom, holding it out to Anika.
“I wasn’t sure whether you wanted to stay in bed, or?—”
“Actually,” she says, swinging her legs out of bed. “I was just coming to see if I could interest you in a shower.”
“I should probably get going. I can grab one at home.”
“Oh…yeah, of course.”
She seems a little taken aback and glances off to the side as she tucks her hair behind her ear.
I put my hands on her shoulders and duck down so she can’t avoid looking at me.
“Unless you want me to stay,” I put out there.
“Up to you,” she mutters.
I take her face in my hands.
“No, it’s not. It’s entirely your call. You can safely assume I won’t be turning down an offer to spend the night with you in my arms.”
She smiles and brushes my lips with hers.
Then she slips from my hold and heads for the bathroom.
“Last one in the shower cooks breakfast!”
I pullthe truck up in front of the fire station and put it in park.
Then I unclip my seat belt and turn to Anika.
“For the record; Greek yogurt with blueberries is not breakfast, it’s barely a snack.”
She twists in her seat, an amused sparkle in her eyes.
“I beg to differ. It fills me up until lunchtime. No need to clog my arteries before noon.”
When I got downstairs first this morning and scrounged for something to make for breakfast, there wasn’t a strip of bacon, slice of cheese, or potato in sight. Hell, even the bread I found in the freezer looked more like something you’d stick in a bird feeder instead of a toaster.
“How can it? There’s no substance to it.” I challenge her.
But it wouldn’t be Anika if she didn’t have an answer for everything.
“Not true; I sprinkled on hemp hearts.”
“Are you talking about the teaspoon’s worth of those little crunchy bits? They were about as filling as half of a peanut.”
I can tell she’s fighting the smile tugging at her mouth.
“I’ll have you know; those hold a lot of nutrients.”
Shaking my head, I reach for the door handle. I know when I’m beat—this woman is as stubborn as they come—but I’m getting a kick out of this silly banter.
Instead of exiting the truck to get into the driver’s seat, Anika clambers over the center console to slip behind the wheel. I’m still standing in the open door, enjoying the hell out of the show.
“You’re gawking,” she accuses, giving me the side-eye.
“Admiring,” I counter. “Big difference,” I add, taking a step closer.
Then I reach in and brace a hand on the steering wheel. But before I can duck my head into the cab for a kiss, she swings around in her seat and loops her arms around my neck.
“For that, I may buy you some bacon for breakfast for next time.”
I grin. Next time sounds pretty good to me.
I slide my arms around her waist and pull her a little closer, leaning in to let my kiss convey my gratitude.
A loud wolf whistle behind me has Anika rock back and glance over my shoulder. The way she goes rigid in my arms, I know whoever whistled, Bodhi is likely standing right beside them.
“Sweetheart,” I get her attention without bothering to turn around. I’ll clear the air with Bodhi later. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning, yeah?”
Her eyes come back to me and she awards me with a little smile.
“Yeah.”
“Don’t forget to take breaks today,” I urge her, giving her lips one more brush before stepping back from the truck.
“I’ll try. You, please stay safe today,” she imparts before she closes the door.
I’ll be damned if that doesn’t give me a warm feeling in my chest.
I watch Anika start backing away from the firehouse and drive away.
Then I turn around and come face-to-face with Sumo’s wide grin and Bodhi’s scowl.