Chapter 18
Chapter
Eighteen
It was a quarter after eleven. Kate knew because she’d been checking her phone every two minutes. She’d sent Marley a message at 11:01pm to tell him that everybody was asleep. And then, yeah, she’d sent him a photo of her silky pajamas. Short and revealing.
Because this man made her come, then walked away without making any demands. She felt he deserved a treat.
But he still hadn’t called and now she was worried she’d gone too far. What if he thought she was being too forward?
The man made you come on his fingers. A photo of you in your pajamas isn’t forward. It’s practically Victorian.
But then the wail of a siren cut through the nighttime silence. It was so familiar yet the high-pitched sound still made her wince. She got out of bed and opened the curtains to look outside.
She could see the flashing lights in the distance, on the main road out of town. And she knew exactly why he hadn’t called. She watched as it disappeared around the corner, and then two minutes later another engine followed.
Was he on the first? The second? What kind of call was it?
Her chest felt almost too tight to breathe. She’d been the wife of a firefighter for way too long not to know about the dangers he’d face as soon as they arrived at the call out. Her stomach twisted at the thought of him getting hurt.
Or worse.
“Mom?” Ethan’s voice called out.
“Yes, honey?” She grabbed her robe and wrapped it around her, padding on her bare feet out into the hallway. When she pushed open his door, Ethan was sitting up in bed. He was wearing one of Paul’s FDHC t-shirts Marley had given them.
“Was that a fire engine?”
“I think so.” She gave him a soft smile. “Go back to sleep. They’ve gone past now.”
“Is there a fire?” he asked, his eyes wide.
“I don’t know. If there is, it isn’t nearby. I can’t see any flames or smoke.” She walked over and stroked his hair. He felt so warm and soft. Sometimes it was hard to believe he was already eight. “Try to get to sleep. We have church in the morning.”
“James doesn’t have to go to church,” he muttered.
“Because James goes to junior firefighters.”
“Can I join junior firefighters?” Ethan asked, a hopeful look in his eyes.
The thought of it forced the breath from her lungs. It was bad enough that James had insisted on joining. The thought of Ethan wanting to be part of that world was too much.
What if Addy wanted to join when she was older?
“You’re too young. Now go back to sleep.” She leaned down to kiss his cheek. “Love you.”
“Love you too.” He turned on his side and closed his eyes.
If she never heard the wail of a fire engine again it would be too soon.
Because now she had somebody else to worry about, and she wasn’t sure her heart could take it.
The buzz of her phone woke her up a couple of hours later. Not that she was in deep sleep. Her mind had been too fitful for that. She reached out for it, frowning when she saw it was almost two am.
No good news ever came at this hour of the night.
It took three tries to unlock her screen. Mostly because she was frowning and for some reason the facial recognition didn’t like that. But when she did, she saw she had a message.
Open your window. – Marley
She ran the tip of her tongue over her dry lips. According to the time stamp it had been sent a minute ago. And then her heart started racing as the memories of the sirens from earlier in the night filled her mind. Was he okay?
She practically sprinted to the window.
As soon as she pulled the curtains she could see him standing on the porch below. She opened the window and leaned out.
“What are you doing?” she whispered.
“Hoping you’d be awake.” He gave her the most delicious smile. Before she could say anything else, he launched himself at the wall of the house, his hands grasping onto the drainpipe as he climbed up it like some kind of monkey, his movements so sure it took her breath away. In less than thirty seconds he’d reached her window, his fingers curling around the sill, his feet firmly planted on the brackets of the pipe.
“Can I come in?” He didn’t even sound breathless.
She stepped back, trying so hard not to watch as his thick thighs scissored over the opening of the window, his running shoes landing with a thud on her carpet.
And then, as though he was some kind of polite visitor dropping in for dinner, he took his shoes off and lined them up neatly on the floor.
Her mouth dropped open. “Did you really just climb up to my window like some kind of Romeo on acid?”
“Romeo never climbed up to the balcony,” Marley pointed out. “He just stayed on the ground like an idiot.” He strode up to her, brushing the hair from her face, then kissed her softly. “Hi.”
“Hi.” She felt herself go stupidly weak at the knees. “Do you know I’m thirty-five years old and nobody’s ever climbed through my bedroom window before?”
He grinned and touched his brow with the tip of his fingers. “Happy to be your first, ma’am.”
“I heard the sirens earlier.” She looked him over almost subconsciously, checking for injuries.
“I figured you did. And I might be a little cocky, but I assumed you might want to know I’m okay.”
“I do.” She nodded quickly. “What kind of call out was it?”
“Barn fire. Twenty minutes away.”
“Anybody hurt?” she asked.
“No.” He shook his head. “Had to save some little calves but that was it.”
And now she was picturing him carrying baby cows out of a blazing barn. “I was worried,” she admitted to him. “I didn’t like hearing the sirens.”
He cupped her face with his palm. “I know. And I’m sorry. It must bring back bad memories.” Their eyes caught.
“Not really.” She shook her head. “I was just… I like to know you’re safe.”
He took her hands in his. Pressed them against his face. Then moved them down to his chest, his side, his hips. “I’m okay,” he promised. “No broken bones, no bruises. Just a burned out barn and some homeless baby cows. That’s all that happened.”
This time. She didn’t say it, but it was always there. She didn’t know any relative of a first responder who didn’t think that way.
“Have you ever climbed into a girl’s room?” she asked him, suddenly curious and wanting to change the subject. She was so aware of how big he felt standing in front of her. She’d designed the room around her own tastes. It was dainty. Pretty. Flowers and soft carpets and more scatter cushions than most men could bear to see.
His lip quirked. “Nope. It’s my first time, too. Be gentle with me.”
“It’s like we’re both going through our teen years together. If it helps, my parents are here to make it even more authentic.”
He laughed. “We’d better be quiet then.”
Her mouth dropped open. “We’re not doing that. ” Though being in his arms was making her body heat up.
“I know.” He winked. “I told you before. The first time isn’t going to be rushed. But teenagers make out, right?”
“Right.”
He brushed his lips against hers. “I very much want to make out with you, Kate.”
Oh.
“By the way, I like this.” He ran his finger over her silky pajama top. It was camisole style, in black. “And these.” He cupped her behind, his palm against the matching shorts.
“I put them on for our video call.”
His eyes were dark as they caught hers. “I’d be annoyed I missed it, but seeing you in the flesh is so much better.” He kissed her throat.
Her nipples hardened against the silky fabric. All this man had to do was press his mouth against her skin and she felt like she was about to combust.
“Come to bed,” she told him, sliding her hands into his.
“I thought we weren’t doing that.”
“I prefer to make out horizontally.” She smiled because damn, she liked this man. Liked having him around.
Even if they had to be sneaky.
She glanced at his clothes. “Take off your jeans.”
“Kate…”
“I just want you to be comfortable.” And she didn’t want the denim between them. If they were going to be making out – and she really wanted them to – he could at least be half undressed. Like her.
“It’s only fair,” he conceded, glancing at her bare legs. Then he was unfastening the top button of his jeans and sliding them down. She swallowed hard as she took in the hard ridge of him pressing against his black shorts. Next came his t-shirt. He pulled it over his head and threw it to the side, and she couldn’t help but take a long, delightful look at the ridge of muscles that led to the waistband of his shorts.
Taking his hand in hers, she brought him over to her bed, pulling back the covers. Lying down on the mattress, she pulled him on top of her. Needing to feel his weight, his strength.
His thighs pressed against the outside of hers.
Before she could tell him how good he felt, he slid his hand down her side, pushing his fingers up beneath the silky camisole. His lips were soft as he started kissing her. Undemanding. Almost lazy.
It still set her on fire, though. She could feel herself getting slick between her legs.
“Do you know how much I’ve thought about you today?” he asked her. Then he lifted her camisole up, over her head, and moved his mouth down at an aggravatingly slow pace.
Kissing her shoulder, the dip in her throat where it met her chest, then the tops of her needy breasts.
“I thought we were making out with clothes on,” she said, the words fizzling out on her tongue as he captured her breast in his mouth.
It felt different than yesterday. Maybe because yesterday she’d been standing up, her back against a wall. Today they were in bed, horizontal. With his hard body pressed against hers. He was taking his time, his tongue swirling against her nipple, his teeth scraping so softly it made her back arch.
Then he moved to her other breast. Teasing her over again. She tangled her fingers in his soft hair, scraping her nails against his scalp.
“Have I told you how much I like it when you do that?” he asked her, looking up.
“No.”
“I do. I’m going to need you to do that the first time I’m inside you.
The first time. The thought of it made her shiver.
Truth was, she needed him inside her now . She was so slick and swollen. It felt like he was the only one who could soothe the ache that seemed to engulf her. She wrapped her legs around his waist and rolled her hips against him. Needing the connection, the friction.
Everything.
“Fuck.” He tried to pull his hips away, but she tightened her thighs around him. “Kate, I’m not going to last long if you keep doing that.”
“I know.” She smiled at him. “You made me feel so good yesterday. Let me do that for you.” She slid her hand between their bodies, feeling the thickness of him. He groaned again when she circled her fingers around him.
“Where do you want to be?” she whispered. “In my hands, my mouth? Between my legs?” She dragged her fingers up him, then down again, loving the way he looked, almost dazed as their gazes connected.
“Between your legs,” he rasped. “I want you to come with me.”
“Then it will be two one.”
“I’m not counting.” He tipped her face up, his mouth harder against hers now. The gentleness was gone. She could feel the pull of his need as his tongue plundered her mouth.
She hooked her legs around him, lost in his mouth, in his kiss. In the teasingly perfect rhythm of his hips as his body moved against hers.
There were two layers between them. His shorts and hers. And it was too much. She needed more.
She started to tug his shorts down his hips.
“What are you doing?”
“Don’t you want to feel the silk against you?” she asked innocently.
“Christ, you’re killing me here, woman.”
And she was loving it. Loving the way he looked like his sanity was hanging on by a thread as they kissed and moved and ground against each other. Like teenagers, but without the angst. Just the knowledge that they were two adults who really, really liked each other.
Could it actually be that easy? She pushed the thought away because he was kissing her breasts again, dragging his tongue against her in a way that made every part of her body clench with pleasure. Her breath was starting to hitch, her heart rate speeding out of control.
He made her feel so good. So wanted. She was getting addicted to him.
He helped her get his shorts off, and she was so aware that he was naked against her. He rocked his hips and groaned.
“Fuck, you feel so good. You’re so wet.” He kissed her again and she smiled against his mouth.
“I know. That’s how you make me. I’ve been thinking about you all day, too.”
That made him groan harder. She slid her hands down his back, feeling the tightness of his ass as he flexed against her.
Then she dug her fingers into his warm flesh.
“Do that again and I’m coming in two seconds,” he told her.
“Is that a threat or a promise?”
He groaned. She wasn’t sure whether it was because he felt so good or because she was teasing him. Maybe both.
It made her heart feel tight.
“Are you close?” he asked her, his voice urgent.
“So close.” And she didn’t want it to end. This warm, delightful pull. The way he knew exactly how to grind himself against her until her body was coiled like the tightest of springs.
“Kiss me,” she whispered. “Kiss me while I come.”
This time he was soft. His warm lips brushed against hers, his movements slowing but somehow getting deeper. She was clenching for him, desperate to feel him inside her.
“Marley?”
“Baby.”
“Please let me feel you.”
“What?” There was that dazed look again.
“Just for a minute. Skin on skin.”
His lips parted as he looked at her. Like a man who couldn’t refuse her anything, he pulled away from her, his fingers warm as they tugged at the silky waistband of her shorts.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“Protection?”
“Covered.” She ran her tongue over her lip. “Bad periods. I have an IUD.”
He blew out a mouthful of air. Like he was trying to regain some control. “I’m clean. Had a physical two months ago.”
“No sex since?”
He rolled his eyes. “Only with myself.”
She giggled. Don’t let me fall in love with you.
Where did that thought come from? She wasn’t sure, but it made her heart hurt again, and she didn’t want to feel that. She wanted him. There.
And a moment later, he was back between her thighs, kissing her softly again, his thick hardness sliding against the neediest part of her. It was all she could do not to hitch her hips and have him slide inside her.
She wanted to. So much.
But then he shifted his body and it was like he’d flipped the pleasure switch deep inside her. The swollen head of him was right there . Her eyes widened, her mouth slack, and her whole body started to convulse.
“I need you inside me,” she whispered. “I need…”
His mouth swallowed her words as he trailed his fingers down, sliding them between her legs and inside her right as her orgasm hit. She tipped her head back, her breath stilted as her legs tightened around his hips. He curled his fingers, finding the spot she never knew she had, intensifying her orgasm until she wasn’t sure she remembered her own name.
He did, though. He was groaning it as he suddenly pulled away, his free hand clasped around himself, as he started to come in thick ribbons, the essence of him coating her stomach.
And if she thought he was glorious naked, he was even more impressive in the throes of pleasure. His jaw was tight, almost mean. His chest glistened in the half-light of her bedside lamp, his stomach muscles tight as he emptied himself onto her.
“Fuck,” he rasped again, slowly pulling his fingers out of her. And yes, he licked them again, before almost collapsing on top of her, his forearms the only barrier between her and suffocation-by-Marley.
“I thought we said we were just going to make out,” he said, kissing her tenderly. She couldn’t stop smiling.
She never wanted to.
“Yeah, well apparently we’re adults,” she murmured against his lips. “And our bodies want what our bodies want.”
“My body wants you,” he told her softly. “All the time.”