Chapter 6
Arthur sat on the steps leading up to the front porch of Maren’s home. Luckily, the fire had been contained to part of the main dock and two boats. God only knows what would have happened if he and his crew had not been there.
“No news on the hit-and-run?” Arthur asked Rusty, the off-duty police officer who had witnessed Maren’s accident.
“Nothing on the guy driving the car, but the forensic team says the tire marks from the other car are not from braking, but from peeling out.”
Arthur snapped his head up. “As in they could have been waiting for the right time to race through the intersection?”
“That’s the theory we’re going with.”
“Have you ever heard of Alberto Ferro?”
Rusty tilted his head. “He’s got a place in Miami and rumor has it, he’s expanding his business up the coast. Why?”
“I think one of his thugs might be responsible for tonight’s fire.”
“Which means you think he’s behind Maren’s hit-and-run.”
“Exactly,” Arthur said.
“I’ll look into it.”
“I appreciate that.” Arthur glanced over his shoulder as the front door screeched open. Maren and her friend Shea stood at the door, hugging one another.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Maren said to her friend, then glared at him as she slammed the door shut.
He guessed he deserved that.
“She finally got ahold of her mother.” Shea breezed past him before slipping her arm around Rusty’s waist. “She’s about an hour away.”
“Thanks,” Arthur said, rubbing his temples. “How’s Maren?”
“Pissed at you,” Shea said with a sprinkle of sarcasm and a heaping cup of annoyance. “Not to mention she’s got a cut on her foot that I think should have had stitches.”
“I assume the paramedics patched her up?”
“They did. She’s a tough cookie.”
“I imagine she is,” Arthur said, wondering if she was going to open the door in a few minutes when he knocked on it.
“I’ll be in touch,” Rusty said.
The couple headed toward the parking lot. Never in a million years would he have expected those two to walk off arm in arm.
But life was full of unexpected events.
Like the rush of emotion he’d felt over the idea of Maren being in harm’s way and anywhere near that fire. He resisted the urge to take out the picture of Sarah. The thought that any of this could be related to Sarah and her family’s deaths disturbed him to the core. But what made his insides twist in pain was the thought that history might repeat itself.
It wasn’t about people dying in fires. He could only save so many, a reality in his career he had to reconcile. Nor was it about his past, even though that affected him with every fire he battled.
This was about Maren.
A woman he’d just met.
A woman who had wormed her way into his daily thoughts and his nightly dreams.
A woman he wanted more than he’d wanted anything in a long time.
He stood, sucking in a deep breath, and made his way to the front door where he tapped his knuckle three times.
Shasta barked. He could see her sitting in front of the door, wagging her tail. Maren stood at the breakfast bar in the kitchen, doing her best to ignore him.
He banged again.
This time Shasta raced to Maren, groaned, then ran back to the door, jumping up.
“Come on, Maren, open the door.”
When she didn’t turn around, Arthur took a chance and twisted the knob.
Unlocked.
“Down girl,” he whispered, patting the dog’s head.
Maren looked over her shoulder. “I already said thank you. I don’t think I need to say it again.”
“No. But I need to apologize.” He made his way to the kitchen island and sat down on the stool beside her, pulling out his wallet and setting it on the counter. “I only snapped because I didn’t want anything bad to happen to you.”
“That’s no excuse for the way you behaved.”
“You’re right.” He opened his wallet and pulled out the picture of him and Sarah taken before the junior prom with both sets of parents. “But maybe this will help you understand.” He pushed the picture across the countertop with a shaky hand. Other than his parents, his two sisters, and Darius, he hadn’t spoken to anyone about Sarah, her family, or their murder in years.
Maren cocked her head, holding the picture between her long, slender fingers. “Are you married? Is this your wife? Girlfriend?”
“She was my high school sweetheart, and she and her family died in a house fire when I was seventeen.” The words rolled off his tongue a little too easily. He wanted to feel the pain and guilt for having feelings for another woman. He wanted to wallow in self-pity and loathing.
But all he could do was see this beautiful woman, full of life, sitting next him, making him feel things he had no intention of ever having in his life again. “They were murdered.”
“Oh. My. God.” Maren dropped the picture. “I’m sorry. I had no idea.”
“You had no way of knowing. It’s not something I talk about, but I couldn’t let you go on the dock and risk something tragic happening to you. I…” He what? He cared? He valued human life and did his best to protect it, but when he’d watched her rip off her shirt to open the emergency fire hose, something primal erupted in his heart.
Something he hadn’t ever felt before, not with Sarah and not with his ex. He didn’t welcome the sensation.
“I care very much about your mother and after pulling you from a burning car, well, let’s just say I care about you, too.” There. He’d said it. He rubbed his shaky hands on his thighs, suddenly aware he had no shirt on. “I’m sorry I yelled at you, but I’m not sorry for keeping you off that dock.”
“Thank you for that.” Her fingers traced the edges of the picture. “Who murdered them and why?”
He rested his arms on the counter, dropping his forehead to his hands and swallowing his breath. Maybe telling her what happened would help make her understand just how bad these men were.
“To make a very long story short, her father owned a restaurant and he took money from an investor who turned out to be a criminal and used the business to launder his money. When Sarah’s father found out, he went to turn the bastard in, only Ferro got to him first, setting the family home on fire. No one got out alive.” Arthur clenched his eyes closed, fighting the tears that threatened. He didn’t cry for himself anymore, but for the fact he hadn’t been able to bring the family any justice.
Much less peace.
“Is that why you became a firefighter? Joined the Air Force?”
He rolled his head to the side, catching her caring gaze. “Yes.” He wanted desperately to fight the pull Maren had over him. To deny how comfortable he felt in her presence. To destroy any emotion he had. But no matter what he did, he couldn’t push her from his mind.
“And now you think this guy that Nally brought is somehow related to the people who murdered the love of your life?”
For a short year, Sarah had been his world. He’d been seventeen and not even close to being a man yet, something his adult mind constantly challenged with every short-lived relationship he’d had over the years.
“I really don’t know, but since the murderer of Sarah and her family has never been brought to justice, I can’t let go of the uncanny similarities between this Santoro guy and someone I know to be associated with Sarah’s death. Add in your accident and tonight’s fire, and my instincts are on high alert.”
She leaned back on the stool, resting her hand on his bare back, rubbing up and down. Her skin tingled against his, sending signals to the rest of his body. He thought he should stifle it, but he honestly didn’t want to, and that scared him.
“I’m sorry about what happened to your girlfriend and her family.”
“Thank you,” he whispered. “I’m sorry I was an asshole.”
“Yeah, you were.” She patted his shoulder, giving it an intense squeeze.
He should sit taller and ask for a shirt, but instead, he kept his head on the counter, enjoying her tender touch, wondering what it would feel like to kiss her lips, neck, collarbone… hell, every inch of her.
“Tell your mother not to take this deal.”
“I don’t know. While I don’t like their pushy tactics, this might be just what my mother needs.”
“Are you kidding me? After what I just told you?” Sitting up, he turned his body to face her, resting a hand on her good knee. “That fire tonight was intentional, and I believe it was meant to scare your mom into taking the deal.”
“Oh, come on. That’s not the first time some stupid teenagers raced by and?—”
“Tried to blow the place up?” he interrupted, drilling his point home.
“We’ve had vandals before.”
He arched a brow.
“Seriously, what would they gain in starting a fire? If they destroyed the marina, there’d be nothing to invest in.”
“If these people are who I think they are, this place would be the perfect business for them to run drugs and launder money, especially if they had to rebuild.”
She laughed. “I’m sorry, but that’s absurd.”
Hopping off the stool, he started to pace, scratching the back of his head. “Then explain the hit-and-run.” He stopped and held up his hand. “And before you try, Rusty informed me that the tire marks on the road were not of the car trying to brake, but of a car accelerating, intentionally barreling through that intersection.”
“What? How can they tell?”
“The difference between how a tire increases during?—”
“It was a rhetorical question.” She stared at him, her wide eyes flickering with fear and confusion.
“You need to shut this deal down. Now.” He held her gaze, doing his best to keep his emotions in check. The combination of anger and desire could be a bad mix where he was concerned, and the last thing he wanted with Maren was angry sex.
“I don’t know, even though we don’t like their pushy tactics, it’s a perfect?—”
“Are you even listening to me?” He reached out and grabbed her by the shoulders, holding tight. “These are some seriously bad people who do whatever it takes to get what they want.”
“Let go of me.”
He let out a long breath, dropping his hands, but he clenched his fists. “Someone may have tried to kill you, and for all we know, this fire could have been for the same reason.”
“That’s crazy. Why would they want to kill me?”
“That’s an easy one. It would make taking advantage of your mother so much easier. Get to the daughter, who seems to be standing between them and the marina, so they can get what they want.” He shifted forward, his nose only inches from hers. “Tell them unequivocally, no.”
“Don’t tell me what to do. I hate that more than anything.”
He tossed his hands wide and stared at the ceiling. “Would you for one second stop and really hear what I’m saying?”
“It’s kind of hard when you turn into a controlling asshole.” She planted her hands on her hips and jutted her chin out. “I’m sorry about what happened to your girlfriend, but that’s not what is going on here, and I think you need to find a way to let go of?—”
He covered her mouth with his hand. “Don’t go there. The only thing I’m holding on to right now is wanting justice for an innocent family and making sure it doesn’t happen to someone else I care about.” He breathed in deeply, letting it out slowly as he uncovered her mouth, her shocked eyes glowering at him.
She raised her hand and poked her index finger in the center of his chest. “Don’t you ever touch me like that again. And care about me? You don’t even know me.”
He grabbed her hand and placed it over his heart. “I know enough that I want to know more. Hell, I want to know everything, but I’m not going to get a chance if I’m pulling your dead body from the bottom of the Intracoastal.” He didn’t give her a chance to respond as he meshed his mouth with hers.
He knew he sounded over the top and crazy regarding his wanting to explore something with her, as well as his theory of Ferro’s goon wanting to kill or at least maim her. He’d gone from wanting to avoid her at every turn, to never wanting to ever leave her side. Of course, part of that was due to the fact he knew without a doubt, whoever Nally and Santoro turned out to be, they worked for Ferro.
And Ferro would stop at nothing to get what he wanted.
Arthur gripped her hips as he parted her lips with his tongue in search of hers. She greeted him tentatively as her fists came down on his shoulders. He expected her to shove him away, but instead, her fingers dug into his skin and glided over his shoulders and down the middle of his back.
As the kiss became a dance between wild animals, his hands roamed her body, starting under her shirt, feeling the curves of her back, enjoying how she arched as if he’d found that one spot that tickled. He rubbed his palms over her firm ass before cupping the back of her thighs and hoisting her off her feet, setting her butt on the counter and pressing himself between her legs.
Wanting to feel skin on skin, he curled his fingers over the bottom of her shirt. He pried his lips from hers as he yanked the fabric over her head. Her chest heaved up and down with every raspy breath.
He caught her gaze and smiled at the lust he’d put in her molten eyes. His fingers found the hooks on the back of her bra and, with little effort, unfastened the garment, enjoying how her pupils dilated as her eyes widened with a combination of shock and delight.
Kissing her neck, he let the straps fall off her shoulders. If he were being a gentleman, he’d ask her if she wanted him to stop or if it was too soon. Especially since they hadn’t even had dinner or a date, much less spent any real time together. But here he was, kissing his way down her collarbone, his index finger pushing the lacy fabric down, exposing the perfect round nipple.
He should be slowing down, taking his time, but that thought left his brain the moment he sucked her tight nub into his mouth, devouring her like a wild beast who didn’t know the art of lovemaking.
The way her hands threaded through his hair encouraged him to explore more, kissing his way down her stomach. He pulled at the top of her jeans with his teeth, glancing up at her.
He groaned as she bit down on her lower lip and pressed her fingers against the button on her pants, easily undoing it. He swallowed, watching her fingers lower the zipper, revealing lacy white panties.
“Bedroom,” he managed to ground out as he stood, cupping her ass and wrapping her legs around his waist.
“Up the stairs, second door on the right.” She wiggled against him, smiling, knowing exactly what she was doing to him.
“You’re going to pay for that.”
“God, I hope so.”
He strolled to the steps, doing his best not to stagger as he climbed them, holding her body tight so her skin touched his.
“This is crazy,” he whispered as he kicked open the door. “You’re home for how long?” He laid her on the bed as gently as he could without ripping their bodies apart.
“A week. Maybe two.”
He kneeled between her legs, shimmying her shorts and panties over her hips, almost hoping that his better judgment would kick in before she lay gloriously naked under the moonlight filtering in through the window. “So, this is just a one-night stand kind of thing.”
She rose up on her elbows, hands covering her breasts. “Can we please not classify this and get on with it before I remember I’m really ticked off at you? Not to mention I don’t even know…”
He yanked her shorts to her ankles, nearly pulling her off the bed.
“Whoa.”
“You told me to get on with it.” As he undid the button and zipper on his shorts, staring down at what had to be the most gorgeous woman in the world with her dark complexion, silky skin, and brazen eyes, his hands trembled, and his heart pounded in his chest. He shouldn’t be doing this, and he was about to take a step back when she batted his hands away and jerked his clothes to his ankles.
Choking on his breath, he tried to collect his gentleman qualities when she grabbed him, holding him in her soft hands as her pink tongue flicked out over the tip of him.
“Jesus,” he muttered, gently pushing her hair aside, his chest rising and falling with his raspy, desperate breath as he stared at her. She caressed and teased him to the point his vision blurred and his thighs grew weak. It took all his control not to press her head further onto him, though she certainly didn’t need any encouragement as he watched himself disappear inside her hot mouth.
He tugged at her hair, yanking her head back. “Come here,” he commanded, bringing her to a standing position. He took her chin between his forefinger and thumb, tilting her head. “You ready to scream with pure pleasure?” Lifting her leg, placing her foot on the bed, he cupped her womanhood, groaning at the wetness lining his palm.
“I don’t scream or beg. Just for the record.”
“I think I can change that.” Gliding his finger over her opening, circling her tender lips, he did his best to contain his primal desire to take her with force.
Her hands gripped his shoulders while he at first slowly stroked her insides, feeling her tighten around his fingers. The way her body responded to his touch brought the blood in his veins to a boil.
As he slipped two more fingers into her wet folds, her moans turned to desperate guttural groans. Her hips rolled against his hand. He bent over, sucking on one of her nipples and more hot, creamy liquid poured over his hand.
“Oh. My. God,” she whispered in a deep, husky voice.
He sucked harder and fingered faster, his need to make her orgasm so strong, it was all that mattered.
“Yes!” Her hips jerked.
He released her nipple, kissing the underswell of her breasts. “Come on, Maren, come for me.” Curling his fingers inside her, he stroked her a few more times before pulling his hand out, rubbing her swollen nub, then starting the movement all over again.
“Oh… Oh… God.” Her moan echoed through the room.
The power that came with making a woman orgasm with just his hand had always been intoxicating, but with Maren?
He lost all power and succumbed to her desires and wishes.
“Do you want it like this?” He kissed his way up her neck. “Tell me what you want, Maren.”
Her fingers dug into his shoulders, her body rocking back and forth. “Like this. Now,” she cried out, cupping his face.
She clenched down over his fingers and squeezed her legs together.
“Oh…. Oh… Arthur!” She tossed her head back and forth.
A sense of pride filled his gut. “I told you I’d make you scream. Now, let’s see about making you beg.”
She cocked her head, smiling wickedly. When her lips brushed his, he knew he was in for the ride of a lifetime. “You’re the one who is going to be begging.”
“Oh, really.” He arched a brow, intrigued and totally turned on by the banter. “And exactly how do you plan on making me beg?”
Her tongue parted his lips, swirling inside his mouth with a fiery passion that sent his body into a panic that he’d never get enough of.
Just as he wrapped his hands around her luscious body, she pushed away, climbing on the bed, maneuvering herself against the headboard and propped up some pillows. “You have to stay there.”
“What?”
She smiled, raising one hand to her breast, pinching and tugging at her nipple. “You can’t move.” Next, she glided a hand down her firm stomach, rubbing her forefinger against herself, spreading her legs wide.
“Jesus Christ,” he mumbled, raising his hand to himself.
She waggled a finger at him. “You can’t touch yourself either.”
He dropped his hand to his side. “Tease me like that and I’m bound to climb on this bed and take you.”
“I’ll let you know when that would be acceptable.”
“Acceptable.” His voice cracked like a pimply-faced teenager as he watched her fingers dance over her womanhood.
Her soft moans tickled his skin. His breath hitched as he watched her bring herself pleasure.
“You’ve got maybe three more minutes before I’m on top of you.” He looked around the room. “Shit. I left my wallet downstairs.”
“Why do you need that?”
“Because that’s where I have a condom.”
She smiled, bringing her fingers to her lips, sucking them into her mouth slowly.
He growled.
“No worries. I have one.”
“Yeah. Where?” he asked right after he swallowed his breath.
“My overnight kit on the dresser behind you.”
“Keep doing that.” He waved his hand in the air as he stepped backward, careful not to take his eyes off her, admiring the glistening of her body and learning from her how she touched herself. Not that he’d use it since the second he covered himself, he’d be all in and nothing would be able to stop him from taking her with raw and unabated force.
Goosebumps lined his skin and his body shivered. The way she stared at him as he ripped open the foil package with his teeth and swathed himself with the condom sent a warm tingle to all his nerve endings.
“Get on all fours.” He knelt on the foot of the bed. “This isn’t going to be pretty or last very long, but I promise you’re going to have another orgasm.” God, he hoped he’d be able to make good on his promise.
“Demanding, aren’t you?”
“Are you going to do as I ask?”
She smiled, rolling over to all fours, positioning herself with her ass in the air, looking over her shoulder. For a second, he stopped breathing and his heart stopped beating. This should not be how one made love to a woman for the first time, especially when he cared about her.
And Arthur honestly cared about Maren.
Yet here he was, taking her like a sex-starved animal.
He grabbed her hips, pulling her to him, entering her with one hard, commanding stroke. Rocking back on his heels, he lifted her to him, giving his one hand access to her breasts, while his other hand rubbed her hard nub, making her moan, rocking her body against his.
Gritting his teeth, he did what he could to maintain control as their bodies intertwined in a primitive dance meant to call on all the sexual gods.
Her arms reached over her head, circling around his neck, her head resting on his shoulder.
He continued to thrust, completely losing himself in her. “Please,” he begged. “For me, Maren.”
She rolled her head, kissing his cheek, lowering a hand and covering his as she pressed it harder against herself, creating a friction so intense, his body ignited in a hot, electric flame.
“Oh, yes,” she said softly as she quivered at his touch, her climax spilling out over him in a hot wave.
He could no longer contain himself as he pumped inside her, growling as he let his release spill out. “Jesus, Maren,” he whispered. “You make me crazy.”
“And I made you beg.”
He let out a small laugh as he continued to slowly stroke the side of her before shoving her stomach down on the bed and collapsing on top of her, totally spent. The actual act of sex didn’t last very long, but the effects continued to linger while he tried to catch his breath.
“You begged,” she cooed, her hands reaching around him, squeezing his thighs.
He chuckled. “I did and you came again.”
“And again.”
He rolled to his side, pulling her body against his. “Give me ten minutes and I could do it again.”
She popped her head up. “Did you hear that?”
“Hear what…” He looked out the window. “You mean tires against gravel?”
“Yeah. I think my mother is home.”