Hot Nights with the Fireman (13 page)

“Are you going to explain why I'm here tonight, or are you going to make me ask?” he asked.

She sat straighter. “I don't know what you're talking about.”

“Yeah, you do. Why did you want me to meet Arianna?” he asked.

“She's my best friend. She's important to me.” She fiddled with her neatly folded napkin.

“Sure, sure. Why did I
really
meet her? And why is she blatantly flirting with me?”

She flushed and wouldn't meet his eyes. “Men like Ari. Never mind, I was being an idiot.”

He tried to connect the dots but needed help. “You were worried I would choose her over you?”

“Something like that,” she admitted. “Like I said, it was stupid, especially because we're having a fling, nothing serious, right?”

Did she really not see her worth or think he was that much of an asshole? He was slightly stunned. “I already told you, I want more, not just a fling, so please give me the courtesy of not treating me like I'm some kind of playboy.”

Finally, she looked at him straight in the face. “Jason, I'm in your life because you were caught naked with a bunch of sorority girls. You obviously…date a lot. But I appreciate you leaving Ari alone…”

He reached across the table to grab her hand. When he had her complete attention, he said, “We need to get a few things straight. One. I walked out of the shower and the sorority girls were there. Purely Dan's fault. I had no idea they'd pulled up their shirts in their little
Girls Gone Wild
moment.”

The disbelieving look she threw him made him frown. “And second, and more importantly, Ari's cute, but she doesn't hold a candle to you. I'm serious. You're such a sexy ice queen.”

“But you're attracted to fire,” she said, frowning slightly.

He shook his head. “My job is to put out fires. I don't want to hug one close. You're this amazing combination of both fire and ice, projecting the ice queen as a front, but burning hot for those in the know.”

“Thank you,” she said, but she clung to his fingers a little tighter. “You mean what you said about the sorority girls? You don't”—she leaned over the table to whisper—“sleep around?”

He held a hand over his heart, trying not to get angry that she thought of him that way. “Swear to God. Val, I sleep in the station house most nights of the week. I don't have time to find that many women.”

She leaned back in her chair and frowned as she thought about his words. “But you're always flirting with women.”

He was?

“When I entered the bar tonight, you were flirting with those two women.”

It took him a second to remember which two women in question. “They chatted with me. They're tourists looking for recommendations from a local.”

“Oh,” she said, having the good grace to look embarrassed. “I'm sorry I jumped to conclusions, and I'm so sorry I suspected you'd ditch me for Ari. I…” She bit her lip and stared for a long moment at her glass before looking back at him. “I don't have the best track record with men,” she said. “It's hard for me to trust.”

“And that's why you wanted me to meet Arianna? As a test?” He didn't know whether to be amused or annoyed. “I guess I can see how you would've jumped to that conclusion about me.”

“I'm so sorry. Too many men have ignored me to go after Arianna. And given what I thought I knew about you…you must think I'm a bitch.”

“You're not,” he said confidently. “Unless you have to be, and damn, it's hot. Seriously, I like Arianna. She's cute and funny, but I don't want to sleep with her. I want you. The only question I have left for you is whether you're coming home with me tonight.”

He met her gaze and held his breath until finally she gave her head a slight jerk. “Yes.” Emotion burst through his chest. He wanted to stand on the table, point at Valerie, and shout to the world, “She's sleeping with me tonight!” But he played it cool and gave her hand a squeeze. “Good. I'll try to make it worth your while.”

“You will,” she said simply. “I won't have it any other way.”

If he'd been standing, she would've brought him to his knees. He was that hot for her.

A shadow darkened their tablecloth, and they both looked up to see Arianna standing at their left holding hands with an artsy-looking dude with dreadlocks down to his ass. He had multiple facial piercings to complete the look.

Ari looked so radiant when she introduced them, Jason forced a friendly smile onto his lips and tried not to judge the guy, but it was hard when everything about him screamed
poseur
.

“We're going dancing,” Ari said. “Want to come with us?”

To his relief, Valerie shook her head. He had a horizontal dance in mind, and it did not require another couple.

He stood and gave Ari a hug. “Nice meeting you, carrot-top.” He gave a hard look to her artist boy. “Take care of her.” He hoped his tone implied that he'd kick the guy's ass if Ari was hurt.

Ari and Valerie hugged and kissed on the cheek, communicating something silently as longtime friends could do. When Ari and the artist were gone, he turned to Valerie. “Ready?”

She nodded and reached for her purse under the table. He tried and failed not to stare at her spectacular ass. She was wearing tight dark jeans that rode low on her hips. A strip of skin at her back was revealed when she bent over. They needed to hurry back to his place, because he wasn't going to be able to keep his hands to himself much longer.

The drive to Jason's house flew by in a blur. One minute they were at the restaurant saying good-bye to Ari, and the next, Jason was bundling her into her car and telling her to drive safely but quickly to his apartment. She didn't bother following him this time. Having been there the other night, she knew the way. He lived on a main avenue.

In fact, she was parked and standing in the building turnaround when his truck pulled in. He slowed to a stop for her to climb in and they drove in silence to his underground parking garage. She couldn't stop thinking about the evening. Not only had Jason seemed immune to Ari's advances, he'd seemed to be amused by them. Val hadn't thought it possible. Either he was the greatest liar in the world, or he was truly not attracted to sexy redheads. She was quickly reevaluating everything she'd assumed about him. Might it be possible that he was the perfect man?

Valerie glanced across the car at Jason's profile as he ably swung his massive truck into the tiny parking spot, managing to miss the concrete poles.

There'd been an uncomfortable knowledge swirling inside since she'd seen him sitting at the bar waiting for her earlier this evening, and it was cemented by the revelations he'd shared about his not-so-active love life. This was no mere fling. Jason meant more to her than that. He could have the power to tear her heart apart if she let him. When he'd handed her the pack of hair bands and told her he'd picked them because they were an exact match for her hair, she'd known she was in trouble.

The fact that he'd noticed and remembered her hair shade spoke volumes. He'd told her he'd take her any way he could get her. It was clear, he wanted more than simply sex. Now she understood completely there was nothing “simply” about it. Was she ready to strip and reveal her body in all its ugliness? No, not yet. But maybe soon. Tonight she was wearing jeans but had another pair of knee-highs under the denim. If she kept the sexy times moving at a rapid pace, maybe he wouldn't notice she kept her socks on.

He smiled at her as he turned the key in the ignition. “Ready?”

Boy, was she. She leaned across the center console to kiss him. He caught the back of her head in his large palm and tugged her closer. Their tongues dueled and the windows steamed. She pulled back from the kiss for a minute to look meaningfully in the direction of the backseat.

He shook his head. “I don't have condoms in the car.”

Neither did she. She frowned for a moment. She was feeling wild and spontaneous. She wanted to do something crazy like have sex on the narrow backseat of his truck, but she wasn't crazy enough to do it without a condom. Suddenly she smiled, knowing what to do.

Scooting into position, she leaned over his lap and fumbled with the button on his jeans. He caught her gist right away, and helped her by tugging his zipper lower and leaning back to give her more room.

“You sure?” he whispered. She didn't bother answering. Instead, she bent down and took his penis in her mouth. He was only semi-aroused, but hardened very quickly as she surrounded him with her mouth. He felt good on her tongue, all warm silky skin with a delicious musky scent.

When he groaned and subtly thrust his hips upward, she wrapped her mouth on the head of his cock and wrapped her palm around the base of his shaft. His lower abdominal muscles flexed and his fingers played in her hair. “Shit, Val. This is so good.” The worn fabric of the truck upholstery scratched at her exposed arms, but she ignored the discomfort. She wanted to give Jason an inkling of her burgeoning feelings for him. At the restaurant tonight, she'd hated watching him read the menu knowing that he could do it, but had to work at it. She'd wanted to cuddle on his lap and read it with him.

She wanted to give him an ounce of the feelings she'd received when he'd casually handed her the pack of hair bands. He couldn't have touched her more if he'd brought prizewinning hothouse roses. The simple, inexpensive gift had been a jolt to her heart.

She tightened her grip on the base of his penis and the suction of her mouth. It was exciting knowing they were in a public garage and could be spotted, but knowing it and wanting it to actually happen were two different things. She wanted to give him an orgasm then go upstairs for her turn.

“Val.” His fingertips squeezed her skull for an instant. “I'm close.”

She didn't respond except to speed up her strokes and slide her other hand in to cup his balls through his jeans.

“
Urgh.
” Something unintelligible rolled off Jason's tongue, and she inwardly smiled that she was heaping this much pleasure on him. A few seconds later, he pushed her head back, moaned, and liquid shot onto his stomach. She looked for a tissue as she sat up, barely wiping her mouth with the back of her hand before he was grabbing her for a long kiss.

It was totally silent in the truck save for the wet sounds of their mouths connecting. She pulled back and looked at him. Though the garage had decent lighting, it was dark in the truck, and she tried to make out his expression in the shadowy light. “Hey,” he said very quietly, reaching out and stroking her arm with his palm.

“Hey yourself,” she whispered back. No ambient noise from the garage leaked through.

“That was amazing. It's your turn now. Ready to go upstairs?” he asked.

She nodded and swung herself out of the car on legs that felt heavily unsteady. He met her at the rear of the car and took her hand. Together they strolled to the building entrance and waited for the elevator. They didn't talk. They didn't have to. They both knew what was going to happen the moment they reached his apartment.

The elevator dinged and the double silver doors slid apart, welcoming them into the confined space. The ride to the eighth floor seemed both endless and over in a split second. They held fast to each other's hands, his thumb stroking her palm. Somewhere between the third and the fourth floors, he glanced down at her. “I wanna kiss you, but I don't want to start something in the elevator.”

She glanced back. “Oh?”

“I like this building. Don't want to get evicted.”

She felt his naughty grin in the gut and concentrated on breathing and slowing the pounding of her heart for fear she'd combust before they could make it to his bed.

They didn't make it to his bed. She wasn't sure who picked up the pace first, but by the time they reached his apartment door, they were sprinting down the hall holding hands. He was much faster than she was, especially given her tight jeans. He pulled her along, accommodating her limited gait.

She had hold of his right hand, so getting his keys out of his pocket and into the keyhole with his left hand took a bit longer than normal, but by this point, she was loving the anticipation. The moment the door was open and she was in the apartment, he slammed the door shut behind her and pushed her back against the white wood. They kissed furiously, and he lifted her thigh, easily inserting his hips between her legs. She arched, struggling to get closer, but their clothing was in the way.

Quickly they tugged. Shoes were kicked under bar stools. Shirts landed in a haphazard pile half on the arm of the couch, and one on the carpet. Finally he stood naked, and she was left in her bra, panties, and stockings.

Tonight she'd also worn sexy lingerie, and it was worth the look in his eyes, when she leaned back against the door, feeling like a sex kitten as she posed for him.

“Jesus,” he muttered. “Look at you. It's a good thing you got me off in the garage, or I'd be done already.” Somehow she doubted that, especially when his penis was showing every sign of being alive and ready to play again. She reached out to stroke him, but he caught hold of her wrist.

“Uh-uh. I already had my turn. It's your turn now.” He dropped to his knees, and tugged at the silky thong until it was off. He nudged his wide shoulder under her knee, forcing her leg to lift, exposing her. His hands touched the elastic of her stockings, but she tugged his head to her core, distracting him.

Her head knocked back against the door, but she barely noticed thanks to his tongue sliding through her curls. She was already wet and rather desperate for him.

“Please,” she begged, but what she was begging for, she didn't know. She was greedy and dying for release. He didn't give it to her. Not at first. He looked to be having too much fun toying with her and playing her body like an instrument.