Torched: A Rough Firefighter Romance Read online

  He shifted his fingers to my clit, swirling one around in lazy motions. He allowed one arm to be freed, keeping the other pinned against the wall.

  I wasted no time in palming his chest, savoring the way his rippling muscles felt against the tips of my fingers. He was built like a carved wall of stone, perfect in every manner. I eased my hand to his belt, fumbling as I attempted to unfasten the buckle. I wanted to touch him, stroke him.

  When Blaise drove one then two fingers deep inside my pussy, my muscles clenched immediately, pulling him in even deeper. I was shocked how wet and hot I was, my hunger already insatiable. I didn’t care the consequences; I wanted this man – this rough and tumble stranger. As he continued pumping, adding a third finger, I was forced onto my toes, the dazzling sensations shooting through every cell and muscle.

  He broke the kiss long enough to let off a savage growl before licking across the seam of my mouth. “Do you want this?”

  “Yes,” I said without hesitation.

  “Are you going to obey me?”

  “Mmm... Yes!”

  “Good girl,” he muttered and thrust had and fast into my pussy, flexing his fingers open.

  “Oh, God. Oh...” I blinked several times, still trying to free him, finally able to yank down the zipper. Freeing his cock was glorious, wrapping my hand around his thick shaft sublime. I pumped up and down, twisting my hand until I created friction.

  “Fuck. Me.” He closed his eyes, tossing back his head, the look of ecstasy crossing his face exquisite. “I can’t wait. I have to be inside of you.”

  There was no question about his control, and I hated to admit that even through the guilt and shame, I loved it. I craved his domination. I might burn in hell for what I was doing, but I’d risk it.

  “Going to fuck you hard, sweet thing,” he whispered and nuzzled into my neck, nipping and licking my skin.

  He finally released my other hand, allowing me to peel away the edges of his tight jeans, struggling to tug them down his carved hips. As soon as his cock and balls were freed, he wasted no time, jerking me off the floor.

  I wrapped my legs around his hips as he jutted his forward, impaling me with the entire length of his cock.

  “Oh. My. God!” My scream filtered all around us, shrill enough that I would swear it could be heard over the wild beating of the music. The feel of him filling me, spreading my muscles was blissful, sending vibrant hued stars dancing in front of my eyes.

  Blaise rode me hard, rolling onto the balls of his feet as he slammed me against the wall. Everything around us seemed to be shaking, adding to the sheer excitement.

  As I began to slip, I managed to slap my heel against the sink, holding myself in place as I clung to him, one hand entwined in his long locks. I envisioned running my fingers through his hair as we kissed for hours. The thought was far too wicked. This was just a one-time thing.

  But damn, if it wasn’t hot as shit.

  “Do you like that, sugar? Do you like the feel of my hard cock?” he asked in a breathless tone.

  “Uh-huh.” I lolled my head, unable to think clearly as he pumped in and out; smiling as he tipped his head back and howled. If only the people in the bar could see us now.

  Humiliating.

  Shocking.

  Sinful.

  I closed my eyes briefly as my pussy muscles clenched, tightening around him like a vice. I knew I was close to coming, losing full control.

  Surrendering.

  Even though shame continued to smack hard against my naughty girl thoughts, I no longer cared. This was far too delicious.

  “That’s is, sugar. Come for me. Come on my big, fat cock.”

  I adored his dominating words, the husky inflection. “Yes, I...” I was breathless, my pulse racing. How could anything this wrong feel so damn right?

  As the climax swept into me, I bit back a series of cries until the single orgasm turned into a beautiful wave. “Oh. God. Yes!” Nothing had ever felt so good.

  “Come on, baby. Come for me again,” he instructed, peppering kisses along my chin and jaw, dragging the tip of his tongue around my lips.

  I sagged against him, gulping for air. I clawed his shirt, pushing my foot hard against the sink; doing everything I could to meet his savage thrusts. There was no holding back, another tidal wave crashing into me. This time as my toes curled, my nipples ached to the pain of utter anguish. I opened my mouth to a silent scream, riding the orgasm until I was left spent.

  His body stiffened, his mouth twisting as his entire body began to shake.

  I did what every red-blooded bad girl would do.

  I squeezed my muscles.

  “Shit. Jesus... I...” He slammed into me again and again until he lost all control.

  The warm gush as he erupted inside was far too tasty, his cock continuing to throb. I allowed my head to rest on his shoulder as he continued to shake.

  “Damn hot,” he whispered.”

  “Uh-huh,” I managed.

  Only then did I hear the hard rapping on the outside of the door, and a muffled but angry voice.

  As we both began to laugh, he eased me down, rubbing a single knuckle across my cheek.

  “Next time, you should remember that bad little girls usually get fucked in the ass.” He winked before easing back and adjusting his jeans. He took backward steps toward the door, giving me another heated look. “Next time.”

  My legs were quaking as I attempted to smooth down my dress, finally remembering to grab my panties from the floor seconds before a woman raced into the restroom.

  I fiddled with my hair, cognizant she was glaring at me, and grabbed my purse. As I walked out, I scanned the crowd. He’d already disappeared.

  “There isn’t going to be a next time,” I muttered under my breath.

  He knew.

  I knew it.

  What a damn shame.

  Chapter Two

  Blaise

  “God damn mother fucker.”

  The words came easily out of my mouth. I absolutely hated politicians, the blowhards who thought they knew better than the rest of us. Meanwhile, we all realized they were just fighting to make up for their Vienna sausage-sized dicks. Today was no exception and neither was the man preening in front of the cameras.

  Who am I? A firefighter serving Charlotte, North Carolina. My reputation? Playboy hothead. Okay, not the best character reputation you want, but one I’d carved out for myself, maybe on purpose. I wasn’t much into rules, especially when it involved work. The members of my crew all craved danger, junkies for the adrenaline rush. I pretty much treated my concept of relationships the same way. I certainly wasn’t the commitment type. Yeah, I was snickering at the thought.

  “This is bullshit.” The cry was full of outrage, drawing my attention to the oversized community room we all spent a hell of a lot of time in.

  “This is politics for ya.”

  “Lying sack of shit. The man’s never even set foot in any of the firehouses in this city. I don’t know who the hell he thinks he is. Dude from Jersey thinkin’ he can come here and take over Charlotte. Well, fuck him.”

  I eyed the group of men standing around the small television set, their eyes focused on the press conference, nasty barbs flying right and left. Honestly, I couldn’t care less about the announcement itself, but everyone else in the joint was fixated on the mayor’s choice for the brand spanking new fire investigator. The rumor mill had been flying for a solid two weeks that his selection was someone outside the industry, which was not only unheard of but considered blasphemy to the men and women who risked their lives every day.

  “Aren’t you the least bit curious, Blaise?” Jake Hanson was my best friend, had been since I moved here from Texas over three years before. We were both lieutenants of Ladder Company 19, the captain relying on us for keeping the motley group on their toes in his absence. Well, that and for making trouble. I was the bad boy of the group with a nose for fires, especially arson, hence the use of my middl
e name. No one called me Brendon Tompkins unless I was in serious trouble. That seemed to happen on a frequent basis.

  “You guys look like you’re doing just fine.” I reared back in the chair, placing my feet on the table, an action that pissed off the females of the group. Funny how the men didn’t give a shit. I could still hear the blaring sound from where I was sitting. David, Wally, and Kyle were shooting their middle fingers, as if the pompous mayor could see their contemptuous action. Thank God I had tomorrow off to regroup and catch up on some sleep. We were all antsy, exhausted. It had been a particularly grueling week, a shitstorm of fires, one right after the other. I had no doubt at least two were arson. We’d been experiencing a hell of a lot of that lately. Maybe a fire investigator worth his shit was in order.

  Okay, so the thought was sexist; however, I just knew the industry as well as this city. The job was hard core and given the horrific spikes in catastrophic blazes, whoever was appointed would be digging their way through muck—both in and out of the dirt. In my opinion, women deserved to be treated better, like queens, even when they were required to submit. My cock ached, visions of a luscious and very naked young woman draped over my lap the culprit.

  I allowed my mind to daydream, trying to dull out the rants. My last girlfriend had been back in Texas, a sweet little filly with a mouth that could shoot you down, then suck you right up, taking every drop of cum. Mmm... She’d refused to move across the country. Couldn’t say I blamed her. North Carolina certainly wasn’t like back home. I’d grown weary of the playboy lifestyle as well as being alone.

  I thought about two nights before, my cock twitching at the mere thought. I’d never done anything so reckless in my life as to fuck a stranger, but damn if the experience hadn’t been hot as shit. I didn’t even know her name.

  Then again, we all needed some R & R, myself included. Maybe I could convince Jake to grab a beer tonight, or even hunt down the sexy gal. If only I knew anything about the stunning and vivacious woman. Another wicked shift under the sheets could do a body good.

  “Charlotte is a wonderful city, full of the finest people. We live and thrive because of our amazing emergency systems. However, there have been some serious accusations placed against our fire departments because of the increased reports of arson, among other things.” The mayor’s tone was gruff, almost angry, as if he had a bone to pick.

  “What the fuck?” Wally snapped.

  “He’s such an asshole,” Kyle added.

  I’d butted heads with the politics in this town more than once, fueling my reputation. If you asked me, and nobody was, I knew there were some bad seeds perched in high positions. Taking them down wasn’t my job, but I’d certainly relish in the aftermath.

  “What we need is a fire investigator who refuses to kowtow to anyone. We need strength of mind as well as a tenacious spirit. We need a bulldog. I am happy to announce that I’ve appointed the perfect candidate.” The mayor had that look of unveiling a surprise. I had a bad feeling it was going to bite everyone in the ass.

  I halfway stood, able to see Mayor Zane pumping his fist like he’d just promised to rid the entire country of warfare. Rolling my eyes, I was about to walk closer when the alarm sounded. “Fuck. Me.” Another damn fire. I’d just gotten the soot from under my nails from the last one. “All right, boys and girls, get your shit together.”

  As I raced to grab my gear, I noticed Captain Waters on a heated conversation over the phone. Whatever he was attending to, the man was pissed. This kind of thing had occurred more than once this week as well. We were all batting zero on the tolerance level.

  I heard the call out, the dispatcher repeating the location. Another horrific house fire. Jesus Christ. As we scrambled onto the engine, the captain the last man, Kyle started roaring out of the driveway.

  “You all right, Cap’n?” I couldn’t help but ask. His pinched face and pursed mouth were unusual for the man. He had almost forty years on the job and had seen everything. Lately, he just seemed exhausted, as if he had no joy in working fires any longer.

  Captain Waters snorted as he fumbled to fasten his jacket. “Yeah. Dandy. Next few weeks are going to be hell.”

  I knew better than to ask anything else. Fully dressed, I hung out the open door, searching the horizon. We were literally four blocks away from the address. Didn’t take long until I could see the flames shooting a solid twenty feet into the air. The closer we came, the more my gut kicked in. I had a weird sixth sense about fires, had since I was a kid. This was one of the reasons I’d defied my father, becoming a firefighter instead of following in his footsteps and taking over the family ranch. The transfer to Charlotte had been on a whim, a new location, more possibilities for advancement.

  And I’d never regretted a day. “Hurry up, Kyle. The house is at least fifty percent engulfed.”

  “Almost there,” he shot back.

  The second the engine rolled to a stop, I was off the platform, scanning the scene. The area was combined use, commercial and residential and at this time of afternoon, the streets were teeming with activity.

  “Damn hot fire,” Jake hissed.

  “Where the hell are the cops?” I demanded to no one in particular. We needed some serious crowd control.

  “Take it easy, Lieutenant,” the captain stated. “I’ll get everyone back until the police arrive. Assess the situation.”

  “My baby’s inside!” The woman’s scream was laced with complete panic. She raced toward Jake, almost knocking him off his feet.

  “It’s all right. Tell me who’s inside,” Jake asked, trying to keep calm.

  “She’s only three. I couldn’t get her out.” The woman was almost incoherent.

  “Where is she located? Tell me where,” Jake encouraged.

  Sobbing, she had to be shaken before she reacted. “Back bedroom by the porch.”

  I snapped my head in the direction of her finger. There was smoke but no active flames, although the fire was rolling through the timber box style construction. We had no time to waste. “That’s it. I’m going in. Watch my back, Hanson.” The ax in my hand, I shoved down my mask and raced toward the side of the building.

  “Jesus Christ! Wait for backup!” the captain called.

  “I got him. You three come in from the front. You guys on the side. Let’s get this rolling,” Jake commanded.

  I heard the sound of sirens coming from every direction and knew two things instinctively. One, Jake would have my back, fighting alongside me and two, this little girl had minutes to live. She was not dying under my watch. I made it to the back door. Smoke was rolling from under, embers popping along every surface. The door was cool to the touch but locked. I didn’t bother with the ax, simply giving it a hard kick, standing back until I was able to ascertain the location of the flames. A blanket of thick, acrid smoke rolled over me the second I walked inside. Blue-hued flames licked up from the walls, threatening to swim over the ceiling. I was forced to yank out my flashlight, tossing the beam into the center of the building. Couldn’t see shit.

  A rush of water flowed behind me, the sizzling sound like sweet music.

  “You’re late,” I called to Jake, then threw out my hand silencing him. The cry was muffled but distinct enough. “She’s over here.”

  “Be careful,” Jake commanded, swinging the hose back and forth.

  Everything was black as night, but the walls and ceilings had already started to crumble, raining debris all around and over us. A snapping crack was followed by a whooshing sound as the fire leapt to the ceiling over us.

  “Fuck!” Jake huffed.

  The cry was now constant, terrified. I could feel the heat of the fire, could hear the singing noise made from the flames. This bitch wanted us bad. I kept the light moving in a constant motion, sucking air.

  There were more cracking sounds all around us, but I was also able to hear steam. The firefighters were making some headway already.

  “Do you hear her?” Jake screeched over the roar.<
br />
  I listened carefully. Nothing. Fuck me. Fuck me. Catching sight of an open door, the flames crowding in, I didn’t hesitate. “Where are you, honey? Give me a shout. Please.” Even the light streaming in from the single window merely cast a gray fog. Finally, I could see her cowered next to her bed, her little arms over her head.

  “I got you, honey.” Shit. I could tell she wasn’t breathing. At that point, I went into what others affectionately called Superman mode, jumping over debris, heading straight for a wall of fire but the exit was the closest one to get her some help.

  “Blaise!” Jake called, this time his voice full of panic. As soon as he saw me leap through the flames, I head his echoed cry. “No!”

  The front window burst as I dropped and rolled, coming to rest at the feet of my captain.

  “God damnit, Tompkins. God damnit!” he snapped.

  I yanked the helmet, tossing it a solid fifteen feet in my effort to get the little girl onto flat ground.

  “My baby!” the woman screamed.

  “Stay back, ma’am,” some other male voice called. I drowned everything out around me in my effort to catch any breath sounds.

  Nothing.

  I began to perform CPR, even though my conscious mind was aware the paramedics were within feet of me, dropping down.

  “Lieutenant. We got this.”

  I knew one of the paramedics was speaking directly to me, hands moving toward mine, but I refused to stop, determined to help this baby. “No. I got her.” Breathe, baby girl. Breathe.

  “Blaise. Come on. Let us do our job.” This time, her voice was lilting, so kind.

  Anger swept through me as every sound swept back into my system. The woman screaming. The sirens blasting. People talking. But no little cries. As the EMT personnel moved in, I threw my arms back and roared to the Gods above.

  “Lieutenant. I have a pulse. She’s breathing. Seems like you saved her.”

  Blinking, I tried to control my breathing as I glanced down, choking back tears. Her tiny hand was over her mouth as she coughed, but she was very much alive.