Torched: A Rough Firefighter Romance Read online

  “Let it out, baby. Let it all go. I’m right here. I’m never going anywhere.” Blaise whispered the words into my ear as he held me.

  “I can’t. I just can’t.” I was hiccupping, trying to catch my breath and I couldn’t stop shaking. “I’m a terrible person.”

  “Dear God, baby, you’re anything but. You’re beautiful and amazing. You’re kind and thoughtful. You’re everything to me.” He pressed kisses against my cheek as he ground his hips against my ass, moving back and forth, his throbbing cock slicing into my skin.

  “He was kind at first, totally unlike he is today. He gave me exactly what I needed, never trying to get me to go to bed with him. I saw him maybe once every two or three weeks. I was never with him for more than an hour. I was given a release, allowing peace to shove away the darkness. When he asked me about coming here, I told him I couldn’t do that any longer. He agreed, but he wouldn’t let me alone. I just... I’m so stupid.”

  Blaise pulled me around to face him, cupping both sides of my face. “Stop saying that. He took advantage of what you shared. Nothing more.”

  The rush of sensations, the raw electricity flowing through us was combustible, driving my desire to soaring heights. Lust filled his eyes, fighting with the man who vowed to protect me. The hunger would not be denied. Rising onto my tiptoes, I dragged my tongue along his neck, moving up to his chin as I slid my hand down to his groin, cupping his massive shaft.

  He fisted my hair, opening and closing his fingers as he issued a low-slung growl, the sound echoing like a mating call. Using his other hand, he brushed the tips of his fingers down my back, fingering the welts, his upper lip curling. I knew without him issuing any words that no other man would be allowed to mark my body.

  I licked around his lips then across the seam before he captured my mouth, thrusting his tongue inside. He was like a wild man, filled with a dark craving, refusing to take no for an answer. The kiss became a passionate roar, our tongues twisting together.

  I stroked his cock, pumping the base. I longed to have his thick shaft in my mouth, filling it, the tip hitting the back of my throat.

  Blaise rubbed his fingers between the crack of my ass, sliding up and down in a provocative manner. There wasn’t any portion of my body that didn’t belong to this man, to the brave firefighter I’d fallen madly in love with. I knew at that moment that there was nothing that could ever come between us again.

  As he broke the kiss, a guttural sound erupted from his mouth. He licked and bit my neck, moving us until my back was pushed against the tile. I rolled his balls between my fingers, squeezing and releasing, repeating until he blew out a stream of hot air. “Be careful teasing me, baby. Don’t forget who’s in charge.”

  Hearing his deep baritone, the command of his voice created a wave of quivers in my pussy. He lifted me off the shower floor, stretching my legs wide open as he moved his open mouth down the length of my neck to my chest.

  I struggled to remain in position, slapping both feet against the shower door, my hands gripping his shoulders like a tight vise. Panting, I moaned the second his mouth wrapped around my nipple, his tongue darting back and forth. “Oh, yes.” I closed my eyes as he bit down on my hardened bud, taking the tender flesh between his teeth.

  He took his time sucking, licking then biting before moving to my other breast. I curled my hand in his hair, my fingers intertwining with his long strands. I was smiling, laughing, and whimpering all at the same time.

  Very slowly he dropped to his knees, his hands and fingers keeping me open, my pussy right in front of his face. “I’m famished,” he mumbled before burying his face into my pussy, his tongue driving deep inside.

  “Fuck!” I slapped the tile with one hand, the shower door with my feet in an effort to keep my legs from falling. They were shaking, the rest of my body trembling and I tried to control my breathing as my heart rate skyrocketed.

  His mouth and tongue worked on my pussy lips, ravishing inch by inch. I marveled how deep his tongue was able to penetrate, licking me with rapid motions.

  I tossed my head from side to side, sweat beading along my face and neck, and sliding down between my breasts. “God. Oh, God!”

  Blaise sucked on my clit, swirling his tongue in lazy circles, repeating the move over and over again until my tissue was swollen, tingling. He was so aggressive in his actions, ravaging my pussy in a way he’d never done before.

  “I’m going... I’m going to come.” I kept one hand on his head as he refused to stop, everything becoming even more savage, his animalistic growls filling the space. There was no stopping the climax, no way to hold back the tide and as my toes curled, my legs tensed. I opened my mouth and screamed. “Fuck!”

  He kept me wide open, licking every drop of sweet cream as I came in wave after wave until my feet could no longer find any traction. He swiped his lips on my belly, sliding up then thrusting the entire length of his cock inside my quivering pussy, the force pushing me hard against the wall.

  “Oh!” I scrambled to hold on as he fucked me, plunging all the way in then pulling all the way out. Every time he drove deep inside, my breath was stolen, stars floating in front of my eyes. When his face was finally just in front of mine, his lips dangerously close, I whispered the words I’d said before, only this time there was no hesitation.

  “I love you.”

  His eyes were like pools of glass, shimmering in the dim lighting. “I love you.” Every hard drive, every deep level of penetration meant more, fueling the aching need burning deep within.

  I clawed his back trying to hold on as he fucked me, every nerve standing on end. I never wanted this to end. Just when I thought he’d explode, filling my pussy, my cervix, he pulled completely out, tugging me around to face the cool tile.

  “I want all of you today. Every inch. You belong to me.” He kicked my legs apart, yanking me back until I was bent over then thrust his shaft into my asshole.

  The pain mixing with extreme pleasure lit my entire world on fire. There wasn’t an inch of my body uncovered in heated bumps, strings of current trickling into every muscle. I couldn’t breathe, was unable to think clearly as this man, this wonderful, dominating man followed through with his promise.

  Taking every inch as his.

  Blaise plunged harder, faster, his growls becoming more feral and in those few glorious minutes, we melded together. There was nothing more rewarding that the sound of skin slapping against skin.

  He placed his hand on my forehead, yanking back my head as he pounded into me, his breath sounds scattered, filled with primal need. “Forever.”

  I closed my eyes, tears filling my eyes.

  But this time, they were tears of joy.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Blaise

  I stood on the back deck, watching the morning sun. The day was going to be beautiful with bright blue skies, free of clouds or the threat of any rain. I usually loved Mondays. The start of a new week, fresh adventures on the horizon. On this day, everything would change.

  “A penny for your thoughts.”

  I heard her sexy voice as Genevieve rubbed her hand down my back before flanking my side.

  “Ain’t nearly enough, baby. Times are tough. Gonna have to give me a hell of a lot more than that for a single syllable.”

  “Hmmm... You drive a hard bargain. A homemade dinner, a nice massage, a submissive draped over your lap for a hard spanking, and one entire night of kinky sex.”

  “Now you’re talkin’, sweetheart! As long as you promise to submit to me for the rest of your life.” I laughed and wrapped my arm around her, dragging her close.

  “I thought that was a given.”

  “You’re good for my soul, lady.” We remained quiet. There was no real need to talk at this point. We’d spent almost the entire weekend putting together everything we could find, finagling details of our presentation, or maybe I should say barrage into city council’s chambers. We were winging a portion, but I had a feeling she was dam
n good at that.

  “Are you ready for this morning?” Genevieve asked as she tipped her head.

  “I don’t know, to be honest with you. I’m just going to play it through.”

  “Can I ask you a question?”

  I eased against the railing, so I could stare into her luminescent eyes. The woman had no idea what kind of effect she really had on me. “Of course.”

  “Why did you believe me about the captain?”

  He chuckled. “Until you said his name, I’d forgotten that in my rush to leave the Red Door club, I’d seen him. Oh, you bet he was trying to keep away from me, but he was there, sitting with a couple other guys. I bet they use the club as their stompin’ grounds, so to speak.”

  She narrowed her eyes. “That makes sense to me. Joseph took me to a couple clubs in Atlanta, the kind I’d never be able to get into, at least not without money and clout.”

  “Wish I could have seen the other guys. I still find it difficult to believe, but Captain Waters has an ailing wife and a hell of a lot of medical bills. He’s the only one who could have set the fires though. He knew what to do, how to have them react. He also realized exactly how we’d take out the fire in the warehouse. He wasn’t trying to get us killed. He was banking on knowing exactly how we’d react.”

  She exhaled. “Then why would he agree to kill me?”

  “I can’t believe that he would do that. Anyone could have figured out how to cut a gas line. I don’t think the captain is a murderer. I won’t accept it.”

  “I’m glad to hear you say that. I know how much respect you have for him.” Sighing, she allowed her fingers to dance down my arm. “I wish this could go another way.”

  I kissed her lips softly, inhaling her musky perfume, wanting nothing more than to spend the day in bed. That wasn’t on our agenda. “I know. Me too. I talked to Jake late yesterday. Remember that uncle I told you about?”

  “Ex-police officer?”

  “Yeah. He ruffled some of his own feathers, or so I hear. Jake shared the information with his uncle, who promptly made a few phone calls. The police evidently started an investigation of their own. One thing is for certain, after today, we’re both going to be out of a job.” We’d debated saying anything to anyone, but with the limited information we’d been able to scrape together, we decided to take a chance getting their help. At least we weren’t called complete idiots.

  Or so I knew of anyway.

  “Yeah, I know and I’m okay with that. Money doesn’t buy happiness. Only love, respect, and trust can do that.”

  The woman stilled me with her words.

  “I was thinking. Maybe we can move somewhere completely different together.” She gave me a playful grin.

  I tweaked her nose. “Okay, we’ll be poor, but if we pool all our money together, maybe we can get one-way tickets to the Bahamas. I’ll be a bartender. You’ll be a waitress. We’ll live in a little grass hut and you’ll submit to my every need receiving several spankings a day just for that caustic mouth of yours alone.”

  “Tasty as well as hysterical, but that’s not what I’m thinking about.”

  “I’ll bite, sunshine. Where ya thinkin’? I’ll go anywhere with you.”

  She backed away, tapping her watch. “I’ll hold you to that and you need to go.”

  I finished the last of my coffee, hissing given the bitter taste. Maybe it was just the taste of betrayal. After grabbing my things, I walked back into the kitchen. “I’ll meet you at the administration building fifteen minutes early.”

  “I’ll be there. Don’t worry. Everything is going to be all right.”

  “Yeah, I know, baby. I know.” I hesitated briefly but realized that maybe new scenery was the right thing to do. “Just out of curiosity, where would you really want to go?”

  Genevieve’s eyes flashed, her smile mischievous. “I was thinking Texas. I’d love to see where you grew up, meet your family.”

  Realizing I’d never told her the entire story about my sister’s death, a pang shifted into my heart. I could tell she was serious about my family. How in God’s name could I tell her that my mother and father never wanted to see me again?

  * * *

  Captain Waters was already talking when I walked in. I moved beside Jake, trying to remain as silent as possible. Jake looked positively sick, his skin sallow. Everyone in the firehouse was under duress, uncertainty still in the air.

  “Good of you to attend, Lieutenant,” Captain Waters stated without looking in my direction.

  He didn’t have to. Everyone else did. Heat crept alone my jawline as I stood at full attention, trying to keep the remainder of the events buried in the back of my mind.

  At least for now.

  “As I was saying, we’re going through some tough times in this city. The need for certain budget cuts is significant. We’re just one of the areas where things are going to be cut.” The captain glanced around the room, his gaze finally landing on me.

  The truth is, I was angry with him for selling out, for using the respect he’d earned against all of us, but I knew he had his reasons. Sometimes protecting our family and those we love means sliding into the dark side, riding the lines of right versus wrong. I was no martyr and I certainly didn’t want to lose my job, but to save others in the firehouse? You bet I’d accept the job loss.

  “To that end, we are off the list for getting any new fire engines, but I have managed to secure all new firehoses as well as some additional safety equipment.”

  As the captain continued, explaining certain aspects, a buzzing noise sounded in my ears. Anxiety was kicking my ass. Jake and I talked about who might take over as captain. Then we realized we’d likely be thinned down until we merged with Ladder 24, only using our building and equipment. The concept was not only plausible, but the best scenario we could come up with.

  “I’m sure you all heard the rumors that I’m retiring from the fire department.”

  “Captain, you can’t go,” Wally said, others also chiming in.

  Captain Waters held up his hands. “The rumors are true. I’ll be stepping down at the end of the month. Don’t worry about me. I already have another job that I’m excited about delving into. Besides, it’s time. I spent almost forty years of my life with this very fire department. I’m so proud of all of you. Every one of you have been wonderful to work with. This change will allow me to be able to spend more time with my wife, our grandkids and as an added benefit, I won’t have to worry about you hooligans any longer.” He winked, his smile increasing.

  The whistles and vocal jabs filled the space. Jake looked in my direction, both of us confused about why he’d admit to having another job. This was going to get interesting. The man was a damn good faker.

  “Now, you may have heard about additional personnel leaving as well. It is true that the department is going to experience some losses, including over at 24. I am happy to report that there will be no budgetary casualties here.”

  “What. The. Fuck?” I whispered under my breath, the words drowned out by the obvious relieved yelps and hand claps.

  Jake turned to face me, his eyes growing wide. “Is something else going on that we don’t know about?”

  “I have no fucking clue. Did your uncle say anything?”

  “Not a freaking word. He’s clammed up like I’ve never seen him before.” Jake shrugged his shoulders.

  “Okay, simmer down. We’re almost done here. We have one more order of business. My replacement.” Captain Waters grinned.

  “Great. They’re bringing someone in. Probably from the 24,” Jake muttered. I nodded my answer, my mind going a million miles an hour. What had changed in two days?

  “All right. Had some discussions with a few people but the ultimate responsibility is mine to select your next captain. I’m happy to say that my choice is one I think you’ll all agree is the best. Please congratulate Captain Brendon Blaise Tompkins.”

  * * *

  I stood in the shadows, arriving an
additional ten minutes early. I needed to catch Genevieve as soon as I could. I had no idea what was going on, but I certainly didn’t want to jump into the middle of the shitstorm without us talking. As she walked up, her face pensive, I grabbed her immediately.

  “Whoa. What’s going on?” she asked, keeping her voice low.

  “I wasn’t fired. I was promoted to captain.”

  “What?” She was as confused as I continued to be.

  “Yeah. I have no idea, but the captain wasn’t bashful about talking about his upcoming new job. More money. More time with family.”

  Genevieve sucked in her breath. “That doesn’t sound like a man who has any idea what he’s doing is against the law. Something doesn’t make any sense.”

  “I know. I don’t like this at all. There are missing pieces.”

  She gripped my arm, nodding several times. “A piece at a time. We simply try to help the councilmembers understand that they can’t make the budgetary decisions today.”

  “I’m telling you. There’s more going on.”

  “I agree. I had the strangest call from the mayor this morning.”

  My grip on her arm got tighter. “What did the fucker want?”

  “He wanted to tell me how sorry he was about everything. My house. The fact he’d underestimated my worth. He also said he understood my decision regarding our previous relationship. It was strange, as if he was giving up.”

  I squinted as I looked toward the sun. “Maybe he knows people are onto his shit, but I still don’t trust him.”

  “Neither do I.”

  We stood together for a few minutes before I glanced at my watch. “Time to go up.” We walked into the building, moving through security. There seemed to be normal activity. It was simply another Monday. We were just on the landing, making our way to the large conference room when a flurry of activity could be heard from the stairs. Within seconds, the entire hallway was filled with police, all heading in the direction of the conference room.

  “What is going on?” she whispered as we both tried to inch closer.

  “Maybe the investigation went faster than we realized.” As we crowded around the door, trying to catch a glimpse inside, the entire second floor was abuzz as members of the press moved in.