Burnin' Love [Men for Hire: Firemen 1] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (11 page)

Her mouth parted and his gaze zeroed in on it. His cock twitched to life, and as he’d had to do so many times before, he pushed away thoughts of lying between her legs.

“That’s bullshit. I saw your face. You wanted me.”

She was next to him before he knew it. “And you want me now, too.”

Swallowing, he gripped the steering wheel even harder. After talking about how seriously he took his job, he couldn’t turn around now and do what his body shouted for him to do.

Those big eyes locked onto his. They were full of what? Interest? Challenge? Hell, maybe even lust?

Her lips parted a bit more, then her mouth curved into a smile that teased him, making his cock twitch again. His heart pounded, setting up a solid rock ’n’ roll beat. He swallowed again and found that his throat had gone dry. Taking every bit of strength he had, he leaned away from her, putting his back against the door.

Daisy’s gaze dropped to his mouth, then took a slow walk back to his eyes. “Paul, let go. For once, just let yourself go.”

Damn, how he wanted to. She was the picture of everything a woman should be. Seductress with sultry eyes in an innocent face.

“I have a job to do.” He shifted, pushing his back hard against the door all while thinking that he had to be the dumbest man in the world.

“Not right now. Troy and Wade are handling the job.” She edged closer to him and placed a hand on his chest. Her movements were agile, almost catlike, like she was stalking her prey.

Her lips are so close. Go on. A little taste won’t hurt.

Her fingertips tapped against his chest as though she were knocking on the front door of his heart, begging to be let inside. He barely felt her touch and yet it was more powerful than a locomotive. A locomotive that raced into his skin and followed a track through all his veins.

“Daisy, we need to get going.”

Yep. I’m dumber than dirt.

“Yeah, we do.”

He frowned, not liking that she’d suddenly agreed with him.

“We do need to get going. With this.”

She crushed her mouth to his, setting up a chain reaction that softened parts of his body while hardening others. With a low groan, he slipped his tongue between her teeth.

His tongue wrestled with hers, like the physical representation of their previous argument. The final realization that she was so much more than just another woman shot through his entire body. He had to have Daisy. As his. As theirs.

He pulled her closer, bending her head back and taking control. She sent warm breath and a soft mewling sound into his mouth. His hand found her breast and she moved, pushing it harder against his flesh.

As though the cab of his vehicle was a bubble blocking out the rest of the world, he let go, forgetting about his role as protector. Forgetting the pain he’d suffered with Amber. Forgetting about Amber entirely.

The sound of his phone ringing burst that bubble.

No. Not now. Fuck, fuck, fuck!

He didn’t want to give in, but the sense of duty that was part of who he was won out over his need. He jerked away from her and reached for the phone that rested in the console.

Daisy grabbed his hand. “No. Don’t answer it.”

He had no choice. “I have to. It could be about Melissa.”

Her eyes widened as she realized what he’d said was true. She moved away, straightening the clothes he’d wanted to mess up more than he already had. “You’re right.”

After what had happened to her car, he could only imagine how crappy he’d feel if things had gone wrong with Melissa while they were making out like two horny teens. He punched the
On
button.

“Paul here.”

“Hey, man, how’s it going?”

Wade.

He ground his teeth together and gripped the phone so hard that he wouldn’t have been surprised if it had shattered. “Why are you calling? Is everything all right? Something had better be on fire.”

“We’re all good here. Have you made it to the store yet?”

Daisy lifted her eyebrows in question and he shook his head then mouthed the words “She’s fine.”

That was more than he could say for Troy and Wade once he got back to the house. “So the only reason you’re calling is to see if we’ve made it to the store?”

I’m fuckin’ going to kill him.

“Well, yeah. Troy wants you to get some beef jerky.”

And then I’m going to pull Troy’s teeth out.

He closed his eyes to settle his anger, then opened them to find Daisy trying to bite back a laugh. “Sure. My pleasure. Is there anything else I can get for you? Maybe some pizza? I can have them make it for you special-like with just the right amount of pepperoni to cheese ratio. How’s that?”

It was a moment before Wade answered. “I’m guessing this wasn’t a good time to call.”

“You got that right.”

“Gotcha. Okay. Well, see you when you get back.”

Paul ended the call, then flung it back on the console. “Now, where were we?”

Yet when he reached for her, she tilted her head to the side. A couple of teenage boys were gawking and pointing at them from the entrance to the alley. “I think we’d better get on our way to the store after all.”

The world had to be conspiring against him. That was the only explanation.

He heaved a sigh. “Yeah. Guess so.”

* * * *

“It that everything, Daisy?”

Her body was still tingling from their quick lip-lock in the Rover. If Wade hadn’t called and if she hadn’t seen the teens, she had no doubt that she would’ve crawled on top of Paul and fucked his brains out.

She’d have been half-crazy to do so, but she wouldn’t have regretted it. Not one damn minute of it.

Unless, of course, Wade or Troy would’ve minded. Funny thing was that she didn’t think they would.

“Daisy? Are we done yet?”

Daisy fought her way back from Make Out Land, then checked the grocery list one last time. “Almost. We still need some toilet paper.”

“We’re going to have to ask someone if they carry a certain brand. I didn’t see it on that aisle.”

She couldn’t resist asking. “Um, you need a specific brand? The usual ones won’t do?”

One of those rare smiles lit up his face. The twinkle in his eye was sexy as hell, too, but then again, everything about Paul was sexy as hell. “Troy’s got a sensitive bottom.”

She couldn’t hold back a giggle. “Really? A tender tushy, huh?”

“Yep. And you can tell him I told you so.”

Another giggle came as she followed him to the Customer Service desk. Once there, she had to put her back to the middle-aged woman behind the counter. If she didn’t, she was bound to giggle again when Paul asked for the toilet paper.

“Hey, there, Miz Charlotte. How’s Leroy?”

It made sense that he’d know the area since they lived and worked there. She wondered if he was any less serious with his friends. Or at least whenever he wasn’t on the job.

The woman let out a sigh that reverberated over the microphone next to her. The sound swept around the store. “Oh, shoot. I forgot to turn this blasted thing off.”

Now Daisy was trying to keep from giggling at Miz Charlotte. She covered her mouth then pretended to be looking at the coupon stand next to her. It took a few moments longer before Miz Charlotte managed to get the “blasted thing” turned off.

“That old coot’s the same as he’s always been. As stubborn as a mule and twice as ornery.”

Despite her words, Daisy heard the love in her voice. Once she was older, she hoped she’d be able to talk about her spouse—spouses?—with as much affection. She paused to think about her choice of words. It was possible to love more than one man. She’d seen it often enough with friends of hers, especially those working at Second Chance Ranch. But could she do that? Would she want to have more than one man in her life? And yet, at that moment, she could honestly say that she had three.

She glanced at Paul, then looked away again.
Or, at least, the prospect of three.

“You tell Leroy that he’d better treat my best girl like the queen she is. If he doesn’t, he’ll have to answer to me.”

The genuine affection in Paul’s tone left no doubt that he adored the lady. And probably her husband as well.

“I’ll do that. And who’s this with you?”

“Miz Charlotte, this is Daisy Winters.”

The lift of Miz Charlotte’s eyebrows showed that she’d expected more of an introduction, but she didn’t push. What would Paul have answered if she had? That she was a client? A friend? Possibly more?

“It’s nice to meet you, Daisy.”

“It’s nice to meet you, too, Miz Charlotte.”

If the woman tried any harder to keep from asking more questions, she’d have to bite off her tongue. She waited, obviously hoping that Daisy would give her more information.

Daisy, however, decided to play it cool. If Paul didn’t want Miz Charlotte to know anything, then maybe he had his reasons.

Miz Charlotte frowned before putting her pleasant face back on. “Okay then. Well, what can I do you for?”

“I need some toilet paper. You know the brand.”

“I sure do. But I’m a bit tied up here at the moment. Tell you what. Old Man Grisham is out today so he can’t go fussing if I let you go in the back and fetch it yourself. You know where it is, don’t you?”

“I do. But are you sure he won’t mind? He is the manager, after all.”

Miz Charlotte gave a very unladylike snort. “What he don’t know won’t hurt him. Go on now. Do what you’ve got to do.”

“Thanks, Miz Charlotte.”

Paul put his hand on Daisy’s shoulder then pushed their shopping cart ahead of them. “Follow me.”

They were at the rear of the store when Paul pushed two metal doors open with the cart. She followed him even when he entered the huge storage area.

“Now I know what Miz Charlotte meant. We’re not supposed to come back here, are we? Employees Only and all that, right?”

Paul kept on rolling ahead. “Right. But she makes exceptions for me and the other firemen. We’re sometimes in a rush. Plus, she knows she can count on us.”

“And what if Old Man Grisham catches us? Will she get in trouble?”

He made a snort not unlike the one Miz Charlotte had done. “First of all, Old Man Grisham is twenty-seven. He just acts like an old man so that’s what the employees call him.”

She bit back the chance to say that some people might think he acted “old” whenever he was so somber. “Does he know they call him that?”

“Beats me.”

It was obvious he knew his way around. He headed straight for an aisle stacked with various kinds of toilet paper.

“And Miz Charlotte knows you guys because you come into the store a lot?”

“That and the fact that we helped her out when Leroy dropped a cigarette onto the couch and nearly burned their home down.”

“Oh, my God. Was anyone hurt?”

“Fortunately, we got there just in time. It took a few months of rebuilding, but they’re back in their home. And she’s got Leroy on the patch to stop smoking. Doubt it’ll work, but it’s worth a try.”

She watched him, loving the way his muscles flexed when he snagged several large packages of a brand of toilet paper she’d never heard of. It hit her again that she was with a real live hero.

Damn if he doesn’t look the part, too.

She’d always liked men in uniform, but even dressed in a plain black T-shirt, Paul looked every bit as dashing and valiant as any man dressed in the finest of uniforms. He positioned the TP on top of the other things they’d thrown into the cart.

All at once, she saw not a mountain of toilet paper, but a mattress of white behind him. Lust, pure and clear as she’d ever felt it, roared to life. She’d missed a chance to have him in the car, but she wasn’t about to miss another go at him.

Even if Old Man Grisham walked in.

This is, after all, the twenty-first century. A woman can take what she desires, just like a man can.

The days when a man had to make the first move were over. As far as she was concerned, women had the right to be as aggressive as they needed to be. And with Paul? Well, she was finished waiting for him to take the initiative.

She attacked Paul, flattening her hands against his chest and pushing him just as he turned around to face her. They fell backward onto the stacks of toilet paper.

She landed on top of him as he let out a small “uh.” Not giving him time to react, she plastered her mouth to his and started where they’d left off.

At first, she was fearful that he’d reject her. It didn’t make sense that he would, but how else would she explain that he wasn’t reacting to her so blatant advance?

Then it was as if he’d finally come alive. He pushed her away from him, his fingers digging into her arms, and stared at her.

Suddenly, his arms wrapped around her and he flipped her over. Rolls of toilet paper surrounded her, but all that mattered was seeing his handsome face above her.

“This is happening.”

She could only nod, her bravado of a few moments ago gone. Instead, she felt as women throughout time had felt when snared by a man. Her body ached for him to possess it. Her mind screamed for her to open her legs and let him plant his cock inside her.

His thick, manly lips crashed against hers again with such power that she sunk lower into the rolls. She shivered and laced her fingers behind his head. His tongue swept inside her mouth, tasting her flavors in exchange for his. If nothing more happened between them, that would be enough.

But oh, how she wanted more!

“I just about went insane watching you last night.” His tone was deep, rich and consumed with testosterone.

“You should’ve joined us.” Her words were breathy, yet filled with need.

“I should have.” His fingers caressed her cheek. “Doesn’t matter now. This is our time.”

The internal temperature of her body, fueled by the heat between her legs, rose high enough to burn the paper and them along with it. The harsh fluorescent overhead lights cast shadows around them but she thought them as beautiful as the stars in the night sky. Her breathing quickened as the air around them thickened with the scent of their musky aromas.