Page 22 of Saved By the Firefighter

Ellie stills, meeting my gaze, and for a moment I'm sure she'll call me on it. Question what I really want from her.

But then she smiles, slow and sweet, and rolls onto her back, pulling me with her. "Well then, you'd best get to it. We've only got so much time."

I kiss her, exploring her mouth with my eager tongue. Then I dive under the sheets, parting her legs so I have access to all of her. I run my tongue up her crease, loving how sweet she tastes. Her moans break the silence of the morning as I'm losing myself in her. I bury my face between her legs, her taste all over me.

When she's writhing, gasping, I come up for air, teasing her entrance with my cock. "Jake, please," she pants, her hands reaching for me, but I pin them down gently above her head.

"Patience, beautiful," I say, though every fiber of me is screaming to plunge into her. "Haven't you had enough? I've been fucking you all weekend."

Her response is a grin, all sass and fire. "Well, be a good friend and keep doing it."

How can I resist?

I thrust into her, each movement more forceful than the last. She cries out, nails digging into my back, her voice calling my name. Her body clamps around me, and I know she's close. The sight of her beneath me, the feel of her coming undone, it's a power that drives me to keep pushing for more. I need more.

She finally shatters around me. When I can tell she's coming down from the high, I pull out and finish on her, my thumb circling her clit, marking her in the most primal way. It's what she wants, what we both need in this moment. She smiles up at me, completely satisfied. I kiss her beautiful lips again, pulling her close.

As I hold Ellie in the afterglow, she traces circles over my chest. The room is silent except for our steady breathing and the occasional creak of the old ranch house settling.

"So what now?" she says, breaking the silence. "What happens tomorrow? We go back to being neighbors, or are you interested in continuing our arrangement?"

"Arrangement?" I repeat with a snort. "Is that what we're calling this?"

"You know what I mean. No strings. No complications. We're just...helping each other out."

"Friends with benefits?" The term sounds ridiculous coming from my mouth, but it's not entirely wrong either. It's a good deal. Ellie is smart, sexy, and right next door. But there's another part of me, one that's damn tired of keeping everyone at arm's length, that wonders if I'm making a mistake.

"I promise to keep it casual," she says, like she's reading my mind and my concerns.

"What about Marcus? He's not going to be okay with this. You know he won't."

"You let me worry about my brother." She strokes my jaw, her touch soft. Soothing. "This is between us. No one else has to know."

"Yeah?" I catch her hand, grappling for control in a situation that's quickly getting away from me. "And when he shows up at my door, what then?"

"He won't." Her eyes are steady on mine. Resolute. "I'll handle Marcus. I promise."

I want to believe her. God, I want to. But life has taught me better than that. Suddenly the bed feels too warm, suffocating. A heaviness settles on my shoulders. Friends with benefits don't worry about brothers finding out. "He can't find out," I say because I don't want to lose my best friend over something that's casual. Something that can only ever be casual.

Ellie rises up on her elbow, lips brushing my ear. "Relax," she murmurs. "Just relax, and be here with me. We'll figure the rest out later. My silly brother won't find out."

Her hand slides down my chest, closing around my cock, and despite my doubts, I'm hardening again inside her palm.

"Round fifty-one?" she teases.

I'm about to roll on top of her and cover that cute mouth with mine, when a movement outside the window catches my eye—a truck rolling down the driveway. Elijah's truck. Panic slams into me. Charlotte's supposed to be enjoying pancakes and cartoons at his place until tomorrow. She's supposed to be having fun with her friend, Mia. What the hell is Elijah doing here today?

"Shit," I mutter, scrambling out of bed. There's no time for conflicted feelings. Not when my daughter might walk through that door any second and see her Daddy with a woman that’s not her mother. I lunge for my jeans.

"What is it?" Ellie says with alarm. "What's wrong?"

"That's my friend's truck, so Charlotte is likely with him. He was watching Charlotte for the weekend. They must be back early." My voice is curt as I yank on yesterday's jeans, not bothering with underwear.

"Early? Why?" she asks, but I'm already halfway to the door, snatching my shirt off the floor.

"Don't know." I pull the cotton over my head, and it sticks to my damp skin. "But I'm going to find out."

Ellie doesn't ask any more questions, just hurries off to the bathroom to clean up and find her own clothes. I appreciate that—no fuss, no drama. Just action. It's what I need right now.

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