Page 59 of The Night Belongs To Fireman

“Really, you’ve been thinking about me that way?” She snuck her small, cool hands under his sweater. He thought his pounding heart might leap out like a fish. “Because I can’t stop thinking about you lying over there in that bedroom. Stark naked.”

He swallowed hard. “How do you know I sleep naked?”

“I don’t.” The pink in her cheeks deepened to the crimson of geraniums. “That was just wishful thinking.”

“What else did you wish for?”

“This,” she said simply. “You. To be close to you.” She tugged at his sweater. “Do you think you could … ?”

He sat up against the arm of the couch, reached back, and yanked his creamy wool sweater over his head, dragging his T-shirt along with it. When he was bare-chested, she placed a hand over the center of his rib cage. “I remember this chest,” she said in a husky voice. “I’ve never shown up for dinner at a half-naked man’s house before.”

“At least I had pants on.”

“Yes, that was extremely disappointing,” she said gravely, making him laugh. With her pixie features shining with delight, her wide grin nearly taking over her small face, he knew he’d never seen anything more beautiful in the world.

If he could make her happy, even if only for the span of time required to make passionate love to her, he would.

Chapter 17

The feel of Fred’s bare skin against hers was enough to send Rachel into a stratospheric state of pleasure. It was as if she’d been starving, and was finally sitting at a sensual buffet where she could gorge herself without embarrassment. She ran her palms across the tight muscles of his torso and the light dusting of silky dark hair. Every muscle was firm and sharply defined, as if sketched by some master of anatomy.

“You’re beautiful,” she told him.

“Nah,” he said, embarrassed. “I’m your basic guy. I can show you ten guys at the firehouse more ripped than me.”

“To me, you’re perfect.” She slid her hands under the waistband of his pants and felt the tender skin of his lower belly quiver.

He groaned. “You can’t say that yet. You haven’t seen the whole picture.”

“Very good point,” she agreed, moving to unfasten his pants. When she reached the zipper, he stopped her with one hand. Once again, his strength took her breath away.

“Not yet. I’ve been waiting long enough to see you like this. I don’t want to rush through it. Keep your hands still or I’ll completely lose it.”

The note of command in his voice gave her a little shock. She let her arms relax at her side, palms up, which gave her a delicious feeling of offering herself to him. He reached for her breasts, cupping them tenderly, stroking their soft under curves. Her nipples tightened visibly; inside, she felt a tugging ache. His gaze, latched onto her chest, went lazy and hot. As if they had all night, he explored the shape of her breasts with his thumbs, circling the exposed globes, drawing ever closer to her nipples, which began to throb.

She shifted restlessly so she could feel the hard ridge of his erection against her sex. The pressure made them both groan out loud.

“No rushing,” Fred said sternly. “I’ve still barely gotten to touch you.”

“What do you mean, barely? You’re driving me crazy. Could you …” She leaned forward, shivering, needing more contact.

“My pleasure,” he murmured, and dragged his thumbs across her pebble-hard nipples. A sharp streak of pleasure made her jump. Her vision blurred slightly, and she caught her lower lip between her teeth.

He spent an excruciating amount of time playing with her breasts, shifting between tender explorations and hard squeezes that overloaded her senses and made her want to scream. Even though shivers racked her body, he refused to be hurried. He gathered her close so he could run his tongue across the taut peaks. His deep suckles and gentle nibbles made her writhe on top of him, her thighs tightening around his hips.

Finally, finally, he lifted her up and worked her little black dress off her hips, leaving her in nothing but her black silk panties. She was trembling so hard she was no help at all in the process. Part of her resented him for being so in control while she was shaking with waves of hot want. But then he half tumbled off the couch, shoved off his wedding pants, and she caught an eyeful of what their make-out session had done to him. All other thoughts fled her mind. His thickly swollen penis stood straight out from his body, its heavy weight buoyed by the intensity of his arousal.

Rachel’s breath stuttered in her throat. She didn’t have a ton of experience, but none of what she did have prepared her for the sight of Fred. Were penises supposed to be this size? It was nearly as thick as her wrist. “That’s … not normal,” she said warily.

“Normal enough,” he muttered, his hungry gaze still consuming her body. “I’m in the normal range.”

“Maybe the outer limit,” she said dubiously.

“Yeah, something like that. Don’t worry, I’ve never had any complaints. I’d never hurt you.”

---