WILD PLEASURE {short erotic stories} Chapter 87: Fired Up (13)

Thirty-six hours. Heaven or hell, depending on who you asked. The air outside was too smoky to make going out for long feasible. If the air quality degenerated much further, Cole had sworn he’d call in a chopper to swing by and pick her up. Somehow, she wasn’t surprised he could order park resources around like that. She’d leave if it got any worse, he’d said, and she hadn’t argued. She could do that when the chopper actually touched down.

So there was nothing to do but kiss and talk. And fuck. God, Cole was insatiable. He took her hard and deep, touching places inside her no one else had touched. His big hands controlled her effortlessly, driving her to sensual heights she’d never scaled alone.

God, he was like a drug. He touched her and she craved more.

More pleasure.

More Cole.

She shifted in her seat, scanning the smoke-darkened sky. The movement

fed the pleasurable ache in her lower body. Sitting, standing, reaching for him—she was pleasantly sore and impossibly aware of where he’d been in her body. “Don’ forget me,” he’d ordered last night. She didn’t need the rough command; he’d branded her intimately.

They’d had sex—all kinds of crazy erotic sex, the kind of stuff she’d fantasized about but never dreamed of trying—until she’d collapsed on the mattress and dragged him down with her. He hadn’t complained. Or, she’d passed out before he’d gotten the words out. The fire blocking the trail meant no one could come in or out, the perfect excuse for a long, lazy morning followed by a longer, even lazier afternoon. Every hour, she’d look out, take a new reading, call it in—and then fall back into Cole’s arms.

The tankers had shown up late yesterday. She’d heard the rumble of those engines before she’d spotted the planes. There was nothing elegant about the big, lumbering planes, but the park had clearly called in the big guns. Some fires, only the autumn rains could stop. With others, the Rogues could hold the line while the choppers dumped retardant and buckets of water, loading and returning for the next few hours, until the landscape bled red. It

 brought a whole new meaning to painting the town red. Twenty-five hundred gallons of retardant hit the forest below. Mostly water, mixed with an ammonia fertilizer and red dye, so the pilots could see where they hit.

The smoke column hadn’t grown since morning. In fact, she was certain it was shrinking. The air was clearer, the chopper unneeded, and Cole would head out in the morning. She felt only desperation.

One more night.

He’d spotted the changes in the smoke much earlier than she, but he was a firefighter, so that was to be expected. That’s what he’d said, right before he’d walked out the door to go check on the blaze. He’d popped up from their shared mattress like some kind of demented Energizer Bunny, pulled on his boots, and been gone before she could get any kind of real explanation out of him.

Never mind that she’d had some ideas of her own about how to spend the next few hours, ideas that involved working their way through his stash of condoms. Unfortunately, she hadn’t brought any out here, because she’d figured there was just about a snowball’s chance in hell of her needing them fifty miles away from base camp.

Alone.

In a watchtower like some kind of modern Rapunzel. “You’re coming back?” She’d hollered the question after his retreating back and immediately felt pathetic. He probably wasn’t worried about the future of their thirty-six-hour-old relationship.

“Yeah.” He raised a hand that was male shorthand for “Got it,” “Whatever you want, dear,” and “Now I’m beating feet and getting the hell out of Dodge.” Then his head disappeared down the trail, and she was alone.

Again.

She’d done the fire-watch thing every summer for the last four years. She knew the drill and, frankly, she loved it. She liked being alone and she loved the silence. Most people talked too much and, when they weren’t talking, made plenty of noise. Phones, iPods, television. Doors slamming, things dropping, chitchatting to fill up the empty space. Coming out to the tower was always a blessed relief after nine months of classes.

Cole wasn’t big on talking. He moved silently, at home in the park just as she was. On a surface level, they fit together well. They liked plenty of the same things and they both valued their outdoor time. And in bed? Well, that

 kind of chemistry didn’t happen often—had never happened to her before— and she couldn’t imagine that either of them didn’t want a repeat.

And yet she was fairly certain he’d just run like hell from her.

With a promise to come back.

Honestly, she wasn’t sure what to make of that. She’d had relationships.

She wasn’t a virgin, but Cole Henry made her feel like one. He had that effect on her, leaving her breathless and uncertain, but knowing he could open an unfamiliar door and show her sensations she’d barely imagined. Cole wasn’t civilized. There was a raw, almost primal quality about the man. She had no problem imagining him as a warrior taking a battlefield. He knew how to fight. To defend. To take.

God, she wanted him to take her, which probably meant that, yes, she’d be waiting, all smiles, when he returned from wherever it was he’d gone in such a hurry.

She was twenty-five. In another six months, she’d complete her DVM and take the California licensing exam. She’d be ready to go to work. Her life had no room for this raw, shivering desire. Her breath sped up and her stomach got that shaky, falling-from-four-stories-up sensation just thinking about the man. She didn’t need him, but she wanted him.

The radio chats had been a delicious fantasy. Cole, on the other hand, was all reality. Fortunately, every time he opened his mouth, he reminded her why take-charge alphas were bad news. He was bossy. Arrogant. And still so damned sexy that most of her—the part that conveniently forgot about being a modern, independent woman and reverted to a primitive set of nerve endings—welcomed his one-word affirmation that he would be back to stay one more night. Maybe forty-eight hours would be enough to get him out of her system.

Watching the trail where he’d disappeared was pathetic, but, if he stayed on the path, she’d have one more chance to see him before he plunged into the woods. Sure enough, fifteen minutes later, a distant, smaller sized version of Cole popped briefly into view. He was still moving fast, his booted feet chewing up the ground. And because her inner stalker had the upper hand at the moment, she trained her binoculars on him and looked her fill. His face looked deceptively at ease, his gaze moving over the path, first left, then right and straight ahead. She had no idea what he was searching for. He’d brought a change of clothes with him and today’s T-shirt was standard-issue Forest Service. The faded cotton pulled over his chest and

 back as he swung his arms, molding the muscles and reminding her just how good it had felt to hold on to those broad shoulders last night. He’d gone for blue jeans instead of Nomex today, so maybe he was officially off duty. Or just out of clean laundry. Honestly, Cole Henry was a puzzle she couldn’t figure out.

But she wanted to.

He was blunt, earthy, and completely forthright. He wouldn’t play games, except of the sensual variety, but she loved that. He was also from a completely different world, and the only reason she’d even met him was because their summer jobs had thrown them together. He fought fires. She sat on her ass and watched for fires. Granted, she believed what she did was important—someone needed to keep a weather eye out for smokes—but, at the end of the day, he risked life and limb to put out the fires. Cole acted, and that decisiveness and willingness to risk everything was sexy.

It was also one more reason why she could have him for a night, but not for the summer. Or any other month after that. He wasn’t a keeper because he didn’t want to be kept, and because there would always be one more fire calling him away.

She told herself she didn’t mind this—at all—while she stared out at the horizon watching for more smokes. Waiting for something else to happen.

The Big Bear Rogues were on the scene. The hike out to join them cleared Cole’s head and gave him space to do a little thinking. Five miles. No big deal, even if his thoughts kept spinning around as out of control as a fighter pilot overshooting the LZ. His time with Hannah wasn’t going the way he’d planned. He’d had the sex—the best sex of his life, if he was being honest with himself—but now he seemed to want something else. Damned if he could figure it out.

The fire scene, however, made sense.

As Hannah had noted, the smoke column wasn’t as wide anymore as it had been. The fire was probably well under a quarter acre now and low to the ground. The smoke was almost white, a pale, shell gray. There was plenty of brush covering the slopes, though—perfect feeding ground for fire. Plus, a quick visual turned up several pockets of dry and dead fir ready to combust. Right now, the fire was burning in the grass and brush, making quick, short runs toward the surrounding pines. Two-foot-high flames, Cole

 estimated. A nice little challenge, but nowhere near impossible to knock down quickly.

He pitched in, even though he was technically still on R & R for another twelve hours. The guys could use the help, and he didn’t want to pull a Vanna White and stand around watching. Extra hands manning a shovel were always welcome, and the guys had extra safety gear, so no worries.

The hand Sam Clayton eventually clapped on Cole’s shoulder was not part of the plan. That hand had no business being where it was, but Sam tightened his grip before Cole could shrug away. Point taken.

His eyes met Cole’s with a whole lot of steely determination. “R and R or back on team?”

Cole had nothing but respect for Sam, and whatever his team leader was about to say, he undoubtedly deserved. Problem was, everything paled in comparison to spending as much time as he could in Hannah’s arms. That made some unfamiliar place inside him ache.

Fuck him if he liked it.

Sam finally cleared his throat. “She doing okay?”

Cole didn’t have to ask who the she was.

A stand of trees went up on the perimeter, the smoke darkened to almost

black. He eyeballed the damage, but two hotshots were already moving in.

All under control.

“Yeah, I got her radio hooked up.” He refused to look at Sam when he answered. Christ. He hoped his plans for the night weren’t written across his face. Sam could pull him back.

Sam swore. “Your clock is ticking.”

Cole didn’t deal with ultimatums. Unfortunately, in this one instance, Sam had a point. Cole just didn’t like it. “I’m headed out tomorrow.”

Sam’s eyes narrowed. “You’re headed back tomorrow.”

He shrugged. “Same thing.”

Sam was silent for a moment, watching the rest of the Rogues work. A

chainsaw roared as the boys fired her up and chewed through a snag. The fire here was under control, but he didn’t need to look at Sam to know that his temporary leave of absence was definitely up. If he wanted to rejoin his team, he did so tomorrow. Not the day after and not next week. No, he did so on Sam’s fucking schedule.

Hell.

 Maybe Hannah was watching the smoke and thinking about him. He tried the thought on for size and, to his surprise, he liked it. Having Hannah waiting for him, worrying about him—he liked it. A lot. He passed the shovel to Sam. “Tag. You’re it.”

“Be back tomorrow,” Sam said, turning away, the sharp edge of the shovel biting into the hardpack. “I got to hear you say it.”

“I’ll be there.” He forced himself not to look toward the direction where the watchtower was. “I’ll pick my gear up at the watchtower and hike out first thing tomorrow. That work for you?”

“Yeah,” Sam nodded curtly. There wasn’t much left to say after that, so Cole started back down the trail to the watchtower. He’d warned her that he was a one-night stand and she’d agreed.

Nothing happened for hours. Hannah looked for smoke and waited for Cole to come back. She’d already figured out that Cole Henry was no fan of small spaces, nor did he like sitting still.

Eventually, booted feet on the steps announced his return. She went out to meet him on the porch. His hair was wet from a quick dip in her stream, his T-shirt plastered to his broad shoulders, and, God, she couldn’t wait to get her hands on him. The clock was ticking and she knew it. She had to get her fill of Cole Henry now or go without. It was that simple, so she’d take everything he’d give her.

As soon as he cleared the trapdoor and had both feet on the observation deck, she hit him with her question. “What’s happening out there?”

She couldn’t read his face. “Looks like the Incident Commander got the word from the higher-ups. They’ve got the Big Bear Rogues out here, shutting her down.”

“Oh.” She hadn’t known that disappointment was a sensation she’d feel in the pit of her stomach. She wasn’t ready to let go of Cole. For a man who’d been simply a midnight fantasy, he sure was part of her everyday life now. And it wasn’t just the out-of-this-world sex, although she definitely appreciated that. She liked the way he fit into her watchtower.

Into her life.

But now that the hotshots had knocked down the fire blocking the trail back to base camp, he’d be on his way. He had a life there, and he’d made his rules plenty clear before he’d so much as kissed her. She’d been lucky to get two nights.

 He moved closer, his big hands closing over her shoulders and rubbing. For a long minute, he simply stood there behind her, looking out the window with her.

“You can leave,” she said finally, because they both had to be thinking it.

He inhaled. She wondered what he was thinking, what his face looked like, but his fingers stroked softly over her collarbones, dipping into the hollows and tracing a ticklish, erotic path.

“Tomorrow.” He bent his head toward her neck, brushing his mouth over the sensitive skin. “I’ll go tomorrow.”

That meant they still had tonight. She drew a deep breath. “Can we try something different tonight?”

“Sure, sha.” She felt rather than saw his smile against her throat. “We can try everythin’.”

She leaned into the caress. He had no idea what she really had in mind. She didn’t know how he’d react, if he’d be angry or put off or just not interested. Because her idea was probably the antithesis of every alpha cell in his body.

“I want to tie you up,” she said quickly, before she could chicken out.

“I think it would be fun. Sexy,” she added in a rush.

When he didn’t say anything right away, she added, “Please.”

He didn’t know what to say. Or do. And being at a loss for words was a

first for him. He wanted this spelled out. “Because you’re worried about what I might do?”

“Not one of your fantasies?”

“Hell no.”

The smile she gave him was pure seduction. “I’d love having you at my

mercy.”

“You really wan’ to tie me up right now?” He was in charge of his life

and his own damned body. Always. Her slow smile, though, had him rethinking those priorities.

Leaning up, she dropped a kiss on his jaw. “I could be convinced to wait until we were inside.”

Well, hell. She knew how to convince a man. “You’re not game for ropin’ me in on your front porch?”

“You got an exhibitionist streak you’re hiding from me, Cole Henry?” Her grin said it all.

 “Makin’ love to you outside wouldn’t be a problem at all.” There wasn’t much he hadn’t done and he’d make no bones about it. The bondage thing wasn’t entirely new, but he’d always been the one doing the tying. He didn’t much like the idea of handing any of his control over to Hannah.

Although, he admitted to himself, as she opened the watchtower door, she already had him tied in knots. Plus, the way she smiled at him, all slow and sexy, said she really, really liked the idea. The sensual curiosity lighting up her eyes was a better lure than any words, so it looked like he’d be giving Hannah’s bondage game a try.

Besides, he’d bet she couldn’t tie knots worth a damn.

He kicked the door shut and faced her. Curiosity might be a motivator for her, but the nipples pressed against her thin cotton tank betrayed just how much the idea aroused her.

Tilting her head up, he ran a thumb along her jaw. “This means that much to you?”

“It’s okay.” She shrugged, trying to play her request off all casual. The kicker here was, she’d asked for what she wanted. Part of him—a big part —responded to that. “Not your thing. I get it.” She stared at him for so long that he wondered what she saw, what kind of clue she was looking for on his face. “I’d want you to enjoy it.”

“Uh-huh.” He smiled slowly. “Do I get a safe word? To use while you tie me up and take what you wan’?”

He was doing this for her. Somehow, that made all the difference. He wanted to please her, even if that meant trying something outside of his comfort zone. Once Cole Henry made up his mind, he was all in. His pack hit the floor with a thump and he grabbed the bottom of his T-shirt, stripping the cotton over his head with one smooth move.

She had plans of her own for him tonight. Big plans. She ditched her boots, thinking hard. A quick rummage in her own things produced exactly what she needed. Two bandanas, one red, one blue. His left wrist wouldn’t match his right, and the sturdy cotton was no exotic silk tie, but she hadn’t planned this out. It would work, she decided, coming back to the mattress.

He’d kicked off his steel toes, the boots discarded by the side of their bed, and he had his hands on the button of his jeans. The way he popped it open was damned sexy. Problem was, he made her want to rush things, to

 get to the good parts now—which included the part of him poking above his waistband. She needed to slow this down.

“Uh-uh. Stand down, cowboy.” She stepped in close, running her hands down his arms. The heat radiating off him was something fierce. “I want to do that.”

“You wan’ to take my clothes off? Be my guest.”

Bending his head, he kissed her. That kiss of his was in no rush, no matter how hard his dick was. His lips covered hers, soft and gentle. Sucking her bottom lip between his and then opening her mouth with his tongue. He pushed inside, stroking her tongue, his mouth slanted over hers. He didn’t touch her, though. Just his mouth on hers for long minutes, until he finally pulled back.

“Those for me?” He looked down at the bandanas crushed in her fingers. She couldn’t tell from his face how he felt about this. Still, she knew Cole. He would never like waiting for orders. He was a take-charge kind of man and, usually, that was exactly what she loved.

“If you’ve changed your mind, we don’t have to do this.”

“We don’ have to.” He shot her a crooked grin. “But we wan’ to, so it’s okay.”

He dropped down onto her mattress and stretched like a big cat. Or a big, bronzed god. The hard, chiseled planes of his abdomen gave her all sorts of ideas. “You come do your wors’, sha.”

“Hands over your head.” She loved being in control of his big body. Sure, the tying-up part was sexy, but that was only part of it. Truth was, she wanted to play this game with Cole. Wanted to tease, to lead him to the sexual edge and hold him there.

His dark eyes didn’t leave hers as he stretched his arms over his head. Muscles flexed. “Now what?”

“Hold on to the table,” she decided.

With a grunt, he wrapped his fingers around the leg of the table that abutted the mattress. God, he really was going to do this. He was all in. She’d have to hope like hell they didn’t knock her equipment off, because she wasn’t stopping now. Working fast, before her nerves could get the better of her, she tied his wrists in place with the bandanas. One good pull and he’d have the table over, but she’d have a head start. Only thing was, she didn’t want to get away from this man.

She ran a finger over her knots. “Not too tight?”

 “Jus’ fine.” His fingers flexed, catching hers. She allowed herself to enjoy the brief caress, before forcing herself to step away.

“You’re leavin’ now?” He was sprawled on her mattress like some kind of decadent pasha. He might be playing her game, but he was still in control. That, she decided, had to change. Just a little. She wanted to shake him up. Wanted him burning for her.

“I’m not going far.”

Hooking her thumbs in the waistband of her shorts, she worked the cotton slowly down her thighs. Cole’s eyes heated right up. She shimmied the shorts all the way off, stepping out of them.

“You goin’ to pick them up?” His voice was hoarse, but he stayed where she’d put him.

“You think I should?” Smiling mischievously, she turned, giving him a clear view of her ass. A pink, lacy thong separated her cheeks and barely covered her front. She had the most impractical underwear ever for a park employee. She knew that, but there were some things she couldn’t compromise on. Decadent panties made her feel feminine and fun.

Of course, the heated look in Cole’s eyes made her feel better than any lingerie ever could. The hard ridge of his erection teased her, filling up the front of those blue jeans he filled out so well. Hell, he’d busted out of those jeans, the ripe tip of his dick stretching above the unbuttoned waistband. Don’t rush, she reminded herself. Sinking down and licking him right now seemed like a good idea, but then things would be over fast. And she wanted this to last.

Bending over, she reached slowly for the shorts. The thong rasped against the sensitive skin of her ass as she moved. The deliberate movement reminded her exactly what they’d done last night. A growl escaped from the man behind her. Yeah, he liked his view.

“You better get on over here, sha.”

Standing up, she tossed the shorts on the table and stepped closer. Having Cole at her mercy was addictive.

“Sha . . .”

Time to give him a little something. She sauntered over to the mattress and stood over him.

“Better?” Pulling the tank top over her head, she tossed it to the ground. His wicked grin should have warned her. “Two can play this game.”

 He kicked the mattress and she came down with a shriek, hitting his chest. His hard grunt filled her ear. Legs wrapped around his hips, she straddled him, cradling his erection against her mound. God, he was hot. The feel of him all but seared her skin.

“See?” He whispered the question hoarsely against her throat. “I’m thinkin’ this is an improvement. This way, I can kiss you.”

Reaching up, he captured her mouth with his own. This kiss was hungry. Hot and raw, his mouth moved over hers, his tongue thrusting past her lips to plunge deep inside. He was taking charge. As she’d suspected, he couldn’t shake his alpha nature. This was her turn, however, so she needed to regain control.

“Uh-uh.” Pulling her mouth away from his, she sank down his body.

She ran her fingers over the hard planes of his chest, kissing and nipping. When she caught a flat nipple between her teeth and bit lightly, he jumped and cursed. He didn’t protest, however, and the thick length trapped between their bodies jerked. Yeah, he liked that. Not satisfied, she ran her fingers along the edge of his waistband, slipping the tips of her fingers beneath in an unhurried, slow tease. Rubbed the slick tip of him.

Deliberately, she pushed down his jeans.

“Toe them off,” she said, giving him back the words he’d given her. His eyes darkened, but he did it. Her big hotshot didn’t like taking orders. A reward was in order for being so good. Conveniently, she knew just what he liked.

She looked him up and down, trailing a hand down his abdomen. He jerked hard, his dick lifting toward her hand.

“Ask nicely,” she said sweetly.

“Fuck.” His face tightened. He didn’t look nice at all now, but her bandanas held—for the moment—and he was good and hot.

“That’s not nice at all,” she observed. “But we’ll get to that. Later.”

Since she’d made her point, she bent her head and licked him. A long, slow drag of her tongue from base to tip. His hips shot off the bed. Yeah, he really, really liked that. And she loved the heady mix of pleasure and power. He was letting her do this—they both knew that—but she wouldn’t have passed up on this chance to learn his body for anything.

When her tongue hit the tip of his shaft, she stopped and rested her cheek against him. His crown was slick with pre-cum, the skin satin-soft and hard at the same time. Enjoying the pure pleasure of touching him, she ran the

 pad of her index finger over him. Every time she breathed out, the small puff of air rushing over the sensitive head forced a sharp exhale from him.

“Hannah—” His eyes promised sweet revenge.

“You’ve got to say it.”

“Please—” he gritted out. “Open up. I wan’ to be inside your mouth.” Smiling, she turned her head and opened up. He lifted his head, straining

to watch her, the muscles in his abdomen tensing with the effort. So damned sexy and all hers.

She ran her tongue over the fat head, tracing the soft slit. “You taste good, hotshot.”

He did, too. She could feel his eyes boring into her head, his body tensing beneath her sensual onslaught, but she was lost. Lost in the taste and feel of this big man. Wrapping one hand around his shaft, she cupped his balls with the other, scratching lightly until she heard his harsh groan. She licked over and around him, swirling her tongue around the crown. The muscles of her jaw burned, stretched wide by Cole, and the raw sounds he made were the biggest turn-on ever.

Slowly, she sank her mouth down, replacing her palms with her mouth. The crown hit the back of her throat and she swallowed. Pulled his dick in, then pushed it back out, swirling her tongue over the hard length the whole time. Once. Twice. Ten seconds later, he was fucking her mouth hard and she was loving each fierce thrust.

“Come back up here,” he growled, popping free. “I’m not comin’ anywhere but inside you tonight.”

She gave him a deliberately impish smile. “Stop topping from the bottom.”

Bracing a hand on his shoulder, she pulled herself up his hard body until she was pressed against him, her legs closed and stretched out. Her toes teased his calves and his erection slapped against her belly, hot and slick. She stretched her own arms out, wrapping her hands around his wrists, and slid up and down his body as if he were her own erotic Slip ’n Slide.

Up and down, over his cock. Yes. God, he was fine.

He pushed up hard. “Stop teasin’.”

“No.” Her laughter spilled out as her legs tangled with his. “I think you

like this. And, next time, I’ll tie your feet.”

“Next time it’s your turn.” The rough warning heated her up more. Ah,

hell. Her imagination took off, her body tightening up as one erotic fantasy

 after another flashed through her head. After all, he’d told her exactly what he was capable of. Even through her panties, she could feel him rubbing against her folds. I could come just like this.

The bandanas tore, the harsh sound ripping through her sensual haze. Stuff clattered, falling over on the table overheard. Probably her fire- spotting gear and park equipment, but she’d care later.

Cole’s arms closed around her, hard and fierce. “Sorry about the property damage.”

He didn’t look sorry at all. She had just enough time to register that truth, before one hard tug tore her thong away.

“Shame about those pretty panties,” he drawled. “Maybe next time you’ll listen a little closer.”

She opened her mouth to protest—she was on top here, after all, but his hands found her shoulders, guiding her down. Taking her hard and deep, until she didn’t know where she ended and he began, just that she came and he followed her over that sensual edge, holding himself deep inside her as he groaned.

He took her down to the mattress, before moving away. She protested, sleep thickening her voice, but he cleaned her up and got her settled. He didn’t say much, but that was her Cole. He’d done his talking on the radio and now he was all about showing her how he felt. Desired. Cared for.

Cherished.