Burning Desire by Marie Harte

Chapter Ten

Tex spent Friday in a kind of delayed shock. He’d had sex with Bree, and he worried it had totally ruined him for any other woman. Period. That stupid claim that he’d ruin her had completely backfired, rooting itself in reality.

She’d been sexy, hot as fuck, and giving. Kissing her made the world fade away, with Bree at the center of his universe.

And she wanted to pretend it had never happened.

He would have been hurt if he hadn’t understood why she needed that boundary. And if he hadn’t seen how much she wanted to fuck again but had to talk herself out of it.

They spent the day at her studio looking through her computer at the many shots she’d taken. She had her laptop plugged into a wide, flat table that allowed her to see multiple shots at a time. He’d seen so many that made him proud to be a firefighter. And no one looking at them could doubt Bree’s talent as a true artist.

He’d chosen a few that stood out, ones she’d agreed with, and they’d spent the rest of the day not talking about the incredible sex they’d had. Instead, they’d scouted more places to take pictures in addition to finally getting to the park to photograph the fallen firefighter memorial.

By mutual unspoken agreement, dinner had been canceled, each needing some time and space to regroup.

Saturday seemed to be much the same as the previous day, minus the sex. They’d just reached a late lunch when Bree took a call that had her looking spooked. She walked away with the phone, her movements agitated, while Tex sat at their table waiting for the food to arrive.

She came back and put her hand over the phone. “Tex, are you busy tonight?”

“No, why?”

“I’m sorry about this, but my dad wants you to join us for a family dinner. To hear about our progress.”

“And check me out.” He grinned. “No problem. It’s all going great, right?”

She went back to her conversation, not answering him. “Sure, Dad. He’s happy to come. Seven thirty? I’ll let him know. And… Oh. Melissa’s coming too? Does she have to?” Pause. “Kidding. It’ll be fine, Dad.” She disconnected and groaned. “I’m sorry. But this way he’ll know we’re on track and there’s nothing to worry about.”

“It’s fine. Plus, I get a free meal out of it.”

She smiled, but he saw her strain. “My stepmom and stepsister will be there too. Melissa. Ugh.”

“The sister you don’t get along with?”

“That’s the one.” She waited for the waiter to set their food on the table before saying, “I know I keep repeating myself, but Tex, we need to keep yesterday to ourselves.”

“What are you talking about?” he asked, all innocence, and winked. Then he dug into his burger, famished.

“Right.” She sighed. “I hate having to deal with Melissa, so I usually keep my family visits brief if she’s there. She was awful when I was younger. She’s not that much better now. And then my dad will be giving us the third degree about work. He’s going to dig at you to make sure you’re ‘taking care’ of me.”

“Not a good time to say that I took care of you just fine, right?”

She blushed, as he’d known she would. “Look, I love my dad, but he can be overprotective. I don’t want you to have any problems at work because of me.”

“What can he do?” In honesty, though, John Gilchrist could do a lot. The battalion chief could easily make Tex’s life miserable. “I’m union. I’m good.” At her frown, he said, “I’m kidding. Honestly, yesterday was a one-timer. Just between you and me. We’re good, Bree.” One-timer? Man. So much for being honest with her. If up to him, that one time—technically, they’d done it twice—would turn into an unending schedule of sex, sex, and more sex. And cuddling. He’d liked holding her yesterday, brief though it had been.

“I’m not trying to hide you,” she was saying. “I mean, I am, but I’m not. Geez, I feel like I’m back in high school keeping my boyfriend a secret again.” She turned scarlet. “Not that you’re my boyfriend or anything. You know what I mean.”

“I do.” Boyfriend. Oddly enough, the term didn’t bother him. Not with Bree. The more he considered it, the more he liked the notion.

But she clearly needed to ease into the idea.

“I swear, Bree, I’ll be on my best behavior. Your dad will see nothing at all between the two of us but mutual admiration and professional conduct.”

“Thanks.” She fiddled with her knife and fork.

“Bree?”

“It’s just… If my stepsister is bitchy or comes on to you—she’s done this to other friends of mine—can you ignore her?”

“Damn. That’s cold. And yeah, I’ll ignore her. Now stop fretting about dinner. Eat your lunch so you have the strength to deal with your family tonight. Let me get Gerty and Oscar to dog-sit.” He made a call and confirmed Bubbles had her own date with Klingon later that night.

The rest of their afternoon went well. They followed a medical emergency calling for an aid vehicle, and the patient received treatment. Following that, Tex and Bree had some interesting talk with the guys from Station 28. Bree asked intelligent questions, he noticed.

In addition to being beautiful, Bree had a brain that fascinated him. Tex was at first a superficial kind of guy, he admitted. He liked women who appealed visually. Something physical about them had to attract him. Eyes, breasts, butt, a terrific smile. Bree had all that. But she had the one thing that was guaranteed to keep him around longer—intelligence. Talking to her wasn’t a chore. She made him laugh, and the more he watched her interact with others, the more he respected her.

“You’re really good,” he said once they drove away, heading back to her house.

“Oh?”

“With people. You’re smart, and you never talk down to folks. I like that.”

She blushed. “Thank you. I could say the same about you.”

“Could? Please. You should say the same about me. I’m ah-mazing, and yeah, there’s an H in there.” He grinned when she made a face at him. “You like board games?”

She eyed him with curiosity. “Um, yeah.” He had no idea where that question had come from. Then he realized it came from the idea of fitting her in with the crew, seeing how she’d act with them. Something he’d rarely done with his exes.

“The guys and I like to hang around together away from the station sometimes, when we’re not there working out. We play a lot of board games and cards.” He shrugged. “Sounds stupid maybe, but it’s a great way to de-stress.”

“It doesn’t sound stupid at all.” She turned to face him and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. He could feel her attention, and he basked in it. “I kind of envy you. You have a great bunch of friends you’re close to. I have Carrie. She’s like a sister, and I love my parents. But I don’t have a crew of people, if you know what I mean.”

“A crew?”

“Now I sound stupid.” She huffed. “I mean, a group for support. People who love you and accept you and help when you need it. And even if you don’t think you need it, you have them there for you. I have that with Carrie, but sometimes it would be nice to be with a group and feel that kind of energy.”

He shrugged. “I can’t say I looked for it. Though maybe I did. I don’t know.” He turned toward her neighborhood. “I had three older brothers growing up, so we had a tight family. Lots of love at home, and I know I’m lucky to have it. Then I joined the Corps, and I had that same belonging there.” A lightbulb went off in his head. “And maybe that’s why I turned to firefighting. Not only could I help people, but it felt familiar. Kind of like the military yet different. And there’s that physical aspect to the job that I love, but also the people.” He smiled. “A better bunch of guys I couldn’t hope to have by my side in the thick of things. Mack’s a motormouth, funny and obnoxious. But he’d never leave a man behind. Same with Brad and Reggie. They push and prod if they think you’re not okay.”

“That sounds…interesting.”

She’d heard his tone, obviously.

“I’ll let you in on something. I was so down after I blew it with you Sunday that I told the guys what I said. After laughing at me for being a moron, and smacking me around and calling me names, they helped me realize I should just be honest and grovel a lot. But the flowers is all me.” Brad had mentioned buying her some, but Tex had already been thinking along those lines.

She chuckled. “They did good. I truly love the flowers. I have them in a vase on the dining room table.” She paused. “Want to see?”

“Sure.” Not smart, Tex. The vibe in the truck was changing, growing more intimate. She kept shooting looks at him. And he, as safely as possible while driving, returned them.

He parked and locked up, feeling nervous, which was very unlike him. They walked into her house, and he couldn’t help watching that ass move. He all too clearly remembered plunging into her wet heat, and the hard-on from hell assumed the position of attention, making it uncomfortable to walk.

Inside, Tex closed the door behind him. She dropped her camera bag on the table and showed him her flowers.

“Pretty, aren’t they?”

He spared them a glance before focusing on her. “Beautiful.”

She took a step toward him, her eyes bright. “Thanks again for sending them.”

He moved toward her. “You’re welcome.”

And then he was kissing her, and she was kissing him back, desperate with desire and unable to stop.

“Just one more time,” she said as he walked her back against the wall.

“Yeah. Once.” He ravished her mouth, need spiraling until he could think of nothing but getting inside her.

He yanked her shirt over her head and made short work of her bra. Then he took her nipple in his mouth, sucking hard while she moaned and yanked at his jeans. She had him unbuttoned and unzipped, a small hand wrapped around his cock, then stroked a thumb over his wet tip.

He groaned and kissed his way to her throat, then up to her mouth. He freed himself, throbbing, and helped her get rid of her jeans and panties.

Naked and backed against the wall, she looked like a pinup.

“Gotta fuck you, now.”

Not the most romantic words, but she must have felt them because she reached up and put her hands around his neck. “Fuck me.” She bit his lip when they kissed. “Right now.”

“Bree,” he sighed. “Baby, I don’t have a condom on me.” Stupid, stupid Tex.

“I don’t care. I’m on birth control, and I’m safe. You said you’re safe, so…”

She didn’t need to say any more. He kissed her and drew her as close as possible. She wrapped her legs around him, shifting to take him between her legs. He used a hand to guide himself to her core and hissed in pleasure to feel her so wet.

Then he took her in a savage kiss as he thrust hard inside her.

She gasped and ate at his mouth, wild and growing wilder when he used his thumb to grind her clit. Her fingernails bit at his shoulders and raked his upper back.

He pumped, glad for the wall for support, because he couldn’t stop. He prayed she’d get off soon, because his end was coming. And coming hard. The feel of her around him was unlike anything, and he couldn’t believe how close he felt to her, as if they were riding one giant wave of pleasure.

He ripped his mouth free and moaned as he came, pouring into her so hard, he shook. She ground against him, intensifying his climax, and cried out, coming with him, her body like a vise.

Tex couldn’t stop pumping, loving the fact he’d come inside her.

And freaking the fuck out when he thought about what he’d just done and how he hadn’t been in control. At all.

Lost in floating pleasure and panic, he just stood there, shivering when she clenched her body around his cock, jerking another bit of seed from him.

“Jesus.” He leaned his forehead against her shoulder and felt her stroking his back. Her caress made him feel cared for, even though they’d just kicked it like two feral cats in heat. “Oh, man. I don’t wanna move.”

“I know.” She sighed, kissed his shoulder, stirring more warmth, and eased her legs from around him.

He withdrew and gently let her feet fall to the floor.

“Bree, I…” He had no words.

“I know. You’re addicting.”

“You’re addicting.”

They stared at each other and started smiling. At the same time, they both said, in saccharine voices, “No, you are,” and burst into laughter.

Feeling lighter, Tex tilted Bree’s chin up. He kissed her lips, felt something in him give, and cupped her cheeks. “I should get home and clean up. For dinner tonight.”

She nodded, then her eyes widened. “Oh, man. Dinner with my dad.” Great, now she looked rattled. “This never happened.”

“Nope. Never.” He paused. “Because we’re friends. But I still get that date when we’re done.” He kissed her again, because he had to. “I’m on your side, darlin’. Don’t worry about tonight. It’ll go down easy. I swear it.”

***

And boy, had Tex spoken way too soon.

While Bree waited for Tex to arrive, she smiled at Carrie. A smart move on Bree’s part, actually. Carrie made a nice buffer in dealing with Melissa, as her parents well knew. Carrie handled Melissa better than anyone else in the family, something for which Bree’s father had always been grateful.

Now, freshly showered and relaxed thanks to fifteen minutes of breathing and meditation exercises, she chatted with her stepmom, Charlie, while Carrie kept Melissa occupied and her father finished up a phone call in his study.

Once again, a pang of regret filled her, that she couldn’t laugh and smile with her best friend and her stepsister. There had once been a bond between Bree and Melissa, a strength forged from mutual pain at a loved one’s loss, and from a need to connect. For such a short time, Bree had had someone she loved with her whole heart, a sister to just be with. Melissa had been funny and fun, sweet yet sarcastic, and she’d made Bree laugh.

Then something had changed. Bree had never been able to put her finger on it, but her stepsister had grown distant. She’d pulled away to the point where they didn’t speak, and when they did, Melissa had been biting and bitter, fracturing what could have been a loving, tight family of four.

“I’m excited to meet Tex,” Charlie said, bringing Bree back to the present. Charlie stirred the bisque she’d made for the meal. A lovely woman with frosted, dark-brown hair and a sincere smile, she wore love well. Charlie made a house a home, her father liked to say, and it was true. Charlie always had a kind word for others, her gaze warm and soft, and perfect for a man used to dealing with life-and-death decisions. Her father didn’t deal with too many of them now, but he’d been through hell several times in his life, including losing a wife, a partner, and dealing with danger.

“Tex is an acquired taste,” Bree teased. “I’m kidding. He’s a charmer. He’s big, handsome, and smart. You’ve been warned.”

Charlie snuck a look toward the hallway and, not seeing John, leaned close. “How good-looking are we talking?”

Bree fanned herself.

Charlie nodded. “Ah. I see.” She glanced again at the hallway. “Do you like him?”

Though Charlie shared everything with Bree’s father, Bree knew the woman could keep her secrets. “I do like him. As a friend.” She paused and whispered, “And maybe something more. Except…” She nodded at the hallway.

“I know.” Charlie rolled her eyes. “The man thinks everyone is a dog just because of what happened with your mother.”

Bree frowned. “What?”

Charlie blinked. “He never told you that story?”

“No. I don’t think so.”

“Well, he should have. Just as he should stop with all this anti-firefighter and anti-cop nonsense.”

“Wait. I can’t date cops either?”

“That would have come up had you ever mentioned being interested in one.” Charlie sighed. “So the story goes…your mother was dating someone else in your father’s unit when the man cheated on her and broke her heart. She turned to your father for sympathy, and that was that.” Charlie smiled, not bothered at all by John’s first love. She’d always claimed Bree’s mother had helped make him into the wonderful man he was today. “His story about love at first sight is probably true, but maybe it happened when your parents really saw each other. I know your father always loved her, but I think your mom needed to leave a bad relationship to know a good one. And of course, your father is not only wonderful under all the bluster, but he’s easy on the eyes. That never hurts.”

Bree gaped. “He never once told me all that. Just that mom had a few doozies of bad dates before she met him.”

“Hmmph. Well, bring out those guns if you need to, that is if you and Tex are more than just friends at some point.”

Bree hugged her. “I love you.”

Charlie hugged her back and laughed. “I love you too, sweetheart.”

“Where’s my hug, Mom?” Melissa said sweetly from the other entrance into the kitchen. She held out her arms. “I’ve missed you.”

Behind Melissa, Carrie held a finger gun to her temple and pretended to pull the trigger. Bree coughed to hide laughter.

Like Charlie, Melissa had rich, sable hair and brown eyes, but hers showed a brittle anger that never seemed to fade. Over time, Melissa had grown to resent the stepsister who took her mother’s attention.

Her father, ever the optimist, kept throwing Bree and Melissa together, as if one day, by chance, all the Scrabble tiles would fall together to spell “friends.”

Yeah, right.

Charlie hugged her daughter. At least Melissa remained steadfast in her love for Charlie and John Gilchrist. She’d had no problem treating him like a dad. Bree? No longer a sister and certainly not a friend.

Her father stood behind Carrie. “You getting shorter, Counselor Norris?”

She turned to give him a hug. “You wish. Oh, and I’m game for a rematch on the court whenever you are, Chief.”

He frowned and set her back. “I thought I told you not to mention my embarrassing defeat in front of family.”

Carrie snickered. “It was so, so sad.”

“You can still dunk. I want to say I’m impressed, but you did it in front of my friends. That’s all I ever hear about at poker night, you know.”

She grinned.

Bree grinned with her, surprised to see Melissa laughing as well. Bree had always thought Melissa loathed Carrie. But maybe Melissa was starting to change since dating Bill, her steady boyfriend. She’d become quieter, for sure, and didn’t come by the house as much, for which Bree remained grateful.

Carrie too seemed surprised, but she said nothing about it.

“Bree, honey, you look lovely.”

She accepted her dad’s hug, not bothering to look for the sneer Melissa would be wearing.

He smiled and pulled back to ask, “How are things going with Tex?”

“The guy’s name is Tex?” Melissa blinked. “Does he wear a cowboy hat and spurs?”

An image of Tex in a hat, spurs, and nothing else appeared in Bree’s mind. That would definitely demand film.

“You’d have to ask him that,” Bree said, trying to be pleasant for her parents’ sake. “Though I have seen him in the hat. He’s been really helpful, Dad. And he helped out at the apartment fire. I got plenty of shots. From a safe distance, don’t worry.”

Her father frowned. “He was supposed to be watching you, not assisting. I’m sure we had plenty of men and women on the scene to handle it.” It had happened in Fourth Battalion’s area, or her father would have been there.

“He was watching out for my safety, Dad. A teenager broke through the barricade and was rushing toward the ambulances, but Tex caught him before he could go into danger. Then he helped the boy find his mom, who had been caught by the fire. That’s it. I stayed where he told me to, and he was right back to make sure I was fine.” And honestly, she wasn’t a toddler. She didn’t need a man to hold her hand and tell her what to do around a fire. But to make her father feel secure about her project, she let him fuss.

“Oh, okay. Good.” John nodded, looking stern. Something about him reminded her of Tex, and she stared at him. Maybe that breadth of shoulder? The way he made her feel safe?

She felt a bit icky to be looking for a man like her dad in a relationship then realized some women did, on some level. Or so she’d once heard.

The doorbell rang. Everyone froze until Carrie offered to get the door.

“No, I’ll get it,” John barked. “This is my house, and I don’t want you scaring him off before I get to talk to him.”

“Talk? You mean interrogate. Sure.” Carrie waved her father in front of her. “It’ll be like the Spanish Inquisition. But will Tex leave with his head? That’s the real question.”

Charlie laughed. “Oh, Carrie. We’ve missed you.”

“Yeah, we have.” Melissa raised a brow. “Nothing like the comic element to make sure we have peace at dinner.” She shot Bree a sharp smile.

Melissa stirred the bisque without having been asked, and Bree left the kitchen right behind Carrie. Avoidance would be the name of the game tonight. Now if only things worked out with Tex…