Seducing the Fireman (Risky Business) (12 page)

Chapter Fifteen

Becca slipped on her sneakers, promising herself that day two of the ride along would be free of sexual tension. No almost kisses. No handholding. No dirty jokes.

No matter how good Jax looks covered in soot and sweat.

That was the problem, wasn’t it? His job was inherently sexy, requiring strength, loyalty, and bravery. Add to that mix the extreme arousal
she got seeing him running into a burning building, and yeah, her resolve was melting fast. The man was hot on her tail, and the more she got to know him, the harder it was to find excuses to resist. He wasn’t nearly as big of an ass as she’d originally thought—okay, he wasn’t an ass at all—and everything she’d seen of him seemed to prove he wasn’t the same boy who’d bolted on her at sixteen.

And then there was the sex…

Shake it off, Mancini. You cannot let him back in your bed, no matter how big his apparatus is!

They were in the home stretch now. She just had to get through the day with her panties intact, and then she could go back to her day job, sitting behind a desk, smiling and writing press releases for Garden of Dreams. Only she wasn’t nearly as excited by
the prospect as she’d expected.

While the fire was devastating, she’d enjoyed being in the field, being in the thick of the action. That was her dream. In a city that never slept, there were always stories to tell. And she wanted to be the one to tell them.

Then quit being such a scaredy-cat and show your work. That’s the only way to make your dream a reality. If you want it, go get
it.

She sighed, hating it when the little voice in her head was right. It was time to get over the debilitating case of rejectionitis she’d developed and take a chance on herself. Not everyone was going to like her work, and that was okay. The new piece she was finishing was good, both compositionally and artistically.

But was it good enough?

Only one way to find out. Pick ten
galleries and submit. Ten chances for rejection. Ten chances for success.

Feeling good about her decision, she was ready to tackle another day at the One-Three-Two.

The morning passed in a blur. The company was holding a community open house and the firehouse was full to bursting with visitors. She’d taken hundreds of pictures, watching the day unfold through the lens of her camera.
And she’d learned quite a bit, too. Like many of the guys, including Jax, were Child Passenger Safety Technicians, certified to instruct and assist parents with proper car seat installation.

There had also been a steady stream of future firefighters making their way through the firehouse, eyes shining bright as they wiggled into the oversize turnout gear and climbed on the truck. She’d gotten
some really great shots, so many that she’d be glued to her computer for days going through them and making edits.

It had also become quite apparent Jax wasn’t kidding when he joked about badge bunnies. No less than a dozen single women had shown up offering baked goods and requesting a tour of the firehouse. And the way they threw themselves at the single guys? Constantly touching their
arms and giggling like schoolgirls? It was ridiculous. And insulting.

Jealous much?

No. She was most definitely
not
jealous. What did she have to be jealous of? Jax was a free man. Just because they’d had sex—the sensual, life-changing kind—didn’t mean she had a claim on him. Nor did she want one.

Jax strolled by with a plate of brownies. He paused, backing up a step. “Hungry?
You should try one before they’re gone. These things are like crack,” he whispered, pulling one off the plate and popping it in his mouth whole. A chocolate crumb clung to the corner of his lips as he chewed.

“More treats from your admirers?” She pushed the plate away. No matter how good they looked, she was definitely
not
eating those brownies. “I’ll pass.”

“Since when do you say
no to chocolate?” He narrowed his eyes. “Wait a minute. You’re not jealous, are you?”

“Of brownies?” she asked, tilting her head and playing dumb.

Judging by the shit-eating grin on his face, he wasn’t buying her routine. So much for that Oscar. “If I remember correctly, it wasn’t so long ago you brought me a box of cookies just like this.”

“That was different,” she argued, wiping
the stupid brownie crumb from his lip and cursing the way her belly fluttered when she touched him. So much for the whole “no touching” thing.

His blue eyes danced with laughter. “Oh, really?”

“I was trying to bribe you,” she explained, lifting her chin. “Not seduce you. Or rather, half the firehouse.”

“And here I thought it was a thank-you.” He retreated, taking those blasted
brownies with him. “Have it your way. But for the record? There’s only one woman who can seduce me, and she sure as shit doesn’t need a plate of brownies to do it.” He winked at her. “Just say the word and I’m yours, Becca.”

Well, crap. That totally backfired. How did he manage to make everything, even baked goods, sexy? It was a gift, she’d give him that, because her pulse was pounding
and her lips ached to be kissed.

Fifteen hours to go. Hang tough, Mancini.

When the station finally cleared out and the cleanup was done, she was thrilled to sit down for a hot meal and rest her feet. O’Rourke was serving up slow cooked ribs, and the smell of barbeque had her mouth watering, literally. Following the guys through the buffet line, she piled her plate high with salad
and ribs before taking a seat at the far end of the table.

Just as her butt hit the chair, the alarm went off.

So much for resting my aching feet.

Four minutes and a whole lot of hustle later they arrived at the scene of a nasty collision. Her stomach dropped as she climbed out of the truck.

A tiny Honda, not unlike her own, had been T-boned by a much larger SUV. Both cars
appeared to be totaled, the subcompact smashed between the larger vehicle and a light pole. There was glass everywhere, and the driver of the car was slumped over the wheel, the horn blaring.

Standing clear of the emergency personnel, she began shooting the scene. The driver of the SUV had walked away from the accident unharmed and stood watching, a look of shock etched on his face. According
to bystanders, he’d run the light, hitting the smaller car and losing control.

She pushed her personal feelings aside. There would be time for introspection and grief later.

The paramedics tried the doors on the smaller car, finding them inoperable. The driver was trapped, unconscious, and in need of medical attention. There was a teenage girl in the backseat, who thankfully, had been
spared any serious harm. The crew pulled out the back window and the crying girl crawled to safety. She was hysterical, refusing to leave her mother’s side, even for medical attention.

Becca shut off her camera. She spent a lot of time with kids in her day job at Garden of Dreams. There was more she could do to help than just tell the story today, even if that meant being a shoulder to lean
on and a voice of reassurance.

Capturing real life was important, but being human meant more.

…

Jax and Anderson assessed the damage to the driver’s side door. It was extensive. No way in hell that door was coming open without hydraulic assistance. They just needed to determine the quickest attack plan. The paramedics had administered emergency care via the broken window, but
the driver was in bad shape. The kind of care she needed wasn’t available on the side of the road. Every minute counted in a situation like this one.

“Engine block’s intact,” Anderson said. “We take the door, we’ll have her out in no time.”

“Agreed. Let’s get the Jaws of Life in here and get to work.”

He stepped aside to let the paramedic check her vitals again, confirming she
hadn’t regained consciousness. They’d staunched the bleeding, but who knew what kind of internal damage they were dealing with. They needed to be careful pulling her out. Even with a collar and a longboard, they could cause additional damage. And that was the last thing he wanted. He had enough shit weighing on his conscience.

Anderson returned with the hydraulic tool and positioned it to
cut through the steel door, starting at the top.

“Let’s move,” Jax said, glancing first at the vic and then her daughter, who was sitting on the curb, holding Becca’s hand. He hated scenes like this. It was bad enough there was a life on the line, but her kid was watching. Sweat trickled down his brow. His heart was beating double time. Hell, he felt like he was going to need oxygen to get
through the next hour. But this was the job. This was what they trained for, and they would not fail. He would not fail. “Clock’s ticking. We are not going to lose her.”

Thirty-five painstaking minutes later, they’d removed the door and loaded the driver on a bus to Brooklyn Hospital. Happy to make the handoff to the paramedics, he wiped the back of his hand across his forehead, studying
the mangled car.

Some days the job was fucking hard. They were expected to provide miracles, someway, somehow. They saw the best and the worst of humanity. And the bad shit? That stuff ate at you day after day, night after night. But when you had a good day? It was a high like no other. And you held onto it like a lifeline, knowing it would pull you through hard times.

Today? Today
was a good day. They’d saved a life.

He watched as Becca helped the kid into the back of the ambulance. She’d been so cool under pressure, something he hadn’t expected. Not everyone could handle the things emergency services faced.

Even more impressive was the fact that she’d put her camera down, forgoing the job she’d been paid to do in order to do the right thing. In his line of
work, he’d come across a lot of jaded assholes who put the job first, forgetting what mattered most. Maybe he shouldn’t have been surprised—the Becca he’d known as a kid had always been empathetic toward others. It just wasn’t a side of herself she’d shown much since he’d moved back to town. Maybe because she was so damn busy trying to push him away.

Too bad it wasn’t working.

She’d
tipped her hand earlier with the brownies, revealing she cared more than she let on. Little did she know they were from a happily married woman who’d just wanted to say thank you for giving her son a tour of the firehouse. He’d almost corrected Becca’s assumption, but since she seemed determined to play coy, he’d thought, what the hell? Two could play at that game.

No, she definitely hadn’t
scared him off. If anything, the last two days had convinced him not to give up on them, because whether she realized it or not, they had something real. Something that could be great if she’d let go of the past and give it a chance.

Chapter Sixteen

Becca drove home from the firehouse feeling drained and edgy and frustrated. She hadn’t slept well. Too much action, too much adrenaline, and apparently, too much pent up sexual frustration. Her skin felt tight, restrictive, like she’d outgrown it entirely over the last few weeks.

Had she changed so much in such a short time?

Glancing in the rearview mirror,
she confirmed Jax was following her. Determined to ensure she got home safe and sound, he’d insisted on it. He’d also told her she just had to say the word if she wanted him back in her bed, an offer that was sounding better with each passing block.

God help her, she was weak. And tired. Tired of fighting her attraction to him. Because in just a few short weeks he’d claimed her in a way
no other man could. Every cell in her body reacted when he was near, coming alive and demanding ecstasy.

Pulling up to the curb, she threw the car in park and killed the engine. She had the day off. She could go upstairs and let her little battery-operated friend do the job, but the fact was, it couldn’t compare to the orgasms Jax offered. And if she was going to be thinking about Jax the
whole time anyway, she might as well have him buried between her thighs.

Damn straight.

Decision made, she climbed out of the car and approached his SUV, pulling the driver’s side door open. It was going to be a tight fit.

“Slide your seat back,” she said, stepping up on the running board. He raised a brow, but said nothing as he complied. The speed with which he followed her
command was exhilarating. It also gave her room to climb into his lap, modesty be damned. It was still early and the street was clear, absolving her of embarrassment. Straddling him, she drank in his smoky scent, the look of surprise on his face, and the feel of his growing erection against her body. She crushed her mouth to his, parting his lips and swallowing the groan that rolled off his tongue.

“Jesus, Becca. What’re you doing?” he panted as she ground her hips against his, relishing the feel of his hardened cock between her legs. God, her panties were so wet. She needed this. Needed him.
Now
. Whatever control she had, she’d exhausted it. This thing between them? It was burning hot and fast and hard.

“Isn’t it obvious?” she asked, kissing her way down his neck. “I’m seducing
you. I need you, Jax. I need you to come upstairs and fuck me. In the bed. On the table. In the shower. Whatever you want. I’m yours.”

“Mine?” he asked, eyes growing dark. “I like the sound of that.” He slipped his hand between her legs, rubbing her through her leggings. She responded instantly, her back arching to grant him better access. “But you should know the first rule of being my
woman is that I don’t like to share. I want you all to myself,” he said, his voice a husky rasp as he rubbed her clit in slow, lazy circles. “That means I’m going to take you upstairs and fuck you right, where the only man who gets to see that beautiful body of yours is me.”

She ravaged his lips, savoring the clean taste of mouthwash on his breath. “What are you waiting for, big guy?”

“Damn right, I’m big,” he responded with a cocky grin. Then he opened the door and they spilled out into the street, joined at the lips.

Grabbing his hand, she pulled him toward the building, doing a mental happy dance when she discovered the elevator was back in service. She punched the call button and waited impatiently, shifting her weight from one foot to the other in a pointless
attempt to relieve the achy need between her legs.

Jax lowered his lips to her ear, gently pushing her hair out of the way. “Don’t worry.” His tongue traced the curve of her ear. “I’ll be inside you soon enough.”

Hot. Damn.

She nearly came on the spot. Her panties had to be drenched. Never in her life had she needed a man so badly.

When the elevator door opened, she crashed
into the guy from 5A in her haste to get inside. “Sorry.” She didn’t look back, just pressed the button for the fifth floor.

The doors slid closed, and Jax cornered her, the hard lines of his body pinning her to the back wall of the elevator. One of his hands snaked up her back. The other cupped her chin. “I’ve waited so long for this,” he said, rubbing her cheek with the pad of his thumb,
sending a shudder of desire to her limbs. “So long for you to say you need me like I need you. For you to say you’re my woman.”

Had she said those words? She hadn’t meant to, but hell, she couldn’t take them back now. Clearly lust had short-circuited her brain. Whatever. They could sort it out later. Right now, the only thing she cared about was relieving the tension that had her body strung
tight.

More like strung out.

Staring into her eyes, he pressed his erection to her stomach, rotating his hips and sending white-hot need searing through her body. Was he trying to kill her?

“Do you see what you do to me?” Her knees grew weak at his touch, lust pooling in her belly. “How hard you make me, Becca? No other woman can do that. Just you.”

The elevator door slid
open, and she bolted for her apartment.

With shaky hands, she reached for her keys. After her two failed attempts at opening the deadbolt, Jax commandeered the key ring.

How was it he had complete control of his body when hers was spiraling out of control?

He opened the door, holding it wide for her to pass, but once that door closed, whatever careful control he’d constructed
dissolved. Gone was the calm, collected man who’d performed miracles over the last two days, the one who kept it together when everything else was falling apart. He was voracious, lifting her from her feet and slamming her back against the wall, using his own arm to soften the impact as he lavished kisses upon her body. She wrapped her legs around him, locking her arms around his neck as he pumped
his hips against hers.

She’d never experienced anything like it. Never had a man been so hungry, so desperate—
for her.
Using her legs for leverage, she slid up and down the length of his erection, enjoying the way he groaned against her neck and buried his face in her hair. When he brought his lips to her throat and sucked, she threw her head back, giving herself over to him, to the feel
of his lips on her body, to the pleasure he offered.

It was too much. And not nearly enough.

They were burning up.

“We need to get rid of these clothes.” He kissed her, gently this time, and set her on the floor. “Take off your clothes, Becca.”

Kicking off her shoes, she stripped off her
Little Miss Sunshine
T-shirt and extended her arm, dropping the shirt at his feet.
She slipped past him, letting her breasts brush against his arm in the process.

“Catch me if you can, big guy.” Unhooking her bra, she swung it around and dropped it over her shoulder, revealing her hardened nipples. “I’ll be naked and waiting—
for you
.”

Jax practically jumped out of his boots, but she didn’t stick around to watch the rest. Instead she left a trail of clothing that
stopped at the edge of the bed, where she lay stroking herself.

She was so close to coming, the tension in her body climbing to a crescendo. It wouldn’t take much to push her over the edge, but she wanted—needed—it to be Jax who sent her flying.

He stepped into the bedroom, standing tall, oozing sex and confidence and a total lack of control. Kneeling at the end of the bed, he pushed
her knees wide. “I want to see you,” he ordered. “All of you.”

Slowly, she withdrew her hand, letting him gaze upon her. He grabbed her wrist, bringing her fingers to his mouth. Then he licked them, sucking her pointer finger into his mouth and taking it deep.

“You taste so damn good.” He stroked her thighs, sending a shiver up her spine. “But I need more. So much more.”

He lowered
himself, settling between her legs, and licked her, his tongue a slow drag across her slick flesh. She closed her eyes, fisting her hands in the blankets and fighting to keep her orgasm at bay. She had no idea how she was going to do it, but she’d sure as hell try. For him.
For Jax
.

They were just getting started. She didn’t want it to end.

Not yet.

“Look at me, Becca.” She propped
herself up on her elbows, eyes meeting his. “I want to see the look on your face when you’re screaming my name.”

“Liar,” she challenged, with a crooked grin. “You want to make sure I know who it is that makes me feel so good.”

When he lowered his mouth to her again, his tongue massaging her in deliriously perfect ways, a sob wrenched from her lips. Her hips bucked off the mattress.
“I can’t take it, Jax. It’s too much.”

He looked at her with fierce determination. “You can, and you will.” Then he resumed his exploration, slipping his tongue inside of her and sucking hard. Stars exploded behind her eyelids, and she wove her fingers through his hair, seeking purchase as her muscles contracted with ecstasy. He worked her until the last shudder, wringing every last drop
of pleasure from her body.

Then he kissed her, slow and deep, his hands skimming over her hips, sending aftershocks to her boneless limbs. He stretched out next to her, his erection teasing her as it nudged her belly.

“Have I told you,” he asked, sucking on her neck, “that you have…” He moved south, licking her nipple and sucking it into his mouth. His tongue skated across the peak,
sending a fresh wave of arousal crashing through her. “The most…” His lips crept lower, creating a trail down her abdomen. “Amazing body.” He plunged a finger inside of her, and she cried out, needing more.

She’d never had two orgasms before, but she had a feeling Jax would have no problem delivering.

“Condoms are in the nightstand.”

He opened the drawer and paused.

Blood
rushed to her cheeks.

“You like toys?” he asked, holding up her hot pink vibrator. “I’ll keep that in mind. But today? You’re all mine.” He replaced the vibrator and grabbed a condom, tearing open the foil wrapper and rolling it over his length.

He buried himself deep on the first stroke, filling her completely. His body tensed, the muscles in his back rippling under her fingers. “You
feel so damn good.”

She wrapped her legs around him, loving the way they fit together so perfectly. “Don’t hold back.”

His lips collided with hers, kissing her hard and fast in concert with his thrusts. Their hips crashed together in harmony, both moving toward the explosive grand finale. When he threw his head back, calling her name, she was right there with him, her body racked by
her own shattering release.

…

Jax woke with a start, and checked his watch. It was just after noon. He rolled over, finding the other side of the bed empty. No surprise there. It was exactly why he hadn’t meant to fall asleep. He’d just been so damn tired. And having Becca wrapped in his arms in that big comfy bed, after two nights at the station? It was bound to happen.

Throwing
back the covers, he climbed out of bed and began searching for his clothes before remembering they were in the living room. Good thing he wasn’t shy. He padded down the hall and found Becca in the tiny kitchen.

“I’m making omelets,” she called over her shoulder. “They’re almost ready.” She turned around, her eyes going straight to his cock. “And apparently so are you.”

“Don’t worry.
I’ll let you eat first.” He scooped up his clothes, keeping his eyes fixed on the tiny robe she wore. It was short, thin, and sexy. “After? I make no promises.”

“Duly noted,” she said, waving her spatula and returning her attention to the cooktop.

He watched her work, knowing their next conversation would set the tone for…whatever it was they were doing. She hadn’t kicked him out yet,
and that was a damn good sign. He didn’t want to push too hard, but he also didn’t want to go back to the way things were before. In the time they’d spent together at the station, they’d made a real breakthrough. Maybe it was time for another.

“Here you go,” she said, dropping a plate and fork in front of him at the bar. She pulled a quart of juice from the fridge and poured them each a
glass before joining him.

They ate in silence, each of them presumably lost in thought. If it had been anyone else, he’d have been twitching, but it wasn’t awkward. In fact, it was comfortable, as if they didn’t need words to fill the space between them.

When they were finished, she reached for his plate.

“Wait,” he said, taking her hand. “There’s something I wanted to ask you.”

“Sure.” Her smile faltered. “What’s up?”

“I wanted to see if you had plans Saturday night?” Hoping to set her at ease, he smiled. “I’d like to take you on a real date.”

“Jax,” she said, doubt clouding her eyes. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Really?” he asked, refusing to give up on her. “Because we’ve tried staying apart, and that hasn’t exactly worked. For either
one of us.”

She chewed her bottom lip.

“Look, Becca. I came back to Brooklyn to find you and make things right. Not because of some misguided teenage guilt, but because I’ve never
ever
connected with anyone the way I connected with you. And nothing you say or do is going to make me feel differently.”

“We fight all the time,” she said, tucking her hair behind her ear with her
free hand.

“Fighting, foreplay.” He squeezed her hand, looking her square in the eye. “Tomato, tomahto. You can keep on trying to push me away, but it’s not going to work. I’m not the same kid I was before. I’m a different man, and I’m going to do whatever it takes to prove it to you. You can trust me. I will never
ever
hurt you like that again.”

“I want to believe you,” she said,
rubbing her forehead. “I just…I don’t know.”

“One date,” he said, holding up a finger to emphasize the singularity of the proposal. If it went well, and he had every confidence it would, he’d worry about date number two. Baby steps beat rejection all day long. “Give me one date, Becca Mancini.”

“Okay. One date.” She flashed him a challenging smile without a trace of doubt. “You’ve
got one date, Jackson Hart. Better make it count.”