Seducing the Fireman (Risky Business) (4 page)

Shit.

The last thing she needed was for Jax to think she had sex on the brain. Especially sex with him.

“Well, isn’t that a sad
state of affairs.”

“Excuse me?” She dropped her spoon on the counter and shot him the haughtiest look she could muster. Who the hell did he think he was, anyway?

“I like dessert as much as the next guy, but if you think ice cream can make you come,” he said, his words a smoky caress, “then you’ve never had a real orgasm. I’d be happy to correct that for you any time. Just say the word.”

Chapter Five

Speechless. Jackson Hart had literally rendered her speechless with his nonchalant offer of an orgasm. What could she say? Nothing. That’s what. She was no blushing virgin, but the sexual encounters she’d had were nothing to write home about. Not that she’d ever admit it to Jax. Hell, she had a hard enough time admitting it to herself.

Grappling for something witty
or snarky or just plain not-stupid to say, she sat there with her mouth gaping open. He hadn’t even touched her, and yet somehow he’d managed to spark a fire in her belly, her skin growing warm under his appreciative gaze.

He smiled, a relaxed grin that made the corners of his eyes crinkle, and nodded at her mostly full bowl. “You better finish that before it melts.”

How the hell did
he do that? Offer her an orgasm and then just go back to normal conversation like he’d asked about the weather? He’d done it on purpose. She was sure of it. Because now there was only one thing on her mind, and it
wasn’t
ice cream.

“I’m done.” She pushed her bowl toward him, leaving the spoon on the counter. “I’m stuffed,” she lied. “Couldn’t eat another bite if I tried.” Not the way he
was looking at her.

“What? You’re going to let it go to waste?” He grabbed the bowl, cupping it in his large hand, and raised his brow. “The girl I knew always had room for dessert.”

“I’m not that girl anymore.”

He rolled his eyes and took a bite of her tartufo, dragging the spoon over his lips before responding. “Sure you are. You can change your name, your hair, and even your
clothes—I like the T-shirt by the way, very fitting—but I’ll always know who you are underneath it all. Strip away the facade and you’re the same sweet, passionate girl who used to pack me a to-go box after Sunday dinner, and who gave Sal Russo a black eye for calling her Frankenstein at the ninth grade dance.”

“You remember that?” she asked, covering her mouth to smother her laughter.

“How could I forget?” He smirked. “You made me give you dance lessons afterward. My toes were never the same again. Not that I’m complaining,” he said, fixing her with a pointed stare that cut right down to her soul. “Sacrificing a few toes was a small price to pay if it meant I got to hold you in my arms.”

She blushed—freaking blushed—at the compliment. Shit. What was she doing? Definitely
not flirting. Not with Jax. Never with Jax. After all this time, why was she still so affected by him? And how was it possible he still knew her so well? He was too…
comfortable.
With her family, in her kitchen, eating her dessert no less.

“Russo had it coming,” she said, twisting her hair absently and doing her best to move the conversation back to safer territory.

“I don’t doubt it.”
He took another bite of the tartufo. “Sure you don’t want any more? Judging by the look on your face, you’re fantasizing about this ice cream.” He paused. “Or maybe you were fantasizing about that orgasm?”

Ding, ding, ding. Door number two.

Her face went up in flames. How did he manage to keep her completely off-balance, getting dangerously close and then backing off as if he could
sense the ebb and flow of her emotions? He knew just where to push and how hard, without going too far. She’d just have to keep her guard up.

“Frankly, I’m just trying to figure out where you put it all,” she said, pointing to the nearly empty bowl. “By my count, you ate three slices of lasagna, a half a loaf of bread, and two desserts.” She sighed. “That is so unfair. If I ate like that,
I’d need a freight elevator just to get up to my apartment.”

He shrugged. “I work out a lot.”

That much was obvious. Heck, his muscles had muscles. And on Jax? It worked. At least that’s what her hormones seemed to think. Then again, it had been ages since she’d had a man in her apartment, so maybe that’s why her hormones were in a frenzy.

“Last bite,” Jax said, extending the
spoon so that it hovered between them. “Sure you don’t want it?”

She eyed the last bite, her mouth watering. “Well, it
is
my dessert.” Finally, she leaned forward and opened her mouth as he maneuvered the spoon inside. Her eyes drifted shut as she savored the rich flavors of the ice cream, and for a moment she was completely at peace.

Right up until Jax reached out and stroked her
chin, just as he’d stroked her wrist at the restaurant. Those fingers felt too damn good on her body.

“Oh, no you don’t.” She batted his hand away. “What do you think you’re doing?”

Unfazed, he held up his pointer finger, revealing a smudge of dark chocolate. “You had ice cream on your chin.” Then, before she could even berate herself for being a slob, he put that finger in his mouth
and sucked on it. And, sweet Jesus, if it wasn’t the most erotic thing she’d ever seen. He sucked hard, sending a torrent of blood straight to her core.

“Sweet. Just like I knew you would be. Do you want a taste, Becca?”

Entranced and willing herself to
just say no
, she nodded yes as he offered the slick finger to her.

And then Jax’s finger was tracing her mouth, exploring her
with the promise of things to come. The man didn’t fight fair. He knew her weakness—she’d always been a sucker for a good dessert—and clearly he wasn’t above using it against her. His seduction was slow, deliberate. He was teasing her. Testing her.
Challenging her
.

When she could take it no more, she sucked his finger into her mouth, taking him deep. Jax wanted to torture her? To make a
mockery of her pathetic love life? She’d show him. Just because she’d never had a great orgasm didn’t mean she didn’t know how to give one, how to get a man excited. Jax wanted her. Had from the first time he laid eyes on her at Stout. Ignoring the little voice in her head screaming
what the hell are you doing,
she massaged his finger with her tongue, circling the tip as he withdrew it from her
mouth.

“You don’t taste so bad yourself.” Why did her words sound so breathy and porn-like? At least she was in good company. Jax’s breath was coming hard and fast. Slipping from his stool, he positioned himself between her thighs, spreading them wide like it was the most natural thing in the world. It probably was, for him. Which was exactly why she needed to put a stop to this before it
went too far. She needed to tell him to quit trying to seduce her. It wouldn’t work anyway. The words were on the tip of her tongue when she blurted out, “I’m a much better dancer now.”

Well, that was awkward. And so not what she meant to say.

“Really?” he challenged, pushing a loose strand of hair from her face and tucking it behind her ear. His fingers lingered, sending a shudder
of anticipation down her spine. “You do realize such a bold statement is going to require a demonstration, right?”

“No, I—”

“Dance with me.” Ignoring her protests, he grabbed her hand and pulled her to her feet, wrapping her in his warmth. Holding her close, he raised their joined hands and brushed a kiss across her knuckles as he began swaying in silence, his body moving in time to
a melody that existed only in his head.

It was impossible to remember the last time she’d danced with a man, but that didn’t mean she wanted to do it with Jax. Far from it. Dancing with Jax spelled trouble. After all, wasn’t this how it all started before? If she was smart, she’d nip this thing in the bud. Stomp on his toes and send him packing.

But he was a good dance partner, and
it was actually kind of…
nice
.

Following his lead, she gave herself over to the moment—it was just one harmless little dance—and enjoyed the press of his hard body against her own. His free hand slipped around her lower back, massaging the tired muscles and wearing down her defenses as he did magical things with those long fingers, kneading the tension from her with ease. He pulled her closer,
the hard ridge of his erection pressed to her belly. He was long and thick, and he wanted her. The knowledge must’ve short-circuited her brain because the next thing she knew, her hips were pressed to his, their dance taking on a far more seductive edge.

When she finally dared look up at him, she knew he meant to kiss her, knew she should stop it. But she couldn’t. She couldn’t walk away
from that kiss any more than she could stop the Earth from orbiting the sun. The pull was too great, her desire spiking as her body responded feverishly to his touch.

Stretching up on her toes, she met him halfway, their lips crashing together with barely restrained passion. Like before, his lips were soft against hers, both pliant and commanding, a stark contrast to the calloused hands
that moved up her back and into her hair, twisting it without mercy as he drove the kiss deeper. His tongue skated across her lips, sending a very clear message about his intentions. When they finally pulled apart, her entire body was alive with sensation, a pleasant tingle circulating through her limbs.

“You’re playing with fire, Becca. You have no idea how much restraint it’s taking for
me not to toss you over my shoulder and take you to bed.” Jax paused, letting his words sink in. With his training, there wasn’t a doubt in her mind he could—and would—do it. He caressed her cheek, his fingers blazing a trail down the front of her shirt, coming to rest at the hollow between her breasts. Her nipples hardened in response to his touch, her chest rising and falling slowly as her body
screamed for more. “But I’m not going to do that. Not until you want me to. Because when I do? It’s going to be the best damn orgasm of your life. I’m going to lick this lush little body of yours until I know every inch of it as intimately as I know my own, and I’m not going to stop until you know what it means to come undone with a real man.”

“A real man?” Did he still think she was some
silly girl, sitting around scribbling his name on her notebook? She wasn’t that person. Not anymore. And it pissed her off that even now, he insisted on treating her like a kid, incapable of making the right choices for herself. What would it take to prove she’d changed? “I’m a big girl, Jax.”

To drive the point home, she slipped a hand between them, cupping his balls and massaging them
through the soft fabric of his jeans.

“Shortie.” The word was barely a rasp. Their eyes locked. They were riding a fine line, one it wouldn’t be easy to come back from, and they both knew it. But dammit, she wanted this. Needed it. The throbbing between her legs had reached a fever pitch, demanding she find out what it felt like to be licked from head to toe by a strong, sexy firefighter
who was quite literally the man of her dreams.

So yeah, she was going for it. She stroked the length of his erection, her breath catching in her throat. Jax had meant it when he’d said he was a real man, and she wanted every inch of that manhood buried inside her. He captured her wrist, and one look at his eyes told her he was as close to coming unhinged as she was. “Are you sure you want
to do this?”

“Less talking, more kissing,” she ordered, snaking a hand around his neck and pressing her mouth to his. She devoured his lips, enjoying the way they fit perfectly with her own. The hint of dark chocolate on his breath wasn’t so bad either. Kissing Jax was everything her fifteen-year-old self had imagined it would be. Sweet, passionate, toe-curling. Moving his mouth over hers
with precision and confidence, he seemed to know exactly how she needed to be kissed. And apparently he was determined to deliver, waking a hunger in her belly that had nothing to do with food and everything to do with the man in front of her. Still, she needed…
more
.

Drawing his lower lip into her mouth, she sucked on it mercilessly, relishing the way his hands skated over her body, leaving
a trail of electricity in their wake. If his touch felt this good over her clothes, she couldn’t wait to feel those fingers on her bare flesh. Parting her lips, she granted him full access to her mouth, groaning when his tongue slid along her own, parrying as if they’d done this sensual dance a thousand times before. The man was a jackass, but his tongue was heaven on earth. And she was ready
to see what else he could do with it.

Chapter Six

Jax held Becca close, inhaling her scent, a sweet berry blend that was probably a combination of shampoo and lotion. Whatever it was, it smelled like heaven. Still, he could hardly believe she’d gone from wanting to scratch his eyes out at dinner to lighting his fire like no other woman could. How the hell had she downshifted so fast? He didn’t understand it, but he wasn’t
exactly complaining.

Kissing Becca was even better than he’d imagined. Her soft lips crashed against his own, her quiet moans urging him on as he lifted her up. When she wrapped her legs around his hips, locking her ankles and effectively closing the gap between their bodies, he knew there was no turning back. Not that he wanted to. He’d wanted her for as long as he could remember, and if
she kept those punishing kisses coming, there would be no walking away…for either of them.

He slid his hands up her spine, stopping only when his fingers were good and tangled in her soft curls. Wrapping her hair around his fist, he tilted her head back, exposing her neck to him. A shudder ran through her as his lips brushed the sensitive flesh, his tongue forging a trail down her throat
and over her collarbone. He licked further south, his free hand pushing her T-shirt up, exposing her breasts to him.

“Fucking perfect,” he murmured, lowering his mouth to claim one of the buds beneath the silky pink bra. And she
was
perfect. Curvy and soft, everything a woman should be.

“Umm, thanks.”

Jax froze. Becca’s eyes were squeezed tight, a sure sign she was giving herself
a mental flogging.

Flogging? Now there was an idea for another day.

“Hey,” he said, stroking her cheek. When she finally dared to open her eyes, she took one look at him and lifted her chin, no doubt preparing to tell him off for some imagined slight. Before she could utter a word, he silenced her, pressing a gentle finger to her lips.

“If we’re going to do this, we’re going
to do it right. No rushing. Where’s your bedroom?”

She pointed and he carried her down the hall, enjoying the way her body curled into him. When he laid her on the bed and she looked up at him with those big, pleading eyes, he nearly lost his mind.

“Tell me how you want it, Becca.” He preferred to be in control, but tonight he’d give it up for Becca. Tonight was all about her pleasure.
Because if she thought ice cream could give her an orgasm, it was clear there’d been no one to properly see to her needs, to explore her darkest desires. It was a fucking travesty. “Tell me what you need.”

“I want you to make good on your promise.” She chewed her bottom lip. “I want you to explore every inch of my body until I’m moaning with pleasure.”

“Moaning?” He reached under her
shirt, stroking the swell of her hip. “You’ll be chanting my name. That’s a promise.”

She grabbed the front of his jeans and gave a tug, pulling him down on top of her. Claiming her with his mouth, he pulled her shirt over her head and stripped away her bra with his free hand. He needed skin-to-skin contact, needed to feel the heat of her body pressed to his own. Next he went to work on
her jeans. When she moved to strip off her panties, a pair of tiny, pink lace underwear that didn’t leave much to the imagination, he stopped her.

“The panties stay on.”

She pouted, her bottom lip shooting out immediately.

“For now.”

Without those panties, tiny as they were, he didn’t trust himself to take it slow. He wanted her too damn bad, his cock begging for release.
Hell, he’d been dreaming of her for ten years. And now that he finally had her? He intended to make the most of it.

Taking her hand in his, he brought her palm to his mouth and kissed it gently. Then he kissed his way down her inner arm, licking and sucking and teasing every inch of the way. She moaned when he moved on to her throat, nibbling his way down the curve of her neck. He massaged
her breasts, and when he finally sucked one of those perfect little mounds into his mouth—
hard
—she cried out, her back arching off the bed.

With Becca under him, thrusting her hips against his hardened cock, it took every bit of discipline he had not to strip off his own clothes and take her. But he was a man of his word.

Climbing to his knees, he settled between her thighs, massaging
them as she watched. Lips swollen and parted, hair splayed around her like a halo, she looked like a fucking angel.

His angel
.

“I’m still waiting for this life changing orgasm you promised.” She was trying to keep the tone light, but her words were thick with lust. “The least you can do in the interim is take off your shirt.”

Unable to deny her, he pulled his shirt over his head
and tossed it on the floor. Becca sucked in a sharp breath, her eyes growing dark with need as she studied the tribal flame tattoo that engulfed his right bicep and shoulder. “See something you like?” The look on her face said it all, but he had to hear it aloud. Just like he had to feel her fingers moving over his body, exploring every inch of him with that feather light touch of hers.

“I’ve seen better.”

“Really?” he challenged, pulling away. “Then you won’t mind a change of scenery.”

Without warning, he flipped her over onto her belly, so that her arms were extended above her head. He ran his finger along the edge of her panties, toying with the lace that hugged the curve of her perfect backside. She whimpered and wiggled her bottom. He could relate. His balls were
so tight they hurt. He wanted nothing more than to bury himself inside her.

“Patience.” He gave her a light squeeze. “I’m not finished with you yet.”

Moving down her body, he massaged her feet, then the backs of her calves. He lavished kisses on the backs of her knees, gliding up her smooth thighs and spreading them wide along the way. By the time he approached the vee between her
legs, Becca was strung tighter than a clothesline. She was practically writhing on the bed under him.

He pinned her legs down.

“If you want me to continue,” he said, licking her inner thigh. “You will not move again. You are going to lie still like a good girl and take what I give you, but you will not move again. Understood?”

She nodded.

“Say it, Becca. Tell me you’re
going to lie still and take it like a good girl.”

Turning her head, she looked over her shoulder at him, offering a coy smile. “Oh, I’m going to take it all, Jax. But I won’t promise to be good. Not when being naughty feels so much better.”

Jesus
. He nearly came on the spot. Becca Mancini wanted to get naughty? He
ached
to be inside this woman. His cock was rock hard, and if she kept
talking like that, he wouldn’t last long.

He blew out a breath, lowering his mouth to her thigh again. Testing her resolve, he licked the soft skin. When she didn’t budge, he bit her. Nothing too hard, just a test, to see if she could take it.

She didn’t move.

“Good girl.” He kissed the same spot, soothing it with his tongue, and inched up her thigh, relishing the salty taste
of her skin. When he reached her panties, he licked her right up the center. Becca cried out, but didn’t move.

He licked her again, this time applying more pressure, knowing it would drive her mad with lust.

“Oh my God,” she screamed, twisting her fists in the comforter and biting down on the pillow.

“I thought you could take it?” He grasped the edge of her panties and pulled
them down inch by inch.

“I can and I will,” she bit out as he tossed her underwear to the floor. Dragging a single finger down her spine, he admired the length of her body and cupped her rear, giving it a light squeeze. She moaned and rolled onto her back, repositioning herself so they were face to face. A challenge sparked in her eyes, and she spread her knees, daring him to finish what
he’d started.

Settling between her thighs again, he brought his mouth to that beautiful pussy and licked it, slowing this time to spread her with his tongue and savor the taste of her. He sucked on her clit, drawing her back off the bed as he massaged her with his tongue. When he released her, she fell back on the mattress, knees shaking.

“That feels—”

Without warning, he thrust
two fingers inside of her, determined to give her the pleasure she deserved, the pleasure that had so clearly been missing from her life.

“Oh, Jax.”

Her body reacted instantly, gripping him tight as she rocked her hips beneath him. With his hands and mouth working in concert, he pushed her toward release, higher and higher as she reached the crescendo that would prove he knew her inside
and out.

The way she had her eyes squeezed tight, biting her bottom lip? She was close. So close.

She just had to relax and let go.

Circling her clit with his tongue, he sucked hard. This time she cried out, her body wracked by a powerful orgasm that had her clutching the blankets as if they could ground her in the face of such intense pleasure.

When her body stilled, he
kissed his way up her belly. Making his way back to her mouth, he kissed her slow and deep, enjoying the way her fingers snaked around his neck as she drew him closer.

“Sweet Jesus, Jax. I need you inside me. Now.”

He wasn’t about to argue. Not when she was panting his name in desperation. Her pleas had him off the bed and stripping. He pulled a condom from his wallet and rolled it
on as she braced her hands on the headboard, arching her back and lifting her ass for him. Climbing back into the bed, he plunged into her without hesitation, seating himself deep. Becca cried out and he froze. She was so fucking tight. Had he hurt her? Gone too fast? He lowered his mouth and brushed a kiss across her shoulder.

“Oh my God.” She repositioned her hands and rotated her hips
in a circular motion, as if testing the feel of him inside of her. “I didn’t know it could feel so good.”

“We’re just getting started, Becca.” Slipping one hand around her waist, he found her clit, rubbing lazy circles with his finger as he slowly withdrew and pumped back into her. “And when we’re done, you will never compare ice cream to orgasms again.”

“
Yes
,” she breathed, as he
drove into her over and over, pushing them both toward release with sinfully perfect rhythm. It wasn’t long before she was screaming his name, her body clenching him tight as she pulled him over the precipice with her, shattering like fine china and forever altering his reality.

Lying there spent, with Becca in his arms and his mind racing, he tried to put all the broken pieces back together.
The woman had given him the best damn orgasm of his life. He’d known it would be good between them, but
fuck
. He’d never experienced anything like it before. She’d ignited at his touch like a gasoline fire.

“That was amazing,” he said, planting a kiss on her forehead as he climbed out of bed to dispose of the condom. Grabbing his boxers from the floor, he headed for the bathroom.

“It kind of was, wasn’t it?” She sighed and pulled the sheet over her breasts, stretching with feline grace.

“Yeah,” he called from the bathroom. “We should do it again.”

Jax slipped on his boxers and returned to the bedroom. Becca met him at the door, thrusting a pile of clothes into his arms.

“You have to go,” she said, grabbing his elbow and steering him toward the door.

The
front
door.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Shit. She wasn’t having regrets was she? The very idea made his skin crawl. “Talk to me, Becca.”

“What’s there to talk about?” she asked, giving him another panicky little shove toward the front door. “The sex was great, but that’s all it was. Sex. It doesn’t change anything between us.”

She opened the door and gestured for him to step
through it.

“What the fuck? Do you throw all your dates out naked?” he asked, temper flaring as he stomped into the hall. “Or just the ones who give you the best orgasms?”

Blood rushed to her cheeks, but she held her ground. “This wasn’t a date. Good night, Jax.”

Good night? Not likely. Maybe it had started off that way, but now he was standing half naked in a strange building,
once again at Becca’s mercy. First the thing on the radio and now this? How many times did she need to humiliate him before she would accept his apology?

More importantly, how many times would he let her?

Stepping into his jeans, he promised himself this would be the last time Becca had the upper hand. He’d done her wrong, and she had every right to be upset about it, but no way in
hell was she going to scare him off. If he wanted to get past her defenses, he’d just have to beat her at her own game.