Trial by Fire (15 page)

He gave her sex a long, slow lick, a man enjoying a creamy dessert, eyes still fixed on hers. Slid two fingers into her channel, stroking. His mouth joined in the love play, suckling as he drove her higher with his touch. Oh, Lord, she couldn’t take much more.

“Mine,” he said quietly. A man in complete control.

“Y-yes.” She was going to come undone. Any second. “Howard, m-make love to me.”

“That’s what I’m doing, baby.”

More torture, fingers and lips. Feasting on her sex, devouring her will. Demanding her submission. His power washed over and through her, cleansing, making her new. Never any connection like this with a man. Immediate, unbreakable. All her life, she’d waited for him. She’d known him not days, but forever.

“Howard,” she panted. “I need you inside me.”

“Not yet. Come for me, sweetheart. Let go.”

No resisting. He made sure of that, working her sheath in pounding rhythm, drawing on the plump pebble of flesh until she writhed. Mindless. Dug into his shoulders so hard she’d leave bruises. She gave herself up to him. Let go.

“Oh, God, yes,
yes
!”

She cried out as her orgasm exploded with blinding force. Her vaginal muscles spasmed around his fingers, and he milked her, on and on. Relentless. He growled with pleasure, eating his fill, drinking every drop.

When the waves subsided, he stood, wiped his mouth. She wobbled slightly and he bent, scooping her against his chest. Limp as a noodle, she draped her arms around his neck, wondering what he planned next.

The wait was brief.

“I’m not finished with you, not by a long shot,” he murmured, lowering his head for a kiss.

Good,
she started to say.
Because I’m not through with you, either.
But his mouth plundered hers, their combined flavors rich and exotic on her tongue. Arousing her all over again.

Howard carried her to his bedroom, placed her with tender care atop the covers. Standing beside the bed, he unbuttoned and removed his shirt. Let it drop to the floor.

Oh, my!
The body of a god should never be clothed. A god with broad shoulders and a deep, smooth muscular chest. Biceps she couldn’t span if she possessed three hands, ripped abs that looked liked he’d swallowed six miniature paint rollers.

She licked her lips. “Quite a six-pack you’re sporting there, Lieutenant.”

“That’s what the guys nicknamed me years ago. Six-Pack.”

“Mmm. Go figure.” Yum. Howard reached for his fly, but Kat leaned toward him, swatting away his hand. “Let me.”

His lips quirked, dark gaze burning. “Anything my lady says.”

“Anything?” She unzipped his fly slowly, slid her fingers into the waistband of his boxers. Teasing.

He tensed. “Oh yeah.”

Grinning, she pulled the pants and underwear down, off his hips. His erection sprang free, proud and eager. Lord in heaven, Howard was enormous! Eight inches or so of rock-hard, blue-veined delight nested in a smattering of brown curls between his big thighs. His testicles hung large and heavy, even drawn tight in excitement.

Scooting closer, she wrapped her fingers around his penis. Stroked him with a light touch, exploring. Allowing herself to become accustomed to his shape and size, to this special intimacy. No great hardship. His skin was silky and supple as a baby’s, yet scorching as desert sands. She tightened her grip, squeezed harder as she pumped.

“Jesus, you’re killing me,” he rasped, hips jerking forward.

“What a way to die, hmm?”

A drop of pre-cum seeped from the plum-shaped head. Bending, she licked the bead away, kissed the tip. He groaned, reached for the gold clasp at her nape, freed her hair from the twist. Tossing the clip, he buried his hands in her tresses, urged her closer.

A newfound sense of feminine power buoyed her confidence. Not once had she ever used her mouth on a man
there
, though she’d been curious and willing. Caressed, sure. But what’s-his-name didn’t enjoy fellatio, and had refused that sort of connection with her. The truth hit with remarkable clarity.

Howard was 100 percent sensual
man
, not a boy.

Kat tasted the purple head, swirling it with her tongue. She licked the underside of his shaft to the base, enjoying the pungent musk of his sex, the taste of him. Encouraged by his groan, she laved his balls, kneading them with her fingers. Kissed and suckled him there, entranced by the idea of such a huge man being reduced to a puddle under her care. The pads of his fingers dug into her scalp as she rolled one testicle, then the other, in her mouth. Greedy, unable to get enough of him.

More
. Kat licked his penis once more from base to tip, then took him in her mouth. Began to work his cock in deep, fucking him with her lips and tongue as she pumped the base in her hand.

“Ahh, shit!”

Kat blinked. She’d never heard Howard curse before. But she supposed she’d given this paragon of gentlemanly behavior good reason to slip. On the inside, she whooped with glee.

She went down on him with no more mercy than he’d shown her a few minutes before. Sucked and stroked him until his eyes nearly rolled back in his head as he pulled away, breathing hard.

“Stop, baby, or I’m gonna go before I get inside you.”

“Your point?” Smug, she watched him shed his shoes and socks, kick away the rest of his clothes. In a hurry.

He arched a dark brow. “I’m about to make it.”

9

Howard opened the drawer of the nightstand and fished out a foil packet. Ripping it open, he sheathed his erection with quick efficiency, then climbed onto the bed with her.

“Lie on your back, sweetheart.”

Kat scooted to the middle to give him room. Grasping her knees, he spread her legs and positioned himself between her thighs. Rubbing her clit with his thumb, he nestled the head of his cock into her folds, nudged inside an inch or two. Then an inch or two more. Stretching her, letting her adjust to his immense size.

“How does that feel?” He gazed down at her, obvious concern taking precedence over desire.

“Ohh, Howard . . .”

His brow furrowed. “I can stop. Just say the word and—”

“Don’t you dare! Make love to me.”

Relief swamped his face, along with sheer lust. Despite the agony backing out would cause him, he’d given her two chances to do so. Nothing would stop him now.

Kneeling, he raised her legs, draping them over his brawny shoulders. Placed her totally at his mercy. Cupping his palms under her ass, he lifted her backside clear off the bed. Parted her sex and impaled her. One delicious, maddening inch at a time. He was so big, her channel burned as he filled her deeper, deeper. Until he was seated to the balls, completing a part of her she’d never known was empty.

Until Howard.

“How’s this?”

She gripped his thighs. “Good . . . so damned fantastic . . .”

He began to move in slow strokes. “And this?”

“Oh, God, don’t stop. Faster, please! I need—”

“Tell me, sweet Katherine.” He increased the strength of his strokes. Just enough to make her want more.

The muscles of his chest and arms bunched and rippled as he pleasured her. Beautiful. This man, his length shiny and slick from their loving as he pumped in and out. She couldn’t form the words, so he did.

“You need me to fuck you hard, don’t you?”

A ripple of shock cut through the languid haze, firing her blood. Igniting the heat between her legs all over again. This raw, blatantly sexual side of him topped every secret fantasy she’d held dear.

“Yes,” she whimpered. “Howard,
please
.”

Without another word, he slammed home with a powerful thrust. Remained still for a few seconds, sweat rolling down one cheek, then thrust again. And again. Increasing in tempo. Harder, faster, until his hips pistoned his shaft into her depths like a jackhammer. Flesh slapping flesh, decadent music to the rhythm of their bodies spiraling higher.

The flame began to burn out of control, and she gripped his arms as he drove her into the mattress. Anchoring herself to withstand the storm ravaging her from the inside out. “Oh, oh,
oh
! I’m gonna—I have to—”

Wave after wave broke, crashed over her, and she cried out, spasming around him. Howard’s hoarse yell registered from somewhere far away as he threw his head back and sank to his balls in one final thrust. His big frame shuddered on and on, every muscle straining over her. A pagan god, taking and giving, as well.

The fierce storm gradually subsided to a gentle throb of pleasure. Kat floated, gazing at her lover in awe. Sweat gleamed on his chest and his lungs heaved like a bellows. His funky hair spiked in every direction, and liquid brown eyes bored into hers, sated. A man well satisfied.

Carefully, he withdrew, lowered her to the bed, and moved from between her thighs. She felt his loss immediately, and a small sound of distress escaped before she could squelch it. Leaning over, he kissed her cheek.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be back.”

He disappeared into the bathroom but returned in seconds, the condom discarded. Stretching out beside Kat, he gathered her into his arms and pulled her half on top of him, resting her head on his chest.

“That was incredible.” Basking in happiness, she kissed a pert male nipple. “
You’re
incredible, Lieutenant. Nobody’s ever given me an out-of-body experience before.”

“Hey, you stole my lines,” he complained.

But his chest puffed out under her cheek, and she smiled. “You don’t need any smooth lines with me, hotshot. Sadly enough, all you have to do is give me
the look
, and I’ll come running.”

His arms tightened around her, and one hand skimmed her back in lazy caress. “Doesn’t sound so bad to me.”

“I’ll endure.”

“Smarty-pants.”

“I’m not wearing any.”

He cupped her bottom. “Let’s keep it that way for a while longer, shall we?”

“If you insist.” She snuggled into his heat, wrapping an arm around his torso, content not to move for the next year or so. “Howard?”

“Mmm?”

“I’ve never heard you curse before.”

He chuckled. “Sorry. When making love with a beautiful woman, all bets are off.”

Oh! Grr. She was
not
thinking about his other lady
friends
and what they’d enjoyed with her Howard. Speculating about his sex life before was one thing, but now the image made her want to choke someone. So she changed the subject to something she’d been curious about.

“What’s up with the bleached hair?”

“You don’t like it?”

Propping her chin on his breastbone, she peered at the top of his head. “It’s a cool look, totally works for you. Yeah, I like it. I just have trouble seeing a six-foot-six, two-hundred-and-sixty-pound giant sitting in a beauty parlor chair with foil tubes all over his head.”

He gave her a sheepish grin. “Surrounded by giggling women, too. A humbling experience I’ll never forget, trust me.”

“So why’d you do it?”

“I lost a bet.”

She snickered. “With who, José Eber?”

“With five classes of first-graders.”

Ugh. She could sympathize. “Even worse. How, pray tell, did this wager come about?”

“You know how the different stations and shifts take turns going out to the schools to teach fire safety to the little ones? Well, Station Five’s turn rolled around, and A-shift went to the elementary school closest to us to do our thing. In short, I bet the little tyrants they wouldn’t all get their homework turned in by the next day.”

“And if they did, you’d bleach your hair!” Kat laughed in delight. “What was their homework?”

“Drawing a map showing where their families would meet in case of fire, and at least two escape routes from their homes. I went back the next day to check with their teachers, and every last one of them had completed the assignment. Never make a bet with a kid.”

He didn’t fool her. She heard the contentment, the love of children in his voice. As if there weren’t enough to adore about Howard, this sealed the deal. He’d bleached his hair to make a group of kids happy.

A mountain of a gentle man who risked his life on a daily basis, could cook, was an excellent lover, and loved his family
and
kids. What more could a girl want?

The one word that wasn’t part of her hunky firefighter’s vocabulary.

Yet.

Howard always believed he’d die an old man before he thought watching a woman chop salad in his kitchen was sexy. Somehow, two people sharing vegetables after a roll in bed had always seemed way too . . . domestic. After hot, sweaty sex, cuddling and cooking hadn’t made the agenda. With his angel, though, the normalcy was strangely comforting.

Kat didn’t seem to want to leave anytime soon. In fact, she appeared right at home in his life. At his side. Wearing one of his old T-shirts that hung to her knees, blond hair mussed. Shaking his head in amazement, Howard retrieved a rectangular Pyrex dish from the fridge and peeked under the foil.

Kat glanced up from her cucumber. “Whatcha cookin’?”

“Chicken lasagna rolls.” He peeled back the corner of the foil to reveal several orange-sized lasagna noodle pinwheels rolled with sautéed chicken and cheeses, topped with white wine cream sauce. He studied her reaction. Wanting to impress someone, the tight knot of anxiety, was a weird new feeling.