Vital Signs (16 page)

Reaching into the smoke, Corey found the dazed agent’s hand. He launched him into a standing position, where he swayed for a moment before his lungs protested and he coughed violently.

“Get out of here!” Corey shoved him at the door, bent, and grabbed the unconscious arsonist by the shoulders. With Sarita’s beautiful face fixed in his mind, he flipped the sadistic bastard over his shoulder and ran to safety.

»»•««

When Corey walked into the station to resounding cheers, he felt a sliver of embarrassment slide down his spine. He didn’t want to get more pats on the back or praise about his heroics. He’d done the only thing a man like him
could
do.

Mitchell Allancamp had regained consciousness in the country jail, surrounded by FBI agents who refused to let him ignore their demands to hear the whole story.

And Corey had heard it as well, secondhand of course. But some of the things the man had relayed about his childhood made Corey’s skin crawl. No wonder he didn’t have an ounce of humanity in his body. How could he?

Still, he’d killed many people.

“We definitely have the right guy now. Not a copycat. He confessed to things the public didn’t know about the fires,” one agent had assured Corey.

Feeling the weight off his shoulders, he’d returned to the station before going after Sarita thinking to unload most of his stress by talking to Chief about what had happened. When he met with Sarita, he wanted to be free of any attitude that came with his rough day.

Too many people milled around the station and he realized every single East Street firefighter was here.

“What’s going on?” He snagged Gabriel’s shoulder as he passed.

“Celebration, man! You’re off-duty, right?” When Corey nodded, Gabriel shoved a bottle into his hand. “Here, have a beer!”

Confused, he tried to figure out from the atmosphere just exactly what was going on.

A paper was being passed from hand to hand. When Corey intercepted it and stared at the numbers on a check, his eyes bugged. “What the hell’s going on?” he asked Jagger.

“Sarita’s lawyer showed up here about half an hour ago and gave Chief this check to have the station remodeled and brought up to code. I can’t believe you didn’t tell us she was loaded!”

Corey shook his head. “Sarita?”

“Yeah.” Jagger sobered. “You didn’t know?”

“No.” His voice trailed off and he handed the check back to Jagger. Then he pushed his way through the throng of guys, handing someone his beer on the way. What was going on?

He and Sarita hadn’t begun to know everything about each other, but surely she would have told him about such a plan.
Why should she, though? I pushed her away. She doesn’t trust me.
Besides, her money was her business. But a woman with a sum of money large enough to keep a firehouse standing had enough to bring her mother and sisters from their home country. Why hadn’t she done it before now?

He had to find her.

The drive through traffic made him practically break off all his teeth grinding them. But he finally reached her apartment building without any instances of road rage. When he knocked on her apartment door, she didn’t immediately answer.

He knocked again. And again, fear rising inside him. She wasn’t home. Her shift schedule on her refrigerator had said this wasn’t her time to work, but maybe she’d taken another shift.

Or maybe she just didn’t want to see him.

His throat tightened and he pounded harder. She finally came to the door, opening it a crack, the deadbolt chain still in place. “Corey…”

Her hair hung wetly around her face, and he caught sight of the bright blue terrycloth he knew was her bath towel.

His fingers clenched with the need to touch her. To peel away her towel and kiss every damp, fragrant spot on her body.

“Can I please come in? We need to talk.”

“I’m not sure there’s anything left to say,” she said, but her voice broke.

Latching onto hope, he eased his hand into the crack, aware she could easily slam it shut on his fingers. But she was a healer not a destroyer, no matter how mad she was at him.

“Please. Can I come in? There are things I need to say.”

Her dark eyes loomed in the space, her lashes swooping over them a split second before she opened the door.

As soon as he was inside, worry flooded him. He was out of his element here. Begging for the woman he loved was something entirely foreign. Untouched territory.

Sure enough, she was wrapped in a towel, fresh from the shower. His cock gave a jerk, and he took a step toward her without realizing he’d done so.

“Angel, I’m sorry about earlier. What I said was terrible.”

She remained silent, her face a mask.

“And I didn’t mean it at all. I do need a woman, but not just any woman. I need you, Sarita. I’m in love with you.”

Her lips parted. On a sigh? Hope climbed another notch. Drawing a deep breath, he continued, “Mitchell was the arsonist. And we caught him.”

She plastered her fingers to her mouth. “Oh thank God!”

“Yes. And while I was helping, all I could think about was you, Sarita. How much I need you. How you make me the happiest I’ve ever been.”

“Corey…”

“Let me finish. I pushed you away over and over again, but you never left. And when you finally did, well…” He splayed his hands. “…it broke me. Give me another chance.”

She turned away from him. Took several steps and sat down on the arm of her sofa, her towel riding up her hips to reveal sexy round thighs that tormented the hell out of him. But worse was the ache in his heart, and he had to end the misery.

“Sarita, we’re good together.”

She didn’t respond, only stared at some point on the rug.

“And you make me remember to live for myself, not just to rescue people.”

Still no response. She seemed to be in a trance. What had he done?

“I went by the station before coming here. They’re celebrating.”

Her gaze swung his way, and his heart flip-flopped as their eyes met.

“A wonderful, generous woman gave them a check to make repairs on the station. Angel, how did you save all that?”

Her eyes cleared. “It was Mr. Martinez. He left it to me.”

Corey’s eyes widened. A tear escaped her lashes and trickled down her smooth cheek. “That’s wonderful!”

“It is. And I’m happy to be able to help East Street. I also have enough now to bring my family here.”

“Thank God. Sarita…” He shook his head, “…I don’t know how I lucked into finding a woman like you, but I thank God every day that you were the one who saved my life after that accident.” He chanced a step toward her. “I don’t deserve you, but I’m asking one more time. Please let me be part of your life again.”

A small noise left her, part gasp, part sob. And then she was in his arms.

∙•∙

When Corey lifted Sarita and lowered his mouth to hers, all the resistance inside her flowed away. Her bones melted and her blood turned to lava in her veins.

She was right where she belonged. And a strong man like Corey had given himself to her heart and soul.

With a coo of desire, she deepened the kiss. Angling her head to allow him total access to her mouth. He plunged his tongue deep even as he palmed her ass, hitching her higher against him.

His hard cock pressed against her side, making her ache. “Corey.” Her whisper came out as a hot plea.

Breaking the kiss, he looked down at her, his eyes twin suns. She got lost in their glow, but not for long. He started through her apartment, headed for the bedroom.

Every step he took was thunder in her soul. She kissed a path up his strong neck, her lips moving over powerful cords and a spot below his ear that thrummed in time to his heart—and hers too.

“I want you,” she murmured.

He tightened his hold on her. In a few more steps he had her spread out on her bed. Her towel came untucked around her breasts and she was totally bare to him.

“You timed this right,” he practically growled, and began to kiss her exposed flesh. Neck, collarbones, the tops of her breasts. When he sucked one nipple into his mouth, she cried out. The second nipple he lightly bit, and her thighs fell apart as sensations ripped through her.

His eyes flashed as he continued down her body, lapping a way over her abs to her mound. He spent a minute nuzzling her curls before tasting her. His hot tongue burrowed into her seam, and she cried out. Need becoming a raging inferno in seconds.

But he was a firefighter—he knew how to put it out.

As he ruffled her slick folds with his tongue, she latched onto his shoulders and didn’t even bother trying to remain quiet. Her body was a live wire. He curled his tongue around her hard clit, and she started to pulsate.

Before her orgasm could rush fully to the surface, he lifted his head. He ran his tongue over his lower lip, glistening with her juices. Then he began to work over her thighs. Kissing, biting, nipping them. She quivered for more of his sweet torture. When he reached her calves, she thought she’d lose her mind. He left no inch untouched, though. Even the arch of her feet received a lick.

“Corey, I want you inside me.”

“Soon, love. I’m not finished with you.” With that, he grabbed her ass and tugged her up into his mouth. She was suspended in his strong hold having her pussy eaten. White-hot lust pounded inside her. At first his caresses weren’t enough, but soon she was rocking up to meet his lips.

Growling, he plunged his tongue deep. Stroking her inner walls until she shook, on the verge of release. Only when he mouthed up her pussy and sucked her hard pearl into his mouth did she lose control.

She threw her head back and came with a cry. Shaking as pleasure swept her. She dug her fingers into the sheets, gasping for breath.

But he wasn’t giving it to her. He lowered her to the bed and thrust two fingers into her still contracting pussy while one-handedly unbuckling his jeans. His ridged cock appeared, sending her into new spasms.

“Come to me, Corey.” She was suddenly aware of the roll of her R and how much he loved it. Especially when his eyes hooded.

He fucked her pussy with his fingers two more long, exquisite times before pulling free and working on his clothes. Good thing he dressed simply in jeans and a T-shirt. No belt, no buttons to battle.

In seconds he was poised nude over her. His eyes darkened a shade as he stared into hers. “Wait.”

He rolled off and dragged to straddle him. Her pussy rubbed against his length. If she tilted her hips she’d join them.

“Take what you need, what you want, baby.” His raspy words dizzied her.

Holding his gaze, she slowly sank over his cock. Each inch that stretched her ripped a cry from her throat. When she was fully seated atop him, his chest vibrated beneath her hands.

How she loved driving him as crazy as he drove her. She started to move. Pushing up on her knees, his cock gliding through her tight walls. He moaned her name and she leaned over to kiss him with all the passion inside her. When she dropped down on his erection in one hard thrust, they shared a primal noise.

Again and again she repeated her movements until she got out of rhythm, her frenzy too much for her.

Taking control, Corey flipped her and pinned her hands above her head. Hips gyrating, he fucked her hard and deep. She locked her legs high on his hips and abandoned herself to the pleasure he gave.

Her first pulsation stole her mind. She tipped off the steep ledge into swirling waters of bliss. And he followed with a roar. Hot come bathing her inner walls, his fingers steely around her wrists. Before she’d regained her senses, he bit her lower lip, dragging her into an intimate kiss that sealed their lives together.

“Life sentence.”

Corey swung around at the words, still adjusting his bowtie. He pinned Jagger in his stare. “You’re really saying this to me on my wedding day?”

Jagger’s eyes narrowed in confusion before he burst out laughing. “No, man. The headline. Look.” He held up his phone to show Corey the latest on the Allancamp case.

Tie forgotten, Corey grabbed the phone and skimmed the headline. “Entered a plea bargain in Federal Court. He confessed to everything. Even crimes we didn’t know he’d committed. Jesus.”

Jagger nodded and took the phone back. “At least you know you’re beginning your life with Sarita without that storm cloud hanging over you. He’s behind bars forever.”

Bobbing his head in agreement, Corey went back to his tie. When he stared at his reflection, he noted his color was high, his eyes too bright. In a few minutes he’d have his love’s hands in his own as he vowed to keep her happy forever. He wanted nothing more in this universe but all day he’d felt a heaviness. As if it couldn’t be this easy.

He turned to his friend. “Jag, did you have any worries when you married Hanna?”

He lifted a tuxedo-clad shoulder. “Not really. She was the best thing that happened to me.”

“Yeah, I feel the same. I just keep thinking I’m forgetting something.” He’d been running around like a madman for weeks trying to get Sarita’s family situated after they’d moved.

“Like the rings? Got ’em right here, bro.” He patted his pocket.

“No, not that. I think I’ve lived on edge my whole career, waiting for the next call. The next accident could end my life and leave her a widow.”

At that, Jagger sobered. “I did have some thoughts along those lines when I married Hanna. It’s a risk we take daily to save lives. The women we love know it. Especially Sarita, since she’s brought you back from the edge once before.”

Corey scuffed his knuckles over his clean-shaven jaw. Stubble was already beginning to sprout there. “I wonder if it’s fair to her, marrying such a young woman, and in my position.”

Jagger’s stare could have inspired fear in a terrorist. “You’ve got to be kidding me. Love doesn’t know age. Besides, your centerfold went viral on the Internet, man. Apparently women like a little silver in the hair. Hell, even Sarita’s mother and sisters ogled it.”

Corey twisted his lips. “Like hell they did. They’re sweet. Anyway, thank you. I get what you’re saying. I just worry about doing right by Sarita.”