Vital Signs (6 page)

Redness climbed his jaw and settled in his cheeks. “Okay.”

“I hope you get some rest. I made a small pot of chicken soup. It’s in the refrigerator and you can just heat it up.”

The vein in his neck pulsated fast. Too fast. She considered taking his vitals again but couldn’t trust herself to put her hands on him. If he didn’t want her in his life, she wouldn’t push. Well, not too hard.

“Thank you. I appreciate you coming today.”

“You’re welcome. Goodbye, Corey.” She let herself out of his apartment, her heart heavy but her mind working harder over the puzzle of the firefighter.

After Sarita walked out, remorse had flooded through the cracks in Corey’s being. His chest seemed over-full and he could barely think about not seeing her again.

Then the next day his buzzer had sounded and he’d found her at his front door, a bag of his laundry that he hadn’t noticed she’d taken with her in hand.

The woman had returned to his apartment again and again, heedless of his poor attitude. He’d gotten frustrated with his dead-end searches for information on who might be using that chemical compound to start fires around the city, and Sarita had squeezed his shoulder and spoken some quiet words. It wasn’t until after she’d left that he realized she’d turned him into a purring kitten rather than a raging lion.

He’d spent weeks staring at the same four walls but when she asked him to go across the street to the park with her, he’d refused. Once upon a time, he’d sprinted for miles and now walking downstairs to drive to the rehabilitation center winded him. Yet Sarita gave him nothing but her calm, happy presence.

And in return what had he shown her? His worst side.

At least today he was on his feet and standing in the crumbling brick firehouse. The guys grouped around him, offering grins and well wishes as well as updates on the latest fires, which he’d been following on the news
.
But it was interesting to hear which they were investigating as arson fires. Corey’s instincts had been spot-on.

He got so many pats on the back he thought he’d fall over. But he hadn’t felt so much like himself in too long.

“Thanks, guys. It’s good to be here even if I’m not going on calls with you.”

“You’ve been away long enough to forget that the toilet doesn’t work and there’s no hot water in the kitchen,” Gabriel said with a sideways grin.

Corey snorted a laugh. “I guess you haven’t had much success in getting the funds for repairs?”

“Hell no. We were gonna hold another auction but you weren’t here to offer yourself for dates, so we gave up.” Gabriel had been auctioned off to the highest bidder in one of their fundraisers and gotten his lover, Joey, out of the deal.

Corey nudged him in the shoulder, rocking him back a little. At one time they’d been matched in strength, and Corey was slowly rebuilding. He’d get there.

“How far out from your surgery are you?” Gabriel asked.

“Ten weeks.”

He released a low whistle. “You got on your feet fast.”

“Yeah, but I’m still on official leave. I’m just here to work on the arson cases.”

Gabriel’s brows shot up. “No joke? I can’t believe Chief would allow that. He keeps all information about the arson investigation on lockdown.”

Corey didn’t tell him that he’d been working to uncover clues for weeks. A few more cases where the chemical compound he’d been researching cropped up. He’d read so many reports about fires that he was itching to get back into the field. But for now, he was on desk duty.

It had taken a lot of persuasion for Chief to allow him to come back early. But when Corey had shown him the files on a flash drive, he’d given the trademark Chief nod and said, “No lifting and no horseplay with the other guys. I don’t need you off duty for another month because you couldn’t stay out of a wrestling match.”

Corey was one of the older men at East Street and he’d never felt a need to prove himself against the young pups. But now that he’d been off, he might have actually stepped up to a challenge or three. Besides, wrestling was good exercise and would do him good.

“Look who’s back.” Jagger’s deep voice brought him around. With as much cockiness as ever, Jagger strutted forward to bump knuckles with Corey. “You’re here two weeks early, aren’t you?”

“Got sick of sitting in my apartment. The cabin fever was killing me.” He’d just about climbed the walls a dozen times in the past ten weeks. He couldn’t have survived another. And he wasn’t sure Sarita would have come back for another day after seeing him lose his cool one more time.

Jagger gave him a look. “Being holed up with a beautiful and exotic woman is the pits, bro.”

He shook his head. “Wasn’t what you think.” Hell, he hadn’t even kissed Sarita after the first mind-bending weak moment that first day. But their scorching glances and few touches still spurred his fantasies.

“Probably wasn’t what we all thought. But if not, why is she here at the station?”

Corey stopped. “At East Street?”

“She’s upstairs talking to the guys.”

His mind wrapped around the fact that Dirty D and Jesse Wallace—aka Wally—were on the premises and both of them were players. He issued a growl and took off for the stairs.

Good thing he’d pushed himself on the step machine because he was thankful for his stamina. He reached the second story and rounded a row of lockers to see Sarita speaking in her low, silky voice to Wally. Dirty D wasn’t around.

Corey held back a growl—until Wally brushed her hair over her shoulder. In five strides, he was on them. Shoving his teammate back and positioning himself in front of Sarita.

So much for the no wrestling thing.

“Corey, what are you doing?” she asked.

“Hey, we were just talking, dude.” Wally’s wide smile taunted Corey, and he stepped forward until their chests bumped. Glaring him down. He hadn’t liked the familiar way Wally had touched her one bit.

“Stop, Corey.” She gripped his biceps and tried to tug him away from Wally. But it was too late—the trigger had been pulled. Maybe she was interested in all firefighters—not only him. Had she been coming here and he didn’t know about it?

Wally gave a short laugh, twisting to walk away. “I don’t need this crap.”

Corey watched him go until he was no longer in sight. Wally’s feet drummed on the stairs as he descended. Slowly, he turned to Sarita.

Her dark eyes snapped with a fire he hadn’t seen before, not even when he was serving her a plateful of attitude. But fucking hell, she was gorgeous. And for once she wasn’t telling him to eat, rest, or exercise.

He grabbed her. Walking her back against the lockers, his arms around her to cushion her when her spine would have struck metal. “Stay away from Wally,” he bit off.

Her challenging gaze only made his cock harder. With her sweet heat inches from his erection, his head spun. But this time not with weakness. “I can speak with who I like—”

“Fine but only I touch you.” He cupped her ass, lifted her against his cock, and kissed her. When she gasped, he took advantage, sweeping the hot recesses of her mouth with his tongue as he moved into a room and kicked the door shut. She moaned, angled her head. His balls ached with the need to bury himself deep inside her and not surface until they were both satisfied. That might be days or weeks. Lately all he had was time, so who gave a damn?

Her nails scored his shoulders, and even through his T-shirt he’d probably bear her marks. The pleasure-pain only fueled his fires. He teased her lips with his tongue until sobbing noises escaped her. Still, he couldn’t get his fill.

He glided his hand around her waist and cupped her pussy through her jeans. She shuddered in his hold, her whimpers trapped under his kiss. He threw out his hearing, trying to detect anybody in their vicinity, but as far as he could tell they were alone.

Good. This is mine.

He unbuttoned her pants. Her zipper was no match for him. When he plunged his hand into her panties and found her soaking wet heat, he clamped off a primal roar.

“Co…rey.”

“Shh. I’ve been wanting to do this since that first day you came to my apartment. You’ve been tormenting me for weeks, woman.” He stole her cries with his mouth as he found her swollen bud and circled it with his forefinger.

She clung to him, her fingers twisted in his shirt front. She tasted of pure lust and he was damn well going to kiss and lick every inch of her very soon. But for now, he was going to stake his claim and make her remember who’d made her come.

Drawing back to look into her eyes, he sank his middle and ring fingers into her tight pussy. Warmth engulfed his hand, wrist, arm, to settle in his chest. If the hole there weren’t healed over, he was certain flames would burst from it.

“Spread your thighs for me, baby. That’s it.” He coaxed more moans from her as he plunged his fingers deeper. Using his thumb against her clit. Juices flooded his hand, nearly stealing all control.

“Corey, please.”

“Come for me, angel.”

She issued a soft moan.

“God, your voice has been driving me crazy. Do you realize how hard it was for me not to take you every single time you came over?”

Her eyes flashed. Her pussy clamped around his hand. When she started to sink down the lockers, he pinioned her with his thigh to hold her up. Rocking his hips forward, brushing his distended cock against her lower belly.

“Why didn’t you?” she gasped.

“Because I would have been taking advantage. When I have you, it was going to be on my terms.” To prove his point, he sank his fingers deeper into her pussy. She stiffened. Cried out.

He muffled her noise with his mouth. She was wild in his arms, writhing as her orgasm washed over her. Her clit plumped under his thumb, and he ground it ruthlessly into her body, drawing a fresh cry from her.

Unable to hold back, he bit down on her lower lip and tugged. She came harder. While she continued to contract around his fingers and shake in his arms, he floated in her haze of pleasure along with her. Soon enough he’d get her in his bed, but right now he wanted to see what she had to give him.

Of course he’d known after kissing her that she was a passionate woman. But he never would have guessed she liked a rougher touch. How far could he push her?

With his cock bursting the fly of his jeans, he brought her down slowly. When a final shudder left her and she slumped against him, her face hidden against his chest, he gave a satisfied grunt.

Easing his hand from her slick folds, he took a moment to ruffle her pubic curls before removing his hand. Holding her gaze, he stuck his fingers in his mouth and cleaned all her sweet juices off his knuckles. Her eyelids hooded as she watched.

“I knew you’d taste like candy. Now…” he zipped her fly and buttoned her jeans, “…why don’t you come by the station at lunch and I’ll take you out?”

“This is kind of backward, isn’t it? Aren’t you supposed to have a dinner date and then come?”

A low vibration in his chest threatened to erupt from him. Hearing her silky, accented voice when she said
come
only made him want to rip off her clothes and pound his cock into her.

He skimmed a finger along her delicate jaw. “I don’t like to be predictable.” He dragged his finger to the corner of her pouty lips over her beauty mark. She turned her head and nipped the end, drawing a grin from him. “Say yes, Sarita.”

“Yes. Because I’ve been waiting for you to do that since the first day I came to your apartment.” As she ducked from beneath his arm and swayed her round little ass all the way to the stairs, he let her voice revolve though his mind like a fine whiskey, making him feel slightly drunk. He loved how she’d turned his words back on him.

He drew his fingers to his nose, inhaling her fragrances deeply. He could go after her and take her home with him now. But no, his last ten weeks had been about patience, and he’d learned well. Besides, the best things were worth waiting for.

All afternoon he and Chief pored over the files on the arson investigation. Corey added everything he’d found too, but he was distracted as hell by Sarita’s low, earthy cries and every shuddering breath she’d taken while he fingered her. Her climax had been beautiful, pure and simple. If he didn’t grab her and make her come a dozen more times tonight, he was a fool.

But I’m no fool.

It was time to take control—with Sarita as well as the investigation.

“Chief, I’ve been thinking about laying a trap.”

»»•««

The salty tang of the ocean washed in on the breeze. Sarita drew a deep lungful and smiled. She still hadn’t made the trip to the shore but there hadn’t been much time lately. When she wasn’t working, she’d been helping Corey in his apartment.

That almost seemed like a full-time job. She was happy to see him on his feet and out of the house under his own steam today. And seeing him in his natural habitat of the firehouse was undeniably sexy.

His request to see her for a lunch date surprised her. He’d been so grumpy she was starting to think that was his normal state. But after studying his face for weeks, she knew those lines around his eyes were put there by smiling not frowning. He wasn’t an inherently grumpy person—circumstances had caused it.

Now he seemed to be back on top of his game. Even if it was two weeks too soon. She hoped he didn’t suffer a setback by going to work early.

She waited outside the firehouse for him, as he’d told her to via text message. At least her shift didn’t start for several hours. She’d have a while to enjoy lunch with Corey.

When he stepped out of the big open bay door, her gaze traveled over him. Seeing him in a brand new way. So used to the bandaged chest, pajama pants, and scowl, she was surprised to see the East Street T-shirt and jeans that hugged his impossibly long legs.

“Corey.”

“Hi, Angel. Let’s walk.”

He seemed eager to get her away from the firehouse, reminding her of his possessive behavior after seeing her speaking with Wally. The end result had been…earth-shattering.

Her body still felt the aftershocks of that release he’d given her. And the dark, smoldering look in his eyes… A girl could get used to that. When he looked at her that way—as if he could reach in and caress her soul—she had no doubts that something special had brought them together.