Where There's Smoke (15 page)

"I'm on the Pill,” she murmured, leaning over, her hair falling forward, her breasts—he couldn't resist. He cupped her breasts.

Then her words sunk in and he met her eyes. “You're what? Since when?"

"Since the Monday after the wedding. The doctor said I should be safe now. We don't need to use a condom.

The thought of being inside her, bare, made him harder. He'd never been naked inside a woman before, and knowing he could enjoy that pleasure with Lauren—

Then he realized what it meant. She had seen a future in their relationship when he hadn't even realized they had a relationship. Her decision to go on the Pill was an announcement that they were serious. She had no idea what kind of man he was; at least, she didn't want to see.

Hell. He was doing the right thing here, right?

She kissed him, slow and languid, as she unbuttoned his shirt. She'd finally caught onto his slow-is-better philosophy. Her tongue in his mouth, her hands on his skin, the heat of her body positioned—right there. He loved that she wanted to be on top.

His mind kept skipping ahead to the future before he reined it back in. There was only tonight, and he would make it the best either of them had experienced. His hands glided from her knees up to her hips, where he snapped the thong's elastic. She rose up with a warning look before she bent again to kiss his throat, his chest. She was doing a weird contortionist thing, because her hips stayed in the same tempting position.

He couldn't stop from lifting his hips against her and she responded with a little bounce. He dug his fingers into her hips and resisted the urge to flip her over and take her.

She scraped her nails over his belly, on purpose, he was sure, and she smiled when he groaned.

"When did you get to be such a tease?” he whispered.

"I learned from the master,” she said, and lapped at his nipple with her tongue.

"Geez, Lauren, okay, I surrender!"

She smiled wickedly. God, he loved her. The thought slammed into him like a two-ton brick.

"Why? What do you want?"

"I want to be inside you."

"Just like that? Where's your spirit of anticipation? Of making it last?"

"I lost it when you told me to forget the condom. God, no, don't do that!” He clutched her head when she slid down to kiss his stomach, glided her tongue in a line down from his navel. “Now, Lauren! It has to be now!"

Their fingers tangled together as they both fumbled with his slacks. They pushed off his pants, boxers and socks. Her bare butt brushed his erection and he exercised every ounce of control not to climax. As it was, he wasn't sure how long he could last.

She rose over him and removed her thong. She was so calm when all he could think about was being inside her. Then he was, and the pleasure was so intense, tears sprang to his eyes. He squeezed them shut, not wanting her to see the emotion he was certain was there.

"Don't move just yet,” he said through his teeth, so close to losing control and unwilling to let it end yet.

He opened his eyes to see her rise over him, drag her teeth over her bottom lip. He'd never seen anything so sexy. He gripped her hips and lifted his own, thrusting into her body once, twice, three times before shattering, completely losing himself, his mind and soul fragmenting, his body melting into the mattress.

"God, baby, I'm so sorry,” he said when he found his voice.

Lauren stretched out over his chest, seeming as contented as a cat though he could feel her body still humming. “Don't be,” she murmured, nuzzling beneath his chin. “We have all night, remember?"

He didn't want to sleep, didn't want to waste a minute of their last night together, but the intensity of his climax and the warmth of Lauren's body lulled him. He pulled her close and slept spooned around her, his face in her hair.

He woke with her soft body still cradled against his and morning light peeking through the blinds. He pushed a strand of her hair out of his face and pulled her just a little closer, careful not to wake her. The room had grown chilly overnight and one of them had pulled up the covers. Too bad, because he always loved looking at her body the morning after, the roundness of her shape, the smoothness of her skin, and he'd remember how she felt the night before. It was a guaranteed turn-on.

He never spent the night with women. Oh, he had when he was younger, before he learned what entanglements that entailed. Now—well, before Lauren—he'd make an excuse and escape. Most of the time the women were relieved to see him go.

There had been no question of going home when he started sleeping with Lauren, no question of sending her home. There'd been a little morning after awkwardness the first couple of times, but now Seth enjoyed the morning after almost as much as the night before.

And today was the last morning after.

He decided he didn't care anymore if he woke her and he brushed his lips over her ear. She squeezed her eyes shut and turned into her pillow. “Seth, it's Christmas,” she groaned.

He smiled to himself. She wasn't exactly a morning person. “So you want me to wrap it up?” he asked, pushing his hips against her bottom. “I thought you went on the Pill so we could leave it unwrapped."

She made an unladylike sound but shifted back against him. He didn't need much encouragement and slid his hand beneath the sheet to cup her breast. He accompanied the caress with a soft bite at her throat and this time her groan was decidedly more sexual.

She started to turn but he held her still.

"This way."

"H-how?"

He released her breast, slid his hand over her stomach and hip to her thigh, which he angled away from him. He stroked up the inside of her thigh to pet her briefly and felt the jolt through her body.

"Seth! Oh!” Then a longer, “Ohhh,” when he teased her entrance with his erection.

"Nice and easy,” he said. “We're going to make it last all morning."

He pushed inside her, just enough to make her whimper. He held her still and whispered, “Does that feel good?"

"Yes, but—"

"What do you want, Lauren?"

"More,” she said on a moan when he withdrew.

The torture of entering and leaving her, slowly, giving her a little, then a little more, was exquisite. He eased deeper, sweat breaking out on his skin from the control he exerted. Her slick body clung to him when he withdrew again, and those little sounds she made had him grinding his teeth and wrapping his arms tightly around her. Every instinct screamed to plunge deep, to end the torture, but he wanted to feel her, all of her.

She held her breath. He could feel it in the tightness, the stillness of her body. She was waiting to see how deep he'd go this time. He floated in a haze of pleasure and anticipation. No world existed outside the bed, no woman but Lauren. Tremors shook her body when he shifted for the next stroke and he stopped her from pushing back and encompassing him completely.

He had to distract both of them. “Tell me how it feels."

"More,” was all she could manage.

"Don't you want to make it last?” He kissed her shoulder and cupped her breast, brushing his thumb over her nipple as he withdrew.

"I want ... you in ... me."

"Sweetheart.” He nipped her shoulder. “I'm in you. And you feel great."

"Want ... more. God!” She dragged the word out as he left her slowly, savoring the friction along every inch.

Her hips did a little jerk, and Seth lost all resolve. He plunged into her with a moan. She climaxed immediately, twining her legs about his to hold him inside her as she bucked back against him, not even allowing him room to thrust, when he wanted to pump into her again and again.

Her desperate wiggles and soft bottom did the job, though, and he came deep inside her. For a moment, he panicked before he remembered they were safe. Then he gave himself over to the pleasure of being in her.

He'd just snuggled against her with a sigh of completion when she reached around and smacked him on the butt.

"Don't ever do that to me again!” she said, an edge in her voice that belied her recent pleasure.

"Make love to you?” he asked drowsily.

"Tease me!"

"So, what, from now on you just want straight forward sex? Missionary position? Is there a checklist? An order I have to follow?"

"No, just—you can't drive me nuts like that."

"Or what? You appeared to enjoy yourself."

"I did, but—"

"But what?"

She turned in his arms, dislodging him, and he realized that he'd never be inside her again.

"I wanted all of you and it drove me nuts when you wouldn't let me have it."

And that was it, exactly. He couldn't give her all of himself, and before he drove her nuts, he had to leave her.

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Lauren reached for the phone by her bed, pulled the receiver under the quilt with her. The room was dark, the hum from the heater soothing, until the three words in her father's solemn voice sank into her sleep-numbed mind.

"Fire ... Seth ... hospital."

She never remembered how she got to the hospital, never remembered putting on shoes, finding her car keys. Panic swelled as she swung her car crookedly into a spot beside the fire department's Explorer. She ran in the ER entrance, everything a blur until she focused on Oscar's face, drawn tight, smudged with soot.

"Where?” was all she got out, breathless with fear.

When he pointed silently to the hallway behind him, she glimpsed the rest of the family, but she didn't wait to acknowledge them. She ran down the hall.

Seth stepped out of one of the rooms in his department t-shirt and pants, his expression almost identical to his dad's. But he was hale and hearty and she couldn't stop the tears as she flung herself into his arms, against his solid chest. He smelled of smoke and sweat, and she'd never smelled anything better.

"Thank God,” she whispered as he closed his arms around her, and she lifted her face. He curled his hand around her throat, beneath her jaw, brushed his thumb over her cheek, and kissed her. She pressed closer, hooking her arm around the back of his neck, holding him, needing to be closer, needing to feel his strength, the strength she'd been afraid he'd lost.

"Are you okay?” she asked, drawing back just enough to reassure herself nothing was burned or broken.

"I'm okay. Andy got too much smoke, but—"

The sound of a throat clearing behind them, alien in the eerie silence, had them pulling apart and turning.

Seth's family, every one of them, including Beto, and Mitch stood in a semicircle, staring at them. Seth murmured the four-letter word that got him grounded for a month in eighth grade and snatched his hand away from the curve of her hip. They were outted.

Oscar was the first to move, and his expression brightened in a grin as he embraced the two of them. “This is wonderful! The best news all year!"

Seth forced a smile when his mother hugged him, saw the flicker of concern in her eyes, but before she could say anything, Oscar boomed in his ear. “So how long has this been going on? Why the big secret? Surely you knew we'd all be happy for you."

Lauren shifted uncomfortably but Seth couldn't look at her. Instead, he released her to move away. Like a coward, he waited for her to answer.

"We didn't want to make a big deal, with Crystal's wedding and all,” Lauren said.

"Oh, we would have loved to celebrate your news as well,” Crystal said generously, her face flushed with triumph.

"We wouldn't dream of stealing your thunder,” Lauren said.

"I'm sure there were other things Lauren and Seth took into consideration as well,” Sandra murmured.

Seth followed the direction of his mother's gaze to look at Lauren's dad, whose expression mirrored Seth's own, a smile tightened by concern.

"How long? How long?” Oscar asked, shaking them both.

"Since the wedding,” Seth finally choked out. Now that their families knew, breaking off their relationship would be harder, and staying with her was impossible. He was just not the commitment type. Not even for Lauren.

"So this is new,” Sandra said quietly. “I see why you wanted to keep it quiet. All these nosy old folks—and young folks—looking over your shoulders."

Mitch hadn't said a word. Seth had the sudden realization that not only was he boinking the daughter of his dad's best friend, but also his captain's daughter. He was pretty sure Mitch had figured that out, and hated him for it.

"Finally,” Oscar announced, releasing them at last. “The Escamillas and Stokes, together forever."

"So what happened?” Lauren huddled in the driver's seat of her car outside the emergency room. She'd hoped she could take Seth home, but he was working a double shift, Christmas Eve and Christmas morning, so the firefighters with families could spend time with them. Since he hadn't been hurt, he was reporting back to the station as soon as he got word on Andy.

"Just a fire. We took a wrong turn in the office building, almost didn't get out. Rookie mistake.” He rubbed his hand down his face and she tried not to wonder why he hadn't looked at her since the kiss.

"What happened?"

He shook his head. Even tonight, he wasn't willing to talk about it. So she veered the conversation in another direction. “Your dad is sure happy. Why is he so gung-ho about us getting together?"

"I don't know. It's possibly the first thing I've ever done to make him happy.” Seth's voice bore a touch too much bitterness for Lauren's peace of mind. “He'll probably accost the priest after Mass tomorrow to start planning the wedding."

"Want to place a bet on how long it will be before they ask us to pick a date?"

"No,” he said bluntly.

Lauren flushed. He'd never turned down a bet before, but perhaps it was in bad taste for her to tease while his friend was in the ER. She pushed past her embarrassment. “On the other hand, my dad didn't say a word.” Lauren brushed her hair back and looked toward the brightly lit ER. “I always thought my parents wanted this as much as your parents."

"Reality probably struck. I mean, maybe in theory it's a good idea. In reality, well, I'm putting my hands on his little girl. Anyway...” He shook his head. “It doesn't matter."