Warnings and Wildfires

  “And what are you planning to do with all this new free time?”

  I pretend to think about it for a second. “Spend it with you.” My fingers trail a little higher gently cupping her breast. “Preferably naked.”

  To my surprise, she kneels up and strips off the shirt, tossing it aside. I nod and run my hand over my chin. “That’s a good start.”

  She hooks her fingers in the shorts, wiggling her hips. “These too?” she asks in a playful way that makes me lean in and kiss her.

  “Those too.”

  She stops playing with the waistband and puts her hands on her hips. “You first,” she says, dropping her gaze to my shorts.

  Last night was pretty dark in here. Now with morning sunlight filling the room, I can really appreciate Sully.

  As he tugs his boxer briefs down, any sassy comeback evaporates on my tongue.

  Sully. Naked.

  Clothed he’s impressive. Naked, wow.

  He stands there, allowing me to stare and take him all in, and boy is there a lot to take in.

  There’s something magnetic about his confident stance. Not arrogant. Sexy. Showing off his hard work.

  “Well, you’re already impressive with your clothes on.” I gesture wildly in the direction of his dick. “But naked with some good lighting, you’re something else.”

  “Thank you.” He lifts his chin at my shorts. “Your turn.”

  “There’s a lot of daylight in here.” My fingers curl in the fabric at my waist. “I don’t look as good naked as you do.”

  He doesn’t respond. Instead, he places one hand on the bed and one on my leg. “No, you look better.”

  Curling his fingers, he drags the shorts down my legs. I fall back on the bed, laughing. He drapes himself over me, holding himself up with powerful arms on either side of my head. “What’s with you? I can’t keep my hands off you. And you keep questioning yourself.”

  “Sorry.”

  “Don’t apologize.” He moves his hips in slow circles letting me feel his growing erection. “I like everything about you.”

  I reach up and trap his face between my palms. “I like everything about you too.”

  “Good.” He reaches over to the nightstand and the anticipation of what he’s about to do has me spreading my legs wider. Something he notices and given the way he tears into the wrapper, seems to please him.

  “How do you feel this morning?” he asks while tugging on the condom.

  “I could feel better.”

  “Yeah? Something I can help with?” he teases, covering my body with his again. His cock brushes against me and I moan out an incoherent bunch of nonsense.

  He does it again, sliding through my wetness.

  “Stop teasing,” I beg.

  His mouth curves into a wicked half-smile. “That’s the best part.”

  We only end up getting out of bed because Aubrey’s alarm goes off.

  “Crap! I’m supposed to be at the coffee shop at eleven.”

  I cup her cheek and pull her close for another kiss. “Go grab a shower, I’ll make breakfast.”

  She hesitates and I raise an eyebrow. “Do you mind grabbing my bag from the backseat of the car? I have a change of clothes in there.”

  “Sure. I would’ve grabbed it earlier for you.”

  Her shoulders lift. “I like wearing yours.”

  “I like you in them.” In fact, I want to see her in them again tonight. “What are your plans after your shift?”

  “I guess go home and check on the apartment.”

  “How about you come over and I’ll make you dinner?”

  She blinks. “You sure you want me here two nights in a row?”

  I lean in and press a kiss to her cheek. “Yes, I want you here.” Two nights in a row, hell I wouldn’t mind waking up with her every morning.

  She leans into my touch and ducks her head. “Okay. I’ll come by the gym and follow you.” She glances up and her cheeks turn pink. “I was too excited last night to pay attention to how we got here.”

  She’s too damn sweet and I kiss her again before letting her go.

  All too soon, she’s driving me to the gym and pulling into the back parking lot. She’s late, so she doesn’t shut the car off.

  “Hey.” I reach for her face. She smiles when I touch her. A beautiful, sensual smile that reminds me of last night. Her lips part right before I press mine against them. I take my time, memorizing her taste. Wanting her to feel this kiss for the rest of the day.

  “Have a good day,” I say when we part.

  She blinks a few times. “You too.”

  Jake catches me at the back door, grinning wide enough to make me groan.

  “Nice of you to show up.” He peers out the back door. “Where’s she going?”

  “Coffee shop.”

  He nods but is surprisingly quiet. Never a good sign.

  “Everything okay here?” I ask, glancing over my shoulder to see if he’s following me to my office.

  “Both classes were full this morning.” His voice lacks the annoyance I’d expect after covering two full classes for me.

  “Morning, handsome.” Keegan’s slow grin and wide body filling up my office doorway stops me in my tracks.

  I turn and glare at my brother. “Can’t you keep your mouth shut?”

  “What?” Jake can’t fake an innocent expression to save his ass, but he gives it a solid try. “He wanted to know where you were.”

  “Assholes,” I grumble pushing past Keegan.

  Keegan’s rumbling laughter irritates me. Eventually, when he realizes I have no details to share, he leaves.

  I have a few afternoon appointments, so I focus and prepare for those.

  Jake sticks around and helps out more than usual, which immediately makes me suspicious.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  I barely slide through the back door of Busy Beans on time. Brantley shakes his head while I loop my apron around my neck and take my place at the cash register. He’s not mad, but he’ll definitely tease me later.

  After the mid-morning rush, customers come and go at a slow, but steady pace. Around three o’clock, the bell chimes and I glance up. Griff’s holding the door open for a tall, slender, dark-haired girl who can’t be more than sixteen. She breezes right up to the counter and studies the baked goods before telling him what she wants.

  A slow grin turns his mouth up when our gazes finally collide. “Afternoon, Aubrey. I wasn’t sure if you’d be working today.”

  “I’m here.”

  He taps the glass case. “Two blueberry muffins.”

  The girl tugs on his sleeve and he amends his order to three muffins.

  “Anything else?”

  “Large black coffee and a Caramel Mocha Frappe,” he orders with a straight face.

  “Skinny frappe? Fighters have to watch their weight, right?” My lips quirk. “I assume it’s for you.”

  “Ah, funny girl,” he jokes. “I guess we didn’t scare you too badly last night.”

  “Nope. I don’t scare easy.”

  The girl flounces off to the end of the counter to wait for their drinks.

  I raise an eyebrow. “She’s a little young for you, no, Griff?”

  He doesn’t laugh. “She’s Remy’s baby sister. What kind of guy do you think I am?”

  “Well…”

  He snorts and shakes his head. “That your way of saying you’re interested, Aubrey? Jealous?”

  Now it’s my turn to snort out a laugh. “No, I’m good. Thanks.”

  He slaps his hand over his chest. “Damn, girl. You didn’t even get to see what I can do in the ring.”

  “I’m sure it’s breathtaking.”

  He grins a little wider. “I saw you and Sully making eyes at each other all night.”

  I can’t even hide the smile on my face.

  “Real talk?” he asks, leaning in closer.

  “Sure.”

  “Sully’s a good guy. I got a lot of respect for
him.”

  I cock my head and nail him with a glare. “Is that your way of saying I need his permission to work the ring again?”

  “Nooo, I’d never put it that way.”

  “Griff,” the girl calls, a note of exasperation coloring her voice.

  “Be right there, Molly,” he answers without looking away.

  “Someone has you wrapped around her finger.”

  He laughs, not at all embarrassed. “Pretty much.”

  “Hey, is Remy okay after last night?” I ask.

  The question seems to surprise him. “Yeah, last night was nothing. He’s taken much worse beatings.”

  Molly returns and hands him his coffee. This time she actually acknowledges me. “Did you get to see my brother fight last night?”

  “Sure did. He’s really good.”

  She slants a look at Griff. “I wouldn’t know. I’m not allowed to go.”

  I’m not sure how to answer her. “It was a rough crowd. I’m sure your brother doesn’t want you to get hurt.”

  She rolls her eyes and nods. “That’s their perpetual excuse.”

  Griff chuckles and ruffles her hair. She slaps his hand away and snags the bag of muffins off the counter.

  “Gotta go,” Griff says. “Tell Sully I might take him up on his offer and I’ll stop in sometime this week.”

  “Do I even want to know?”

  He grins and takes off after Molly while I shake my head.

  My smile remains until my shift is over.

  I’m eager to see Sully again, but since Celia’s away, I also want to check on our apartment. Maybe grab some clothes and stuff too.

  On the stairs, I run into Ty about to take Gambler for a walk. “Hey, where you been, Aubrey?”

  “Uh, I just got off work.”

  He cocks his head and stares at me for a few seconds. “Where’s your sister?”

  “A work thing. She’ll be back tomorrow night.”

  “Ahh, okay. I was wondering why it was so quiet over there.”

  “Are we really that noisy?” I tease.

  “No, I just worry about the two of you alone. That’s all.”

  A warm rush spreads through my chest. Ty’s been pretty nice to us since we moved in. Not in a creepy trying-to-get-in-our-pants-way, but a friendly-overprotective-neighborly-way. “Thanks, Ty.”

  “You need something while she’s gone, let me know.” His gaze sweeps over me one more time. “Are you seeing Sully?”

  My cheeks heat up so fast I’m sure I’m the color of a beet. “A little.”

  What kind of stupid answer is that?

  He winks at me. “Gotcha.”

  Gambler pushes his head against my leg, begging for some petting and I reach down to scratch behind his ears. “You being a good boy?” I ask.

  “No,” Ty answers, but his voice is full of affection for the pup. “He ate half my couch this afternoon.”

  “Seriously? Shoot, I can start walking him again.”

  “No way. I can’t have you get hurt again. I’ll figure something out.” He gives the leash a gentle tug. “Right now I’m gonna take him for a run and hopefully tire his ass out.”

  “Good luck.”

  I hurry through the apartment, grabbing a few things and inhaling a quick snack. I’m a little alarmed about how much I want to see Sully.

  It’s only been a few hours. I can’t seriously miss him already?

  Setting that thought aside, I take one last look around the apartment and trot downstairs.

  I’m at the gym fifteen minutes later.

  Sully’s busy with a client, so I sit behind the desk. Technically, I’m not on the schedule today, but if I’m here, I might as well help out, right?

  “Hey, Aubrey,” Jake says, sneaking up on me.

  “Why are you being so creepy?”

  His devilish smile intensifies. “No reason.”

  I can’t picture Sully discussing details of our night together with his brother. He seems too mature for that. Still, it makes me uneasy and I cross my arms over my chest.

  “Shoot, I’m just messing around, Aubrey,” Jake says, picking up on my shift in attitude right away. He glances over his shoulder. “I think you’re good for him.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah, I mean it. You’ve been good for the gym too. I actually notice the difference when you’re not here.”

  Pleased doesn’t even begin to describe what the compliment does to me. “Thank you.” My professional aspirations have taken a beating the last few years, so it feels good to be useful and appreciated.

  A hand slides over my hip and Sully’s scent drifts into my space. Warm breath skates across my cheek. “I missed you.” Sully’s voice is pure heat and I lean back against him. His arm bands around my waist and he kisses my neck.

  My eyelids flutter shut. “I missed you too.”

  Someone clears his throat, startling me out of the trance I slipped into the second Sully touched me. Sully straightens up and drops his hand. He seems as surprised as I do.

  Jake’s smirk indicates he has a lot of opinions to share about our public cuddling.

  I quickly scan the gym, no one seems to have noticed our intimate greeting.

  “Can I see you in my office, Aubrey?” Sully asks. He’s already headed in that direction, not waiting for my response. Too embarrassed to say anything to Jake, I follow.

  Dammit. I know how important it is to Sully not to get carried away at work. Although to be fair, he touched me first.

  Sully closes the door behind us. My mouth opens to apologize even though I’m not sure why. Maybe this right here is exactly why he was so cautious about us getting involved.

  Before I have a chance to say anything, he seals his mouth over mine and pushes me up against the door. His hands go to my hips, sneaking under my shirt, his thumbs gently brushing my sides. Every thought disappears. There is only the need to kiss and be kissed by him. By the time he pulls away, we’re both breathing hard.

  “Lost control out there,” he rasps. He brushes his thumb over my cheek. “I always suspected you’d turn me into a rule breaker.”

  “Sorry.”

  “Don’t be sorry. It’s all on me.” He takes my hand and leads me over to the couch across from his desk. “How was your day?”

  “Well,” I say, drawing out the word in a teasing way that makes him smile. “It improved significantly about ten minutes ago.”

  “Yeah?” He raises an eyebrow. “And?”

  “It got exponentially better about ten seconds ago.” I gesture over my shoulder to the door.

  He pulls me down onto the couch with him until I’m straddling his lap.

  “Sully.” It’s a weak protest, because I love being close to him no matter where we are.

  His hand threads into my hair, pulling me down for a kiss. He parts my lips and strokes his tongue against mine. This isn’t a soft-appropriate-for-the-workplace kiss. It’s an invitation-to-get-naked kind of kiss. Blistering and passionate. Reminding me of all the other ways he used his wicked mouth on me last night.

  Keeping a gentle hold on my hair, he pulls back and studies my face for a moment. “You’re blushing. What are you thinking about?”

  Not bold enough to make eye contact, I lean in and whisper my thoughts against his ear. “How good you felt inside me last night.”

  He answers with a groan and kisses my neck. His hands palm my butt, shifting me forward so I can feel the effect my words have on him.

  “What a good kisser you are,” I continue. “Everywhere.” A wild rush of pleasure consumes me at the memory.

  He licks and kisses more spots along my neck, down to my shoulder before pulling back. No one’s ever looked at me quite like this. Eyes shimmering with desire, lips warm with appreciation “I’m dying to kiss you everywhere again.”

  My heart kicks and tingles race over my skin. He’s such a perfect blend of forceful and sweet. “Looking forward to it,” I whisper.

  A man can o
nly withstand so much temptation. I’m giving serious consideration to stripping off Aubrey’s clothes and spreading her out on my desk.

  My brother has a death wish because a few seconds later he knocks and opens the door before he’s invited in.

  With one hand covering his eyes, he says, “Sorry, sorry. Not looking.”

  Not in a joking mood, I growl, “Knock it off.”

  He drops his hand and lets out a huge, fake a sigh of relief. “Oh, thank God, you still have clothes on. There’s a customer who wants to talk to you.”

  I shake my head and motion for him to close the door behind him. “I’ll be right out.”

  “You’re busy for a Saturday afternoon,” Aubrey says, shifting out of my lap. She stands and runs her hands over her clothes as if I wrinkled them with the power of my indecent thoughts.

  My gaze shoots to the door. Jake left it slightly ajar. “Do you want to leave and meet up later?”

  “I don’t mind staying.”

  As much as I want her to stay, I don’t want to take advantage of her sweet nature. “I don’t want to make you work on your day off, especially after you already worked your other job today.”

  “I want to help you out,” she says softly.

  “Don’t feel like you have to.” I gesture between us. “That’s not what this is about.”

  She chuckles. “I appreciate that, but you think too much.”

  “I can’t help it. Especially when it comes to you.”

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  The second morning waking up next to Aubrey is even better than the first.

  “This is by far, the best way I’ve ever woken up,” she murmurs. I climb up her body, dropping little kisses along the way.

  “Tell me more about you.” I don’t pose it as a question. We didn’t do a whole lot of talking once we came through my front door last night.

  She freezes, but recovers quickly, hiding the hesitation with a short laugh. “What do you want to know?”

  “Start small.”

  Her mouth twists down and her little fist comes flying at me. I grab it mid-air and kiss the back of her hand. “That wasn’t a size joke. You fit me perfectly. In a second I’ll show you again just how well we fit.”