Page 17 of Bewitching the Firefighter

I grab his hand and lead him to the couch and push him down on the cushions. I straddle him, wrapping both arms around his neck, leaning in and kissing him with everything I have. After a minute, I pull away, breathless.

“Did I ever tell you why I moved here? My boss—I’ve given my loyalty easily, too easily. At work, my boss took credit for my idea in front of all of our colleagues at a conference. He didn’t even hesitate, although I was sitting there. And later, he just smiled. ‘Great work, Isla,’ as if what he did wasn’t wrong. I knew that I had to put myself first. So I started looking for a librarian position, and when one opened up here, I decided the change from Dallas would be a good one. Levi and Capri moved here and love it, so I thought I would do the same. I wasn’t ready to open myself up to you, to anyone, when you first asked me out, and then when I found out the reason you asked me out,

It was just one more person who had ulterior motives where I’m concerned. I don’t—I put my hand over his mouth. “I believe you when you say you were just going to get a cup of coffee as a friend. You have no reason to lie about that, and you’ve worked really hard to show me that’s not who you are.” I run my fingers along his collarbone, underneath the collar of his shirt.

“I’m ready now. I’m ready for this. I don’t want you just for one night, Isla. I want something real.”

“I do too.” I lean in and kiss him softly, rubbing my nose against his. “Will you stay the night with me?”

He nods as his mouth meets mine, his hips bucking into mine almost as if it’s involuntary. I rub myself against him, wanton.

“I love your body, Isla.” He slides his hands up my back, petting and massaging. And I know this is, without a doubt, the best kiss of my life. Without a doubt, I’m catching feelings for this man. I sit back.

“Your shirt and jacket need to come off.”

He smiles, that cocky grin I saw the first day, and an eyebrow quirks. “You trying to take advantage of me a little bit?”

“I’m trying to get in your pants with consent, Linc.”

“Well, you definitely have my consent.” Off comes his jacket and then his shirt, and my mouth hangs open slightly at the ripples of muscle before me. I run my hands over his pectorals, tracing the tattoo over his left pec, over his heart. It’s a firefighter helmet with FDNY. I run my fingers over it.

“Who does this represent?”

“My grandpa. He ran a station in New York before he retired. My grandma was from Texas, so they moved back here, and their adult children followed. I was born here, but my mom was born and raised in New York.”

I bop his chin. “That explains the cocky attitude.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Well, of course. You’ve got grit born into you.”

His fingers edge underneath my blouse, which he has untucked without my noticing. His thumbs graze over my ribs. “I think you’ve got some grit yourself, Isla.”

“That’s the Dallas in me.”

He chuckles, his fingers edging upward. “This okay?”

In answer, I unbutton my blouse, sliding it off my shoulders.

“Fuuuck.”

I take his hands and place them on my breasts, needing him to know I am in this every step of the way. That is all it takes. He squeezes me reverently, kissing my neck, and then my collarbone, and then my shoulder, where he pushes down one strap of my bra to kiss my bare shoulder.

Then he grips me firmly under my bottom and stands fully, which I’m not sure how he was able to do, except that his core strength must be powerful. He walks me into my bedroom and flings me on the bed.

“Get undressed, Isla.”

I remove my slacks and shoes, sliding them down. As I move to remove my underwear, he stands in his boxer briefs, his erection thick and promising good things beneath the proud cotton. The air in the room is thick with anticipation, the only sound the rustle of our clothes and our ragged breaths.

“Leave them on.” I scoot back as he removes his boxer briefs, and I can’t help but press my toes together in a mix of shyness and delight. The man is pure muscle and sinew, the V-cut of his hips pronounced, the dark treasure trail leading from his belly button to his cock. My mouth waters and my underwear is wet with want.

He climbs over me, his teeth pulling at my underwear before moving up my belly to my breasts, where he plays with my nipples through the fabric of my bra. Slowly, he pulls the other bra strap down and then pulls, releasing my breasts.

“Omigawd, they are gorgeous.” He worships me, licking my nipples while kneading and stroking each orb before moving to my soft belly and down to my panties, he hooks his index fingers into the seams, tugging my panties down until I’m lying bare beneath his gaze. “I’ve never felt like this before, Isla. Something about you has woken me up, like I didn’t know I was looking for something, but now I know that I found it.”

I freeze, scooting away from him, holding my hands over my breasts. “What?”

He sits back on his haunches, naked and glorious, a concerned expression on his face. “I’m falling for you. Plain and simple.”