Chapter 12

12

Silas

Sometimes, I kick myself for being that guy who is always offering to help a friend. Ninety-nine percent of the time, I’m there and absolutely willing to help out where needed, but, man, today, I am at that one percent, really wishing I could have stayed home.

If I look at the big picture though, it’s probably good that I had to leave. This girl has done something to me for sure. I could have stayed in bed all day with her, and knowing we just met has me wanting to press the brakes.

I just don’t know if I can.

Watching her up onstage lit something within me I hadn’t known even existed. I was so proud, so turned on, so captivated. This amazing thing was happening inside me that put the biggest smile on my face for the entire show.

Now that I know what she feels like, I just want more. This morning took my self-control to an entirely new level. The things I wanted to do to her were so tempting; it was making it hard for me to breathe, but I had to pause and slow things down. Rubbing one out in the shower definitely helped as well.

Just thinking about her right now is giving me a chub, and the last thing I want to do is show up at my best friend’s house with a hard-on, so I lean over and turn the radio up, hoping Morgan Wallen can help distract me from the girl who’s been on my mind.

When I pull up to Myles’s place, I see him standing there, waiting for me, giving me the stink eye because I’m late. I guess I didn’t realize he couldn’t get started on his roof until I got here.

“Whatever, fucker,” I say as my greeting as I hop out of my truck. “Your ass is lucky I’m here at all.”

He tilts his head to the left and raises his eyebrows in question. “Was a certain singer in your bed this morning?”

“Yes, and I wish I were still there with her, but I’m here with your ugly ass instead, so let’s get to work.”

Once I’m back home, I shower and start working on the meal I plan on making tonight.

I learned real early that if I wanted good food, I had to learn to cook. Right out of college, I was a broke fool, and there was no way I could afford to eat out as much as I wanted to. The only thing I asked from my parents was if I could have their old grill. I’ve spent the last few years perfecting different ways to cook all kinds of things, so now, I just need to figure out what would be best for tonight.

After I decide on tri-tip, I head to the store to get the ingredients I need, then get cooking so it’s ready when she gets here.

By five thirty, I’m pacing my house, waiting for her to arrive. I can’t tell if it’s nerves or excitement or what, but I cannot sit still with so much anticipation running through me, knowing I’ll get to see her again.

I’ve never felt this way, and I’m not going to lie; it’s freaking me out, so I head to my liquor cabinet and take a shot to try to calm down whatever is going on inside me.

Six o’clock comes around, and she’s right on time. I open the door and have to pause as I take in her utter beauty. She’s wearing cutoff jean shorts and a flowy spaghetti-strap tank top that falls loosely around her breasts, making them look absolutely delectable. Add in her cowboy boots to match, and she looks like a country-girl dream come true.

“Hi,” she whispers when she sees me just standing there and not saying a word.

I can’t help myself as I swoop in, wrapping my arms around her and giving her a proper kiss hello.

She squeezes me tight as our tongues intertwine, and it takes all my power to pull away and welcome her back to my home.

“Come on in,” I say, leading her to my kitchen. “Dinner is about twenty minutes out, but I set out some appetizers.”

“You made appetizers?” Her chuckle of surprise puts a smile on my face.

I hold up my finger with a grin. “I made them a long time ago, but just defrosted them and set out some crackers to go with it. It’s venison that we made into sausage with chunks of cheese inside.”

“You made sausage?”

Now, it’s my turn to chuckle. “Yes, my dad and I make it every year after our annual hunting trip.”

“Well, I’m intrigued.” She picks up one of the pieces I cut to bite-sized chunks and pops it into her mouth, nodding her approval as she chews.

“It’s good, huh?”

“Yeah, I’m impressed.”

“Just wait until you try my tri-tip. It’s mouthwatering; it’s so delicious.”

She leans back on the counter, eyeing me. “You really do cook.”

“Did you think I was lying?”

“I didn’t know what to expect.” She looks around at the salad I already made and the mac and cheese I’m just about to put in the oven.

“Is that homemade mac and cheese?”

I beam with pride. “Yep. We’ll have salad, mac and cheese, grilled asparagus, and tri-tip for dinner tonight.”

“What? No dessert?”

“Oh, you’ll get your dessert,” I tease, making her blush. “I hope you brought your things to stay the night again.”

She laughs out loud. “No, I didn’t. Most people don’t bring a sleepover bag on their second date.”

I hold up a finger to make my point. “This is technically our third date, but if you count the day we met and when I ran into you at your neighbor’s place, could we stretch it to say fifth?” I move closer to her, pulling her into me. “Would that make it more socially acceptable that I bought you a toothbrush to have at my house?”

“I don’t think those other two times count, but I’m not going to complain about getting to brush my teeth here,” she says with a sexy grin.

“Good.” I lean in and kiss her, loving the way every part of her feels when she’s pressed against me. “Let’s get this food stuff over with, so we can really have some fun.”

She giggles, pushing me away. I love the way she blushes every time I say anything sexy to her. It truly just makes me want her more.

I point to the wine on the table I opened a little while ago to air out. “Go ahead and pour yourself a glass. I’m going to go check on the meat.”

While I’m outside, attending to the grill, she does as I suggested and brings me a glass as well. I take it from her, and we cheers before taking a sip.

“Nice backyard,” she says, looking around.

I’ve done some things to fix it up with the outdoor kitchen and sitting area. “There’s still some more things I want to do back here, but it’s getting there.”

“It wasn’t like this when you bought it?”

I let out a sharp laugh. “Lord, no. It was a mess. Little by little, I’m getting it to where I want it to be.”

“How long have you lived here?”

“A few months now.”

“I’m impressed you got this far,” she says, which makes me smile.

At twenty-four, I take pride in all things I do, especially my home. It means a lot to me to have my life in order. My parents instilled in me that I not only have to find the one , but I have to be the one as well. I wanted to make sure I had my life in order whenever she walked into my life.

I have to admit, seeing Kara standing back here with me feels pretty freaking good.

Putting down the barbecue utensil, I wrap my arm around her, bringing her to me and just breathing, relishing in how amazing it feels.

I hear the oven beep from the window in the kitchen and pull away from her. “Time to put in the mac and cheese.”

After I do so, I grab my cutting board and head back out to the backyard, stopping in my tracks when I see Kara just standing there with her back to me. Everything about her brings this calmness to me when she’s near, and I just want to breathe in all that she offers.

When she turns to me and gives me a small smile, I know I’m completely done for with this girl. I smile back, then open the barbecue and take the meat off before shutting it down.

“Wow, that’s a lot of meat,” she says.

“When I cook, I don’t mess around, so I cut it up for meals all week.”

“Ah, so you’re a meal prepper.”

“Isn’t that the firefighter way? Always be prepared,” I tease.

“Um … pretty sure that’s the Boy Scouts, but I’ll give it to you.”

I kiss her cheek, then grab the cutting board and head inside with her right behind me.

We sit and eat dinner together, talking about anything and everything. Our conversation never falters, and I feel like we’ve done this a thousand times before. She tells me about her family some more, and I tell her more about the guys at the station. Part of me wants to sit here all night while the other part of me can’t wait to get her in my bed again.

She helps me clean up the kitchen, surprising me by coming up behind me while I’m at the sink and wrapping her arms around my waist.

“Thank you for dinner,” she says in the sweetest tone.

I turn around just enough to be able to give her a small kiss. “You’re welcome.”

Once it’s all done, I face her and am not able to wait one more second as I reach for her, holding her head in my hands and bringing her lips to mine.

“God, I’ve been waiting all day for this moment. Please let me take you to my bed again,” I whisper with my forehead pressed against hers.

“ Take me to bed or lose me forever ,” she says dramatically.

I pick her up, and she instantly wraps her legs around my waist. “Ah, a Top Gun reference. You really are my kind of girl, aren’t you?”

She laughs out loud. “Surprised you got that.”

“Let’s just say, I’ve seen the movie, oh, a thousand times. I might or might not have had a Top Gun patch sewn onto my backpack when I was little.”

“Did you want to be Maverick back then?”

I start walking us to my room. “What are you talking about? I am Maverick right now with how I’m about to get my girl.”

She leans in, kissing me, and, man, how I love the way she feels.

As we enter my room, I kick off my shoes and lay her down on the bed, wasting no time in lying on top of her, and we continue our exploration of each other.

I lean back, only to remove her boots, and then kiss my way up her leg, to her stomach, and back to her lips.

“How is this so fucking good?” I ask, kissing her neck.

“I don’t know, but please don’t stop,” she pants, rubbing her hands down my back.

Her words fuel me even more, and I pull back to remove my shirt, then hers. Having her lying in my bed with nothing but a lace bra and cutoff shorts has to be the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen.

“Girl …” I shake my head slightly from side to side. “The things I want to do to you.”

“What’s all this wanting about? I’m right here.” A coquettish grin covers her face.

I close my eyes and drop my head back with a laugh. “That you are,” I say as I move in to kiss her bare stomach, making my way down to her shorts, unbuttoning them and sliding them down her legs. I waste no more time in removing her panties as well.

I’m a man in need of water, and only tasting her will help me survive.

She yelps in surprise when I slip between her legs and lick up her tempting folds. As I move my tongue around, my breath hitches at the sound of her moan as she runs her fingers through my hair.

The desire to be inside her is just about to kill me, so I start unbutton my pants while continuing to lap up every part of her.

I sit up, to remove my pants, and reach for a condom from my drawer. My breath is so erratic, and I try to calm it down while I open the package.

This girl has me wanting her like I’ve never wanted anything before. My hands are trembling, and my chest is so tight that it’s like I’m drowning in a sea of her, and the only way to get air is to physically be inside her as soon as possible.

I take a deep breath, trying my hardest to make sure the condom is secure and I don’t accidentally put it on wrong. I look back at her, only to be done in by her smile.

Lying back on top of her, I move her hair out of her face and take a moment to look at her. “I don’t know what’s happening here, but I know I don’t want it to stop.”

Her face softens as she places her palm on my cheek while widening her legs to let me in a little closer. “Neither do I.”

Hearing her say she wants me as bad as I want her lights a fire that burns so hot in my soul that I feel like I’m going to explode. I kiss her with all the passion I can muster as I position myself at her entrance and push in, making both of our bodies ignite.

Her moan is my lifeline, but she’s not giving me water to put out the flames. No, she’s providing the oxygen to stir it more to life and make it rage even faster.

I wanted to take my time with her, really explore every part of her, but now that I’m inside her, it’s like this bull is fighting to escape from inside me, and there’s no way to tame it.

When she grabs my ass, moving a bit faster and pushing herself against me, I know she feels it too. We’re in this race together, and neither of us cares about running the marathon. All we want is the quick sprint to the finish line so we can breathe again.

Both of our movements pick up to a wild pace as our breathing becomes so labored that it’s like we are breathing as one.

“Fuck, Kara,” I growl.

“Uh-huh,” she moans out, pushing against me harder.

I move faster and feel her body tense.

“Oh God,” she screams, so I thrust harder.

Her body goes limp, and I pause, living in the moment as I feel her clench around me in rapid spasms. It’s all I need to completely lose myself and find my own release.

I’ve never come so fast in my life, but I’ve also never seen a woman have an orgasm this intense.

Her convulsions around me continue, and when I move, she yelps, “Oh my God.”

I hide my grin in her neck, absolutely amazed at what I was able to do to her body. I move again, and her entire body twitches out of control.

This time, I can’t hold back my laugh as I look into her eyes, and thankfully, she laughs too.

“Wow,” she says breathlessly.

“Yeah. Wow. You’re mine for sure.” I chuckle with the same amazement she feels.

She tightens her legs around my waist and her arms around my neck. “For sure.”

Then, she pulls me toward her, kissing me as we lie still as one, not wanting to let go.