Emily clammed up as the server returned with our coffee and dessert, and by the time we were alone again, I could feel the mood had shifted. I thought about trying to pick up the conversation where we’d left off, but Emily had moved in a different direction, so I let it go.
“How did you get interested in firefighting?” she asked. “I mean, your parents are academics, so it would seem logical that you’d follow them into teaching or something, right?”
“Yeah, that makes sense, but the bottom line was that they always saw themselves as public servants,” I said, trying to explain my parents’ life philosophy. “They told Brian and me that no matter what we decided to do, we had the responsibility to leave the world we live in better shape than we’d found it. That message always resonated with me, so when I realized I wasn’t as interested in book learning as I was in getting out there and doing more
physical things, I chose the fire department.”
“Why not the police force?” she asked.
“My mother forbid it,” I laughed. “She said she could handle knowing that I was running into burning buildings to rescue people, but she couldn’t live with me carrying a gun every day at work.”
“That seems…” Emily began.
“Yeah, it seems crazy, doesn’t it?” I laughed.
“No, actually, I kind of understand her reasoning,” she said. “I’m not sure I agree with it, but I can see how a mother might think that way about her child.”
“I don’t think I was cut out for police work, anyway,” I admitted. “I don’t have the patience to do what they do on a daily basis.”
“But you do have the patience to sit around a firehouse all day and night waiting for something to burn down?” she teased. I could see a smile forming at the edge of her full lips, and at that moment I wanted nothing more than to lean over and kiss her.
“Hey, we do important things like community outreach and…” I hesitated as I searched for something else we did that felt substantial. “And we cook!”
Emily burst out laughing, and I quickly followed suit. As she laughed, she reached out and touched my hand, and I felt a jolt of electricity pass between us. Emily must have felt it too, because she stopped laughing and gave me a surprised look. The relaxed atmosphere surrounding us suddenly felt charged, and I knew she felt it, too.
“You ready to go?” I asked, hoping that I wasn’t reading her expression wrong.
“Uh-huh,” she nodded, as she held my gaze. I quickly signaled the server for the bill as Emily excused herself and went to the ladies’ room. By the time she returned, I’d gathered our coats and helped her into hers. As we walked out to the valet, Emily slipped her hand into mine and squeezed it tightly. I said nothing as I returned the squeeze.
We held hands on the drive home, but neither of us said a word. I wasn’t sure what was going on in her mind, but I knew that I’d kick myself later if I spoke and ruined the mood. I could feel the tension between us, but I wasn’t sure if it was the right time to bring it up.
I walked Emily to her door, and as I opened my mouth to tell her what a great time I’d had, she reached up, wrapped her arms around my neck, and pulled me down so that she could kiss me. The warmth of her lips pressed against mine set every one of my nerves tingling, and when she pulled back and said, “Want to come inside?” all I could do was nod.
Chapter Twenty
Emily
As Blake nodded his response, I grabbed his hand and pulled him inside the house. All evening I’d been wavering between wanting to make the first move and waiting for him to make it. On the drive home, I had made the decision to give him a small window of opportunity and if he didn’t use it, I would.
In the hallway, we frantically tugged each other’s coats off and then made quick work of our clothes. I could feel my heart beating faster as Blake pulled my dress over my head to reveal the lacy blue bra and panties that matched the color of my dress.
“Whoa,” he said, as he inhaled sharply. “You’re…amazing!”
I smiled as I undid his tie and made quick work of his shirt buttons. I pushed his shirt off his shoulders and murmured, “You’re pretty amazing yourself, you know.”
I ran my fingers down the smooth curve of his chest and heard him swallow a moan as I circled his nipples with the tip of my nail and watched as they hardened under my teasing. I tipped my head up and smiled as he bent to kiss me and felt his fingers slip into my hair. When he pulled my head back and ran his tongue down my neck, it was my turn to stifle a sigh.
His hands slid lower, and he pressed me against his body as I wound my arms around his neck and kissed him harder. With a flick of his fingers, he undid the hooks on my bra and slid the straps off my shoulders. I let the blue lace drop to the floor as Blake pulled back and cupped my breasts, taking his turn at teasing my nipples with his thumbs.
“Oh God,” I moaned, as he squeezed them into rigid nubs. I grabbed his arm, turned toward my bedroom, and said, “This way. Now.”
Blake followed me down the hallway to my room, where I pushed him down on the bed and quickly straddled his hips. His eyes were wide with surprise as I leaned down and kissed him hard. He didn’t protest when I grabbed his hands and pushed them up over his head, holding them down on the mattress.
“My way first,” I whispered into his lips as I began grinding against him, feeling his stiff erection rubbing between my legs.
“Jesus H. Christ, lady,” he inhaled, as I moved my hips back and forth, enjoying the pressure against my most sensitive spot. I smiled as I increased the tempo and leaned back down to kiss him again.
He pulled his hands free and grabbed my hips as he sat up and flipped me over on my back. He chuckled at the surprised look on my face as he looped his fingers over the edge of my panties and yanked them down.