Fast Burn
Chapter 2

Christmas had just come early for firefighter Ryan Dempsey. He looked at the exit path Addison had just taken through the common room, the way her h**s had swayed hypnotically as she’d walked away from him replaying on a se*xy loop in his mind. He’d been attracted to her from the second he’d met her three years ago, when everyone from Seventeen had been out at the Crooked Angel and the cops from the Thirty-Third had been welcoming her as the newest member of the Intelligence Unit. Ryan, not being a f*****g idiot (most of the time), had fl!rted with her at the firefighting fundraiser they’d held not long after, an event the RFD had put on with a bunch of professional hockey players and held annually ever since. Addison had been friendly but impervious to his advances, so Ryan had gotten the message and been happy for the casual friendship they had instead. He hadn’t thought to try again in ages, but something about the sassy little smile she’d given him tonight had just dared him right into fl!rting with her again.

And now, he was going to leave with her, and they were going to do so much more than fl!rt.

Pushing back from the now-empty card table, Ryan swung one last look around the bustling common room before following the same path Addison had taken through the main hallway, stopping as briefly as possible in the locker room to grab his bomber jacket, then head out into the night. Heat pumped through his veins at the sight of her leaning against his Mustang, and he let one corner of his mouth drift up into a smile.

“How did you know this was my car?”

She matched his smile with one far sweeter, yet still somehow suggestive as hell. “Did you miss the part where I’m a detective?”

“Fair enough,” Ryan said with a soft laugh. “So, do you want a ride?”

Addison laughed, pushing off the Mustang to brush the barest hint of a k!ss over his mouth. “Here’s something you should probably know about me. I like the driver’s seat.” Sliding one hand over his denim-clad h*p, she reached into his back pocket and pulled out his phone. “Text me the address,” she said, her fingers flying over the screen as she added her number to his contacts. “I’ll meet you there.”

Impulsively, Ryan tugged her close to k!ss her back, his heart beating faster at the feel of her breath catching, then turning to a sigh. “Here’s something you should probably know about me,” he said, n!pping her bottom l*p just hard enough to make her eyes flash. “I like the driver’s seat, too, so you’re going to have to learn how to share. See you in a couple minutes.”

He got into the Mustang, which was a semi-awkward endeavor when battling a raging hard-on and the desire to drive at about seven hundred miles an hour. After texting her his address, he made sure Addison had gotten into her car—unsurprisingly, a Mazda Miata convertible—then pulled out of the parking lot and headed for home. Ryan spent the short trip walking himself through the mental steps of ladder drills, rope rescues, and anything that didn’t involve how f*****g good it was going to feel to rip Addison’s panties off with his teeth and bury himself balls-deep between her legs. Pulling up to his building, he waved Addison into the parking spot next to his, getting out of the car to wait for her on the sidewalk.

“Nice neighborhood,” she said, her breath puffing in little clouds around her mouth. Ryan had chosen the condo community with care, wanting something that both felt like home and was close to the fire house. The lamp posts that lit the bricked walkway leading from the parking area to the building itself were decorated with holly wreaths and red-and-white bows, the trees beyond draped with pretty white lights that made the whole area glow. It reminded Ryan of the way his parents always decorated the house he’d grown up in every December, never failing to make him smile.

“Thanks. The community kind of goes all-in for the holidays.”

Their footsteps echoed quietly off the walkway as he led her inside the building, then to the elevator. The se*xual tension that had bound them together earlier made a comeback in the silence. Ryan’s heart thumped faster, anticipation turning from a whisper to a scream as Addison’s hand brushed against his. By the time the elevator reached his floor and the doors had trundled open, his c0ck was rock hard, and he sent up a silent prayer that none of his neighbors would be in the hallway to witness his lack of self-control.

Addison stood beside him, the picture of patience. Her blond hair framed her cold-flushed face, her perfect, heart-shaped mouth caught in just enough of a smile to make Ryan want to do unspeakably dirty things to her, right there on his doorstep. He forced his hands to remain steady, going through the key-in-lock routine to usher her inside.

Her lips crashed against his as soon as the door was shut.

His brain struggled to adjust to the sudden burst of oh f**k yes barreling through his system. His body was much quicker on the uptake—because of course it was, with his d!ck leading the charge—and he knotted his fingers in Addison’s hair to hold her close. She opened for him eagerly, her tongue darting out to meet his in a bold stroke, and yeah, there was no way he was discouraging that. Ryan returned the k!ss with equal pressure, demanding a deeper taste, then another, and the se*xy little sigh that drifted up from Addison’s throat damn near undid him on the spot.

She reached between them, yanking his jacket from his shoulders. He mirrored her movements, a dark thrill streaking through him at the feel of one less barrier between his hands and her na*ked body. Another half-sigh drifted past her lips as her jacket joined his on the floor, and Christ, Ryan could get addicted to those little noises.

“More,” Addison said, part demand, part plea. Her fingers curled over the hem of his Henley, and she had it off his body before he could fully register the cool air on his skin.

He caught her wrist in a loose-but-there hold as she reached for the button on his jeans. “More what?”

She blinked at him in the glow of Christmas lights filtering in through the windows, and oh, her surprise was even sweeter than her brazen want. “Sorry, I thought the whole us-getting-na*ked thing made it clear. I want more you.”

“I’m happy to oblige, believe me. But I’m not a mind-reader,” Ryan said, taking a step back even though his c0ck throbbed with indignance. “We may be doing this without strings, but there’s no f*****g way I’m not going to give you everything you’re here for, as many times as you need it. So, tell me, Addison. Exactly what do you want me to do?”

Her stare widened as he reclaimed the space between them. “Do you want me to strip you bare right here in my living room and make you come, fast and hard with my tongue?”

Addison’s breath hitched, and Ryan cupped her chin, running his thumb over her bottom l*p. “Or maybe you want me to use my hands to go nice and slow. Or maybe”—he dropped his mouth to hover just above hers—“you like that driver’s seat so much that you want to strip me bare and f**k me until I lose my mind. All you have to do is tell me what you want.”

She looked at him through her lashes, arching a brow in the shadows. “What if I want all three?”

Ryan smiled. Chances were high that she might end him before the sun came up, but something told him he was going to love every goddamned second of it.

“Then I guess you’d better come here so I can use my mouth for more than talking. I promised you fast and hard to start, and I intend to deliver.”

Two things flew through Addison’s mind as Ryan walked her backward across his living room. The first was that this was crazy. She knew far better than to hook up with someone she’d see on the regular. Getting close, even on a strictly na*ked basis, would only lead to complications she couldn’t afford. But—and this was the second thing—as crazy as it was, she still wanted Ryan more than she’d wanted her last ten hookups combined. Something about his fl!rty smile and dark, dirty promises made her want to throw caution into a bin and light it on fire, and come on, how big could one condo really freaking be?

“There,” he said, finally guiding her shoulders against what turned out to be the far wall. A trio of nearby windows let in an ambient glow from the Christmas lights outside, allowing Addison to see just enough as her eyes adjusted to the shadows. Ryan stood in front of her in all his shirtless glory, and even in the barely there light, she could make out the corded muscles in his shoulders and every ridge that graced his torso. She reached out, her fingers mapping his warm, solid skin and sending little shivers all the way down her spine.

The shivers turned to a full-on tremble when he lifted her sweater over her head and tossed it aside. For a minute, he said nothing, simply letting his eyes travel over her petal-pink b*ra and the aching n!pples pressed hard against the lace. Then that infernally se*xy grin hooked its way over his mouth, and a wave of pure want pulsed hard between her thighs.

“Look at you. So f*****g pretty.” Ryan traced a path between her br*easts with one finger, and Addison resisted the urge to m0an, but only just. He trailed lower over her belly, the simple touch igniting sparks in about a thousand places under her skin. His hands found the top of her jeans, making quick work of the button, then the zipper, turning the sparks into something hotter and more desperate.

“Dempsey,” she whispered, unable to stop from tilting her h**s up in search of more friction.

“Oh, sweetheart, with what I’m about to do to you, we’re on a first-name basis.”

Another beat of need screamed through her, making her h**s move again. “Ryan.”

He bent to press his smile over her neck, k!ssing his way lower. “You make it awfully tempting to take my time. But a promise is a promise.”

Kneeling in front of her, he lowered her jeans and panties. Somehow, Addison managed to do her part to kick out of her boots and everything else she was wearing, and with one semi-urgent twist of her wrist, she freed the clasp on her b*ra, leaving her entirely na*ked.

Normally, it would never occur to her to feel vulnerable in a situation like this. After all, na*ked was just for bodies, and mutually na*ked was just to blow off some steam and swap a few org*asms. Vulnerable was entirely different, and it was something Addison hadn’t permitted herself to be in over a decade. Yet, when Ryan looked at her reverently, his expression so loaded with desire it practically hummed between them like a current, she felt like they were sharing more than se*x.

But then his mouth was on her, and oh yes, sweet God yes, she didn’t care what this was as long as he never stopped doing it.

A noise came out of him, primal and hot. “F**k,” he grated, pulling back just far enough to slide a finger over the seam of her pvssy. “You’re so ready for it, aren’t you?”

Addison bucked into the contact, desperate for more. “Yes.”

Ryan rewarded her with another up-and-down stroke that lingered on her cl!t. “So w*et. I think I’m going to enjoy this even more than you.”

He shifted his hand to her inner thigh, pressing her wider as he buried his face between her legs. The sensations that shot through her were so intense that she nearly doubled over.

But Ryan held her steady. He worked her with fast, hard strokes of his tongue, thrusting into her pvssy with enough pressure to make her m0an. Addison cupped the back of his head, her fingers tight in his hair as she held him exactly where she wanted him. His grunt of satisfaction v!brated against her hyper-sensitive cl!t, drawing another gasp right out of her.

“So good,” she breathed. Ryan edged a shoulder beneath her thigh, creating room for his opposite hand to slide over her cl!t. He lifted his mouth and dropped his hand, sliding a finger into her pvssy as he closed his lips around her, and pleasure tore through her from deep between her h**s.

“Oh, God. Please. Make me come.” Addison thrust against his lips and tongue, not caring that she was nearly begging for it. Using her movements as a guide, Ryan found a steady rhythm, licking and svcking and turning her need wild. Twining his middle and index fingers together, he pushed deep, daring her closer, closer…oh, oh, there. Tension built at the base of her spine, gathering tightly for just a breath before bursting through her hard enough to steal her breath. Helpless to do anything other than feel, Addison stilled, letting Ryan wring every last wave of pleasure from her. He did it flawlessly, softening the contact of his fingers, then his mouth, before pulling back to stand in front of her. Her brain came back online at the sight of his glittering stare, her body following swiftly as she trailed her gaze lower and saw the distinct outline of his c0ck standing at attention behind his fly.

“Addison,” Ryan whispered. But she didn’t want to talk—hell, she didn’t even want to think. She didn’t want anything other than him inside of her, so she grabbed his hand and led him over to the well-cushioned chair that she could just make out in the scant light. Reaching for the button on his jeans, she slid it undone, unable to keep herself from running her fingers lower, over the length of his c0ck.

He sent a hiss through his teeth, and oh, it did things to her. “What about you? What do you want?” Addison asked.

“You.”

She undid the zipper on his jeans for better access, a dark thrill sparking in her b***d when his c0ck jerked against her palm. “Do you want me to…what was it? Ah, right”—wrapping her fingers around him, she smiled—“strip you bare and f**k you until you lose your mind?”

“That’s what you want, isn’t it? To be in control?”

For a split second, Addison felt surprise that he’d seen it so clearly, then a little niggle of worry that she’d lowered her guard enough to let him.

But then Ryan said, “I want to let you. I meant it when I said I’m going to give you everything you’re here for. That’s what I want. So, go on. Take what you need.”

Absolute heat flooded her, crowding out all thought. Between the two of them, they made fast work of the rest of his clothes, pausing only for the time it took to grab a condom from his wallet before throwing every last stitch to the floor. Addison stole a minute to do a little exploring with her hands—sweet Jesus in heaven, Ryan’s a*ss was practically a work of art. The corded muscles of his h**s and thighs? Even hotter. But she wanted more, she wanted everything, so she took the condom and pushed him gently into the chair behind him. Straddling his thighs, she stroked his c0ck with one hand while rolling the condom into place with the other, and the way his eyes squeezed shut and his breath caught made her pvssy slick with want. Addison shifted forward, sinking down on him in one seamless glide that made her inner muscles clench from the sudden, sweet pressure.

Ryan’s body tightened in response, his exhale spilling out in a harsh burst. She took just a beat to let her body adjust to the pleasure-pain of his c0ck filling her so deeply. But then his hands found her h**s, his palms splaying wide as he started to move, and she was helpless against the demand beginning to brighten inside of her. Addison rocked against him, slowly at first, then rolling her h**s faster, each thrust erasing any space between where one of them ended and the other began.

His stare moved to the spot where he filled her pvssy, glinting hotly. “That’s it, baby. Take my c0ck. Take me any way you want. Let me give you what you need.”

The words lit her up, pushing her faster. Ryan’s fingers dug into her h**s, but she controlled every movement, f*****g him in short, fast thrusts. Her cl!t throbbed with the need for more friction, and she angled forward in search of it. He was right there with her, though, wrapping one arm around her lower back in order to free his opposite hand. Burying his thumb against her cl!t, he let her ride his hand and his c0ck in tandem. Addison thrusted and took, surrendering completely to the untamed need building inside of her. She came with a cry, riding out every last pulse of pleasure until she went boneless, leaning forward to twine her arms around Ryan’s shoulders.

“Perfect. You’re perfect,” he whispered.

The words knocked something loose in Addison’s chest. “You like the driver’s seat, too, though. So take it back. F**k me, Ryan.”

He was moving the instant her demand was out. Gripping her h**s with renewed purpose, he held her steady as he thrust up to fill her again and again. His expression shielded nothing as did exactly what she’d asked, the intensity of his emotion filling her just as deeply as his body. His breathing grew choppy, his motions less smooth and more desperate as he thrust harder, their bodies slapping together with every stroke. With one final lift of his h**s, he anchored his c0ck inside of her, shuddering and calling her name as he climaxed.

Addison returned from the stratosphere in degrees, first with her breath, then her body, and finally, her mind. Ryan had loosened his grasp on her h**s in favor of—oh—pulling her close, tucking her head in the crook of his neck. Caution dictated that she should pull away from such an intimate embrace, especially after the intensity of the se*x they’d just shared. But she fit so perfectly in the space, their chests pressed together and their bodies warm and lax with bliss, that she couldn’t make herself move.

“You okay?” Ryan asked, his lips on the crown of her head.

“Of course,” she said. Here, she wasn’t going to budge, no matter how good the se*x had been. “You?”

Ryan laughed, breaking the tension threatening to make Addison get up and make a quick escape. “Uh, I’m f*****g fantastic.”

She laughed, too. “You are,” she agreed.

“My ego wants to say thanks, but I’m pretty sure that was a team effort. You hungry?”

“What?” Addison blinked.

“Well, as much as I’d like to stay na*ked with you indefinitely, I’m pretty sure our current circumstance dictates that I need to get up. At least for a minute.” His glance drifted downward. “But if you’re hungry, I’ve got some pizza in the fridge.”

She should say no. For Chrissake, she always, always said no. She should replace her clothes and get the hell out of there, she knew.

But for the first time ever, she didn’t want to, so she threw on a smile and said, “Pizza sounds good. After all, it’s still early, and you’re going to need all the energy you can get.”