Burning Love Read online

  I walked down the stairs and opened it to see Kalen smiling holding two cups of steaming coffee.

  “Where did you get this from?” The cups didn't have any company logo on them.

  “I made it at the firehouse. I thought it's a beautiful day maybe we could just walk around town a bit and talk?”

  Swoon. Seriously what guy just wants to hang out and talk? He was like something out of a movie.

  I took the coffee from his hand and he offered me his arm before we started on our little adventure.

  “I'd like to see more of the town.” I left off the part of I'd like to see more of the town because I might be moving here permanently.

  “Yeah? I mean it's pretty small. But I guess it's got some charm to it.”

  “Well, what are some of your favorite spots around here? You grew up around here right?”

  I noticed he flinched slightly at my question, which made me curious. At that moment, I realized that I knew hardly anything about Kalen. Nothing about his family or his past. Granted, we had only been on one real date, but his reaction made me think he didn’t really like talking about himself. I was sure that the mysteriousness of all of it made it that much sexier but I was starting to wonder about some things. Why was he a firefighter? Had something happened in his past that made him want to save lives for a living? Or was he truly just a hero walking straight off a screen?

  “Yeah, I did grow up around here. But kind of outside of town, I don't go out there much anymore. I like living in town, there's a lot more to do and a lot of people to see and I mean I'm in the center of it all at the firehouse.”

  “Right for work,” I added.

  He laughed, “No, I actually live there full-time. I'm one of the only firefighters that are full-time paid staff, so I just feel like it's important giving back to the community by being there all the time in case a call comes in.”

  “You mean like getting a cat out of a tree? I can't imagine that there are any real serious events happening in Evans Mill.”

  He laughed again and shook his head. “You'd be surprised. We had the fire at Mia’s the other day. And there was a ranch fire a few weeks ago, that took all of our guys plus some volunteers and we still had to call to other stations to come help. When things get dry out here it can be really dangerous.”

  “I can't imagine things getting dangerous here. But you're the one who's been here forever, so I definitely believe you.”

  “Yeah what about you and Denver? I mean your cousin's out here, you know Annabelle, so what drove you to the big city?”

  “I grew up in a small town, something similar to this and I used to visit Victoria when we were kids pretty often around here. I guess the reason I moved to Denver was, I was trying to escape my family. It's not that things were tough for anything like that, it was just escaping boredom. I wanted something more, and Denver seemed busy and exciting. So I pulled the trigger, but sometimes I have second thoughts.”

  “Yeah, you mentioned that the other night, about your job. But what about being in a big city?”

  “Yeah, about that and some other things. I mean sometimes I guess I really have to think what do I have in Denver that you guys don't have here?” I was dropping a few breadcrumbs to see if he could follow the trail, to see if he would panic or if he would embrace the idea of me moving here. I also didn't want to freak him out. So when he moved the conversation along I dropped the subject. If I got a job he would find out soon enough.

  “So up here on the left is the best Italian place we have in town.”

  “You mean the only Italian place you have in town?” I laughed.

  “No, actually we have two. This is the place that caught fire a few days ago, but they’ll be back on their feet soon I’m sure. Mia’s has better pasta and drinks for sure, and the other place that you're thinking of Uncle Rios has much better pizza. The owners are family. And yes they are probably the only Italian people we have in town. But the food's great, we could try it sometime if you'd like.”

  “I do love a good pizza. And Victoria keeps ordering Chinese food and eating a ton of bananas. I have no idea what that's about, she read some article about how bananas are really good for your health and now she's eating like three a day.”

  “Not used to having a roommate?” He smiled at me.

  “Can you tell? I've lived on my own for like three years. Besides my cat.”

  “It was hard when I moved into the firehouse. I've been living there for about five years? And when I first moved in there were two other guys living there full-time. Now it's just me. The rest of the guys that stay are either part-time or volunteers.”

  “What happened to the other two that were full time?”

  We continued to walk along a side street, the sun feeling good on my skin. I was so carefree, not worried about my job back home at all. This was nice, this was the break I had needed all along.

  “Well one of them moved to another local town to take over as their Fire Chief, and the other guy got married. He has a couple of little kids now.”

  “And you're still at the firehouse? That whole big place to yourself? Aren't you lonely?”

  “Not really. Guys are in there for shifts all the time. I mean I get to set my own hours and grab coffee with beautiful women whenever I want.”

  “Oh? So you do this often? Meet pretty girls for coffee in the morning?” I teased.

  “Not exactly. My work is my life, I don't get to date too often.”

  “Yeah, I know what that's like.” We walked past Scrubby’s and I noticed that there was a closed sign on the door.

  “I guess they're not open for the day yet?” I peered into one of the windows but everything was dark.

  “Sometimes Lucas opens around lunch time. It depends on what his cook is up to.”

  “They serve food there?”

  “You would have known that if Victoria wasn't so drunk that night.”

  “Yeah I know, I was really glad that Lucas didn't kick us out. I know he was close to calling the cops. And I can't blame him, but I think it was just a hard time for her. Much harder than she anticipated anyway.”

  “It's hard to see your friends moving on without you, I get it. When the three of us were living in the firehouse I thought it was always going to be us as a trio, but stuff changed. And while change can be scary sometimes it's also good. Wonderful even. Like coming to a new town for a little staycation and just getting away from it all.” He looked at me knowingly.

  “Yeah, I think you're right.”

  We walked for a little bit in silence both sipping our coffee and just taking in the beautiful sunshine.

  “So the firehouse is up here if you want to check it out.”

  “Are you asking me back to your place?” I smiled at him flirtatiously.

  “Maybe. Would that be ok? I just thought if I was giving you a full tour you should see the firehouse and the police station. They are some of the oldest buildings in the town.”

  “The firehouse and the police station? I asked. “Are they the same building?”

  He nodded, “They're connected at least. Back when they built them there was hardly any people in the town. Just a couple of the older families who developed the area. So they figured that they could keep it all under one roof. I'm sure back then it seemed like a really smart idea. Cost-saving and whatnot especially with hardly any people living in the town.”

  “Well if you say it’s such an Evans Mill icon then I guess I need to see it. Do you think that we could stop into that little spice shop on the corner though first? I can smell the lavender from here!”

  He dropped his cup in a garbage can and offered me his hand. “I'll go anywhere with you,” he said before we crossed the street.

  Seven

  Willow

  “This place smells like heaven!” I said as I pushed open the door and heard the twinkling of the bell announce our arrival. An older woman behind a glass counter smiled at me kindly.

  “I like
to think so.”

  “Is this your shop?”

  “Yes, I’ve been here for fifteen years. Right, Kalen?”

  “Yes, Mrs. Petri has been here since I was a kid.”

  “I thought you said you didn’t live in town, though? We never really did finish that conversation.” I said as I surveyed some fresh herbs.

  He eyed Mrs. Petri carefully as we rounded a corner. “Yeah, I grew up just outside of town. But I know all the places, this was the closest place to shop after all.”

  “Are your parents still local? Any siblings?”

  I grabbed a tea infuser in the shape of a manatee. It was light blue and made me feel like it was something I could use this evening while I watched the sunset.

  “They’re around,” he said coolly.

  I cocked my head at him. “Sore subject?”

  “Maybe, I don’t know. Are you going to get some tea to go with your… what is that? A sea creature?”

  “Yeah, he’s cute.”

  “You know we’re in the mountains right? No oceans to be seen.”

  “Yeah, I know. But I like him anyway. And what kind of tea do you recommend?”

  “The English breakfast tea here is pretty great. I don't drink it myself but I've been told.”

  “By whom?” I joked.

  “Well you asked about my family, that's what my mom likes to drink.”

  I pulled one off the shelf. “Well if it's good enough for your mom then it's good enough for me.”

  We made our way to the counter and I paid in cash as Mrs. Petri attempted to strike up a conversation. But I could tell that Kalen was ready to go.

  “Thanks again!” I said as we made our way out of the shop. I turned to Kalen, “There are so many cute little places around here. And I really like to support local businesses. It just makes me feel good, you know?”

  He nodded but I could tell that his mind was somewhere else.

  “So which way to the firehouse? Don't forget you did invite me back to your place.”

  He looked at me and suddenly the spark was back in his eyes. “You're right, I did. It's just down here, a couple more blocks.”

  As we walked past trees and mailboxes I saw a few of the local houses, quaint and plain. And then on the right was the firehouse and the police station. I could tell because he was right it was probably one of the oldest buildings in the town. The police station side was all brick with a big sign, and then the firehouse had a striking shade of red that had clearly been recently repainted.

  “Looks like you've been working on the place.”

  He shrugged. “We’ve got to have things to do. Can't just be saving cats all the time.”

  * * *

  I spotted the fireman’s pole out of the corner of my eye, and I chuckled slightly.

  “So what exactly are these poles for?” I said as I slowly walked over towards it.

  “Well, we mainly use it to get from the upstairs of the fire station to the downstairs quickly when there is a fire.”

  “You sure they aren’t used for something else?” I placed my hand on the pole and slowly started to walk around it. I caught Kalen’s eye and gave him a wink. He let out a laugh.

  “Nope, unfortunately, they are strictly used for business.”

  I sauntered around the pole a little bit. I caught Kalen’s eyes again and placed my hands on the pole again and bent over slightly.

  “You’re going to be in trouble if you keep doing that,” Kalen said with a smirk.

  “What kind of trouble would I be in?” I asked innocently. I stood back up and rolled my body slowly on the pole, and then I quickly dropped down and moved back up. I walked around the pole again and seductively moved the strap of my dress off my shoulder.

  Kalen stood there watching me with hunger in his eyes.

  And I loved every second of it.

  This was what I had been waiting for. All those quick kisses had just made me want him even more. And the timing of it all. The mystery and spontaneity. It made all of this so much more seductive.

  Victoria couldn’t call me a fun sucker after this.

  I reached my hand behind me and slowly started to unzip my dress as I continued to saunter slowly around the pole. I let my other strap on my shoulder fall and I held my dress up with my hand. I rolled my hips and bit my lip.

  In an instant, Kalen’s grabbed me and pulled me into his arms. His hands wrapped around my waist and his lips crashed into mine. I felt my entire body melt in his embrace. My back leaned against the pole as his lips traveled down to my neck. I reached my hands up and grabbed onto the pole letting my dress fall down exposing my breasts. His kisses quickly traveled to my nipples and I shuddered at the touch.

  I gripped onto the pole as I rolled my hips into his. He continued to suck and bite gently on my nipples as moans started to escape from my body. His right hand moved up underneath my dress in between my legs. He started to rub my core over the fabric and felt a shiver run through my entire body. Kalen moved the fabric over and slowly rubbed my clit.

  “Oh God yes,” I moaned.

  He slowly moved his finger down from my clit to my entrance and pushed his finger inside of me, making my knees wobble.

  “You’re going to make it hard for me to keep quiet,” I said.

  “I have no plans to keep you quiet,” he said as he pushed his finger deeper into me and started to rub my clit with his thumb. Our lips crashed together again and I felt my entire body heat up by his touch.

  My body started to shake as his hand moved faster. I was getting closer and closer to the edge. I moved my hands down from the grip on the pole, towards his jeans, and I quickly undid them and pulled down the zipper. Then I pushed my hands down and grabbed his hard length in my hands. His whole body jolted with my touch and I let out a moan in response.

  I started to move my hands slowly back and forth.

  “Now you are the one that will have to keep quiet,” I teased.

  Kalen looked deeply into my eyes and kissed me, and then all the sudden he turned me around so my body was facing the pole, and he was behind me. He pushed up my dress and moved my thong over as he grabbed onto my hips. I braced myself on the pole.

  I bit my lip to prevent myself from screaming out when he pushed deep inside me. I bent my hips further back as his hips started to slowly pump back and forth.

  His left hand tightened on my hip as his right hand moved around my body and found my clit. He started to rub my clit slowly as he thrust in and out.

  “No point in being quiet now,” he said.

  I let my head fall back and I let out a loud moan. I no longer cared if the entire fire station heard me. His cock and his hand just felt too damn good to stay silent. He started to pound faster and I gripped tighter onto the pole as I moved my hips to meet his.

  “Oh god, you are going to make me come,” I said.

  His hips and his hands started to move faster, and I felt the pressure start to build in my core. The sensation spread and I felt myself get closer and closer to the edge.

  “Don’t stop!” I cried out. “Please don’t stop.”

  He moved faster and faster and I felt my body completely fall over the cliff into ecstasy. An explosion shot through my body causing me to shake. I felt him push deeper inside me as he released.

  “Fuck Willow,” he said.

  When we were both finished, I turned around to face him.

  “Well, do you want to see the fire truck now?” he joked.

  “Actually,” I said. “I totally do.”

  Eight

  Kalen

  “Kalen! Your phone is ringing!” Levi called out.

  My eyes shot open. I was in the back room taking a quick nap during my shift at the firehouse. For a second, I thought Levi was yelling because there was an emergency call, but the lack of the fire alarm going off a calmed me down. I rolled out of my bed and stood up to stretch. I was on a full 24-hour shift this time, and I needed to get in the sleep while I could. Tha
t was a plus living in the fire station. I didn’t need to sleep on the crappy bunks like the volunteers did.

  I walked out to where Levi and a couple of the other guys were playing cards. Levi held up my cell phone that I must have left out here. He handed me the phone as I walked towards him. I hoped it was Willow calling. It had been a couple of days since our encounter with the pole. And then again in my room. I chuckled slightly to myself. The guys had no clue that she was even here.

  “Hello?” I asked hoping to hear Willow’s voice on the other end.

  “Hey man,” Archer said.

  I felt my smile drop from my face. I hadn’t heard from my younger brother Archer in almost four years. A pang of sadness hit my chest. As much as I hated my parents, what I hated more was how things turned out with my brother.

  “What do you want Archer?” I said in a harsh tone. Over the years he had tried to reconcile things between me and my parents. And right now I wasn’t in the mood if he was trying to do it again.

  “Mom and Dad – “ I quickly cut him off. He tried making this call about once a year.

  “We have been through this so many times. I am doing fine Archer. Money doesn’t mean the same thing to me as Mom and Dad. So if you are calling to just tell me about their concerns, tell them thanks but I am fine.”

  “Kalen, I get it. They just want to make sure you are alright.”

  “Just because I didn’t take the money, doesn’t mean that I am living on the street. I am a damn firefighter for fuck’s sake.”

  “Yeah, but how much money can that be making you?”

  “Seriously Archer?”

  “What?”

  “It was good talking to you, I’ll see you around.” I was about to hang up the phone when I heard Archer call out.