Fire and Ice (Firemen do it Hotter Book 1) Read online

  “Become a dentist or a pharmacist?” She gave a sad laugh. “Anything that doesn’t require you being in a dangerous situation.” She shook her head. “No, I’d never ask you to leave what you love to do.”

  He wasn’t sure what to say. What could he say?

  “There’s something else.” She closed her eyes tightly before she opened them. “I don’t know that I can handle that and you being an recovering alcoholic.” She shook her head. “After George…”

  Grady pinched the corners of his eyes with his thumb and forefinger before opening them again. “I’m not George.” He said the words quietly. “I take it one day at a time, you know that. But I’m not him.”

  “I know you’re not.” She said the words almost harshly. “But what are we looking at? Dangerous job? Recovering alcoholic?”

  Grady just looked at her. He didn’t know what to say.

  “I’m sorry.” More tears rolled down her cheeks. “I know you’re not him, but I can’t go through all of that again.”

  “I’ll leave.” Grady had never felt the kind of emotion that choked him now, crowding his throat and burning his eyes. “I can find a place to stay.”

  She looked horrified. “No. I don’t’ want you to leave.”

  “Then what do you want, Chelsey?” he asked.

  She put her hand over her mouth for a long moment, as if holding something back. When she finally lowered her hand and spoke, all she got out was, “I don’t know.”

  * * *

  Grady was gone.

  Tears rolled down Chelsey’s face as she stared at the note again. She’d been gone most of the day at work, and came home to find all signs of Grady had been taken away, as if he hadn’t spent the past month in her home.

  Where was he? Panic clenched her heart so tightly it felt like a rock landed on her chest. She gripped the paper so tightly it crumpled. Was he all right?

  She forced herself to calm down. It would have been impossible for Grady to move out on his own, so he’d had to get help. No doubt one or more of the firefighters he worked with.

  A sick feeling weighed heavy in her belly, like a huge concrete block had settled there. She went from room to room to see if he had left something behind. Anything. It was like she needed a piece of his life to be with her.

  In the guest bedroom she found one sock. She sat on the edge of the bed as she laid the sock on her lap and stared at the crumpled note. She smoothed the paper so that it was as close to flat as she could get it, and read the message again.

  Chelsey,

  I’m not giving up on us. You mean far too much to me. However, please take time to think it through. I want to work with you on it and talk whenever you’re ready.

  Grady

  Chelsey squeezed her eyes shut, but tears still escaped. She shouldn’t have told him yet. He needed someone to help him out until he was mobile.

  A sob escaped her and then another. No, that’s not true. She put her face in her hands.

  Grady made the right decision in leaving, but that didn’t make it easy. She did need time to figure this whole thing out, and whether or not she could live with Grady’s chosen career as a firefighter as well as being an alcoholic.

  15

  Chelsey went through the sale rack, putting sizes in the correct order, and even organizing everything by color, something she had just started, after Grady left.

  Her employees had expressed their curiosity and even frustration at having to set up the racks and displays in the new way, but she’d just told them to deal with it.

  It had been six weeks now and he should be getting his casts off as long as everything had healed properly.

  Her sisters, Tina and Lori, had been great supporters as usual, but they both told her she needed to give Grady a chance. She wasn’t sure she could.

  She still hadn’t come to a decision. A week ago, she had sent Grady a text asking if he was all right.

  He had responded with, I miss you. When can we talk?

  She replied, Not yet.

  Please call me when you’re ready to work through this, was his last text.

  She knew what she wanted, and that was Grady. She needed him.

  But was want and need good enough to surpass the two things she hadn’t thought she could ever live with again?

  She loved him, no doubt about that. She loved him with everything she had.

  Was it enough?

  She frowned. Grady had said he had a better chance of being in a plane crash than on the job. Was that true?

  The store was currently empty, with the exception of her employee, Mandy, who was working on the window display.

  Chelsey went behind the counter to her tablet that was sitting near the register, and put in her password. She went to her Internet browser and typed in a search for “firefighter statistics.”

  The first result was firefighterwife.com. Chelsey had no idea there was a site for wives of firefighters, but she supposed there was one for wives of many dangerous careers. She clicked on the link and it took her to a page that discussed what were the chances of a firefighter being killed on the job.

  According to the guest writer, across the U.S. there were over a million firefighters. In the entire U.S., there was an average of 100 “Line of Duty Deaths” per year.

  “One hundred?” Chelsey tapped her fingers on the counter next to the register. “Out of over a million?” Every life was precious, and every LODD was a tragedy, but she had expected the number to be much higher.

  She read on and saw that a firefighter had a greater chance of dying in a car accident than a LODD. She blinked at the screen. Grady had been injured, but he hadn’t died, and there was a slim chance of him actually dying in a fire.

  Was it taking a chance to be with a firefighter? She shook her head. Clearly not.

  That left the fact that Grady was an alcoholic.

  She closed her eyes and slowly breathed in and out. She worked it over and over in her mind. What was the right thing to do in her case?

  Her mind went over and over what it had been like to live with George, and the differences between him and Grady.

  No, Grady wasn’t George. George hadn’t even attempted to quit drinking and Grady had been sober for eight years.

  When she relaxed and came to a decision, she opened her eyes. A feeling of peacefulness settled over her and she no longer felt wound up or anxious.

  Yes, peace. She smiled. She loved Grady, and she loved him enough to be with him no matter what happened in the future. Whatever the future held, they could make it through together.

  She pulled her phone out of her purse and brought up Grady in her text messages. I’ve made my decision. When can you meet?

  His reply came back almost immediately. Tonight, 5:00PM. Our place.

  Her chest grew tight. Giovanni’s. The place they had gone on their first date had become their place.

  I’ll be there. She relaxed and set the phone aside before getting up to go home and get ready for tonight.

  * * *

  Grady’s heart pounded in a steady beat as he used his cane to follow the hostess, who was leading him to Chelsey’s table. When he saw her, the thumping in his chest almost stopped.

  God, she was gorgeous. He wanted to kiss her sweet smile as he looked into her beautiful green eyes, while he slid his fingers into her soft blonde hair. He needed to hold her in his arms and never let her go again.

  She stood as he made his way to her. The hostess seemed to realize they needed to be alone because she retreated with just a slight bow of her head.

  Chelsey’s eyes glittered with tears. “Grady.” The way she said his name made him feel like warm honey flowed through his veins.

  The moment he stood in front of her, she wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her face against his T-shirt. He felt her tremble as he stroked her back with his free hand.

  If he didn’t have so many sisters, he might have been more concerned over the reason she was crying. He’d
learned at a young age that women sometimes cried over everything and anything emotional. Not all women, but most of his sisters were like that.

  He continued to stroke her back. “Honey, are you okay?”

  “I am now.” She raised her head and her mascara was smudged from her tears. He carefully wiped away the traces with his thumb as he looked into her eyes. “I’ve missed you so much.”

  “I’ve missed you too, honey.” His throat went dry as the moment of truth and her decision was upon them. “Why don’t we sit down?”

  She nodded, seeming unable to speak for a moment. She looked at his cane. “You’re doing so well.”

  They sat close to each other at the round table, close enough that they could have a quiet conversation.

  “Talk to me.” He brushed her hair away from her face, sliding his fingers through the strands. He breathed in her soft, flowery perfume. He’d missed her scent, as much as he missed touching her, kissing her.

  She caught his hand in both of hers and squeezed. “I’m just going to say it.”

  “Go ahead.” He found himself holding his breath and forced air from his lungs before drawing another breath.

  “I love you, Grady.” She smiled. Warmth filled his entire being as she spoke. “Whatever our future holds, I will be there for you. No matter what.”

  He swallowed hard, feeling so choked up he could barely get the words out. “I love you, Chelsey. I’ve loved you forever.” He wrapped his arm around her and kissed her until his mind spun. When he drew away, he gave a big grin. “I’m not feeling so hungry right now.”

  “I feel like playing nurse.” She gave him her adorable mischievous expression. “Let’s get out of here.”

  16

  A massive wave rose, its crest sparkling in the afternoon sun. It crashed to the sandy beach, a few inches from Chelsey’s bare feet. She shifted on the beach towel, wiggled her toes, and glanced at her wedding set. It sparkled in the bright day, and she turned to smile at Grady. Her heart filled with warmth with her husband at her side.

  My husband.

  She still felt like she needed to pinch herself to believe all of it was real.

  Hanalei Beach was the most gorgeous beach in the Hawaiian Islands, as far as she was concerned. It was definitely her favorite after spending a week on Kauai with Grady for their honeymoon.

  It couldn’t have been a more perfect, more beautiful day. Surfers rode the crest of an incoming wave, people laid out on towels up and down the shore, and children played chicken with the the tide rolling up the shore.

  Grady and Chelsey’s giant orange and yellow umbrella shaded them well, now that they were finished playing in the sand. Their bodies were coated with sunblock, and sand was sticking to her skin.

  “You have the best ideas.” She grinned at him. “I think a trip to this amazing island is perfect.”

  “Happy one-year anniversary.” He laughed, leaned over and kissed her.

  It had been one year to the day since he had first asked her out at the skating ring, and now they had been married for all of a week.

  He let his hand rest on her bare thigh, slightly below her one-piece swimsuit. In the past she might have been self-conscious about wearing a bathing suit in public, but Grady made her feel like every one of her curves was made just for him.

  She let her gaze drift over his tanned, gorgeous body and felt desire curl in her belly. Her voice turned husky. “I want you.”

  “You did not just say that on a beach full of people.” He glanced down at his swim trunks. “Yep. Hard as a rock and no way am I moving from this place until I don’t look like a sock is stuffed in my trunks.”

  “Let’s get into the water for a few minutes.” She scooted up on the beach towel. “It’s cold enough to make you forget how much you want to be inside me.”

  He groaned. “Do you want to go back to our bungalow or not?”

  She gave him her most contrite look. “I will behave.” Her expression turned mischievous. “Until I get a hold of you once we’re on the other side of the door.”

  It was clear he was trying not to smile. “You are such a tease.”

  “I deliver whatever I promise.” She ran her finger down his chest that was slick with sunblock and perspiration, and trailed her finger to the waistband of his swim trunks. “Why don’t we leave and I’ll show you?”

  A wave slammed onto the shore, close enough to spray them, and Chelsey gasped in surprise from the cold water splattering her. Remnants of the wave rolled up and soaked their towels before retreating.

  “Whoa.” She laughed as Grady got to his feet. “If I wasn’t fully awake before, I am now.”

  He reached down and grabbed her hand. “Let’s rinse off, pack up, and go to the bungalow.” He drew her close, and pressed his body—and very erect cock—against her. He whispered in her ear. “I’m going to take you in every room. Twice.”

  She shivered, desire tingling in her belly and between her thighs. “Two times in every room?”

  He put his forehead to hers. “I can’t get enough of you.”

  She kissed him and the heat between them was hotter than the Hawaiian sun. They ran into the water, splashing until the water was up to her waist.

  After they packed up and grabbed their belongings, they returned to the rental car, drove to the resort, and hurried to their ocean view bungalow they had booked for the week. Tomorrow they would go to the Island of Oahu.

  Chelsey felt wonderfully hot, sticky, and sandy. She and Grady dumped everything in the tiled foyer, and the next thing she knew, she was in his arms.

  His kisses burned her hotter than the sun ever could. His kiss was so intense that she was barely aware that he was maneuvering her into the bathroom. He smelled so good, of sun warmed flesh and sunblock.

  When he broke the kiss, she saw they were in the exquisite master bathroom. He turned on the water to heat it while she stripped out of her bathing suit, and then he ditched his trunks.

  He kissed her again, walking her backward into the stone-tiled walled shower. He moved her under the spray.

  She gave a little yelp when the water hit her body. “That’s cold.”

  “It’s warming up.” He laughed and reached for the shampoo. “Stand still and I’ll wash your hair.”

  The temperature of the water became more bearable as she obeyed, and soon he was working the lather through her hair and rubbing her scalp. She could stand in place for ages, her eyes close, as he massaged her head while washing her hair.

  After rinsing the shampoo from her hair, he applied conditioner and let it sit while he started soaping her all over with a citrus-scented body gel. He moved the sponge slowly and sensually, and her body ached for him to take her.

  He moved in front of her and slid the sponge from her shoulders and down to her breasts. He lightly brushed her nipples and she gasped at the eroticism of the movement.

  Barely able to breathe, she watched him as he paid close attention to her body, as if he worshipped every part of her.

  Water rained down on her head and back. Her heart thumped and her breathing hitched as he eased lower. He moved the sponge to her mound as he knelt in front of her. She braced her palms on his shoulders, her body becoming soft and pliable, and if she might melt right into him.

  A swipe of Grady’s tongue against her folds obliterated all thought from her mind. She moaned and he gripped her hips with his big hands, and pressed his mouth tighter to her folds while he licked and sucked her clit.

  Her climax hit hard and fast. She cried out as her body quaked and trembled, and she felt dizzy. Her core contracted around his finger as he eased it into her, driving her closer to the edge of a second orgasm.

  This time when she exploded, she could no longer stand. Grady caught her to him as he stood and kissed her. When she was steady, he made short work of washing his hair and the sand and sunblock from his body. She told him she wanted to clean him with the sponge, but he’d denied her.

  He gave her
a smoldering look. “I have other plans in mind, honey, and if you touch me, those might all go to hell.”

  After he rinsed the conditioner out of her hair, he turned off the water and they dried each other with big fluffy white towels.

  He insisted on taking the brush to her hair, taking out the tangles until her wavy wet hair was smooth around her face. When he finished, he kissed her softly before leading her to the bungalow’s master bedroom.

  They reached the bed and she grasped his cock, wanting to go down on him. He sucked in his breath.

  “Later.” He took her hand in his. “Right now I want to make love to you.”

  The way he said it made her belly somersault and she grew wetter between her thighs. “Yes.” The word came out on a whisper.

  He shifted her on the bed and slid onto the mattress. He positioned himself between her thighs and looked down at her.

  The intensity in his blue eyes, and the emotion she saw there, took her breath away.

  He slid his erection inside her, slow and easy, never breaking the connection between their gazes. The way he watched her as he made love to her stole her breath.

  His weight felt so good on top of her, his hips so perfect between her thighs. She moaned at the incredible feeling of having him fill her like he did.

  She moved her hips up as he drove into her. They rocked together at an easy pace, two puzzle pieces that fit perfectly together.

  Her face flushed as an orgasm built inside her and her body seemed to burst into flames, like one of the five alarm blazes Grady had extinguished with other firefighters. The only thing that could put her fire out, was Grady bringing her to peak and then coming inside her.

  She made soft cries that grew louder as her climax drew closer. Louder and louder…she couldn’t hold in the sounds. He increased his pace and she thought she would boil over from the fierce heat inside her body.