“Okay. Only if you let me be in charge.”
He disappears to collect firewood, and I stare at his ankles—since that’s all of him I can see, wondering what kind of things he’s had to endure as a fireman. Death? Incinerated bodies?
Lighting a fire in front of a fireman? What was I thinking?
“I’m sorry,” I say as soon as he’s back at the tent. “I didn’t think this through. Maybe we should leave.”
“No.” His voice is final enough to kill all of my overthinking. “I’m enjoying myself. And I want to taste these s’mores.”
The sustained eye contact makes me fold.
He doesn’t give a damn about the smores.
For a man who puts out fires for a living, Caleb sure knows how to start one. I sit back, impressed with how quickly he gets the flames roaring—contained, of course. He rarely takes his eyes off the fire. If he does, it’s to look at me.
I assemble the s’mores as we toast the marshmallows. Caleb devours his in seconds. His smacking lips make my mind wander to other avenues, to how it might look and feel to have him devouring…another…
“You’re quiet.” There’s a smug grin on his face. “Why might that be?”
“No reason,” I stutter, while feeling my face go beet red.
Him even alluding to the idea of making out has my heart quaking in my chest.
I fear I’m too innocent for him.
My father has been the only male presence in my life. And “presence” is putting it nicely. He’s always absent.
I have zero experience when it comes to dating and relationships. Caleb definitely has a lot. He has a face like a god. A face that every last female on the planet would marvel at.
I still don’t know why he wanted to join the fire service in the first place. Nobody “just wants” to do something for the fun of it.
“You haven’t done this before, have you?” he says. The grin is now gone from his face.
“I’m afraid you’ll have to elaborate.”
“Sex,” Caleb says simply. “You haven’t had it.”
I abandon the rest of my s’more, my appetite gone. It also poses a choking hazard. I can’t stabilize my breathing now that Caleb is talking about sex. It takes my breath away enough, knowing that he’s the living embodiment of the word.
Caleb stands up, pours the emergency jug of water all of the fire, and tramples over it in his hiking boots. Toward me.
His mouth is on mine again, softer than before. And it only makes me crave him more.
I’m first to deepen the kiss this time, my heart going a million miles an hour as I feel him receive me.
“In.” He urges me into the tent and zips up the door.
Jesus fucking Christ.
“I was hoping that I’d be the first man to touch you,” he murmurs in my ear. The dark tone of his voice ruffles me up. I’m completely at his mercy. Happy for him to take me how he likes.
But Caleb slows it right down and gently raises the hem of my shirt over my head. He’s back on my lips again right after removing my shirt, and the pattern repeats until I’m down to my underwear.
Remove a piece of clothing.
Back down for a kiss.
Remove clothing.
