“Well, I don’t have any other plans,” I answered, my knees already weak and my heart racing.
“That’s good,” Calder smiled, letting go of my chin and taking my hand instead. “Then we have some time for a little… Local adventure.”
He led me away from the fire engine to a door leading out of the bay; though not the one that would take us into the main area of the station. Instead, this door was labelled “Gear Room”.
“Are we going to play dress-up?” I asked curiously, and that elicited a chuckle from Calder as he put his hand on the door handle.
“Actually, I was thinking the less clothes, the better,” he said as he opened the door, and pulled me inside after him.
15
~
Rhea
When the door closed behind us, I realized how small the gear room actually was. It was dark and cramped, filled to the brim with whatever kinds of things the firefighters needed. Most of it wasn’t particularly organized, probably because they usually had to just grab and run, and haphazardly put things back when they returned.
The air smelled like smoke and rubber, and it was hotter in here than it was outside. There wasn’t much to actually do in there, and I was sure that there was only reason that Calder would’ve chosen this location.
But the room was adjacent to the engine bay, and close to the other door. Plus, it wasn’t exactly noise-proof. It was highly possible that we’d get caught if we got too loud, or knocked something over, or maybe even just if someone needed a piece of equipment.
“This is dangerous,” I whispered, immediately giggling nervously when I stopped speaking. I could already feel the adrenaline building up in my chest, and I could feel my heart beating in my ears.
“That’s what makes it exciting, right?” Calder answered in a low voice that almost sounded like a growl. There was a sense of tension under his voice, a hint of the pressure that he wasunder. I could only imagine how stressful it had to be to be in his position.
Everyone wanted answers for the fires, and there was only so much he could give. On top of that, he was in training to become lieutenant, and if he made a mistake, that could be ruined.
I had a feeling that there was more beneath the surface, too, something that he was hiding far from prying eyes. He was definitely the kind of man that hid a lot of himself behind impossibly high walls. I wondered if he would ever let me see beyond them, if he’d ever manage to share more of himself with me, like Ash had.
“Press conference went well,” I pointed out, testing the waters. I knew we were here for something other than simple conversation, but maybe while we were alone, Calder would take the opportunity to show me a glimpse of his heart.
“Better than I expected,” he answered honestly. “I was afraid I was going to screw it up.”
I was immediately surprised that he’d let himself be so vulnerable with me so easily. Maybe it wasn’t easy, and maybe it was a choice he’d made long before he answered me. But I appreciated the moment for what it was, and it only made me more attracted to him.
“I believed in you,” I said, reaching out to put my hand against his chest. “You’re great at what you do, and I have no doubt that it’s going to work out.”
Calder shifted so that we were now standing against each other. In the dim darkness, I could barely see his face, but I could sense the emotional side of him peeking out from behind his walls.
“I hope you’re right,” he whispered, before he leaned down.
This kiss was less fiery than the previous ones had been, but also more intentional, more sensual. There was an intense sense of purpose and meaning behind it that made my entire body relax into Calder in an instant.
I closed my eyes and let emotion take over, meeting his tongue’s slow exploration with my own. I already had goosebumps, made all the more real by the fact that we could be caught at any moment. Calder lifted his hands to hold the sides of my head, his fingers threading into my hair. I let him lead the way, simply allowing my body and my mouth to respond to him.
His hands were strong, calloused, but gentle somehow, as if he was aware of the power that he had. One began to move, slowly making its way down from my shoulder across my arm and to the back of my shirt.
I felt Calder’s fingers brush across my back under it, and I shivered, pushing myself against him to encourage him to keep going.
Unlike Beck and Ash, Calder didn’t seem too interested in undressing me immediately. He let his hand explore my back slowly, as if he wanted to map out every inch of my skin in his mind. Something about that turned me on in a way I hadn’t expected.
He paused the kiss and moved to whisper in my ear. “We have to make sure we can move fast if someone comes.”
Those words sent another shiver through my spine, an almost electric sensation that heightened both my anxiety and my excitement. Really, I couldn’t tell the difference between the two, but I also didn’t want to stop. I wanted this to go as far as possible, further than just a kiss.
From the way Calder was holding me against him and from the hardness I could feel through his pants, he felt the same way.
“Then we should be careful,” I said, lowering my own hand to his crotch and grasping him, surprised by the size that was waiting there. “But I don’t want to just kiss you anymore. I want… All of you.”
