Hot Mess (Into The Fire Series Book 4) Read online

  “You’d better get used to that,” Susannah said as she pushed her empty plate away after Janet left.

  “I can see that. I grew up outside Bozeman, Montana. It’s much bigger now, but when I was growing up, it had a small town vibe. I’m used to people being all up in my business,” I offered with a shrug.

  Curiosity flickered in her gaze, her brows rising slightly. The moment passed, but I realized that this baby—!—meant I might have a shot at something I’d never had. My mother had been the only person I could truly count as family, and she’d been there in every way possible. But the rest—my absentee father, my greedy stepfather and my resentful brother—I could have done without them. Maybe I couldn’t recreate my own past, but I could build my own future. I skipped past that train of thought, not ready to contemplate those implications just yet.

  After we finished eating, we returned to my truck, and I let Susannah in. After I got in on the driver’s side, she glanced my way. “You’re quite the gentleman, Ward.”

  I met her gaze, arching a brow.

  “Getting the door for me. Not a lot of men do that these days,” she explained.

  As I stared at her, I was again envisioning her pregnant. A sense of protectiveness and concern that I had never experienced in my life caught me in its grip.

  I tore my eyes away with a shrug. “Habit. It’s called manners.”

  I started the truck up and drove away. Without thinking, I started driving to my place rather than returning her to her car at the station.

  After a moment, she spoke. “Are you taking me back to my car?”

  Hell no.

  I couldn’t be near Susannah without wanting to be buried inside of her. I’d thought my attraction to her during our training together would fade. Not so. I was in worse shape now than I’d been back then. All I could think was I didn’t need to worry about protection and how that meant I could be as close as physically possible to Susannah. I didn’t even look her way. Shifting in my seat, I adjusted my jeans with one hand to deal with the aching ridge of my cock.

  “Let’s go to my place,” was all I finally said.

  “Should we maybe talk?”

  “Well you told me what’s going on, and I appreciate that. We have plenty of time to talk. None of that changes what I want and what I know you want,” I said flatly.

  Her breath drew in sharply. I flicked my eyes to her, a wave of satisfaction rolling through me at the sight of her cheeks flushing.

  Reaching across the console between us, I dragged my palm along her thigh, nudging her knees apart and cupping my hand over her mound. I almost groaned at the feel of her damp heat through her jeans. When I exerted subtle pressure just over her clit, she gasped and her hips arched into my touch.

  It was hard to imagine she wanted this as much as I did, but our bodies seemed capable of having an entire conversation without a word being spoken. As it was, we didn’t say much else.

  “All you have to do is say the word if you don’t want this,” I murmured, flicking my eyes to hers again, my attention half on the road in front of me.

  The flush on her cheeks deepened, and her eyes met mine, the blue darkening. She said nothing.

  “I’ll take that as a yes then,” I said as I dragged my thumb back and forth across the fabric above her clit. With each pass, her hips flexed into my palm.

  I kept my attention ahead now, absorbing our surroundings as I drove. Willow Brook was in the foothills of the Alaskan Range with the mountains in the distance one way and the ocean another. There were fields of green grasses mingled amongst swaths of spruce forest.

  I’d bought a place here before my mom passed away. I hated renting, and there was plenty of property up here with views so spectacular it bordered on ridiculous. I found a nice chunk of property a few miles outside of downtown Willow Brook with a gorgeous timber frame home. It had more space than I needed, but I liked it. Rolling to a stop in front of the house, I finally removed my hand from between Susannah’s thighs, instantly missing the heat of her.

  Holding the door for her, I watched as she climbed out, my body wracked with need. Kicking the door shut with my boot, I curled my hand around hers and strode quickly inside. I meant to yank her to me the moment we walked in the door because I was that fucking desperate.

  For her.

  I was a bit of a mess inside, a clusterfuck in my mind. Susannah was pregnant. With my baby. Something I definitely hadn’t planned on. I had all kinds of feelings about it, but rising through the scrum of confusion and uncertainty was one word, flashing like neon in my mind whenever I was near her.

  Mine.

  Chapter Eight

  Ward

  When we stepped through the side door into my home, Susannah tugged her hand free of mine, much to my chagrin. What I had in mind didn’t involve social niceties.

  Oblivious to my urge to throw her over my shoulder and cart her to bed, Susannah spun in a circle as she glanced around the downstairs of my home. It was a single level, timber frame ranch style home with a tall ceiling that rose up to a point in the center of the living room and windows across the entire front wall. It was still light out. The days could feel like forever here once winter had passed. Even though it was only spring, the sun wasn’t setting until after nine in the evening.

  The side door came from a deck into the kitchen, which had soft green tiles and a curved counter that arched off the wall and served as a divider between the kitchen and dining room. Rich, cherry wood cabinets were mounted on the walls with stainless steel appliances. The tile met hardwood flooring beyond the counter. A dining area that phased into the living room was just beyond that. A small round table and chairs furnished the dining area with the back of a sectional couch creating a natural divider for the living room.

  One part of the couch faced the wall where a television was mounted and the other side of the couch faced the windows, looking out over the view. A propane fireplace occupied the far corner of the living room. The space was bright and airy. Even though there were three bedrooms, it didn’t feel too large for just me.

  Although I didn’t know if I’d be here beyond the two years for my contract, the price was good, the property was gorgeous, and I figured I could sell if I didn’t decide to stay longer.

  Susannah spun back to me as she walked backwards into the living room. “This is lovely. You bought this?”

  I slid my hands into my pockets, if anything to calm the restless urge to snatch her to me and devour her. “I did.”

  She nodded as she turned away, walking towards the windows. Resting one hand on her hip, she looked out. The view faced a sloping hill with a cluster of cottonwood trees to one side and a rocky hillside to the other. A valley beyond was barely visible in the fading light. The sky was streaked with orange and red, the lingering burst from the setting sun.

  “Beautiful view,” she commented. “My friends built this home, but I never got to see the inside after it was finished.”

  Turning back, she walked toward where I had stopped beside the couch, resting a hip against the back of it.

  “Oh?”

  “Have you met Amelia? Cade’s wife?” she asked.

  “Think so. She’s tall, right?”

  Susannah’s lips quirked. “Yeah, she’s tall. She owns and runs Kick Ass Construction with Lucy. They’re good friends of mine. Anyway, they run one of the best construction companies in town. They built this house only a few years ago if I remember right. I can’t believe the owners sold it so quickly, but they were out-of-towners anyway.”

  I chuckled. “This is definitely a small town if you know who used to own this place.”

  Her eyes flicked to mine and she nodded. “Well, yeah. But I probably wouldn’t have known who had this place if Amelia and Lucy hadn’t built it.”

  She had stopped a few feet away from me. The urge to touch her was too powerful to resist anymore. I reached out, catching her hand in mine and reeling her to me. Snagging her bottom lip in her teet
h, her cheeks pinkened as she looked up at me. Fuck me. The sight of her teeth denting her plump lip sent blood shooting to my groin.

  I leaned my hips against the back of the sofa, pulling her between my knees. Her breath hissed through her teeth when her hips bumped into the ridge of my cock. I didn’t bother to hide my arousal. There was no point to it. I’d been hanging onto my control by a thread all evening.

  Her brow furrowed as she held my gaze. I could tell she was thinking. I wasn’t in denial. I knew we had plenty to talk about. I just didn’t feel like talking right now. I’d rather lose myself in her for a bit.

  As if she could read my mind, she asked, “Shouldn’t we talk?”

  I shrugged, letting my hand slide around her hips to cup her bottom. Damn. She had a sweet ass. “Maybe,” I replied, as I slid my other hand under the hem of her shirt, almost groaning at the feel of her silky soft skin.

  I hadn’t thought about it much, but something about how she was such a tomboy on the outside and so feminine on the inside drove me crazy. I respected the hell out of her. I knew she could hold her own with any man out in the field. Word amongst the crew here was she was fearless, and it wasn’t as if I hadn’t known that. I’d seen her in action when we trained together. I loved her strength and her reckless edge. It was impossible to do the job we did without it. Our job required a tolerance for danger, for pushing past the point where most would turn back.

  Her breath hitched, distracting me. My eyes wandered down over the swell of her breasts. She wore jeans and a T-shirt. There was nothing whatsoever remarkable about her outfit. Yet, she was sexy as hell. She had a penchant for lace and silk, something I’d discovered in our two nights together. Her nipples pressed against the cotton of her T-shirt, her breasts stretching the fabric tight.

  I dipped my head, nipping through her T-shirt over a nipple, savoring the sharp gasp from her and the instant rock of her hips into mine.

  “Ward,” she murmured when I pinched her other nipple between my thumb and forefinger.

  Lifting my head, I canted my eyes up to meet hers, level with mine since I was halfway seated. “Yes?” I managed.

  “You didn’t answer me.”

  For a flash, I wasn’t catching her meaning, then I recalled her question. “I don’t think we have to talk now, do we?”

  Her breast rose into my palm as she took a shuddering breath. “Well, I don’t know.”

  Little furrows appeared between her brows, her teeth catching her lip again. I doubted she meant for that to be a turn on, but it was sexy as all hell. Her mouth alone could bring me to my knees. Those plump pink lips, the fair skin of her face and her wide blue eyes. I remembered those lips wrapped around my cock and couldn’t wait to see it again.

  I realized she was going to be stuck in this place if I didn’t give her a chance to talk. I had to force myself to focus. The need roaring through me was like a river rushing down a mountain. I could hardly hear over it as it pushed everything else out of the way.

  “Look, I get it. I know we need to talk. You’re pregnant. I’m shocked about it, but I don’t know that we’re going to solve anything tonight. I need a little time to get used to the idea, and I don’t know what you want to do. Do you?”

  She held my gaze, shifting on her feet. “Obviously, I didn’t plan on this. I wasn’t sure if I wanted a baby, but I can’t imagine anything else. But…” She paused and took a slow breath. “I think you’re right. I think we need a little time to absorb it.”

  I stared at her—hard. I was still too startled by the news to know what to say. But I did know one thing. I wanted her. Now.

  Chapter Nine

  Ward

  Susannah shifted on her feet again, worrying her bottom lip with her teeth. “You’re technically my boss now. We have to figure this out. It’s more than just the baby.”

  I knew she was right, but I’d already done some thinking. Right now, I was perfectly content to have this be nobody’s business but ours.

  “We’ll figure it out,” I said.

  I had no idea what we would do. I had my doubts we could keep this on the casual level, not with a baby factored into the equation. In fact, the odd thing was, the direction I was going inside would likely scare her off. Hell, it frightened me on its own. Yet, it felt right. If we were going to do this, I wasn’t going to do it halfway. No child of mine would get the half of a family I had. I knew I had to play it slow though, if only because I sensed Susannah would push back against me demanding what I wanted. So I’d wait.

  Like a drum beating inside my body, the only thing I could act on was the here and now—Susannah in my arms and the need to claim her driving me with such force I couldn’t ignore it.

  She finally nodded, taking a deep breath and letting it out in a sigh. “Fine. I’ll let it go for now.”

  “Good,” I said with a smile tugging at the corners of my lips, dragging my thumb back and forth across her nipple, savoring the feel of it tightening under my touch.

  Leaning back slightly, I slid her shirt up and over her head, relieved when she didn’t hesitate, lifting her arms. I groaned at the sight of her breasts. She had on this black lace bra, a ridiculous excuse for a bra. Her nipples played peekaboo with me through the lace as I leaned forward, laving my tongue over the silk, swirling around and sucking her nipple into my mouth.

  When she was thinking, Susannah was reserved. Yet when she stopped thinking, she just completely let go, and I fucking loved it. Like now. The moment I bit down on her nipple, cupping her other breast in my palm and savoring the heavy weight of it, she cried out and arched into me.

  Lifting my head, our mouths collided. Kissing her was like a drug. I devoured her mouth. Her tongue tangling roughly with mine, she gasped into my mouth, murmuring my name into our kiss. All the while, her hands got busy, sliding up under my shirt, coasting over my chest. She cried out when I flicked the clasp between her breasts, growling as they tumbled free into my palms. Her lips were on mine again, her breasts against my skin, and I couldn’t get enough of her.

  Breaking free from our kiss, I leaned back, taking her in. Her breasts nearly slayed me—plump and round, her nipples puckered tight, already damp from my attentions. I flicked my eyes up to meet her gaze. The bright blue of her eyes darkened to navy. Her lips were damp and puffy, swollen from the roughness of our kiss.

  Susannah made me crazy, so crazy I lost sight of what I was doing. Nothing was calculated, everything had a rough, wild edge to it. My cock was so hard, I likely had an imprint from my zipper on it.

  She remedied that quickly, reaching between us and tearing my fly open. Her lips curled in a sly grin.

  Chapter Ten

  Susannah

  I sighed at the feel of Ward’s cock in my palm—hot and hard, the skin velvety soft. No briefs or boxers, Ward was a commando man. It suited him perfectly. There was nothing civilized about him. He was all raw, primal man, wrapped in a body so damn sexy and so damn hard all over, he stole my breath just by existing.

  My heartbeat thundered, pounding through my body like a drum. A sense of power rolled through me at the sound of his ragged groan when I slid my palm up and down his cock. Stepping back, I knelt down between his knees, swirling my tongue around the tip of his cock and catching the drop of pre-cum there. I flicked my gaze up to find his eyes on me, dark and intent. He slid a hand into my hair, the rough edge to his touch akin to striking a match, scattering sparks over my skin and making me hot all over.

  Another swirl of my tongue and then I drew him in my mouth, every hard, thick inch of him. Just like the rest of him, his cock was glorious. It pulsed as I drew him into my mouth, letting my palm get wet and gripping him loosely as I slid up and down with my mouth. With a rough tug, he reached for me, lifting me swiftly.

  “Hey, I wasn’t done,” I muttered, my voice husky.

  I collided with his smoky gaze. He shrugged. “Can’t wait,” he growled.

  In a matter of seconds, he was shoving my jeans and pant
ies down. Before I could form a thought, he was stretching me out on the couch, every inch of me bare to his heated gaze. Leaning up, I yanked at the hem of his T-shirt.

  “This needs to come off,” I demanded.

  He grinned, his eyes flashing. Reaching behind his neck, he lifted his shirt up and over in one fell swoop. He stood before me as my eyes greedily soaked him up. His chest was all muscle, a dusting of dark hair on it. His jeans hung open at his hips, his cock still damp from my mouth.

  Ward was utterly un-self conscious. Not that there was any reason whatsoever for him to be self-conscious. He was a specimen of beauty, every inch of him honed to hardness, so damn sexy and so damn glorious. My mouth went dry just looking at him.

  He shoved his jeans down, kicking them free along with his boots. He leaned over me, trailing his fingertips down across my breasts, the subtle touch sending hot shivers through me. He meandered down over my belly, pausing just above the apex of my thighs, his eyes on me the entire time.

  I would have done anything he said just now. That was how bad it was. I was a slave to the need between us and to the power he exuded.

  Without a word, his gaze searing into me, his fingers slipped through my curls and dipped into my core. I moaned. Hot and slick, I was so needy for him I was beside myself. His knee sank onto the couch between my thighs, nudging them apart slightly. He sank one finger inside of me, knuckle deep. A ragged moan escaped my lips. Another finger joined the first. My hips rolled into his touch as he fucked me with his fingers.

  “I want to watch you come apart right now, to come all over my hand,” he murmured, his words rough, making my pulse pound even harder and sending hot shivers through me.

  Even his voice was a turn on for me, every word he uttered making me wild with need inside.