202 Cherry Popper Way: A Small Town Friends to Lovers Firefighter Romance Read online

  Husky as fuck. Like he has breathed smoky air his whole life and it’s left him with a raspy voice made to make women’s girly parts quiver. Which, he probably has, given his job title. Duh. But damn. Wicked sexy is right.

  “Sure. Have a sweet tooth today?” I wish I could pat myself on the back right now for not sounding like a fluttering, breathy teen.

  “Anything else with these doughnuts, Chief?”

  “Nah, just the doughnuts will do for today. Hard habit to break. And please, it’s just Miles.”

  I think that makes this officially the longest conversation we’ve held.

  “Miles. What do you mean?”

  He takes his order and heads for the door. “Cop. Ten years. Syn City. Before Cherry Falls and this gig.”

  “And the plot thickens,” I mutter to myself as I watch his retreating back. And what a back.

  For a second my mind doesn’t register the blur of black and red running down the road, but when my brain finally clicks on, I gasp, toss off my apron, and run for the door.

  Chapter Two

  Bela

  “What the hell!” I’m out the door and pounding heels down the road. “Catch that dog!”

  Miles spins just in time to catch the thief with his loot dangling from his mouth.

  “Caught you, you little bugger.”

  I came to an abrupt stop in front of Miles. A wiggling mass of black fur tries to break free from Mile’s clutch but he holds on. He puts his doughnuts on the ledge of a nearby shop and calms the little rascal with a few pats to the head.

  “Come on, no one is going to hurt you, little guy. Give them here now. Come on.”

  Miles wears a smirk on his handsome face and it catches me off guard for a moment. “I think these are yours?”

  A flashing red flame of heat hits my cheeks and I forget about the smirk. My attention homes in on my panties. Dangling from the fire chief’s finger.

  “Not exactly how I pictured you seeing my panties for the first time. This little thief is forever breaking into my back room and stealing clothes. Last week it was my favorite pair of socks…”

  “And today your favorite pair of…” Miles holds up my panties in broad daylight for the entire town to see. “Silk and lace. Sexy.”

  Sure, now he wants to talk. Freaking men.

  “Do you mind?” I snatch my panties out of his hand. My camisole is a little twisted from the running and I take a few seconds to straighten it and my skirt, using the time to calm my embarrassment enough to thank the man for catching the runaway dog.

  Dark eyes watch my every move. “Now you have me curious, Bela. How did you fantasize about me seeing your panties for the first time?”

  Liquid chocolate meets mine and I can feel the heat of his words pour over me.

  A grating shrill comes from my wrist and I forget about panties, puppies and hot chocolate eyes.

  “Oh, crap! My penis cake!”

  Smoke catches on the wind and I can already feel the dread in my veins. “No. No NO!”

  I dash through the door, dread pumping through my body every second. Smoke rolls across the ceiling and I can feel Miles hot on my heels. Strong hands clamp over my shoulders and he moves me, heading in the direction most people run from in a blur of action.

  “Fire extinguisher?”

  “Two large ones. Back door,” I yell, pointing.

  “Take the phone outside and call the station. Hurry!”

  I don’t think twice and punch in the number. Five minutes later—small town living!—a red engine roars to a stop outside my place. Five minutes may not seem like a lot of time, but flames can eat a lot of wood in that time. I know because my parents lost my childhood home a few years back.

  I worry my hands together and pace the sidewalk in front of my bakery. Maybe I need to go in. Check to see if he needs help.

  Before I can, firefighters storm past me. “He’s still in there.” And the amount of smoke hasn’t dropped. His team rushes in, but I can see through the window Miles signal the hose isn’t necessary.

  “Thank God.”

  ***

  Miles

  Two years of trying to get my life in order again and when I finally do this sassy, flirty little brunette with purple tips barrels through all my good senses.

  The killer… she has no idea just how damn beautiful she is.

  Before the peace of Cherry Falls I lived for the adrenaline rush of being a beat cop and then undercover cop working to take down narcotic rings. Lies, death, and dope are all that surrounded me. Having friends got you killed so I moved through the dark underbellies of big cities alone. Forget seeking out lovers or girlfriends; those landed you a six sided-box under a mound of dirt even faster.

  When a takedown went south, my identity fell into the wrong hands, forcing me to drawer my badge. So I returned to Cherry Falls—the town I finally landed in with a stroke of good luck as a kid when I had no family or home.

  After years of constant stress, getting back to my teenage roots was a welcomed change since I always liked the idea of breathing.

  I floundered for a while until my foster parents’ bakery caught fire and I discovered a new way to help people. A couple of years later I’m standing in the same spot, same bakery but this time as the fire chief.

  I signal for an anxious Bela pacing the sideway to come inside. “It’s all right, boys—I’ve got it from here.”

  Duke Miller, a fellow fireman and good friend, angles his head my way from the front door.

  “And upstairs?”

  “It’s damaged for sure. It got hot and fast. We’ll need to check out the floor upstairs, but the flames are out. Send a couple of men to the second level and report back what they find.”

  “Yes, sir. You got it.”

  When on the job, it’s all business and regulation and Duke follows them to the letter. We save the friendship for after hours.

  Alone now, Bela walks in, the door automatically snicking closed behind her. It’s just the two of us.

  She slowly treads closer until she’s finally standing beside me, nose scrunched. “It smells like burned cookies and plastic.” Those thick black lashes raise to meet mine and I can feel her barely holding on. Her bottom lip trembles and she works the dangly fringes of her tank top through her fingers.

  “That would be whatever was in the oven, and some plastic molds, I think. You might’ve had them stored too close.” I hold my hand out, and she takes it. I don’t focus on how good it feels to have her palm graze against mine. Instead, I keep it on task where it belongs.

  “You had some cardboard boxes stacked here.” I point to a low table almost next to the ovens. “Somehow the flame from the oven jumped to some packaging boxes and they caught fire, which fed the flames to burn through the flooring here. Lucky for you the brick walls helped reduce the amount of damage to this supporting wall. But the flooring above...” I point up. “We’ll need to see the damage. Either way. You can’t stay here until the wiring is checked. Make sure another fire doesn’t break out.”

  Horror pulls her lips into a soul-crushing frown. “My apartment.”

  My radio crackles to life with Duke’s voice. “Chief, checking over the damage up here.”

  Beside me, Bela looks at me with a level of hope that kills me. It tore me up to learn my adoptive parents sold the bakery in the first place. But once I laid eyes on the new owner, the change didn’t seem to bother me so much.

  “The floor is going to need replacing up here. It’s weak in some places. Some electrical on the East wall. Curtains and some cosmetical stuff. Nothing that can’t be fixed in a couple of weeks. One if you have someone good.” I look up and see him standing above us through the burned flooring.

  Tears rim her eyes and damn it, I want to pull her into my arms. How the hell do I do that and not kiss her?

  “Ok, I’ll take it from here. See you back at the station. When you get back, call in the electrician so they can do a thorough check as soon as poss
ible. Doesn’t hurt to get a second pair of eyes.”

  The one person to bring light to my days is hurting and I don’t know what to do.

  The dark days of working undercover linger like a black stain on my soul, but Bela is a ray of sunshine with her brilliant smile, kindness, and generous soul. She’s soft and tender, whereas life hardened me from the cradle.

  But when I see Bela, her light chases away the darkness. How can I do the same for her?

  Wanting to do what it takes to see her smile return is where the danger lies. She’s the exact opposite of me in every way possible and doesn’t deserve the pain I see in her eyes.

  Covered in soot, smelling like smoke, and probably wearing as much flame retardant as the walks do, I pull her into my arms and tuck her beneath my chin.

  She doesn’t seem to mind. Her sweet, ample curves mold against my body. “Don’t cry, woman, please don’t cry.”

  “I don’t mean to. I’m sorry.” I can feel her lips moving against my chest as she speaks. Her hair is thick in my hands and over the smell of smoke, I catch hints of her shampoo. Coconut and cherry blossoms. The erotic combination and just finally having her in my arms sends blood shooting straight to my cock.

  Christ, this woman makes me mad with lust. A rash of bad ideas filter through my mind.

  “It’s not as bad as it looks.”

  “My apron. That has to be it. I tossed it behind me and ran out the front door after the dog.” Those beautiful eyes of hers fade from sight when her lashes lower. “This is all my fault.”

  I tip her head back with a finger beneath her chin. “Look at me.”

  When she does I stop thinking and follow those bad ideas down a sweet road of gratification.

  My lips are on hers and I’m backing her up until we bump into something. Arms come around my neck. I slide my hands under her panties and take her silky-smooth ass in the palms of my rough hands. Our kiss turns scorching. She is blissfully unaware of how much I thirst to have her heat wrapped around my cock, crave to have her sucking it deep inside her sweet body and riding me hard.

  My tongue strokes over hers and she moans into my mouth with a tiny whimper.

  I don’t know what has come over me but I can’t stop. Don’t want to stop. Never in my life did I enjoy a doughnut. They are not my thing. But I find I can’t get enough now. I hold back, force myself to only visit her shop on Sundays when I know I can steal a few minutes of her for myself.

  I tug the top over her head and she gasps but doesn’t stop me. Her hands are on me, tugging at my belt buckle.

  With her legs wrapped around me and the wall at her back, I pop the clasp to her bra and say a prayer of gratitude when her ample breasts spill out. Pink nipples jut out, both hard and ready for my mouth.

  I kiss her fiercely and she gives as good as she is getting. I loop my fingers in the band of her panties, tugging gently. She gasps into my mouth, and I swallow the sweetness. I stroke a finger of her slit to find her pussy dripping wet and juicy.

  “Christ, woman, tell me to stop. I’m no good for you. Push me away. Tell me to leave or I’m going to sink balls deep into your pussy right now.”

  Her eyes meet mine. No tears, thank God. Just pure, raw lust stares back at me.

  Chapter Three

  Bela

  Hearing those dirty words out of Miles’ mouth makes me cream over his fingers and the walls of my pussy clench with need.

  “Never,” I husk. I fumble around until I find the pull of his zipper. Slowly I ease it down and reach in.

  He draws in a sharp gasp of air through clenched teeth that sounds like a hiss. For a second I wonder if I’ve hurt him, but if I gauge by the way his eyes roll shut and his chest heaves I’m going to say he likes me stroking his cock from base to tip.

  Precum wets my fingers the longer I stroke him and when I press my heels against his ass and draw him closer, we both know this is going to happen. His eyes meet mine and together—him driving deep and me sinking over the head of his cock—we take my virginity.

  Hard, silky flesh spreads my channel. The thick head pushes inside, and my mouth opens on a breathless gasp. He sinks, deep, deeper. There’s a sting and my head falls back against the wall. A bloom of pain shoots through me and then as if a wizard snaps, the pain is gone. Heat replaces any sign of uncomfortableness.

  Hard muscles tense around me and I slowly open my eyes to find a pissed off firefighter staring down at me. But it seems he can’t help but move inside me. He pulls out and pushes forward. I cry out, feeling him stretch me impossibly wide.

  “Miles.”

  Soot is smeared across one cheek and his hair is mussed into a tangle of thick chunks sticking up from me running my hands through it.

  “Bela, what have you done?” He’s just discovered my secret. He drops his head on my shoulder, and I wrap my arms around him. He feels so perfect I almost thank my lucky stars for the fire. Almost.

  “Nothing I didn’t want to do.” I’ve wanted this man to claim me like this for a long time. Location never mattered. Not to me. Many may think I’ve lost my mind. But us like this...this is my version of perfection.

  Miles considers me for a long minute with his cock still buried to the hilt inside my channel. I clench and moan from the feel of his hard, steely length inside me.

  I move over him, and he clamps powerful hands around my ass, forcing me to stop. “We’ll talk about this later.”

  Those dark eyes of his turn black and his lips are pulled into a tight, straight line. But everything else about him is so into taking me up against the wall. I clench again and shimmy my ass, making him growl. A few good friends liberal with their sexcapades down to the tiniest of details come in handy now that I’m having one of my own.

  I swallow thickly and nod. “Good later works for me. We can do anything later but right now. I need this. I need you. Make me see the stars, Miles.” I keep my voice low. I never thought I’d lose my virginity like this. Against a wall with a man like Miles Malone driving into me.

  Sculpted pecs, broad shoulders and mouthwateringly strong arms all fall victim to my curious hands. I can’t get enough of touching as he pulls out of me. The head stretches the mouth of my pussy wide and when he glides back in, those stars I crave dance just behind my eyelids.

  “Miles,” I purr.

  “You don’t understand how toxic you are to my self-control, do you?”

  He’s slamming into me, working me so hard it’s kinda hard to talk. I grip his shoulders and hold on, loving the feeling of Miles Malone losing his control.

  But I hear his words and they have me speechless, my heart in my throat. I have a curious suspicion if I try to talk it will come out as grunts.

  Everything blurs around me—the blackened walls and the fact I can see my singed curtain from the second floor through a hole in the floor. It’s only things. This right here—what we are sharing is everything to me.

  My pulse thunders and the walls of my channel throb. “Miles, I’m so close.”

  His abs flex and ripple under my palms. He swells inside me, stretching my virgin pussy beyond just pleasure. I feel the burn and I love it just as much.

  Strong fingers bury into my hair and my head is brought up. “Look at me. I want to see your eyes when I spill inside you.” He releases my hair to go after the pleasure nub between my folds. As soon as he strokes the pad of his thumb over my clit, it’s over.

  I hold his gaze firmly, his eyes burning into mine. Together we ride the wave of our releases. His cock jerks inside me and the second he gives me his milk, I tumble over the edge. He leans over me, breathing heavily, keeping his cock buried in my entrance.

  We stay like this for several minutes. Just breathing. Should I take it as a good sign he hasn’t pulled out and walked away?

  “Miles.”

  “You were a virgin.” Not a question so I don’t see the need to answer.

  He pulls back to peer into my eyes. “You should have said something.”

>   My brows climb. “And give you another excuse to turn me away? Not smart.”

  “You wanted it that badly? That you let me hurt you. There were a million other ways this could have gone that would have felt better.”

  Ok, put like that, I see his point. “Do you hear me complaining? I asked for stars and you gave me the moon too.”

  Pinned against the wall, he sinks his fingers into the flesh of my ass, massaging the globes, and I can feel his length start to grow inside me. I close my eyes and let my head drop against his shoulder, trusting him completely. “Ready for round, two, Fire Chief?”

  He growls something into my neck and gently slides his hardening cock out with a delicious wet pop.

  I give a little moan—how could I not? But what I don’t expect is for me to pull him back to me or the tender kiss Miles places on my lips. Almost in reverence.

  He shifts his weight, letting me slide down until my feet touch the floor. He leans in and kisses me deeper this time, leaving me panting in his wake when he pulls away. Reaching between my legs, he pulls my panties back into place and then rights himself. To an onlooker, you’d never know what just happened between us.

  Thorough and such a gentleman. But something tells me he’s freaking out on the inside.

  “It’s a good thing I never got around to opening all the blinds, huh.”

  He goes deathly pale and turns toward the bakery’s front windows. “Fuck me.”

  “I just did.” I smile, trying to break the tension I feel building between us over the virgin bit.

  My heart is beating so hard I’m pretty sure he can see my pulse jumping in my neck. Topic change. Less about the fire chief and me doing it against the wall of my burned bakery. More about what I’m going to do about the latter and my apartment. Like where am I going to sleep tonight?

  “Come to my place.” He turns those dark eyes on me as if reading my mind. My knees do some knocking despite me forcing them together. “I have a couch—I end up sleeping on it more often than not—and a bed you can have.”

  I didn’t say anything to prompt his offer, so I’m doubly touched.