Giving Off Sparks Read online

  “Okay, I’ll ask him over.”

  Tina let out a little whoop of excitement. “Go for it girl! You should pop out on your lunch break and buy some sexy lingerie, something to really drive him wild.”

  “I’m not at work. I had to take the day off to wait for the guy to come fix the door. At least Cheryl’s insurance is going to cover it.”

  “Well, after the guy fixes the door, go out and buy something unbelievable. Gawd, I’m so jealous. A sexy fireman. Where can I get mine?”

  Sierra smirked. “He has two housemates, also firemen.”

  Tina groaned. “Sierra Bloody Lawson, that’s the line you should have opened with.”

  Rob climbed out of the shower stall and grabbed a towel. It had been a fairly routine day at work with no major fires and only one road accident to contend with. He almost wished there had been something lengthy and serious to occupy his time, because the ten-hour shift had dragged until it had seemed like twenty-four hours.

  All he’d wanted to do the entire day was get back to Sierra. He couldn’t stop thinking about her. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw her sexy little body writhing on the couch, smelled the spicy aroma of her arousal and tasted the salty-sweetness of it on his tongue. His unsatisfied cock had been giving him serious grief all day.

  And every time he remembered Sierra’s passion, he also recalled her vulnerability. Those big hazel eyes staring up at him, the fear in them. For some reason, she didn’t want to have feelings for him. He was going over to see her tonight, because he couldn’t not do it. He had to see her face again. But Rob knew he’d have to tread carefully.

  After hastily drying off and wrapping the towel around his waist, Rob stepped out of the bathroom. It was then he heard a distinctly feminine laugh coming from the front room of the house. His heart skipped a beat. Was that Sierra?

  Rob headed toward the sound to find that Sierra was indeed in his living room. The tension in Rob’s neck throbbed when he realized she was talking to Blair Bowman, who was looking at her like he hadn’t eaten all day and Sierra was the sumptuous banquet he’d been fantasizing about since breakfast.

  “Hey, Sierra.” They both turned to look at him. Rob kept his gaze on Sierra, leaving Blair alone for the moment. But he was going to have a serious talk with the guy when he got the chance. A serious talk. “What are you doing here?”

  Her gaze dropped to his chest before shooting straight back to his face. Her cheeks darkened. “I came to see you.”

  A smile spread across Rob’s face. He’d never heard such beautiful words in all his life. “You did?”

  Sierra’s blush deepened. Her gaze landed on his chest again and then dropped all the way to her feet. She took an audible breath before raising her eyes once more. She squared her shoulders at the same time. “I wanted to invite you over for dinner as a thank you for everything you did last night.”

  She held her chin high even though her cheeks were redder than tomatoes. Lord, she was adorable. Rob would stalk over and kiss her on the spot if he didn’t think Blair would probably enjoy watching. At the reminder of his friend’s presence, Rob tore his gaze away from Sierra. The look he sent the other man was decidedly less welcoming. “I see you met Blue.”

  “It’s Blair to the pretty ladies.” Blair sent Sierra wink before turning his gaze toward Rob. “Why didn’t you tell us about Sierra’s little fire problem? Chats and I could have helped.”

  “I had it under control. Besides, you were both otherwise occupied.”

  The grin didn’t slip from Blair’s face. “That’s right, we were. Not busy tonight though.” He turned back to Sierra. “Would you like to come over here instead, Sierra? You mustn’t want to cook in that kitchen.”

  “She can’t.”

  The words shot out of Rob’s mouth before Sierra could answer. She looked at him askance, and it was Rob’s turn to feel heat infuse his cheeks. Whether he was embarrassed or plain pissed off, he couldn’t tell. Either way, he didn’t correct or explain himself. He simply crossed his arms over his chest and glared at his housemate.

  Eventually, Sierra broke the tense silence. “I wasn’t planning to cook. The insurance guy said they’d pay to do some work on the kitchen as well, so I’m going to leave it alone. I thought I’d order some Thai food. If you like Thai.”

  Rob dragged himself out of the death-stare competition he was having with Blair’s piercing baby blues to face Sierra once more. He smiled again when he saw her standing there looking so uncertain. As if there was a chance in the world he’d say no. “I’d love that.”

  “Great.” She smiled in relief. Rob decided he’d spend lots of time tonight showing her how much he wanted to be with her so she’d never be unsure about asking him over again. “See you in about half an hour?”

  Rob nodded, pretty sure he’d be over there in a fraction of that time. “Sounds good.”

  “Okay.” Sierra glanced between him and Blair. “I’ll see myself out.”

  When she was gone, Blair let out a low whistle of appreciation. “You were holding out on me, Curly. She’s a cute little thing. Single, I assume?”

  If he didn’t have to live with the guy, Rob figured he would have punched Blair clean in the mouth. For the sake of inter-house relations, he held back. Sort of. “If I see you looking at her like that again, I’ll beat the shit out of you, Blair.”

  “Ooh, the first name comes out. You are pissed off.” Blair tilted his dark head as he studied Rob. “You pulling that guy code shit on me? You saw her first so she doesn’t get to exercise all her options?”

  “What I’m saying is,” Rob began, speaking very slowly so the dolt standing in front of him wouldn’t miss his meaning. “If you or Chats or both of you make a move on Sierra Lawson, I will fucking kill you.”

  “Oh, crap. You too, Curly?” Blair threw up his hands. “First Waller falls in lurve and now you? If this continues, I’ll be working with a bunch of pussy-whipped Nancy boys.”

  Rob opened his mouth to deny that he was in lurve, but the words didn’t come out. No, he didn’t believe in love at first sight. But he also couldn’t rule it out to his friend. Whatever kept his debauched mates away from Sierra, Rob was going to use. “Just stay away from her, Blue. All right?”

  “All right, all right. Go have your dinner.” Blair’s lips twitched. “Nancy.”

  Rolling his eyes, Rob went to get dressed. Fifteen minutes later, dressed in his newest jeans and T-shirt, the ends of his hair still damp from his shower, Rob knocked on Sierra’s door.

  She’d changed since she’d been over at his place when she’d been wearing jeans and a loose fitting blouse. Rob was glad Blue hadn’t seen her dressed as she was now, or threats of violence wouldn’t have been enough to hold the other man off. She wore a blue and white floral print dress with a scooped neckline and a little flaring skirt. It was short and sweet, but somehow incredibly sexy. Like her.

  Rob wanted nothing more than to rip it from her body.

  “Hi.” She smiled a little ruefully. “I barely recognize you in a shirt.”

  “Yeah, you seem to keep catching me in a state of undress.”

  “I wasn’t complaining.”

  She didn’t look at him as she stepped back to let him in. Whenever she tried to flirt, she always looked embarrassed, like she wasn’t sure if she was doing it right. Rob thought of the year and a half of sexlessness and wondered if she’d been entirely dateless during that time as well. What was going on there? It couldn’t be because she didn’t get asked out. She was gorgeous.

  What had made Sierra so date-shy—and particularly of firemen? At least her little rule will keep her away from Blue and Chats. Unless of course she didn’t consider screwing those guys dating. Which most women didn’t.

  The little spark of possessiveness flared higher when Sierra asked, “So Blair. He’s single is he?”

  A muscle ticked in Rob’s jaw. “Very much so. By choice. He doesn’t believe in caring about people, kinda like you.” O
h Jesus, did you just say that? “What I mean is, he’s not your type.”

  Which completely contradicted his first point. Sierra’s brow furrowed. “How do you know that?”

  Because you’re mine, mine, mine. Oh God, he was losing his mind. “He’s into, ah, activities that might scare you. In the bedroom, I mean. So is my other housemate, Leo. You really should stay away from them.”

  Sierra looked at him blankly for a moment and then her expression turned rueful. “I wasn’t asking for me. I have a friend who asked if there were any more like you around.”

  “You spoke to your friend about me?” It was stupid how good that notion made Rob feel.

  “Just Tina. I’ve known her forever. I’d better tell her about Blair and Leo. Somehow I don’t think their scary bedroom habits will put her off.”

  “What about you?” Rob walked toward her until she was backed up against the dining table. His heart galloped at a sickening pace at the thought that Sierra might have an interest in Leo and Blair. Lots of women fantasized about two men at once. Maybe Sierra was one of them. He lifted a hand and cupped her face, searching her eyes for answers. “Are you put off by them?”

  Her brows hiked. “I’m having enough trouble dealing with one man, let alone two.”

  Relief coursed through him. He stroked a thumb over her lower lip, enjoying the way it trembled under his touch. “What’s the problem? If there’s something you want, I’m right here.”

  “Oh, boy.” Releasing a shaky breath, Sierra reached up and grabbed two fistfuls of his shirt. “You do know how to make a woman swoon.”

  “I’ll take that as a confirmation that you’re not interested in my housemates.”

  “Oh, Rob.” She gazed up at him with dreamy eyes. “How could you even think that after what happened this morning? You completely bowled me over.”

  Rob smiled, knowing the expression must look smug but not giving a hoot. “Just making sure.”

  “I’m not interested in your housemates.”

  Her expression left no doubt as to who and what she was interested in. The way she smoothed her touch over his chest really underpinned the point, and when she sent her hand traveling lower, Rob’s abs clenched tight.

  “Are you hungry right now?” she asked silkily. “I’ll order the food if you want.”

  “Or?”

  She covered his bulging fly with her hand. Her tentative touch made Rob’s breath still. When she lightly stroked him through the denim, his half-hard cock became fully erect in seconds. “Or I could make you feel the way you made me feel this morning.”

  Rob sucked a sharp breath when she gave him a firm squeeze. “I guess food can wait.”

  Smiling, Sierra slowly undid his fly—slowly because it was damn difficult to pull the zipper down over his swollen cock. They both chuckled a little awkwardly while she did it.

  Sierra’s mirth died when she finally released him and saw his killer hard-on. “Oh, Rob.”

  He thought he might have blushed. “I’ve been ready to go all day from thinking about you.”

  “That must have been uncomfortable.” Sierra curled her small hand around his girth and slid it up and down. “You’re very…proportional.”

  “Yeah, I guess.” Rob’s heart sank. He never thought about the possibility they might not fit together, what with her being so petite and him being big all over. Maybe she was intimidated. “Listen, you don’t have to do this.”

  She sent him a look full of hot intent. “I can’t wait to.”

  Rob’s heart moved into triple time when she grabbed a dining chair and positioned herself on it, as though settling down for a long, delicious meal. She held him in her hand, stroked him softly and then sent her tongue out to lick along the length of him.

  Well, half of his length, anyway. From her seated position, she couldn’t reach all the way to the top of his dick. This time when they laughed, it wasn’t so awkward. Rob was too tetchy for awkward.

  Sierra lifted a brow as she stared up at him. “You’re not going to tell me again that I don’t have to do this, are you?”

  “No. Can’t.” Rob closed his eyes on the pleasure when she cupped his balls in one hand while continuing to stroke him with the other. “Feels too good. Maybe we can move to the bedroom.”

  “This was supposed to be spontaneous. You weren’t supposed to have a coherent thought in your head by now,” Sierra muttered. “Sometimes being short it such a bitch.”

  She stood and pushed the chair aside with her foot. It made a scraping sound on the wooden floor. Then she gave Rob a little shove that wouldn’t have been enough to budge him under normal circumstances. As his legs were the consistency of melted rubber, he half stepped, half fell into the solid wood dining table.

  The look of determination on Sierra’s face made Rob’s erection strain. He felt like he was about to burst out of his skin. Sierra planted her feet apart for balance and bent over so she could take him in her mouth.

  Her hot, tight mouth. Rob’s breath hissed in through his teeth as the unbelievable sensations assailed him. Sierra squeezed his balls with one hand and stroked his shaft with the other, syncing the movement of her hand with the bobbing of her head as she pushed him in and out of her mouth. She relaxed her throat and tried to fit him all in, but she couldn’t. It didn’t matter. What she did with her hands while she sucked and licked his cock head more than made up for it.

  “Fuck, Sierra.” Rob twined his fingers in her hair, holding her to him although he didn’t need to. She went at him like she was loving every second of what she was doing. Her soft little moans vibrated against his dick and drove him out of his mind. “You keep that up, honey, I’ll come.”

  His warning didn’t stop her. If anything, she seemed to draw him in tighter, as though trying to milk the seed from him. Rob held off, not wanting to come in her mouth without confirming that she didn’t mind first. He tried to ask her, but all that tripped off his tongue was gibberish.

  And then he saw it. A mirror by the door, put there so anyone leaving the house could give their appearance a once over before they departed. Right now, it was reflecting the image of the two of them, him leaning on the dining table with Sierra bent over in front of him. Her dress barely covered her ass. Rob grasped the material and drew it up her back. She wore white lace underwear, a scrap of fabric that revealed the taut roundness of her backside. He could see the dark shadow of her pubic hair through the lace, and knew she must be wet. As she moved on his dick, her hips rocked, teasing him with the thought of how she’d move if he fucked her in that position.

  Rob had never seen a more erotic sight in his life. He knew he was going to lose it only a split second before it happened. He mumbled some kind of warning but was otherwise incapable of speech. The blissful heat shot from his balls, up his shaft and into Sierra’s waiting mouth.

  She didn’t pull back or turn away. She accepted all that he released and drank it down thirstily, as though she’d been waiting all day for this too. Her eagerness added a keen edge to Rob’s pleasure. By the time she’d sucked him dry, he was shaking. She was incredible, mind-blowing, wonderful, fantastic and all the other superlatives he could list.

  And he was in love with her.

  That’s stupid, McConnell. Real stupid.

  It may have been stupid, but Rob felt the truth of it sink all the way into his bones. An inexorable warmth burrowed into his heart when Sierra at last lifted her head from his crotch and rested her cheek against his chest. His heart slammed out the confession, so loud he thought she must hear it whispering into her ear. I love you, I love you, I love you.

  He was in love with a woman he’d met little more than twelve hours ago, a woman who didn’t date firemen. Blue would ask why did Rob need to date her if she was willing to blow him anyway? But Rob wasn’t like Blue. As amazing as having her mouth on him had been, Rob wanted more from Sierra. He’d always wanted more and had been waiting years for the right girl to come along.

  He knew i
n his gut the right girl was Sierra Lawson. Now all he had to do was make her see that.

  Chapter 5

  Rob was a little docile after his orgasm, so Sierra took control of matters and ordered the food from the nearest Thai place that delivered. Rob roused himself enough to help her gather plates and cutlery for the table and took over the job of opening the bottle of white wine she’d bought that afternoon. They shared a glass while they waited for the food, talking about their lives—their parents and siblings, their jobs, their favorite cuisines—in a casual way.

  The way they’d chat if this was a date. Which it wasn’t, Sierra assured herself. She’d gone out of her way to make sure Rob knew this was just a booty call for both of them. Going down on him was a message—at least that was all it was supposed to be. Sierra hadn’t counted on enjoying it so much.

  Not that she hadn’t enjoyed it with Eddie, but with Rob she’d been more eager than ever. It had actually turned her on, especially when she couldn’t even fit all of him into her mouth. She couldn’t help wondering what it would be like to have that thick rod fill her pussy to the hilt.

  Her inner muscles had a minor spasm at the thought, and more cream spilled out to coat her underwear. Her expensive new underwear that was going to be ruined if she didn’t get control of her rabid lust. Sierra shifted in her chair, trying to subtly alleviate the hot tension in her core.

  Apparently, she wasn’t subtle enough.

  “What were you just thinking about?” Rob lifted a strand of her hair and curled it around his finger, gazing at her with his soft brown eyes. His slanted smile told her he had already made a very calculated guess as to what she was thinking, but Sierra couldn’t go so far as to admit it.

  “I was thinking about food. I’m hungry.”

  “Me too.”

  Sierra had the sense he was talking about more than food, and she reached for her wineglass to down a gulp of the cool liquid.

  “Want to know what I was thinking?”

  “Tell me.” Sierra realized she wasn’t simply being polite. She did want to know what he was thinking—she wanted to know what he thought about everything, from politics to sporting teams. Heck, she’d listen to him waxy lyrical about ornithology if he did it in that warm rumbling voice.