Read Online On Fire by Sylvia Day - Free Book Online Page A

with the desire to lick and suck him to orgasm, to fully own his pleasure when he came. And her proprietary feelings extended beyond that to encompass the whole of him.
    “Stop looking at me like that,” he said sharply. “You’re making my dick hard.”
    “Stop teasing me with your rockin’ body,” she shot back, stung and frightened by the sting, which hinted that she might be in too deep with him already. “How would you like it if I walked around topless all the time?”
    He scowled. “I’d love it and you know it, but we have shit to do besides fuck each other’s brains out. I need you to give me a break.”
    “You’re one to talk,” she muttered under her breath, turning toward the coffeemaker. He was irascible, grumpy, and rude as a rule. But that was part of his charm. Even if his gruffness did rub her raw at times. “How do you take your coffee?”
    “Black.”
    Darcy pulled a mug out of the cupboard. She felt him come up behind her, then closed her eyes as he nuzzled his way past herponytail to her nape. His arms came around her and she tensed, fighting to keep the tremors she felt on the inside from being discernible on the outside.
    His embrace tightened and he spoke roughly. “I’m sorry.”
    Reaching for the carafe, she took a deep slow breath. “Nothing to be sorry about.”
    “Bullshit. I can’t take it out on you when it’s my own damn self I can’t seem to control. We’re on fire for each other. Keeping that in check is going to take work and some concessions. I hate putting clothes on when my skin’s damp, but I’ll get over it.”
    “Okay.”
    His teeth bit lightly into the muscle between her shoulder and neck, a primal possessive gesture that sent an unwanted thrill of awareness through her. “I love the way you look at me, Darcy. Like you want to eat me alive. It’s not a bad thing, it’s just inconvenient.”
    She slid the full mug to the side. “I’ll work on looking elsewhere. Here you go.”
    Jared didn’t move for a minute, then he released her with a muttered curse. He left the kitchen, and she took the breather to give herself a mental kick in the ass. She straightened when he returned, moving away and toward the living room as he passed her on his way toward the coffee she’d poured him.
    They needed some distance from each other. They hadn’t had any since they’d met and that was a mistake.
    “Don’t you dare walk out of this room,” he said in a voice too even to be anything but dangerous.
    “It’s my house.”
    “And if I’ve worn out my welcome, you’ll look me in the eye and say so.”
    Pausing by the dining table, Darcy faced him, feeling grateful that she wore her uniform, which gave her the look of having her shit together even if she didn’t. Jared had put his shirt on. He wasnow leaning with his hip against the counter and his legs crossed at the ankle. The leisurely pose didn’t fool her for a minute. He was coiled tight. Watchful. Ready.
    She hit him with something certain to give him pause. “I’m feeling fragile this morning.”
    One arm crossed his chest; the other lifted his mug to his lips. He swallowed and nodded. “I’m a bit raw myself.”
    His confession made her feel better and she managed a smile. “I was thinking maybe it would be a good idea for you to work with Jim today. I’ll see what I can do to help your partner and Miller. We can sleep off some of the hormones…pheromones…whatever, separately, and see how things look tomorrow.”
    There was a long stretch of silence, then, “I’ll agree to the break, but it would be best for everyone if I didn’t see Ralston again.”
    “He’s damn good at his job. He trained me.”
    “He could be the best damn fire inspector in the country; that won’t stop me from laying him out cold if he tries that territorial bullshit again.”
    “He had no way of knowing we’d made arrangements to hook up,” she argued. “He was just trying to be a good friend, which is all