Chapter 22

E: Come by for dinner and dessert? 2000?

Han: Yes.

E: Chinese good?

Han: Should I bring anything?

E: Yourself, a smile, and a good appetite. Hungry?

Han: Starving.

E: I’ll open my garage so you can park.

* * *

At precisely eight p.m., there was a gentle knock on her backdoor. She answered it wearing dark wash skinny jeans and semi-low cut cranberry top.

He was still in his uniform—white button-down, black tie, and black chief jacket—but he was tasty enough that she grabbed his lapels and kissed him.

Noah responded with hungry fervor; his hands grabbed her ass and ground her against him. He had been across her threshold less than thirty seconds, and he was already hard. She wiggled appreciatively, eliciting a deeper kiss.

When they came up for air, his dress shirt was unbuttoned, his tie was on the floor, and he was panting. “So it’s a metaphorical appetite?”

“You had to ask?”

“I could only hope.” He willingly led her into the bedroom and spun her down onto the bed.

Much later, Erin was back in the kitchen, wearing his undershirt and a pair of ratty gym shorts. Noah was showing that he didn’t miss abs day in his boxers. She popped the pot stickers into the microwave.

“You meant Chinese food.” He helpfully laid napkins on her table for two.

“Pot-stickers could be Chinese food, yes.” She piled her hair in a headwrap to keep her springy curls restrained. “What did you think I meant?”

Noah’s two strong arms encircled her waist, and he nuzzled her hair. “Might have been more code.”

Erin dodged his arms, moving to the beeping microwave. “I could totally make a bunch of pot-sticker jokes right now, except I’m a grownup.”

She picked up the plates and carried their food to her table for two. The lonely table didn’t get a lot of play. She ate breakfast, lunch, dinner, and breakfast again twice a week on shift at the firehouse. On her days off, she’d eat with Theo or have a few drunk brunches with Luna and Vanessa. Fortunately, not every brunch led to awkward Fire Chief encounters.

Or they might lead to future sexy Fire Chief encounters. A few drinks in, there was a serious chance she’d be trying to convince him to stop by her bed for a lunchtime quickie.

“I’m not sure if I said this before, but I like your place. It’s—”

“Tiny?” Erin interjected.

“It’s you. The way you move around. No motion is wasted.” Her one-bedroom had an open floor plan which let her have an eat-in kitchen and a living room. A weight bench and exercise equipment took up half of that space, though.

“It’s because it’s small. This place was meant for a medical student. The bigger places are for the residents and fellows, like my neighbor.” She dropped a pot sticker since it was too hot. “There goes no wasted motion.”

He deftly snagged it with his fork, took a bite out of it, and offered it back to her.

“Eww, that has your germs!” This was too cute. Sexy post pillow talk, eating with shirtless Noah Baker.

He smirked. “My mouth has been in some very interesting places.”

“We’ll see how your morning breath smells,” she teased because she couldn’t remember his morning breath from the first morning of the weekend sexathon, and he’d left early on the second.

Noah set his fork down. “Morning breath? I can stay over?”

Erin stopped and wondered if she offered too much too soon after her friends’ advice about limiting commitment beyond sex. He’d already slept over twice, so it wasn’t breaking a different fun sex rule. “You’re welcome to stay over, assuming you don’t try to steal the covers again.”

“You steal the covers,” he countered.

“I do not. They’re my covers so they belong to me. You can’t steal something you already own.”

“Then I’m going to keep you close if I want to have any covers.” His gaze said he was contemplating removing her shirt again.

Her phone rang, and she answered while her fire chief deftly popped the food back in the fridge. “Hey, Theo.”

“Hey, girl with the new lover. You gonna get your car now?” Theo teased Erin as Noah boosted her up to sit on her table.

“Later,” Erin said. Noah licked her ear and then began exploring her collarbone. “I’m busy.”

“Getting busy with Han. Can I say ‘hi?’” Erin vaguely heard Theo say because Noah had rolled up her shirt, baring her breasts. Noah was fully aware how much she enjoyed him sucking on her nipples until she gave up the goods.

“Hang up the phone,” Noah whispered, rubbing his five o’clock shadow across the upper slope of her chest. She tried to jerk back, but he wrapped one hand around her free arm, arching her spine slightly.

“Now is not the best time,” Erin said to Theo. Noah was gazing at her chest, his pupils dilated with arousal to the point where only a tiny ring of blue iris remained. Her nipples took note and pebbled with his hot breath so near them.

“Hang up the phone,” Noah repeated quietly.

“Did you feed him?” Theo faux accused.

Noah swiped one crest with his tongue. “Hang up,” he commanded harshly as her thighs went from wet to dripping. Her other nipple got a similar treatment.

Erin pulled the phone away from her face to moan. Since she made no motion to stop him, Noah took it to be her tacit approval to start vigorously suckling on her tits. Erin found herself scooting forward to grind her center against his naked obliques. Hoping she wouldn’t melt immediately, she struggled to keep her voice steady. “I have to go.”

“Hey, wait—”

Noah took the phone out of her hand, hit ‘disconnect,’ and tossed it over his shoulder into the living room. “He can call you back later.”

The brief distraction of the phone gave her a chance to regroup, and she slid off the table. “You’re so naughty.” Erin rolled his boxers down, freeing him. She kissed her way down his hard pecs and abs right to the head of his cock. With her best Mona Lisa smile, she gave the tip a quick kiss.

“Erin,” he warned, fingers resting on her hair like he itched to position her for maximum deep throating potential.

“Bedroom?” She wrapped her lips around the flared head and sucked hard. The spicy, salty taste of him flooded her mouth.

“Bedroom,” he agreed in a strangled voice.

No need to delay. She threw her shirt over her head. “We already unmade the bed. Let’s see how close you can hold me.”

Her words weren’t forgotten an hour later after Noah practiced holding her close. In fact, he held her so close, he slept inside of her.

Erin should have stopped him, tried to distance him, but she was too satisfied and fulfilled to wonder if they were moving too fast.