When the Smoke Clears (Interracial Firefighter Romance) (30 page)

We exploded together. Shattered into nothing. It wasn’t pretty or delicate. Loud grunts and moans ensued. We humped each other like two wild fucking beasts in a jungle. Gyrating our centers. Rotating our hips. Bucking and bouncing. Whimpering and wailing.

“Oh, baby!” she screamed.

My legs grew weak, but I held her to me just to get one more thrust. And that one movement, ripped everything out of me.

Jesus.

Stumbling back, we fell to the ground. Cool sand pressed against our hot bodies. I rolled her over to me so that she wouldn’t have to lay, naked on the sand.

Our laughter rose to the night sky.

I held her in my arms. “I don’t think there’s any going back, after this.”

“No?” she whispered.

“No, Kassie. I’m definitely falling for you.”

Sighing, she whispered back, “Me too.”

Chapter 21

Kassie

W
e
made love most of the night, until finally we decided to head back to my house. Lorenzo wanted to make sure I got enough sleep. Mom would be dropping Rich back off to my place tomorrow after church. We decided we would go to my place and sleep in.

His phone beeped as we climbed into his car. He checked it and twisted his face in confusion. “That’s weird. It’s not like Rockstar to call me.”

“You think it’s an emergency?”

“Probably not. My mom didn’t call and she has the girls, so whatever he has to say can wait until I get to your place.”

“Okay.”

Lorenzo drove us away from our lovely beach. The whole time a silly smile sat on his face.

“How do you feel?” he asked.

“Good.”

“Are you sure?”

“Baby, you didn’t take my virginity. I’m more than fine.”

“I feel like you took my virginity.”

“Good.”

“I’m pussy whipped.”

“Good.”

“I need to whip you.”

My body buzzed with energy. My head swirled around the images of him—wild and devouring me. “Mission accomplished.”

“Yes?”

Warmth filled my chest. “Yes.”

Stopping at a red light, he turned my way and studied me. “I’m sorry about your dress. It really couldn’t be helped.”

“You tore away at my dress and roared like a lion.”

“It couldn’t be helped.”

“You kept screaming, ‘Fuck this dress! Fuck this dress!’ over and over.”

“Yeah. It really couldn’t be helped.”

“Sure.”

“I do plan on buying you something new. Maybe that could be our second date, we go shopping for dresses that I can tear away. I’m not big on buying clothes or fashion, but that’s one shopping trip I would sign up for.”

I laughed. “That sounds like a plan.”

“You’re so beautiful, Kassie.”

“Stop it.”

I was a mess. Sand clung to my dreadlocks and skin. I wore Lorenzo’s huge polo shirt that fit me like a mini-dress. Around my waist, I’d tied the ripped sundress to cover everything, since we couldn’t find my bra or panties anywhere in the sand.

I was a mess.

I lost my shoes. He drove shirtless with stained and dirtied pants. We sat in the car barefoot and coated in sand. Yet, silly smiles spread across our face like we were the richest people in the world and dressed in high-end glamour.

I was nervous, but I asked anyway. “So when will we see each other again?”

“Whenever you want. You haven’t gotten rid of me yet. I’m spending the night. We’re having a slumber party.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yes! I know all about little girl slumber parties.”

I scrunched my face in confusion. “Uh. . .what?”

“Sorry. I have twin girls, so I’ve had a lot of slumber parties at my house. In fact, just ignore that comment.”

“No, let’s explore this.” I giggled. “What do you do at these slumber parties?”

“Nope. We’re done with this topic.”

I hit his arm as he pulled off for the green light. “We’re not done. What do you do?”

“I’m usually the test dummy for almost everything, which almost always involves make-up and frilly things.”

I covered my mouth so the laughter wouldn’t spill out.

“I’ve learned a lot of things. For one, peach foundation just doesn’t go well with my skin. And my eyes require an earthy eye shadow. The metallic stuff makes me look too cheap.”

“And you’re not cheap.” The laughter burst from me.

“Ha ha. That’s okay. Laugh it up. I actually look pretty hot in a wig and make up.”

“Oh, God, a wig? Stop it.”

“I’ve worn gowns and heels. I’m not sure, yet. . .if I’m traumatizing the girls or if they’re traumatizing me, but the heels and gown will never happen again.”

“You sound like an amazing dad.”

“I don’t know. I tend to be a push-over with them.”

“Those are the best dads.”

“It’s hard to tell them no, and every day as they get bigger I keep thinking that they’ll be grown soon. Kids are only small for a little while, after that, they’re old forever. More and more, I try to count the moments and be happy for them. Even when I’m wearing high heels and a gown.”

“And now, you’ve dick whipped me.”

“Oh yeah?” That freaking arrogance hit his face. He rounded the corner toward my house. “And it only took complete embarrassment for me to whip that pussy into shape?”

Before I could answer, I looked at my front yard or better yet my parking lot, and spotted the car sitting behind mine.

Ellis.

My ex-husband had decided to finally show up this weekend, and not at a regular time. I checked my watch. It read midnight.

What the fuck are you doing here?

He sat on the front steps that lead to my porch and gripped a large bottle of gin. Never had I known Ellis to drink anything more than water. He’d kept all of his vices in the realm of sex. But here he was, downing a bottle of gin, like it was Kool-Aid.

Before I could say something, Lorenzo spoke, “That’s your ex-husband.”

“Uh. . .yes.”

“Not really a question. I just looked at him and can see a man that’s lost a lot.” Lorenzo pulled into the driveway. “Because he’s drinking a bottle of rum on your door step, he must have lost you.”

“I doubt that’s why he’s gone to drinking,” I said.

“I bet that’s the reason,” Lorenzo said.

“It’s not that serious.”

“Ten years isn’t that serious?
It doesn’t mean that he didn’t love you. It doesn’t mean that he doesn’t think that he’s made a mistake. It doesn’t mean that he’s not secretly hoping that you were the monster in the relationship and that if he can prove that, then everything will be okay. No one wants to be the reason why a relationship messed up.”

Tension built in my shoulders.

Lorenzo turned off the lights. Ellis stood up on the front door step and stalked toward us as we got out of the car.

Ellis spat the words out. “Where have you been?”

Really?

I rolled my eyes. “Rich is with my mother.”

“I know. Where have you been?” Ellis gripped the bottle in his hand as if he were going to slam it against Lorenzo’s head. He stalked at my fire fighter, almost sneering as Lorenzo got to my side and put his hands around my waist.

I sighed. “If you know your son is with my mom, then why are you here?”

“Because, his mother is out being a whore—” Ellis stopped his sentence as Lorenzo stepped forward with a closed fist.

O-kay.

“Maybe we should talk over here.” I got in front of Lorenzo, but kept my concentration on Ellis. “Lorenzo can you go inside, please?”

“No.” He gestured to the door. His hands remained tight and ready to punch my ex’s face. Rage radiated from that hard body that I’d just been savoring on the beach. Lorenzo was no longer the man that I’d met these past days. He’d become something raw and angry. His gaze fumed with annoyance and targeted Ellis’s face. “How about we all go inside?”

I stood there speechless.

Too bad Ellis didn’t keep his mouth closed. My ex turned to me. “Who the fuck is this guy?”

“We’re dating,” I blurted out.

“And has he met Rich?” Ellis asked.

“That’s a long story.”

“Say it now,” Ellis said through clenched teeth.

Lorenzo cracked his neck. “Maybe, you should say please.”

What the hell is going on with the both of them? It’s like they’re both hungry tigers and I’m the only piece of red meat within fifty miles.

I sniffed the air and caught the clear odor of alcohol. Ellis gripped an almost empty bottle. I hadn’t realized it until coming closer. I didn’t think he was capable of drinking more than a glass of wine.

Ellis pointed at Lorenzo. “Kassie, you better tell this thug to calm down.”

“You’re drunk. Perhaps, we should all calm down.” I headed for the door and both men followed. Anxiety bit at the back of my neck. Unbridled violence thickened in the air, and I’d never been so nervous in my life. It was all too much. Too much testosterone. Too much rage. Too many men on my property flexing their muscles and wanting to take out their big dicks and fight with them.

How the hell did the night go so wrong?

We got inside of my house, and the mood didn’t improve. If anything, both men appeared even more pissed to have the other standing in my living room.

I set my pocket book on my couch. “How long are you going to be in Sarasota?”

Both men stood barely a few feet away from each other, glaring the entire time.

“Ellis?” I said. “How long are you going to be in Sarasota?”

“I’m not sure. I need to make sure Rich is safe here.”

“Excuse me?” Now shit was about to get real. I’d been steady before. More shocked at everyone’s annoyance, instead of ready to boil in my own. I cared for Lorenzo and understood that he was trying to protect me. And where Ellis was concerned, I only gave him attention if it would affect my son. Other than that, he no longer could mess with my emotions.

But there was something about the way Ellis said those last words.

“What do you mean,
make sure Rich is safe
?” I asked.

“You’re out all night.” Ellis pointed to my disarray—Lorenzo’s huge shirt flapping around my chest, the sand all over my hair and skin, the torn dress tied around my hips and waist. “You look like you’re on drugs.”

“I was out on a date.”

Ellis sneered at me. “You were out on something.”

Thank, God Lorenzo said nothing, but the rage on his face kept me nervous. I didn’t know how many sentences Ellis would be able to utter without Lorenzo going to blows.

I pointed at Ellis. “You’re drunk. Let’s stop playing the blame game tonight.”

Shrugging, he set the bottle on my coffee table. “I drink now. You did that to me. You gave me nightmares.”

“I did not.”

“I still feel pain from that bullet.” He stumbled back a little and glared at Lorenzo. “Did this bitch tell you how she shot me?”

Lorenzo cracked his neck again. “Kassie, can we talk in the back?”

“Eh!” Ellis staggered a little before finally falling back to the couch and sitting down. “Eh! You had your fun, buddy. She smells like dick. Probably your dick. At least somebody’s had fun with her. Why don’t you go home, buddy?”

“I’m going to go in your bedroom so I don’t hurt him. I don’t think it would be good, if I did.” Lorenzo clenched and unclenched his fists and then he stormed to the back.

“Correct,” I called after him. “Umm. . .I’ll be there in a minute.” I turned back to Ellis and rushed over to the coffee table to grab his bottle of gin. “Since when have you started drinking hard liquor?”

Closing his eyes, he twisted to the side and lay his feet and legs on the couch. “I’ve been drinking since some bitch shot me.”

“Poor guy. I really hope you don’t mess up and piss that bitch off again.” I tossed the bottle in the trash can. “In fact, you may want to get some rest on that couch and sober up, before you find a bullet lodged deep within the crevices of your ass.”

He opened his eyes. “Is that a threat?”

I walked over to him and leaned his way. “Yes. It is a threat. I’ve not gone off on you tonight, because I’m trying to show that big guy in my bedroom that I’m not a complete lunatic.”

“That must be hard.”

I sneered at him. “It is, sweetie. But you have one more time to call me a bitch, insult me or even think of insinuating my status as a mother to your son. The son that you have not called in several months unless being told to do so by your sister. The son you didn’t take care of while I was in the mental hospital for a year. The son that is all mine in every way, so much that I will shoot you again, if you try to mess with him or me. And that isn’t a threat, it is your future, should you choose to continue to be a douche bag this evening.”