Page 58 of The Fireman and the Flirt

Our lips met. He huffed out short breaths as his body shook.

“Derek, don’t stop. Yes. Yes.” He buried himself in the crook of my neck and held on tightly as his whole body tensed.

“Oh, God. Derek,” he pleaded. Goosebumps prickled down his back as hot jets of come burst onto my stomach.

“Baby, that was so hot,” I whispered.

“Come inside me,” he commanded, heavy-lidded.

I didn’t need to be asked twice. I thrust into him with a strong slam and emptied myself into the condom. Cary groaned with delight as the warmth made contact with him. He collapsed onto me, and I collapsed back onto my seat. We lay there for a moment, me rubbing a hand up and down his back, until our bodies could be mobile again. I was going to be sore for the rest of the day, and it was fucking worth it.

Eventually, Cary managed to untangle himself from me and return to his seat. Car sex wasn’t the best spot for post-coital cuddling, which sucked because I was still craving the closeness of his body.

A heavy moment hung between us as it usually did post-coming. A dip of longing formed inside me. Usually, once we came, we parted ways until next time, and the next time always seemed achingly far away.

Cary wiped off my stomach and himself with his boxers. I pulled a blanket from the backseat to cover him.

“Not that I don’t want to keep seeing you naked.”

“I’ve been naked enough today.” Even with the heat on, it was cold, so he got dressed, expertly maneuvering his legs and arms into his clothes. His shirt was rumpled, hair askew. He was a shaggier version of himself; I was grateful to be one of the only people who got to see it.

Before Cary could break the tension with another funny comment, an idea came to me. We were in the most tender moment of our relationship thus far.

“Whether it’s tickling or whatever, you never have to feel embarrassed around me, Cary.”

I shifted to hover over the center console, hovering just above the gear shift.

“Derek…what are you doing?”

I sucked in a breath.Here goes nothing. The things we do for others. I disappeared the gear shift into my mouth, getting it all the way down to where it met the car. I only lasted a second though before gagging and pulling up. My jaw would be sore for the rest of the day, but again. Worth it.

“Now we’re both weirdos.” I smoothed back Cary’s hair and gave him a peck on the lips, a kiss of solidarity.

I couldn’t read Cary’s expression. It was a mix of confusion and deep thought.

“Is everything okay?”

“Yeah,” he said, preoccupied with something. Had I crossed a line?

“I’m actually impressed you were able to do that,” I said, clearing my throat. “My jaw hurts. The shape is?—”

“It’s a lie,” he blurted out.

“What’s a lie?”

“Gearhead. It never happened.”

18

CARY

“Gearhead is a lie?” Derek asked, his eyes squinting. He was really cute when he was confused.

The truth had sat tucked away in a dusty corner inside me, but I could always feel its weight, no matter how small a box I put it in. Opening it, I had to be feeling what Pandora felt when her box was opened. I prayed there was hope at the bottom of mine.

“Is it okay if I start at the beginning?”

“Of course.” Derek raked a hand up and down my arm.

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