Rescue Breathing (35 page)

“
Hold onto the sink,” I say
authoritatively. Olivia does as she's told and white-knuckles the
cold porcelain sink as I quickly undo my belt and zipper, letting
my pants pool at my ankles. I grasp Olivia's hip with one hand and
my hard cock in the other and line it up with her entrance before I
thrust into her. “Fuck!” I yell.

“
Ahh… shhh…”
Olivia pants.
“Someone will hear you.”

I bend over her to kiss down her back as I
thrust into her hard and fast. “Baby, I can't be gentle. I've been
waiting for this.” I grip her hips and pound into her faster. I can
feel her inner muscles quivering already. “Were you a good girl,
Olivia?” I ask, growling hotly into her ear. “Did you do as I
asked?”

I made Olivia agree not to touch herself
or bring herself to orgasm while we were apart these last few days.
In return, I agreed to do the same…and I've been regretting that
stupid agreement ever since. Not touching myself while thinking
about Olivia is like not being able to breathe. It can't be done.
I'm conditioned for it.

“
Yes...yes! I've been good. You feel so
good, baby. Oh God! Oh God!”

“
That's not God, Liv. That's all me,” I say
through a tight jaw. “Who's fucking you, Liv? Whose dick is buried
deep inside of you right now?” I ask as I alternate long, slow
thrusts with fast and hard ones. “Look at me in the mirror, Olivia.
Who's. Fucking. You?” I growl, each word emphasized with a
punishing thrust of my hips into her.

Olivia throws back her head and brushes
her hair away from her face, looking me straight in the eye via the
mirror, “
You are!
Owen, I love it when you fuck
me like this. Please don'
t stop!
”
Olivia cries out.

I reach my hand around her, my fingers
finding her clit and drawing quick circles. “You'
re gonna come for me quick,
aren
't you, Olivia? You
missed me just as much as I missed you… Missed my cock filling you
up…”

“
Yesss…” she hisses while bracing herself
against the sink and pushing back against me slightly as my fingers
continue their assault on her clit. “
Owen, I
…
Oh God, Owen!
It
's...I'm…”

“
Come for me, baby. Come on me. Give it to
me,” I grind out, pulling her back against me again and
again.

Olivia lets out a soul-cleansing scream as
her orgasm takes over her body, pulsing around my cock.

“
Oh fuck, Olivia. Baby! Fuck!” I shout,
finding my own release. I wrap my arms around Olivia's waist as my
hips buck involuntarily, filling her completely.

Breathless and heaving, I slowly pull out
of Olivia. She winces. I reach over her and grab some paper towels,
running them under warm water before gently wiping between her
legs, cleaning her up. Olivia steadies herself against my arm. As I
look up into her eyes, I see only love reflected back at me. After
I finish cleaning her up, Olivia adjusts her skirt and then takes
me into her arms, planting a gentle kiss on my lips.

“
Good?
” I ask.

“
Phenomenal,
” she replies, and I smile wide, giving her a
quick kiss in return.

I hold her tight in my arms for a few moments
as we both come down from our high. Then, wordlessly, I take her
hand and lead her out of the bathroom.

After our memory-making romp at the
firehouse, I walk Olivia to her car. I play with her hair and
continue to nuzzle on her neck—anything to keep her here with me a
little while longer. I kiss her softly and whisper into her ear
what I'll do to her when I get home. Then I ask her to wait for me
back at my place so we can spend the day together after my shift.
The thought of coming home to find her waiting for me in my bed
turns me on to no end.

"I'll be home around 7:00 a.m. I want you
naked in my bed when I get home, Olivia. I want to make love to you
while we—"

I'm interrupted by the firehouse alarm
alerting us to a call. A fire at a duplex. My heart starts pounding
hard and my adrenaline spikes like it does for every call. It's a
feeling I'm addicted to.

I wanted to make it more of a special
moment when I finally gave Olivia a key to my apartment. It's a
major step for any couple, and I feel ready to let her into every
facet of my life. I want to share everything with her. My home, my
life, my love. Because of the rush with the emergency call, I dig
out my spare apartment key from my pants pocket and unceremoniously
slip it into Olivia's hand, kissing her chastely.

"I
've got to go, but I'll see you later. Okay?" I say as I
start to jog back to the firehouse.

"Okay!" Olivia calls after me. "Be safe!”
she yells, clutching my key to her chest.

"I will. I…”
I what...I'll miss you? I wish you lived
with me? I – gulp – love you?
I pick the safest approach possible, feeling a little like
a douche that I can't just say what I feel. “I'll see you at the
apartment sweetheart. Thanks for coming.”

“
That was all your doing, baby,” she says
with a wide smile.

I give Olivia a wink and send her an air kiss
before turning and running into the building to gear up for another
urgent call.

C
HAPTER THIRTY-TWO

Olivia

It
's been a pleasant couple of months for Owen and I. We have
spent a great deal of time between our apartments. He gave me his
key, but he also has stayed at my place on weekends when he's not
scheduled to work, allowing me to keep my place up and get things I
need.

It's fall now, almost winter, and today, I
am getting a rare chance to do some laundry and get some things
done around the house as Owen is working a double. I miss having
him with me, even though I was with him the last week, but it's
good for me to accomplish some of the mundane tasks I leave aside
when I spend time at Owen's. I'm sitting in the laundromat, feet
up, drinking a chai latte, reading some journal articles, and
highlighting key points. Suddenly, I feel my cell phone buzz in my
pocket. My heart instantly starts to race. Owen? I smile as I reach
for my phone and without looking answer.

"Olivia? It's me. Mom!"

My gut tightens.
I haven't spoken to my parents in some time. We
had a bit of a falling out when Jay and I broke up as they seemed
to think I'd had some fault in what he had done. I haven't really
come back from the feeling of betrayal I got from that and
therefore have kept my distance. My parents are good people. They
live a quiet life in the suburbs outside of the city. My father was
a cop for many years, and my mother worked was a stay-at-home mom.
Simon and I grew up in a loving home, but my mother used to nag me
about getting into a committed relationship, not wanting me to
become a spinster. She had really clung to the idea of Jay and me
having a future together. I don't think it's that she really
believed I had something to do with what Jay did so much as that
she was upset I had picked someone who hadn't panned
out.

"Hi, Mom. How are you?" I ask,
skeptically.

"I'm fine, darling. How are you? How is
your work coming along?"

"Oh, I finished my last research grant on
PTSD. It's going to be published this coming summer, so that's
exciting. We just received news that we have another grant
opportunity, so we'll be starting to write that up soon." I relish
the small talk because it keeps things simple. "How's Daddy?" I
ask.

"He's fine. He spends a lot of time
gardening, so we have a backyard that looks like a farm, but he's
happy and it keeps him out of my hair." She laughs. "Simon tells us
that you're dating someone?" And there it is—the reason for her
call.

I sigh audibly. "Yes, I am. His name is
Owen. He's a firefighter in Brooklyn." I can actually hear her joy
over the line.

"Oh? That's wonderful news, honey! What's
he like? Where did you meet him?"

"I actually met him when I went to Seattle
in the spring. We were on the same flight and then also had hotels
close by. He's a really nice guy, Mom. I think you'll like him." I
grin thinking about Owen and how much he has grown on me. "He's
smart, and strong, and dedicated to his work. He's
just…
a good guy."
My tone is wistful as I
describe him. I suddenly miss him terribly.

"Well, Simon and Reese are coming up this
weekend for a visit. It's for the fall festival in town. Maybe you
and Owen would like to come?" She sounds so hopeful.

I ponder the thought.
I know he's off next weekend because we
discussed going to visit the countryside. Owen hasn't met Simon
yet, and I very much want him to. But my folks? I guess that will
have to happen soon too. I've told him all about them, and he too
has wanted me to finally meet his mother.

"Yeah, let me talk to Owen," I reply
cautiously. “I'll see if he's made plans and is up for
it."

She sounds thrilled. "Okay! That sounds
great! Give me a call, Liv. Love you lots, pumpkin," she says and
quickly gets off the phone.

I sit, stunned. You have to be kidding me.
This will be interesting. I call my brother, who encourages me to
go, since it will deflect the damage on each of us—and also on our
significant others. Simon's wedding is this coming summer, and my
mother has been harassing Reese, not surprising. I decide to call
Owen.

"I was just thinking about you," he
answers without saying hello. "Thinking about last night… I don't
think I'll ever look at my kitchen table the same way again. Can we
even let dinner guests eat there anymore?"

I smile. Last night, we stayed at Owen's
and, in a fit of passion, made love on the kitchen table, right
next to the dinner we had been about to eat.

"Hello to you too, baby," I say. "I don't
think we need to stop having dinner guests, silly. How is your
shift going?"

He sighs. "Eh, it's fine. Slow today,
which is always okay. Just makes the shift go by at a snail's pace.
Tanner and I are working on the grocery list. He keeps hounding me
for a commitment from you to come cook for us. We'll have to look
at your calendar," he says.

I forgot that when I visited there a few
months ago I had promised to cook them all dinner and, more
importantly, bake them a chocolate cake.
Men are so easy sometimes. Tanner is a good guy.
Owen and I are hoping to hook him up with Laney. I think they'd be
a great couple.

"Well, I'll try and find a date to come do
that for the boys," I promise, laughing. "Listen, I have a question
for you."

"Oh?" he asks warily. "What's up,
beautiful? Everything okay?"

"Oh yeah. Everything's fine. It's just my
mother called me unexpectedly today. She said Simon and Reese are
going there next weekend for the fall festival and she wants us to
come too and stay for the weekend." I pause, waiting for a reaction
from him. There is none. "We're both off so..."

He laughs, "Baby, we can do whatever you
want. I'd love to meet your folks. And definitely Simon. And maybe
it will get your mom to focus on something other than your past?" I
smile. I am seriously falling for this guy. “
I love you
”
is on the tip of my tongue. He just…gets me.

"You have no idea how happy that would
make me. Actually, you have no idea how happy you make me." I say,
truly meaning the sentiment.

"Well, I can think of about a half dozen ways
you can show me when I see you tomorrow," he says wickedly.

"Baby, if you do this for me, I can promise
you lots and lots of appreciation," I purr back.

We talk a little longer and eventually
hang up after I thank him again for being willing to do
this.
I call my mother
and Simon and let them know that, next weekend, we are suburb
bound.

* * *

It
's Saturday morning and it's early, just about 8:00 a.m. We
are showered, dressed, packed, and ready to get on the road. Owen
is already in the car when I slide in, handing him a coffee in a
to-go cup.

"Off we go," I announce
, a little sullen.

He looks over at me with a sweet smile,
his hand stroking my hair. "Relax. This is going to be fine. And
it's about time we met each other's folks. I'm looking forward to
meeting your brother and Reese. We'll have fun.
Plus, I'm super charming.
I'll totally win your mother
over," he exclaims giving me a full, toothy, cheesy
grin.

I can't help but smile. Before putting on
my seatbelt, I lean over and kiss him hard on the mouth. "You
charmed me, so you can't be that bad at it," I muse.

We get to my folks house about an hour
later.
It's beautiful
here. The leaves have changed and the sun is bright. It's a crisp,
cool late fall morning.

We walk into my parents
' house and I call out for them. "Mom?
Dad?"

My parents
' dog, Sophie, comes bounding through the house.
She is an overzealous labradoodle who is ten years old but thinks
she's two, still full of energy. I know that Owen loves dogs, and
he is quick to roll around on the floor with her. He is
so
going to win my mother
over.