Page 3 of Safety Hazard

His smile was slow and devastatingly effective. “Protecting what’s mine.”

I’m not sure who moved first. One moment we were locked in our standoff, the next his mouth was on mine, hot and demanding. I made a surprised sound that quickly turned into something more desperate as his arms wrapped around me, lifting me effortlessly until my back hit the wall.

This is insane. I’m kissing the Fire Chief. The infuriating, rule-breaking Fire Chief who’s been driving me crazy for days.

His tongue pushed past my lips, claiming my mouth with the same confidence he did everything else. I should have resisted, should have maintained some professional dignity. Instead, I found myself clutching his shoulders, my fingers digging into muscle so firm it barely yielded.

He broke the kiss to trail his mouth along my jaw to my ear. “You’ve been making me crazy,” he growled, the sound vibrating through my entire body. “Walking around with your clipboard, telling me what I can’t do…”

“Someone has to,” I gasped as his teeth grazed my earlobe.

His laugh was dark and promising. “Always following the rules. I bet you’ve got rules for everything.”

His hands were under my windbreaker now, pushing it off my shoulders. I should have stopped him. I definitely shouldn’t have been helping, shrugging out of the garment and letting it fall to the floor in a wrinkled heap—something I’d never normally allow.

“I bet,” he continued, his fingers now working on my shirt buttons with surprising dexterity, “you’ve even got rules for this.”

“For what?” I asked, knowing exactly what he meant.

His answer was to pop the last button and spread my shirt open, his hot palms sliding over my chest and down to my stomach. I’d always been self-conscious about my body—too lean, not enough muscle—but the way he looked at me made me feel like I was the most delicious thing he’d ever seen.

“For fucking,” he said bluntly, golden eyes locked on mine. “Tell me to stop, Inspector. Tell me it’s against regulations.”

I swallowed hard. “Professional ethics suggest a separation between—”

He cut me off with another kiss, this one harder, hungrier. When he pulled back, his smile was knowing. “That’s not a no.”

My hands had developed a mind of their own, tugging his t-shirt up to reveal an abdomen rippled with muscle and dusted with dark hair. “It’s a very serious violation of… of protocol,” I managed as I explored the hot skin beneath my palms.

“I’m counting on it.” He yanked his shirt over his head in one smooth motion, and I nearly swallowed my tongue.

The Fire Chief was built like a Greek statue that had decided to start fighting fires for fun. Broad shoulders tapered to a narrow waist, every inch covered in defined muscle. A dusting of dark hair trailed down from his chest, disappearing tantalizingly into his jeans. Scars—some small, some worryingly large—marked his skin like badges of honor.

“See something you like, Inspector?” he teased, reaching for my belt.

I nodded, not trusting my voice. His fingers made quick work of my belt, then my button and zipper, each movement deliberate and confident. When his hand slipped inside my perfectly pressed khakis to cup me through my boxer briefs, I made an embarrassing whimpering sound.

“Fuck,” he growled. “You make the prettiest noises.”

My hips bucked involuntarily into his touch. “This is—” I gasped as he squeezed gently, “—highly inappropriate.”

“Absolutely,” he agreed, dragging my pants and underwear down my hips in one impatient motion. “Completely against regulations. You should write me up.”

Cool air hit my exposed skin, making me shiver—or maybe that was the way he was looking at me, like he wanted to devour me whole. My shirt hung open, my pants were around my thighs, and I was harder than I’d ever been in my life.

“My clipboard’s in the hall,” I managed, trying for humor and ending up with breathless desperation.

Shepherd’s laugh was rich and warm. “I’ll get you a new one.” He dropped to his knees in front of me, and all attempts at humor vanished from my mind.

Oh god oh god oh god. This is happening. The Fire Chief is on his knees. In his office. In the middle of the day.

“Wait,” I gasped, grabbing his shoulders. “The door—”

“Locked,” he assured me, hands sliding up my thighs. “Though if you’re worried about being quiet…” His thumb brushed over the head of my cock, spreading the moisture gathered there. “That might be a legitimate concern.”

Before I could respond, he leaned forward and took me into his mouth. The wet heat was overwhelming, making my knees buckle. Only his strong hands on my hips kept me upright against the wall as he worked me with his mouth, each stroke deliberate and devastating.

I’d had oral sex before, of course. I was thirty-two, not a teenager. But nothing had prepared me for the sight of this man—this infuriating, gorgeous man—looking up at me with those inhuman amber eyes while his lips stretched around me.