Vital Signs (10 page)

“Well he was always mixing things in his room. Started that fire with things he’d mixed from under the kitchen sink.” She nodded as if this was something to be proud of in her son. “I’d gladly tell you where he is. Lord knows he could use a steady job, especially since he can’t keep one for long. But I don’t know where he’s at.”

“You haven’t heard from him?” The muscle in Corey’s jaw fluttered, but only Sarita could see it from the way he angled away from Mrs. Allancamp.

“Not at all.”

“I understand. It’s disappointing. I really wanted him in this program. He would have something in common with these kids around here, having grown up here himself. Well if you hear from him at all maybe you’d give me a call.” He handed her an envelope that had his cell number written neatly on the front.

She accepted it with a swipe of her tongue over her lips. Like Sarita, was she eager to know what was inside the envelope?

Sarita extended her hand for Mrs. Allancamp to shake and thanked her for her time. Corey did the same. When they were back inside his car, they stared at each other.

Opening her mouth to speak, she was silenced by Corey’s raised hand. “I need to think for a moment please,” he said quietly.

She detected the disturbance inside him. A young boy raised by a drug user single mom. Someone with enough bad feelings to set fires at a young age. And a murder charge?

“Dammit, we need to get that file unsealed. We have to find out what the murder charge was.” His thought pattern echoed hers.

She reached across the space and touched his hand. The fine hairs sprouting on his wrist sent a prickle of need through her, but she staunched it. Now wasn’t the time for acting on her needs, no matter how hot he was right now. A hard-ass firefighter turned arson investigator with a dark, pensive expression that made her panties damp.

He turned his hand over and squeezed her fingers. “Let’s get out of here.”

She nodded. For several city blocks she wondered at the life this boy would have lived. Even if he wasn’t the arsonist, he’d had a rough time in his youth. Where was he now?

“Are we going to the firehouse?”

“I am. I’m dropping you at your apartment first. Thank you for coming with me, Sarita. I think you added an authenticity to my story of being a counselor. But I need to do this alone.”

“But…”

“No buts, baby. I can’t have you tangled up in this crap. I need to hash things out with the chief and see if he can get his friend on the police force to do some undercover investigation for us. We can’t tip off anybody that we’re looking for this person.”

“You don’t think his mother will be suspicious?”

“I think she was too high. She probably won’t even call the number on the envelope I gave her.”

“What was inside the envelope?” She stared at his profile. Sun blinked across his face, highlighting his five o’clock shadow.

“Cash. Nothing says you’re serious like good, old-fashioned bribery. If she sees her son, she might remember where her last high came from and call me. And there’s always a chance she’ll turn him in just hoping for more money.”

Sarita made a soft noise. “It’s sad.”

He shot her a look. “It is. But I have a feeling we’re onto something here.” A few more blocks and he was at her building again. When he parked and turned to her, his gaze held a spark she couldn’t ignore.

She reached for him at the same time he reached for her. Their mouths collided with a gasp and a moan. As he plunged his tongue between her lips, she opened for him, need spiraling out of control.

“Come up with me,” she rasped between his assault.

“Can’t. Fuck, I want to.”

“Don’t say you can’t.” She took his hand and put it over her pussy. His growl rumbled through her. He yanked his hand free and delivered a hard spank to her mound. She cried out as the light sting sank through the fibers of her jeans. Not enough pleasure-pain but a promise of more to come.

He stared down at her, his chest working. “You liked that.”

“I need you, Corey.”

“Hell.” He fished a hand under her tank top and located her nipple. Pinching hard enough to make her cry out, but he swallowed her noise with another breath-stealing kiss. Her nipple swelled under his touch and her panties were soaking. She covered his bulging jeans with her palm, kneading his hard length.

“Dammit, woman, I’m going to take you right here. Now.”

“In fifty steps we can be in my bed.” She squeaked as he burrowed his hand into her pants and stroked her wet pussy.

“No. But I’m going to take you on the verge of coming and then send you inside alone.”

“Without letting me come?” Dark pressure slithered through her lower belly.

He gave a single nod. “I’ll know if you do so don’t even try it, Sarita.” He curled his finger over her clit, sending a spasm of want through her. She bucked into his hand, and he sank one thick finger deep into her core. As she begged for more, he stared into her eyes and drove her up the steep slope of bliss—fast.

Ecstasy twisted her insides. She was so close. Maybe he wouldn’t be able to stop her from coming. Maybe…

She tensed.

His touched vanished. When she gasped in outrage, he fed his fingers into her mouth, still damp with her arousal. Her flavors ripped a noise from her throat, and his eyes hooded more. His cock had to be throbbing—his jeans looked about to burst.

“Go inside, angel. I’ll come to you soon.”

“Corey.” Her plea fell on deaf ears. Part of her loved this game they were playing. The fact that he knew all the right things to do and say to make her insane was a sure sign of good things between them.

He stamped her mouth with his. “Don’t touch yourself. That pussy is mine. Those moans are mine. Understand?”

He stared at her until she nodded. Then he reached past her and opened the door for her. In a daze, she got out. Heart pounding, her body a live wire. A stroke of the ocean breeze right now would set her off.

She closed the car door and he shot her a wink and a crooked smile that sent her reeling all over again. As he drove off, she fought the rising need to scream in frustration.

I can’t believe he’s left me like this. Damn, he’s everything I’ve always hoped for even if the timing is wrong.
A smile of her own crossed her face and her hips held an extra sway as she went into her building.
Wait until she got him in her bed again. Two could play the withholding game.

»»•««

Corey had enough experience behind him that he knew a woman like Sarita was different. She wasn’t the party girl looking for men to buy her drinks, or the desperate women he’d met on Internet dating sites.

While he’d never felt it necessary for his happiness to be in a relationship, he couldn’t deny that he’d visited the clubs and dating sites in search of someone to fill the empty holes in his life.

And at the worst damn possible time, she shows up.

He pushed another rough sigh out through his nose—about the tenth in an hour. His cock was still as hard as stone. It had taken everything in him to drive away from her. Hell, even now he wanted to go back and finish the job. To see her eyes blur over as she came and feel every contraction of her pussy rocket through him.

If it were only about the sex, it would be easier.

When she thought he wasn’t looking, he studied her. Her habits, her movements. The way she took care with her clothes, shaking the wrinkles from them and folding them neatly, spoke of a person who took care of the things she worked hard for.

Sure, she was young but the age difference didn’t seem to concern her. He did wonder if, in fifteen years, the stretch between them would become too great. She’d be in her prime, but maybe… Well with a woman like Sarita his engine would always be revving.

He parked behind East Street firehouse and looked at the back façade. The building had many issues, but surely it could be revitalized. They just needed someone to take interest.
Someone with a big wallet.

He’d heard about historical societies buying buildings on the cheap and restoring them. East Street had been a firehouse since the turn of the twentieth century. In the old days the tanker trucks and the horses that pulled them were kept in the same space. Eventually modern comforts had been added like a kitchenette and bathroom. But these were no longer up to code and the whole structure needed stabilizing.

It was only a matter of time before East Street was told to move out, and then they’d be scattered to other departments or even other cities.

The thought brought an ache to Corey’s chest. There had to be something he could do to help. If he couldn’t haul hose quite yet—only a few more days off, he reminded himself—then he could come up with some ideas for keeping the building.

Along with finding the arsonist.

He got out of the car and started to the firehouse when his phone blew up. He glanced down to see Sarita had sent images. Several of them.

As soon as he got a peek at her bare breasts spilling from a tiny black bra, he gulped. The second photo was her lying on her side and a shot of her round thighs parted enough for him to swim in fantasies of what lay between them.

The third and fourth images were close-ups of her lips. One in a pout and one with her sucking on her fingertip. His cock distended in a blink.

And the last image was her warm brown ass with a handprint on it. Her own handprint, he could tell by the small size and shape of her slender fingers.

A growl left him and his thumbs flew over the keypad.
You better not touch yourself.

Oh I’m not.

Satisfaction bloomed inside him, taking up too much space for his peace of mind. Where did a woman like Sarita learn to provoke a man? Images and words, even her breathy pleas undid him. But all of it was natural, it seemed. She was a very sexual being, and he was damn lucky to be on the receiving end.

What had Jagger said?
Please tell us you’re hitting that
. The guys knew a good thing when they saw it too. When Corey thought of Wally touching Sarita’s hair, he still wanted to punch something.

But he also had no intention of letting Sarita go. He had enough knowledge of women to realize if he kept her feeling desired and beautiful and important, she’d never stray.

That was something he’d learned the hard way with his fiancée years ago. He’d gotten too caught up in work and neglected her. He wasn’t saddened by his past mistakes, not anymore. But he wouldn’t make them again, and especially not with Sarita.

Keep it wet for me.
His text got a response of several hearts and a kiss emoji.

Smiling, he went into East Street. And chaos erupted.

The sirens sounded. Men were on their feet, running for gear. Jumping into the trucks so fast he could hardly make out their faces.

“We’re short, Corey. Get into gear,” Jagger hollered as he passed.

Corey didn’t hesitate. He felt whole. And he’d had plenty of recovery time.

It took him a minute longer than he wanted to gear up. The first ladder truck rolled out of the doors and he ran to catch the handle. Making a leap and landing on the ledge to whoops from his fellow firefighters. He grinned, feeling the old spark of adrenaline that fueled him.

Deep inside his gear his phone vibrated and he imagined several more naughty photos from Sarita. Too bad he couldn’t get to his phone without stripping off his coat and suspenders.

He squeezed into the moving truck and the guys slid down the bench to accommodate him.

“Good to have you back, Corey. Get your clearance?” Gabriel asked
.

“I’m five minutes away from it. Chief’s making the call right now. Feels good to be geared up.” He couldn’t deny the excitement raging through him. Yeah, the last time he’d gone into a burning building, he’d come out on a stretcher with a pipe the whole way through his body, but that wasn’t going to happen again.

But he knew Sarita would give him hell for going in without his final doctor’s visit and those papers in hand rather than Chief’s hasty phone call. He’d have to make sure he softened her up before she found out. When she was begging for him to come, she wouldn’t care what he’d done with his day.

His phone vibrated again. And again. Damn, what if something was wrong? He unzipped his jacket and whipped it off. When he leaned back to dig into his pants, the guys whistled and catcalled. But he ignored them and located his phone.

When he pulled it free and saw the strange number there, his mind went a million directions.

It could be a spam phone call. Or it could be the only person he’d given his number to today.
Mrs. Allancamp.

Five were missed calls and one alert was for a short voicemail. He plugged his opposite ear in order to listen, his brain working over the case. Had she heard from Mitchell? Was she calling to tell him where to find her son?

Slurred speech filled his ear. She was high. Fading off track. He had no fucking idea what she was saying.

“Dammit.” He stabbed a button and listened again. But he still couldn’t make out the words.

He might have minutes to get to the slums and nab the suspect but he was sitting here trying to crack the code it seemed she spoke in. He listened one more time but still couldn’t understand.

The truck careened around the corner at top speed. Vehicles scattered for them. The radio rattled with information about the fire. Nice area on the outskirts of the city, a single family home.

Single family home. Family.

What had Mitchell been lacking in his formative years? A proper family. If he was the arsonist, Corey might now know his motive. He couldn’t be happy at home so maybe he didn’t want anybody else to be either.

His only choice was to forward the voicemail to somebody who might be able to understand it. Chief was on his way to the fire reported to be another arson. But Sarita had been in that house with Mrs. Allancamp. She’d heard the woman’s cadence and might be able to decipher it.

With a few taps on his screen he forwarded the voicemail to her with a short message about its origin.