Page 15 of Playing With Fire
She didn’t hesitate, diving in to claim Evelyn’s pretty pussy in her mouth. Her tongue found the clit quickly, flicking acrossit back and forth before drawing away. Cass had no desire for Evelyn to finish any time soon. She wanted to draw it out, drive the woman wild with need, to watch her unravel, all because of Cass.
She drew wide, languid circles with her tongue, lapping it over and over softly. After a while, she sucked, ever so slightly, and Evelyn’s hands shot down to tangle themselves in Cass’s short hair in response.
Then back to the circles, slow and soft. Over and over, Cass teased her, switching back and forth. Bringing her closer to the edge before backing away.
Cass’s jaw was beginning to ache, and she could feel Evelyn shaking above her, desperate to climax. Once again, she drew circles, concentrating more firmly on Evelyn’s clit. When she could sense that she was near her breaking point, Cass brought her fingers up, slipping them into Evelyn’s core, pumping them back and forth as she licked and sucked. Closer and closer, until finally, Evelyn jolted above her, tremors racing their way through her whole body. Only once Evelyn’s climax had finished did Cass pull back, her knees complaining. Fuck, Evelyn looked practically debauched up there. Her hair was a mess, her clothes crumpled, her cheeks flushed, and her body thoroughly worn out, Cass thought Evelyn had never looked better.
The engine’s low hum filled the cab of Cass’s truck as she drove through the quiet streets, the streetlights casting fleeting shadows across her face. She gripped the steering wheel tightly, her knuckles white against the dark leather, as if holding on a little harder could anchor her to some semblance of stability. Butno amount of tension in her hands could distract her from the swirling chaos in her head.
She had done it again. Let herself lose control, give in to something she didn’t fully understand. The memory of Evelyn’s touch, the heat of her breath, the undeniable pull that had drawn them together burned in her mind, refusing to fade.
“What the hell am I doing?” Cass muttered, her voice harsh in the enclosed space.
She glanced at the rearview mirror as though searching for answers in her own reflection, but all she saw was a face lined with frustration and something she couldn’t quite name. She felt like a stranger to herself tonight, torn between conflicting emotions that refused to settle.
Anger bubbled up in her chest, hot and sharp. She wasn’t even sure who it was aimed at—Evelyn, for getting under her skin in ways no one else ever had; herself, for letting it happen; or the situation they were in, with its impossible tangle of professional boundaries and undeniable chemistry.
Cass smacked the steering wheel with the heel of her hand, the sharp sound breaking through the oppressive silence. “Get it together,” she growled, her voice cutting through the haze of her thoughts.
But she couldn’t get it together. Not when every mile she drove felt like she was getting further from the office but closer to a chasm she didn’t know how to cross. How could she let this happen? She was a professional, a leader. She had spent years keeping her personal life separate from her work, ensuring nothing ever interfered with her responsibilities to the firehouse and her team.
And yet, Evelyn Ford had come into her life like a spark in dry brushwood, igniting something Cass hadn’t even realized was there.
Her jaw clenched as she replayed the night in her mind, every moment etched into her memory with a clarity that felt almost cruel. She hated how easily Evelyn had unraveled her, how the fiery arguments and charged silences had turned into something else entirely. Evelyn, with her sharp wit and unreadable eyes, her unshakable determination and that damn infuriating way of always meeting Cass head-on, refusing to back down.
And now Cass couldn’t stop thinking about her. It was maddening.
She glanced at the clock on the dashboard. It was late, far too late to still be wrestling with this. Her team was counting on her. They were fighting a battle for their future, for the tools and resources they needed to save lives, and Cass couldn’t afford to let herself get distracted. She’d always prided herself on being unshakable, on putting her duty first. But now? Now, she felt like she was coming apart at the seams.
Her thoughts drifted, unbidden, back to Evelyn’s expression as they had parted. There had been something in her eyes—something vulnerable, almost hesitant that Cass hadn’t been able to ignore. It had made her heart ache in a way she didn’t want to examine too closely.
“Damn it,” Cass muttered, shaking her head as if the motion could dislodge the memory.
Her anger swelled again, mixing with frustration and confusion until it was a storm raging inside her. She wanted to blame Evelyn, to pin all of this on her. But deep down, Cass knew better. This wasn’t something Evelyn had done to her. It was something they had both let happen, something that felt as inevitable as it was dangerous.
By the time Cass pulled into her driveway, her mind was no clearer than it had been when she had left Evelyn’s office. She turned off the engine and sat in the darkness, her hands still gripping the wheel. She needed to figure out how to handle this—how to untangle the mess of emotions and focus on what really mattered.
But as she leaned her head back against the seat, Evelyn’s face flickered in her mind once more, and Cass knew it wasn’t going to be that simple.
8
EVELYN
Evelyn sat in her office, staring at her laptop, the usual flurry of budget reports and efficiency projections fading into an uncharacteristic blur. For the first time in as long as she could remember, her thoughts refused to obey the discipline she’d always prided herself on. Her work was her armor, her way of maintaining control in a world that often demanded more from her than she could give. But now, despite her best efforts, her mind kept returning to Cass Harris—the fierce, stubborn, infuriating fire captain who seemed determined to throw Evelyn’s world into chaos.
It wasn’t just the arguments, though those alone were maddening. Every interaction with Cass seemed to chip away at Evelyn’s carefully constructed defenses, the ones she’d perfected over years of working in environments where authority and respect were hard-won. Cass challenged her in a way no one else had. And instead of driving her away, that fire in Cass, that fierce loyalty and unshakable determination, pulled her in closer. Each time they clashed, each time Cass’s sharp words cut through Evelyn’s carefully measured logic, she felt something inside her shift, unsettling her in ways she couldn’t explain.
For days, Cass and Evelyn had been at each other’s throats over every conceivable issue, their once-professional interactions now laced with sharp barbs and simmering frustration. It started with budget cuts—her relentless push to streamline the department clashing with Cass’s fierce defense of her team’s morale. Then it spiraled into debates over equipment upgrades, training methods, and even small operational decisions like response times and shift schedules. Each disagreement felt more personal than the last, their voices rising over everything from staffing needs to safety protocols. Every interaction had become a battleground, with Cass accusing Evelyn of being out of touch with the realities on the ground, while Evelyn snapped back that Cass was too sentimental and too emotionally attached to traditions. The tension between them was palpable, thickening the air in every room they entered, making it impossible to ignore the crackling energy that neither of them seemed able—or willing—to resolve.
Evelyn took a steadying breath, her hand hovering over the keyboard as she tried to will herself back to her work. But memories of that night and the kiss they’d shared slipped into her mind unbidden. She felt her cheeks warm, a thrill that was equal parts frustration and undeniable attraction rushing through her. How had she let it get this far? She had always been able to compartmentalize her feelings, to prioritize her work above all else. She’d never been one to mix business with anything personal. Yet here she was, haunted by the memory of Cass’s hands and mouth on her, her fierce, challenging gaze softened just enough to show Evelyn a glimpse of something deeper.
The days passed, each one bringing new attempts to rebuild the distance she knew she needed to keep. She spent hours at her desk, late nights and early mornings poring over reports and formulating plans for the department. But no matter how many times she reminded herself of her mission, her purpose for being here, her thoughts inevitably circled back to Cass. There was an undeniable intensity in Cass that Evelyn had never encountered, a raw passion that stirred something in her she’d long since buried.
That passion resurfaced during their next meeting at the station. Evelyn’s resolve faltered as she entered the firehouse, her gaze sweeping over the familiar surroundings that now felt different, charged with a tension she couldn’t ignore. She spotted Cass across the room, talking to a group of her team members, her presence as commanding as ever. When their eyes met, Evelyn felt that familiar jolt—a quickening of her pulse, a flare of something deep within her.
“Captain Harris,” she greeted, her voice clipped, attempting to keep things strictly professional. But Cass’s eyes held hers, and Evelyn’s façade began to crack.
“Evelyn.” Cass’s tone was calm, but there was a challenge in her eyes, one that made Evelyn’s carefully constructed walls tremble. Cass crossed her arms, her eyes narrowing as she stared at Evelyn. “You really think slashing our budget is the answer?” she snapped. “You don’t even understand the day-to-day operations. These changes aren’t going to improve anything; they’re just going to tear us apart.”