All Fired Up (5 page)

Dave peered out of the visor with steely green eyes and locked onto Warner’s. Warner hesitated only a second before answering.

“Sure Dave.”

Dave turned and strode over toward Sheldon and the others, leaving her alone with Warner. Without looking at her, Warner indicated the best angle for the hose jet, explaining what force of jet to use, and the best target to aim for. Next minute, she was strapped onto the end of the ladder and, with Warner at the controls, she was lifted upward into the black smoke. Her heart beat rapidly from the adrenaline rush of working on a real fire, especially one of this size. The smoke cleared slightly the higher she got, and she saw another figure in yellow raise a hand and give her the thumbs up from a similar ladder twenty feet or so from her.

A shout from below told her the hose was about to be turned on. She braced herself as the force of the water pushed its way through the hose and she pulled back on the lever, letting the thick jet fall down over the sheets of roofing iron, glowing red in the gloom. The muscles in her arms shuddered with the strain of controlling the powerful hose, her legs ached as she used them to balance and secure herself on the tiny platform.

Eventually, the smoke cleared noticeably. She could now see the activity down on the ground, a swarm of yellow-clad firefighters entering the dangerous building. The other ladder was withdrawn, and not long after, her hose was switched off and the ladder slowly carried her back down to the ground. With wobbly legs, she began to climb off the bottom rung and onto the truck, before jumping down onto the ground. The firefighter on the ground reached out to her
,
and she grasped his hand thankfully. As she landed on the ground, she looked up, surprised to see Warner’s ruddy face, an unreadable expression in his eyes.

Through dry lips, she tried to smile. “Thanks Warner.”

He nodded and looked away, intent on looping the hose onto the truck. She removed her helmet and used the back of her hand to wipe the sweat from her face. She looked over at the factory doors where black smoke billowed through the opening. Peering through the smoke, she tried to see signs of her fellow firefighters who were striving to quell the inferno within the dangerous interior of the factory. Movement caught her eye, and she spied Dave’s distinctive white Captain’s helmet emerging from the smoke. It didn’t surprised her to see him in the thick of it, his voice booming through a megaphone, cutting through the noise of the fire, his free hand signaling directions. The radio in the truck cab crackled nonstop as more fire crews from other stations arrived, as well as the hazmat chemical teams.

Climbing back up onto the truck, she helped Warner attach a hose to a nearby fire hydrant, and prepare the ladder and aerial hose equipment should they need to use it again. Neither spoke, the noise of the fire and activity at the site rendering speech useless. Dave strode over, his visor lifted, his green eyes focused and determined.

“Warner, can you join Sheldon now and enter the building. Search for anyone who might not have made it out.”

“Sure, Dave.” Warner grabbed his ax from the rack and dropped his visor, then, with long strides, headed over to where the group was beginning to enter the heart of the building.

“Reece, take this radio and monitor it. The crew inside will be relying on you.” He passed her the two-way radio and she removed her helmet. Although she could hear Sheldon’s voice coming through, it sounded crackly and difficult to understand.

“All clear so far, Dave.” Sheldon’s voice was distorted.

Cindy pushed the talk button and held the radio to her mouth. “Reece here, Sheldon. Roger. I’ll pass that on to Dave.”

A crackling noise, then “Roger, Reece. Standby.”

It was several hours before the fire was finally called as finished. Fresh trucks and firefighters from neighboring stations arrived to take over the task of hosing down and keeping watch. The hazmat teams had ensured the volatile chemicals were safe, and all personnel from the factory were accounted for, largely due to rigorous emergency evacuation drills and well-practiced internal procedures. The tired crews from Hillwood were cleared to return to the station, having done their job well.

The trucks pulled up and, before any of the crew removed their gear or hit the showers, they congregated in the incident room for debrief. It was vital to capture any anecdotal incidents—things that went well, things that didn’t, and lessons learned. Over the next twenty-four hours, reports had to be written, gear and apparatus checked, cleaned, and replenished, but for now, it was a group brainstorm.

The crew sat on every available chair or desk, some crouching on their haunches, their legs tired from the big day. Dave was last to enter the room. He stood at the front, still dressed in his now filthy gear, his hair sticking up and black soot on parts of his face. His eyes slowly scanned the room, stopping to look at each man in turn. When it was Cindy’s turn, she stared back into his green eyes, their depth now seeming impossibly deeper than she had ever seen before. He didn’t linger on her, but gave each one of his officers exactly the same attention.

“Men…and Reece—” A burst of well-meant laughter filled the room. “Each one of you did your job exceedingly well today.”

Something inside her burst in a cascade of happiness. She listened with half an ear to Dave as he praised their professionalism, their adherence to long-practiced routines and processes, and their unwavering teamwork. That spontaneous burst of friendly laughter told her that she’d finally been accepted. The chorus of mens’ voices was more like brotherly humor, many of them turning to look at her with warm smiles.

“And so, once again, the crew from Hillwood has met—and exceeded—the high standards that our community expects of us. Three cheers for a job well done.”

Salty tears stung the back of Cindy’s eyes as she enthusiastically joined in the resounding cheers from the team.

A voice she didn’t recognize called out from somewhere behind her. “And three cheers for our rookie, Cinders!”

Their voices rang out across the room, loud and enthusiastic, as they belted out a hearty reprise.

“OK, dismissed guys. Go shower—you all stink!” Dave was smiling.

More laughter filled the room as the men filed out. She lost count of how many firm handclaps landed on her shoulder. Some said, “Good work, Cinders,” while others said nothing. But she knew she’d been tested today, and had met their expectations. Their laughter and loud talking followed them up the hallway to the showers. The last one to leave, she slowly rose up from the chair where she’d been sitting toward the back of the room, her muscles aching and her back stiff. Looking up, she saw Dave staring at her, his eyes smoldering, hungry. Despite her tiredness, her loins clenched and her heartbeat increased as she stared back. Heat rose up into her cheeks and for a moment, she was riveted to the spot. Swallowing noisily, she broke away from his gaze. As gracefully as she could in her huge yellow fire protection trousers, she turned and headed for the solitary female shower.

The water pelted down on her, the heat creating a veil of steam in the small room. The shower jet was as hard as it would go, and she eased various parts of her body under the force of the water, letting it knead and soothe her aches and pains. When the glass shower screen opened, she drew in a sharp gasp, her hands quickly wiping the shampoo and water from her eyes. She saw a huge shape loom over her, and as one hand grabbed her around the waist, the other one clamped firmly over her mouth, stifling the scream that had begun to force from her lips.

“Shh. It’s me.”

Breathing hard from the fright, she started to say something, but his mouth came down on hers hard, his tongue probing. He slid both his hands up her wet, slippery body, taking hold of her breasts. His erect penis poked into her belly, his breath ragged and straining as his kisses continued. He pushed her up against the warm glass of the shower, and lifted her up. She locked her legs around his waist as she felt his big, rigid cock enter her pussy, thrusting deeply into her. The swiftness with which he entered her made her gasp. He pumped her hard, each stroke feeling deeper and more complete than the last. Within a short time, she felt his torso go rigid and his mouth clamped hard on hers to stifle the groan as the orgasm shook his body. Trembling, he buried his head in her neck and held her tight, the water streaming down hard on both of them.

* * *

They sat opposite each other, the warm bubbles of the hot tub in Dave’s garden making gurgling noises as the water popped and swirled around them. Each of them held a glass of red wine, sipping slowly as they looked into each other’s eyes. Under the water, their legs intertwined, holding tight, their naked bodies caressing each other.

“Sorry I scared you. I’m the only person—other than you—who has the key to that shower.”

She took a long sip before replying. “I thought I was suddenly cast in the scary shower scene in
Psycho
. You frightened the crap outta me!”

She looked around the secluded gazebo, subtle garden lighting bouncing softly off the tropical ferns and palms. After showering at the fire station, they had emerged from the bathroom, looking carefully up and down the corridor like teenagers, desperate to avoid any of the night shift crew. He left the station first, then she followed a few minutes later, meeting up at his place.

“I, er, did some cleaning up today. In my office.” His eyelids half closed as he watched her. “Found a calendar on the wall that I hadn’t even glanced at. Bought it late last year to support the charity. As you do.”

Oh, so that’s what he’s on about. “As you do.” Her eyes met his and held them. She and her friends at the academy had so much fun doing the calendar. Not wanting to be outdone by the male firefighters, the girls were keen to raise money for a local women’s shelter. “So, how was it?”

“Yeah, boy Miss January is really something.” He paused for a minute, then laughter burst from his gorgeous mouth. “Seriously, I got the biggest stiffy when I flicked the pages and spotted the cutest face, the sexiest body, the most wonderful eyes…of Miss April.” Again, he chuckled.

With a swift flick of her hand, she sent a wave of bubbling water toward him, drowning his laughter. “We didn’t do the photo shoot to be ogled at by randy men!” Then she kicked out, a fountain of water drenching him. “Anyway, our bodies are all hidden beneath layers of fire-resistant safety gear. Just our biceps and six-packs are visible.”

“OK, OK. You win!” He leapt forward and grabbed her before she could send anymore water his way. “You, goddamn it, are beautiful!” He pulled her close and kissed her hungrily. “I knew I’d seen you before somewhere.”

Soon, even the warmth of his kisses couldn’t stop her from shivering in the tub.

“Come on. Time to get out.” He kissed her forehead and smiled. “Hungry?”

“I’m starving!” She hadn’t eaten since breakfast. When they’d arrived at his house, he gave her a massage, expertly releasing the knotted muscles, then brought her outside to the hot tub.

“I’ve ordered some Thai takeaway. It’s really good. Is that OK?”

“Dave, I could eat a horse right now.” She laughed when he lifted one eyebrow and gave a half smile. “I need food first. Right now!”

He stood up, the water cascading down his magnificent body. His amazing muscles rippled for even the simplest tasks. He grabbed a towel and held it open for her. She stood, and he wrapped the towel around her, planting a gentle kiss on her lips as he did so. Then he put a towel around his waist and tucked it in. It hung low on his hips, showing off his taut muscles. Helping her out of the hot tub, he slung an arm across her shoulders as he guided her into the house.

The front door bell rang. “Impeccable timing.” His cheeky smile made him look much younger, much less severe, than the focused and diligent Captain who led his team to a great victory over a dangerous fire that day. He opened the door and took the packages of food from the young guy, handing him a crisp bill.

* * *

They sat on the sofa together, plates of half-eaten Thai food covering the low table in front of them. She lay back against him, his arm around her, his chin resting on her head. Stifling a huge yawn, she made a move to get up.

“Cindy. Stay the night?” His voice drifted into her head like a sip of liqueur muscat on a freezing night. Despite her extreme fatigue, the hairs on the back of her neck raised, and the telltale flickering within her began, as though jumping to attention. She turned her head up to look at him, and he bent and kissed the tip of her nose.

“Dave, I’ve got to get some sleep. We could well have another emergency call-out tomorrow.”

He sat up straight and helped her to sit next to him, all the while keeping his arm around her. “OK. You’re right. But what if I promise to let you get some sleep…first?” The playful tone was back in his voice. His head came down, and his lips gently brushed her eyes, then lingered on her lips, caressing them.

Every fiber of her body went on red alert as his kiss fired up within her. She kissed him back, at first softly, then more hungrily. She turned so she could sit astride him, her pussy throbbing, and her thong becoming sopping wet. She opened his soft, white bathrobe, revealing the body that had first got her into this predicament. It was so much better than the picture in the fireman calendar. She bent down and kissed his chest muscles, nibbling the tip of his nipples, then moving down to his navel. Her favorite part of the male anatomy—well, almost the favorite—were the V-shaped muscles that extended from the hips near the navel, down to…well…to there. Her chin hit his erection, and she eagerly licked it delicately from the tip to the bottom, then back again. Moving herself so she was more comfortable, she took the tip into her mouth, rejoicing in his moans as she sucked and licked it. His hips rose and fell as he squirmed with pleasure. She brought her lips back up to his stomach. He reached down with his strong hands and rolled her over onto her back.