All Fired Up (6 page)

“Your turn,” he whispered in a sexy voice. The prospect of what she knew he would do turned her on, the anticipation making her even wetter.

He reached down and peeled off her thong, then threw it across the room. Kneeling in front of her, he opened her legs wide apart, and buried his face in her pussy. He moved his tongue about, playing with the bud of her clit, flicking and sucking it. The sensation sent sizzling, electrical volts throughout her limbs, making her jump and twitch. The clenching within her began speeding up, her breathing became ragged and short. She heard a rustle as he reached for the small plastic condom packet on the side table.

He climbed on top of her, and gently slid his cock inside her. She felt it move from side to side, making her moan. He dropped gentle, tiny, kisses all over her face, her neck, her lips. She probed his mouth with her tongue, wanting to devour him with every part of her body. Their tongues caressed each other, his tasting salty and delicious. The warm, moistness of his mouth, and the vigorous interaction of their tongues, was intoxicating, heightening the experience of their lovemaking. He moaned softly and shifted his hips. His stiff shaft moved up and down, thrusting into her. Their rhythm began slowly at first, and she rocked her hips back and forward, lifting herself up to meet him. Their passion-fuelled kisses, and his pumping, carried them to the pinnacle of exquisiteness. Their movements grew in intensity, driven by intense longing. Overwhelmed with the spasms now bursting within her, she called out, just as he let out a growl. They both climaxed together, his ejaculation causing his back to arch, just as her pussy clenched tightly on his cock. She came with a force she’d never before encountered, her whole body pulsating in ripples, making her gasp.

They lay together on the sofa for a long time, their breathing soon returning to normal.

“Still OK if I stay the night?”

He answered her with a kiss.

Chapter Five

The next few weeks were busy, with multiple call-outs for the firefighters of Hillwood most days. Their crew, small in comparison to many other fire stations, was stretched to the limit. Shifts and rosters went by the wayside as the team doubled up, performing almost nonstop to make sure there were enough firefighters on the ground. Cindy, having obviously passed her test with her co-workers, threw herself into the grueling workload alongside her male colleagues. She got a friend to look after her cat and, like the others, took up almost permanent residence in the bunkhouse of Hillwood. Day and night, they attended car crashes, house and commercial fires, and numerous other events where they were required. Training took second place to maintenance of equipment—and to sleep.

Dave divided his time, it seemed, between his desk job and being a hands-on Captain at the fire-ground incidents. He was a good leader and strategist, and the firefighters followed his orders unquestioningly. She’d hardly found a moment to say more than a cursory hello since that night at his home. She ached to spend more time with him. For the first time in her life, she felt somehow different. Thoughts of Dave consumed her mind, asleep and awake. Every time she heard his voice at the station, her heart jumped to life, and she found herself looking around to catch a glimpse of him. She’d never had this obsession with anyone before. Baffled, she tried to tell herself it was just a need for more of the amazing sex that this man delivered. But the thought crossed her mind that she just may have fallen in love with him.

“Cindy?” She jumped when she heard Dave’s voice from behind her. Sitting in the day room, she was nursing a coffee with both hands, trying to warm them up. Her clothes were still wet from washing down the trucks, and her hair, damp from the spray of the hose, stuck to her head. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.”

She turned around and saw how tired he looked. His usually sparkling green eyes were less bright, and underneath them were puffy little pillows of skin. Suddenly conscious of how she looked, she felt herself blush.

“Hey, Dave. How’re you doing?” Her heart raced at the sight of him.

He pulled out a chair and sat down heavily, rubbing a hand over his face. “Fine. Just fine.” He looked anything but fine, she thought. “We haven’t had a chance to catch up for a while. I just wanted to touch base. See how you were goin’.”

She laughed softly. “Like all of us, I’m kinda weary, I guess. But I’m OK.”

“I’ve got some good news. We’re getting another team from interstate to come help us out for a while. Seems they need some refresher training and heard how busy we’ve been.” He gave a small smile. “They start tomorrow, so Sheldon’s team can have a couple of days off. That means you too.”

“Hey, great news!” Her heart turned over and began to beat wildly at the sight of his widening smile. She felt the flush of heat rise to her face again. “Um, what about you? You’re going to take a break too, aren’t you?”

“Oh sure. Soon. But…” He looked away. “But not just yet.”

“Dave, you look exhausted.”

He looked back at her, his tired eyes burning into hers, stirring something deep within her. “I can’t. Not right now. But once Sheldon’s had a rest, I’ll get him to take charge so I can have a short break. I haven’t announced this news to the crew yet, so just keep it to yourself until then.”

He looked around the day room. They were on their own. He reached out and covered her hand with his, squeezing it gently. “Cindy, I…I’ve…” The door burst open and several of the crew, chatting together, entered the room. He quickly withdrew his hand. Their faces showed no surprise when they saw Dave sitting there, each one calling out a friendly greeting to him. He acknowledged them, then stood up slowly and went over to the bench to make a coffee. More men entered the day room in dribs and drabs, heading for the refrigerator and grabbing out their lunch.

When Dave turned around, he saw that most of the crew was there, including Sheldon.

“While you’re all here, I have some news for you. Relief is on its way!” Whoops and clapping burst from the small group gathered. “In the form of a unit from Brownsville. They’re gonna arrive tomorrow. Sheldon, your team of Warner, Jerry, Buckley, and Reece will take forty-eight hours off.” More happy responses from the group. “When you get back, Curran’s team will take time off.” He looked around at the tired but happy faces. “OK?”

Their delight at the prospect of having a couple of nights sleep in their own beds was obvious.

“I just wanted to add…” He cleared his throat. “…that I’m very proud of you all. You’ve all gone beyond the call of duty over the last few weeks. Thanks.”

Loud clapping filled the room. Without a glance in her direction, Dave picked up his coffee and walked out of the room, heading for his office.

“Man, he looks bushed, don’t he?” Jerry voiced what the others all thought.

“Yeah, he’s hardly slept, even though he insisted that each of us got some shut-eye whenever possible.” Admiration for his Captain sounded in Sheldon’s voice. “He’s a strong bastard, strong and dedicated.”

The men chatted away as they heated their meals or made coffee, their mood buoyed by the knowledge that there was an end in sight to their nonstop shifts. Cindy finished her coffee, stood up, and made her way to the locker room, to shower and change into dry clothes. What was it he had begun to say to her when the guys came in? Curiosity gnawed at her.

* * *

Cindy slept soundly in her own bed, her cat comfortably sharing it with her. Apart from a few basic chores and a quick trip to the supermarket to stock up on some supplies, she spent her two precious days at home, relaxing. She glanced up at the kitchen wall where her fireman calendar hung from a white self-adhesive hook. Firefighter March stared out from it, but did nothing for her. Only three more days until April, she thought, running her tongue over her lips. Bring it on.

But try as she might to watch a movie or read a book, the vision of Dave’s face danced in front of her, his green eyes melting her heart. Truth is, she thought, I miss him. Even though she hadn’t been able to speak with him at the station lately, she could at least see him, hear his voice. Feeling restless, she wished she could return to work.

The phone rang, jolting her out of her reverie. She snatched it up, hoping it might be Dave.

“This is Cindy.” Even to her own ears, she sounded breathless.

“Cindy. It’s Sheldon. We have some problems. Multiple fires. Are you able to come in to the station?”

“Sure. Um, I’ll leave right now.” The phone clicked in her ear. Stunned for a moment, she stood rooted to the spot, then hastily went and got ready, and jumped in her car. Dave must be having his days off earlier than planned, she thought. Otherwise why would Sheldon be calling her?

She arrived at the station in record time. All of the fire trucks were out of the shed and the place looked deserted. As she opened her car door in the parking lot, Sheldon came out to meet her, wearing full protective gear.

“Thanks for coming. Can you get into your gear right now? We have to go.”

As soon as she was ready, they both jumped into the fire station four-wheeler, and Sheldon drove out of the station parking lot and onto the road.

“I just got the call myself. Buckley, Mick, and the others are on vacation. Must’ve taken their kids away or something. So there’s just us. Oh, and Warner’s meeting us there.”

“What’s the call-out about?”

“I got a call from dispatch. Two major fires and a highway crash. Our guys and the reinforcements from upstate are out there, but they still need more. I’m gonna drop you off at the warehouse fire, then I’ll go to the apartment building fire. OK?”

“Sure, but is one of the trucks at the warehouse? I’ll need some more gear.”

“Yep. They’re expecting you.”

Adrenaline began coursing through her, making her hands shaky, but clearing her mind and mentally preparing her for the work ahead. As they approached the fire-ground, she could see the plume of black smoke. She’d need her breathing apparatus. She began attaching it to her face, ready to put her helmet on as soon as she jumped out of the car.

Sheldon pulled up next to the fire truck. As she jumped out the door, he wished her good luck, then sped off to the other fire. A yellow-clad figure stood by the faucets on the fire tender. She went over and touched him on the arm. She saw a ruddy, sweaty face through the visor. Warner. He lifted the screen with his gloved hand.

“Can you take over here? They need me inside. They’ll let you know when to alter pressure. At the moment it’s hooked to that hydrant there, running through our pressure valves.” He passed her the hand-held radio.

“Who’s in there?” She asked too late, as he had already gone, grabbing an ax and marching to the entrance to the building.

Her heart beat rapidly as she waited for the radio to come to life. When it did, she jumped. “We’re losing water pressure here. Fix it will ya?” Even though the voice was distorted, she recognized it, making her heart beat even faster. Dave’s in there! The thought was instantaneous. She pushed the lever on the faucet forward two notches.

“Any better, over?” She waited what seemed like ages for a reply.

“No. Check the connection with the plug.”

She turned to look at the hydrant near the truck. A spray of water squirted up into the air, the sun shining on it creating a rainbow effect.

“Shit!” She ran over and used both hands to twist the hose fitting tighter, but it wouldn’t budge. Racing back to the faucet levers, she moved them even further forward. The geyser of water jetted much higher, wasting even more pressure in the hose. She pulled the levers back to mid-range and picked up the radio.

“Hydrant connection busted. I’ll need to find another one to plug into.”

The radio crackled back with obscenities. “No time. Hook up to the truck’s water tank, then put on a hose-pack and get in here.”

With difficulty, she unscrewed the hose from the mangled thread on the fire hydrant, hauled it over to the truck, and re-connected it to the tank. It took longer than she wanted it to, but she managed to get it connected.

“Standby. Water coming through now.”

She moved the lever forward slowly, letting the hose fill up.

Again the radio crackled. “Got it. Increase water flow to three-quarters.” She did as she was told, knowing that at this rate, the water in the trucks would only last about forty minutes if they were lucky. She opened a door on the side of the truck, pulled out a heavy backpack, and donned it. She brought the nozzle around to the front and turned the flow on. A short, sharp burst of water shot out as she pulled back on the lever. Then she turned on the compressed air cylinder strapped to her chest, pulled her breathing mask up over her face, and tested it. All good.

She picked up the radio. “I’m on my way.” She waited a second or two for an answer, but none came. Shoving the radio in her back pocket, she entered the burning factory. The smoke was so thick she couldn’t see more than a foot or two in front of her. She pulled out her flashlight and shone it through the dense, acrid smoke. Even through her protective suit, she felt the heat from the glowing wood and metal around her, the intensity of the fire melting or burning everything it came in contact with. Pulling the radio out, she once again tried to make contact.

“What’s your location, over?” Nothing. Suddenly an explosion occurred up ahead. The force of it knocked her backwards and she landed heavily on some hot metal structure. Quickly recovering, she hauled herself up, the heavy backpack and metal cylinder hampering her a little, making maneuvering harder. A wall of flames now blocked the path she had been walking on, their vicious yellow tongues lapping the remains of the rafters above, making them glow red hot in the eerie light. Again she tried the radio, but still no response.

She trained the small hand-held hose from the backpack onto the base of the flames, fanning the fire from left to right, then back again. Steam hissed, and blended in with the roar of the fire. The wall studs and other structures around her creaked and crackled from the intense heat. Dousing the flames, she moved forward at a slow and steady pace, regularly checking behind her as she was taught at the academy. She remembered the mantra: always monitor and protect your exit.