This Fireman Ignites Flames

"I'm going to try to stay here for the night and figure something out tomorrow. I still have the rest of the day to sort things out and take care of things that need to be done."

"Yeah, I have a lot of work ahead of me too but I'm glad you're all right and the house isn't a total loss. That's what really matters," he says as he lets out a long sigh while looking at the dryer. "Call me if you need anything," he reassures.

I slowly walk back into the house and the strong smoke odor slaps me in the face. I can only hope that the upstairs doesn't smell this strongly and my clothes won't reek. I glance at the basement door as I walk through but I don't go anywhere near it. It doesn't look overly disturbed but the thought of what the basement now resembles scares me.

When I reach the upstairs bedroom, I am relieved to find my clothes and other belongings appear to have escaped any sort of strong foul stench. I was worried I would have to take all of my clothes to the laundromat and spend the day washing them. I finally have a moment to gather my thoughts and am thankful that not only was I home when this happened but that today is Saturday, which means I have a couple of days off from work to get things rolling with not only John but whoever is going to be taking care of the damage that has been done.

The thought of having to run out and buy candles to light my house terrifies me but I buy only enough to keep my bedroom lit. With daylight running out, I need something cheap that will work for the time being. I never realized how life-changing it can be with no television, a non-functioning bathroom, and complete silence since I have nothing going on for background noise. I call it an early night due to boredom. Tomorrow will be a new day with lots of things going on and projects to get done.

At around two o'clock in the morning, I find myself awake and panicking while in complete darkness. I'm abruptly awakened by the smell of smoke even though I know all of the candles in my room had been safely put out before I went to sleep. My heart is racing and I've broken out in a sweat due to fear. I can't tell if the smell is real or if my mind is playing tricks on me so I grab my cell phone and the flashlight I have next to my bed and carefully make my way out into the hallway. I keep getting a constant whiff of something burning but not being able to see much even with a flashlight is making me even more paranoid. Even though I try to be careful on my way down the stairs, I nearly fall twice. I'm quickly beginning to realize how bad of an idea it was for me to stay. I've had enough scary moments to deal with and adding this to it certainly isn't helping. I've spent many years not being able to make my own decisions and having to trust my ex to make decisions for both of us. It's clear that I still have a lot of learning to do before I'm fully on my own two feet and I realize that making such brave decisions so quickly doesn't mean I'm fully independent yet.

The closer I get to the kitchen, the stronger the smell becomes. The fear begins to rise even more and hysteria is building as well. The deafening silence intensifies the sounds of my heavy breathing and whimpering. I'm shaking so badly that the beam from my flashlight is wildly bouncing around and I nearly drop my phone. Even with the dryer removed, images of the fire rekindling in the basement are flashing through my head and I make a mad dash outside. I press the home button on my phone and nothing. Shit! I thought my battery was charged enough to last all night but sadly I have been proven wrong. The cable to charge it is still in the house and I am too afraid to go inside to get it so I can't even plug it into my vehicle to charge it that way.

I immediately think of Kelly and decide the best thing I can do is grab the spare key to my vehicle and drive to the fire department. Each house I pass I know I could easily pull in and start pounding on their doors asking to use their phone but I can't bring myself to scare anyone like that in the middle of the night. The fire department is only ten minutes from my house and I'm pretty sure what I smelled was my imagination anyway. I use the back of my hand to wipe a tear from my face and make myself somewhat presentable when I reach the fire department.

When I arrive, I watch as a fire truck is backing into one of the bays. The backup signal echoes as it slowly goes into the building. I pull my vehicle into a parking space and jump out. I run up to the open door and it is just now that I realize I am not even wearing any shoes as I hear my feet slap loudly against the cement. I notice the driver side door swing open and a large pair of boots comes thudding down onto the floor. It's Kelly! He's wearing his turnout pants but not his coat. He races towards me without shutting the door on the truck.

"Gabriella; what's wrong?" he asks with panic in his voice. He holds his arms out and stops me before I crash into him although I'm sure I would feel no more powerful than a mosquito bouncing off his large frame.

"I woke up and thought I smelled smoke again but none of the detectors went off and I couldn't call because my cell phone is dead," I sob in one continuous breath. I completely lose it as he takes me in his arms to comfort me. His large arms around me instantly make me feel safe and protected. My face nuzzles into his warm chest and a stiff nipple grazes the rough fabric of the suspender as he pulls me in as close as he can.

"I'm going to go back to check your place out just to be safe," he says as he canvases the garage for another fireman. "Brian!" He hollers towards the first one he sees and the gentleman begins to hurry over towards us. "I want you to take her into the lounge area and make sure she's comfortable. She thinks she may be smelling smoke again and I want to make sure it hasn't reignited." Before Brian reaches us, I look down and realize which pajamas I am wearing. It consists of thin, short shorts and a tank top that would probably be considered more of a camisole-type top. Once again I find myself sans bra while in the presence of this handsome fireman. I quickly cross my arms the best I can. 'Good God, woman. He's going to think you're sending the wrong message,' I think to myself as I close my eyes and slightly shake my head. Is the message I am unintentionally sending really wrong? I think it was pretty obvious that the chemistry between us was nearly explosive earlier but this isn't the time or place to worry about that now.

"Come with me, Miss," Brian says as he leads me away. I look over my shoulder as I watch Kelly jump into one of the smaller white pickup trucks and race off to my house. I'm taken down a hallway and into a common room that has a couple of couches, a recliner, and a television set. "Is there anything I can get you? Something to make you a little more comfortable? It's not very cozy in here but it will be quiet for you to rest."

"Could you please get me a blanket if you have one? I rushed out before grabbing something to cover myself with," I say with a polite smile.

"Sure thing. I'll be right back," and he darts off out into the hallway. While I stand in silence, I'm wondering if I have simply overreacted and am causing Kelly to waste his time. I have a feeling I am going to be told that all is fine and I'll end up driving back to my dark, empty house only to not sleep a wink all night long.

Brian returns with a nice thick blanket, tells me to make myself comfortable, and hands me the remote for the TV. I'm tired, yet my adrenaline is keeping me from completely relaxing when all I want to do is curl up on the couch and fall into a deep sleep.

I'm not sure how much time has passed and I lost count of how many times I have lightly dozed off before Kelly makes his way back to the station. I am lying down with my eyes closed when I'm startled by the feeling of a large, warm hand slightly shaking my shoulder. I open my eyes to see Kelly crouching in front of me. I can't think of anything better I'd like to see at a time like this. He's free of all turnout gear and is wearing a blue t-shirt with matching cargo pants.

"I have good news," he says with a warm smile. "Your house is perfectly fine and you have absolutely nothing to worry about."

"Oh, thank God!" I feel a huge wave of relief come over me. I quickly sit up, lean my elbows forward on my knees, and put my face in my hands to hide my embarrassment. "I am so sorry to have bothered you like this," I mumble while hiding how stupid I feel.

"Don't be silly," he says as I feel his hands cover mine. He slowly pulls my hands away from my face and I can see just how tiny they look enveloped inside his.

"I'm sorry," I repeat again. "I'm just overwhelmed, alone, tired, and scared," I continue with a shaky voice. I feel my lower lip quivering and I fight my hardest to stop myself from breaking down again.

"Even though your house is completely safe, I'm not letting you go back there." His eyes are giving off a friendly yet stern look. One that is silently telling me I'm going to listen to what he has to say and I'm not going to come up with a good enough excuse to talk him out of it no matter how hard I might try. "You're coming with me," he says as he stands and pulls me to my feet with him. My heart quickens as we stand just mere inches from each other while he continues to hold my hands in his. "I'm not going to be satisfied until I know you are somewhere where you feel safe and are able to get some sleep so you're going to stay in the apartment above my garage that I offered to you earlier. Got it?"

The tone he used with the final demand was powerful enough to send a chill through me and I have to bite my tongue from belting out a 'yes, sir' in response to him. He means business and I find that I don't have the strength to say no even if I wanted to. I'm on the verge of melting into a puddle at the intimidating tone of his voice. I simply nod my head in agreement and he leads me out to where I parked my car. He opens the door for me and instructs me to follow behind him. I take my seat behind the wheel and jump slightly when he shuts my door. My mind is racing and I continue to question myself as to what I am doing. I'm about to follow a complete stranger back to his house. I have no shoes, am wearing skimpy clothing, am extremely tired, and I just want this whole thing to end.

Roughly 15 minutes later, just after 3 o'clock in the morning, we pull into a driveway located in a modest neighborhood. From what I can see, his yard looks well-kept and his house maintained and in good shape. He pulls the company truck over to the right side of the driveway so I can park to the left directly in front of the garage. Above the garage door is a decorative window that signals a comfortable living space behind it. I get out and follow him to a set of stairs located on the back of the garage. On the way up, I can't help but notice that I am nearly eye level with his amazing ass. His turnout pants certainly did it no justice earlier. My body tingles as I watch it sway with each step he takes. He unlocks the door, flips a light switch, and welcomes me inside. I look around and am amazed at how clean and organized the place looks. Not that I was expecting a pig-sty or am in any way being ungrateful; it just looks like the place has had a woman's touch when it came to decorating it.

"You should be able to find everything you'll need. My ex-wife and I had a bright idea of renting this out but obviously things went south and I haven't had a chance to put much effort into finding a full-time renter. My brother stays here once in a while but you're free to stay here as long as you need to."

As I listened to him speak, I continued to look around and scope things out. It's basically one large room. The kitchen is on the right side with a high bar separating it from the dining room area. The living room is on the left. Looking straight towards the back of the room is a king-size bed which includes a soft, fluffy comforter and several throw pillows. Right now, it looks like absolute heaven to me. I am anxious to jump in and sleep away all my feelings.

"Thank you. This place certainly looks nothing like what I thought an above-garage apartment would look like," I say as I step farther inside.

"The bathroom has a shower only. We didn't have the extra room for a tub," he says almost apologetically. I'm just thankful to have a safe place to stay and honestly won't be able to thank him enough. "Unfortunately, you'll have to use either the laundromat in town or you're free to use my washer and dryer if you need to."

I nearly snort with my response. "Trust me; after the past 24 hours I've had, I don't mind that one bit. I'm actually glad there isn't a dryer in here." He gives a small reassuring laugh with hopes that I had picked up on the slight tone of sarcasm in his voice.

"I have to get back to work. There's a landline here to call me if you need anything since your phone is dead." He opens a drawer in the kitchen and writes down his cell phone number, along with the dispatch number, on a piece of paper and sticks it on the fridge.

"Don't worry, as soon as my house is done I'll be on my way. You've been very generous and I don't want to overstay my welcome."

"No hurry. I know these kinds of things can take time even if the damage is minimal," he says as I let out a yawn. I cover my mouth with the back of my hand and look up at him with my big brown, tired eyes. He uses his large finger to sweep back a small clump of stray hair behind my ear before running it lightly down my jaw line and whispers, "sleep well." The tickling feeling and the sound of his words has instantly started a fire between my legs. I'm sure he's experienced enough to know exactly how to put it out.

"Good night," I whisper back as he walks through the door and down the stairs to his truck. I close the door and lean back against it. I want to cry out with frustration; both sexual and mental. My mind and body are exhausted, but if I'd had enough courage and strength I would have grabbed Kelly, ripped his clothes off, and had my way with him in ways that I haven't enjoyed in a long time. I've gone far too long only doing things to please my ex while I neglecting myself in the process. I've forgotten how to take charge and go for what I want. I imagine feeling his hot skin brushing against mine, hearing his breath panting close to my ear while he experiences the pleasure my body has to offer, tasting his skin as I run my tongue over his chest and stomach; finding ways to let all five of my senses run wild and push me over the edge.

I walk towards the bed and pull back the thick cover. It feels like it's filled with down feathers. Some of the smaller throw pillows fall to the floor and I don't even bother picking them up. I climb in and lean back against what feels like a mound of clouds. The second I pull the heavy blanket over me I close my eyes and drift off.

I am awakened by the sound of shoes hitting on pavement in the late morning hours. It takes a moment of panic before I remember where I am. I jump out of bed and quickly make my way to the window that looks down onto a paved pathway between the garage and Kelly's house. I reach the window just in time to see him run below me and I watch as he heads into his backyard. He's shirtless and sweaty, and my pussy instantly becomes wet. My thighs squeeze together as I watch his muscular legs and back. He slows to a stop once he reaches the grassy area. My nipples stiffen at such fast speed that they ache.

I make my way to the window that is located next to the door where I have a better view of him. When he reaches the patio he grabs a water bottle that he had left sitting out for when he returned. He flips the lid open and my mouth falls open when he leans his head back. I watch the water squirt into his mouth; some flowing down his chin and falling onto his chest where it snakes its way over his muscular physique. My mouth waters as I think about licking every bit of that off from his hot, salty skin.

He tosses the bottle to the ground and sits down to work on stretching exercises. His flexibility is mesmerizing. He seamlessly maneuvers from one stretch to another without pausing. I watch as he lies onto his back and a rush moves through me. I just want to throw the door open, run down the steps, and throw myself on him even if we are outside and the neighbors might see. I picture myself straddling his hips grinding myself hard against him in hopes of getting off and running my hands over his chest. I can imagine the patch of hair there tickling against my fingers and hear him moan as my fingers pass over his nipples and give them a slight pinch.

When I snap back to reality, I realize he is standing again and getting ready to head into his house. I don't know how long I wasn't paying attention but I am mortified to think that he saw me standing here watching him. I'm breathing hard and I don't even realize one of my hands has made its way between my legs. When I pull it free, I glance at my fingers and notice they are glistening with my wetness that seeped through the fabric of my shorts.

Before I get the chance to lose my thoughts, I hurry back to the bed; quickly pulling my shorts off on the way. I throw the blankets back, climb onto the mattress as fast as I can, bend my knees up allowing my legs to fall open, and I lick my fingers before I use them to explore the part of me that is screaming for attention. My swollen lips are sensitive to the slightest grazes of my fingernails. My clit is hard; needing to be touched but causing my body to jolt every time I try. I slide my finger down my slit and my pussy clenches onto it when I push it inside. I want nothing more right now than to have Kelly's dick buried deep inside but my finger is going to have to do for the time being. I have an intense craving to feel him filling and stretching me; fucking me hard and leaving me sore but begging for more.

I use my free hand to lift my shirt and pinch one of my tingling nipples, sending an electric shock between my legs with each pinch I make. I begin to squirm as I finally gain enough strength to overcome the sensitivity of my clit and give it the attention it is longing for. My fingers circle it around and around and I can feel a small trickle of wetness gathering underneath me as I rub harder and faster. The hand on my chest is heaving with each breath I take and moans start to escape from between my lips. I close my eyes and lean my head back. Each long stroke of my finger brings an image in my head of Kelly's tongue working its magic. I imagine him making long, sensual licks; looking down and being captured by his mesmerizing eyes. My toes begin to curl and my back violently arches as an orgasm sneaks up on me and rips through my entire body. I try my hardest to hold my scream back but I can't win that battle and I let out a squeal that convinces me my soul has just left my body. My free hand is gripping blindly above my head but there's nothing to grab onto. My entire body is covered in goose bumps and tiny beads of sweat have formed. Each light graze against my clit sends an aftershock through me and my body trembles.

As I allow myself to recover, I run my hands over my face and take in the sweet smell of pure bliss that has gathered on my fingers. I can't help but stick my tongue out and taste my juices on my skin. I squeeze my thighs together and my lady bits are still extremely sensitive. I let out one final long sigh and smile to myself.

My eyes quickly spring open and I'm snapped back to reality at the sound of a light knock on the door. I quickly jump up and slide my shorts back on as fast as I can.