“Great. Catch.”
She caught the keys and ran to the back door. Already the room was filling with smoke and heat. She looked over her shoulder and saw that Rob had managed to put out enough flames to close the door and clear a path. She shoved the key into the lock, knowing he would reach her in a second or two and they would be out of there.
The key didn’t turn.
Eris pulled it out and wiped the water out of her eyes. She checked to make sure she was using the correct key. It was the right one and the locks hadn’t been changed for years, so it should work. She inserted the key again, pushing her growing fear down.
“What’s wrong?” he shouted above the fire alarm.
“The key won’t turn.”
“Let me.”
She stepped aside and watched as he did what she’d just done with the same results.
Rob tossed the useless keys to the ground and pulled a small black pouch from his pocket. He removed two small, slim tools and handed the rest to her. She watched as he poked and prodded.
“Someone’s jammed the lock from the opposite side, there’s no getting it open.” His voice was calm even as the room filled with smoke and heat. “Is there another way out?”
“What about through the front?”
“It’s totally engulfed in flames and the sprinklers aren’t doing anything to stop the spread.”
There was a swooshing sound and Eris turned in time to see the swinging door go up in flames.
“There’s a small roof access door that’s up in the storage loft, but I don’t know if it’ll open or not. Dad closed it off after finding us kids playing on the roof.”
“You lead the way.”
Eris moved to the steep, narrow staircase that ran along the exterior wall. As kids the upstairs level had been their play area, now the walls were lined with shelves and extra merchandise. Her eyes started to water as she reached the upper level. Each breath filled her lungs with smoke and heat, making their progress seem painfully slow.
“Where is it?” Rob’s voice came from directly behind her.
“Behind one of these sets of shelving.”
They both started clearing the shelves, tossing the items to the floor or over the railing to the ground below.
“Got it.” Eris started tossing boxes over the railing even faster. The heat and the smoke were becoming overpowering.
“Move,” Rob said as he put a hand on her shoulder and pushed her to the side.
She did and watched as he grabbed the bars of the old metal shelf unit and tilted it. Stepping to the side, Rob let the shelves crash down onto the railing, revealing the old door behind it. “It’s padlocked closed. Do you have a key?”
“No,” she coughed.
Rob knelt in front of the door and pulled the small leather pouch once again from his pocket. “This might take a while. Keep looking for something to pry this lock off with.”
From outside she could hear the sirens of the emergency vehicles and wondered how long before they reached them. Smoke burned her eyes and lungs as she searched for anything they could use to open the door. Her chest hurt and each breath was an effort that seemed to become more impossible with each passing minute. Her knees gave out and she sank to the floor.
“Got it. Get up, Eris.”
She heard Rob’s voice but her limbs felt heavy and she simply didn’t have the strength to move.
“Damn it, move your ass!”
“I can’t.” She heard him crawling over things to reach her.
“Yes you can, now move it.”
She felt herself being dragged by one arm and thought for a moment her shoulder was going to dislocate. “Okay, okay. I’m moving.”
She forced herself up and over the toppled shelving unit with some help from Rob.
“Crawl through the door and out onto the roof, we have no idea how bad it might be. Head to the closest edge once you’re clear of the fire.”
“You’re coming with me this time, aren’t you?”
“Yes, now go.”
He gave her a gentle push but she understood the urgency behind it. She crawled through the thick smoke and across the hard gravel roof until the smoke thinned enough that she could see to walk. As she stood, Rob joined her. “The roof is heating up.”
“I feel it. Is there a fire escape up here?”
“There’s only a small caged-in ladder, but it’s on the left side up by the front of the store. No way can we get to it.”
In the darkness she could see the flames licking their way across the roof toward them. The entire front of the store was engulfed and flames had quickly traveled down the sides of the building. The only area free from the fire was the back of the store.
“How are we going to get down?”
“Give me a minute and I’ll get us down.”
Rob pulled his cell phone out and for a moment she wondered what the hell he was doing, but then she realized he was talking to the emergency operator. She felt marginally better but wouldn’t feel truly safe until they were off the roof and away from the fire.
Rob took her hand even as he continued to talk and pulled her toward the back edge of the building. There was a small, narrow alley at the back of the store. It was barely large enough for a small car to fit down. She knew there was no way a large fire truck would ever make it.
She looked down and watched as firefighters ran toward them carrying a long extension ladder. She squeezed Rob’s hand as the first drops of water rained down on them and the ladder was raised. Thank God, they were going to make it.
A hair-raising groaning sound came from the inside of the building seconds before it shuddered as if an earthquake hit it. The roof vibrated beneath their feet then the sound of splintering wood ripped through the air as the front half of the roof caved in.
Rob grabbed the ladder as he pulled her toward it. “Get on.”
“Come with me!”
“I’m going to hold the ladder up here until you’re down and safe. Don’t worry, I’ll get down. Now go!”
Eris climbed over the edge of the building and onto the ladder. She looked up into his eyes and everything she wanted to say got stuck in her throat.
Rob leaned forward and gave her a quick kiss. “Go. The sooner you get down, the faster I can get off this roof.”
She started as quickly as she could down the ladder, one rung at a time. Each step seemed to take an eternity. Before she even reached the bottom, a pair of strong arms pulled her off the ladder and started moving her toward the alley’s entrance.
“Watch your step,” the large firefighter yelled as they stepped over fallen bricks.
It was then Eris noticed the other debris littering the ground. The building made another sound, reminding her of a horror movie, then more chunks of mortar and brick fell to the ground. The firefighter shielded her with his body as they cleared the alley. She turned to face the building, scanning the area for Rob.
The alley was quickly filling with smoke, making it impossible to see what was happening. If she squinted she could make out the outline of the ladder and what she thought was Rob coming down it. Another large cloud of smoke bellowed out of the top of the building, blocking what little view there was.
“Clear the area!”
The warning was broadcast loud enough to be heard over the other noise. Firefighters started dropping their gear where they stood and running. Before she could even comprehend what was happening, the wall closest to her started to crumble. Large pieces of wall fell away, sending clouds of dust and smoke up into the air. There was a loud, ear-splitting sound as the rest of the roof caved in.
Eris watched in horrified silence as the building fell to the ground. Dust rose, combining with the rising smoke from the remaining structure, making it impossible to see what was happening. She heard the cry for a medic and watched as firefighters and medical personnel hurried back into the dense, dark cloud.
She strained to see what they were rushing toward. All sh
e could make out was a large form moving her way.
Finally the smoke thinned enough for her to see Rob and a firefighter carrying another firefighter between them. Her knees gave out and she sank down to the curb as she watched the scene across the street from her. It seemed to take an eternity before they placed the man on a stretcher.
Rob straightened and looked directly at her. Her breath caught and tears stung her eyes as she watched him cross the street to her. Thank God.
He sat beside her on the curb. “The store’s a complete loss.”
“I know.” She could feel his eyes on her but refused to turn and look at him because if she did, she would have a complete emotional breakdown. “I purchased the insurance policy so I know they’re well covered.”
“Eris.”
“I even spent the extra money to cover loss of income due to catastrophic damage. For once I did the right thing.”
“Look at me, Eris.” Rob’s tone was more demanding this time but still she refused to turn his way.
“Zane will have to find another location to run his tour company through but that shouldn’t be too difficult. Mom and Dad can finally build the store they’ve always dreamed…”
Her words died as Rob’s fingers grazed the underside of her chin, turning her face toward him. “You’re rambling, princess.”
“I know.”
He wiped a stray tear away. “Why?”
She lifted her eyes to his and felt her throat tighten. “I thought you were dead.”
His jaw tightened as he cut his eyes toward the building. “For a few moments there, I thought so too.”
Eris threw her arms around his neck and busted out into full-blown sobs. Rob pulled her onto his lap and wrapped his arms tight around her. He’d faced death before but tonight was vastly different than any of those previous times. It wasn’t as if he were looking for a quick exit from this world but he always figured when his time came, he would face it head-on. Even when he couldn’t get his seat belt undone in the swamp, the thought of dying hadn’t filled him with such anger.
No, something had happened between then and now and he was positive it revolved around the woman he was holding.
The fear of her perishing in the fire was the only thing that kept him going while trying to escape the flames, heat and smoke. Now as he sat on the curb in the middle of total madness, he realized how much more he wanted from life. He wasn’t ready to admit the changes this revelation would mean to his life but he was ready to take the first step.
Loosening his grip on Eris, he took her face in his hands and crushed his mouth to hers. She responded the way he’d hoped she would, with the same amount of desire and need he was feeling. He didn’t try to hide his feeling as their tongues mated. He slowed the kiss, turning it from needy to sensual, and enjoyed the essence of the woman he was holding. She fit him perfectly and he wanted her in ways he’d never imagined needing another person. And that scared him to death.
He pulled away and noticed the people standing, waiting to talk to them. “You do realize it’s going to be a very long night?”
Eris linked her fingers with his. “Yeah, but we made it out of that inferno alive. Proving we can survive anything.”
He squeezed her hand. “Together.”
She tilted her head back and looked in his eyes. He wasn’t sure what she saw there but she smiled. “Together.”
* * * * *
Rob held a phone to his ear as he stood looking out his condo windows and watched as the first rays of sunshine filled the sky. As soon as they’d arrived, Eris had headed off to fill the whirlpool tub and he’d called LD. That’d been about ten minutes ago and he could feel himself starting to fade. “Listen, I need some rest. I’ll call you after I wake up.”
He hung up and watched the sky brighten a bit more before heading to the kitchen. There were two people from Titan stationed downstairs guarding the building, so he felt comfortable passing out for a few hours. Before that, he needed to clean up and eat. He quickly filled a tray with glasses of juice, boxed muffins and a bowl of grapes then took it with him to the master bath.
“What did LD have to say?” Eris asked from her relaxed position in the whirlpool tub.
“He’s called in some favors, so we’ve got some extra help headed our way. It’s always nice to have a few IOUs stashed away. Even Matt is out of bed and hitting the streets.” He put the tray down on the counter and started stripping.
“Matt shouldn’t be up walking on his leg, but honestly I’m glad to hear it. I don’t know how much longer I can handle this.”
Rob tossed his dirty clothes on top of hers. Everything they’d been wearing was ruined, which was fine by him. He had no desire to be reminded of last night. He picked up a glass of juice and handed it to Eris. He sat on the tub’s edge and picked up the soapy sponge. “Lean forward.”
Eris did and he started scrubbing her back. “You don’t have to do that, but whatever you do, don’t stop.”
Rob chuckled as he dropped the sponge and started massaging her shoulders and upper back. “I’m glad to hear you’re open to more help because your private life no longer exists. You go nowhere alone, you don’t stay in the apartment alone and there will always be a minimum of two people watching you.”
He picked up a cup, pouring warm water over her hair before shampooing it. She sighed again as his fingers massaged her scalp. “As long as these extra people aren’t watching us while we’re alone, I’m good with that plan.”
He rinsed her hair. “You have nothing to worry about there…and so you know, I’m not into watching or being watched. Okay, you’re done.”
Eris pulled the plug on the tub before standing. He handed her one of the towels off the warming rack before heading toward the shower.
“Where are you going?” Eris asked as she dried off.
“To take a quick shower.”
“No, you aren’t. You’re getting in the tub.”
“I’ve never used the thing.”
“Well, it’s about time you did. I’m surprised one of your previous girlfriends didn’t drag you into it. I would have. This thing is decadent. Dim the lights, light some candles, pop the cork on a bottle of champagne, toss in some chocolate-dipped strawberries and you’ve got the ultimate stage for seduction.”
“Considering I’ve never brought another woman back here, I wouldn’t know.”
Eris straightened from adjusting the water and pointed to the tub. “In.”
Rob laughed. “I’ll take a quick shower. You go get in bed.”
Eris crossed her arms and glared at him. She was naked and beautiful and not a person he wanted to tangle with right now, at least not in an argumentative way. “Okay, okay. I can tell you’re not in the mood to discuss this.”
“No, I’m not.” She squeezed a stream of liquid soap into the water and bubbles started to form.
“Don’t think I’ve ever taken a bubble bath.” He stepped into the warm water and lowered his tired, aching body. Rob picked up the sponge and started washing away the filth. “I hate to admit it, but this feels good.”
Eris scooted around the tub behind him and sat on the edge, her legs resting in the water beside him. “Hand me the sponge. I’ll get your back.”
He handed it over and leaned forward, letting her wash away the night’s muck, but he knew the memory wouldn’t be so easily forgotten. The sponge landed in the water next to him and then he felt fingers touch his back. Slowly she worked away the tension and stress from the night. Her hand glided over his shoulder and he jumped.
“You have some swelling here.”
“When the back wall collapsed, the ladder fell to the ground and I rode it down. I jumped off about three feet from the ground and would have been fine, but my feet hit water and went out from under me. I ended up on the ground, flat on my back with my shoulder connecting with the ladder’s edge.”
“That must have hurt.”
“Not as much as the portion of wall that la
nded on the firefighter we hauled out.”
“Still, do you need a doctor or for me to call Lance?”
“I’ll be fine, but thanks for the offer.”
Eris dumped a cup of water over his head and started washing his hair. They stayed silent and he enjoyed the feeling of someone else taking care of him. His earliest memories were not those of his mother caring for him, they were the exact opposite. For once he decided to push those bad memories to the back of his mind and not dwell on them. This place, this time, this woman were all that mattered to him.
She finished rinsing his hair and started to get out of the tub. He reached up, grabbed her hand and pulled her around in front of him. Water sloshed over the edge as she landed in his lap. “Come here.”
She leaned forward, placing her mouth to his, and all the need and lust he felt sitting on the sidewalk erupted back to life. He ran his hands down her back to her thighs, adjusting their positions until he was buried deep inside her. He felt the tension vibrate through her body as she pulled back from the kiss. Her hands stayed on his shoulders as she slowly rode him. He watched the early morning sunlight dance off her skin as a wealth of emotions transformed her face into a vision of sensual delight.
Soft moans escaped her as she continued the pace she’d started and he knew she was close. So was he. “Protection. We need some and there’s nothing I can reach.”
She stopped her movement and looked into his eyes. “Then we should move this to the bed.”
“You read my mind.”
“Nope, that’s Zane’s specialty.” Eris stood quickly and water splashed onto the floor as she stepped out of the tub. “I just want to finish what we started, now hurry.”
Rob laughed as he stood and followed. Tomorrow he was going to the drug store to make sure both their places were well supplied with condoms.
* * * * *
Eris knew before she opened her eyes that she was once again alone in Rob’s bed. She wondered if this was something she should get used to. Obviously the man didn’t require as much sleep as she did. There were much worse flaws, she thought as she stood. Clothes lay on the end of the bed and there was a note taped to the inside of the door. Going over, she removed the note.
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