by Jaci Burton
Jackson came over. “Tell me what we’ve got.”
“Two in the vehicle, seem to be no major injuries. Kid in the back is complaining that his arm hurts. Both are alert, though. We need to get them out.”
Jackson nodded and signaled for Hendricks and Davidson, who came over.
“We have to stabilize the vehicle. Get the chains and some chocks so we can hold it in place.”
“You got it,” Hendricks said.
Jackson took a look at the occupants. “Rafe, you okay to stay with them for now?”
He nodded.
A couple more trucks had arrived to help with the scene, so Rafe felt confident he was right where he needed to be—with these kids.
Hendricks and Davidson came over with the chains, hooked them to the undercarriage and attached them to the fire truck in case the car decided to slide. Rafe felt a lot more secure about the vehicle now.
He walked the kids step-by-step through extrication so they wouldn’t be scared. Ariel seemed way more concerned about her little brother than herself. And Andy appeared to be focused on everything that Rafe and his team were doing.
“I wanna be a fireman when I grow up,” Andy said.
“You do?”
“Yeah. I was a fireman for Halloween last year.”
“Pretty cool, kid. It’s a great job and an important one.”
“Do you get to rescue people and stuff?”
Making sure Andy stayed occupied instead of worrying was important, so Rafe kept him talking. “Hey, I’m doing that right now, aren’t I?”
Andy’s eyes lit up. “Yeah. You’re rescuing me and Ariel.”
“Sure am. And you’ll be able to tell all your friends at school about it.”
“Cool.”
Ariel laughed.
Once the other team moved the SUV out of the way, they had access to one side of the car. They finished stabilization, cut off the door and extricated the kids.
A quick assessment by the EMTs showed Andy had a broken arm and both kids had some cuts and scrapes, but it could have been much worse. They were both going to be taken to the ER for an evaluation, and Ariel was able to call her parents, who were going to meet them at the hospital.
“Will you come with us?” Andy asked Rafe as the EMTs prepped to load him into the ambulance.
The kid was obviously scared to death.
Rafe looked at Jackson, who nodded. “Go ahead. We’ll take care of things here, and you can ride back with the ambo crew.”
“Thanks.” He was relieved to be able to ride with the kids. Though Andy’s injuries appeared to be minor, he wanted to be sure.
They arrived at the hospital and were taken into the ER. Carmen was there, and she immediately took charge, assigning Ariel and Andy to rooms next to each other. The kids’ parents had arrived and looked very worried.
Rafe gave the parents an update on what had happened with the accident. He wasn’t a police officer, but he gave them his take on the accident scene.
“It appears one of the vehicles slammed into the back of Ariel’s car, shoving her into the guardrail at the bridge.”
Ariel’s mother, Glenda, raised her hand to her throat. “Oh my God. We’re so lucky she didn’t go over.”
He didn’t tell her just how close it had come to that. “She was so brave and really worked hard to keep Andy calm.”
“She’s a good kid,” Ray, Ariel’s father, said, sliding his hand through his hair. “But damn, I think I just got fifteen new gray hairs.”
“Don’t worry,” Rafe said. “They’re both going to be fine.”
He went in to see Ariel, who was busily texting on her phone. She looked up and smiled. “Hi, Firefighter Donovan. Thanks again for hanging out with us.”
“Telling all your friends about your big day?”
He saw her blush. “I am. Hey, would you take a selfie with me?”
“Sure.” He leaned over and smiled while she snapped a pic.
“Awesome. Thanks.”
“You’re welcome. You did good today. You were very brave.”
“Thanks. I was totally scared out of my mind. I don’t know if I’ll ever want to drive again.”
“You will. The next time you and your friends want to go somewhere, you won’t even think about it.”
“You think?”
“Yeah. It wasn’t like you did anything wrong. It was just . . . bad timing. And those things are rare. So don’t let it spook you, okay?”
She nodded. “Okay. Thanks again for saving our lives.”
He felt a pang in his stomach. “You’re welcome. Drive safe.”
“Oh, trust me, I will.”
He stepped into Andy’s room. Carmen was in there checking Andy’s vitals. She gave Rafe a brief smile but then put her professional one back on for Andy’s parents.
“The doctor will be in to talk to you shortly, but they’re going to set the break and put a temporary cast on until the swelling goes down, then he can see the orthopedic surgeon for a more permanent cast in about a week.”
Carmen leveled a brilliant smile on Andy. “And you, young man, get to choose whatever you want to eat from the menu.”
Andy’s eyes widened. “Really? I can have chocolate ice cream if I want it?”
Carmen looked over at Glenda and Ray. Glenda nodded. “I’d say you’ve earned some chocolate ice cream.”
“Awesome,” Andy said, smiling a wide gap-toothed grin.
“If I’d known that was all I had to do to earn chocolate ice cream, I’d get stuck against a bridge, too,” Rafe said.
“I don’t know, Mr. Donovan,” Andy said. “It’s pretty scary.”
Rafe laughed. “You’re right about that. I was scared, too.”
“You were?”
“Sure I was. I didn’t want anything to happen to you. You’re a future firefighter, you know?”
“That’s right. I am. I’m gonna be a fireman someday, Dad.”
Ray looked over at Rafe and smiled. “So you’ve told me. I couldn’t think of anything better for you, Andy.”
“I’ll leave you all alone. It was nice meeting both of you.” Rafe shook hands with Ray and Glenda, then went over to Andy and laid his hand on the kid’s head. “Be good.”
“I’m always good.”
Ray coughed and Rafe grinned.
He left the room, and Carmen followed him out.
“Big day so far, I see,” she said as he went with her to the main desk.
“Yeah. I rode in the ambo with the kids to make sure they were all right.”
She was charting, and she lifted her gaze to his. “That’s sweet. They’re good kids.”
“They are. It was a rough wreck, and the way they were pushed up against the guardrail . . .”
She laid her hand over his. “You were worried.”
“Like you wouldn’t believe. It could have gone badly.”
She squeezed his hand. “But it didn’t. You saved their lives.”
“The whole team did. I just needed to be here to . . . I don’t know. Follow up. Make sure they were really okay.”
She nodded. “Sometimes certain cases grab hold of us, hit us in the heart. We can’t help it.”
“Yeah.” He shifted his gaze at the rooms where Ariel and Andy were. Andy was chatting with his dad, and Ariel was talking to her mother. They appeared to be a good family. He was glad to have played a part in reuniting them today.
Carmen looked at her watch. “I’m due for a lunch break. Do you have some time to grab a bite with me or do you need to go?”
“I have time. My EMTs got another call, so my ride back to the station left me. I’m kind of on my own for the moment, unless the truck gets a call and they have to swing by and pick me up.”
“Great. I’ll meet you in the cafeteria in five.”
“Okay.”
He radioed Jackson that he was still in the hospital and would take his lunch with Carmen. Jackson said that was fine and that they were going to go o
n a scheduled training run after lunch, so they’d swing by in about an hour to pick him up unless they got a call.
He headed down to the cafeteria. Since it was after one, the normal hospital lunch crush had mostly cleared out, which suited him just fine. He waited at the entrance for Carmen. His heart did a lurch, as it always did whenever he laid eyes on her. She was wearing her scrubs, which were dark blue and had pockets, and she wore purple tennis shoes. Her hair was pulled back into a high ponytail, and she looked freakin’ sexy as hell. And, sure, every other person in the place dressed similarly, but to Rafe, she was the only one he saw.
She walked through the doorway and came up beside him.
“Did I mention how gorgeous you are today?”
She snorted out a laugh. “You’re funny.”
“Dead serious. Totally hot.”
She shook her head. “No, you look hot. And people are staring at you.”
He glanced around and saw he was getting some looks, especially from women. He hadn’t even noticed. Of course he was in uniform, though he’d left his turnout gear in the truck. He shrugged. “I’ve only got eyes for you, babe.”
“Good to know. Also, I’m having a chicken salad sandwich and some chips.”
He grinned at how she blew off his compliment. “Sounds great to me.”
They loaded up their trays, and Rafe added a bowl of fruit and a candy bar. Carmen had an employee card on her lanyard, so she swiped for both of them.
“Thanks for lunch,” he said.
“My pleasure. Thanks for having lunch with me.”
They found a table and sat. Rafe dived into his sandwich, then took a couple of strong gulps of his ice water. He’d developed a thirst working that scene. It was only after his second cup that he could finally concentrate on his sandwich.
Carmen watched. “A little dry in the throat?”
“We focus when we’re working a scene, and being fully geared up at the end of July makes it hot as fuck out there.”
“Don’t you hydrate while you’re there?”
He nodded. “Yeah. I emptied my water canister on scene.”
She shook her head, then smiled. “Then drink up, dude. I have enough people passing out on me in the ER. I don’t need to add you to the list.”
“Aww, you care. That’s sweet.”
“Of course I care. All my treatment rooms are full today. Do you think I want to deal with having to hydrate you via IV in my hallway? It’ll look bad for my stats.”
He laughed. “I’ll be sure to refill my ice water so I don’t disgrace your department.”
“That’s thoughtful of you.” She sipped her soda and slanted a snarky smile at him.
When they finished, they walked out of the cafeteria and headed toward the elevators.
They got on the elevator by themselves, and Rafe looked all around.
Carmen frowned. “Checking for safety violations?”
“No. I was looking for cameras.”
“As far as I know there aren’t any. Why?”
He turned and backed her against the wall of the elevator, his gaze heated and direct, wanting to make sure she knew his intent. “Because I want to kiss you.”
To her credit, she didn’t shove him away. “You think this is like television, and no one will interrupt us?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about. But we’re talking and not kissing.”
Now she did push him away and looked at her watch. Then she selected the button for floor seven. The elevator doors opened on the main floor where the ER was located, then closed again.
He gave her a questioning look.
“Just go with it,” she said.
“Hey, I’m with you on this ride. Wherever you go, I go.”
The doors opened again, and he peeked his head out. The entire floor was vacant. There was an obvious construction site to the right, everything covered by plastic sheeting. But no one appeared to be working up here today. And there were empty, darkened rooms to the left.
She grabbed his hand. “Come on.”
She led him into one of the vacant rooms and closed the door. “I need to be back on the floor in ten minutes.”
He grinned and approached her, lifting the hem of her scrub shirt. “I can do ten minutes.”
“I was just thinking we could kiss.”
“Yeah? I was thinking of a lot more than that.” His gaze shifted to the bed. It was unmade, but it would do.
She laughed. “I don’t know about you, but I don’t have any condoms on me. I’m on the pill, but . . .”
He nibbled her neck as he walked her backward toward the bed. “We can do a lot of fun things besides fucking, Carmen.”
“Oh, really? Care to elaborate?”
“Yeah.” He slid his hands in her hair and put his mouth on hers.
She met his kiss with a pent-up passion. They didn’t have a lot of time for slow kissing, for tasting and teasing, but he wanted her to know how much he’d been thinking about her. He took one of those sacred few minutes to thoroughly taste her lips, to delve his tongue inside her mouth and get her as riled up as he felt. And when she moaned against his lips, he knew she felt it, too.
He massaged her breasts through her scrub top and bra, wishing he could take the time to get her naked, to suck on her nipples until she was writhing underneath him. But since he didn’t, he slid his hand inside her pants and panties to cup her sex. She moaned and arched against his hand, letting him freely stroke her softness until she whimpered, driving against him until he was the one throbbing.
He released her mouth and positioned her on the bed so her legs dangled over. He leaned over her and smiled while he undid the drawstrings of her scrubs, then drew them down her legs. He kissed her belly, her hips, and pulled her underwear down her legs, letting it dangle at her ankles.
She was panting, and the only word she whispered was, “Hurry.”
He spread her legs as much as he could, cupped her butt cheeks in his hands and put his mouth on her. He flicked his tongue all around her sex and clit, drunk on the sweet scent of her.
“Ohhh, yes,” she said, lifting her hips to give him access.
He was so hard he ached to be inside of her. But this was for Carmen, and he was going to enjoy the hell out of it. She was sweet and salty, and he loved being this close to her, tasting her heat and feeling her body move against him with wild abandon. That he could give her this pleasure, even briefly, was such a damn turn-on his balls throbbed with it.
When he felt her body tighten, he pressed harder with his tongue around her clit.
“Oh yes, that’s it,” she said.
She released, reaching out for him. He grasped her hand, and she squeezed his hand as she shuddered through her orgasm.
He gave her a minute to come down from her climax, then licked her thigh, kissed her hip and helped her get her clothes back on.
Carmen took in a deep breath, her eyes still gleaming with sparkling desire as she smiled at him. She cupped his face and kissed him. “That was amazing. You’re amazing.”
He grinned. “Glad you think so.”
She reached down to rub her hand back and forth over his hard cock. “Now it’s your turn.”
“I know you need to go back.”
She glanced at her watch, then undid the zipper of his pants. “I’ve got a few minutes.”
He cupped her butt and drew her against him. “I’m so hard right now it won’t take more than that.”
She maneuvered him so he leaned against the bed, then crouched down and drew his pants and boxer briefs down. His cock jutted out, hard and aching. She swirled her hand around the tip, rubbing her thumb over the pre- come that spilled there. Watching Carmen on her knees in front of him made his balls tighten. And when she leaned forward and flicked her tongue out to tease his cockhead, he swore he could lose it right there.
But oh no. He wanted the good stuff. He wanted her sweet, hot mouth on his cock.
And when her lip
s surrounded him and she drew him into her mouth, he felt like he might die from the agonizing suction, the heat and wetness of her lips and tongue. And oh, fuck, then she took him fully into her mouth and his cockhead hit the back of her throat and he was going to lose it right now.
Hold on, man. This felt too damn good, and he needed just a little longer.
But Carmen cupped his balls and gave them a gentle massage, and that was all it took.
“Oh, fuck, yeah. That’s gonna make me come.”
She grasped the base of his cock and pumped, taking his cock deep while she used her mouth to squeeze him like a vise. That was all he could handle. He uttered a guttural groan as he lost it, spurting come into her mouth. She took it all, and damn if she didn’t make him sweat as he watched her throat work as she swallowed.
After he was empty, he panted hard, holding on to the bed rail for support. Sweat pooled at his lower back, and he could sure use a few minutes to recover. But he knew time was at a premium for Carmen, so he pulled her to stand and kissed her.
“That was fun,” she said, licking his lips. “And I know it’s rude as hell to come and go, but I really do have to go.”
He rested his forehead against hers. “I know you do.”
They both dashed into the bathroom to clean up. Carmen ran her fingers through her hair, then refixed her hair into a ponytail and popped a breath mint, handing one to Rafe.
“Thanks,” he said. “Are you off tomorrow?”
She shook her head. “Not until Wednesday. Then I have two days off in a row.”
“I have Kelly days coming up, which means I get a few extra days off shift. Maybe we can take a little trip together.”
She nodded. “We’ll see what we can work out. I have my grandpa to consider.”
“Oh, right.”
“I’ll see what I can do, okay?”
“Sure.”
They walked to the elevator, and she pushed the button. When it opened, she selected the main floor. He stood next to her, and what he really wanted was to pull her in his arms to kiss her, but the doors opened on the fifth floor, and a few people got on.