His fingertips caressed her swollen center. That wasn’t enough. She arched chasing his touch.
“Turn around, sweetheart. I want to see you come against the sunrise.”
Dana did as he asked but only with his help. She gripped his forearms.
“Lean back, sweetheart.” One of his arms lay along the rail. “I’ve got you.”
Dana did as he asked. She would have done anything he asked.
Travis pushed at the T-shirt, baring her breasts, and looked at her. “So beautiful.” His mouth took one of her nipples and sucked as his finger entered her.
She bucked. It was as if a lightning strike had hit her sending its power zipping through her. She closed her eyes and felt. Travis’s mouth continued to caress her breasts as his finger teased her nub. A tightness built, twisted, curled then pleaded for release. Dana threw back her head, pressed against the rail and down on Travis’s masterful hand before screaming her release. She shuddered as it echoed in the morning air.
When her knees failed to hold her, Travis brought her against him. He held her tenderly. After a few minutes she stepped back still steadying herself with hands on his biceps.
He looked into her eyes. “Thank you for that gift. It was the most amazing experience of my life.”
Dana’s cheeks heated and she looked away.
Using a curled finger, Travis raised her chin so she had to meet his gaze. “You’re an extraordinary woman, Dana Warren.” He kissed her softly.
She wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled him tight, kissing him deeply. “I need you in me.”
With a swift turn, he had her pinned against the glass. Seconds later his boxers were on the catwalk. Minutes later the birds flew from the trees at the roar of her name across Travis’s lips.
* * *
Travis watched from the bed for a peep of Dana’s naked sweet butt beneath his T-shirt as she checked the clothing to see if it was dry. Could a morning get any better than this? “You know, I really did think about you through the years.”
Her gaze shot to meet his. “You did?”
“You’re not that easy to forget.” That brought a small smile to her face.
“I thought about you, as well. What did you wonder about me?”
He leaned up on an elbow to see her better. “At first I wondered how bad I had hurt your feelings. Then I just wondered where you were. If you were happy.” His voice took on a soft note. “You should know it’s never wrong to let someone know you care about them. I really am sorry I hurt you.”
“You didn’t mistreat me. I had a crush.” She kept messing with the clothes. “As I’ve already said, it was the heat of the moment.”
“I was a self-centered young man who thought he had his whole world planned out. Was doing what he’d been told would get him ahead in the world.” That was exactly what he had been doing. He’d not realized that until now. Not once had he thought about what he really wanted. Why did he feel he had to follow some established plan for his life? Why hadn’t he thought about what made him happy?
“That’s all a long time ago.” She continued moving clothes around. “We need to get started.”
“I don’t see why we can’t spend the day here. Head out tomorrow.” Travis patted the bed and grinned.
She returned it. “As much as I’d like that idea, I don’t think the forest service wants to pay me for spending all day in bed with you.”
“Is there any reason we can’t leave in an hour?” He winked. Dana started toward him. Her focus left him to look out the window behind him and she jerked to a stop.
He rolled, looking out, as well. “What’s wrong?”
“Smoke.” Her voice had lost it humor.
“There was no electrical storm.”
“Most likely a careless camper.” She jerked on her panties, then pulled off the T-shirt put on the bra and returned the shirt. Finding her pants, she stepped into them.
Dana had morphed into firefighter mode. What he’d hoped for wasn’t going to happen.
“No matter how many times we say no burning, no campfires this time of the year someone inevitably ends up letting one get out of hand.” She picked up the radio and headed for the door. “I’m calling base.”
Travis rolled out of bed and started dressing.
Dana returned. “So far they haven’t seen the smoke so it’s still small. Since I’m so close I need to go see about it. Maybe it’s just a campfire. You can head on out. All you have to do is follow the road. It’s a walk but it reaches a main road. I can radio in and have someone pick you up.”
“Not going to happen. I’m going with you.” Travis started packing his bags.
“You don’t have to.”
His gaze met hers. “You’re not going alone.”
Her look of surprise took him off guard. “Is something wrong?”
Her eyes were bright. “No, I’m just not used to someone being that concerned about me.”
He took her hand and pulled her gently to him. “What’re friends for?” He kissed her and patted her on the butt. “Now let’s get moving. We’ve a fire to see about.”
She grinned, turned and picked up her belongings.
“Can’t we leave some of these supplies here? Travel lighter. Come back for them.”
“No, they have to go with us. We may not be back this way.”
* * *
Fifteen minutes later they had their packs on. “Let’s go. If it’s any consolation there’s no water to cross on this trip.”
“I do love dry feet.” He hadn’t let on to her what bad shape his feet were in. If he had she would’ve insisted he stay behind. He’d patched himself up with the supplies he had and put on two pairs of socks. Had also taken two pain relievers while she was outside seeing to the stuff hanging there. “I’m ready when you are.”
They headed down the stairs. At the bottom, Dana checked with base for more information and confirmed GPS coordinates of the fire. She set a steady pace as they walked across the field into the woods.
“How far away do you think it is?”
“Couple of miles. It shouldn’t take long to get there.”
Thoughts of their earlier activities kept him from thinking about his feet. He wanted to repeat them. Bring that look of delight to Dana’s face again.
* * *
Dana hated she hadn’t gotten Travis back to town before going off to another fire. He was a doctor not a firefighter. She’d tried to leave him behind, but from the determined look in his eyes he wasn’t going to let that happen. Her heart had swelled at his support but she’d seen the gingerly way he walked. His feet pained him.
She’d glanced in the window when she’d been out on the catwalk and seen him caring for his feet. Taking longer than necessary, she gave him time to finish before she announced they should go. She hated Travis was hurt but she didn’t have time to argue with him about going or not.
They broke into an open area of small bushes with an occasional tree. Travis came up beside her. Smoke filled the air. “Let’s hope it hasn’t gotten out of hand by the time we get there.”
“I’ll second that.” To go home for a rest and hot bath sounded good right now. She glanced at Travis. Yet she’d miss him when they got back. But that had been the plan.
This morning on the catwalk had been unbelievable. Too many orgasms like that and her heart might burst. That Travis had given it to her only made it sweeter. It would be a precious memory of their time together.
Once again she smelled the fire before she saw it. Moving forward they found the scorched black burn line. “It looks as if we’ve caught it early. We need to get out in front of it and make a fire line. Stop it before it crawls any farther. I only have half a tank of gas left for the chain saw. We have to plan its use carefully.”
“Hey!” A young man who looked in hi
s early twenties came running toward them waving his hands above his head. “I’m glad to see you.” He coughed. “Can you help us?”
“What’s wrong?” Dana asked.
The man pointed behind him toward some rocks that had just been missed by the fire. “My friend broke his leg.”
Travis turned to her. “I’ll check on him then come help you. I want you to stay within my eyesight until I can get to you.”
She nodded.
* * *
“If you don’t promise to do as I say, I’m coming with you right now.” Travis narrowed his eyes and watched her closely.
He’d make that kind of choice for her? No one outside her grandfather ever had and he hadn’t wanted to. She’d been pretty much thrust into his lap.
“I’ll do my best. But it’s my job.”
Travis’s look bored into hers. Then he nodded. “Good enough.”
As he and the guy hurried away she heard Travis say, “I’m a doctor. Tell me how your friend got hurt.”
The wind picked up and the smoke grew heavier as she approached the fire. She pulled her bandanna up over her mouth and started to work on a firebreak.
Once she’d glanced back to see Travis standing up and looking her direction as if searching the area. Apparently he saw her because he sat down again beside his patient. Half an hour later, he joined her as she worked the dirt with her Pulaski.
“The hurt guy?”
Travis joined in right beside her. “He’s settled out of harm’s way, leaning against a tree. I told both guys to stay put and we’d be back for them. I had the guy lay your damp sleeping bag and our clothes out in the sun.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, we’re going to need them to get the hurt one to help. I also figured we might have to spend another night out here.”
“It’s starting to look that way.” She picked up the pace and he did the same.
It was the middle of the afternoon when they stopped and surveyed their progress. Travis stood with his gloved hands on the top of his Pulaski handle. She surveyed the black area around them, having already gone down on her hands and knees to test for any heat in the soil.
“It looks like we got it.” Dana pulled her bandanna down and wiped her face on her sleeve.
“Yeah, it does.”
She looked at Travis. He studied her. She asked, “What’s wrong?”
“I was just thinking how completely inappropriate it would be to kiss you but I really want to.”
She licked her lips and stepped to him. “It might be, but I’d sure like one.”
Travis took her in his arms; his mouth touched hers with such gentleness she almost cried. She clung to him. His lips were a caress pressed against hers. When she would’ve taken the kiss deeper he kept it tender as if he was trying to express the depth of his feelings. Her arm went around his neck while another lay on his chest. His heart beat solid and sure beneath her hand.
Heaven help her, she would miss him when their time was over.
He pulled back, placing his black-from-smoke-and-dirt forehead against hers. After taking a deep breath, he let it out slowly. “As much as I wish we were going to be alone again tonight, I think we need to get back to my patient. We’ve got to work out some arrangement for getting him to a hospital.”
“Can’t we call in Rescue?” Dana picked up the chain saw sitting not far away.
“We could but it’ll be dark before they could make it this far today. If the weather doesn’t turn maybe they could make it in the morning. I still think we need to plan to get him out of here on our own.”
“Agreed. Do you think the guys will be where you left them?”
“Yeah.” Travis took her hand and held it as they went as if they were strolling in a park. She couldn’t help but smile at the picture they must make. Nasty, sweaty and dusty from head to toe. “They were both too scared to move. Especially when I told them you work for the forest service. They knew they were in trouble then.”
“Ah, I get to be the bad guy.”
He grinned. “Someone’s gotta do it.”
As they walked up to the guys, the mobile one came running to them. “I was afraid you had forgotten about us.”
She tried to pull her hand from Travis’s but he hung on to it.
“No. It just takes time to put out a fire,” Travis said not slowing down until they reached the injured fellow. “Ted,” Travis indicated the man with a broken leg, “and Jim, this is Dana Warren, a smokejumper with the US Forest Service.”
“Ah, hi.” Jim shrugged. “Sorry about the fire.”
Ted gave her a weak smile. His eyes were glazed over in pain.
Travis choked back a chuckle as she glared at Jim.
“We just had a small campfire. We had to cook.” The guy’s voice climbed higher with each word. “I don’t know how it got out. It became a brush fire like that.” He snapped his fingers. “We tried to stop it but we couldn’t. Everything we did made it worse. I got burnt then Jim fell and broke his leg.”
After her initial disgust, Dana couldn’t help but feel sorry for the guy despite him not following the law during fire season. She pursed her lips and shook her head. Young and stupid. She looked at Travis. She’d been that once. Was she now being older and stupid?
He looked at her and raised a brow. Was he thinking the same thing?
“Do you have any water?” Travis asked.
Jim said, “Yeah. Right here. We managed to save a few of our supplies. Our parents would kill us if we’d lost their stuff.”
Dana rolled her eyes. Apparently they’d been more concerned with saving their butts instead of the forest. Jim went around the tree and returned with an armload of camping equipment including two CamelBak canteens.
Travis leaned his Pulaski against the tree and went down on his knees beside Ted and said in a calm, reassuring voice, “We’re going to need to get this splinted and secured so we can get you out of here. You’ll be fine.”
Dana’s heart filled with pride. After fighting a fire for the last six hours, kissing her like she was the most precious person in the world, Travis was now caring for his patient. He was the most amazing man. She hadn’t been wrong all those years ago. He had been special then and he still was.
* * *
Travis sighed as he looked at Ted’s leg. What he wouldn’t give if he and Dana were on their way back to the fire tower. Even their gentle kiss had left him wanting more. He spoke to Ted. “I’m going to need to cut your pants so I can see more clearly what’s going on.”
“Okay.” Ted’s eyes were glassy with pain. The over-the-counter pain reliever wasn’t doing much for him.
Travis looked at Jim. “You go find two solid limbs that I can use for splints. Make them as long as your leg.”
“Dana, would you check on a helicopter then come help me?”
“Ten-four.” A few minutes later she returned to stand beside him.
“So can they send one?” Travis asked over his shoulder.
“You were right. Not this late in the day. Tomorrow morning at the earliest. But they are expecting another front with high winds. They’ll let us know if they can make a pickup.”
Disappointment filled Travis as he looked back at his patient. “Just as I thought. Then we’ll have to work as if we are going to have to carry him out of here. We need to clean up some if I’m going to work with his leg.” He picked up his pack and carried it far enough away they had some privacy.
Dana followed him.
He pulled out his now well-used T-shirt and wet it before handing it to her.
She wiped her face and cleaned her hands. “Kind of makes you wish for a good river doesn’t it?”
He grinned. “That it does. What I’m dreaming of is a hot shower with you.” Dana rewarded him with pink coming to her cheeks even through the dir
t. “You make me want to kiss you when you blush.”
She handed him the T-shirt. “Clean your face, Dr. Russell, and I’ll pour water over your hands.” She took the bottle from him.
With Dana’s help he managed to get his hands fresh enough he felt he could care for a patient.
“What do you want me to do?”
“Go through our supplies and theirs and find anything that can be cut up to be used as wrapping on the leg. I want you to help me with that when Jim returns. Do you think we can make it back to the tower before it turns dark?”
Dana looked at the sun. “I’d hate to chance it if we’re carrying an injured person.”
“That what I was thinking. We make camp here tonight and build something to carry Ted out with just in case we need it.”
“I can get Jim started on that when he gets back. I’ll cut some limbs and we’ll make a travois, like the Native Americans used to move their goods with. Will that work?”
Travis smiled, and nodded. “That would be brilliant.”
“We’ll cut the ropes off the parachutes to strap the poles together and use them to create the bed for him to lie on. The sleeping bag on top should make it as comfortable as possible.”
“Sounds like a plan. If Rescue can’t get here we’ll walk him out and have someone at the tower to meet us.”
“Agreed.”
Jim came running toward them. “I’ve got them.” He held up a stick in each hand.
“Put them over there near Ted. We’ve another job for you.” Travis went to his supply bag and pulled out his parachute. “Cut the ropes off of this. Make them as long as possible.” He handed the material to Jim.
“Did you guys parachute in here?” His eyes went wide with disbelief.
“Yes, we did,” Dana said evenly.
Travis took a deep breath. “Do you have a knife?”
“Yep.” Jim showed him.
“Then get to work.” Travis pointed toward the bags.
“Dana, will you come help me, please.” Travis went down on his knees beside Ted. “I’m going to need you at his feet.”
Reunited with Her Daredevil Doc Page 12