Ladder 54: Five Firefighter Romances

by Maren Smith

  Checking her watch for the fifth time in about ten minutes, she sighed. The anticipation was killing her, and all of the nervous energy was starting to make her feel a little nauseous. She scurried from the large window to one of the cream sofas, making herself sit down. Get a damn grip, Lauren, she scolded herself. What is Blake going to think if he finds you wandering around like a little lost schoolgirl?

  Her mind drifted once again to the night of the auction. Emboldened by two glasses of wine, she had achieved her aim, out-bidding everyone else for her night with Blake. It had cost her more than two thousand dollars, money she couldn’t afford, but she didn’t care about that now. Right now, she was here, and this was really happening. She almost pinched herself to make sure it was real.

  After the auction, Blake had found her in the crowd, her attempts to hide behind Emma apparently failing miserably. He’d shaken her hand, his blue eyes beaming as he’d introduced himself. Lauren remembered the way she’d responded with pathetic giggles, relieved mainly that he didn’t recognize her, but then, why would he? It had been years since he’d last seen her. They’d chatted for a while, Blake showering her with attention as they’d exchanged numbers. He was pulling an early shift the next day, so he couldn’t stay, but he’d promised her he’d text, and sure enough, the next day, he had.

  A flurry of messages had followed. They were lighthearted and flirty, but Lauren had read and reread each one about a hundred times. Blake Anderson was messaging her? The thought made her pant, sending her heart racing out of control even now as she waited for him. They’d agreed to meet today, and she’d acquiesced to his suggestion of using the cabin as a neutral location. True to his word, he’d also organized the logistics, hiring a chef for their time here. Lauren looked around, taking in the aesthetic of the place again. She knew a little of what went on here, and she clenched her thighs together beneath her linen dress at the idea. This was a BDSM club. Emma had told her about it. People met here to play, and by that, Emma hadn’t meant chess.

  “Lauren?” Blake appeared in the doorway, his muscular arm propping him up against the frame as his gaze surveyed the lounge area, landing finally on the young woman sat in the center of it. “Great to see you again.”

  The look of him standing there made her flush. She actually felt the heat as it crept up her neck. Oh, my God, she thought, physically fighting the urge to pant, just look at him. He was so tall, so big, and so damn gorgeous. Exactly as she recalled from her childhood fantasies, colossal, with dark, chiseled features, except now he was even finer. His age and experience showed in the way he walked and how he carried himself, and of course, she was all grown up, too.

  When Emma had called her with news about the auction, she’d known right there and then that she’d have to bid for Blake, and then she’d heard about the BDSM element, and that had sealed the deal.

  And now he’d arrived—and he was all hers for the evening.

  Chapter Three

  The look on her face was calm as she glanced up to meet the sound of his voice, but he sensed beneath the beautifully polished exterior, there was panic. She eyed him in silence for a moment, and he watched as a beautiful blush engulfed her face. Her eyes widened further as he sauntered his way into the room.

  “Hi,” she murmured, standing to meet him, and reaching out to take the large palm that he thrust in her direction. The enormous hand closed around her tiny digits, his warmth encompassing her trembling fingers as he greeted her. She risked a glance north to meet his gaze, and he smiled, wanting to reassure her. She was every inch as beautiful as he remembered from the auction.

  “Well, hello,” he replied, intentionally flashing her one of his most devastating smiles. “I’m Blake, your firefighter for the night. It’s good to finally meet you properly.”

  She bit on her lower lip. “You don’t remember me then?” Her voice was barely audible as she responded.

  He tilted his head at her question, his handsome expression softening a little as he studied her face. “Well, I recall you from the auction,” he replied after a moment. “But aside from that, I can’t say that I do. I’m pretty sure I’d remember such an attractive face, and such an intriguing accent. Where are you from?”

  Lauren smiled at the compliment, and he noted that some of the nervous tension eased from her muscles.

  “I’m from a small town in England,” she told him. “You’ll never have heard of it.”

  “England, huh?” he repeated the word back to her. “That’s interesting. Why would a gorgeous woman from England wanna bid on me for the weekend?”

  She looked up at him, swallowing hard. “It’s complicated,” she answered him, as a shy blush crept over her cheeks. “I met you once—a long time ago—and well, I never forgot you.” Her face flamed brighter at the admission, and she shifted awkwardly in her place.

  He threw her an inquisitive smile. This was not what he’d been expecting. “Wow, okay,” he answered, tucking his thumbs into the jeans that fitted snugly at his hips. “Now I’m intrigued. Let’s sit, and you can tell me all about it.”

  Lauren offered him a smile back, but she was practically panting as she took the seat next to him. “There’s not much to tell,” she began, squirming against the leather sofa. “I used to live here in Montana, before my parents moved us back to the United Kingdom, and, well, you rescued me once, from a fire I mean.”

  Blake listened intently to her explanation, his face startling at the admission that she’d once been rescued. “When was this?” he asked. “How old were you at the time?”

  “I was just a kid,” she replied, swallowing hard at whatever memory filled her mind. “I was trapped in one of the back bedrooms, and you fought your way back into the property to save me. By all accounts, you were quite the hero.”

  Lauren studied his face as he strained to recall the incident, and then, all of a sudden, it hit him. “Lauren Roberts,” he mused aloud as the image of the rescue came back to him. “Lauren Roberts? Of course! I do remember you! Good grief, you really were just a kid then. What were you, ten years old, maybe twelve?”

  The memory brought a broad smile to his strong jaw, but Lauren seemed rather embarrassed at his recollections of her as a child. She lifted her head, and he waited in silence for her to find the right words to reply.

  “Erm, yeah,” she said, her eyes darting around his face. “I guess that would have been about right.”

  “Well, well, well,” Blake smiled, reclining against the expensive cream leather. “Who would have thought it? I saved you all those years ago, and now look at you, all grown up.” As he concluded he really did look at her. His gaze flowed from the soft feminine features of her face, her pretty green eyes, and long, fair hair. Slowly, it moved south, devouring the curve of her bosom and the arc of her hips. It rested finally on her long, slender legs, crossed neatly in front of her as they spoke. Hell, yeah, Lauren Roberts had really grown up, and now he was all hers for the night. Or rather, she was his.

  Chapter Four

  “So, you fancied a night with your hero, huh?” Blake’s expression radiated wry amusement at the notion, and her tummy knotted under the linen dress she’d so carefully chosen.

  “It sounds pretty dumb when you put it that way,” she muttered, her face coloring a deeper shade of beet red at her utter stupidity. What was she going to tell Emma? She’d never live this down…

  He eyed her intently. She could feel the weight of his scrutiny even without looking up. “It’s not dumb,” he countered. “Not in the slightest. I’m really pleased that you bid for me, Lauren.”

  She glanced up to meet his dazzling sapphire eyes. “Really?”

  “Yes, really,” he confirmed, adding additional emphasis to the first word, and then, wordlessly, he slid over, closing the distance between them.

  Lauren gasped at his sudden proximity. The scent of his earthy aftershave washed over her, and she found herself gazing up at him longingly—every inch the love-struck teenager. The ma
n was so fine, his mouth so perfectly defined, surrounded by just the right amount of dark stubble.

  “Lauren?” For the second time in just a few minutes Blake said her name, snapping her from her self-induced trance.

  “Yes,” she panted, willing herself some damn composure.

  “I’m even more pleased that you won me,” he added, his eyes sparkling as he appraised her. “And now that you have, what do you have planned?”

  Oh. My. The look in his eye was just scintillating, and for a second, she imagined him in his firefighter garb, his torso naked save for the suspenders holding up those fetching yellow pants… The thought was distracting to say the least, and she blinked up at him, refocusing on his question. She’d been prepared for such directness, but not for the first time, she faltered, feeling the heat of embarrassment in her cheeks.

  He chuckled at her response, and then, to her surprise, he shifted his weight forward, grasping her left hand in his large palm. “You obviously had something in mind,” he mused, that gaze all too knowing as it assessed her. “You planned to bid and win me, right? And you did so at a BDSM cabin, no less. That suggests you think you know what you’re getting into?”

  Lauren swallowed, knowing she would have to account for her actions, but somehow not able to articulate what she needed. “Er, y-yes, Blake,” she stuttered, shrinking under the intensity of his gaze. “I did…”

  “And now that you have me right here?” he replied, his dark brow arching as his words goaded her.

  Bastard, she mused, forcing her gaze north to meet his experienced eyes. He was clearly toying with her intentionally, and worst still, it was making her really hot.

  “I had an idea,” Lauren admitted. “I had an idea that I was ready for this, but now I’m not so sure…” Her voice trailed away, and with it went the last of her confidence.

  How had she been so stupid, thinking she could spar with a man like Blake Anderson? A man as skilled and knowledgeable as him—a dom no less. The thought made her body tingle. A dominant. She knew what that meant, and the realization left her throat dry and her pussy drenched. He would never want a woman like her. Lauren was only a silly little girl by comparison to him…

  “Are you going to share any of those plans with me?” Blake asked, his tone demonstrating some of the exasperation Lauren’s responses were creating in him.

  “I can’t, Blake,” she murmured, a rush of emotion rising in her throat. “I’m sorry…”

  She rose to stand, but Blake’s grip at her wrist tightened. “Where do you think you’re going, young lady?” he asked, his tone having taken on a much deeper timbre. It spoke to her somehow, resonating profoundly within her core and ending on her pulsing clitoris. That was the tone she’d always imagined him using on her in her fantasies. “There is clearly something that you wanted to say to me, so why not say it? You’ve had the ingenuity to get this far, so why back away now?”

  She paused, eyeing the strong digits at her wrist as his words rolled through her mind. “It’s embarrassing,” she mumbled, wanting to pull away, walk away and leave the sudden intensity of this situation. Whatever she had imagined, she was not ready—not ready for this.

  Blake raised his gaze and shook his head at her. “Oh, really?” he asked sardonically. “More embarrassing than this? More embarrassing than me dressing you down like a child? More embarrassing than being instructed to talk, instead of behaving like an adult and telling me what you need?”

  She gulped at that, aware of the arousal pooling at the apex of her thighs. Blake’s domineering show was making her flustered and wet, just like every dream she’d ever had over the years. Except, this was real, and the reality of the situation seemed to heighten her every sense.

  “You can’t treat me this way,” Lauren mumbled. “I’m not a child.” The words were out there, but even she could hear there was no conviction in her voice.

  “I agree you’re not a child, Lauren,” Blake said, releasing his grip on her slightly. “So, stop behaving like one. Sit down and talk to me. Tell me what’s really on your mind.”

  She stared at him, her legs trembling as she resumed her seat beside him. “I don’t know if I can,” she says, her voice shaky. “I’m sorry, this isn’t exactly going the way I’d planned…”

  Blake flashed her a bright smile at the admission. “Let’s start there then,” he replied. “How exactly did you envision this meeting going?”

  Chapter Five

  The look on her face was tantalizing, and as she opened up to him, it was clear this was the biggest leap of faith Lauren had ever taken. Evidently, she had held the information in for a long time, and once the faucet was released, it was like she couldn’t stop. Everything came out in one enormous rush. The words just kept spilling from her lips, and she told him it all, from how she remembered him carrying her out of her family home the evening the house went up in flames, to how the nightmares she’d experienced for years afterwards morphed into hot fantasies about Blake himself. And then there was the part about the spanking. She’d wanted to be taken over his knee for so long, that faced with the reality, she was more than a little overawed.

  She sounded so unsure, and something about her hesitancy made him want to embrace her. She was so small and fragile, especially next to his six-foot, five-inch frame, and it was clear she needed looking after. In his mind, he imagined holding and comforting her. He’d love to make that pretty face smile, instead of furrow with confusion and uncertainty. God knows, he needed a good woman to worship and protect. It had been too long. Beneath his pants, his cock hardened at the thought of spending time with her, at the thought of spanking her. She was young, so sweet, and so fucking gorgeous, but why would she ever want a guy like him? He was too old for her, and his sexual proclivities were too… dark. Sure, she’d bid for him at the BDSM auction, but she had no idea what she was getting into with a man like Blake.

  He sat there the whole time nonetheless, one of his big hands interlaced with her cold fingers as he listened. She could barely meet his eye as she talked, but as the story began to conclude, it seemed as though the need to see his face became unbearable. Slowly, she glanced up, blinking up into his gaze.

  Lauren pulled in a deep breath. It was clear from her expression that the extent of the admission had left her vulnerable, and the need to protect her rose again in Blake’s chest.

  “Say something,” she whimpered, her gaze flitting around his face. “Please.”

  Blake’s deep blue eyes locked with her own immediately, his expression open as he moved to speak. “I’m just taking it all in,” he explained with a smile. “It’s quite a tale, Lauren.”

  “I know,” she said, shifting miserably in her place. “It’s ridiculous, I feel ridiculous, but you know, it’s out there now. I’ve told you. You can just go if you like? You don’t have to spank me, or spend the rest of the night with me. I don’t mind, I won’t tell anyone, I…”

  He moved so fast that she didn’t even have time to respond. He was just on her, over her, pressing her down against the expensive leather, as his lips literally ended her sentence. She might have gasped at Blake’s agility, but frankly there was no time. Instead, she gazed up at him, wide-eyed as his mouth claimed her in the most passionate way. His tongue swept into her mouth, possessing her with skill and audacity, and God, it felt so damn good. He marveled as she yielded at once, her soft moans making his cock stir as their mouths collided.

  As he drew away, Blake kept her pinioned on the couch, caught under his muscular body. She stared up at him, panting as she tried to catch her breath.

  “That’s enough,” he told her, his voice soft, yet insistent. “I don’t want to hear another word from you about how ridiculous this is, or how I don’t want to spend time with you. Yes, I came here originally because the auction has helped raise money for the chief, and I love that guy, but now,” he paused, the weight of his stare pinning her down every inch as much as his body, “but now that you’ve shared your story
with me, Lauren, now that I know how much you want this…” He shook his head as his voice trailed away.

  She gazed at him, her expression suggesting she was fit to burst with the surging emotions raging within her.

  “Well.” Now there was fervor in his voice, a resonance of his own lust, and the sound made her eyes widen like saucers. “Well, now I want to stay for different reasons.”

  “What reasons?” she murmured, her tone breathless.

  A dark smile crept over his face. “You, darling,” he whispered. “You’re the reason.”

  For a moment, she seemed to stop breathing. It was like the effort of pulling air into her lungs was really too much. She seemed entirely caught in his web, and the thought made him hard. “You don’t mean that,” she panted, her gaze still wide.

  Blake shifted his weight onto his left arm, raising his right hand to the side of her face. Her chest heaved as his fingers grazed over her hot skin, drawing an invisible line down the side of her face. “You don’t know what I mean yet,” he replied, and his tone carried some sort of unspoken warning.

  He watched as the sound connected with her, her expression almost primal. If he didn’t know better, he reckoned she was aroused by his tone, her pupils dilating in front of him. Blake imagined that wet, needy place between her legs, his cock yearning to claim her in a way he hadn’t felt for years.

  “But you will,” he continued with a smile, trying to suppress his growing desire. “Soon, you’ll know, Lauren Roberts.”