Dallas Fire & Rescue: Undamaged (Kindle Worlds Novella)

by Regina Kammer

  “Well, all righty, then. It’s just you and me, Mr. Firefighter.” She flashed an even wider smile as she turned and led the way. He eagerly followed.

  Gone were the white-petaled wildflowers sprouting between dark green leaves tucked into moss-covered rocks and dead wood. Instead were tiny pale purple flowers amid a chaos of weeds, and, unexpectedly, burnt logs.

  “You do controlled burns here?”

  “Prescribed burns are part of our habitat restoration project for the Garry oaks.” She pointed to a gnarled tree with leaf buds peeping through lichen. “The oaks thrive in a meadow environment. The Doug firs block out the sun and suck up all the nutrients.”

  He tried to ignore the fact she’d just said “suck”.

  “I guess you’re a wildlands fireman—uh, fighter?”

  “I was, in California.” In Dallas he was just a failure. “I’m Royce, by the way.”

  She glanced back with that smile, something tantalizing reflected in it . “Pleased to meet you, Royce. And I’m glad you volunteered the information. I’m not supposed to ask your name.”

  He nearly tripped on a tree root growing through the path. “Really? Why not?”

  “You could be someone famous. Or I could know people you know. The recovery center prides itself on offering anonymity.”

  Oh, yeah, right. He was in recovery. Not on a date.

  Brittle rock crumbled underfoot as he stepped up the steep trail almost sending him sliding down the hill. He’d have to concentrate more on the path and less on the sensuous curve of the derriere in front of him.

  And of course the prurient thought made him slip on the next step.

  She stopped and turned at the sound of his boots sliding along the gravel.

  “You okay?”

  Heat rose in his cheeks as he offered a sheepish grin. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

  “The shale crumbles and breaks and makes this path more slippery than mud sometimes.” She continued on her way.

  The hill was so steep, Samantha had to bend forward with every step. Which meant the view of her backside was a constant distraction.

  “So how does a California girl become a park historian in Washington?”

  She laughed. “The short answer is that I applied for the job.” She laughed again. “But really, I was working for the National Park Service in San Francisco—”

  Her slide along crumbling rocks sent her teetering backwards.

  Instinctively, Royce reached for her, catching her as she fell into his arms, her athletic body soft in all the right places.

  Adrenaline surged through him as if the alarm had just sounded at the firehouse. He hadn’t felt such a rush since…well, in way too long.

  She looked up at him, red-faced, the smile twisted in stunned chagrin, her wide eyes revealing a hint of orange in the brown, the color of madrone wood.

  She really was the cutest woman he’d ever seen.

  “God, how mortifying, after I’ve just told you about how slippery the path is.”

  He still held her. Her hands lay warm and flat on his chest as the tension in her shoulders melted against his arm. She didn’t seem like she was going anywhere soon. He couldn’t contain a grin.

  “That was heroic of you. I see why women swoon over firemen.”

  “Women swoon over me?”

  She blushed crimson. “I think you can put me down now,” she said quietly.

  He did as bidden all the while trying hard to stifle a satisfied grin.

  She straightened her hat and the waistband of her pants, then cleared her throat. “Shall we continue? I think we can beat Vic and his group.”

  Royce loved that she was so agitated by the incident. Could she be as into him as he was into her? Could anything come of such an attraction? Vic did say he was free to explore the natural beauty of the island.

  “I’ll be careful and as swift as a mountain goat,” he said.

  She colored and turned back to resume the hike.

  Once again giving him a perfect view of her awesome butt.

  * * * * *

  Sam’s shoulders and thighs still tingled from Royce’s touch, her palms still burned from the heat of his brawny chest. And, once she resumed walking, she discovered her panties were damp from the titillating tumult of being in his embrace. His beefy arms and large hands had grasped her so gallantly. So heroically. She would swear a spark of interest had flickered in his blue-gray eyes as he gazed down at her, the strong masculine angles of his face softening sensually in the brief moment she was in his arms.

  There’d be a date with her vibrator tonight, that was for sure.

  They reached the top of Young Hill before Vic and the others. Probably because Sam was hauling ass spurred on by Royce’s seductive smile. She had to have other people around them or she’d go crazy from trying to keep her hands off the sexiest firefighter she’d every laid eyes on.

  Why on earth a knockout like Royce was in recovery she couldn’t fathom. What demon was he trying to forget?

  Well, everyone had their dark side, didn’t they? Hers was why she was on the island in the first place.

  She positioned herself at the top of the hill, standing on dark gray rock striated with the violence of glacial flows, and surveyed the panoramic vista. Royce stopped alongside her.

  “Amazing view.” His deep voice rumbled in her core. If only he would put his strong hands on her again—

  “Yeah. Um, that’s Canada over there.” She pointed to the tip of Vancouver Island across the Haro Strait. She turned a bit to the left and waved her hand at the view. “And that’s the recovery center down there.”

  “No kidding.” Royce stared at the valley below. “Wow. I didn’t realize we were so close. I could just walk back.”

  “I guess it’s only about two and a half miles from the top of this hill. So—” a hunky guy like you? “—yeah.”

  Vic approached with his half dozen or so weary hikers. “Invigorating,” he said, pulling out his water bottle. “How ’bout we chill here for a bit?”

  “Love to, Vic. But I got another tour this morning. Then I gotta head out to American Camp.”

  “American Camp?” Royce asked.

  Her flesh tingled as his sultry voice reverberated through her.

  She turned to him, hoping the flush of excitement creeping up her neck didn’t redden her face too much. “It’s on the south side of the island, but still part of the park. The Americans occupied the south and the British occupied the north of San Juan Island while the border dispute was being hashed out during the war.”

  Royce quirked a brow above his beautiful blue eyes. “War?”

  “The Pig War. More like a bloodless standoff from 1859 to 1872.” She glanced at Vic. “Vic said he didn’t want me to give the history spiel, so I didn’t.”

  Vic chuckled.

  Boldness overtook her. “And if Vic will let you, you should come by American Camp while you’re here on the island. The landscape, the views are so much different. You’ll appreciate them as a fellow ex-Californian.”

  Royce’s smile just about devastated her. “I’d like that.” He shot a questioning look in Vic’s direction. “You know I’d love to get out more.”

  Vic chuckled. “Okay. Call me later, Sam, and give me your schedule.”

  “Sure, Vic.” Sam tried to maintain a calmness in her voice she did not feel. “See you later.” She smiled at both men, tempering her enthusiasm so as not to appear too eager.

  Still she couldn’t stop the skip in her step as she trod back down the hill.

  Chapter Four

  Wind whipped through the grasses of an open prairie overlooking a white-capped ocean, while wisps of gray clouds drifted through an endless blue sky.

  Royce sighed in amazement as he stood on a bluff taking in the view all around him.

  American Camp was nothing like the verdant forest of English Camp. One island, two completely different landscapes. Royce was not just impressed, he was perhaps a little smitt
en. Although his attraction to the dramatic landscape was possibly more profound because of the earlier sighting of a certain pigtailed park ranger.

  “Fabulous view, isn’t it?”

  Samantha had sidled up to him unnoticed. His dick immediately responded. He shifted on his feet.

  “I hadn’t realized how much I missed seeing a view of the ocean until this moment. I guess I’ve been cooped up in Dallas for too long.”

  He didn’t need to look. He knew she was smiling.

  “Sunrises and sunsets are pretty spectacular here.” The faintest hint of melancholy tempered her tone.

  “Geez, this is your job? How did you get a job like this?”

  She laughed softly. “I told you yesterday. I applied for it. Seriously, that’s half the battle with U.S. government jobs.”

  He chuckled.

  “I also have an ABD in American history.”

  He threw her a quizzical look. “ABD?”

  “All But Dissertation.”

  “Ah.” He took in the view once more. “The fresh air, the natural beauty. Seems like a charmed life.”

  Samantha remained silent a beat too long. “Yeah,” she finally said.

  “If I could do all that counseling crap in the morning and spend the rest of the day someplace like this, I would.”

  “Funny you should say that.”

  “Oh?” He raised a brow at her.

  “I also manage the volunteer program. If you were here long term, I’d suggest joining the prescribed burn crew. But since you’re here such a short time, I recommend brush clearing. I presume you’ve done that before?”

  “Yeah. But not for aesthetics. It’s much more haphazard on the fire lines.”

  “Our main concern is visitor safety really, not necessarily aesthetics. Why don’t you give me your number and I’ll set it up for you.”

  Royce let out a long exhale. “Cell phones aren’t allowed at the center. I’ll have to clear it through Vic.” Royce glanced behind them where Vic and some of the other center residents were gathered chatting.

  “Tell him to give me a call if he has any concerns,” she said. “And you’ll be at English Camp, which is only a mile and a half down the road from the recovery center.”

  “So not here, with this breathtaking view?” He said it while purposely not taking his eyes off her.

  A blush rose in her cheeks as the wind swirled strands that had slipped from her braids. A charming picture.

  She cleared her throat. “Well, the winter storms affected English Camp more because of all the trees, so we really need your help with that. I’m there half the day.” Her color deepened.

  Perhaps she enjoyed spending time with him as much as he did with her?

  Insecurity nagged his gut. Should he flirt with her? It’d been way too long since he’d done anything like that.

  But, shit, life was short. He’d been reminded of that just a few weeks ago.

  “So, what does a park ranger do for fun after work?”

  There was that blush again. “I immerse myself in the History Channel and primary documents.”

  Royce stared at her blankly for a moment. She pressed her lips together a little too tightly.

  “You’re joking,” he said when realization descended.

  “Of course I’m joking,” she laughed. “There’s not a whole lot of night life in our small town but we do have dancing and bars and a movie theater and a stage, if that’s what you’re asking.”

  “I was more interested in what you do.”

  She paled briefly, then recovered. “After hiking most of the day, I like to just chill out in front of the TV,” she said almost apologetically. “Or read in the tub.”

  “Thanks for the visual.”

  She gaped. “So you are flirting with me.”

  “I am.”

  She straightened her spine. “That’s very flattering.”

  Was he coming on too strong? “Well, I would like to get to know you better,” he said quietly. “But I also want you to put in a good word with Vic. I’ve been kind of bored with all this trying to uncover the source of my pain crap. The only other distraction I have is reading. In one week, I’ve read all of the Lord of the Rings, plus The Hobbit—”

  “Time to start on The Silmarillion I suppose.”

  He laughed. “The center doesn’t have it. I’m slogging through Henry James at the moment.” He resisted the very strong urge to stroke her cheek. “I was hoping to supplement all this intellectual edification with something more physical, more vigorous.” Maybe between the sheets.

  She licked her lips. “Something to distract you from the reasons you’re here in the first place.” Her sullen and distant tone implied she completely understood what he was going through.

  Had she also come to the island seeking escape from some calamity?

  She turned. “Look, I gotta get back to work.”

  He caught her by the elbow. “I’ll go talk to Vic. Whenever you’re ready to take me on, I’ll be there.”

  She smiled. “Just have him call me to schedule.”

  As she walked across the prairie Royce grinned at the view of her backside, his palm still warm from touching her.

  * * * * *

  Samantha hung up the phone in her bedroom then tightened the tie of her bathrobe. Vic had called to confirm whether it would be okay for Royce Donovan to volunteer with her as part of his rehabilitation. Of course it would, she had said.

  She stared out the window at the pines and firs softly moving in the breeze, the dusky sky just beginning the long fade into night.

  Yet, who needed rehabilitation more? She or Royce?

  She grabbed her cut glass snifter of brandy and her underwater vibrator and headed to the bathroom. She resumed filling the tub, adding a cup of Epsom salt, then languidly swirled her hand through the hot water in a figure eight. She took off her robe and slid in tentatively, letting skin and muscles slowly become accustomed to the heat.

  She took a swig of brandy and leaned her head back against the rim of the tub. The liquor quickly took effect in the sultry warmth of the bath.

  Her attraction to Royce was a reminder of her self-imposed semi-solitude. It was easy to date in the big city. If it didn’t go well, odds were you’d never see the guy again. An island with only seven thousand people was different, though. Her sex life had devolved to summer flings with kayak instructors and one night stands with tourists.

  But she could breathe on the island. Didn’t have to watch her back. Didn’t have to lock her house. And the cops actually showed up when you called them.

  She’d traded love for safety. And Royce suddenly made her crave something longer than a couple of nights.

  She grabbed her vibrator and closed her eyes. As the pulsating tip grazed her clit, she let her usual filthy fantasy have its way with her.

  The setting, an underground chamber in a castle carved into a mountainside. In the dim candlelight, water dripped slowly down rock walls, the sound echoing in the humid air, hypnotizing her to accept the master’s wishes.

  The master controlled the fulfillment of her desires. A tall man with thick muscles and a square jaw, long black hair slicked and tied back. A tremor of excited fear always coursed through her in his presence.

  She tried to relax in a hammock woven from chains and leather, her arms strapped above her head, her feet supported in soft fur-lined stirrups hanging from the ceiling.

  “Spread your legs.” The master slowly urged her thighs open, maneuvering the stirrups with a tug on a pulley.

  His fingers tickled the opening to her cunt. She flinched, unready for what he had planned for her.

  “You need some encouragement, I see.”

  Sam knew of at least one encouragement with brown hair and blue eyes—

  “I was thinking of the athletic blond. He’s always eager. Although a bit too eager sometimes.”

  College guys were always rarin’ to go.

  “Perhaps he won’t penetrate
fully,” the master mused. “We’ll let him come outside to lubricate the way for the others.” He arched a hairy brow. “I think you’ll like that, don’t you?”

  She must have revealed her disappointment in the blond. The master laughed and plunged his thick fingers inside her. With his other hand he hovered a vibrating wand over her clit, the powerful pulses resonating the surrounding air, teasing her, riling her up for what was to come.

  “Would you prefer to be primed in another way?”

  She loved the exacting efficiency of the vibrator. “Yes, Master.”

  He touched the wand to her clit, the glorious buzz sweeping her away to sensual oblivion.

  It lasted only a moment. With a wicked snicker the master swiped the wand away. “You’ll get your pleasure soon enough. It’s time for your companion to join you.”

  A man stumbled into the chamber, naked, seemingly a little unsure of why he was there. He straightened as he surveyed the scene, revealing a brawny, well-muscled body. Soft curls of brown hair on his sculpted chest tapered down his rippled abdomen, growing thick at his groin. He saw Samantha, equally naked yet vulnerable. A smile curved his lips as his cock stirred to full stand.

  Samantha smiled back at Royce in all his glory.

  Her nipples tightened as he approached, his step a confident swagger. She was spread wide, and all for him. The hunger in his eyes, and a twitch of his cock, revealed he had quickly figured that out and was intent on taking his satisfaction. He stood between her legs, sweat glistening on the chiseled planes of his chest and the robust curves of his shoulders. He bent his face to hover over her, his eyes a glorious gray blue, the color of a stormy sky above the sea. His gaze bore into her, ravenous, brazen, as his erection grazed her well-lubricated slit.

  “She’s yours,” snarled the master. “Do with her what you want.”

  A smirk tugged at one corner of his mouth. He grabbed her waist, his thick fingers pressing her possessively, and pulled her to him, impaling his cock inside her in one swift move. He filled her, thick and large, reaching every erogenous zone, groaning a throaty, masculine growl as she flexed her muscles around him.