Save Me
To Chloe Wesley, it was just another Saturday afternoon in her tiny apartment. She had gotten up early, done some yoga, taken a shower and eaten a light breakfast. Just like every Saturday. She didn't have any big plans until later that evening and enjoyed her quiet time away from the hustle and bustle of college life. On this particular day, she was opting to sit around in her gym shorts and t-shirt with her nose in a book.
Nothing was out of the ordinary at all. At least not until around 1:30 when she heard a loud boom coming from below her. Chloe jumped from her couch in shock and heard the fire alarms start to blare through her ancient apartment building. She ran to her window and looked down to the street, seeing smoke and flames shooting out of windows on the first floor.
She grabbed her phone off the end table, but there was no dialtone. So, she ran to her purse and pulled her cellphone out, quickly dialing 911. She gave the address to her building and ran out in to hallway as she hung up the phone but kept it in her hand. A few of her neighbors were standing in the hallway looking around in confusion.
She shouted down the hallway. "I called 911! Everybody needs to get out though... Come on."
The middle-aged man Alan, who lived next door to her shrugged in confusion. "What happened?"
"I don't know. But, we need to get out in case it happens again."
Chloe began shouting over the noise of the alarms, directing people to take the stairs down. Her neighbors began darting towards the stairwell two doors down from Chloe's apartment, and taking the long trek down the ten floors. She lived on the tenth and highest floor of the building, and she knew the elevators would be impossible because of the emergency.
Chloe ran down the hallway banging on doors, making sure that everybody was out of their apartments. She was about to head towards the stairwell herself when she remembered Mrs. Kitchner, the nearly-deaf elderly woman who lived in 10-D. Surely Mrs. Kitchner either didn't hear the alarms and the approaching sirens of the firetrucks, or she was too frail to make it to the door.
She ran to the door of 10-D and was in luck because the knob turned without a problem. Mrs. Kitchner was moving slowly with her walker, and Chloe realized that she didn't have her hearing aids in. She waved her hands frantically, hoping that the old woman would be able to read her lips.
"Mrs. Kitchner, there's a fire downstairs... You need to get out. Come with me."
Mrs. Kitchner stared at Chloe in confusion, and Chloe held on to her arm to lead her out in to the hallway. Alan had run back up to the tenth floor when he realized that Chloe was missing.
"Chloe... Jesus Christ! Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine... I just didn't want to leave her behind."
Alan nodded and motioned towards the stairs. "Well, the stairs are starting to fill with smoke, we need to get out now."
Chloe frowned and looked at poor frail Mrs. Kitchner. "Can you carry her? She's probably pretty light."
"Yeah, I'll get her... You follow behind me."
Alan lifted the elderly woman in his arms and made a mad dash towards the stairwell, hurrying down as Chloe followed. Chloe had to pause for a moment to catch her breath, but found that she couldn't as the stair well was dark with thick black smoke. She tried to catch up to Alan, but she was coughing as she jogged down the stairs.
She finally hit the seventh floor and felt a pair of strong hands grip her arms. She stared up at a firefighter whose face was covered with a plastic shield.
"Ma'am, are you okay?"
"I will be as soon as I get out of this building."
The firefighter pointed up the stairs and shouted through his mask. "Can you make it down by yourself?"
Chloe tried to answer but coughed loudly in to her hand. The firefighter took it upon himself to decide that she couldn't, and lifted her in his arms to run downstairs with her.
She appreciated his help, but didn't really need it. "You don't have to carry me."
"Ma'am, is everyone else off of your floor?"
"Yeah, I came from the tenth... I was the last person."
The firefighter nodded and hurried down the stairs. When the reached the stairs at the first floor, the building rocked with another explosion, and both of them went tumbling to the ground. The firefighter threw himself over Chloe's body to shield her from the falling rubble. He looked around for a way out, but saw that the stairs they had just come down were collapsing. The door that led into the first floor exit had been open, but was now shut.
He reached his hand up to open it, but the door wouldn't budge, probably blocked by rubble. "Sh*t. Sh*t."
Chloe pointed at the stairwell below them, that ended at a large metal door. "Hey... that's the laundry room and the basement. It might be safe in there."
He helped her up and they ran into the basement, closing the door behind them as another explosion sounded throughout the lower floor. Chloe backed away from the door and leaned up against the large table in the middle of the room.
"What the hell is happening out there?"
The firefighter removed his helmet and began inspecting the basement walls. "I'm not really sure what happened, but it looks like we're pretty safe down here. These walls are fireproof. Only place in this old building that is, I'm guessing."
He wiped the sweat off his forehead and turned to face the young woman with a polite smile. Chloe's eyes widened with surprise as she stared into the piercing blue eyes of the young firefighter. He had a perfect face, the kind you could read instantly. He seemed strong, a little rough about the edges, but she sensed a gentleness in his eyes that was opposite of his rough exterior. Chloe smiled back and looked at him curiously. "So, what do we do now?"
"Stay here. Stay safe. They'll get us out."
"You sound so sure of that."
Brady tried to read the emotions on the young woman's face. She was stunningly beautiful, the kind of girl who probably turned heads every where she went. He couldn't tell if she was afraid or annoyed so he tried to allay any fears she may have had.
"I am sure. Everything will be just fine, ma'am."
Chloe nodded and scooted up to sit on the edge of the wood table. "Well, if we're going to be stuck in here together, you can stop calling me ma'am. I'm probably younger than you anyway... So, just call me Chloe."
He nodded slightly and extended a gloved hand towards her. "Alright, Chloe. I'm Brady Black."
Chloe shook his hand briefly and nodded. "I'd say nice to meet you, but honestly, under these circumstances... It's not."
The radio pinned to his yellow coat crackled and Brady released his grip of her hand to call his squadron. "Hey, it's me, Black. I'm down in a basement laundry room. It seems pretty safe down here, but I've got a resident with me."
The radio crackled back at him. "Black! Stay right where you are. The stairwell is blocked, but hold tight and we'll get you out."
"How long Martinez?"
"At least two hours, maybe three... We've got to dig you out, and it's not too stable in your area right now. Are you or the resident injured?"
Brady looked towards Chloe and she waved her hand reassuringly. "I'm fine."
He spoke into his radio and turned away from her. "We're both okay. Just hurry up."
"Sit tight, Black. Make yourself comfortable."
Brady sighed and ran a hand through his blonde hair. Chloe found something incredibly sexy about the way he performed that simple hand motion. He had a thin sheen of sweat covering the back of his neck, and his hair seemed so soft and shiny that she wanted to run her hands through it. Chloe frowned and silently cursed herself for even thinking about that at a time like this.
He began peeling off his yellow jacket and pants, and removing the fire-retardant clothes he wore underneath. Chloe stared at him and he turned around to look at him, feeling her eyes boring into the back of his skull. She blinked her eyes in confusion. "What are you doing?"
"Well... If I'm going to be down here for two or three hours. I'm probably going to get pretty hot with all this gear on."
Chloe nodded and watched him with interest as he peeled down to a white tank top and a pair of jeans only. His arms were perfect, strong and smooth, and she could tell that underneath the white shirt, his chest and abs were perfectly sculpted as well. She bit her lower lip, trying to hide her attraction, but was unable to peel her eyes away from him.
Brady stared back at her, trying to figure out what was going on in her mind. "Do you need something? Can I help you with something?"
"Uhm... No... I -- I'm fine. Thank you."
Brady crossed his arms over his chest and nodded. "You know... What you did, staying up there... was extremely dangerous."
Chloe rolled her eyes, she wasn't in the mood to be scolded by a stranger right now. "It was also necessary. I was helping my neighbor who is elderly and practically deaf. And, I got left behind because the smoke slowed me down."
"It's not your job to save everyone. It's mine and the rest of my crew."
"Right. Because you did SUCH a good job saving me."
Brady shook his head, his temper flaring as she goaded him on. "You're alive, aren't you?"
Chloe laughed smarmily. "But I'm stuck down here with YOU. I don't know which is worse."
Brady walked away from her and sat on top of one of the dryers across from her. He rolled his eyes and growled at her. "Shrew."
Chloe turned away from him and remembered the cellphone still held tightly in her hand. She picked it up and dialed it, waiting for an answer. Brady stared at her in disbelief. "You brought a cellphone but didn't wear any shoes?"
Chloe's bare feet dangled off the table and she scowled at him. "I called 911, I didn't bother putting it back in the charger before I tried to save my neighbors from a fiery death."
She sighed softly and Mimi's voice picked up on the other line. "Lockhart Love Shack... What's your party emergency?"
Chloe laughed into the phone and greeted her friend. "Meems... It's me. I think I'm either not going to make your party tonight or I'm going to be very late."
"What?? You can't be late! Why?!?!"
"Uhm... My apartment building is on fire and I'm trapped in the basement."
Mimi gasped with concern. "Oh my God. Are you okay? You're trapped? What the hell is going on?"
Chloe spoke reassuringly. "Don't worry. I'm fine. I just... I was one of the last ones down the stairs, and I ended up in the basement with one of the firefighters. I'm not hurt... I just have to wait for the rescue workers to dig us out."
"Ohhhhh... So, the firefighter... Is he hot?"
"MIMI! I -- I -- "
Chloe's hesitation told her all she needed to know and she continued. "So... He *IS* hot."
She smacked her hand against her forehead and shook her head. "Mimi Lockhart. You are a terrible human being."
"But you still love me..."
"Against my better judgement, of course."
Mimi laughed softly and continued. "So, you are okay then?"
Chloe nodded and allayed her fears. "Yes, I'm just fine. I'll call you after they dig us out."
"Alright... Have fun, Chlo."
Mimi hung up and Chloe rolled her eyes at her crazy friend's words. She couldn't deny it, Brady was definitely hot, but he seemed to be a pain in the ass also. Chloe held out the phone towards him and he grabbed it out of her hand. The touch of his fingers sent a jolt of electricity through her and she pulled her hand away like she had just been shocked.
"Here. Call your wife, or mother or whoever you need to reassure."
Brady nodded and quickly dialed the number of his sister's house. She wasn't home, so he left a brief message explaining his whereabouts and assuring her that he was okay. He ended the call and handed Chloe back her phone. "Thank you... So, who did you call?"
"My friend, Mimi. We've known each other since high school. What about you?"
"My little sister, Belle. I've known her..."
Chloe raised her eyebrows and finished his sentence. "Since she was born?"
Brady realized how stupid he sounded and nodded slowly. She seemed to have an attitude that was infuriating, but she was absolutely beautiful even as she annoyed him and flustered him. Her long legs dangled from the table, and her shapely figure was covered only in a small pair of knit shorts and a gray t-shirt to match. "So... What do you do for a living?"
"I go to Juilliard. I sing opera..."
"Opera? Really?"
Chloe nodded and ran a hand through her wavy chocolate locks as she leaned back on the table. "Yes, Opera... Something I'm sure you know nothing about."
Brady scoffed at her remark, irked that she would assume he wasn't cultured based on a first impression. "I know more than you think. Believe me, there's a lot of things about me that would surprise you."
"Doubtful. Highly doubtful."
"Are you this rude to everyone or just people who save your life?"
Chloe wrinkled her nose up in disgust. He certainly was cocky, right down to the crooked grin that danced across his lips. *Boy, I'd love to kiss that grin right off his face.* She thought as she watched him wait for a reply. *No, wait. Don't say that, Chloe. Don't even think that. He may be sexy, but he's absolutely detestable.*
"Boy, you really like to flaunt that 'I'm the big hero and I saved you' thing in a girl's face. Don't you?"
Brady's grin widened and he continued pushing at her. "Soooo... I shouldn't be expecting a thank you card in my mailbox anytime soon?"
She rolled her eyes and shook her head. "No, you shouldn't. I didn't need to be saved anyway. I was doing just fine on my own."
"You know, this building is a dump. Aside from this basement that's built like a bomb shelter, the whole place is unstable, goes against a ton of fire and safety codes, I'm sure. You're not safe here."
"Obviously."
"I'm serious... You should really do more research about the places you live at in the future."
Chloe locked eyes with him, silently praying that he would shut up. If she could just ignore his existence, she wouldn't have to think about that gorgeous body underneath his clothes. "Yeah, I appreciate your advice. And, I'll put it to good use when my school decides that they should start paying the students instead of us paying them. Because that's the day I'll be able to afford a better apartment."
Brady threw his hands up in surrender. His approach was opposite of hers, hoping that the more he talked to her the less he would be focusing on her angelic face, and the perfectly shaped breasts that filled her t-shirt. "Just trying to help."
"I think you've helped enough for one afternoon."
Chloe turned away from him and shivered slightly. It was early May, and the weather outside was warm and muggy, but the basement in her building always seemed to be freezing cold. She ran her hands up her arms, trying to warm herself up a little.
Brady stared at her with concern and questioned her. "Are you cold?"
"No. I'm fine." She prayed that he wouldn't come near her and try to help warm her up. It had been far too long since she had felt the touch of a man, and she might just attack him if he touched her again.
"Liar."
Brady hopped off the dryer and reached inside, looking through the clothes that were inside. He found a large beach towel and walked towards Chloe, wrapping it around her shoulders to warm her. His hands lingered at the edges of the towel, and he stared into her sapphire eyes. She was definitely getting warmer, and not only from the towel wrapped around her, but from the sheer nearness of him.
"This is somebody's laundry, you know."
"I don't think they'll be too concerned about it with their apartment possibly destroyed."
Chloe shrugged slightly and wrapped the towel around her tighter, as Brady let go of it. "Destroyed, huh? What do you think caused those explosions?"
Brady paused to think about it then shrugged. "Meth lab... Drug dealers."
Chloe's blue eyes went wide with shock. "What?!? I mean, this isn't a great neighborhood, but I didn't think it was that bad."
The corner of his lips turned up wickedly and he shook his head. "I'm just kidding. I don't really know much, to tell you the truth. The first explosion originated in a first floor apartment, and the fire quickly spread. My job is to stop the fire and save lives, not to investigate the reasons for it."
"Uh-huhhh... So, how long have you been in the department?"
"Three years."
"And do ALL of your rescue missions end up like this?"
Brady watched her expressions closely. Her attitude was just a shield, and he knew that deep down she was probably less contemptible than he initially thought.. "Like this? Never. Three years as a firefighter and this is the first time I've been trapped in a basement with a beautiful woman."
Chloe leaned back and stared at him as her cheeks flushed red. "Hmmmm... And this is the first time I've been trapped in a basement with a man who was so full of himself."
"And what makes you think I'm full of myself?"
Chloe rolled her eyes and mocked him. "I saved your life. I'm your big hero. This is the first time I've been trapped in a basement with a beautiful woman. Blah blah blah. This isn't a romance novel. I don't fall for lines like that."
Brady grinned and put his hands on the table on either side of her. He moved closer to her and Chloe could feel his warm breath on her face. "Is that so?"
"It is. Sorry to burst your bubble, Brady. But, just because I happened to be trapped down here with you doesn't mean that I want you or anything."
But, she did. She just didn't want to admit defeat. Chloe Wesley had never been one to have random sex with a man she had just met, but there was something about this man that drew her to him instantly. The physical attraction was immediately in place, but despite their verbal sparring, there was something else inside that connected them.
Brady felt the connection too. There was something in her eyes that held him place, urging him on. It was almost as if they could see into each other's hearts and souls. He didn't know what love at first sight felt like, but maybe that's what this was. At the very least, it was certainly 'lust' at first sight.
He brushed one of the soft waves of hair out of her face and spoke in low tones. "I've always heard that traumatic experiences bring people together."
"This isn't all that traumatic. And, in a few hours, it will be like it never happened."
"Then... I should do something to make sure you remember it."
Chloe furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, wondering what her next move should be. "Like what? Because, I have a feeling it has nothing to do with leaving me alone."
He put his warm hand on her cheek and shook his head. "It definitely does not."
Brady leaned in and pressed his lips against hers, waiting for a response. Chloe briefly thought to push him away, but couldn't. His lips were warm and soft, and his kiss sent little bits of lightning through all of her nerve endings. She didn't push him away at all, but tipped her head to respond passionately. Her lips parted, and Brady slipped his tongue in to explore the warm contours of her mouth.
The heat between them grew quickly, and he plumped the depths of her mouth as she sucked on his tongue lightly. Her hand trailed up his arm and came to rest in the soft hair at the back of his head. The towel slipped off of her shoulders and Brady's hands traced the curves of her back, starving to feel the heat of her skin next to his.
Her body ached for him, and she didn't want to waste any more time. She broke away from his lips and pulled off his white tank top, exposing his sculpted form to her. Chloe ran her hands over his chest and stomach, caressing each muscle with her fingers. She leaned in to him, and ran her tongue and lips over various parts of his shirtless chest, stopping to nibble at his neck briefly.
Brady pulled at her t-shirt and she removed her mouth from his neck, so he could lift it over her head. She was grateful that she had been lounging around the house comfortably, leaving very little obstruction to his touches, including the lack of a bra.
He stared at her in amazement as he massaged her breasts in his hands. They really were absolutely perfect, and she had the softest skin he had ever felt in his life. He leaned in and took one nipple in his mouth, sucking on it until she issued a loud moan of pleasure. He raked his teeth over it lightly and then switched to the other breast, his fingers rolling her other nipple as he worked her with his mouth.
Chloe was moaning softly and she felt the wetness between her legs grow steadily with each motion of Brady's lips or fingers. He removed his mouth from her breasts, but kept his hands on them, enjoying the feel of them underneath his strong hands. His lips found hers again and they crushed together in a passionate frenzy.
Chloe's hands darted downward, finding the zipper on his jeans, and quickly opening them. She slipped one hand inside and found that his penis was already hard. Brady moaned in to her mouth as Chloe began steadily stroking his erection. Brady grinded his hips against her hand, and his lips found her earlobe, sucking on it gently.
He trailed his tongue down to her neck, and lightly nipped and kissed the exposed flesh. He removed one hand from her breasts and slipped them underneath her shorts. She was soaking the material of her shorts with her arousal, and Brady ran a teasing finger along her slit, causing her to buck her hips forward slightly.
He dipped two fingers inside her and rubbed her clit with his thumb as Chloe cried out with pleasure. She continued stroking his c*ck and all he could think about was how much he wanted to replace his fingers with his hard length.
He moaned into her ear, knowing by the heat and wetness of the hole he was plunging in to that she was just as ready as he was. "Oh Chloe... It feels so good."
He quickened the pace of his fingering, and she quickened her stroking to match. His thumb rubbed furiously at her clit and Chloe arched her back into him, pressing her breasts against his bare chest. "Oh God... I want you... Please... I want you inside me."
She didn't want to waste any more time with foreplay. Chloe wanted to be filled up with him as soon as possible, craving her release. But, more than that, she craved the idea of him throbbing inside her. It had been a while since she had experienced a climax with the help of a second party. And, never in her whole life had she been given the chance to make love with a man like this one.
Brady slipped his fingers out of her, and Chloe quickly removed her shorts, as Brady pulled his jeans off all the way. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close, running her fingers up the taut muscles in his back.
He looked up and down her body with awe. He had never seen a woman more beautiful, and every fiber of his being ached for her. Chloe rested her hands at the back of his neck, and Brady leaned in to kiss her on the lips again. She spread her legs further and wrapped them around his, pulling him forward.
He positioned his c*ck at her entrance and looked into her soulful blue eyes, as he broke the kiss off. "Are you sure this is what you want?"
Chloe smiled slightly and nodded. "Never wanted anything more."
He ran his fingers through her hair, and slipped into her with very little difficulty. She was tight, but slick with her own juices, and it seemed that every inch of her was on fire. Brady made a low guttural moan of approval, and Chloe dug her fingers into the flesh of his back and urged him to continue.
He began thrusting into her, burying himself to the hilt inside her. Each of his thrusts was punctuated with a moan of pleasure from Chloe. Nobody had ever made her feel like this before, so alive and wild with lust.
Brady slid his hands down her back to grip her firm ass in his hands. When every he found the opportunity, he would place kisses on her shoulder, neck or her lips, and Chloe returned the favor with him. Their skin pressed tightly against each other, as he sped up the motion of his hips.
She felt herself rising towards her peak and cried out his name. "BRADY... Oh my God... YES. YESSSSSSS..."
Brady pounded into her harder, and Chloe felt her orgasm slam into her harshly. She had, without a doubt, never had it this good before. The muscles of her p*ssy tightened around him and Brady felt his own climax nearing.
He slipped his fingers in between their two bodies, wanting to make sure that Chloe's pleasure didn't subside any time soon. He tilted her back slightly, so he could find his clit with his fingers. He rubbed it in circles as his c*ck continued driving in to her. Chloe was flushed with pleasure, and was amazed that she was being brought to another peak so quickly.
Brady grunted at his orgasm neared and Chloe latched her lips on to his neck to suckle at it. "Oh Chloe... You're so hot."
She removed her lips long enough to moan loudly. Another quick orgasm hit her hard and she screamed into the skin of his neck, as his thrusts became more frantic. His own climax hit him within seconds of hers, and he cried out loudly as his entire body trembled with pleasure.
He continued sliding inside her until both of them rode out the high of their pleasure. He stayed inside her and Chloe lazily draped her arms around his neck, laying her forehead on his chest with a loud sigh. "Oh my God... I've never done THAT before."
Brady broke his haze of pleasure to look at her with surprise. "This wasn't your first time was it? Oh God..."
Chloe lifted her head and laughed softly. "Oh no, I didn't mean it like that. I've just never had a one-night... or one-afternoon... stand before."
Brady brushed her tousled hair out of her face and smiled. "You know, it doesn't just have to be this one time."
Chloe grinned and gave him a brief kiss on the lips. "Oh Thank God... I was hoping you would say that."
"You will need a place to stay tonight... Nobody's getting back in this building for a few days. I've got a place if you need it."
"After what you just did here... I think I'll have to take you up on that."
Chloe sighed softly and kissed his shoulder. She looked up at him, her blue eyes filled with the kind of bliss that she had never experienced before. And, her heart, body and soul hoped that it would go on forever. She spoke again, softly and sweetly. "By the way... Thank you for saving me."
"From the stairwell? It is my job, after all."
Chloe shook her head and smiled at him. "That's not what I meant."