Drake climbed off the ladder, carrying the elderly woman in the process, and got himself onto the ground.
Relief whooshed through me.
The cops were trying to keep the woman back, who attempted to rush Drake and the elderly lady. My hands balled into fists as I kept myself from bursting forward, just to see if Drake was okay. If he’d run into any trouble in there, incurred any wounds in the process.
I took a few steps closer, allowing myself that as he joined the others who were putting out the fire. Another hose added to the effort, and the foam began to suppress the sections it hit, similar to the way he’d smothered the one in my kitchen months ago—even though that felt like a lifetime now.
I swayed in place, relief pouring through me as more and more of the flames were doused, and the firefighters got them under control. Drake had gotten away from the building, which put him in less danger than he’d been in. The elderly lady was escorted to the woman who knew her, and they fiercely embraced. Pride thrummed in my chest.
Drake had done that.
He’d saved her life. Carried her out of danger.
As much as I was terrified for him, I was so achingly proud too.
I took a few steps closer, wanting to be near him with every fiber of my being. I wouldn’t interfere while he was putting out the fire, but fuck, I needed to hold him, kiss him, be with him.
I wasn’t sure how long I stood there and watched, but I remained steadfast as the crew handled putting out the fire. It went from a hearty blaze when I’d arrived to nothing but charred and smoking remains, covered in foam and then blasted by water.
My heart ached for the people affected by this fire—their homes, their possessions were all scorched to ash by the blaze. But after seeing the risk of more, that they could’ve gotten caught in there, I was relieved that all of them had escaped with their lives intact.
At long last, the fire crew stopped the spray of the hoses and began to tuck them away.
My feet carried me forward.
A shout sounded by my side, one of the cops signaling that I stand back, so I stilledwhere I was.
One of the firefighters looked in my direction, and he began striding my way.
Drake took off his helmet and mask, his sweat-soaked features dosing me with relief, longing, lust. Everything all at once.
A bright grin lit his face, one that pierced right through my heart. His expression held a giddiness that told me how much he loved this work, that he faced the danger gladly.
And I loved him a little more for it.
Drake walked over to me with long, loping strides, those muscular legs eating up the pavement. The cop seemed to relax once he saw Drake handling the situation and returned to helping situate the crowd.
“Heard there was a bad fire here,” I said, my voice a little hoarse from watching in worried silence this whole time.
“Think we got it managed.” He winked and slipped up to me. The space between us grew so tense I was surprised it didn’t cause a spark on its own.
We hadn’t proclaimed anything between us, and he stared at me, a searching in his eyes as if he was trying to figure out where we were too.
Fuck it.
I closed the space between us and pressed my lips to his.
He wrapped his hand around my nape, drawing me in as he hungrily met my kiss. Drake took control at once, his tongue driving into my mouth with a possessiveness that made me reel. After the fear that had roiled through me, kissing him filled me with such elation. My entire body burst with bright bubbles as I savored each kiss, each brush of our lips together.
God, this man was everything.
The stench of the smoke didn’t even faze me as I drank in his presence, his commanding kiss. I loved him with my whole heart and soul, and I needed to tell him.
Whistles broke out from behind us, and Drake separated from me.
“Going to join the rest of us?” Dooley called over, a shit-eating grin on his face.
Drake lifted a hand. “Be right over.” He shook his head, his dark eyes dancing. “I’ve got to get back to the job.”
