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“I can’t leave, Kurt,” she yelled. “In case you didn’t notice, there’s a fire building, and it’s heading toward those homes.”
Kurt looked where she pointed… his demeanor different than his usual kick-ass poise.
What the hell? What’s wrong with the man?
His voice weakened, and he looked like a person in shock. “I need you to come to safety now.”
Had his voice become slower… strained?
“Please, Ruby. Just follow me.” Hesitantly, he stepped closer.
“Kurt, I can’t. This is my job.” Before she could suggest he step back and let her get on with it, flames sparked behind them, enclosing them in a small circle, barricading them from the way out.
The cacophony of sounds had grown as the fire advanced. Screams, sirens shrieking in the distance, and the rustle of the roaring flames all mushed together while every person there fought one enemy.
Smoke had various smells to the people who worked within its parameters all the time. This one differed from the usual odors Ruby knew so well. Outside fires were noticeably less toxic. The fuel of trees, brush, and grass far less deadly. And their usual oxygen masks could be left off, which was how Kurt was able to recognize her.
She reiterated, “You shouldn’t be here.”
Fear flashed in his eyes, and she remembered clearly he’d had an earlier similar trauma, where during the episode, his family had been killed. Understanding he might react and make things worse; she took off her protective jacket, threw it down to cover the flames, and opened a getaway path. “Come on, we can go this way. Kurt… baby, we only have a few seconds. Move!”
His eyes looked at her, but nothing showed that he’d heard what she’d said. He seemed paralyzed as the flashes of a hellish blaze surrounded them. Suddenly… just as a clump of fire lit up the bank behind where she would have been standing, he grabbed for her, pulled her to him, and thrust her over his shoulder.
He ran through the opening she’d made seconds before it closed in again, and then hauled her up the bank. Understanding that by fighting him, she’d slow him down and make things worse, Ruby clung to him while her heart soared.
Her new boyfriend had overcome his worst nightmare to save her, and she loved every inch of his gorgeous body for being such a hero. No one else would know what it had taken out of him, but she did. God, he was luscious, and… he was hers.
