Chapter 1 The Firefighter’s Obsession
the firefighter’s obsession
. . .
My heart races as I stand on the street corner watching the smoke billow from the top window of the third-floor apartment of the towering building ahead. I can smell the fire and feel the heat radiating from the flames. I know that even from this safe distance, someone inside is in peril.
I'm technically not on the clock, but the way I consider it, I'm always on duty, so I run toward the building on instinct, hoping I can make it in time.
I'm a firefighter, trained in the art of rescuing people from burning buildings.
When I arrive, I'm met with the screams of a woman coming from the window of the third floor.
“Help! Help me!”
My heart pounds faster in my chest as I rush up the stairs. I have to be fast. Every second counts.
I run as fast as I can, taking two steps at a time, up the stairs and around the corners. I arrive at the third floor and see the room filled with smoke and flames. I can barely make out the figure at the window – a woman, standing there, petrified.
“I’m coming!” I yell.
I grab a blanket and wrap it around her, doing my best to protect her from the flames.
She's a tiny little thing, and she buries her face in my chest and clings to me trustingly.
"Don't worry," I try to soothe her. "I've got you."
I turn back to see that the way I came in is blocked. Out the window we go then.
Thank God the fire escape is still intact. I maneuver us through it and race us down to safety before something in the building explodes, as fires of this nature are known to do.
When we reach the bottom, I finally hear the sirens of my coworkers' truck sounding off in the distance.
I make a mental note to chew their asses out later. Their response time was shit. If I hadn't been in the area and noticed the fire when I did, this woman probably wouldn't have made it.
I set the woman on her feet, noting that her head barely comes up to my chest. I keep my hands on her tiny shoulders to steady her.
Hair redder than the flames leaping from the building curls haphazardly around her face and falls down her back in long tresses.
I feel a strange tightening in my chest, and then she looks up at me with sky-blue eyes, and for the first time in my life, I have no words.
And I swear to God it's like the world falls out from underneath my feet.
Those eyes...
I've seen them before.
I've seen this exact same shade of light blue eyes staring at me from across a crowded room.
I've felt this same aura of familiarity, like I've walked this path before.
I've felt this before.
Maybe only in my dreams because I know this is crazy. I've never seen this woman before, yet I feel like I've just found something I've been looking for my entire life. Something clicks into place inside me, and my heart races in excitement.
I see people every day. I do my job, and I do it well.
I've never seen someone stand out as much as this woman does, though.
She makes my chest tighten, and it takes me a minute to realize why.
I've absolutely never felt anything like this. No one has made me feel so drawn to them before.
This must be what the old timers talk about when they say they found 'the one.'
"Are you okay?" I hear myself ask like the humongous dope I am.
She nods.
"I think so. Thanks to you," she says, those luminous eyes blinking up at me gratefully.
"Everything's fine now. You're safe," I tell her soothingly.
She looks up at me, and I see a spark of something flicker in her eyes.
"What's your name?" I ask her, needing to know it more than I need my next breath.
"Jaz..." she whispers, her voice soft and throaty.
But then she's ushered away from me by the medics, and as much as I hate to let her go, I know I need to let them do their job and check her out, and I have to lead my team in containing the fire and dealing with the aftermath of it.
With one more look over at Jaz, I head back into the burning building, firehose in hand this time.
I've got to put this fire out, and then I'll deal with the one that's suddenly taken blaze in the center of my chest.
Jaz...
My Jaz...