acrid scent tickled his nose. He dismissed it for
a moment, too wrapped up in the feel of Contessa in his arms, but soon the smell was
too strong to ignore. He pulled back, alarm bells starting to ding through the growing
fog of desire in his head.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“Do you smell that?” He let her go and peered over his shoulder toward the kitchen.
She sniffed. “Smells burnt.”
He shook his head. That wasn’t a burnt smell. It was a
burning
smell. He strode toward the appliances, checking to see if an oven or stove had been
left on or if a greasy towel had been left somewhere and ignited. But nothing seemed
amiss. His staff was well-trained to check and double check everything for safety
before closing up each night. But the smell was growing stronger.
“Van!”
He turned. Contessa pointed at the door that led out to the side hallway and exit.
Dark black smoke was creeping beneath. Dread rushed through him. He closed the distance
between the two of them in three long strides, grabbing her purse from the countertop
and shoving it at her. “We need to get out of here. Now!”
She let him hustle her toward the door that led to the dining room, but when they
swung the door open, a rush of hot, acrid smoke blew right in their faces. His eyes
and throat burned with it, and Contessa started coughing beside him. “Van.”
“Get down low,” he barked, keeping a hold of her elbow. Heat shimmered in the air
as they crouched down and heard the first roar of flame and crack of wood. The sound
seemed to be coming from the main dining area, though it was impossible to see anything
in the smoke. “Stay with me. Don’t let go. I’m going to get us to a back exit.”
Contessa was coughing hard now, unable to respond. Shit. He needed to get them out
fast before she took in too much smoke. And why the fuck weren’t the sprinklers going
off? Luckily, he knew the layout of this restaurant better than his own house. It
was one he’d designed himself. It’d been his first baby, the one he loved the most.
And now it was burning. Crawling on their hands and knees, he led Contessa through
the banquet room and to an emergency exit. He hopped to his feet and shoved the door
open with his hip, a wave of cool night air swooping in as he dragged her outside
and into the back alley.
“Baby, talk to me,” he demanded, his heart hammering in his chest.
She’d stopped coughing and had gone heavy in his arms. He hauled her up and off her
feet and carried her away from the building. Sirens wailed in the background as he
laid her out on the grass in front of the flower shop across the street. Her cheeks
were black with soot and her eyes were shut, but he could see her chest still rising
and falling.
“Contessa, come on, baby, take a few deep breaths for me.” He tugged off his shirt
and ran to a water fountain to soak the fabric. Then he hurried back to her side,
his lungs still burning, and wiped the soot away from her face with the cool cloth.
“Come on, sweetheart. You’re scaring me.”
She coughed, a loud hacking sound, but it was one of the sweetest Kade had ever heard.
He rolled her onto her side. “That’s it. Get that shit out.”
A fire truck sped to a halt in the street and men poured out, two heading Kade’s way
and the rest going for the building. The young firefighter hustled over and knelt
next to Contessa, while the other flagged down an EMS crew that pulled up behind the
fire truck.
“Ma’am, we’re here to help you,” the first one said, as he started checking her over.
“She took in too much smoke,” Kade said in a rush. “We got out quickly, but there
was so much smoke so fast.”
“Was there anyone else in the building?”
“No.”
The EMTs were already hurrying over with equipment and oxygen. She was going to be
all right. Help was here.
Kade sank back onto the grass, relief enveloping him.
Thank God.
In
a moment, too wrapped up in the feel of Contessa in his arms, but soon the smell was
too strong to ignore. He pulled back, alarm bells starting to ding through the growing
fog of desire in his head.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“Do you smell that?” He let her go and peered over his shoulder toward the kitchen.
She sniffed. “Smells burnt.”
He shook his head. That wasn’t a burnt smell. It was a
burning
smell. He strode toward the appliances, checking to see if an oven or stove had been
left on or if a greasy towel had been left somewhere and ignited. But nothing seemed
amiss. His staff was well-trained to check and double check everything for safety
before closing up each night. But the smell was growing stronger.
“Van!”
He turned. Contessa pointed at the door that led out to the side hallway and exit.
Dark black smoke was creeping beneath. Dread rushed through him. He closed the distance
between the two of them in three long strides, grabbing her purse from the countertop
and shoving it at her. “We need to get out of here. Now!”
She let him hustle her toward the door that led to the dining room, but when they
swung the door open, a rush of hot, acrid smoke blew right in their faces. His eyes
and throat burned with it, and Contessa started coughing beside him. “Van.”
“Get down low,” he barked, keeping a hold of her elbow. Heat shimmered in the air
as they crouched down and heard the first roar of flame and crack of wood. The sound
seemed to be coming from the main dining area, though it was impossible to see anything
in the smoke. “Stay with me. Don’t let go. I’m going to get us to a back exit.”
Contessa was coughing hard now, unable to respond. Shit. He needed to get them out
fast before she took in too much smoke. And why the fuck weren’t the sprinklers going
off? Luckily, he knew the layout of this restaurant better than his own house. It
was one he’d designed himself. It’d been his first baby, the one he loved the most.
And now it was burning. Crawling on their hands and knees, he led Contessa through
the banquet room and to an emergency exit. He hopped to his feet and shoved the door
open with his hip, a wave of cool night air swooping in as he dragged her outside
and into the back alley.
“Baby, talk to me,” he demanded, his heart hammering in his chest.
She’d stopped coughing and had gone heavy in his arms. He hauled her up and off her
feet and carried her away from the building. Sirens wailed in the background as he
laid her out on the grass in front of the flower shop across the street. Her cheeks
were black with soot and her eyes were shut, but he could see her chest still rising
and falling.
“Contessa, come on, baby, take a few deep breaths for me.” He tugged off his shirt
and ran to a water fountain to soak the fabric. Then he hurried back to her side,
his lungs still burning, and wiped the soot away from her face with the cool cloth.
“Come on, sweetheart. You’re scaring me.”
She coughed, a loud hacking sound, but it was one of the sweetest Kade had ever heard.
He rolled her onto her side. “That’s it. Get that shit out.”
A fire truck sped to a halt in the street and men poured out, two heading Kade’s way
and the rest going for the building. The young firefighter hustled over and knelt
next to Contessa, while the other flagged down an EMS crew that pulled up behind the
fire truck.
“Ma’am, we’re here to help you,” the first one said, as he started checking her over.
“She took in too much smoke,” Kade said in a rush. “We got out quickly, but there
was so much smoke so fast.”
“Was there anyone else in the building?”
“No.”
The EMTs were already hurrying over with equipment and oxygen. She was going to be
all right. Help was here.
Kade sank back onto the grass, relief enveloping him.
Thank God.
In
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