HERO (The Complete Series) Page 6

  “Yes, Matt, yes!” I squealed passionately. I fisted his hair and pulled his head deeper between my legs, wanting to feel his tongue and ride his fingers harder. I was at the pinnacle of pleasure. My head tilted back and my loud groan gave my intense climax away. It was like nothing I had ever felt before.

  Matt slid his body up beside me and wrapped his arms around me protectively. My mind was still outside myself, as I snuggled into his warmth and rested my head on his welcoming chest. It took me some time to return to my senses. I panted to catch my breath and noticed him breathing deeply as his chest raised and lowered rhythmically.

  “That was amazing,” I said shyly.

  “I’m glad I could make you feel better,” he replied in a sleepy tone. “Water?” He reached over to the nightstand and passing the glass of water to me before I responded. I took the glass and tilted my head up to drink. I gulped at the water, realizing I was parched, and probably dehydrated.

  “Thanks,” I said once the glass was empty, placing it in his waiting hand for him to return it to the nightstand. He had a nurturing way about him. It seemed to be embedded into everything he did. It made me want him more. “Don’t you want to keep going?”

  “Trust me, there’s nothing I want more right now, Kate,” he answered in a low but kind tone. “I’m hard as hell and you felt so fucking good. So wet… I just have to get up in a couple of hours and I need to be alert. Big board meeting. And a big day for you.”

  “Alright,” I said. “But now I feel like I really owe you.”

  “You don’t owe me anything,” he said softly, then smiled. “But you can let me take you out for a nice dinner after the ceremony tonight.”

  “Deal,” I replied.

  “I should let you rest now.” He started slipping his arm from under me and I resisted.

  “Stay with me,” I asked. “Please, Matt?” I didn’t care if I was begging. It just felt so good being close to him.

  “Ok, but let me set the alarm clock,” he said, sitting up to pick up the sleek, minimalist styled analog clock beside the empty glass. “I can’t miss this meeting and it’s at 8:00 a.m. sharp.”

  I snuggled up against him when he returned to his spot on the bed. I knew my carnal desires had overtaken my judgment, and any hesitation I might have had about being with the hero-type was shelved neatly in the recesses of my mind. He was right about helping me forget. I slept.

  * * *

  When I woke up I was alone in the bed. I was disoriented for a few moments as the surroundings were so unfamiliar. Then it came back that I was at Matt’s place, and what had happened the night before brought a silly smile on my face. God, he was good. I had to admit, he seemed genuine and may actually be a nice guy.

  I got a brief look at the clock as I looked around the sun-filled room, and had to do a double-take. It was two o’clock in the afternoon! What time did I need to be at that ceremony? And how come no one called? Then I remembered. No cell phone. Shit.

  I got out of bed and put the robe on, remembering how he held it around me when I woke up from the nightmare. I buried my nose into it and got a faint whiff of his cologne. I smiled and headed out the bedroom to see if he might be around. As I walked out into the hallway, I saw an older lady approaching. She had dark hair pulled back in a bun and was dressed in a maid’s uniform. She walked toward me and held out three full-length clothing bags in one hand and four shopping bags in the other.

  “Hello, Miss Samuel,” she said in a South American Spanish accent. “I’m Yolanda. I work for Mr. Lewis. He wanted me to give this to you.”

  “Thanks, Miss Yolanda,” I replied. “Pleased to meet you. And call me Kate.”

  “You too Miss Sam-uh Kate,” she answered with a grin. “There are more things that came for you too. It’s in the next room.”

  “Things like what?” I asked with curiosity.

  “Clothes and shoes, and other things Mr. Lewis sent for you,” she answered, as though it was completely normal for things to come to their place for me all the time. “Mister Lewis also asked me to wake you up at 2:30pm so you can be ready when Ross comes to pick you up.”

  “Ross?” I questioned.

  “He’s Mr. Lewis’ driver,” she replied. “He’ll be downstairs waiting to take you to get your award.”

  “Oh. Ok. Thanks,” I said. “I’d better get dressed. Oh, can I use the phone?”

  “Yes, of course,” she replied. “There’s a cordless phone in your room. It’s in the corner, on the vanity dresser.”

  “Thanks so much Yolanda,” I said gratefully.

  “No problem at all,” she answered. “I’m so proud to meet you, Miss Samuel. You saved that boy, God bless your heart.”

  I nodded at her, then smiled as she walked away cheerfully to do her housework somewhere in that expansive place.

  I decided to phone George on his cell to let him know where I was, and to check in as we hadn’t spoken since during the Mayor’s press conference. He didn’t answer so I called Richard.

  “Hello?” he answered.

  “Richard, it’s me Kate.”

  “Hi Kate. How are you feeling, honey?”

  “Better today. I stayed at Matt’s last night.”

  “Yes he left George a message. So is he hot? What’s his place like?” Richard would have grilled me to no end so I got to the point quickly.

  “I’ll give you all the details later, Richard. Can you ask George to bring my purse when he comes to the ceremony? Everything was still at the station after I fainted.”

  “Yes, of course. Not to worry, it’s at home. George brought it last night. Sorry, we weren’t home early last night. We didn’t realize you’d be released so quickly. We had gone out with some friends, and when we got back we saw Matt’s messages. Sorry love.”

  “It’s ok, really,” I said, thinking I should be thanking them. It was their inadvertent absence that was instrumental in getting me that pleasure-filled, leave-me-wanting-more, passionate encounter with Matt. “I’ve gotta get ready for tonight. Will fill you in soon ok? See you, Richard.”

  “Bye love,” he replied. “See you soon. I’ll be cornering you to get the blow-by-blow, so don’t you dare leave anything out, darling.”

  As he hung up, I smiled again, walking over to the bags Matt sent over. I figured I’d check the rest of the things the next day as there wasn’t much time. The four shopping bags had two pairs of shoes, accessories of all types, and toiletries. And underwear! I was so relieved to see the dozen or so lacy numbers, wrapped in fine, scented paper from Victoria’s Secret. I felt better. Having underwear was progress. It was a step closer to normalcy. It’s amazing how those simple, little things come to have such significance when you’re staring loss in the face. Still, I hadn’t lost nearly as much as those Holstein kids. I wondered where they were, whether they were at least with family, and made a mental note to check the news later on to find out.

  The contents of the three clothing bags completely threw me off guard. The first was a sleek, black strapless cocktail dress with an elegant silk trim at the waistband. It seemed too dressy for a Firefighter’s award ceremony, but then again I hadn’t ever been to one so how could I possibly know what was appropriate. In the second was a cream blazer with a slim black patent leather belt attached on the sides of its tapered waist. A matching black camisole and skirt were on a hanger in the same bag. This looked more like what a civilian might wear to such an event. The third was a floor-length, red strapless ball gown. There was an ornate, sequined pattern on the bodice, and it was flowing from the waist down. Definitely too dressy. The choice was made.

  I took a shower and quickly got ready. The outfit fit me perfectly. I had to hand it to Matt for figuring out my size so accurately. There was also a nice selection of makeup in one of the shopping bags, so I wore a little lipstick and mascara. That was all I felt I could tolerate putting on as applying makeup wasn’t something I regularly spent hours on. I took a quick look in the full-length closet mir
ror. Definitely put together, and hopefully not too vixen-like. I felt more rested. It was time to go.

  Yolanda called up to me just as I was walking down the stairs to leave. She introduced me to Ross, who was waiting at the elevator for me, and we left.

  Chapter 9

  The ceremony started promptly at 3:30p.m., about five minutes after I arrived. I was seated in the front row with other civilians and firefighters, presumably others being recognized to receive special awards. The Mayor and Fire Chief delivered their speeches and then the NYC Fire Marshal introduced the award recipients.

  “It is completely fitting, and gives me great pleasure to formally congratulate these firefighters and civilians who put their lives in danger to help so many others. Today’s ceremony gives the people of New York City a chance to reflect on the role that firefighters and everyday heroes play in the community. We each owe these individuals a debt of gratitude for their selflessness, bravery, and care. These awards are a symbol of thanks for their special contribution.

  “For people like Miss Katherine Samuel, the recognition is all the more salient. At the time of the fire, this young lady witnessed the plight of young Joel Holstein and immediately assessed the scene and coordinated his rescue on her own, putting herself in danger and sustaining injuries herself. The self-driven decision for such people to take risks in such dangerous situation is never recommended, but they must always be applauded. It’s true humanity in action to risk your life to help someone in need.”

  He went on to recognize each person in the front row and then we were called up one by one to receive a plaque. That’s when I noticed Matt was one of the firefighter recipients, but sat with his colleagues on the left side of the front row seats. After the ceremony I was swarmed by reporters, members of the public and other officials, all wanting to congratulate me, hug me or get a sound bite. I was so relieved when George and Richard approached the group, with Matt towering behind them. They flanked me on three sides and walked me out quickly.

  “Thanks for the save,” I said. “That was not something I was fully prepared to handle. Especially after seeing Joel Holstein and his sister were a couple rows behind me. I lost all my words. It’s so sad.”

  “So true,” Matt started, and wrapped both my hands with his to get my complete attention. “As firefighters, we struggle with that anytime there’s a fatality. But you need to remind yourself that you gave him something he wouldn’t have had - more time here on earth. Because of you he has time to grow up, to make mistakes, to fall in love, to have his own family, and maybe to help others. That’s the legacy you created, so don’t you ever feel the blame for what happened to his parents. They’re somewhere out there thanking you for saving him.”

  Tears came to my eyes. What a kind soul, to try to help me that way. I really was a wreck those few days. Emotional, and weak, and vulnerable. And falling for Matt…

  They led me out of the hall and agreed the four of us would go to dinner together. Ross was waiting outside and he let us all into the car, which was more of a stretch limousine. Before that day, I had not driven in one since I was back in Phoenix, and I hadn’t missed the luxury… much.

  Somehow at dinner, Richard managed to lighten the mood for all of us. He told comedic stories of his awkward childhood, playing out entire scenes like he was the leading man in a Broadway show. He joked about George’s quirks, which were numerous, and I knew, as I worked with him. He even got up and sang his rendition of ‘I will Survive’ when the song came up on the old-styled Muzac system at the restaurant. I laughed so hard at one point that I sounded like I was in a coughing or crying fit. Looking back, it was just the medicine I needed.

  It was George who brought the communal mood to a more somber tone when he raised the fire disaster. “It’s really sad about the Holsteins, isn’t it?” he asked. “I can just imagine what the kids are going through.”

  “Who were those people at the funeral?” I asked. “The ones taking care of the kids.”

  “Family I think,” said Richard. “Do you realize that almost a hundred people were affected by the fire?”

  “Probably more,” Matt chimed in. “There was some damage to the roofs of the apartment complex on the end of the street. We had to relocate ten families from those building units while we surveyed the damage.”

  “What a shame,” George responded. “Such a bad time for this to happen.”

  We all nodded. “So what caused the fire in the first place?” I asked.

  “We’re still investigating, but it’ll likely be classified as arson,” Matt replied. “I can’t get into it, but there were some unusual things we found in unit 16.”

  “What?” Richard exclaimed. “So you mean the Holstein’s death wasn’t accidental?”

  “That’s not what I said,” Matt replied defensively, probably realizing he had told us too much. “I really can’t say any more. We’re still looking into it. I think the most important thing to focus on now is helping the families.”

  “Well that’s something we can definitely work on at the station,” answered George.

  “They need everything,” said Matt.” Better shelter than the hotels most of them are staying at, food supplies, clothing and other essentials.”

  “Man, that’s tough,” Richard said.

  “Many of them had to leave their homes basically with the clothes they were wearing at the time,” Matt said.

  “Well I know we can help,” George replied. “The station is holding a food and donation drive starting tomorrow, and we’re already getting calls. We partnered with the local Red Cross and Salvation Army, and listeners can drop the food donations off at the Sally-Ann just down the street.”

  “That’s great of you, man,” Matt answered in encouragement. “I’ve started to get some things moving through one of my family’s foundations, but it takes a village, right?”

  “So true, Matt. And a listener also let us know about a trust fund set up for the kids,” George continued. “It’s at the Bank of New York Mellon down the street.”

  “Send me the details by email and we’ll see what we can do,” Matt replied. “Actually, I’m hosting a charity ball in a week. I think we can add this campaign to the fundraising effort that night. If the three of you are free, I would love for you to attend.”

  “Oooh a charity ball,” Richard exclaimed with delight. “George and I would be honored to come, Matt. Kate, you’ll be all better by then. You’ve gotta come too, darling.”

  “Sure. I’d love to come, especially if it’ll help more people,” I answered. “Can you send me the details by email? I’d like to help them too. Poor kids…” I trailed off again, thinking about them.

  George took that opportunity to break up the discussion, explaining he and Richard had to go back to the station, as there was an issue with the staffing roster. “We’ve been fielding a ton of calls from people who want to help the families who were displaced by the fire,” he explained. “The real issue is what kind of temporary housing they’ll be able to find at this time of year. It’s like you said, Matt. After a while, a family of 4 in a cramped up hotel just becomes a little too much.”

  “I can come and help,” I offered.

  George had insisted that I take another few days off to feel better, and suggested that staying at Matt’s would probably allow me to get more rest. I didn’t put up much resistance, especially since my new sets of underwear were there. That fact – having my own underwear - more or less made Matt’s place feel like a bit of home. Still, I didn’t want to impose so I suggested I could stay at a hotel.

  “Are you crazy?” said Matt. “That’s not an option. You need to be somewhere safe and you need someone around. Yolanda is at the condo every day and she’s very sweet. Plus I’ve got lots of room.”

  “I have my purse now,” I countered. “I can stay somewhere close to the radio station. Besides, I have to start looking for my own place while I figure out what will happen with the insurance, or rebuilding, or
whatever the plans will be.”

  “No,” he replied firmly as though I was a kid and his say was final. “You need to stay with me. Just stay for the holidays. And when you get better in a few days, you can go house-hunting to be in your new place for the New Year.”

  His insistence was beginning to sound like demands and it was something I really disliked, but I also knew deep down that he was right. The last thing I wanted was to pass out in a hotel room with no one around to get me to help.

  He saw my reaction and gave me a broad, irresistible smile. ”C’mon. Don’t make me have to use the fireman’s carry on you.”

  “Alright, alright,” I replied. “But just one week and not a day longer.”

  “Not acceptable,” he persisted. “This is the worse time of year to be alone. You’re staying and the discussion is over.”

  “Matt, I’m not your staff, you know?” I half-shouted. “Why do you think any of this makes sense? I mean, I barely know you.”

  “You weren’t saying that last night,” he joked. That broad, confident smile was a powerful aphrodisiac, and he was growing on me, but I knew I had to stand my ground. Something about his offer to help, briefly reminded me of my own parents, using things and comforts to lure me into compliance. It might have been in my own head, but I was not going to be controlled, even at this low point.

  “Look, Matt.,” I said firmly. “I appreciate the gesture. You’ve been so kind and I can’t thank you enough. But I’m making it a week at most, or I’ll just go to the hotel now.”

  “Ok. You win. One week,” he conceded. “But I reserve the right to tempt you repeatedly to get you to stay.

  “And why is that? I questioned. “Why are you so insistent that I stay?”

  “You really want to know?”