Page 35 of Someone Like You

“You’re playing with fire, Giselle.”

She promptly released my finger from inside of her mouth. I slowly dragged it down her lip, tugging it open as I went before I gripped her chin and pulled on it.

I leaned closer, and desire grew within me as she leaned closer to me. I held her chin between my index finger and thumb.

There was no rushing the moment as I licked along her bottom lip and then sucked on her top one. I pressed my lips against hers and indulged in the plush, satiny feel of her glossed lips against mine.

Slowly, her eyes closed, and Giselle lifted a hand to the back of my neck. The pressure was so subtle, but I felt her pull me closer. I gave in to her urgency and angled my head as I turned the moment of feeling each other out into a kiss.

When her lips parted, her tongue darted out briefly. That little peek was all I needed to entwine mine with hers. I savored the spiciness of her tongue as we wrestled for dominance.Giselle’s hunger knew no limitations as she pressed deeper into the kiss, moaning and seeking what else I had to offer.

I cupped her face, and she grabbed my hand and pulled it away. We didn’t break the kiss. She dragged my hand down and placed it at her heart. My hand grew hot from the feeling and pressure of lying between her breasts. My dick ached in my pants and urged me to move a little more to the left so that I could feel the soft tissue. But I refused to move faster than she allowed me.

And as if she came back to her senses, she dipped her head and broke the kiss. We said nothing as she panted softly. Her heartbeat hammered against her chest walls. I kept my hand in place for a while and found comfort in knowing that I made her feel this way, that her heart was beating emphatically for me.

Giselle’s eyes opened, and though our foreheads rested against each other, she didn’t look at me. I caressed her face.

“Are you okay?” I asked.

She pulled back from the kiss and asked, “What do you want from me?”

“Everything.”

Giselle

Iwasn’t sure what it was that woke me, but when I woke up groggy, I knew there was something out of the ordinary happening. There seemed to be a lot of activity happening outside of my bedroom window. It was lighter than it should have been at a little after four in the morning, and the acrid, thick smell of smoke infiltrated my senses before it caused me to start choking.

I jerked upright in bed from my previously prone position. I coughed and swung my legs over the side of the bed. I needed some water. I shoved my feet into my house shoes to get some water, and that was when I heard it.

Loud bangs were coming from somewhere in my townhome. Confused, I ran to one of the bedroom windows and peered out. Smoke filled the air, and several residents were out on the lawn across the street. In the middle of the confusion were three large fire trucks, men scurrying everywhere, and water coated the street.

I heard the loud banging again, and it was more like a thud than a bang. I rushed out into the hallway and down the stairs to realize that the thud I heard was knocking, and my downstairs was filled with smoke.

The acrid smoke quickly filled my lungs and began to burn them. The coughing grew worse, and I could feel my chest grow tighter. I pulled my nightgown up over my nose, trying to block out the smell, but it stung my eyes too.

I spotted my keys hanging on the hook close to the door, and my purse that I had hung up the evening before was on the table beneath it. I grabbed my keys and purse at the last minute, thankful that I had the presence of mind last night to leave them down here. The coughing took hold of my body, and I felt myself crumple to my knees.

The door flew open, and two firemen rushed inside.

“Is there anyone else in the house?” one of the firemen asked as he lifted me into his arms.

I continued choking through the smoke, but I was able to shake my head no. A third fireman rushed inside as the first one carried me away, and the second one proceeded deeper into my house.

“Bury your face into my jacket. I got you,” the husky voice stated.

I had no idea what was going on, and I realized that was the result of my sleep-addled brain. I blinked several times as the fireman set me down on a gurney with two EMTs hovering and waiting for him to move.

“What’s going on?” I asked, trying to peer around at the situation.

I saw flames going up from the building, two units over from mine. Angry flames licked at the night sky, filling it with thick, black smoke and creating a fog in the night sky. It ate at the tree limbs that hovered over the building, and the beautiful leaves and the white blossoms of the nearby dogwood tree were no more.

“One of the neighboring units caught fire,” the fireman explained.

One of the EMTs followed that explanation with one of his own. “We’re just going to check you for any injuries. What’s your name, ma’am?” He looked as if he were barely out of high school.

“Dr. Champagne. Dr. Giselle Champagne,” I clarified.

“She may need some oxygen. She was choking when we brought her out of the house,” the fireman stated and rushed off to help his coworkers.