I was beyond pissed as I left the scene of the fire. Sure, Ethan was right that I technically wasn’t supposed to be there. But I sure as hell wasn’t getting in the way. I could tell that the crew had their hands full getting the rest of the fire under control, and I knew that my being there and helping with the freaked-out little kids was doing more good than harm. Sure, there were EMTs on the scene, but I knew how to handle kids, and I could tell that I was making the trauma easier for them to bear.

And the goddamn nerve of Ethan, speaking to me like I was some stupid kid. That tone he took with me, the “I know better than you, even though you’re certain otherwise,” was one I’d used time and time again with my students. The difference was that I was a grown adult, not some elementary school kid.

Part of me wanted to go right back and give him another piece of my mind. But it could wait until he got back from his shift. I’d show him for talking to me like that.

A chill wind blew as I headed down the city streets. I looked up at the sky, noticing for the first time that it’d gotten very dark over the last hour. A quick glance around made me keenly aware that whatever street I was on, I was alone—not another soul was to be found.

I became very nervous all of a sudden. I was a New Yorker, and evening streets weren’t new to me. But for some reason at that moment I felt very unsafe, a hot tingling breaking out on the back of my neck as though I was being watched.

My pace quickened, and I moved as fast as I could short of a sprint down the sidewalk. I felt my heart thud in my chest. Something was wrong, and as much as I hated admit it, I wanted Ethan at my side more than anything else.

“There’s the girl!” a voice called out from the alley behind me.

I stopped in my tracks, freezing as still as a statue. A shallow breath entered my lungs, and I felt lightheaded.

“The little survivor,” said a different voice.

I wanted to turn to see who was speaking, but I was too damn frightened. Instead, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, the fear running through my veins like ice water. Then, when I’d finally gathered my nerves, I turned to confront whoever it was behind me.

Sure enough, just as I’d feared, it was two skeevy-looking guys, both dressed in the sort of gaudy clothing that was meant to look expensive and classy but ended up looking cheap and ostentatious. They wore sneers on their faces, as if they were both in on a mean joke at my expense.

The two men stood in place, glaring at me with matching expressions that clearly meant they had nothing but bad things in mind.

“Who are you?” I shot out, gathering my courage. “What the hell do you want?”

I worked my apartment keys between my fingers, remembering the old trick I’d learned from a self-defense course I’d taken awhile back. I didn’t have much faith in my ability to take these two out if things took a turn for the worse, but if I were to go down, I’d go down fighting.

And wait, “the little survivor?” They spoke again before I had a chance to think the matter over too deeply.

“We just wanted to say ‘hi,’” said the man on the left. “After all, we did see you the other night. But we didn’t get a chance to get acquainted.”

Then it hit me just why these two cocks looked so familiar. They were two of the men I’d seen fleeing the apartment during the fire at my place. It was hard to recognize them not dressed all in black, but now that they mentioned it, I could tell by their reedy frames that they were the same guys.

My heart suddenly beat even faster. This wasn’t just some mugging. This had the potential to become something far, far worse. I clenched my fist around my keys as tightly as possible, ready to cut some skin.

One of the men looked me up and down, his eyes dragging over me slowly, lecherously.

“Looks like you made a nice little recovery from the fire,” he said. “But we were hoping your injuries might be a little more…permanent.”

Shit.

“You touch me, and I’ll scream,” I said. “Loud enough to get the attention of every damn cop in the area. And let’s see if you both walk out of this with all your eyes intact.”

The two men only laughed the same dry chuckle, looking at one another as if to say, “Can you believe the balls on this chick?” Then, both of them took a step toward me.

“We can’t have you just walking around the city having seen our faces, now can we?” said the other man. “After all, our plans have only just gotten started.”

“What the hell does that mean?” I asked. “You gonna burn down this whole neighborhood?”

“I guess that’d be for you to find out,” said the man on the left. “That is, if tonight wasn’t going to be the last night of your life.”

Oh shit.

With that, the two men cut the distance down between us. My instincts took over, and I swiped my hand through the air, feeling the drag of skin against the edge of my keys as I made a glancing blow. The man on the right, the one I’d hit, shot his hand to his face and looked at me with a murderous expression.

“You little bitch,” he said, a trickle of blood seeping down from the wound through his fingers. “We were gonna make this nice and quick, but now I think we oughta drag this out a little.”

They moved closer, and I began to think that this just might be the end. But before the men could close the distance between us completely, a booming voice called out from down the road.

“What the hell do you assholes think you’re doing?”

The men turned on their heels, and my eyes shot up in the direction of the voice. A massive figure stood in the shadows down the sidewalk, nothing visible but a hulking frame.

I knew right away it was Ethan. Sure enough, he stepped out from the shadows, a fierce, narrow-eyed expression on his handsome features.

“Oh, now we got the hero fireman coming to save the day, huh?” said the man on the right, a tinge of fear now in his voice.

“No kid with a camera phone to take this shit to YouTube,” said the other man. “You sure you want to even bother?”

Ethan’s expression stayed stony and severe. He clearly wasn’t in the mood to play any games.

“Here’s the deal,” he said. “You come with me and turn yourselves in, and no one has to get hurt tonight. But you move even another inch closer to her and you’re not gonna like what happens. Not one bit.”

The men snorted, glancing back in my direction for a moment.

“Or,” said the man on the left. “We can take you out, since there’s two of us and one of you. And then we can do just what it was we had in mind before.”

“Yeah,” said the other man. “Sounds like a much better plan to me.”

That was all I needed to hear. Taking advantage of both men having their back toward me, I rushed toward the one on the right, slamming into him with all of my hundred and ten pounds and knocking the wind right out of him.

The other man turned, saw what had happened, and grabbed my arm.

“Now you’ve fucking done it,” he said, his grip like a vice.

“Now you’ve gone and done it,” said Ethan, stepping closer.

Those were the last words anyone said before I watched a massive fist arc through the air and connect with the jaw of the man holding me. A sick crack sounded out through the night air and his fingers went instantly loose on my arm. He staggered for a bit and fell backward onto his ass, hitting the pavement with a satisfying thud.

The other man took a quick, panicked appraisal of the situation as soon as he caught his breath. Things didn’t look good for him—not at all. His buddy struggled to his feet, and between my surprise attack and Ethan’s solid sock to the jaw, both of them seemed to realize they didn’t have much of a chance.

But that didn’t stop them. They both struggled to their feet and squared up for another go. Ethan, moving with striking grace considering his size, rushed between me and them, his solid body like a brick wall keeping me safe.

I watched as he delivered two more punches, each one slamming hard into the thugs. They staggered backward, their noses bloodied and their eyes wide.

“Now,” said Ethan, who had not even broken a sweat. “You guys ready to turn yourselves in?”

At that moment, however, a big black van came careening down the road, tires squealing as its headlights cut wildly through the night. Its massive form came to a halt just to the side of the road, the door flying open and revealing a darkened interior.

“Get your stupid asses inside, now!” shouted a voice from within.

The two men took a wild glance at Ethan, as if wondering if they could somehow turn the tables here at the last second. But they wised up and scrambled into the back of the van, the door slamming shut as soon as they were inside.

The van then peeled off as quickly as it came, disappearing around the corner. I tried to get a glance at the plate, but between the blood pounding in my head and the daze from the fight, I couldn’t make out a single letter.

“Dammit!” shouted Ethan, likely from having failed to see the plate himself.

He punched his left hand with his right fist, shaking his head as the car vanished. Then he turned his eyes to me.

“Are you OK?” he asked, his voice edged with both anger and concern.

“I…I think…I think I’m, uh.”

I could barely talk. The adrenaline had made me jittery and frantic, and the world seemed to be a wild blur around me.

“We need to get you back to the apartment. And fast,” said Ethan.

“S-sure,” I said, nodding slowly.

He looked me over once more to make sure I wasn’t hurt, and then he wrapped his arm around my shoulder. Being pressed against him made me feel an odd combination of safe and turned on. He’d rushed to my protection, thinking nothing of his own safety as he fought off those two men. His body was warm and solid, and I rested my head against the side of his chest as he led me down the darkened sidewalk.

The fear that I’d felt before was totally gone. Ethan being here made all the difference in the world.

After a brief walk, we eventually arrived at his apartment. Or, I suppose, our apartment for the time being. Ethan led me to the couch where I plopped down, the world still swirling around in front of me. He stepped away for a moment, returning with a glass of water. I brought it to my lips and drained it in a single, long sip.

“You OK?” he asked, his deep voice comforting.

“I’m…I’m fine,” I said, setting the glass down on the table, my eyes staring straight ahead.

“You don’t look that fine,” he said. “You look shaken up. Can’t say I blame you.”

Ethan’s words echoed in my ears. Without thinking, I stood up from the couch and walked to one of the windows overlooking the city. I took a long, slow breath.

“Come here,” I asked over my shoulder.

I didn’t know exactly how I felt at that moment—the blend of emotions inside of me was just too strange. But I knew what I wanted—Ethan.

Ethan stepped over to where I stood by the window. I turned just enough to look into his eyes and saw that they were burning with a heat that drew me in. I stared deep into them and realized that the same forces were at work within him. But with Ethan, it seemed more tightly controlled, as though the adrenaline was a force that he could bend to his will, rather than something that took hold of him, as it did with me.

I glanced down and saw that the distance between us had been cut down to inches. I felt the heat radiate from his body, his presence was just what I wanted at that moment. My hands seemed to rise of their own accord, coming to a rest on the solid blocks of his pecs. I took in a slow breath through my nose as I moved my fingertips over him.

Goddamn, he felt good.

Ethan didn’t need any help in figuring out just what I was craving. His own hands clasped onto me, starting on my thighs and moving slowly up my legs, coming to a rest on my hips. And at that moment, there was a flash of realization between us, as though we’d both instantly realized just what it was we could be doing with each other.

With a sudden flash of movement, Ethan and I locked lips, the lovely taste of him flooding my mouth and making me wild with desire. Our hands moved feverishly over one another’s bodies, me feeling his hard lines, and Ethan touching my soft curves. The slowness ceased, and with wild, animalistic heat, we began stripping the clothes off of one another where we stood.

I yanked off Ethan’s shirt, his chiseled torso covered in a sheen of sweat from the encounter, his bulging muscles heaving with each full, deep breath. More of him—I wanted more. I needed more. My hands dropped down to his belt, undoing the buckle and then the zipper in a frantic blur. Then I yanked down his pants, revealing the gargantuan bulge of his cock tenting his underwear.

My thumbs slipped under the waistband of his boxer-briefs, and I pulled them down so damn fast I couldn’t believe it. A sigh of something like relief passed my lips as Ethan’s giant, dripping cock sprang out in front of me.

But he wasn’t about to let me stay dressed while I had all of the fun. Ethan pulled my shirt off and tossed it aside, then undid the clasp of my bra. My tits fell out, and he grabbed them without wasting a second, scooping them into his hands and smothering my hard, pink nipples with his warm, wet mouth.

“Oh fuck yes,” I moaned, running my hands over the back of his head as he gave my breasts the attention that they needed.

His touch felt like heaven on the sensitive skin, his tongue moving expertly around my nipples, tracing their outlines sensually. As he licked and sucked me, I grabbed onto the solid staff of his cock, stroking it hard, wanting to make him come right then and there. Ethan sounded a low growl at my touch, his dick twitching in my hand.

Next were my pants. Ethan lifted me up effortlessly, his animal strength on display for the second time that night. He turned me around and pressed my body against the window, the glass cool against my breasts. Ethan’s touch returned to my hips, his hands this time sliding down slowly over my flat stomach, coming to a rest on the button of my pants. Seconds later, he had them off, leaving me in nothing but a skimpy black thong.

I expected that to be the next to go, but Ethan wasn’t able to control himself even long enough to remove them. Instead, he moved my panties to the side, his cock now pressed against my ripe, round ass.

“What are you doing?” I asked, a secret smile on my face.

I knew the answer as clear as crystal. But that didn’t mean I wouldn’t love to hear the words.

“I’m gonna fuck you. Hard,” he said, his tone commanding. “I’m gonna make you come on my cock. Then I’m gonna fill you full of me.”

I felt my pussy somehow get even wetter than it already was. Ethan let out a snort as he slapped his right hand down hard onto my ass cheek, the crackle of pain and pleasure shooting through my body. Next, I felt the slow drag of the head of his dripping cock against my soaked lips, a jolt of delight running through me as he teased my clit.

Then, placing his head right at the opening of my eagerly waiting pussy, he entered me good and deep, splitting me in half where I stood. My knees buckled as every last inch of Ethan’s incredible cock slid into me, bit by bit. Once he was fully sheathed, he reached around and grabbed one of my breasts, kneading it firmly as I accustomed myself to his size. I’d been fucked by him twice already, but his cock was still a challenge—one that I was more than willing to take.

After a few more slow thrusts, Ethan began to pound me hard. My tits shook with each drive into me, the city outside of the window a yellow and white blur. As Ethan fucked me, the thought of someone below seeing me entered my mind, and it only turned me on even more.

Ethan gripped my hips hard, his fingers digging into the soft flesh. I loved being held by him, kept in place as he screwed my damn brains out. My arms shot out, grabbing onto the window frame for support. His onslaught was so intense I felt my body might give out from under me at any moment.

“Goddamn,” he grunted. “You feel so fucking good, baby.”

Baby? A little unexpected, but still nice to hear. A pleased smile formed on my lips as I focused ahead, savoring the feeling of his cock drilling me time and time again. Every now and then, Ethan would raise his hand and bring it down onto my ass, the sharp crack of flesh on flesh cutting through the still apartment air.

It didn’t take long before the orgasm that had been forming since Ethan first touched my pussy with his cock felt on the verge of breaking loose, exploding through me like a bomb. Soft, whimpering noises came from my mouth as I bit down so hard on my lower lip I worried I might draw blood.

“Tell me when you’re gonna come,” said Ethan. “I want to know the second it happens.”

His voice was stern, commanding. Part of me bristled at being told what to do, but another part of me wanted to submit, to do whatever the man inside of me wanted. I threw a glance over my shoulder, taking in the wonderful view of Ethan’s gorgeous body at work.

I didn’t even get a chance to agree to what he’d asked. The orgasm came almost by surprise, rushing through my body with such intensity that my vision blurred.

“Ah, fuck!” I shouted out, slamming my hand down onto the windowsill. “I’m coming, I’m coming!”

That must’ve been just what Ethan was waiting to hear. While I was in the grips of my orgasm, Ethan let out a low grunt as he came. I felt the small explosion of his cock inside of me, followed by the hot wetness of his cum. The feeling was…exquisite. My body curled where I stood, the orgasm almost more than I could bear.

After a time, it faded. I let out a heavy breath as I dropped to my knees, feeling his cum trickle out of me as I did. Ethan moved in front of me, his cock only inches from my face. I leaned over and gave it a long, slow kiss, the taste of his cum divine.

It was just what I’d need to shake away the bad memories of the evening. Between our fight and the attack, the tension building inside both of us had found the perfect release. And all I could think about was round two.