Just Too Darn Hot

Seattle's weather was notoriously mild. The winters were never very cold and it was never very hot in the summer. Until now. The mercury had crossed the eighty degree line and was headed toward ninety. The weather alone would have been unpleasant, but the electric grid in the city had never truly been repaired after the Pulse and with the additional demand for air conditioning by those who still had it, rolling brownouts had been going on all week.

It had not seemed so terribly hot when Logan left that morning to play a quick game of basketball. He had been working on a major Eyes Only operation for the past couple of weeks and had missed getting out and playing with the guys. They played for about forty-five minutes until the sun and heat began to catch up with them.

Climbing back into the Aztek, he felt a wave of dizziness wash over him. He started the car and blasted the air conditioning until he cooled off enough that he felt like he could get home. Grabbing his bottle of water, he drank quickly until it was empty. Heat and dehydration were both potentially life-threatening if he didn't try to do something about it.

He headed for Max's apartment. It was closer and her windows actually opened. In this heat, his apartment was miserable and she had offered him refuge for the night. Besides, he enjoyed spending the night in her bed every now and then and this seemed like a perfect excuse.

Max leaned against the building watching for the Aztek to appear. It had to be about ninety-five degrees in the shade and she had a bath tub filled with cold water waiting for her upstairs. For once, not having a water heater was not a problem.

She couldn't remember ever being this hot, not even during training drills at Manticore. If there had been some part of the training to deal with the heat, it wasn't designed for this kind of a freak heat wave.

Finally, Logan pulled around the corner and parked the car in front of her building. She watched as he lifted himself from the car into his chair. She could see that he was every bit as hot and sweaty as she was. What had he been thinking going out to play basketball in this weather? It was bad enough she had to deal with the heat to make a living, but he did played the damn game for enjoyment!

"Hey, Max," Logan said wearily as he wheeled over to her.

She glanced down to check him out. It was amazing, his arms and face were covered in sweat, but his legs were as dry as could be. Her mind clicked as she remembered that he wouldn't sweat down there, which wasn't necessarily a good thing. As far as Max was concerned, Logan looked like he was the one who could use a bath.

"Hey there, I think I've got room in my tub for two," she said, smiling at him.

Logan tipped his head up to take in her front window, three stories from the street. "Elevator working today?"

"Nope, but don't worry, I've got you covered," she said, motioning for him to follow her as she turned and went into the building.

"So I figured we could leave the chair here and I can come back for it," Max said, pointing to the steps.

Logan knew what it would take to get him up the stairs to Max's apartment. He didn't want to do it, but the alternative of sitting in the sweltering heat of her lobby wasn't really an option.

Logan moved as close to the steps as he could, then slipped to the floor.

"You up for this? Cause I could..."

Logan wasn't sure he was up for it, but he knew what Max was suggesting and there was no way he was having his girlfriend haul his ass up the steps to her apartment.

"It'll be fine, you just grab my legs," he said flipping over onto his stomach. He pushed himself up so his arms were fully extended. Max grabbed his feet and followed as he walked up the steps on his hands.

In what seemed like a lifetime, but was actually only a few moments, they climbed to her door. At the top of the steps, Logan, sweaty and out of breath, turned to sit down and wait while she ran down to the retrieve the chair.

"You okay?" Max asked as she set the chair next to Logan. She stooped to help him back into the chair, but he waved her away.

"Fine," he panted.

She paused to watch him transfer back into the chair and then pushed the door to the apartment open.

"Hey, Boo," Original Cindy called from the kitchen. "Logan."

"Hi," Logan greeted Cindy, his face slightly crimson, either from the heat or the embarrassment of his arrival method.

Cindy poured a glass of water and handed it to Logan as Max disappeared down the hallway toward the bathroom.

"Damn hot out there," she commented.

He nodded and drained the glass. He set the glass down on the table as Max returned from the bathroom.

"Tub's filled and I think we should get you in it," Max said as she crossed to hand Logan a small towel. He wiped the sweat from his brow and set the towel back down on the kitchen counter.

"Best idea I've hear all day," Logan replied as Max took a step back so he could lead the way down the hallway to the bathroom.

"So, did you at least win?" Max chided as she helped Logan remove his shirt. The t-shirt had clung to him, soaked in sweat. She slipped her hand up to feel his forehead. He was burning up.

"Just played for fun," Logan replied. He didn't respond further as Max proceeded to remove his shoes and socks. Her hands moved up to unbutton his pants when his hand grabbed hers.

"I'll do it," he said.

She took a step back and watched as he struggled with his pants. Finally she moved back closer and helped him lift his bottom off the chair and pull his pants off. She didn't usually help him, instead respecting his ability to do for himself, but today she was afraid his brain might fry before he ever got out of his boxer shorts.

With a practiced lift, she moved him from the chair to the tub. He hissed as his back and arms hit the cold water.

"Damn, Max," he exclaimed, his teeth now chattering.

"You're too hot, Logan," she responded, pulling a washcloth from the bar over the tub. Tenderly, she moved the cloth over his arms and down his chest. She dipped the cloth in the water again and wrung it out. Cool from the water, she moved the cloth across his face, wiping the sweat from it.

"You have to take better care of yourself," she told him as her cloth moved down his legs, which were floating near the top of the water.

Logan closed his eyes and relaxed his back against the end of the tub. He knew she was right, but it still frustrated him. In his mind he had no limitations, so when he got too hot or the elevator didn't work, or he wanted to nail Max right there and didn't have a pill, it frustrated him. More than that, it made him pissy and he knew that Max really hated it when he was in a mood.

"You know what might bring my temp down?" he asked, opening his right eye to stare at her.

"What?"

"You getting in here with me."

Max cocked her eyebrow at him. Could he be serious? Here he was, half-dead and he was still coming on to her! She looked to make sure he was serious, his answer coming in the form of his hand reaching out and, before she could react, pulling her in the water with him.

"Logan! These are my good leather pants!"

"Shouldn't be wearing them in this kind of weather," he responded, as his hand worked the zipper down so she could slip from them.

Once free of her clothes, she turned so she could face him. His face still bore the signs of his earlier heat exhaustion, but his eyes betrayed more life than she had seen before.

"So, what's your plan now?" she asked, pausing to kiss him lightly on the lips.

He responded by taking the cloth she had used on him moments before. Dipping it in the water, he pulled it back out, water draining from it. He moved his arm so the water dripped down her breasts and onto her stomach. She sighed happily, as the now tepid water washed across her hot body. He continued to move the cloth across her, tenderly washing her breasts, arms and down to her legs. He then moved the cloth up her neck, under her hair and across her face. He gently wiped the sweat from her brow, wetting her hair so that it stood away from her face.

"Turn please," he said. After she did, he turned his attentions on her back, moving the cloth back and forth across her shoulders. Leaning forward, he held her hair up and kissed her on her bar code. He loved seeing it on her. She might see it as a branding, but he saw it as something that made her special.

Max relaxed back against him, her body folding easily into his. Logan's hands moved across her body, touching and teasing her. Her nipples responded by hardening under his touch. Her back arched slightly as he moved lower, touching the coarse hairs that covered her pelvis. She could feel the calluses on his hands brushing against her soft skin. His hand moved lower, touching her, moving in and out of her. He began to stroke his hand against her bone, catching her clit in his every move. She started to pant, catching her breath, trying to hold the orgasm off as long as possible.

The pressure continued to grow as he stroked her, engorging her. Her panting grew quicker as she climaxed, her fluids joining the water covering their bodies.

Max slipped from Logan's arms, turning to face him.

"I love you."

The good thing about heat waves was, eventually they came to an end. Over the course of a lifetime, there might be many days and nights like the hot ones during the summer of 2020. But the first time was always special.

FIN

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