Lydia Tanner slammed the cabin door shut against the storm raging outside, then leaned against the wall gasping and shivering. She had been out on the lake checking monitoring instruments when the storm hit. The race back to the cabin by canoe and on foot left Lydia soaked and cold.

Once she caught her breath, Lydia latched the door. She took off her dripping coat and hung it on a peg by the door. From her backpack, she pulled a towel, sweatpants, and a long-sleeved t-shirt. Working quickly, Lydia stripped off her wet clothes, dried her body, and put on the fresh, dry clothes.

Dry and slightly warmer, Lydia started a fire in the cabin's small cast iron stove. Once the fire was lit and burning well, Lydia filled a kettle and put it on the stove to boil. Soon she had hot tea and the fire's heat was warming the room. Lydia pulled the cabin's lone comfortable chair to the front of the stove and sat down to soak up the warmth.

After a couple sips of tea, Lydia retrieved the book she was reading from the little table beside the bed. It was a sexy, somewhat trashy, romance novel that she had brought along for spare time reading. Romances were one of Lydia's guilty pleasures, providing a break from academic papers and textbooks.

Lydia was a postdoc in biology at the University of Toronto. She was working on a research project run by her former thesis supervisor and the provincial Ministry of Natural Resources. Collecting data required travelling around Northern Ontario, often in remote areas.

The project was ideal for Lydia. Her parents were wilderness enthusiasts who had taken her hiking, camping, and canoeing from a young age. Those trips gave Lydia both the interest and skills to live in the wilderness. She was also an introvert, more comfortable alone in wild places than around people in the city.

Lydia soon became engrossed in a lengthy sex scene. The heroine of the novel was enjoying an evening of intense lovemaking with a male suitor. While Lydia preferred female partners for herself, she was turned on by any well-written sex when it came to porn or literature. By the time the protagonist climaxed in a storm of purple prose, Lydia needed some release of her own.

Unlike the heroine, Lydia's love life was a string of failed relationships and occasional hookups. That was another reason she did not mind living in the wilderness. Lydia enjoyed having a partner for sex but maintaining a relationship wore her down. Her last serious relationship ended just as the project kicked off. With the project to keep her busy, Lydia had not sought out a new relationship. She was content to be celibate outside of masturbation for now.

"Should be warm enough to get naked now," Lydia mused, putting aside the book.

She untied the drawstring of her sweatpants to loosen them. That let her slide a hand down between her thighs to caress her pussy. Lydia had not bothered to put on underwear while changing and was glad of that now. For a few minutes, she played gently with herself, feeling arousal build.

With her pussy moist and aroused, Lydia shifted attention to her breasts. Breast and nipple play was a favourite sexual activity for Lydia, both solo and with partners. She lifted her top, then cupped the firm mounds in her hands and massaged them, rubbing and pinching her nips. Delightful little tingles rippled down through her pussy.

As she enjoyed her breasts, Lydia noticed how warm and sensual the heat from the stove felt on her bare skin. Leaning forward, she slid her sweats off. Then she lay back in the chair and spread her legs. That exposed her aroused pussy to the heat.

"Shit, that feels good," Lydia said aloud, starting to play with her tits again.

Closing her eyes, she began to stroke her soft, wet lower lips and tease her clit with a fingertip. With her other hand, she stroked, pinched, and pulled her nipples. The heat from the stove seemed to enhance the sexual heat in her aroused body. That heat turned into a wave that flushed through Lydia's body. She moaned, lost in the sensations of an intense orgasm.

"That felt good?" asked a soft, accented female voice as Lydia wound down.

Lydia's eyes snapped open in surprise to see a woman kneeling before her. The woman was nude, showing a slim, dark body with the slightest of curves. Her hair seemed almost endless as it cascaded around her. It was mostly red but shot through with other colours and shades, making it look almost like flames. Lydia's gaze met the woman's and she realised that the intruder's eyes blazed a bright shade of red, too.

Alarm set in. This woman should not be here, she realised. Lydia glanced at the door, confirming that the latch was on. There were no cast-off clothes around other than her own, either. So had the woman manifested naked from thin air? Or been hiding under the bed? The former actually felt more likely.

"Who the fuck are you? How did you get in here?" Lydia snapped, sitting up straight.

Even through her shock and alarm at the intruder, Lydia felt surging desire for the beautiful mystery woman.

"I am Fire," said the woman in a calm, bright tone, almost singing, "I warmed you. Your beauty and ecstasy drew me out. I wish to give you more than warmth. I wish to feel your desire, to be the flame within you."

Lydia was puzzled. How could fire come to life? She was, however, quite aroused. The woman was gorgeous and ready to please her, too. Behind Fire, the flames blazed in the stove like never before.

"Then warm me, please," Lydia said as she sat back in the chair.

The woman leaned forward and ran her hands along Lydia's thighs. They were warm, far warmer than human hands should feel. It was like Fire had a fever. Then again, wasn't that how fire should feel? Hot?

Fire kissed Lydia's knees. Her lips were warm and moist as they touched Lydia's flesh. Her breath was hot like the air blowing off the stove. Slowly Fire kissed along the inside of one thigh, then the other. When Fire's head was between Lydia's thighs, Lydia could feels the warmth of the woman's breath and body radiating through them.

The woman smiled up at Lydia, then ran her tongue along each thigh in turn. Fire's tongue left a trail of heat on Lydia's flesh, a very distinct moist warmth like a nice, hot shower or bath. Lydia watched Fire through half-closed eyes, fondling her breasts as she enjoyed the sight and sensation.

Then Fire licked Lydia's pussy, sliding her tongue along Lydia's dripping slit. The heat of that caress made Lydia moan. When it touched her clit, she groaned. Then Fire slid her tongue inside. Her heat filled Lydia's lower body with a raging erotic inferno. She writhed, her body now out of her control in the grip of the most powerful orgasm of her life. Lydia almost passed out but Fire kept going. Her tongue drove Lydia into a kind of endless, unstoppable orgasm. When Lydia tried to speak, only wordless screams of ecstasy came out. She was soon barely conscious, lost in an erotic daze.

Unmeasured time later, Lydia opened her eyes. A sheen of sweat covered her nude body as she sprawled in the chair. Between her thighs, the chair's cushion was soaked. Had she really cum that much? The fire blazed as bright as before, sending waves of heat to warm her. But there was no sign of Fire.

"What the fuck was that?" Lydia said, voice weak, "A wet dream?"

Rising, Lydia staggered to the tiny bed at the back of the cabin. She collapsed onto it and pulled her sleeping bag over her body as a comforter. Sleep overcame her right away.

The fire was out in the morning, though its warmth still lingered. Lydia rose and cleaned up with some wipes she had brought. Then she put on the sweatpants and t-shirt. Kneeling in front of the stove, Lydia opened it and cleaned out the ashes before building a fresh fire. Once she had it going, Lydia put a full kettle on to make breakfast and tea.

As the kettle heated, Lydia opened the door to check on the weather. The air was still chilly but the rain and wind had stopped. She stepped outside and looked around. The cabin was in a dense wood but she could just make out the lake below and the hills behind it.

Lydia's eyes fell on the fireplace in front of the cabin, just a pit in the earth surrounded by stones. She knew there was a grill for it inside. Perhaps if the weather held out, she could have a cookout for dinner and a campfire. Lydia shut the door and went to work on breakfast.

Late in the afternoon, Lydia returned from a day of collecting samples and taking observations. The sun had eventually broken through the clouds, warming the world a little. Lydia worked almost continuously through the day, finding her energy level incredibly high. Perhaps the erotic delights of the previous evening had given her a boost.

Lydia was still unsure of what had actually happened. Had Fire really been some fiery spirit who emerged from the flames in the stove to seduce her? Or was it all an erotic dream brought on by isolation and an unsatisfied libido?

With the nice weather holding by dinner time, Lydia decided to try her idea of a cookout. She started a fire in the fireplace and set up the grill. The kettle and the cabin's small fry pan sat neatly, side by side, on the grill. There was a rough stool, basically just a trimmed stump, that she pulled over to sit on.

After eating, Lydia put the pan and kettle inside. Then she stoked the fire into a nice, blazing bonfire. She sat on the stool, enjoying the warmth and flickering light. The fire's heat was soon enough that she shed her coat, tossing it to one side.

Temptation to remove more came over her. Could she really go nude outdoors? The nearest people were hours away, and the fire should keep her warm. Maybe, just maybe, her fiery friend would return if she stripped. If Fire was real, that is. If not, getting naked in front of the fire might help her revisit that wild erotic dream.

Taking a deep breath, Lydia stood and lifted her top. The fire's heat warmed her bare torso and breasts. Lydia smiled and pulled her top off completely, tossing it onto her coat. Cupping her breasts in her hands, she squeezed and massaged them. Her nipples stiffened, and a warmth of a different sort stirred within her.

"Do you see this, Fire, my love? Do you want this again?" she said aloud, feeling a bit ridiculous.

"I am a bit old for imaginary friends, even sexy ones," Lydia thought.

She unfastened her pants and slid them off along with her underwear. While the night air was cool, the fire's heat seemed to embrace and protect her from the chill.

"I'm naked," she yelled, starting to dance, "I'm fucking naked outdoors."

She looked up at the sky to see stars filling the night sky. The moon was only a tiny sliver, beginning its next cycle. Excitement, joy, and sexual arousal all flooded in. Lydia smiled and giggled as she danced in front of the fire to a tune in her head.

Then she heard a soft chuckle.

"You are beautiful, my friend, so radiant," said a familiar soft voice.

Lydia turned to find herself face-to-face with Fire. The woman was more beautiful than ever, almost glowing in the dark.

"Warm me," Lydia said with no hesitation, "Let me feel your heat, beloved Fire."

Smiling, Fire approached and took Lydia into her warm embrace. For the first time, the women kissed. The heat of Fire's lips on hers, of Fire's tongue sliding in to meet hers, made Lydia almost dizzy with excitement. Fire smiled, then lowered her mouth to Lydia's breast. She licked, then sucked Lydia's nipple. Heat spread from the erect peak through the breast and down. Then Fire did the same on the other side. Lydia's breath came hard and fast. Between her legs, moisture began to leak.

"You want my heat?" the woman said, holding her body tight against Lydia.

Lydia embraced Fire back, desperate to feel that heat.

"I do. Please," she gasped.

They kissed again as Fire's fingers played with Lydia's pussy. She stroked Lydia's soft lips, then worked a finger inside. Like her tongue, Fire's finger was hot, and that heat radiated through Lydia's body as it worked inside her.

"Get down," said Fire, "I will warm you more."

Lydia lay on the ground near the blazing fire. It seemed to be far bigger and more energetic than possible for the amount of wood she put on. Was their lovemaking stoking it?

Fire mounted Lydia's face, then bent to bring her mouth to Lydia's pussy. Lydia spread her legs, eager for the warmth of Fire's lips and tongue. She buried her own face between Fire's slim thighs, lapping at the woman's pussy. Caught between Fire's thighs, Lydia's face warmed, and she began to sweat. From within her lover came a heat that Lydia eagerly sought.

When Fire's tongue probed Lydia's pussy, the heat was almost unbearable. Not painful, not burning, just irresistible, intense sexual heat. For a long time, the women lay before the fire hungrily exploring each other. A flood of pleasure erupted from within Lydia. She pulled back from Fire's pussy to scream out her ecstasy. Then she plunged back in, delight taking hold as she heard Fire cry out with her orgasm. She tasted Fire's cum. It was hot, almost like sipping a fine tea.

Neither woman was sated. Fire turned to be face-to-face with Lydia. They kissed, then stared into each other's eyes as Fire rubbed her wet pussy against Lydia's thigh while pressing her own thigh against Lydia's. Lydia rubbed back against her lover. It was too much, and she came again quickly, this time with Fire coming along with her. Their moans and cries filled the space around the now massive, roaring fire. Flames licked at the cabin and seemed to reach up into the trees themselves.

"What the fuck?" gasped Will Oakes at the sight of charred ruins where a cabin once sat. Next to him, his pilot Kate Bradford looked pale and shocked.

Will was the ministry supervisor responsible for managing the government's role in Lydia's project. He and Kate had come looking for the researcher after she failed to make a rendezvous with a supply boat. She had also missed a couple radio check-ins.

"She must have been careless with the stove or fireplace or something. I'm surprised the forest around it didn't catch," Kate said, breaking the stunned silence.

"It's pretty wet with all the recent rain. Maybe that spared the forest," Will pointed out, "But where is Dr. Tanner? That's the real question. If she perished in the blaze, there should be some kind of remains."

Kate responded, "Let's move some of the boards and see what we turn up."

There was not much to search. The cabin was just a heap of burnt timber. Only the charred stove and the remains of some metal light fixtures remained recognisable. A smoky odour lingered over it all. Poking through the ruins turned up no obvious human or animal remains.

Kate shook her head after they searched as thoroughly as they could.

"I wonder if she was out when the fire happened," she suggested, " Or maybe she fled. I don't even see things that should have survived the fire like the frame of her backpack."

"I'll radio out," Will said, "The OPP will want to have a look. They will be able to find remains if there are any. At the very least, we need to report her as a missing person."

In sombre silence, they walked back down to the lake where Kate's float plane waited.

As she opened the pilot's side door, Kate suddenly asked, "Hey, Will, didn't Dr. Tanner have a canoe?"

Will cocked an eyebrow. He looked around.

After confirming the canoe was gone, he responded, "Yeah, she did. Wonder where it is. She had monitoring stations at several spots around the lake, and it was the fastest way to do her rounds."

"So maybe she did get away," Kate suggested as she climbed into the plane, "We can organise a search of the lake once we get the cops involved."

"We can, yeah," Will replied, his eyes scanning the lake.

Lydia watched the plane take off from her hiding place on an island down the lake. Three days had passed since the fire destroyed the cabin. She had fled the scene and settled on the island, one she knew well from her work. The canoe was hidden in a clump of trees by the shoreline, covered with branches.

Smiling, Lydia went back to her camp in the island's interior. In front of the lean-to she built for shelter, a fire blazed. Lydia froze, staring. She had not started a fire before going down to check on the plane. Then Lydia smiled, feeling a growing heat between her thighs.

"Come Fire, warm me," she called.

Fire stepped around from the far side of the blaze. Her eyes shone bright, hair billowing like a wreath of flames around her head.