Total pages in book: 25
Estimated words: 24049 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 120(@200wpm)___ 96(@250wpm)___ 80(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 24049 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 120(@200wpm)___ 96(@250wpm)___ 80(@300wpm)
A barn on fire.
Some girl’s kiln went wild in her pottery studio and was burning the place down.
We rolled up to the scene as usual, but nothing could have prepared me for what I saw.
Her.
There was nothing routine about June.
Wild. Headstrong. Creative. Fighting the flames like she didn’t even need us there.
One look at her and my whole world was on fire.
One look and my instincts took over.
Protect. Claim. Devour.
Firefighters don’t lose control.
But I’m losing control over her.
One look and I’m gone.
One kiss on the firehouse roof and I’m done for.
She’s mine.
And I’ll burn the whole Greene Mountains down to keep her.
A possessive firefighter meets a fiery artist in this Red Hot Greene Mountain Boys story. A spark develops into an inferno while these two get their HEA
*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************
CHAPTER ONE
Ethan
“Ethan!” Doug yells from the front desk of the firehouse. “There’s someone here to see you!”
I close my eyes.
Mason snorts out a laugh.
“How many this month?” Lincoln asks as he deals the cards.
“Three?” Colton says, trying to remember.
“No, four,” Mason corrects. “Someone came last night but he wasn’t here.”
We’re in the back of the firehouse, the four of us playing cribbage. James is in the corner, pounding the heavy bag with his bare fists like the thing just insulted his wife.
“ETHAN!” Doug screeches like a banshee.
Mason’s shoulders start shaking as he giggles. The prick is loving this.
“It’s not funny,” I say, glaring at him.
“It’s pretty funny,” he replies, giggling louder.
He’s on my team and we put in five bucks each for the winners.
“We forfeit,” I say, tossing my cards on the cribbage board. “Funny now?”
“Hey!” Mason shouts as I stand up. Lincoln and Colton grab our cash with a laugh. “You can’t do that!”
I hear them squabbling over the money as I take a deep breath and head into the front.
“Good luck,” James grunts as I pass him, the chain rattling with every hard hit.
“Thanks,” I mutter back. I knew this damn fireman calendar was a bad idea. I didn’t want to do it. I still don’t know how I got talked into it. We’re not even halfway through the damn month and I’m already wanting to hide in a cave somewhere in the mountains.
Doug pops his head around the corner, grinning like he’s delivering good news. “She’s cute.”
That does not help.
I take a deep breath, suddenly feeling tired as I walk around the corner into the front. I go this way so the front desk will be a barrier between us.
Her face lights up when she sees me.
I force out a smile.
She is cute. And she has a nice smile. That just makes me feel even worse that I’m going to have to let her down.
She’s wearing a sundress with her blonde hair all done up, flawless makeup on. She’s holding a basket—an actual basket—with gardening tools inside. There’s a trowel, gardening gloves, and a few seed packets. There’s also a huge red bow tied to the handle.
“It’s you,” she says like we already know each other. “Mr. April.”
“Ethan,” I correct.
“Of course,” she says, stepping forward.
I resist the urge to step back.
“I’m Rachel,” she says, staring at me without blinking, a huge, slightly-creepy smile on her face. “I’ve been watching you… On the calendar.”
I swallow hard. “Oh yeah?”
I’m praying for the fire alarm to go off so I have an excuse to jump on the truck and speed out of here.
This damn calendar. When is this nightmare of a year going to be over?
I did it to raise money for the library after it burned down. I didn’t expect the thing to go viral. And I certainly didn’t expect it to give me an army of stalkers. I never would have agreed to that.
I like to keep to myself and stay quiet. I’ve always been uncomfortable with that kind of attention. I’d rather blend in rather than being looked at and this stupid calendar has left me feeling exposed in a way I’ve never felt before.
I don’t like it.
I like being needed by the community, but I don’t care for being desired by random women. The other guys may like it, but it’s not my thing.
“I brought you something,” she says, lifting the basket and putting it on the counter. “I could tell from your picture that you like gardening.”
Doug, watching from the doorway, lets out a low appreciative whistle. “Classy move.”
I take the basket because not taking it feels rude, even though I immediately regret it. She’s going to take it as a positive sign and that’s not a good thing. “That’s… thoughtful.”
All of this… It feels… exposing. Like something private got dragged into the open without my permission.
I was gardening on the roof of the firehouse when James’ girl, Victoria, snapped the photo of me. It’s a closeup taken from below. I’m shirtless, wearing my suspenders and firefighter pants, mid-laugh. My dirty hands are cupped together and there’s a small mound of soil in them with a tiny green sprout standing proudly.
Rachel takes a deep breath and puffs out her chest. “I was wondering if maybe you’d like to grab a drink sometime? Or coffee? Or—”
I don’t let her finish. I keep my voice calm. Gentle. Respectful.
“I’m really flattered,” I say honestly. “But I’m not looking to date right now.”
Her smile flickers. Just a little. “Oh.”
“I’m sorry.”
She nods quickly, too quickly. “No, that’s okay. I just thought I’d try.”
She yanks the basket out of my hands before I can say another word, turns, and practically runs out without looking back. The bell over the door jingles as the door closes, too cheerful for how awkward the moment feels.