Total pages in book: 42
Estimated words: 39513 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 198(@200wpm)___ 158(@250wpm)___ 132(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 39513 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 198(@200wpm)___ 158(@250wpm)___ 132(@300wpm)
“You were looking first, Sunshine.”
“I was looking at the fact that a crazy man showed up on my doorstep without a shirt,” I retort, holding his gaze levelly. No way am I admitting that I find him attractive. Nu-uh. “Can I help you, or did you just come to stare at my boobs?”
His deep chuckle rolls over me, turning my nipples to hard points. “You’re a prickly little thing, aren’t you?”
“Yes. It’s been known to happen when cavemen show up at your door and stares at your tits.” I bat my lashes at him. “Do you need something, or can I slam it in your face now?”
He throws his head back, chuckling. Jesus. He has a great laugh. “Touche, angel. I came for the asshole dog. Big black lab with a penchant for causing trouble?”
I point towards my living room, arching an eyebrow. "You mean that big black lab?"
His eyes follow my finger, and his face lights up with a mix of relief and amusement. “Jesus Christ,” he mutters, shaking his head. “You weren’t kidding about him being passed out on the couch like he owns the place, were you?”
“Nope. He made himself right at home after he ate my kolaches.”
"Rivin," he calls to the dog, who immediately pops his eyes open to look at him. “What are you doing, man? This is not good behavior type shit. You’re already on thin ice with Chief. You really think this is going to help?”
Rivin huffs and closes his eyes again, clearly not interested in listening to the gentle rebuke.
The hot firefighter chuckles, and I can't help but notice how his dimples deepen when he smiles. It's annoyingly charming.
He’d probably love knowing that.
Ugh. Why couldn’t a crabby old firefighter have moved in next door? The last thing I need is this gorgeous hunk of a man a few yards away, intruding on my fantasies. And I already know he will be, darn it all. He’s way too freaking hot to handle.
“Why’s he on thin ice?” I can’t help but ask.
“He’s a damn good fire dog,” he says, running a hand through his tousled black hair. “But off duty, he does what the fuck he wants. Chief isn’t amused.”
“Ah. Does he make a habit of breaking and entering often?” I ask, genuinely curious how he ended up over here and what kind of trouble he’s gotten himself into before now.
"B&Es are new.” He grins again, still flirting with me as if that’s going to get him out of trouble. “But he spends most of his time helping me out at wildland and forest fires. He can do—and does—all kinds of shit he shouldn’t be able to do. I’m Alessandro Banger, by the way. We just moved in next door.”
“Heidi,” I whisper. “Heidi Marsh.”
“Your sister is married to Colter Bayliss, right?”
“One of them.”
His eyebrow climbs. “One of them? How many do you have?”
“Four.”
“Jesus Christ." His gaze skirts down my body again. “Do they all look like you?”
“Why?” I narrow my eyes on him, more annoyed than ever. “It’s not like any of them are going to sleep with you, either, Alessandro Banger.”
“Jesus. You’re really pissed about the kolaches, huh?” he asks, smirking at me.
“Nope. I’m not mad at your dog at all.” I stare at him levelly, which only makes that darn smirk grow.
“Ah, so you’re pissed at me.”
I shrug noncommittally.
“What’d I do to piss you off, angel?”
“You don’t have the kind of time it’d take for me to explain it to you,” I say sweetly. “You have a dog to collect and fires to fight.”
He stares at me for a second and then shakes his head, taking a step toward me. “Nah, we’re making time,” he says, his voice deep and intense. So is the way he’s looking at me. “How’d I piss you off? Tell me so I can fix it. I’m not leaving with the dog until you do.”
He means it. He’s going to leave his menace of a dog on my couch until I tell him why I’m annoyed.
“I thought you were supposed to serve and protect, not harass and annoy,” I mutter.
“Wrong department, Sunshine.”
“What?”
“That’s the police department motto, not the fire department. Our motto is ‘play with fire and you get burned’.”
“What? No, it is not!”
“Are you sure about that?” His brown eyes are dark and heated as he takes another step toward me. “Because you’re playing with fire right now.” His gaze drifts down my body again, setting entire tracts of it on fire. “And I’m fucking dying to see how you burn, baby.”
I gulp, my pulse racing at the look in his eyes. This is not how this was supposed to go. This is not at all how this was supposed to go.
So why do I like the way he’s looking at me right now?
Chapter Two
Alessandro
I’ve always believed angels existed, but I’m mad as hell that one has lived next door for an entire week, and I didn’t know it. I’ve been so busy dealing with the wildfire ravaging Granite Hills that I’ve barely been home. The only neighbor I’ve met until today is the old lady a few houses down...and she doesn’t look anything like Heidi Marsh.