by Cathryn Fox
“Oh, okay. See you soon,” she managed around the lump forming in her throat.
He winked at her. “Like I said earlier, that will be up to you.” A moment later he disappeared into the crowd.
Feeling like something was constricting her heart, she turned her attention back to her friends as they danced to a love song. The way all three couples looked at one another played havoc on her emotions. Loneliness enveloped her. She wanted fairy tale love like that. She deserved fairy tale love like that.
The lights dimmed as all three couples swayed on the dance floor looking too good to be true.
But they were true.
Megan could see it with her own eyes. Could feel it deep in her soul. This was the real deal.
Her thoughts raced to Brady. She’d never met a man like him. So honest, so caring, so giving, and so damn noble. She knew all of that beyond a shadow of a doubt. Brady Wade was the real deal, too.
As she watched her friends a moment longer, Cassie’s words rushed through her mind. Brady is one of the good guys. Deep in her gut Megan knew it was true. She also knew it was time to push back old fears and tell him exactly how she felt.
Honestly, she saw things in Brady that she’d never seen in her ex. Before her own wedding she’d always considered her ex to be attentive and giving, but never to this degree. She mulled that over a bit longer. Maybe there were signs that her ex was going to turn into a house hippo and she’d missed them or chosen to ignore them.
Deep in her soul she knew Brady was the kind of guy who’d never stop giving. Too bad she’d told him this was about sex only. And too bad he’d readily agreed to her terms.
Oh shit, she needed to find him.
As she weaved her way through the crowd, hoping to find Brady before he left, Master Chef Lucien Beaufort stopped her.
He touched her shoulder. “Megan Wagner?”
She nodded and wrung her fingers together. “Yes,” she answered, only half focusing as she scanned the dance floor.
“I understand you are responsible for this lovely meal.”
She swallowed. “Yes, with the help of Brady Wade.” Oh God, just saying his name filled her with love.
“I’m always on the lookout for new talent, Megan, and Cassie told me with a little persuasion I might be able to convince you to come and work for me.”
A little persuasion? She almost laughed out loud at her friend’s antics. “Are you serious?”
He returned her smile, his blue eyes glistening. “Of course. Now what would it take for me to persuade you to come work for me?”
“It would be my honor to work for you, Lucien.” Megan grabbed his hand and shook it. “All I’ll need is two weeks to tie up other matters.” And maybe even another two weeks to tie up Brady and keep him captive until she convinced him to give up The Hot Line. Because she, and only she, was the girl for him.
Lucien grinned. “That was easy. Very well then. I’ll see you in two weeks, Megan.”
She nodded. “Two weeks it is.”
Needing to find Brady, she turned and bumped into Sara and Jenna as they made their way to the ladies’ room.
“Whoa. Where are you off to in such a hurry?” Jenna asked her.
Megan’s gaze brushed over the crowd. “I need to find Brady.”
“Why?”
“Lucien just offered me a job at Chez Frontenac.”
Both girls squealed in delight. “And you were going to tell Brady before you told your best friends,” Sara admonished.
Planting her hands on her curvaceous hips, Jenna arched a knowing brow and took a moment to study Megan. “I wonder if the girl who swore she’d never fall for a firefighter has gone and done just that.”
Megan threw her arms up in the air. “How could I not?” she said. “But I told him this was a sexual affair only. And he agreed.”
Jenna gripped her shoulders and turned her toward the crowd. “Go find him, Megan, and do what you always do. Tell it like it is and don’t hold back.”
Megan rushed through the crowd and made her way into the kitchen, but Brady was nowhere to be found. He must have already left. Distraught, she made her way back into the banquet hall. She bumped into Cassie and Nick.
“I just talked to Lucien,” Cassie said. “Congratulations.”
“Thanks,” Megan rushed out, but she had more important matters on her mind. “Have you seen Brady?”
“I was talking to him a few minutes ago,” Nick said. “He mentioned that he had to run out for a bit.” Nick nodded toward the side doors.
“Is he at the firehouse?” Megan asked.
Nick shook his head. “No, he’s not on the schedule today. I think he had to run home.”
Megan was barley able to comprehend Nick’s words. Her gaze flew to the side doors. “Nick, I need your keys.”
Without question, Nick fished them from his coat pocket and handed them to her.
Twenty minutes later she pulled into Brady’s driveway and took note of his truck. A light flickered inside the bay window and caught her attention. Megan climbed from the car, hiked her dress up, and rushed up the walkway to knock on his door. She pulled her hand back when she noticed the door was ajar.
He’d better not be in there with a date from the Hot Line. Jealousy surged inside her. She didn’t care that she had no claim on him after making it perfectly clear that this relationship was just about sex. She clenched her hands into fists. Brady was hers alone, and so help him if he was entertaining some chick who’d called for his services.
She moved deeper into his house while calling out his name.
As she passed the living room, she noticed candles burning and fresh scents coming from the kitchen. The room was warm and alluring and set for seduction.
Brady stepped into the hallway looking…adorable. He’d changed out of his tux and into a pair of low-slung jeans and a T-shirt. His expression was unreadable. “Hi, Megan.”
She looked past his shoulders, the green-eyed monster getting the better of her. “What are you doing?” she blurted out without censor.
Warmth and desire registered in his eyes. “I’m making dessert.”
She planted her hands on her hips. “For who?”
He grinned. “Is that jealousy I detect, Megan?”
Maybe it was but she wasn’t about to admit that to him. “Yes.” Dammmit.
His lazy gaze moved over her in appreciation. He walked toward her. His advance was slow, predatory.
“Why are you here?”
She drew a breath, ready to lay it on the line. No holds barred, she announced, “Because I’m crazy about you, Brady. I know I told you this was all about sex, but I recently realized how perfect we are for each other.”
After they exchanged a long, lingering look, she held her ground and challenged him with an unwavering stare. “I’m here to prove I’m the woman for you and to convince you to give up the Hot Line.”
He flashed a grin and pitched his voice low. “Done.”
She stared at him in fascinated excitement. Her heart skipped a beat. Her knees wobbled slightly. Quickly regaining her composure, she gave a defiant tilt of her chin and toyed with the ribbon in her hair. Trying for casual, she said, “Good, that saves me from having to tie you up and use extreme measures.”
He stepped closer and tugged her to him. His hazel eyes darkened and locked on hers. His chuckle was low and sexy. “Extreme measures, huh? Hmmm…I never knew you were so kinky.”
Heart filled with joy, she twisted her lips and said, “I still have a few tricks you don’t know about.”
Brady laughed out loud and brushed her cheeks with his thumb. His hand felt warm and smooth on her flesh. “Just so you know, I haven’t participated in the Hot Line for a very long time. I leave that to the rookies.”
“You answered last night,” she said.
“Megan, sweetheart, I answered the phone last night because caller ID told me it was you.”
She took a moment to process the words. Tig
htness settled in her chest. “Yeah?”
Brady chuckled, his eyes soft with desire. He tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “You see, Megan, I’ve just been biding my time waiting for the right girl to come along.”
“Oh,” she said, her stomach fluttering with joy. “Continue.”
He grinned. “Sweetheart, you’re that girl. I’ve wanted you since the first time I set eyes on you.”
She angled her head and saw the play of emotions crossing his face. “Then why didn’t you tell me?”
“You weren’t ready.”
Heart racing, she took a moment to mull that over. He was right. After her divorce she’d closed her heart off, never believing she’d find fairy tale love and “happily-ever-after” again. She touched his cheek, realizing that he’d left the ball in her court, letting her come to him when she was ready to advance their relationship to the next stage.
“You’re right. I probably would have run the other way.”
He brought her hand to his mouth and kissed it. Her whole body came alive. She melted into him, reveling in the sensations he aroused in her.
“So this dessert you’re making, it’s for me,” she said. It was a statement, not a question. She drew a shuddering breath, her heart soaring, everything in her reaching out to him.
“That’s right. For when you were ready to come to me.”
“I am ready, Brady.” Truthfully, she’d never been more ready in her life.
Brady palmed her cheek and she soaked in his warmth, his love. Need flickered across his face. “The wait nearly killed me, sweetheart. But now that you’re here, get used to it because I’m never letting you go. I plan on keeping you here with me and catering to your every whim, your every desire, day and night.”
“Brady.” Her lips parted, welcoming him into her body and her heart.
“Yes, sweetheart,” he whispered in a voice full of emotion.
When she caught the inflection in his tone, she glanced into his soulful hazel eyes. Her body quaked as heat rushed through her. Every nerve ending in her body came alive and screamed for attention. Fire rushed through her bloodstream and gained her full attention. She moaned deep in her throat, needing Brady to douse the flames inside her.
His eyes darkened with desire when he recognized the passion rising in her.
“Can we start now? In the bedroom? I need to feel you inside me.”
“My pleasure.” His hand moved to the small of her back. “Come with me.”
When she noticed he was guiding her into the kitchen and not his bedroom - or his shower - she asked, “Where are we going?”
“First, I have a present for you.”
“You do?”
“Cassie and Nick called to tell me you were on your way. They also told me about Lucien’s offer.” His sexy grin broadened as he hugged her. “Congratulations, Megan. I knew you could do this.” Then he stepped back and handed her an automatic jar opener. “No great chef should be without the ability to open screw caps.”
She threw her head back and laughed out loud. “Brady, this is the nicest present anyone has ever given me.”
As her heart filled with love, she eyed the whip cream on the kitchen table. “About that dessert.” She moved past Brady, dipped her finger into it, and let it spill on her dress. “Oops, I’m all messy again.”
As Brady’s warm chuckle wrapped around her, so did his arms. “Maybe we should get showered.”
She smiled. “I think you might need to soap me all over.”
He pulled her in tighter and whispered, “My pleasure.”
She jabbed his chest. “Oh, and don’t think I’ve forgotten about the private dance you owe me.”
He laughed. “I’ll dance for you every day if that’s what you want.”
“Oh, I want.”
With that, Brady closed his mouth over hers. As Megan kissed him with all the love inside her, she realized that she’d finally found her “happily-ever-after” with her very own fairy tale prince – or rather her very own fairy tale firefighter.
Epilogue
With the Caribbean sun beating down on her bikini-clad body, Cassie shaded her eyes and turned in her lounge chair to face her husband. Although they were now three days into their honeymoon, this was the first time they’d left the cabana and ventured onto the beach. Cassie gave a long, satisfied sigh. “It sure is hot out here,” she said.
Nick’s hand snaked out and grasped hers. He caressed her palm with the pad of his thumb. “You’re scalding, babe. Want to take a swim?”
She shrugged easily, in no hurry to do anything. “Maybe in a minute. I’m too lazy to move.” As Cassie lay there radiating contentment, she took a moment to reminisce about all the prewedding activities and how wonderful it was to have had her best friends around. She was so pleased to know that in the near future they’d all be taking up permanent residence in Chicago, close to her. “So what do you think, Nick? Should we go into the business?”
Nick scoffed and shook his head. “No, thanks. I’ve done enough matchmaking to last a lifetime.”
Cassie chuckled. “You really were fantastic. Telling Mitch to keep his distance from Sara was brilliant, especially knowing it would only entice him all the more.”
“You liked that, did you?”
“Yeah, I especially liked how you acted all surprised and distraught when you caught Sara and Nick kissing back at the house. You could have won an Oscar for that performance.”
“And here I thought all those high school drama classes were a waste of time.” He squeezed her hand tighter and said,
“I must say, it was also brilliant on your part to tell Dean he couldn’t come back for Jenna’s fashion show.”
She furrowed her brow. “You know even thought he’s an intuitive guy completing his psychology thesis it sure was easy to pull a little reverse psychology on him.”
Nick laughed. “Yeah, Dean and Jenna were made for each other, but in Dean’s case, love really was blind. He needed someone to open his eyes.”
Cassie moistened her dry lips. “Once he saw her in the lingerie, I knew he was in it for the long haul. Fortunately we had Megan conspiring with us. Tying Jenna’s bustier too tight was the perfect setup for her to call the Hot Line.”
“You know, I’m sorry Kate Saunders came down with food poisoning but it couldn’t have worked out better for Dean and Jenna.” Nick took a long pull from his water bottle and handed it to Cassie.
She took a sip and said, “Speaking of food poisoning, we really were in a bind there for a moment with the wedding banquet. But talk about sheer luck that Megan and Brady were there to bail us out. And honestly, things really couldn’t have worked out better career-wise and relationship-wise for Megan.”
Nick shook his head in agreement. “After I told Brady about Megan’s ex, like you wanted me to, he was determined to convince her he was nothing like him. So helping Megan with the banquet preparations gave him the opportunity to prove himself to her.”
“And Megan the opportunity to see all men aren’t assholes wanting to be catered to like her ex,” Cassie added.
After a long moment of silence, Cassie said, “Honestly, I think we should go into the business in our spare time.”
Nick pulled a face. “Babe, you know I love you like mad and would do anything for you, but please don’t ever ask me to play cupid again.” When Nick’s eyes locked on hers, he gave her a wicked grin full of sensual promises. “Besides, I have better uses for my spare time.”
Cassie wiped the moisture from her brow and let her gaze rake over the amazing man who completed her in every way possible. Her body caught fire and she knew it had nothing to do with the hot Caribbean sun.
“Nick, I’m burning up.”
He arched a brow and gestured toward the water. “Ready for that swim?”
She nodded toward the cabana behind her and gave him a sultry smile. “Actually, the cool water won’t help with these kinds of flames.”
His e
yes darkened and his voice deepened. “You’re insatiable, babe. Just the way I like you.” He stood and pulled her to her feet.
She bumped into him and felt his erection. She bit back a moan. “You make me this way.”
His hands raced over her body, burning her to her core. “Good, because every night for the rest of our lives, I plan on extinguishing your every little fire.”
Cassie stepped away from his arms and gave an enticing shake to her backside as she made her way toward the cabana. She could hear a low growl catch in Nick’s throat.
In her most sultry voice she said, “Nick.”
“Yeah.” She could hear the hungry desire in his tone.
“Are you coming?” She tossed a glance back over her shoulder in time to see him adjust his bathing suit.
He gave her his signature smart-ass grin. “I believe I just might be.”
Thank You!
Thank you so much for reading, FLASH FIRE. I sure wish we had the HOT LINE around here!
Interested in leaving a review? Please do! Reviews help readers connect with books that work for them. I appreciate all reviews, whether positive or negative.
Happy Reading,
Cathryn
Other Titles by Cathryn Fox
Single Titles
Hands On with the CEO
Yours to Take
Torn Between Two Brothers
Spring Fling
Hold Me Down Hard
Holiday Spirit
Breaking Free
Blood Ties
One on One
Dance of the Dragon
Unleashed
Sun Stroked
Knocking on Demon’s Door
Web of Desire
Firefighter Heat
Fever
Siren
Flash Fire
Summer Lovin’
Crashing Down
Weekend Cowboys
Cowboy’s Way
Bedding Down
Riding Bareback
Pleasure Games