by J. H. Croix
Sweet Fire
Into The Fire Series
J.H. Croix
Contents
Sweet Fire
1. Jesse
2. Charlie
3. Jesse
4. Charlie
5. Charlie
6. Charlie
7. Jesse
8. Charlie
9. Jesse
10. Charlie
11. Charlie
12. Jesse
13. Charlie
14. Jesse
15. Charlie
16. Jesse
17. Charlie
18. Jesse
19. Charlie
20. Jesse
21. Charlie
22. Charlie
23. Charlie
24. Jesse
25. Charlie
26. Charlie
27. Jesse
28. Charlie
29. Jesse
30. Charlie
31. Jesse
Epilogue
Excerpt: Play With Fire
Find My Books
Acknowledgments
About the Author
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Copyright © 2018 J.H. Croix
All rights reserved.
ISBN-13: 978-1720669388
ISBN-10: 1720669384
Cover design by Cormar Covers
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
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“Nobody has ever measured, not even poets, how much the heart can hold.” ~Zelda Fitzgerald
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Sweet Fire
Charlie
I don’t believe in fairytales. I sure as h*ll don’t have time for them.
I also don’t have time for Jesse Franklin—hotshot firefighter, too handsome for his own good, and cocky to boot.
He’s also rude.
Whatever. As I said, I don’t have time.
My life is complicated and messy.
There is zero room for anything, most certainly not s*xy as hell Jesse who I can’t seem to kick out of my mind.
Then, he goes and does something I never expected. Ever.
My life suddenly gets more complicated, and this time it’s all about a fairytale.
Jesse
Dr. Lane is all kinds of uptight—oh-so proper and professional.
I can’t help but try to rile her up.
I want her, and I can’t even say why.
One night with her, and she’s seared into my soul.
All bets are off.
But her life is complicated. I don’t do complicated. So I think.
Because, you see, Charlie is everything I ever wanted and more. I just didn’t know it yet.
She was mine the minute I laid eyes on her.
She just didn’t know it yet.
Chapter One
Jesse
“Did you just tell me to go to hell?” Dr. Lane asked without even looking up from the screen on the small computer tablet she held.
Total fail at keeping my thoughts to myself. Dr. Lane finally looked up, pushing her glasses up on her nose as she did.
“I guess I did,” I finally said with a sheepish smile. “I can’t believe you’re making me wait another two weeks before clearing me for full duty.”
She cocked her head to the side from where she sat on a rolling stool by the counter. Her gray eyes scanned my face, and I wondered what the hell she was thinking. She was so fucking uptight.
I was at a doctor’s appointment for a follow up after I’d had some tendon problems in my shoulder. I’d dislocated it a few months back and maybe, just maybe, didn’t take it easy long enough. Dr. Lane was a new doctor in Willow Brook. I was used to Dr. Johnson, or Doc as I called him, a rather cantankerous older man who definitely wasn’t as uptight.
I shifted my shoulders, thinking Dr. Lane could loosen up. For God’s sake, the woman wore her hair in a bun. I had no idea what her body looked like because she was always shrouded in a white lab coat. I suspected she had a banging body, or at least my cock thought so. Every damn time I saw her, I got tense — all over.
I rolled my offending shoulder, ignoring the slight twinge of soreness. “Helen said it was fine and I might be ready to be cleared,” I explained, referring to my physical therapist.
Dr. Lane was not nearly as warm and friendly as Helen. My physical therapist had a grandmotherly warmth to her and made me feel better every time I saw her. Unlike Dr. Lane who made me feel tense and irritable. If only she would clear me to return to full duty, maybe I could relax.
Dr. Lane adjusted her glasses again, turning her head slightly as she set the computer tablet on the counter. As she turned, I noticed for the first time that she had a streak of purple in her dark hair. I did not know what to make of that.
Before I had much time to contemplate the implications of said purple streak, she spoke. “I could, but honestly that tendon got irritated because you probably pushed too fast last time. If you wait a little longer this time, you probably won’t have the same problem again. I know you’re frustrated with me, but I actually do have your best interests at heart.”
I bit back another curse. Even if she made me tense, I wasn’t an asshole and prone to telling women to go to hell. I took a deep breath and ran a hand through my hair as I let my breath out in a sigh. I might’ve been annoyed, but I wasn’t an idiot. “Fine. I get your point. Helen said the same thing. She’s just a little easier to persuade than you,” I said, flashing a grin.
I couldn’t say why, but that streak of purple relaxed me. I supposed it cued me to the fact Dr. Lane might not be as uptight as I’d assumed. Dr. Lane‘s lips twitched, but she didn’t say anything. Something about her made me want to ruffle her feathers. Big time.
Except for days like today, the only other times I’d seen her had been on the heels of a shift when I was dirty and grimy from dealing with a fire. Perhaps that was why she set me off—the contrast of her tidy form in comparison to mine. I was a hotshot firefighter, so when I came in after a day’s work, I was about the complete opposite of tidy. It also annoyed me to no end to deal with injuries.
“So you don’t mind waiting another two weeks?” she asked.
I shrugged, my shoulder giving a slight twinge as I did, which should’ve been my cue that waiting was smart. I was bored out of my fucking mind being off of duty. It wasn’t that I couldn’t work. There was plenty to do, but I was relegated to light duty tasks when I preferred to throw myself into work. I loved my job as a firefighter. I loved the hard work and the physical challenge.
“I’ll manage it,” I finally said, sliding my hips off the examination table and standing.
It just so happened that Dr. Lane stepped off of the rolling stool at precisely the same time. When I lifted my head, I found her standing barely more than an inch away from me.
Electricity hummed to life at her nearness. She smelled good, a wisp of lavender drifting up to me.
Her eyes flicked up to mine, widening slightly. This close, I noticed her gray eyes contained a hint of violet. Her mouth parted slightly when she gasped, drawing my eyes right to her lips. I’d never even noticed her lips before.
Just now, I became acutely aware that they were full and soft. Damn, I wanted to kiss her. She stepped back quickly, her hips bumping into the counter against the wall behind her. The clipboard she’d been holding clattered to the floor.
“Oh shit!” she blurted out as she leaned over to pick it up.
Unfortunately or fortunately, depending on how I looked at it, I leaned down reflexively at the same time. Our hands brushed and a hot jolt zinged through my arm. Her head bumped into my shoulder.
When she straightened, her cheeks were flushed pink. If I thought I’d wanted to kiss her a minute ago, now it was close to irresistible. I shackled the urge.
Meanwhile, the tidy Dr. Lane looked flustered and embarrassed. For the first time, I wasn’t annoyed with her. She finally seemed human.
“So you swear,” I said with a wink.
Her cheeks flushed a deeper shade of pink. “Obviously I swear,” she muttered.
It was almost as if I could see her internally gathering herself back together. She straightened, smoothed a hand over her hair, and then adjusted her glasses. I was starting to get the idea that might be a nervous habit of hers. I’d have given just about anything to see her hair loose.
My words were ahead of my brain. “Do I make you nervous?”
Slick, dude. Because that’ll help her relax.
I caught myself about to roll my eyes at my own thoughts.
Dr. Lane looked taken aback by my question. She adjusted her glasses again, looking down at the clipboard I held in my hands. I handed it over to her, and she clutched it tightly to her chest.
“I don’t know if nervous is the right word,” she finally said. “You seem annoyed whenever you’re here, and I’m sorry for that.”
Her answer took me off guard. “Oh.” For a moment, I almost denied that I’d been annoyed both times I’d been here. But what the hell? It was the truth. Until now that was.
I shrugged. “Sorry about that. It’s not your fault. I don’t like being injured.”
She smiled—and promptly took my breath away.
With her eyes tilting at the corners and the curl of her lips, her sharp features softened. “I don’t suppose anyone likes being hurt. Plus, you have a demanding job, and I imagine it’s hard for you to take a break.”
“That’s one way to put it,” I answered wryly, shackling my body’s out of control response to her. I needed to get out of this small room because her scent was filling my head and making me crazy. Just as I considered what to say to quickly leave, there was a knock at her door.
Chapter Two
Charlie
I stared into Jesse Franklin’s eyes, little charges of electricity tingling through me from where we’d collided. My cheeks were hot, and I was flustered. But then, every time I saw Jesse Franklin, I was flustered. His gaze held mine—a rich, clear green. I’d never seen a man with eyes like his. With his dark amber hair tousled and wavy, his fit body, and his rugged features—a strong jaw, a prominent nose and angular cheekbones—well, he was unnervingly handsome.
His eyelashes were so thick, they nearly curled to touch his cheeks. It didn’t seem quite fair for a man to have eyelashes like that. Nature had been generous to Jesse Franklin in the looks department. His mouth had a sensual curve to it, always making me think completely inappropriate thoughts. He was a patient for God’s sake. He’d only been to see me for his shoulder. But still.
I clutched the clipboard to my chest as if it could shield me from the heat dancing through my body. For the first time ever, he didn’t seem annoyed with me. As I tried to gather my scattered thoughts into something sensible, there was a knock at the door. Thank God. My body had been frozen in place about an inch from Jesse whose physical presence was so potent, it made me a little crazy.
I stepped back, nearly dropping the clipboard again. Quickly opening the door, I found my medical assistant Rachel there. She smiled, glancing between Jesse and me. “Mrs. Stan is here to see you.”
I stared at her, her warm blue gaze unable to calm the anxiety that suddenly swirled inside of me. Mrs. Stan was code for a personal issue that had become way too common in my life lately. Worry galloped through my thoughts. I started to hurry out the door, coming to an abrupt stop when Jesse said my name.
“Do I need to make another appointment?” he asked.
Flustered, I turned back to him, adjusting my glasses and trying not to sound too worried. “Of course you do. I’m sorry to rush off. Just a small emergency. Sandy in reception will schedule your next follow up. In the meantime, keep going to see Helen and I’m confident in two weeks, we’ll be able to clear you for work.”
Jesse held my gaze for a beat, and yet again heat bloomed through me. Under the circumstances, I couldn’t believe my body’s reaction to him. Lately, my life had been the opposite of inviting for desire or romance. In fact, I’d put those ideas on ice.
As I started hurrying down the hallway, Jesse walked with me, easily keeping pace with his long stride. I was too frazzled to make polite conversation, turning into the door that led to my private office as soon as I reached it.
“I’ll see you in two weeks,” I said quickly before stepping into my office and closing the door behind me. Leaning against it with a sigh, I took several slow breaths to calm my pulse. I couldn’t relax though. I hurried over to my desk, snatching my cell phone off of it and hitting speed dial.
My mother picked up on the first ring. “Where are you? Your father’s not home yet, and this doesn’t seem like home.”
A bite of grief slammed into me. I took a slow breath and swallowed my tears. “Hey, Mom, I’ll be home in just a little bit, okay?”
“Where is your father?” she countered, her voice confused.
“He won’t be here tonight,” I finally said.
I listened as she asked me a few more questions, and I answered with my usual rote answers, trying to keep my tone level and the worry out of my voice. After I hung up, there was a quick knock at my door. “Come in,” I called out.
Rachel stepped through the door, closing it behind her. “Everything okay with your mom?”
I looked up into her warm gaze. I wanted to burst into tears, but now definitely wasn’t the time. “She’s fine. I wish she would remember my dad’s dead.” My heart thumped another beat of grief.
Rachel’s eyes searched my face, but I battened down the hatches inside and took a deep breath. I could handle this. Snagging my coffee mug off my desk, I took a sip of the long cold coffee, the cool bitterness fortifying me.
“Hey, at least Jesse Franklin wasn’t too cranky with me today,” I said with a chuckle.
Rachel grinned. “I noticed.” She paused, cocking her head to the side with a gleam entering her gaze. “I think he likes you.”
“Huh?” I asked as I shrugged into my jacket and snatched my purse off of my desk.
“Exactly what I said. He was watching your ass the whole time we walked down the hallway.”
A flash of heat scored through me, but I ignored it.
“Um, I think you’re crazy. No way was Jesse Franklin checking out my ass.”
“Way,” Rachel countered with a grin. “He totally was.”
“So what? He’s my patient and the last thing I have time for is anything related to romance.”
Rachel rolled her eyes. “You know Dr. Johnson met his wife here in the clinic, right? We’re almost in the middle of nowhere, and the only thing you’ve treated Jesse for is a dislocated shoulder. Get over it.”
I reached her side, curling my hand around the doorknob. “I have a niece and a mother to take care of, that’s my whole life.”
Opening the door, I brushed past her. She called out after me. “Yeah, well maybe it would be good to expand your horizons.”
I didn’t reply because I couldn’t. I didn’t want to be rude, but I needed to go, or the tears pressing hot at the backs of my eyes and the emotion tightening my throat would let loose. Hurrying down the hallway, I mentally ran through what I needed to pick up at the grocery store before racing home as fast as possible.
Jesse Franklin, whether or not he had been staring at my ass, wasn’t a man I could consider. I barely had time for fantasies. Not to mention, if he knew anything about my crazy life, he’d run far and fast in the opposite direction. Any sane man would.
Chapter Three
Jesse
A week had passed since my last appointment with the delectable Dr. Lane. Damn. She’d kept my thoughts occupied to say the least. Just a few seconds of her guard down and she’d set me on fire. I was oddly looking forward to my next appointment with her. I was still impatient to be cleared for work because I was bored out of my fucking mind.
Meanwhile, that afternoon my dog was pacing by the windows, whining and occasionally barking, her gaze focused on the trees to the side of my house. Waffle was a mutt, although the vet was pretty confident she was mostly some kind of hound. She had floppy ears and silky fur with black and gold markings. The last time she’d been like this, I’d discovered a few hikers on the back of my property. I didn’t mind the live and let live lifestyle in Alaska, but I wasn’t cool with people walking on my property without my permission.