Blazing Hot: Californian Wildfire Fighters Book Two

by North, Leslie

  "Landon! Oh God . . . oh fuck!" The heated curses that passed across her lips drove him on. Every civilized human thought vaporized instantly in his brain. His hand shot behind the drenched curve of her lower back and forced her down until her velvety pelvis rubbed against his tensed abdominals. Her breasts, blushing and pebbled with arousal, flattened between them as Landon clutched her closer.

  He lost himself in feeling every inch of her body singing against his own; he could even feel the fine hair on her arms standing at attention and the goosebumps that erupted along her arms as he struck that trove of pleasure deep within her.

  Alex's voice rose, and she began to shout wordless half-protests, half-encouragements as Landon picked up the pace. Now he was dictating every quick rise and recession, his hands cupping the curve of her ass and releasing, his cock pistoning in and out of her at a breakneck speed. The pulse of their lovemaking was unsustainable, but he would hold out as long as he could—and for as long as she kept shouting his name like that.

  "Oh God, Landon! I'm coming!"

  Her exclamation resonated like a split-second prophecy, and suddenly Landon understood, without a doubt, that he was also going to come. Usually, he could feel it building up inside him slowly, inexorably . . . he was a man who prided himself on his exceptional endurance—and in satisfying his partner before he climaxed. But now he was combusting, pushed over that ultimate edge by Alex's wild cry of ecstasy.

  She clenched in the same moment he erupted inside her. He clawed at the back of her scalp until he found a grip on her hair, then he wrapped the silky layers around his fingers and held on for dear life. He shoved her face into his neck to muffle her cry as he spilled his seed inside her.

  Their chests rose and fell as one in the frantic aftermath. Landon made a concerted effort to slow his breathing; soon enough, he felt Alex's hammering heartbeat begin to subside as it tuned itself with his own.

  As soon as he found his breath again, he couldn't help himself: He chuckled.

  Alex, already snuggled into the crook of his armpit, raised her head curiously. "What's funny?" she asked.

  "Nothing," he said. "It's just that my secret fantasy came true. I got to have sex with my pretty day nurse while laid up in my hospital bed, after all."

  "What an unoriginal fantasy!" Now it was her turn to laugh brightly as she burrowed in further.

  Landon screwed up his eyebrows and pretended affront. "Why do you say that? I thought it was pretty good."

  "Because it's the exact same fantasy I had every day after you were admitted," Alex confessed.

  Hearing her say it so frankly to him now caused certain stirrings. Landon glanced down, surprised to find his erection already swelling against his inner leg with a vengeance.

  "Well, considering we now have two sexual fantasies between us to quench—"

  "Landon!" Alex laughed with delight as he overturned her on the bed. The frame groaned in protest beneath them, but held firm, as Landon took his beautiful angel in his arms and showed her just how much he appreciated her divine intervention in his life.

  Epilogue

  Alex

  Three days after the apartment fire, and Alex found her own house swarming with firemen.

  Thankfully, in this instance, the only immediate smoke that filled the air was the cloud pouring off the grill in back. Landon flipped burgers deftly, looking cute as hell in the petite apron he had borrowed from her for the occasion. Across the lawn, members of the Alaskan volunteer contingent tossed a Frisbee, with Blaze running back and forth between them, yipping excitedly.

  Blaze was a recent—and likely permanent—addition to the household. Landon had finally managed to catch the stray—a bag of burgers made a great dog-catching tool. He’d introduced Alex to the stray when he’d brought him home, and she had fallen head-over-heels in love with the little mutt after hearing the full backstory. It was Blaze's life Landon had saved, that first day before they’d met at the hospital, and Alex couldn't help feeling she owed the shaggy canine a debt of gratitude. As much as Landon still referred to her as his guardian angel, she couldn't help suspect that Blaze was the one most deserving of the title.

  The doorbell rang, and Alex excused herself from a conversation with Chase and Sookie. When she pulled the door open, she was met by a beaming, lovely face framed by golden hair.

  "Lana! So glad you could make it!" Alex quickly took the covered pitcher of iced tea from her friend's hands. Lana's smile widened in greeting, and the inside of the house immediately felt ten degrees brighter.

  "Sorry I'm late," Lana apologized needlessly. "If I missed dinner—"

  "You didn't miss dinner," Alex assured her as she ferried the tea into the kitchen. "Landon was just finishing up grilling the burgers out back. And we have vegetarian options, too, if you're feeling—"

  But what Lana was feeling became all too obvious the next instant when the two women rounded the corner and encountered the Alaskan fire chief, Hank, standing in the kitchen with a freshly-opened beer in his hand.

  He stared, stricken, as Lana came up behind Alex. Lana, for her part, froze like a deer in headlights, doe eyes adorably enormous in her head.

  Alex glanced between them. She fully expected Hank to drop his beer in that moment, but the fire chief kept a valiant hold of it, sparing her from having to break out the mop so early in the evening.

  "Lana." The way he said her name, there was no mistaking he had said it countless times before. "Good to see you."

  "Hank." Lana dipped her head, her cheeks suddenly colored a bashful rose. "I—I thought I might see you here."

  "If I'd known you were bringing your famous iced tea, I would have laid off the beer," Hank said.

  Lana nodded. An awkward silence stretched between them. Alex decided to save them all from it by setting the pitcher down on the counter with unnecessary force; Lana jumped a little, and Hank quickly detached from where he had been leaning against the stove, reaching to bring down two glasses from the cupboard. "I'll take a beer, actually," Lana volunteered suddenly. "Whatever you're drinking looks good."

  Hank nodded and turned away to fish around in the cooler he had brought. While his expression may have been hidden from Lana, Alex could clearly see the hesitant smile tugging at the corners of her friend’s lips.

  I'll leave you two lovebirds to it, she thought, with a mischievous grin that Lana definitely saw. Her friend fixed her with desperate, pleading eyes, but Alex just squeezed her arm before retreating out the back door.

  Lana didn't need to be rescued. If anything, she could use the healthy infusion of a little more danger in her lonely, secluded life . . . and there was nothing more dangerous, in Alex's own experience, than a firefighter with that same determined spark in his eye that Hank wore.

  "Alex!" Landon hailed her from over by the grill, and Alex practically skipped to him. Her cheeks felt even more pronounced than usual, and she knew the smile hadn't left her face since their first guest had arrived earlier that evening.

  Landon gazed down at her, grinning himself, as if her mood was too infectious to vaccinate against. "Having that good a time, huh?"

  "I can't believe how full the house is," she replied. She observed from afar as Gabby and Cherise bookended Garret, one of Landon's squad mates, and dragged him over to play horseshoes. "It's like . . . oh, God. I hate to be so cliché, but since it's you . . ."

  "Since it's me," Landon agreed.

  "It feels like we're all one big, beautiful family. Even if we do have our disputes," she allowed as Raphael came tearing past, Blaze in hot pursuit. "And even if it is a fire that brought us all together."

  Here's hoping it won't tear us apart.

  She still had trouble silencing the voice of warning in the back of her mind.

  But maybe silencing it wasn't the answer, after all. So long as she didn't allow it to rule her, that little beacon of caution could still come in useful from time to time. It would help her prepare for the worst—and make any obstacle
infinitely more surmountable, so long as she was ready for it.

  "Speaking of a fire bringing us together, I've been meaning to chat with you about something." Landon resumed flipping burgers, and Alex watched him, curious that he should suddenly take an offhand tone. He only ever did that when there was something important he wanted to pose to her.

  "Oh?" Alex inquired. "And what was this something you wanted to chat with me about?"

  "Kingston?" Landon turned to call over his shoulder. "You mind taking over for a minute?"

  "You got it, Brenner." Chase sidled up to take the hamburger turner. He was clearly trying to suppress a grin, and Alex's eyes narrowed. What the heck was going on? And why did it suddenly feel as if everyone at the party was staring at them?

  She turned and saw Hank hanging off the back door, Lana standing on the step below him. Her friend’s arms were crossed, her beer in hand; her eyes twinkled.

  Wait . . . what the heck was going on?

  Alex's heartbeat tripled its pace. She turned back around, to find Landon standing in front of her, wearing her too-small apron . . . and fishing for something secreted in the front pocket.

  "Alexandra Appleby . . ." He said her full name reverentially as he dropped to one knee.

  Alex's hands flew to her mouth.

  "Will you marry me?"

  Hot tears sprang into her eyes, and soon her face was overflowing with them. She struggled but couldn't get the words out. As if from a distance, she heard delighted laughter, and many of her friends from the hospital were weeping alongside her as she sank to her knees across from Landon and buried her face in her hands. All she could do was nod her head, forcefully and repeatedly, to be sure that she got her answer across.

  A pair of warm arms reeled her in, and she fell against his chest. The word finally sprang free from her sobbing lips. "Yes!" she exclaimed.

  An explosive cheer went up all around, and joyous rattling resounded as glasses and beer bottles came together, clink! It was the most beautiful music Alex thought she had ever heard.

  She tried in vain to take in the smiling faces around her, but her focus had narrowed to the countenance of the handsome man holding her. There were tears in Landon's eyes, too, and the corners of his cheeks were crinkled with a happiness she knew he couldn't translate into words. Alex knew, because in that moment, she couldn't, either.

  Blaze joined in, barking excitedly and leaping into the air. Sookie popped a bottle of champagne and sprayed half the squad with its contents like she was emptying a foam tank. When the deluge reached Lana, she held her forearm up, laughing, as Hank stepped in to shield her from the brunt of it. The setting sun hit the hills just at that moment, and its sudden, stark rays penetrated the haze and gilded the already golden afternoon.

  From somewhere far away, Alex felt sure that Henry was smiling down on her. After years of living in the past, she could finally see her future unfolding . . . and she planned to run straight into it with arms open wide.

  End of Blazing Hot

  Californian Wildfire Fighters Book Two

  Lighting Fire, August 16 2018

  Blazing Hot, August 23 2018

  Burning Flame, August 30 2018

  PS: Do you love handsome, strong men in uniform? Then keep reading for exclusive extracts from Burning Flame and Shooting the SEAL.

  Thank you!

  Thank you so much for purchasing my book. It’s hard for me to put into words how much I appreciate my readers. If you enjoyed this book, please remember to leave a review. Reviews are crucial for an author’s success and I would greatly appreciate it if you took the time to review the book. I love hearing from you!

  If you enjoyed this book please leave a review at:

  About Leslie

  Leslie North is the USA Today Bestselling pen name for a critically-acclaimed author of women's contemporary romance and fiction. The anonymity gives her the perfect opportunity to paint with her full artistic palette, especially in the romance and erotic fantasy genres.

  Find your next Leslie North book visit LeslieNorthBooks.com or choose:

  PS: Want sneak peeks, giveaways, ARC offers, fun extras and plenty of pictures of bad boys? Join my Facebook group, Leslie’s Lovelies!

  BLURB

  Rugged loner Landon Brenner has a problem and she’s beautiful, intelligent, and he’s falling for her—fast. Injured while fighting the fire threatening the small town of Cedar Springs, and haunted by past failures that drive him to get back to the action despite his injuries, Landon reluctantly agrees to take a room in the house of the sexy nurse who treated him while he was in the hospital. Their attraction is combustible, and the more time they spend together, the more Landon finds himself yearning for more than just a temporary fling.

  It’s hard not to fall for a guy who likes to go around saving everything in his path—from small animals to people—but Alexandra Appleby is determined to resist Landon’s many charms. He’s too much like her late husband Henry, a cop who died in the line of duty. She doesn’t need another hero in her life. A man around who rushes into danger without thinking twice. And she sure as heck doesn’t want to fall in love with a man whose bravery could kill him—and leave her heartbroken. She’s got her job and she’s perfectly content to spend the rest of her days alone. But Alex can’t help thinking that maybe, just maybe, Landon is worth putting her heart on the line.

  As the fire creeps ever closer to Cedar Springs, will Landon and Alex put aside their fears—and the past—to find a way into each other’s hearts?

  Grab your copy of Burning Flame

  (Californian Wildfire Fighters Book Three) from

  www.LeslieNorthBooks.com

  * * *

  SNEAK PEEK

  Ten years, and not a day went by that he didn't think of Lana Sweet.

  And now that she was sitting across the table from him, Hank Logan couldn't think of a damn thing to say.

  Thankfully, they weren’t alone together. Gathered around them were the guys from the station, members of Hank's own Alaska-based squad, and grateful Cedar Springs locals who had been invited out to celebrate the volunteers' defeat of an apartment fire that might have easily gotten the better of the town. Now, more than ever, Hank was aware of just how ill-prepared the Springs was to deal with the ever-creeping threat of immolation. And to think there was a wildfire still eating up redwoods in the distance . . . he would have personally found it a hard—if not impossible—occasion to celebrate, if it hadn't been for the surprise marriage proposal of one of his best squad members.

  Hank studied the newly engaged couple as he cracked another beer. It was enough to distract him from watching Lana, at least for a few seconds at a time. Alex, the bride-to-be, was beaming from ear to ear, and her blue eyes sparkled brightly. She engaged enthusiastically with every new conversation, but she never averted her eyes from Landon for very long.

  Landon sat to Hank's right, across from Alex, cutting his way into a burger. Seeing his crewmate’s broad grin, Hank realized the man had no idea he was actually attempting to eat his third burger with a knife and fork. Hank had never seen the guy’s cheeks so rosy. Landon was drunk.

  But then, so was Hank.

  The entirety of the long outdoor table hummed with activity. But the frenzy, the infectious laughter, had conspicuously passed two chairs by.

  Hank didn't know whose bright idea it had been to seat him and Lana across from each other. There wasn't a soul among them who didn't know their history. Childhood sweethearts, heartbreakingly parted before they’d had a real shot . . . and who had been responsible for their parting?

  Hank took another swig of beer. He needed it—because he clearly hadn't had enough alcohol yet to dull the ache of his guilt. When he’d left Lana ten years ago, he hadn't been able to explain why . . . and today was no different. Here she was, sitting three feet away from him with only a checkered cloth-covered picnic table between them, and he felt further from her than he had in Alaska.

  But what was h
e supposed to say? How could he ever frame it in a way she would understand?

  I'm the reason your brother's dead.

  Hank felt the ice pooling in his belly from even thinking the words. It sure as shit wasn't the lukewarm beer he was guzzling. As a matter of fact, he was in danger of popping them open faster than Chase could pull reinforcements out of the truck bed.

  I killed him. Michael. I killed your brother.

  He was staring at her again when Lana looked up suddenly. Her eyes were as green as the day around them, greener than his memory gave them credit for. Ten years of thinking about Lana every day, and his devotional thoughts hadn't even done her justice. Her auburn hair caught the sun as her head moved, and Hank saw the stunning fire of her red highlights. Her gaze slid across his face and—

  He looked away before their eyes could meet. He drank another swig. He wondered if he only imagined the huff of disappointment coming from her side of the table—because by the time he looked at her again (it was inevitable), Lana was once more staring at something interesting in her lap. Her hands, probably. He watched as she raised them—and realized she had been secreting a beer of her own. He'd lost track of how many she'd had as surely as he'd lost count of his own.

  Sookie, Hank’s sister, sat beside Lana.

  Glaring at Hank.

  It wasn't an unusual state of affairs. He and Sook still had a long road ahead of them. Brother and sister, coming back from being estranged, finding their footing again, and . . . fuck, was there anyone present who didn't hate his guts? Maybe they only tolerated him because he was boss to half of them.