by Claire Angel
Full of Fire
A Contemporary Romance (Irresistible Series Book 2)
CLAIRE ANGEL
Contents
Title Page
Full of Fire: A Contemporary Romance
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Epilogue
How To Connect With Me
About The Author
Books In This Series
Books By This Author
Copyright © 2020 by Claire Angel
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.
This is a work of fiction. While, as in all fiction, the literary perceptions and insights are based on life experiences and conclusions drawn from research, all names, characters, places and specific instances are products of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously. No actual reference to any real person, living or dead, is intended or inferred.
FULL OF FIRE: A CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE (Irresistable Series Book 2)
Full of Fire: A Contemporary Romance
Blurb:
If you even looked at her, you will get burned.
Yes, you got that right.
She is full of fire.
And touching fire is a bad idea.
Playing in the band was the fun part of my nights.
I could have any woman I wanted at any given show.
But I had no plans to be with someone.
Everything changed the day I spilled coffee on her.
Being around this ballbuster felt so good.
Looking into her eyes made my heart melt.
But she is too focused on her work.
She is determined and tough one.
She wouldn't let anybody in.
Nothing else could ever get in her way.And she made sure that everybody knows that.
She is a walking disaster.
So how can I even dare to get close?
***
Chapter 1
Kellen
I felt my phone vibrate in my jeans and glanced at the brake lights in front of me before leaning forward to grab it. It was Jack, and I sighed as I answered it. “Hey, Jack. I’m on my way.”
“Hurry up. We’re on in ten minutes.” My brother sounded grumpy, and I cursed.
“I’m in traffic. What do you want me to do?” I asked as I tilted my head to the right to see through the cars.
“Take a different way? This is our first night at a club this big. Get your ass here!” He ended the call, and I dropped the phone on the seat.
Jack had a point. This was our first night performing for a crowd this size, but I was stuck here. I just hoped that half the audience got stuck in the same traffic jam. We needed this gig and positive feedback from it to get more of them.
“Damn it.” I put my car in park and threw open the door. “What’s going on?” I lived in Seattle, not New York. The movement I saw was only about ten cars down, and I glanced around as I considered going to see what was going on. I reached into my car to grab the keys and glanced at the trunk that held my guitar. I walked in front of the car and jogged down the sidewalk to see what the hold-up was.
Rising voices greeted me as I ducked through a crowd of people. “You ruined my car. I’m supposed to start a new job tonight. Didn’t you see your red light?” A woman was screeching, and I stopped when I was at the front of the crowd. A woman with dark shoulder-length hair was standing with her back to me beside a totaled blue car that I think used to be a Honda. She was screaming at a guy standing beside the large truck that plowed into her. She tossed her head, and I caught a glimpse of red hair underneath the brown.
Hot.
“You ran your light. It wasn’t my fault.” He crossed his arms over his chest and stared down at the small girl.
“Bullshit. I had the green!” This girl had a fire about her that I admired, and I checked out her tight skinny jeans that framed a cute ass for a second.
“She has a point. I saw it happen.” A male voice called from the crowd as the girl raised her hands in the air. Sirens filled the air, and everyone looked around. I shook my head and saw the flashing lights coming towards us, noting that one of them was an ambulance. She might need to be looked at, judging from the damage to her car. As the police parked and hopped out of their vehicle, the crowd began to disperse, and I took one last longing look at the girl before turning to head back to my car. She was yelling at the cops now while the other driver stared sadly at his vehicle.
I hopped in and started the engine, moving forward slowly as the traffic broke up. Glancing to the right, I saw the girl and the other driver standing by the cops as she scowled.
What a woman. It took a lot to get me to look twice.
I arrived at Ripple and parked in the back. I unlocked my trunk and grabbed my guitar, running to the back door to ring the bell. There was always a line out front, so this was the best way to get in without being mobbed. It was pulled open by a bouncer, and I thanked him before running in, aware that I was five minutes late. I ran through the back and turned left to see the hallway behind the stage. A group of four guys was standing there in a circle, more than likely bitching about me. “I’m here, guys. Let’s do this.”
“Thanks for rushing right over,” Jack said as he turned around to glare at me. My brother was short-tempered on a good day, but with Ella being sick, he stressed, and I got that.
“Dude, I saw this accident, and this girl screaming at some guy. It was awesome.” I told them as the other three looked interested.
“Let’s get out there. Chris is already pissed off because his new waitress is late. I’d like to get all of our pay.” Jack turned and stormed to the stage entrance, and I shrugged before following him. It took a few minutes to set up, but soon I was looking over a packed club with a broad smile on my face.
“Hey, Seattle. We’re Pitchfork, and I need to know…are you ready for us?” They screamed, and though I knew they didn’t know us yet, that was going to change. We had a setlist ready to go, and I nodded towards Jack as he started the chords for our hardest song. I threw my head forward with the beat of the drums, lifting my mouth to the microphone to sing the first verse.
I loved this part of my life. I enjoyed being on stage singing the songs I wrote with my brother and Liam. I enjoyed the guitar and played since childhood, though I was the better singer of the guys. I learned to embrace that and found it addicting to be the center of attention now.
However, it was Ella I was thinking of when we got our money. I smiled and handed Jack my portion as he gazed at me. “Take it. I made extra at Grind this week.”
Jack and his wife, Grace, had a daughter currently being treated for leukemia. Ella was six, and they received the diagnosis six months ago. The band was performing in local Seattle bars at that point, and we all had day jobs to stay above water. Jack was the only one of us that was married, and his wife Grace worked until Ella became sick.
I told
my brother that we didn’t have to do the band thing right now. My niece was the most important thing in the world for all of us. Jack begged me for a little time to see what he could pull off. He always loved music and wanted to be a part of it so badly that I gave in. I would do almost anything for my big brother and worked double hours at the coffee shop to give him money for Ella.
“Thanks, man. She starts chemo soon, and even with insurance from the company, we have to pay a lot of that.” Jack smiled at me, gratefully, and I nodded.
“I know. Take that and use it.” I nodded, and we headed to the back parking lot. He was in a hurry to get home to spend some time with his family before he went to bed for work in the morning. I watched him drive away, admiring my brother for all that he did.
As I started the car to head home, I thought about the girl I saw earlier. She was forever in my mind, and I hoped to see her again. I headed to the coffee shop and the studio apartment above it that I lived in for next to nothing. It was just a basic home, but it worked for me, and I wasn’t there too often. Jack was the one that had a house payment and a family to support.
I took a shower and dropped into the large bed in the corner of the room. I had to open the shop tomorrow.
Chapter 2
Kellen
I glanced at the door as I drank my espresso, hoping for just a bit more before I had a customer. My opener was late as usual, and I hoped I wouldn’t get slammed. They all thought that since I lived above the coffee shop, it wasn’t a big thing to leave me here alone for a while.
I needed the money, so I didn’t bitch about it. I made decent money here, and the tips were great. It was an easy job and something I could do performing with the band. Free coffee made everything better.
After my shift, I headed upstairs to change into worn jeans and a dark green Henley. I wanted to go and visit Ella since I only had one shift today, and I knew Grace was home with her. Jack wouldn’t be home until six, and I considered bringing dinner over for them.
I walked out of the side door to my apartment and down to my car. It was an old black Land cruiser that I loved. My phone rang, and I slipped it out of my pocket to see that Jack was calling. “Hey, man. I was just going to bring some pizza to your place for Ella. What's up?”
“Ripple wants us regularly. They just called me and said we filled the club that night. Are you in?”
“Yeah. That was good money and a great place to play.” I replied as he babbled excitedly. He saw it leading to more significant opportunities, and I hoped that I could work fewer shifts.
“Thanks for bringing them pizza. Marv’s? Ella’s been asking for you to come over with it.” Jack’s love for his family filled his voice, and I smiled.
“I haven’t been able to with the extra shifts. Sorry about that,” I apologized as Jack sighed on the other end.
“Don’t worry about that. You’re healing us, Kellen. You don’t have to do that.”
“I want to. Ella’s my princess,” I assured him as I started my car.
I stared forward as I saw a girl walking down the sidewalk towards the bus stop. She was on the phone, and I grinned when I saw the hint of red hair as she tucked some behind her ear. Her face was in a frown, and I wondered if this firecracker ever smiled. She paused in front of the bench before sitting down to wait. She kept looking down at the ground as she spoke into the receiver.
I guessed that her car wasn’t fixed or replaced.
I blinked as I realized how long I sat there, putting the car into reverse to head to the pizza place. Ella needed a pepperoni pizza, and me and Jack needed a hearty combo. I glanced at the girl, and she was looking at her watch with a frustrated expression.
I got the pizza and headed over to Jack’s house. I parked on the curb and got out, grabbing the boxes as I walked up the path to the door. I heard someone screaming my name on the other end, and a little blonde tornado opened it. “Uncle Kelly. Is that pizza?”
“Yes, Jack. It is. Can I come in?” It was hard to believe that she was sick sometimes with this energy.
“Baby, let him in.” Grace approached the door and smiled at me. Her dark hair was in a bun at the top of her head, and she looked tired. I moved past her to the kitchen. Ella followed me and begged for pizza until I piled two slices on a plate and handed it to her. “I got you that veggie that you love.”
“Thank you. I haven’t even thought about dinner today. She’s had a great day, and I wanted… I wanted to enjoy it.” I handed Grace a plate, and she got some pizza before sitting at the kitchen table. “Ella. Sit at the table with us. Now.”
The little girl ran in with her plate and sat down, telling me to sit beside her. I got a few slices of the third pizza and grabbed water for everyone before sitting down. “Tell me about your day,” I urged Ella, and she told me about how they went to the park for a picnic.
Jack arrived home a couple of hours later and reheated pizza before sitting with us on the couch. Grace curled up against Jack and closed her eyes. Ella was sleeping on my leg, and Jack gave her a warm look before kissing his wife’s hair. “Thanks for dinner.” He smiled and took a bite.
“No problem. I wanted to see you guys.” Playing in a band wasn’t the same as just hanging out here with them. “She had a great day.” I patted Ella’s head gently, and Jack smiled.
“I always know when Grace falls asleep the moment I get home that Ella had energy. It’s a blessing and a curse for her when she’s home all day with it.” Ella was out of school for now while she started her treatment, and they’d deal with the rest later.
“You’re doing a good job with this, Jack. You’re working hard and doing everything you can to support them.” Our parents died in a car accident when I was sixteen and my brother nineteen. He raised me in the house with the money left to us and moved out when he got married at twenty-five. I stayed with them for a short time, but the coffee shop job came with an apartment.
“I know. It just never feels like enough, and then you hand me over your money. I feel shitty about that.” Jack took another bite, and I ran a hand through my hair.
“I’m in a place where I can do that.” I knew that Jack wished he had some of the life insurance money left, but he used it to keep us alive. After that, they used some to buy this house after Ella was born. I told Jack that I wanted him to have all of what was left since he used it for me. I knew it wasn’t much anyway and he needed it. “Hey, from what you said about the club, we’ll be bringing in some money.”
“Yeah. That was a good payout, and it’ll be good to have our name attached to somewhere bigger.” His eyes stared forward, lost in thought, and I leaned back and closed my eyes.
Chapter 3
Marisol
My car got totaled from the accident, and I was late for my job, my brand-new job. I was already working at the cafe, but Ripple would get me a lot of tips and, more importantly, cash. It was such a scene as I screamed at the driver in complete frustration, but my new boss didn’t seem to care.
Chris told me to stop by in the afternoon a couple of days after the accident, and I agreed, cursing once I ended the phone call. I dialed my sister’s number and asked her to pick me up, sitting on the edge of the fountain as I stared at the cars on the street. Mine was gone, and I loved that little blue car. I loved the fact that it got me around town and to and from my jobs. I understood I had insurance, but what kind of car would replace my baby?
This sucked.
I saw my sister pull up in her old red SUV and honk, reluctantly standing to go to her. “Are you okay?”
“Yes, Cel. I’m fine, but the car isn’t. I’ll need to get another one.” We both frowned, and she pulled away from the curb.
“So, that job fell through?” she asked as I stared through her windshield.
“For now. Chris was pissed and told me to call him in a couple of days. I’ll jump through his hoops since I think the tips will be worth it.” I shrugged and watched as she headed to my apartment.
; “I hate that you have to work this hard, Mar. It isn’t fair.” Celia said.
I smiled. My sister lived a charmed life in a loft apartment overlooking the water with a friend of hers. It was luxury at its finest, as she and her roommate paid a good chunk of the bills. I knew that Celia worked hard at her freelance job and did well, wanting to have a life as much as I did. She even worked as a part-time waitress at two restaurants.
“It’s life. I’ll get the job, and everything will be great.” I always made a point of being positive around my big sister since she always did with me.
“I hope so. Your place?” She asked, even though Celia knew that I didn’t enjoy her place. Britt was lovely, but she always wanted friends over and a lot going on. I just wanted to go home and sulk about the latest downfall in my life.
“Yeah. I’ll study or something and catch up on sleep. I work the breakfast shift tomorrow.” She turned towards my dingy apartment, and I leaned back in the seat.