Fire & Ice

by Jerri Drennen

  “You do that,” Knox said with a growl. “And I’m warning you. If you come back, I’ll haul you in, no questions asked.”

  Melanie raced past him, her nearness making his teeth chatter.

  The woman had the power to unnerve him—to stir sensations he’d never experienced before, and God knows he didn’t like the feeling. It didn’t set well in his gut, and he wasn't going to allow it to happen again. From this moment on he planned to avoid her. Melanie Sharp was becoming a distraction that he didn’t need or want in his life.

  * * *

  Melanie lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. Why did Knox Manning have to come by and catch them snooping around Dean’s house? Talk about bad luck. Now she had trespassing added to her list of offences.

  She wanted to wring Kay’s neck for suggesting it. And her friend coming on to Knox hadn't set well either. Why, Melanie wasn’t sure, though when her friend had practically offered up her hand to him, Melanie’s chest had constricted. The man was nothing to her, so why did it matter if Kay slept with him or not? He might be the one to tame her friend’s wild ways—God knows Paul hadn’t managed it.

  Melanie chewed on her bottom lip. She’d thought Paul Nadar had been perfect for Kay, willing to see past her relationship phobias. She loved her best friend dearly, but she wasn’t easy to get along with—to sustain any relationship with. At times, Melanie grew weary of Kay’s attitude. Paul had complemented her—made her very happy until he wanted to tie the knot. The kiss of death, at least for Kay. Though something still shone in her friend’s eyes when she spoke of him—a glint of interest Melanie was sure Kay didn’t want to feel. Love. Need. Longing to have back what they’d shared. Who knows?

  Her best friend played the tough broad to a tee. Too bad Melanie knew better, saw beyond her show of bravado. Kay had feelings, especially for Paul. There was no denying that. When she was with him or even when his name was mentioned, her eyes sparkled. Losing him had hurt her, though she didn’t want to show anyone. Paul had refused to talk to Kay since she’d high-tailed it down the aisle with his best man.

  Melanie found it hard to blame him. She herself hadn’t talked to her friend for days after the wedding disaster. Her mind couldn’t erase standing next to her at the wedding, holding her bouquet, and watching Kay tuck her wedding dress between her legs and run. Paul’s expression would be permanently burned into her memory—his look of pain and disillusionment.

  Paul’s handsome face faded. Knox’s earth-shattering features replaced it and caused Melanie’s body to heat.

  She swallowed past the lump in her throat. Why did she find this man so unnerving—so appealing to her senses? Because, for some reason, he stimulated her body as no man had before. That's why. The man was hot—paralleling his line of work perfectly. Hell, he’d certainly started a fire between her legs. Yet could he put it out as easily?

  Melanie clamped her hands over her face, embarrassed by the thought. Obviously she’d lost her mind. She was attracted to a man who made her feel as if she’d crawled out from under a rock. Besides, it hadn’t gone unnoticed the way he’d checked out Kay’s cleavage and found it to his liking.

  She glanced down at her chest and grimaced. She was built like a boy, flat as a sheet of half-inch plywood. A fact that had always bothered her. Yet she refused to go under the knife to change what she was born with. To her, having larger breasts wasn’t worth the risks. If Knox Manning had a taste for big-breasted women, he wasn't for her.

  Rolling onto her side she heaved a sigh, disappointed by that fact. So Knox Manning was the sexiest man she’d ever known and she was undeniably drawn to him—he wasn’t into her. The way he looked at her made that perfectly clear.

  The phone rang, startling her out of the shortcomings she'd been dwelling on.

  She stretched across her queen-sized bed to reach the receiver. “Hello.”

  “Mel, it's Dean.”

  Great, what did he want? Didn’t he have enough to deal with now that his house was gutted?

  “What do you want, Dean? It’s late. I was about to go to bed.”

  “I want to join you,” he said in a deep, sexually charged voice.

  Would he ever give up? She’d told him a hundred times she wasn’t planning to see him again, let alone sleep with him.

  “Where’s your wife, Dean? I don’t think she’d appreciate you calling me. Don’t you have more pressing problems to deal with?”

  “Nothing is more important to me than you. I’ve told you I’d leave Tracy in a heartbeat. You give me the word and I’m at an attorney’s office in the morning.” He took a breath. “I’m in love with you, Mel. I can’t think of anything except being with you.”

  What was Melanie supposed to say to that? Contempt was all she felt for him, a man who'd cheat on his wife and lie to the woman he claimed to love. Unfortunately, Barton had a sizable population and she’d only known what he’d told her, had no idea about his marriage and children. He sure as hell knew and chose to pursue her anyway. Deceit at its finest. To Melanie, love came with respect. She felt neither for Dean Grainger.

  “Are you still there, Melanie?” His voice was just above a whisper. Had his wife walked into room? “Okay, thank you,” he said. The phone went dead.

  Melanie hung up and slammed her head back against the pillows. Dean was obviously playing both her and his wife. He didn’t plan on losing both of them.

  She snorted. With him it was one or the other. As far as Melanie was concerned though, he had no choice. His wife, Tracy, could have him.

  * * *

  “Manning, get your ass in here.” Knox heard the sharp edge to the chief’s tone and knew he was in deep shit. Nothing new. What had he done now?

  He walked into Gallan’s office, hovering near the door in case he had to make a quick escape. “You wanted to see me, Chief?”

  The chief looked up from the papers in front off him, his blue eyes narrowing slightly. “Come in and close the door.”

  Knox did as instructed though his first impulse was to bolt.

  “My daughter came by yesterday. She told me you refused to talk to her when she called. Is this true?”

  Knox knew this day would come. He hadn’t been ready for it today. His mind was filled with red-haired waifs with striking blue eyes and lips that looked sweet as sugar. Just the thought of her mouth sent his heart racing. Somehow Melanie had become a drain on his mind, made it hard to think about the job or anything else. The whole thing made him angry. Right now the last thing he needed was the chief ragging on him. Why couldn’t Sandra be adult enough not to go running to her daddy with her problems? “I was on the job, Chief. I didn’t have time to talk. We do have an ongoing arson case to solve.”

  “Yes, I realize that, but you should have called her when you'd finished. Did you come in to the firehouse at all yesterday?”

  “Of course. I was here all morning. I went back out to Summerset yesterday afternoon to get some extra samples for the lab—the first ones were inconclusive. They were unable to isolate the type of accelerant used.” It was a lie, the results hadn't come back yet. He just wanted the chief off his back.

  The man rubbed at his gray, stubbled chin. “Sandra does need to talk to you. I expect you to be a man and call her.”

  Knox's anger spiked. He'd had all he was going to take. The guy trying to tell him what he had to do in his personal life. No way. That was off limits. Let the man fire him. “It's over between your daughter and me, sir, and there's nothing she can say to change anything. So if you want my job, just say the word.”

  Knox didn't wait for the chief to reply, he threw open the door and stormed from the office. If there were a way to turn back time, he'd refuse to fall for Sandra Gallan's ploys to get her claws into him. Going out with her was the biggest mistake he'd ever made—an error he'd be paying for as long as he worked at the 901. And the indiscretion could actually cost him his career.

  Chapter Four

  Melanie stood back, her teeth cha
ttering from the chill in the room. The bald eagle was ready to go. Nine hours of chiseling and then polishing the ice to give it a shine had it finally done.

  She threw a cloth over the eagle and left the freezer, pushing the door closed. As she trudged toward the front of the warehouse she stripped off her coat, exhaustion taking hold of her.

  She’d been lucky to find a place to work on her sculptures—fortunate that a friend had a warehouse with a walk-in freezer large enough to store her special ice and the finished work until delivery. Too bad it was miles from home.

  In the morning she'd pick up the piece and present it to the centennial committee. This event was the highlight of the year for Barton. Everyone came out to celebrate the founding of their fair city and party into the wee hours of the morning.

  Melanie intended to get a good night’s sleep. She planned to enjoy tomorrow evening’s dance, the last event of the centennial celebration.

  With fatigued hands she locked the back door and walked to her car, amazed by the bright, full moon and twinkling stars above. The scent of honeysuckle and fresh cut grass filled the night’s air. It was a perfect summer evening—one made for lovers. Too bad she didn't have one.

  Her mind wandered back to Knox Manning. A man who hadn't been far from her thoughts since she'd met him. Unfortunately, he'd even entered her dreams last night—a dream that had her waking up in a clammy, sexually charged sweat. In the dream he definitely knew how to put out a fire.

  God, she'd become Kay overnight. She'd gone two years without sex—and eight weeks of dating a man who hadn't stirred any kind of sexual desire. Meeting Knox had changed that. It confused her—left her wondering why he made her feel things no other man had. She wanted to find out what was so special about him, why he stirred these sensations in her.

  Headlights flashed, drawing her attention. A sedan pulled up next to her car. Dean. Great. She didn’t want to deal with him now.

  He jumped out of his car and rushed over. “Mel, you need to give me another chance. I told Tracy last night I was leaving her.”

  Melanie's jaw dropped. This was the last thing she wanted to hear. No way did she want him to leave his wife—not for her. The idea was repugnant. You’d have to be totally in love with someone to break up a home like that. She certainly didn’t love this man.

  “Say something. I need to hear you tell me you love me, Mel.”

  “No, Dean. I won't be the cause of a family break-up. I didn't know you were married when we were dating, though now that I do, I don't want to see you again.”

  “I told you I'm leaving my wife. I love you, Mel.”

  “Don't be a fool. Don’t leave your wife. There’s nothing between us.”

  Enhanced by the moon’s icy white glow, Melanie saw Dean’s eyes turn deep hazel. He was angry.

  “You do. I know you love me. You just don't want ‘home wrecker’ on your resume. We can move far away, Mel. Start over. No one would have to know.”

  Melanie shook her head. “No, Dean! Go back to your wife and kids. Try to make things right with them.”

  He grasped her shoulders painfully and pulled her close. “I don't want Tracy. I want you.”

  In the back of Melanie’s mind she knew this might escalate into something ugly if she didn’t dispel his anger. “Let me go, Dean. You’re hurting me.” Melanie never thought he’d be so obsessive. Apparently she knew very little about the man.

  His grip relaxed, yet he didn’t release her. “The last thing I want to do is hurt you, Mel. I need you. Tell me what you want me to do. I’ll do anything.”

  Think, Melanie. What would get you out of here safely?

  They were out in the middle of nowhere. Nothing but warehouses for blocks. This was not a good time to be honest with him, especially in the mood he was in. “Give me some time to think about this,” she said, her heart pounding hard in her chest. “I can’t think straight right now.”

  His gaze burned into hers as he seemingly tried to decide if she told him the truth or not. Would her face give her away? Nervous sweat trickled between Melanie’s shoulder blades and she held her breath until he finally released her.

  “Okay. You think about us, Mel. I’ll give you until tomorrow night. I want an answer, and the right one.”

  Melanie stepped back, fumbling to find her keys in the large handbag hanging off her shoulder. Her hands shook so hard that when she found them, she almost dropped them. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” Another lie, true, but she had to get away from him.

  From this night on, she planned to stay away from Dean Grainger. Obviously he’d slipped a cog—and he scared Melanie to death.

  * * *

  “You’ll be stationed near the end of the fun booths,” the chief said to Knox and the other men sitting around the table on the second floor of the firehouse.

  Knox was thankful he still had a job, yet knew he’d drawn the bum assignment. The men who’d worked the area in previous years had spoken of how they’d worked overtime to keep the town from burning to the ground.

  He could see the chief having a good laugh at his expense. Just another way of making his life a living hell.

  The chief stood. “Everyone has their assignments. You all put on a happy face out there. Let’s show Barton that the 901 is here, through rain, flood, earthquakes or fire to serve them and make their community a safe place to live.”

  Knox wanted to cuss a blue streak. Safe or not, he was stuck with the shit detail and wasn’t looking forward to it one bit.

  Making sure no booth burned down because of human error was a flunky’s job. Not one for a man in his position.

  The year prior a Boy Scout troop, while trying to teach survival training, just about torched the raised platform for the annual Fire & Ice dance.

  Knox only hoped nothing like that would happen on his watch.

  He picked up the drawing of the booth setup from the city and studied it. They had something new this year, a palm reader. Total bullshit as far as Knox was concerned, though he was sure it’d do well. Everyone seemed to want to know his or her future. Hell, he didn’t need some seer to tell him what he already knew. He’d stay single and be happy about it.

  Knox’s gaze landed on another booth entry. A dunk tank. Did they still have those things? Maybe the chief would volunteer to be on the hot seat. What he wouldn’t pay for a chance at dunking him.

  He laughed. What a crazy day this was going to be. Watching the young and old, all of whom had eaten too much funnel cake, popcorn, and cotton candy, ending up at the EMT station for antacids.

  A day from hell he wished was over.

  * * *

  Melanie gripped the steering wheel until her knuckles whitened. “I am not going to do it, Kay. Forget it.”

  “I need help, Mel. Glenda has the flu. She’s too sick to be dunked.”

  “I am not going to sit on a plank and wait to get dropped into ice-cold water. This is your booth. You sit there.” Melanie glared at her frowning friend.

  “I know it is, Mel. But I need to have someone drawing people over. I’m better at that than you are.”

  Melanie rolled her eyes. Everything Kay did drew attention. Melanie would rather use her brains and talents first, then her body, not that using it got her what she wanted. Not with her board-like chest. Kay, on the other hand, was built like a Playboy Bunny and could lure any man for miles, even the man Melanie desired.

  No! She refused to think about Knox Manning today. She had more pressing concerns—like how to avoid Dean. She should have a restraining order slapped on him, though from what she’d seen all that paper did was make the men who received them more determined to do something to the sender.

  It would make Dean furious. Last night his eyes had turned dark when she’d told him to leave her alone. Putting it in writing might drive him over the edge so that even an army couldn’t protect her.

  “Come on. You’re supposed to be my best friend, Mel. I need you to do this for me,” Kay said, bringing
Melanie back to the present, back to Kay’s guilt trip. She always did this when Melanie refused to do something for her. Managed to talk her into it every time. She might as well give up and resign herself to being dunked in a tank all day. Hell, maybe she’d get lucky and die of pneumonia. At least then she wouldn't have to worry about Dean.

  “Okay, I’ll do it. Now lay off,” she snapped, turning into a parking slot behind the thrift store.

  “You’re a saint.” Kay leaned over and planted a kiss on her cheek. “I owe you one.”

  “You owe me more than one.”

  Melanie exited the car, pressing the lock before closing her door.

  She knew this was going to be a very long day.

  * * *

  Melanie stuck her tongue out at the man trying to dunk her, laughing when he missed the target.

  Luckily, so far no one had a good aim. She’d been perched on top the board for close to three hours, not once being dunked. Thank God it was mid-day and she wouldn’t have to endure this much longer.

  “You call that a throw,” Melanie heckled, winking at Kay who smiled back at her. “I’ve seen toddlers with more power on the ball.”

  The tall, lanky man scowled at her, took his final throw at the target, and grazed the edge slightly. Melanie’s stomach clenched, the chili-cheese dog she’d eaten earlier threatening to come up.

  That was close. Maybe taunting them wasn’t such a great idea.

  The man walked away, his shoulders slumped in defeat.

  Kay came to stand next to the tank. “You just about got dunked that time, Mel. Maybe you shouldn’t rile them so much.”

  “I think you’re right.”

  “I’d like to try my hand at this game,” a deep, sexy voice said.

  Oh my God. Knox Manning.

  Her heart jumped, taking off at a breakneck speed when she stared into his haunting green eyes. The man was magnificent.

  She swallowed hard and tried not to lose her balance on the perch. The jitters had taken hold and made it impossible to sit still.