Table of Contents
HEARTfire
Copyright
Dedication
Blurb
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
Sneak Peek
About the Author
Other Books by Tracie
Copyright © 2018 by Tracie Douglas
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 noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. 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.
Editor: Diamond in the Rough Editing
Formatting: CP Smith
Cover Design: Dark Water Covers
Dedication
For all the insta-love believers out there.
This one is for you
Blurb
Fire Chief Wade Walker has spent his life chasing fires. He’s an easy-going man with simple tastes. The kind of man who always goes after what he wants in life.
When his path crosses Vivienne Campbell he knows his easy life is going to be shaken up. All night long. Chasing after a woman was never something he thought he’d do, but he knows she’s worth it.
No matter the danger that lies ahead of them, he will walk through fire to keep her by his side.
1
Wade
“Come on, Chief, one more shot.” Marco pours the shot before I can decline. My second-in-command looks at me expectantly, while the other guys egg me on.
I’m not on call tonight, but I’m not a big drinker either. Regardless, I take the shot in hand with a heavy sigh. Hanging with my crew outside the office is a good way to let off steam and boost morale, and we do it often, especially after a big fire. Most of the time coming here to The Broken Tankard, our little town’s only bar.
“This one’s for the chief,” Marco shouts. The rest of the group nods in agreement. I throw back the shot and glance about the room, ready to make my exit.
“All right, guys, I think I’ve had enough for one night,” I say, placing the now empty shot glass upside down on the bar. My confession is met with a cacophony of protests, but I slap a bill on the counter, trying to flag down Smithy. “The next one is on me.”
“Aw, come on, Wade. You can’t leave now. The fun is just getting started,” Jason calls, lifting his longneck in a salute.
“I’m an old man,” I joke, knowing just the opposite. I’m actually the youngest crew chief in the county. At age thirty-two, I’ve been doing this since I was sixteen.
“Old, my ass. I’ve got T-shirts older than you,” Hank, the oldest member of the team, speaks up before taking a long pull from his bottle. He’s exaggerating, of course. Being only fifteen years my senior, Hank’s been in the business the longest. “Don’t worry, boss man, if you stick around, I’ll take your next shot.”
“Hell yeah,” someone shouts, and Marco begins doling out another round of shots, this time setting my glass in front of Hank. I shake my head with a chuckle and plant my ass back onto the stool. I can spare a few moments longer.
It’s been a quiet season so far. Not uncommon for the small rural area we live in, but that doesn’t mean I let my guard down. I’ve seen what can happen when an unexpected fire gets out of hand, and with my men’s lives on the line, I don’t fuck around.
“Hey, Wade,” Smithy, the owner and tonight’s bartender, stops in front of me with an ice tea in hand. He slides it over with a knowing look before heading down to the end of the bar. I look down at the tea in front of me and reach for two pink packets of sugar when the sound of sugary sweet laughter catches my ear.
Someone’s having a good time, I surmise, turning my head out of curiosity, and catch sight of a pretty little redhead. Her head is tipped back, and she’s focused intently on the person in front of her. Dragging my eyes away from her, I turn my attention to the person she’s with, and my heart skips a beat.
The world around her fades away to black until the only thing I see is her, shining brightly in the dark room. Her sultry laughter falls from pink, pouty lips, and I watch diligently as she takes the straw from her drink and wraps them around it, sipping on the contents. Her heart-shaped face is accentuated with eyes the color of sapphires, which twinkle in the dim lighting as she laughs louder at her friend.
Completely relaxed and at ease with herself. I’m drawn to her, like a moth to the light.
Mine.
Her lush body and full breasts are something out of a dream, and the tightening in my pants has me shifting on my stool to hide my growing attraction. She is the opposite of her friend, but she’s all woman and exactly my type.
Her honey-blonde hair falls in waves past her shoulders, hitting the middle of her back. My hands itch to run my fingers through the silken mass. Her creamy skin looks soft and tempting against the soft yellow dress. My mouth waters for a taste.
My eyes travel down the length of her shapely legs to the fuck-me peep-toe heels. I imagine her legs wrapped around my waist, the heels of her shoes digging into my back.
I’ve never been struck like this. Never had a woman affect me this way.
I don’t even know her name.
Yet.
*****
“Do you want to get out of here?” she purrs in my ear as she sways her hips to the pulse of the music surrounding us. Everything about this woman has left me needing and wanting the things only she can give me.
“Are you sure?” I ask, worried about the amount of alcohol she’s had tonight.
“I want to see your firehose.” She giggles, this time running a finger down my chest. I grasp her hand before she can reach said firehose.
“Where’s your friend?” I look around the bar, seeking the redhead who came with her. I find her chatting with one of my men. What was her name again?
“She’s probably gone off and found an empty bathroom stall with some hottie.” She giggles again, like it’s the funniest thing she’s ever heard. “Can you take me to your place?”
“Viv, honey…”
“Don’t tell me no, captain.” Her green eyes narrow on me, and she hiccups. I take a breath, trying to ignore the way my body begs me to scoop her into my arms and take her home. My hands grip her hips as she pushes them into mine, moaning in my ear as she feels the hardness of my cock against her belly. “I’m not drunk, but I feel good, and I know you can make me feel even better.”
Well, shit.
How can I say no to that?
2
Vivienne
When I crack my eyes open, I’m immediately assaulted by the early morning light. Cringing away from it, I pull the blankets over my head and burrow down into the warmth of my bed. The scent of sandalwood and spice fills my nose.
Wait, what?
Sandalwood and spice?
I pull the blanket down and carefully peek out into the room around me. The light hits my eyes, and my head feels like it’s going to explode. I silently curse Tori for convincing me to spend the night drinking in celebration. Partying isn’t my thing. I usually prefer my nights off spent with a glass of wine and a good book, but last night I
yearned for the adventure of a night out. My days consist of class, a shift at one of my two jobs, and late-night study sessions. But all of that is about to change, since I finished my last final the day before. I’m technically graduated, which was the reason why Tori wanted to go out and celebrate in the first place.
I lift a hand to shield my eyes and focus on my surroundings.
What the...
The first thing I realize is that I’m not in my own room.
The second thing I realize is that I’m alone. I’m not sure how I got here, or whose room this is, but I’ve never found myself in this situation. I’m not the kind of girl who wakes in a stranger’s bed, even though I did go out last night with the intention of getting drunk and finding a little fun. This is a little more than I anticipated.
Finally, the last thing I realize is that I’m almost naked under the forest-green sheets I’m buried underneath. Wearing only the fuchsia-colored lace boy shorts I splurged on last week, I grip the sheet tightly against my bare chest, trying not to panic.
Looking about the room, I notice it’s clean. Surprisingly clean. It’s quite large as well, double the size of my own bedroom. Not that my two-bedroom apartment is anything to brag about, but this place is like a fucking palace in comparison. The furniture in the room, while definitely masculine, is dark and sized perfectly to fill it. The entire room looks comfortable and lived in.
I spot my dress draped carefully across the back of a worn-in La-Z-Boy placed in front of a large fireplace and a huge flat screen television.
Where am I?
I sit up, pulling the sheet with me to cover my chest, and rack my brain, looking for some memory from the night before that can help me piece all of this together. It’s all too fuzzy and disorderly.
Shit, how drunk did I get last night? A quick rap on the door directly across from me interrupts my thoughts, and before I can respond, it opens and he steps into the room.
The mere sight of him fills my head with images from the night before, and a few memories of the previous night come rushing back.
Eyes the color of hardened steel staring at me from the bar. A smirk. A wink. Tall, dark, and handsome. His deep voice. The way his hands felt on my body, on my bare skin. His kiss, the one burned into my brain and onto lips. His taste, his tongue, all of it hitting me at once. Leaving me breathless and needy.
And now the same hunk stares back at me with his steel-colored eyes and the same smirk plastered to his kissable lips. His hair dark as night glistens in the sunshine, like he just showered. A day’s worth of scruff is peppered across his chin, making me want to rub the sensitive nub between my legs against it. I clench my thighs together, ignoring the way my body turns wet at the sight of him.
Holy fuck. I swallow hard, remembering to breathe as I do so.
“Good morning,” he greets me with a deep voice, filling the quiet room with his sexy timbre. He crosses the threshold with bare feet, carrying a large white mug in his large hand. Against his olive-colored skin, the stark coloring looks luminescent. The scent of freshly brewed coffee hits my nose, and I watch as he crosses the room and places the mug down onto the side table next to me. “Sleep well?”
“Um… morning.” I tighten my hold on the sheets shielding my body from him and hopefully hiding the effect his voice has on my hardening nipples. He chuckles, and his smirk turns sexy, but his eyes study me, missing nothing. He knows the effect he has on me, or any woman for that matter. He’s that type of gorgeous. “I think so.”
My eyes feast on him, taking in the way his heather gray T-shirt stretches across his broad chest, accentuating the powerful muscles underneath. Flashes of my hands running along the hard planes distract me momentarily, and I feel my body flush warmer from the memory.
He cocks an eyebrow and places his large hands against his hips covered by the low hanging jersey knit pants, teasing me with flashes of his perfectly sculpted V. My hands itch to reach out and pull him closer, but I stay frozen in my spot on the bed, struggling to get a handle on my growing desires.
I shake my head, licking my lips, and drag my eyes up his body to meet his. “This is going to sound presumptuous, I’m sure, but did we—?”
“No,” he interrupts me, and lifts an arm to run his hand through his hair. He knew what I meant without too much trouble. Maybe it’s because of how tightly I’m clutching the sheet to my nakedness. We didn’t have sex. “Vivienne, how much do you remember about last night?”
The sound of my name on his lips sends a tingle throughout my body. While I don’t like being called by my full name, hearing it come from him, I could get used to it. The parts and pieces I remember from my drunken haze have left me with more questions than answers. Looking into his perfectly chiseled face, I know those questions will remain unanswered because I don’t want to ruin the memories of him and me.
“Bits and pieces.” Honest and to the point, I feel my brow pucker as I struggle to weed through the foggy flashbacks. “I remember seeing you. We danced, a lot, and then... and then, walking into this room. What happened to Tori?”
“She went home with a friend of mine,” he explains like it isn’t a big deal. But it is a big deal.
“You mean she left me.” I nod knowingly. It isn’t uncommon for Tori to ditch me for a random hottie, which is one of the reasons I don’t go out with her often. Last night, though, she promised to stick with me all night, even be my designated driver. I should have known better than to trust her.
“Actually, just the opposite. It was your idea to leave last night,” he counters, making me frown. Is he saying I left her behind? I glance over at the cup of coffee longingly, needing the sustenance because it’s much too early for complicated conversations. “That’s for you. It’s black. I wasn’t sure if you wanted creamer or sugar, but I have some if you do.”
Looking up at him, I feel my frown fade away quickly. He brought me coffee. No one’s ever done that before.
“Black is fine.”
“You can borrow something to wear if you want,” he offers, shifting on his feet. I feel his eyes on me, and when I look up at him, I catch him staring at my ample breasts. I clear my throat, and he pulls his eyes away, catching mine without shame. I guess that’s my cue to get my shit together and leave. “Unless you’d rather wear what you had on last night. Either way, you’ll find what you need in the bottom drawer.”
“Thank you…” I start, but flounder as I realize his name is one of those details I can’t make out.
“Wade. Wade Walker.” Fuck. Even his name is perfect.
“Thank you, Wade,” I manage with a weak smile. My head is beginning to pound. Between all the thinking and the bright morning light, I just want to pull the sheets back over my head and sleep for the next week. Only I need to wait until I can crawl into my own bed to do it. “I’ll just get dressed and get out of your way.”
“Are you hungry?” he asks, ignoring my subtle suggestion of me leaving. His voice comes out anxious and his eyes flare, telling me he heard what I said but decided to ignore it. My stomach growls at the idea of food, despite my hangover. He must hear it as he emits a soft chuckle. “I’ll take that as a yes. How do you take your eggs?”
“Over easy,” I answer, looking past him to the door, hoping he takes the hint. I’d like to get dressed, but the last thing I need to do right now is give this stranger a peep show. Even if I can still feel the flick of his tongue and the sting of his teeth against my nipples, reminding me that I’m sitting on his is bed with nothing but my panties on. Shit, how did I get into his bed and out of my clothing if we didn’t have sex?
“I was giving you a tour, and the moment your eyes hit my bed, you started stripping. You didn’t stop until you landed face first on top of it.” I cringe as I listen to him answer the thoughts I believed were in my head only. Way to go, Viv. I sigh heavily, hating that this isn’t the first time I’ve spoken my thoughts out loud. I do it more often than I’m happy to admit. “I took your shoes off an
d tucked you in after the first snore.”
“Shit,” I gasp in a whisper, feeling the burn of embarrassment creep across my skin. I hang my head, unable to look him in the eye. “I’m so fucking sorry.”
“Don’t be. I thought it was cute.”
“You’re joking, right?”
“Not at all.” He smiles.
“Where did you sleep?” I ask and look at the empty spot beside me. I picture him splayed out against the dark sheets, his dark lashes touching his cheeks, but I slowly begin to realize that the dent in the pillow didn’t come from me. The picture in my head is real.
“I didn’t want to leave you alone in case you woke up sick,” he explains, but not before looking away to shield the heat building in his eyes.
Heat? You’re imagining things again, Viv!
He turns toward the door he entered through, and crosses back to it. “I’m going to give you some privacy to get dressed, but I’ll have some painkillers waiting for you when you come out.”
The door closes softly behind him, leaving me in limbo.
Moments ago, he acted like he wanted me to stay, but now, after I figured out he slept next to me, he couldn’t get away fast enough. Now I’m left wondering why.
All in all, the absolute last thing I expected when I woke this morning was to come face-to-face with a man like him.
Confident. Handsome. Kind.
Someone completely out of my league.
3
Wade
I had to get out of that room and away from her. The memory of lying beside her nearly naked body, creamy and lush in all the right places, was too much. I make my way into the kitchen, trying hard to calm the raging hard-on situation happening in my pants as I contemplate cold shower number three.
Not that I think it will help.
Jacking off didn’t help either.
It only made it worse and reminded me that my hand is a sad consolation to the warm woman in my bed.
HEARTfire_All Heart Series Page 1
