Under My Umbrella: Fated, Book 1

by Karen Erickson

  Under My Umbrella: Fated, Book 1

  UnderMyUmbrella:Fated,Book1

  It’ll take more than a fire hose to cool down this attraction…

  Fated, Book 1

  Rain, rain, go away. That’s Jenna’s mantra as she suffers through yet another rain-soaked walk home from work. At least the tight butt of the guy walking in front of her offers some distraction. When he turns around and asks to share her umbrella, she realizes his front view is as smokin’ as the back. What better way to get up close and personal with the object of her ogling?

  Brett noticed his hot little neighbor weeks ago, but until now hadn’t worked up the nerve—or found the opportunity—to approach her. Too many hours at the fire station has left him longing for something more out of life. Like the company of a sweet, sexy woman. Maybe, if he’s lucky, kindling a relationship.

  Jenna surprises herself again when she offers to let him dry off in her apartment. One minute he’s toweling off his hair, the next their chemistry explodes in the hottest sex either of them have ever experienced. And suddenly they’re both wondering if he’s the match to her tinder, or if it’s too much, too fast…

  Warning: Contains smokin’ hot sex with a delicious stranger who turns out to be her neighbor who turns into the hottest firefighter she’s ever met. Grab a glass of ice water to cool these flames!

  eBooks are not transferable.

  They cannot be sold, shared or given away as it is an infringement on the copyright of this work.

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  Samhain Publishing, Ltd.

  577 Mulberry Street, Suite 1520

  Macon GA 31201

  Under My Umbrella

  Copyright © 2010 by Karen Erickson

  ISBN: 978-1-60928-062-8

  Edited by Bethany Morgan

  Cover by Karen Erickson

  All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  First Samhain Publishing, Ltd. electronic publication: June 2010

  www.samhainpublishing.com

  Under My Umbrella

  Karen Erickson

  Dedication

  This one is for my readers. I couldn’t do it without you.

  Under My Umbrella: Fated, Book 1

  Chapter One

  Jenna exited the bus, opening her umbrella the instant she stepped onto the slick sidewalk. The rain beat down incessantly, and she mentally whispered another thank you she watched the morning newscast that predicted the torrential storm.

  Around her, she noticed others who weren’t so lucky. People dashing by, their footsteps hurried, their clothing already drenched from the downpour. The tall guy ahead of her walked with his head hunkered down, his coat held halfway up over his head as some sort of useless shield. She felt sorry for him.

  She cocked her head and studied him a bit more closely. He had a nice butt. It looked especially fine in navy blue workpants, and she saw a slice of light blue shirt flash from beneath his jacket as he lifted it up. It appeared he wore some sort of uniform. She’d always had a thing for guys in uniform.

  Okay, that was a lie. She’d never gone out with a man who wore a uniform let alone sought them out. But there was something about the way this guy walked, his long legs eating up the ground, the flex of his ass as he moved. Who knew navy blue regulation workpants could be sexy?

  She hurried her steps, hoping to see if the face matched the body. The sidewalk was slippery, she almost lost her footing and the umbrella bobbed and weaved when her arm flailed out, allowing a deluge of rain to shower her in an instant. She jerked the umbrella low over her head, trying for cool and most likely failing, but she couldn’t worry about that. She needed to check this guy out, see if he lived up to her fantasy potential.

  Approaching alongside him, she slid her gaze to the left and caught a glimpse of a handsome profile as she passed slowly. His hair was soaked, but it appeared dark and he had a straight nose, full lips. Full lips curved into a friendly smile and she realized he was looking right at her.

  Busted.

  Jenna glanced away, feeling like a fool. She swore her cheeks heated with embarrassment, she could feel them even in the chilly late afternoon air. Kept her eyes trained straight ahead so he wouldn’t catch her looking again, she slowed her steps, not wanting to keep pace with him.

  He slowed his steps too. She watched him out of the corner of her eye. Came closer to her, too, as he matched her pace.

  “You, uh, look pretty dry under there.” His rich, sexy voice reached her ears even above the patter of the rain and she stopped short, lifting her umbrella high over her head.

  He stood hunched under the flimsy protection of his drenched coat, a little smile curving those sexy lips. His eyes were dark, his skin swarthy as if he spent a lot of time out in the sun. Just thinking about the sun made her wistful.

  It had rained for what felt like months, years. And usually the rain made her miserable.

  Not today.

  “I’ll share with you,” she offered, shocked that she even said it. She lifted her umbrella even higher, extending it in his direction and she felt the drip, drip, drip of raindrops hit the back of her head.

  His smile grew. The sight of it made her stomach jitter, and he ducked his head, coming right under the umbrella. “Hey, thanks. But I think you’re getting wet.”

  In more ways than one, she wanted to say. The man stood so close she could feel his body heat. She could smell him. And oh, did he smell good. Like spice and pine and warm potent male with a hint of rain.

  Of course, the guy smelled like rain. He was covered in it. His hair was soaked, his skin streaked with it. His coat, especially across the shoulders, was completely saturated through.

  She would’ve resembled a drowned rat. She probably already did. Yet he looked like some sort of sex god.

  The sex god stared at her with twinkling dark brown eyes and a cocky little smile still curving his lips. As if he knew what sort of effect he had on her. Could he know? No way.

  “Ready to go?”

  “I don’t live too far from here.” She nibbled on her lower lip. Should she have admitted that to a complete and total stranger? What if he was a serial killer? What if he stalked women and she was his next victim?

  “I’ll take what I can get to keep semi-dry. Let’s go.” He took the umbrella from her, and she let him. It worked perfectly since he was taller and it was putting a strain on her arm to hold it that high.

  They walked together, and she sunk her hands into the pockets of her black wool pea coat, wishing like crazy she had worn her hair down today. The rain and humidity would’ve made it look like a puffball though so maybe that was a blessing in disguise. She wished the weather was warm, that maybe the clouds would break and the sun would glimmer through.

  But then she wouldn’t have asked him to share her umbrella so this was meant to be, right?

  Jenna was a big believer in meant to be.

  “You live on this street?” His question knocked her from her thoughts, and she glanced over to find him watching her.

  She nodded. “I do. Just up a few blocks.”

  “I live the next street over.”

  Ah, so they were almost neighbors. She’d always wanted a hot neighbor.

  “I’ve only lived here for a few months,” he continued. “And I’m
rarely home because I’m always working.”

  “I guess you don’t have a dog then.”

  His brows drew downward. “Come again?”

  “A dog.” She shrugged, her pace slowing as did his. They were getting closer and closer to her apartment building and she wanted to draw this out a bit more. “If you’re never home a dog would get too lonely. I bet you don’t have a cat either.”

  “I’m not a cat person.” He made a face.

  She was a total cat person, but her landlord didn’t allow them. “I’m not either,” she lied.

  His gaze wandered over her, from the top of her damp head to the tips of her rain splattered black boots. She marveled at the way he could look at her and yet continue to walk in a straight line. Her feet kept stumbling over each other.

  She also marveled at the way her skin tingled as he looked her over. As if he physically touched her—and in all the right places.

  “You look like you could be a cat person,” he said.

  “No way.” She shook her head. What if he thought all single women who owned cats were crazy? “I don’t like cats.”

  “Do you have a dog?”

  “My apartment is a pet free zone.” A direct quote from the landlord.

  “Ah.” He jostled the umbrella from one hand to the other. “My name is Brett.” He offered her his hand.

  Removing her hand from her pocket, she took his, felt a jolt of awareness pass from her palm to his. “Jenna,” she offered weakly, reluctant to let go of his hand.

  “Jenna.” He said her name as if trying it out on his tongue, and she liked that. He withdrew his hand from hers, and she shivered when his fingers brushed across hers. “It’s nice to meet you.”

  Thunder cracked overhead as if opening up the sky, and the rain came down even harder if that was possible, creating almost instant puddles on the uneven sidewalk. They both looked at each other and then started to run, Brett’s hand resting low on her back as if guiding her down the sidewalk. Or protecting her.

  Either way, she thought it was kind of hot.

  “This is my building,” she said breathlessly as they stopped in front of the steps leading to the double doors. She was completely worn out by the running. Man, she needed to exercise more often. Ice cream was not her friend but a vengeful enemy she needed to kick to the curb.

  They trotted up the steps to stand beneath the overhang of the front door. He closed the umbrella with a flick of his fingers and handed it to her, his gaze meeting hers.

  “Well, thanks for keeping me dry.”

  She smiled, their fingers brushing when she took the umbrella from him. Her entire body went on high alert at the innocent touch, and she wondered what might happen if he touched her as if he meant it.

  Probably spontaneous combustion.

  “I didn’t do much. You’re still pretty soaked.”

  “Yeah.” He brushed a hand over his head, sending little droplets of water scattering everywhere. “I’ll take a hot shower when I get home.”

  Jenna swallowed hard. Why did that sound so—so decadent? The thought of this hunk of a man beneath a hot spray of water, his hands sliding through his hair, water sluicing down his naked, muscular body made her mouth go dry.

  “Do you, uh, want to come up? Maybe the rain will stop soon. You can come inside and get warm.” She winced, couldn’t believe she said that. Did it sound like some sort of line? Did he think she was trying to pick him up?

  Maybe she was. Oh God, was she really?

  His eyes warmed. “Yeah, I’ll come up.”

  “Okay,” she croaked. She hadn’t expected him to agree.

  Good Lord, what she was going to do once she got him up there?

  Too many wicked things crossed Jenna’s mind, none of them proper considering he was a complete stranger. A man she didn’t know that she was inviting into her home which meant she’d gone stark raving mad.

  Stark. Raving. Mad.

  “After you,” Brett offered as he held the door open for her.

  He was a gentleman. She had to give him that, she thought as she walked inside the lobby of her apartment building. Gentlemen weren’t serial killers or rapists, right? Though that MO would probably work best in getting what he wanted…

  “Thanks,” she said, pushing all thoughts of serial killers and rapists out of her thoughts. She needed to focus on the man.

  The man who approached her with an easy grace, his smile friendly, his eyes crinkling at the corners, which indicated he smiled big and often.

  She liked that smile. She wanted to see more of it.

  Pronto.

  Brett felt like a stalker who finally obtained his prize.

  He wasn’t a stalker, hell no. He’d noticed his hot neighbor a few weeks ago and had been lucky to see her here and there ever since. She was cute. No, more than cute, she was beautiful with light brown, wavy hair and perfect skin and a figure that wouldn’t stop.

  A figure he wanted to get his hands on. Literally and soon.

  He’d caught her looking earlier. While he’d tried to keep himself dry from the rain and failed, and he couldn’t believe his good luck. When she offered her umbrella after his not-so-subtle urgings, he’d been surprised. When she’d asked him to come up to her apartment, he thought he’d hit the jackpot.

  When was the last time he’d spent quality time with a gorgeous woman anyway? He honestly couldn’t remember. Work consumed him, even with the crappy storms they’d been having. Of course, fires never stopped even in wet and dreary weather so he was busy.

  Too busy, his friends accused him of more than once. They really had nothing to say about it since they were just as busy as he was. But they also had girlfriends or wives, women who took care of them, fought with them, loved with them.

  He was jealous. And he’d felt more than a little lonely lately. Nothing a hot neighbor couldn’t solve, at least temporarily.

  If she was willing, that is.

  Following her up the stairs, he admired the sway of her hips, wished like crazy that her coat wasn’t so long. Couldn’t wait for her to shed it once they got inside her place.

  “I live on the second floor. That’s why I don’t take the elevator.” She flashed him an apologetic expression over her shoulder. “Sorry.”

  “I don’t mind.” He ran a lot to ease the stress, clear his mind. A couple of flights of stairs weren’t going to kill him.

  They came upon the door that led to her floor, and he opened it, allowed her to enter first. Her scent tickled his nostrils as she walked by, and he breathed deep, wishing he could inhale it. She smelled sweet, her fragrance reminding him of baking cookies or something.

  He certainly never thought baking sexy. But he could always be swayed.

  She stopped at apartment number 224 and withdrew her keys from her pocket, sliding the key into the lock with shaky fingers. It took a couple of jerks and a few mutterings under her breath, but she finally got it open and walked inside, glancing over her shoulder yet again to make sure he followed.

  As if he wouldn’t. He felt like a dog excited by its new owner. He wanted to slobber at her feet and beg for a treat.

  The treat being those delectable lips of hers. Or maybe he could get his hands on her waist, slide his palms up her sides until he was cupping her breasts, pinching her nipples…

  Brett shook his head. He was getting way ahead of himself, and his semi-hard cock was going to pay the price of major discomfort if he didn’t knock it off.

  “Sorry it’s such a mess,” she apologized as she darted about the room, picking up a stack of magazines from the couch and dumping them onto the coffee table. She grabbed a couple of satiny brown pillows from the floor and tossed them back onto the khaki suede couch.

  The place appeared tidy to him, but he was a bachelor. When he wasn’t spending time at his barely furnished apartment, he was living with a bunch of slobs for men and one poor woman who was unfortunately stuck with the slobs.

  “Looks good to me. I
like it,” he said as he glanced around.

  The living room was furnished tastefully, the colors subtle neutrals and browns. The large picture window overlooked the street framed by shimmery brown curtains, and he caught a flash of lightning in the dark clouded sky.

  “The storm’s getting worse,” she said, her tone worried.

  He shrugged out of his jacket and hung it on the coat rack close to the door. Watched with an appreciative gaze as she did the same.

  Ah, there was the figure he was waiting to see. Outfitted in a form fitting dark purple sweater that did amazing things to her breasts and black pants that nipped in at her small waist, she had a true woman’s body. One with curves and sweet, rounded flesh, a bounty for his senses and hopefully, eventually for his hands.

  He was, had always been an opportunist. And he wasn’t about to turn away the opportunity that had just landed in his lap.

  “I didn’t think it could get any worse.” He ran a hand over his hair again, shaking droplets of water onto her carpet. He hoped she didn’t mind. She didn’t seem to mind at all. No, she wandered over to the window to stare out at the storm unfolding before them.

  Brett followed her, enthralled with the violence of the storm outside. The wind had whipped up, bending the trees to its will. A crack of thunder sounded, so close it made him wince, and Jenna flinched. The bright flash of lightning told him the storm was most likely directly overhead.

  “I’m glad we made it inside before all of this hit.” She waved a hand at the window.

  “Yeah, no kidding.” He started unbuttoning his uniform shirt, desperate to get out of the soggy garment. He’d just gotten off work this morning after a forty-eight hour shift and his friend and coworker Wayne had dropped him off a street over from his apartment. His truck was in the shop, transmission problem, which still mightily pissed him off but he guessed he couldn’t complain.

  If he didn’t have the truck problem, he wouldn’t have needed the ride. And if Wayne hadn’t been such a hard ass and eager to get home then he wouldn’t have been dropped off so far from his place. And then he wouldn’t have met Jenna.