Total pages in book: 9
Estimated words: 8162 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 41(@200wpm)___ 33(@250wpm)___ 27(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 8162 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 41(@200wpm)___ 33(@250wpm)___ 27(@300wpm)
“Not sure why you got so much time on your hands. I could help you with that,” Ryan suggests, and I’m not sure if he’s teasing or not. He’s always been a giant flirt.
“Heads up,” one of the other firemen mutters. Out of the corner of my eye I see the sheriff’s black SUV pull in. We only have two of these vehicles in town and one belongs to Angela who is about to retire. Hers, however, is white, while the black one belongs to Aspen.
I knew when I got this job that not only would we be running into each other but we’d have to spend a lot of our days in communication. Which is something we haven’t done in a while. Since the failed kiss, I avoid Aspen the best I can, but he always manages to pop up. Even when I was training in the city. I’m sure it’s him trying to watch out for me and not because of why I wish he wanted to be around me.
A few years ago I thought him chasing the opposite sex away from me and showing up out of nowhere was kind of hot. I thought maybe he was jealous and wanted to show everyone that I was his. Oh, how wrong I’d been. He might as well be one of my brothers. Gross. There is nothing brotherly about the way I see Aspen.
“Why heads up?” I raise my chin and stare up at Ryan while pretending I don’t know Aspen is headed right towards me. “You scared of the sheriff?”
“You really want to play with fire?” He smirks down at me, and I shrug.
“I guess if anyone could teach me how it would be you.”
“That’s enough,” Aspen’s voice booms across the parking lot.
“Oh, I think I like this new show better,” I hear Becs snicker.
“What’s enough?” I ask innocently as I turn my gaze to Aspen. I wish I didn’t have a thing for men in uniform, but then again, I’ve only ever had a thing for him. Which is what I’m currently trying to get over.
“Get inside, Betty is waiting for you,” Aspen orders as his hand goes to my hip to push me towards the police station.
I’ve had enough of his interruptions so I smack his hand away.
“I’ll see you all later,” I call to the firemen. I’m done caring if I get burned. I’m not a little girl anymore and it’s time Aspen learns to understand that.
Chapter Two
ASPEN
“You know, I’ve heard that scowling can lead to premature wrinkles,” Angela says, but I’m not really paying her any attention. I make some kind of sound of acknowledgement but don’t turn away from the window. “And lower your sperm count.”
“Hmm,” is all I say because I don’t like how close Marshall is to the dispatch board. Sure, he’s ninety-seven years old but I don’t like the way he’s smiling at Mina.
“I also heard Mina has a date this weekend.”
“What?” Now that got my attention. I whip around in my chair so fast it nearly topples over but I manage to catch myself on the desk at the last second.
Angela is tying red ribbon around the package on her desk and grabs the scissors to curl the ends of it. “You didn’t know? I think that young firefighter, what’s his name, Ryan? Yeah, I think he asked her out.”
“It’s Valentine’s,” I say it like it’s a murder scene. Which means it should be the obvious reason she’s not going on a date with him.
“Yeah.” Angela looks at me like I’m crazy and holds up the present. “It’s what people do on Valentine’s. Well, I guess people who have the balls to ask out the person they’re in love with.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” My eyes narrow in a scowl as I turn my chair away from Angela and go back to glaring out the window. “Remind me how many more days there are until you retire.”
“Maybe you should go back to your own office and count.” She laughs at her own joke.
We both know why I’m in here all the time and it’s not because I want her office. It’s because from this little window you can see directly to the dispatch desk where Mina is working.
She’s been here for over a week now and every moment since she started working here has been the worst of my life. Or maybe also the best because I get to see her so much. Either way she doesn’t seem to understand the literal hell she’s putting me through.
Just then Mina gets up from her desk and I take a long look at her ass. She’s got on a tight skirt today that was hidden by an oversized cardigan. She must have gotten hot and taken the cardigan off because now I can see the flare of her hips and how lush her curves are.