One More Kiss (14 page)
Authors: Kim Amos
The lieutenant tore his eyes from the copper pipe and looked around the basement—past the boxes of stationery and the old phone books and an oddly placed plastic Hula-hoop.
“I want to take a closer look at things,” he said. “Quinn and Reese, you two head upstairs, check and see that the smoke detectors all have working batteries and the fire exits aren’t encumbered. I’ll be up in a few.”
Casey watched the female firefighter open her mouth, think better of what she was going to say, and close it. Together, the two firefighters tromped back up the steps in their heavy gear.
“So…can I go?” Casey asked, unsure what she was supposed to be doing. The lieutenant frowned, a motion that bunched the chiseled lines of his face. He’d be handsome, Audrey thought, if he wasn’t so completely abrupt about everything.
“If you would, I need you to answer a few questions.”
Casey shifted, feeling suddenly like she was under investigation. She quickly texted Rolf, their program coordinator.
All clear inside. Take everyone to Rolling Pin. Buy hot choc. I’ll be there in a few.
She hit send as the lieutenant made a low rumbling in his throat. The noise involuntarily sent goose bumps up and down her arms.
“You have a smoke detector down here?” he asked, making his way deeper into the basement. He flipped on buzzing overhead lights as he went.
“I don’t know,” she replied, trailing in his wake.
The lieutenant made the low rumbling in his throat again, and it struck Casey that the sound was of disapproval. Her jaw clenched with irritation. Why were they still down here if this was just a case of low batteries?
Casey tapped her toe on the scuffed cement floor. She watched the lieutenant scan the pipes and boards all around. She caught a flash of blond under his helmet. The lock of hair looked thick and wavy in a way that had her fingertips itching to touch it—at least until he made the low rumble in his throat a third time.
“Can’t find a single smoke detector down here. You’ll want to change that.”
Yes, Your Highness
, she thought.
“I’ll talk to the director,” she said instead.
“And a fire extinguisher. You’ll want one of those, too.”
“I’ll add it to the list.”
“What’s your name?” He was staring at the pipes on the ceiling again. As if he couldn’t be bothered to take time from his all-important inspection to focus on her.
“Casey Tanner.”
“What brought you to Robot Lit?”
It’s complicated.
“Job change,” she said. “I moved down here from Eagan.”
She pictured the bare walls of her new house, the naked wood floors, and the stacks of boxes she needed to empty, and held back an overwhelmed sigh. The mountain of work ahead of her was daunting, made more so by the fact that she was desperate to find her Christmas decorations. It was December first already, and not a single ornament was in place, no matter that she had taped a label on every box and listed the contents in Sharpie. But the boxes she’d identified as “Holiday”—inventoried with bullet points like “fake snow, tinsel, Rudolph figures,” and more—simply couldn’t be found.
“Are you a tutor at Robot Lit?” This time the lieutenant looked up from his writing, and for a brief moment the strict lines around his mouth and eyes relaxed. Casey’s breath caught unexpectedly.
“I’m an accountant,” she managed. “They brought me on to help get their finances in order. And keep them that way.”
She left out the part about taking a huge pay cut to come here and trying to rebuild her relationship with her sister. In other words, the part where she was blind and selfish and in need of a shakeup.
She squared her shoulders, trying to seem more confident than she felt. The lieutenant might have rugged good looks, but she didn’t want him knowing anything about her. The way he found every flaw in this building probably translated to finding flaws in people. And Lord knew she had plenty for him to uncover.
She glanced at her phone as a text message from Rolf came in.
Everyone at Rolling Pin. Text when you can.
“Almost finished?” she asked, reading the text message again so she didn’t linger too long on the almond shape of the lieutenant’s eyes.
“For now,” he said. “On our way back up, let’s take the elevator. I want to see how the emergency call button is functioning.”
Casey blinked. She didn’t even know Robot Lit had an elevator. Which was just as well. Small spaces always caused her heart to pound and her head to hurt. Elevators especially.
She tamped down the lump of worry. It wasn’t as if they were shooting up to the top of the Empire State Building, for crying out loud.
Nevertheless, her throat was dry as she followed the lieutenant into the elevator. Above the collar of his fireman’s coat, she caught a glimpse of his neck. The skin was golden enough to have her picturing droplets of honey on a sunny day.
When the doors slid shut behind them, the lieutenant hit floor three, then punched the brass button with the fireman’s cap on it. The elevator jerked into motion. He kept his finger on the panel, waiting for some kind of response. To take her mind off the cramped space, Casey studied the fine blond hairs on the back of the lieutenant’s enormous hand. They looked so delicate in contrast to the rest of him. His spicy smell was back, so much so that her head was all but filled with it. She told herself the pounding in her chest was from the enclosed space.
The lieutenant pressed the fire call button again and again. No response.
“Has anyone used—” the lieutenant began. But the words died on his lips when the elevator squawked to a halt, and they were plunged into darkness.
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TROUBLE IN HIGH HEELS…
If pride goes before a fall, Willa Masterson’s trip back to White Pine, Minnesota, should be one heck of a tumble. The girl who left her hometown—and her first love, Burk Olmstead—in the rearview twelve years ago was spoiled and headstrong. But the woman who returns is determined to rebuild: first her family house; then her relationships with everyone in town…starting with a certain tall, dark, and sexy contractor.
…MEETS HER MATCH
Burk has no reason to believe Willa has changed, and every reason to discourage her from converting the Masterson house into a B&B. He has plans of his own for that house, and they certainly don't include a no-vacancy sign. But Burk didn't count on how distracting Willa’s bright green eyes or her all-too-familiar touch would feel—or how impossible she will be to resist…
PLAYING WITH FIRE…
Five years ago, Audrey Tanner flung caution to the wind and herself into the arms of an emerald-eyed bad boy biker she met at the White Pine Asparagus Festival. Two blissful weeks together convinced her that Kieran Callaghan was The One—until The One blew town without a word, leaving her brokenhearted. Now, starting a new job at the new Harley-Davidson showroom, Audrey is floored to meet her new boss: Kieran. He’s still hot as hell, but she won’t fall for his sexy smile again. This time, she’s calling the shots.
…OR PLAYING FOR KEEPS?
Kieran never thought he’d return to White Pine, Minnesota, much less see Audrey again. Gorgeous and smart as ever, she’s just as irresistible as he remembered. She still doesn’t know why he had to leave—or that he’s missed her every day since. But he can’t deny he wants more than the no-strings fling Audrey proposes. As things between them heat up, Kieran must choose between the secret he’s sworn to keep and the woman he never stopped loving…
TURN ON THE CHARM…
Eternal good girl Casey Tanner moved to White Pine for a fresh start. Her mission: to finally have fun. And a fling with a reckless bad boy is the very first item on the to-do list she pretended not to make. After one long, lingering look at a sexy firefighter, Casey has found her man.
…AND TURN UP THE HEAT
Getting women into his bed has never been a problem for Abe Cameron. Letting one into his heart is an entirely different matter. But just one kiss, just one touch, just one smile from beautiful Casey has this lifelong bachelor flirting with the idea of forever. And Casey's refusal to settle down only makes Abe more determined than ever to win her heart. Now the one woman who can’t be caught is the only one Abe can’t live without…
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Table of Contents
- Cover
- Title Page
- Welcome
- Prologue
- Chapter One
- Chapter Two
- Chapter Three
- Chapter Four
- Chapter Five
- Chapter Six
- Chapter Seven
- Chapter Eight
- Epilogue
- Betty Lindholm’s Witches Brew Chili
- About the Author
- An Excerpt from EVERY LITTLE KISS
- You Might Also Like…
- Newsletters
- Copyright
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
Copyright © 2015 by Lara Zielin
Excerpt from
Every Little Kiss
copyright 2015 by Lara Zielin
Cover design by [NAME]
[INSERT ADDITIONAL PHOTO CREDITS IF APPLICABLE, OR DELETE THIS LINE]
Cover copyright © [YEAR] by Hachette Book Group, Inc.