Page 10 of Light My Fire

I hope she’s submissive.

I’m surprised by the thought that flits through my head.

I don’t need a submissive partner. That can definitely be hot, no question, but while I’ll get dirty and a little bossy in bed, I’m no dom.

Still, with Brooke…fuck. It’s the sweetness about her. Or the fact that she is slightly tipsy. Or that with her hair up in the messy bun, no makeup, and these baggy casual clothes, she seems much younger than her twenty-something. Or something.

She might be feisty as fuck. That’s great too.

But I can’t get the idea of ordering her around out of my head.

“How do you feel about loaded baked potatoes?” I ask her.

“I’m not sure I have any feelings about them at all,” she tells me. The corner of her mouth tugs up. “How do you feel about them?”

I reach over to where her hand is resting on the countertop. I run my finger over the back of her knuckles. “I’m pretty into the excess in all things and will always vote for havingallthe extra goodies,” I tell her. “I think that applies to everything from potatoes to life in general.”

Her smile grows. “I could get into that philosophy.”

I nod. “Yes, I really think you could, Brooke.”

Her gaze drops to my mouth again, but comes back to my eyes quickly. “What do you do, Jackson?” she asks. “I know Wyatt and Luke are firefighters. But you’re not, right?”

“I’m just rich, charming, and handsome twenty-four-seven,” I tell her.

She laughs. “I can see why that might keep you busy.”

“Lucky for me, all of those things come very easily, so I do have free time. Just so you know. If you would ever need me for anything.”

Wyatt turns away from the sink where he’s washing potatoes, but it’s not him that pulls my attention. It’s the loudwhackof a knife against a cutting board.

We all look over to where Luke is slicing vegetables for the salad he’s making.

“Got an especiallyhardcucumber there, Chief?” I ask him.

He’s not looking at us, and he seems to be muttering to himself. “Are you going to be any help at all?” he asks me.

“I’m helping,” I say. I grin at Brooke. “I’m entertaining our guest. You find me entertaining, don’t you, sweetheart?”

Her lashes flutter, I’m sure involuntarily, at the endearment. She nods. “I do. But…” She glances at Luke, then Wyatt. “You’re really kind ofmyguests. It’s my brother’s cabin, and I was here first.”

I grin. “That’s true. I guess that meansyouneed to entertainus.”

She smiles at that, but blushes prettily. Very prettily. The pink flush on her skin is so damned hot.

I hear another sharpwhackagainst the cutting board and I have to bite back a laugh.

This is definitely going to be fun. Not only can I flirt with Brooke and tease Wyatt, but I can drive Luke crazy, too. Win-win-win.

“He accidentally got rich and now spends his days fucking around,” Wyatt says. He glances over. “That’s what Jackson does.”

Brooke’s gaze comes back to me. “Accidentally? Did you win the lottery or something?”

I chuckle. “Kind of feels that way. I invented an app that took off. Sold it a couple of years ago for a lot of money.” I shoot my best friend a look that I know he clearly reads asgame onand then look back to her. “But I grew up in a working class family. Very normal. Bought my parents a house first thing after I hitit big. I also give a lot of money away to charity. Animals, kids, hospitals. You name it. I have ahuge… heart.” I pause and watch her smile grow. “But I do enjoy life. And if you would ever like to take a spontaneous trip to New York or really anywhere, I’ll give you my number. I’ll answer for you twenty-four-seven.”

She looks at me for a moment, then starts laughing. “Has that ever happened?”

“What?”

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