Page 12 of Burn for You

“Well, for the record, my job keeps me busy. I usually eat on the go, and protein bars last longer in my purse or my desk than ice cream does. I guess I just don’t have time for it otherwise.”

He hummed and gestured at me with his spoon.

“So…you’re a workaholic.”

“I prefer to call it being dedicated to my career,” I countered.

He snorted and dug into his ice cream, shaking his head.

“You’re hiding.”

I scoffed.

“Beg your pardon?”

Seth fixed me with a long, searching look. I fought down a rising blush, caught in the spotlight of his attention.

“Judging by your style, I’d say appearance means a lot to you. That fancy car you drive suggests your bank account is fat and happy. Most folks don’t make that kind of money in a small town. You moved here from California…but you don’t have the laid back demeanor of a Cali girl, so that means you didn’t do any hiking and surfing. Probably lived and breathed some soul-sucking corporate gig. A woman like you doesn’t bother with small towns like Romeo unless you want to disappear.”

I growled at how easily he could read me and shoved a spoonful of ice cream into my mouth. It was deliciously sweet and creamy and cold, soothing my raw throat after inhaling the smoke from that firework. Seth breathed a laugh.

“I’m right, aren’t I?”

“It was a lucky guess.”

“You can admit I’m right. It won’t kill you.”

“Maybe it would,” I protested. “The shock of it could stop my heart and I’d keel over dead on the spot. Then my blood would be on your hands.”

Seth shrugged.

“Not a bad way to go, if you ask me. Imagine that in the headlines of the local newspaper:New Girl Expires While Dating Hottest Firefighter in Town.”

I choked on my ice cream, incredulous.

“We arenotdating.”

He gestured between us.

“We’re hanging out. We’re talking. There’s food involved. Sounds like a date to me.”

I flung an arm at the police.

“An arsonist tried to set fire to my officewhen I was still inside.”

A teasing sparkle gleamed in his eyes.

“And you wore my coat afterward for comfort. Sounds like something a girlfriend would do.”

I made a noise of frustration and turned away, fighting the temptation to flick ice cream at him.

“Oh, all right,” Seth relented. “Since you’re a big shot from California, you probably expect a little more fuss when it comes to your dates.”

“As a matter of fact, I do,” I said.

“So, let me take you out this weekend.”

I turned to look at him in surprise.

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