Page 10 of Burn for You

Why did that make me feel strangely…warm…all over? I chewed the inside of my cheek, glancing at the clock on my computer for the third time in two minutes. What was taking Seth so long at the fire? Four hours had passed. I should have heard something by now. I hated the idea of closing up in thirty minutes and heading home without any answers…

My receptionist’s voice cut through my thoughts on my intercom.

“Miss Jenkins, Sheriff Beck from the Romeo Police Department and Seth Teagan, from the Romeo Fire Department are here to speak with you.”

“Send them in,” I replied, fighting the flutter in my belly at the mention of Seth’s name.

A moment later, Sheriff Beck and Seth entered my office. I rose to greet them, steeling myself when I gripped Seth’s hand. He still wore his turnout gear, and his face was smudged with soot, indicating he didn’t have enough time to clean up before this meeting.

“What can I do for you, gentlemen?” I asked. “Do you have information about that house fire on Fleet Street?”

Sheriff Beck cleared his throat.

“Unfortunately, we found evidence that the fire was started by the same arsonist that started the fire earlier this week.”

I gritted my teeth and exhaled slowly. Not exactly surprising, but having it confirmed was a blow nonetheless. I would have to take extra security precautions with all of our properties that were currently on the market. When word reached my clients, I would have a PR nightmare on my hands.

“We’re digging into previous case files,” Seth said. “Looking for any signs that the arsonist might have acted earlier than this.”

“Well, the sooner you can catch whoever it is, the better,” I countered. “I’m losing money left and right. My clients trust me to handle the sale of their homes.”

“If you can provide a list of your current properties that are for sale,” Sheriff Beck replied. “I will personally assign an officer to patrol the area and keep an eye out for danger.”

“I’ll have an assistant get that information to you within the hour,” I said. “In the meantime—”

Glass shattered. A red cylinder rolled to a stop at my feet and bumped against my shoe.

“Get down!” Seth bellowed.

Everything happened so fast. Between one blink and the next, Seth kicked the red cylinder away. A deafening boom filled my office, followed by a shower of sparks and a high-pitched shrieking nose that felt like it was piercing my eardrums.

Then Seth collided with me. When I hit the floor, he curled his body around mine, his palm cupping the back of my head. His weight was heavy and oppressive, and the scent of smoke from his turnout gear filled my lungs.

The sound of scuffling filled the room. Sheriff Beck swore under his breath.

“Get her out of here,” he barked.

Seth curled his strong fingers around my upper arm and pulled me to my feet. He tucked me into his side as he draped the weight of his firefighter’s coat around my shoulders. A haze of smoke filled my office, making my eyes water. My ceiling was pockmarked and blackened.

“What happened?” I rasped.

My voice felt like it had been stripped raw from the smoke. Seth led me out of the office and into the fresh, cool late afternoon air.

“Someone threw a firework through your window,” he replied. “There’s no doubt that you’re the target of this arsonist now.”

I winced as I rubbed my aching neck. The adrenaline was beginning to wear off. I felt bruised all over after being tackled to the floor by Seth. I patted my hair self-consciously—it was a tangled mess, falling loose from my ponytail.

“Did I hurt you?”

Seth touched my cheek, brushing a lock of hair behind my ear. My tongue suddenly seemed glued to the roof of my mouth. It took every ounce of composure to prevent myself from leaning into his touch, melting like a pile of snow in mid-July beneath the heat of his hand.

I shook my head, pressing my lips tightly together. I didn’t trust myself to speak. My voice would give me away in a heartbeat.

“Sorry about the football tackle,” he said. “Just doing my job.”

A faint, shaky laugh escaped me.

“I won’t hold it against you.”

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