Page 4 of Burn for You

“I wasn’t—” Davies started.

But I didn’t hear him. I was already on the move, striding past the line. Just as the woman prepared to pay for her coffee, I stepped in.

“It’s on me,” I said with a smile. “Call it a welcome gift. You must be new to Romeo. I would have remembered running into someone as breathtaking as you around here.”

From the back of the line, Davies huffed and crossed his arms.

“You’ve gotta be fucking kidding,” he muttered.

The woman leveled a chilling stare on me with the most frigid ice-blue eyes I’d ever seen.

“I’m Seth Teagan,” I continued, extending my hand. “I work with the Romeo Fire Department.”

Her disdainful gaze flicked down to my open palm but she didn’t accept.

“And I don’t care,” she replied. “I can pay for my own coffee, thank you.”

With that, she swept her cup off the counter and walked out of the shop with her spine ramrod straight and her nose so high up in the air that I was surprised she didn’t trip over her own feet.

I blew out a breath, smiling to myself.

Damn. I think I’m in love.

Chapter 2

Marlee

I heaved a sigh as I surveyed the smoldering ruins of the house. This was going to be a nightmare when it came to paperwork.

Last month, I packed up my life in San Francisco and moved to the little town of Romeo, Texas, to fill an open position as the director of the local real estate office. The paycheck was considerably smaller, but the cost of living wasn’t as hard on my wallet as California had been, so it balanced out in the end.

And I needed to get away. To escape charming men who toyed with my heart and slept with other women behind my back. I needed to disappear for a while, to lick my wounds, to mend the pieces of a heart that had been broken one too many times.

I sipped my coffee and grimaced now that it was no longer hot. The memory of that firefighter in the coffee shop still replayed in my mind.

You must be new to Romeo. I would have remembered running into someone as breathtaking as you around here.

Seth Teagan was exactly the kind of man I wanted to avoid. He knew he was handsome, easily attracting women who would melt in his arms when he flashed a smile and dropped a flattering compliment.

Under normal circumstances, I would have gladly flirted a bit. He was a dream come true with those messy honey-brown curls, warm brown eyes, and broad shoulders. The smudges of soot on his face only made him more endearing.

But I steered clear of him instead. I came here to work and that’s what I intended to do. Men didn’t feature on my agenda. Not even for a casual fling or a harmless flirtation in a coffee shop.

So, I firmly put thoughts of Seth Teagan—and anyone else like him—out of my mind.

When I reached the police station, I marched straight to the front desk.

“I’m Marlee Jenkins,” I said. “I spoke to Sheriff Beck about a house fire earlier. He’s expecting me.”

The receptionist nodded and gave me directions to his office. The door was open when I arrived, showing Sheriff Beck in conversation with someone else—a man in a firefighter’s snug-fitting blue t-shirt and pants. My stomach dropped when I recognized his profile, that tousled honey-brown hair, the smooth tan from hours spent in the sun. He was clean this time, though. No soot, no heavy gear.

“Miss Jenkins, there you are.” Sheriff Beck gestured for me to come in. “Have a seat, make yourself comfortable. This is a firefighter who was at the scene today, Seth Teagan. He was the one who discovered signs of arson.”

Teagan rose from his seat with an infuriatingly smug smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. He extended his hand again, a wicked little gleam in his eye.

“Good morning, Miss Jenkins,” he said. “It’s a pleasure to bump into you again.”

I flicked a glance at Sheriff Beck, then back at Teagan. There was no way out of it this time. A handshake was the professional thing to do. I couldn’t snub Teagan in front of Sheriff Beck without raising eyebrows.

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