Page 1 of Playing with Fire

Chapter One

LOGAN

Another laugh eruptedfrom the group of women at the corner table. I picked up my beer and took a long swig, the taste barely registering. My focus was definitely elsewhere. Mostly on the one woman among them I was trying my best to ignore. One who’d wedged herself under my skin in the most frustrating way. Like a stubborn splinter you struggled to get out.

I placed the bottle back down on the table with a thud, and Jay raised a brow at me from across the table. Hopefully, he couldn't see through the mask of indifference I was trying like hell to keep on my face. It was hard enough to hide things from these guys I spent so much time with, but after working with Jay for almost seven years now, he knew me better than most.

“You okay, man?”

I glanced around the table at the rest of the crew, taking in their questioning looks. Shit. Apparently, I was doing a crap job of hiding my frustration tonight.

If it wasn't the new guy's first week with the Half Moon Lake Fire Department, I wouldn't even be making such a strong effort to stay at the bar. Would have found some excuse to get the hell out of here already. But it was only Seth’s second day, and it was a hard one.

Another fucking arson case. Third one in the last month and the sixth incident since they started in January. Thankfully, it was always unoccupied buildings, so no civilian injuries. They really needed to solve this shit and figure out who was starting the damn fires before someone ended up seriously hurt. Or worse.

“Yeah. Just a long day.” We were all feeling that, and since I couldn't add the real reason I was annoyed, I fell back on the convenient excuse of what we were all thinking. “Ready for them to catch this fucker.”

They all nodded and followed it up with another drink of their beers. Seth glanced around the bar. He hadn't said much since we got there. He came across as the quiet type, but I had to wonder if he was regretting taking the job. I hoped not. Because we really needed an extra full-time firefighter.

Nestled in the mountains of North Carolina, Half Moon Lake was an “everyone knew everyone” kind of small town. Our company relied heavily on volunteer firefighters, plus we were routinely short on EMTs. When Adam—who was not only a firefighter, but EMT trained as well—picked up those shifts, it left us a little thin on coverage. And with the chief close to retirement, he was grooming Owen to take his position in a few years, shifting some of his responsibilities and availability as well. Getting Seth up to speed was a bit of a priority, professionally and socially.

Adam stared intently over my shoulder as he took another swig from his bottle. I could tell he was focusing on the same group of women I’d been trying to ignore.

Following his gaze to a brunette I didn't recognize, I tipped my head in that direction. “Why aren't you going over there? You're usually all about that.”

He blinked before meeting my gaze and shook his head. “Not like that. She's a student in the EMT class I'm teaching.”

Hmm. Interesting. I wasn't buying that he wasn't into her, but I understood the teacher-student issue. In a few weeks, he'd have a new group of students and she would no longer be in his class. Wonder what he'd do then.

I stiffened on my stool as Jay's sister Izzy stepped up to our table, placing three shot glasses down and grabbing two more from her friend behind her. Had they abandoned their table in the corner and decided to come join ours? I couldn’t handle anymore torture tonight, and having her so close would definitely be torture.

“You all deserve shots after today.” Her long, dirty blonde hair brushed my arm as she turned her head away from me, sending a cascade of curls over her shoulder.

I bit back a groan. Jesus. At this point, maybe I could bail.

Shifting uncomfortably, I froze as her gaze landed on me. She picked up one of the shot glasses with a smile on her face and held it up to me. I tried not to glare at her. There was no way I could explain being a dick, especially toward Jay's sister.

The truth would not go over well, though. It wasn't even sitting well with me. Izzy had always been Jay's younger sister—hismuchyounger sister. I’d known her for years and barely paid her any mind.

Until recently. Until something changed.

I zeroed in on her plump lips, glistening with a shiny coat of gloss, and cursed her existence for the dozenth time in the last six months. I snatched the shot from her hand, ignoring the sensation the brush of our fingers caused, and threw back the liquid.

“Guess he's not waiting for us.” Adam chuckled before raising his glass around the table.

I narrowed my eyes at the idiot. We weren't fucking toasting or celebrating. Not after today.

Owen smirked at me from his spot on the other side of Izzy. Fuck. Did he know what was really bothering me? I wouldn't doubt it. He never missed anything. Well, except not realizing he slept with the Chief's daughter when he first started at the house. That whole situation was a mess. I shook my head as I spotted Chief Thompson heading toward our table. But it all worked out, I guess.

“Need another one?” Owen razzed, tipping his chin at my empty shot glass.

Maybe that was exactly what I needed.

If I drank more, maybe it would help me ignore Izzy and my growing attraction to her. An attraction I still didn't understand. She was almost twelve years younger than me. And Jay's baby sister. So no part of me could have an opinion on her shiny lips, intoxicating smell, or long hair that I wanted to tangle my fingers in. I just needed my dick to get on board and everything would be fine again.

The biggest problem was that, between Jay's wedding more than a month ago, the coed bachelor and bachelorette party before that, and—now that she had recently turned twenty-one—turning up at the bars we were at, avoiding her had become more difficult. Honestly, new guy’s regrets or not, if I knew she was going to be here tonight, I would have stayed away.

It was hard to avoid anyone for long in our small town, but apparently, I needed to try harder.

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