Page 18 of Heat Stroke

Blaze

Growling, I usethe end of my hammer to attempt to pull out the now crooked and bent nail. I glare at the nail gun like it’s at fault.

Kristoph, my older brother and partner, glances over at me. “What’s up with you today, Blaze? You’re making mistakes you never make. That’s the fourth nail you’ve shot into the wrong spot and fucked up. You never do that. What’s on your mind?”

Looking at him, I sigh and use my forearm to push up my hardhat and wipe the sweat from my brow. The commercial sized fans aren’t doing anything for the heat today. All they’re doing is circulating the sweltering outside air. Yanking at the bent nail, I growl as it sticks. “Nothing… my head is just somewhere else today.”

“Blaze! Blaze Carrington! Where the hell are you?!” an angry female voice I instantly recognize echoes throughout the work site.

Kristoph’s brows raise as he looks past me to where her voice is coming from. Setting the hammer down, I turn. I see one of my men pointing my way and then, Wren stalks toward me. She’s pissed.

“Oh… now I understand where your head is at.” His voice is full of humor. Leaning back against a stud, he crosses his arms and grins as Wren reaches us.

Ignoring him, she points at me, jabbing me in the chest. “You’re an asshole!”

Kristoph laughs heartily and glances at me before looking back at her. I only see him from the corner of my eye since I’m focusing on Wren. He cheekily says, “Ah, Wren LeSalle. Now, I understand.”

She glances over at him and nods. “Kristoph. I’m going to need a minute with your asshole brother here.”

That’s the second time she’s called me an asshole! What the hell?

Why is she so pissed at me?!

I apologized last night. I left and gave her the space she wanted. She didn’t want me around, so I left.

And, I’m an asshole?!

Ok, obviously she doesn’t care about my apology.

Fair enough. But, she’s at my work site now, screaming at me in front of my brother and all of our crew.

Reaching down, I cup her elbow and steer her to the trailer outside of the active work site. She isn’t in proper safety gear to be in here anyway, and in the trailer, there aren’t any tools she can impale me with.

Glaring at me, she sputters, “Stop it! Let go! You’re ruining everything… This is not supposed to go like this!”

What is she talking about?

What’s not supposed to go like this?

She’s fighting me as I direct her through the front room, under the curious and amused eyes of the whole crew and Kristoph.

We get outside and I release her arm, but press my hand to her back. “Go into the trailer. Whatever you’re about to scream at me for, let’s do it in the air conditioner and away from the site. You aren’t in safety gear and I don’t want to get fined or shut down.”

Stomping up the stairs, she flings open the door to the trailer. I follow her… unsure of what I’m about to be chewed out for.

The overhead lights automatically come on as we enter. The coolness of the air is a welcome relief. Turning to face her, I say, “Wha…” My words are cut off as she grabs my sweaty face with both hands, knocking my hard hat off in the process. It thumps against the floor just as her lips press against mine.

I’m too stunned to do anything.

What the hell?

She just called me an asshole twice, but now, she’s kissing me.

Why is she kissing me?

Why am I not kissing her back?

Idiot!

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