Page 11 of Chasing Shelter

Smoke.

“Shit, shit, shit!” I raced down the stairs toward the kitchen. Smoke billowed out of the oven in angry waves, and I tried to remember if this was the sort of fire I could put out with water. I spun around, trying to see if there was a fire extinguisher or a pitcher of some kind, as the blaring warred with the nineties pop.

I swore I heard something else, too. A banging. But I was too worried about potentially blowing myself up to seek out the source.

I should have.

Because I was frantically opening cabinets one second, and the next, a dark god of fury was striding into my kitchen. I gaped as the man hauled open the oven and sprayed something inside to douse the flames.

As he straightened, I took in the details I couldn’t grasp before. Dark hair still damp from a shower. Green eyes like the hues found deep in the forest. Scruff dotting a jaw so sharp it could cut glass. And a worn Mercer County Sheriff T-shirt, the kind that was perfect for sleeping in.

“Trace?”

3

TRACE

I didn’t knowwhere the hell to look. Everywhere my eyes darted was skin. Too much damn beauty.

And she had ridiculous, sparkly rainbows on her panties.

Cute on top of gorgeous was not a good combination. Especially when it came to Ellie Pierce. She was all sunshine and goofiness. But the woman had secrets. And secrets weren’t something I handled well.

“What the hell are you doing?” I growled.

Her mouth dropped open. “Trying to make a pizza?”

“You could’ve burned this house down. What are you doing in Mrs. Henderson’s house anyway?” I wanted to ask what she was doing here half-naked, but my dick didn’t need to be thinking about that any more than it already was.

“I, uh, live here.”

Oh, hell no.

I paced to the window, opening it so the smoke could escape. The last thing I needed was Ellie living next door. She was walking temptation, and a mess all rolled into one. And that was something Ineeded to stay far away from when I had a daughter to think about. I needed safe, stable, and predictable. And Ellie was rainbow fireworks.

Fireworks and secrets.

Turning back around, I wanted to jab an ice pick into my eyes. Tan skin, pale green eyes, hair that couldn’t quite decide what color it wanted to be, and curves for days. My dick twitched.

That was it. I was going to hell.

“For the love of God, put this on.” I tugged off my tee and handed it to her.

Ellie flushed, the color deepening the apples of her cheeks and only making her lookmorebeautiful. “Sorry, I, uh, just got out of the shower.”

“You’re making it worse,” I groaned, pinching the bridge of my nose.

She tugged the shirt over her head. “Better?” Her gaze dipped to my chest, tracing lines I couldn’t see. Information I didn’t need.

“Not really,” I grumbled.

Annoyance took over some of the embarrassment. “Has anyone ever told you that you’re a grouch?”

“You’re the one who almost set the neighborhood on fire.”

“You’rethe one who broke into my house.”

Heat flared because she had a point. “I have a key.”

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