Page 28 of Smoke and Fire
He drummed his fingers on something in his pocket, and I assumed by the rectangular surface it was a small notebook. The idea of a masculine fire fighter running around a mountain set to flame, but thinking of romantic ideas for his next plot, almost sent a cackle through me. He’d been one surprise after another from the very beginning.
I tilted my head to the side, my hair falling in waves as I regarded him.
“Why are you doing this?” I asked. “Writing in the winter, fire fighting in the summer, and hiding behind a pen name so no one knows who you really are? Is this your dream, or something?”
Any amusement in his features dissipated. He drew in a deep breath, then said, “No, it’s not really my dream. I do it because there are people that need me.”
Before I could comment, he shoved off the chair and stood up. I had to tilt my head back to take in his whole form. The insane desire to have his strong arms wrapped all the way around me sent a shock through my middle and I caught my breath.
“Priyanka is my agent,” he murmured. “She knows I’m going to pay someone to help manage the launch. She should leave you alone, but I can’t promise she won’t try to snoop in. Chocolate is her weakness, so if she’s driving you crazy and emailing in all the time, or something, just ignore her and send her chocolates. Her address is in my contacts. I’ll pay you back.”
I laughed. “You treat your agent like a puppy? Give her a treat and hope she’ll go away?”
To my relief—and delight—another hint of a smile cracked that serious veneer. “If you want to look at it that way, then yes.”
“Got it.”
I nodded, gratified that I likely wouldn’t have to deal withhis people.Answering emails and responding to written interview requests? Easy. Besides, there was something authentic and beautiful in the way he carefully responded to all the sincere fan emails. Like a butterfly that he didn’t want to fly away without thanking it first. It put a gentle edge on such a hard, broad man. The disparity of who he was, against who he appeared to be, struck me yet again.
“I’ll start in the morning,” I said.
I smiled just to test the waters. As expected, the full effect made him blink, then look away. A hint of a blush lingered on top of his cheeks, and I felt a thrill zip all the way to my spine. Was it possible that this guy had the beginnings of a crush on me? Hope made my head momentarily woozy. Maybe I liked that idea a little bit too much. How many years had passed since I’d been in this position?
Doesn’t matter,Inner Me sang.Just go with it now.
Apparently, I couldn’t help myself.
The draw of my attraction to him was too strong. I metaphorically let go of thoughts of Jakob and positioned myself in front of Bastian. When I did that, Bastian took up all my mental space anyway.
Jakob had never done that,Inner Me whispered.
“Great,” Bastian said, drawing me from my thoughts. “I’ll be in Jackson City all day tomorrow taking care of a few things. Then, we’ll leave early the next morning for an unknown assignment. No rush getting started. Just text as you need to.”
With a nod, he headed for the door. I shot to my feet.
“One final question.”
He paused, halfway out. When he looked back at me, my breath caught. The raw edge of fire in his eyes startled me. The stress and terror had faded from his body, leaving a tired man in its wake. Tired, but beautiful. There was something alluring about his calmer state. I wanted to wrap my hands around a mug of coffee and talk to him for the rest of the night.
“Why did you trust me so quickly?” I asked. “You don’t know me. I could have been a crazy fan that outed you, or something.”
“Dunno,” he murmured. “Guess I just had a feeling.”
With that, he disappeared.
8
BASTIAN
Dad’s quiet house met me with silence.
I sat down at the table and exhaled the longest breath I’d ever taken. It trailed out of me until my head swam. I leaned forward, put my head on the flat, cool tabletop, and let my stress unwind.
She’s got this,I thought.This will be fine.
Dahlia’s confidence—one could almost call it arrogance—set me at ease. When she said she had this under control, I believed her. My review of the emails, the social media accounts, and what people said, had been quick. Simple. Maybe not detailed enough, but she had a fast mind and a willing work ethic. I had every reason to believe it would be just fine. My stress over the launch had all but crumbled to the floor.
Now?
