Page 16 of Sequoia Flames
“Don’t you think a rescue worker should be more focused on help and less threatening?” Alex grunts, his eyes so angry that he’s practically burning me up.
I cross my arms over my chest and deliberately stand a little straighter, glaring down my nose at them. “I didn’t say that I’d hurt you but if you touch her…” I jerk my thumb at the tent, “Well, you better pray the fire gets to you before I do. I won’t be near as gentle as it is. Now I suggest you guys grab a rock and get comfy. It’s gonna be a long couple of hours until daylight and we get the hell out of here.”
I watch the two of them stumble off, finally sitting down against rocks and eyeing me up like I’m a wild animal.
Glaring back at them, I feel like the feral creature they think I am. Nobody’s touching Verity and if they do… I’ll bury them where nobody else will ever find them again.
I stand there, my body rigid and my inner beast refusing to let me relax one little bit.
My eyes never leave them for the rest of the night.
ELEVEN
VERITY
“Hey,Firefly. Wake up, sweetheart. It’s time to get this show on the road.”
“Mmmph! What?”
“Wow, you’re not a morning person, are you?”
Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I try to focus and groan, covering my head with the sleeping bag. It’s ripped off my head and I jerk up, swinging at the devil with the dark blue eyes.
“Hey, princess. I hate to interrupt your beauty sleep but they’re gonna be able to move the chopper soon and get it up. We gotta be up to the top of that summit at the clearing so they can land. If not, we may miss our window with the weather coming in.”
I roll over and then squeal when a heavy swat lands on my ass. I jerk around and glare at him. He just grins. “I honestly didn’t think you could get cuter but you’re just full of surprises, Firefly.”
“I wish you’d fall off a cliff,” I mutter under my breath, standing and rubbing my ass.
He just chuckles, his pale blue eyes sunny and full of excitement. “We’re gonna get you out of here and then I’m gonna help my guys take care of this pesky wildfire. And then you know what I’m gonna do?”
Lifting a brow, I struggle to pack up the bag. He stops me and shakes my hand until I drop it.
“We’ve got more people to get out of here. It’s only bare necessities.”
“I need my bag,” I huff, my mouth dropping open.
“Nope. The chopper is going to be lifting a lot of weight with just you three and the pilot and the guy running the door. You need to take bare necessities. Sleeping bags, bottled water, anything replaceable needs to stay. If I can, I’ll come back and get it and bring it to you. But for now, nothing extra.”
“I need my journals and my reports and my computer and my phone.”
“Put those in your backpack and dump the rest. Come on, we don’t have a lot of time. I don’t want to run to the summit.”
He walks out and then turns back at the doorway. “You didn’t ask what I’m gonna do after I get this fire taken care of. Don’t you want to know?”
Crossing my arms, I stare him down. “I don’t know. Do I?”
“I think you do.”
“Fine. What are you gonna do?”
“I’m coming back for you, Firefly. I’m coming in hot and I’m gonna claim you like I should have last night.”
Flushing, I smirk at him. “What makes you think that’s what I want, Lassiter?”
He grins and it’s wild and wonderful. Sexy as hell and just as bold. “Because I felt it last night. You want me. I want you. But it’s more than that, Firefly. You’re the other piece of me that I thought I found with my ex. But she was nothing compared to you. You’re the one. I felt it when we met but I didn’t know whatit was. Now I do. As soon as I saw that fucker looking at you I knew that I’d kill any man just for looking at you. If he touched you? I’d bury him so deep that nobody would ever find him.”
My breath hitches and it feels like my whole body catches fire. “I— I don’t know what to say. I’m leaving day after tomorrow.”
