Page 55 of Her Silver Fox Firefighters
“Is that a problem?”
“Not at all. I like being soft. After a lifetime of being hard-shelled, I welcome the softness with arms wide open.” I giggle in his tightening embrace.
I have a special connection with each of them. Leo’s got his dark side wrapped in the single dad charm that just works a hell of a number on me. And Beck comes across as this total bad boy with his tattoos, but deep down, he’s all love and tenderness, and I adore the contrast. Dax, on the other hand… Dax is precisely what he shows.
He’s tall, dark, and handsome, sometimes brooding, sometimes the sweetest man I’ve ever met. But his strength, hisinnerstrength… resonates with me on a deeper level, which is why I always find absolute safety and comfort in his presence.
“I just wish I’d hear something about Chloe,” I whisper, blinking back tears. “Not knowing what happened to her is killing me.”
“We’ll figure it out. One way or another, Olivia, the truth always comes out, especially when there are people looking for it,” he says gently, spooning me and breathing me in. “I trust Carlos to get to the bottom of it. They were grooming him for a position in the Intelligence Division of the Chicago PD at one point.”
“Chicago?”
“They came to try and poach him out of Ember Ridge,” Dax explains. “Carlos isn’t your average deputy, Olivia. The man aced his training, top of his class. His service has been nothing but stellar over the years, and I dare say he’d give the sheriff a run for his money in the county election.”
“Why doesn’t he do that then? A sheriff’s badge could give him more reach, more power.”
“Carlos has deep ties to the entire community. With his undercover work, he managed to take out a lot of bad folks from his side of town. Nobody knows this, but he infiltrated some cartels a couple of years back. It got bloody and brutal as hell, though he pulled through. He even managed to secure his undercover alias. If push comes to shove, he could always go right back in.”
I turn over to get a good look at my man, his broad shoulders and chiseled chest rising and dropping with every breath. The curls of black and silver hair tickle my fingertips as I caress his sculpted pecs.
“You make him sound like such a badass.”
“I appreciate the man. He’s fierce and he’s loyal. I respect him and the work he does.”
“I guess it takes one to know one,” I reply with a smile. “And I know you’re telling me all of this because you want me to trust him.”
He nods. “Despite the whole arrest issue, I vouch for his integrity. He’d never let anything bad happen to you.”
“It’s not Carlos I don’t trust, it’s everyone else around him with a badge,” I tell him. “And I’m sure you can understand why that is.”
“You don’t have to explain it again. I get it. But the time might come when you’re going to have to trust him, for your sake and ours, Olivia.”
“And when the time comes, I’m sure I’ll make the right choice.”
“Your stubbornness makes you even more enticing, did I ever tell you that?”
His words make my skin sizzle all over. His voice is a low, delicious growl emanating from the back of his throat, causing a deep purr in my own throat as I melt against his hard body. Chances are, we’re not done devouring one another just yet, and I certainly don’t mind it. Not one bit.
Our lips are about to meet, and I know I’ll unravel quickly once he kisses me.
But before he gets the chance, there’s a loud knock on the door. It booms throughout the house, all the way up to my bedroom. It sounds urgent and desperate, loud and terrified. Without another word, Dax jumps out of bed and slips into his shorts, then rushes downstairs.
I need a moment to put on a robe and fasten it around my waist before I can join him. When I do, I realize that I was not prepared for the sight before me.
I freeze at the bottom of the stairs. All I can do is stare at her.
Standing in the open doorway, shaking like a leaf, and dressed in a pair of cargo pants and a khaki jacket, a matching ball cap covering her curly brown hair, is Chloe.
“Chloe?” I manage to choke out as Dax gives her, then me, a confused look.
“You’re joking,” he says.
“Oh, my God, it’s really you!” I cry and rush to hug my best friend.
She looks tired and terrified, but as soon as she hears my voice, as soon as I wrap my arms around her, Chloe exhales deeply and throws her arms around me. “Olivia, I thought I’d never see you again,” she says, just before she passes out.
“Damn.” Dax swoops in and catches her before she hits the floor.
