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I nodded. “A beer would be good, thanks.”
I watched him walk away, admiring his tight ass in his jeans. And those broad shoulders. How his thick, slightly overlong hair brushed his collar.
Jeez, he was the whole freaking package, and I wanted to strip him bare and rub myself all over him. Wanted his scent burned into my skin, and mine into his.
I squeezed my thighs together, trying to appease the throb in my core. My reactions were the result of a long, dry spell, nothing more.
Once we had our beers, I took a sip, savoring the rich, malty flavor on my tongue. The cool glass felt smooth against my palm, a contrast to the rough, worn wood of the table beneath my other hand.
As he leaned in to point out some markings on the map, his woodsy cologne washed over me. My breath caught, every nerve attuned to the hard heat of his body mere inches away.
“See these clusters here and here?” Emmett asked, leaning closer to point them out. Emmett pointed out areas of potential danger on my map, explaining the drought-prone ridges and wind patterns. “Almost like someone is deliberately setting fires to block off sections.”
I found it hard to focus as his leg occasionally brushed mine beneath the small table. Each contact ignited a spark of electricity that left me struggling to focus. I nodded, acutely aware of how little space remained between us and the heat radiating from his body.
“Mm-hmm, I noticed that too,” I murmured, distracted by his nearness.
Emmett's golden eyes met mine, burning with sudden intensity. My lips parted slightly, heart racing as I recognized my desire mirrored in him. For a fleeting moment, I imagined how easy it would be to lean in, to close the distance between us and taste those full, tempting lips. To give in to the magnetic pull that seemed to draw us together, despite my best efforts to resist.
Laughter from the other end of the bar jolted me back to reality. This was dangerous, I knew, but I couldn't pull away.
The sharp trill of my phone made me jump. I fumbled to answer it, relief and regret swirling through me.
“Chief Anders,” I said in greeting, trying to ignore Emmett's lingering gaze. “What's up?”
As I listened to the chief's report, alarm flooded through me. Another fire, and a bad one based on the size and speed. Two fires in one day? This couldn't be a coincidence after what Emmett had pointed out.
Emmett listened intently as I relayed the chief's message, his jaw taut as I gathered up the maps and reports. To my relief, he didn't hesitate. In seconds, we were striding out to his truck.
We had a new fire to deal with. We needed to get there fast. But part of me still lingered in that pub, wishing for a few more stolen moments.
Chapter 5
Emmett
My truck fishtailed on the gravel road as I took a hard turn, the tires slipping dangerously close to the cliffside drop-off. The trees blurred past in a haze of green and brown as I pushed the gas pedal of my dusty red pickup truck to the floor.
The engine roared in protest, the gears grinding from the sudden acceleration, but I barely heard it over the pounding in my ears.
Amber gripped the door but didn't protest my reckless driving. We both understood the dire urgency of this situation. All I could focus on was getting to the fire as fast as possible. I white-knuckled the steering wheel, my foot heavy as lead on the gas.
As we raced toward the fire, my mind flashed back to the moment we'd shared at the bar, the electricity that had crackled between us. I'd been so close to throwing caution to the wind and kissing her, consequences be damned. But the call had interrupted us, and now we were hurtling toward danger, our personal feelings pushed aside in the face of duty.
As we crested the ridge, the valley opened up before us, a sea of flickering orange. The fire raged through the canyon, consuming acres of forest with unnatural speed.
I knew from years of experience that the rapidly growing smoke meant the fire was spreading fast, greedily consuming everything in its path. The intense heat reached us even from this distance. This was no ordinary wildfire.
I reached over and placed a hand on Amber's knee. She flinched slightly at the contact before relaxing into it. Through her firefighter pants, I could feel her thigh pulled taut with anxiety beneath my palm.
“It's going to be okay,” I said, trying to sound more confident than I felt. “We’ve got this.”
Amber placed her hand over mine and squeezed gently. “We'll get it under control.” Her voice was steady despite the tension in her body.
Her eyes met mine, and in that glance, I saw trust, determination, and something else, something that made my heart stutter in my chest.
I nodded, grateful for her calm presence. The truth was, I had no idea if we could stop this fire. This fire felt different. Stronger. More sinister.
Mark my words, dark magic is afoot.
