A Lick of Flame by Cathryn Fox Read Free Book Online Page B

think about what he’d said. He’d merely told her she was beautiful, but that simple word seemed to trigger a reaction from her. He looked at her long and hard, and when she lifted her lids to steal a glance at him, he detected a glimmer of vulnerability in her eyes, and it was that glimmer that spoke volumes.
    When she angled her head, letting her hair fall over her cheek, his heart slammed against his chest. He briefly closed his eyes and sucked in a tight breath as a theory began forming in his brain.
    As understanding struck harder than a loose fire hose, a noise sounded deep in his throat. Jesus, did she really have no idea how beautiful she was, on the inside and out? Did she really think that scar on her cheek made her unworthy, less desirable—a scar that spoke of strength and courage? Is that why she always kept a safe distance and pretended she didn’t want him? Because she thought her flaws would keep him from wanting her in return? In all ways?
    “Madison,” he said, but before he had a chance to question her, or tell her how wrong she was, his cell phone rang.
    They stared at each other for a moment, then when the faint smell of smoke drifted by on a breeze, Madison’s eyes widened and she said, “You’d better get that.”
    Sean reached into his pocket, grabbed his cell and flipped it open. “Yeah?”
    “Sean, it’s Jim. Can you get down here? We’re short-staffed tonight and we need all the help we can get.”
    “I’m on it.” Knowing Jim wouldn’t call while he was off duty unless they really needed him, Sean snapped his phone shut. While he had so much he wanted to say to Madison, he knew now was neither the time nor place.
    “I have to go.”
    She nodded. “I know.”
    He climbed to his feet and grabbed her hands to pull her up with him. When their bodies collided, she pulled away quickly and began rummaging around on the ground, looking for her clothes. After fastening his own pants, Sean found her jeans and held them out to her. When she took them, he caught sight of her ripped panties. Instead of handing them back, he stuffed them into his pocket, gave her a sheepish smile and said, “I’ll replace those.”
    She dressed quickly then slipped into her sandals before gathering the blanket. “No need,” she whispered, looking everywhere and anywhere but at him.
    After they climbed back down the ladder, he turned to her, and when he tried to pull her back into his arms for a kiss, she inched away.
    Her smile looked forced, and while her voice sounded light and breezy, he could hear the strain of emotions beneath. “I better go back to the girls before they send out a search party.”
    Sean frowned and ran his hand down her arm. “We’ll talk later, okay?”
    “There is nothing to talk about, Sean. We had some fun. Tomorrow life goes back to normal. I’ve done this before, you know.”
    With smoke growing thicker in the air, he didn’t have time to talk to her, to tell her how he truly felt. And really, why would she believe him? He’d taken her to the rooftop to have sex with her, for Christ’s sake. Why would she think he wanted anything more than a hurried fuck from her? Or that their lovemaking meant something to him—that she meant something to him?
    Jesus, he was an asshole, and with the way she was pulling away from him, he had a sinking feeling that he just might have screwed up any chance he had of developing a real relationship with her.
    The fire-station bell sounded in the near distance, and while he wanted to talk to Madison, he knew it would have to wait. When Madison lost herself in the crowd, he rushed from Harry’s and spotted Carter climbing into his car as he hopped into his own. Sean threw his car into gear and drove the two short blocks to the station.
    Once inside, he pulled on his gear and made his way to the waiting truck. He tried to get his focus on the job as the truck negotiated the narrow town streets, but when it took the corner and headed down