Fanning the Flames (Romance Firemen Series) by Amanda Perry Read Free Book Online

let u know my temp address:
    75 Louisburg Dr
     
    She hit send, then watched her phone intently as she listened to Francine’s chatter about her preparations for departure. Brendan always replied quickly. With every minute that ticked by, she convinced herself she’d blown it, and he'd decided her friendship wasn’t worth it.
    Then her phone buzzed.
     
                  hey. thanks for the info, see u sometime soon .
     
    Sometime soon? Cassie was disconcerted. She’d been hoping he would arrange something more definite. More than anything else, she just wanted to resume their regular coffee sessions. Even after such a short time, she missed the comfort of his company.
    She forced herself to put down her phone and concentrate her efforts on the time she had remaining with Francine. In less than forty-eight hours, her best friend would be on her way to Europe, and this chapter of their lives would be closed.
    The forty-eight hours flew by. The girls had a final take-out meal together, surrounded by scattered boxes and bags. On Monday morning, they ceremoniously shared a pot of coffee and split a single cruller between them. Then it was time to get on the bus, watching the clear blue skies and white beaches of the Cape roll by as they headed to the airport.
    “I’m going to miss you so much,” Cassie whispered into Francine’s ear as they hugged at the International Departure gate.
    “I know,” said Francine. “I’ll miss you, too. But it’s only a year. I’ll be back. Unless I meet some amazing Polish guy or something. And even if I do, I promise we’ll still talk. We can have coffee and donuts over video chat. I’m still going to want to know every detail of everything you do, especially where Brendan is concerned.”
    Cassie rolled her eyes. “They’re calling your flight,” she said. “You better go. Call me as soon as you land. I miss you already.”
    They exchanged a last hug, and then Francine was gone, leaving Cassie to make her way back to the Cape alone.

Chapter 8
     
    Arriving at Louisburg Drive was surreal. She was in the passenger side of a two-seater Mercedes, her overnight bag in her lap, while the little U-Haul she had rented followed behind driven by Nick’s chauffeur.
    “It’s just our little summer place,” Nick had warned her as he picked her up. “Don’t get too excited.”
    But by Cassie’s standards, the house they arrived at was far from little. It was a mansion. Nick paused for a moment as he unlocked the door, turning to look out at the ocean.
    The sun was setting, the sky a deep pink tinged with an orange glow. He smiled silently at Cassie as if they were living through the closing moments of a romantic movie, and then opened the door.
    The first floor of the house was decorated in lavish Colonial style, all white painted wood and thin-legged furniture.
    “I’ll give you a proper tour of the house later,” Nick said. “First, I'll show you to your room. You can put your bag down and freshen up, if you'd like.”
    Cassie followed him up the staircase and into the master bedroom. Except for the evening at the Four Seasons, Cassie had never seen a room like this except pictured in magazines.
    It was airy and spacious, with an enormous window at one end of the room displaying the spectacular ocean view. At the other end was an equally spectacular canopy bed, draped in white linen and heaped with soft pillows.
    “Like it?” Nick asked, watching her as she took in the view. “That’s our beach straight ahead. Want to see the rest of the house?”
    Dutifully, Cassie followed him around. Along the way, he taught her how to work the coffee maker and the shower, and he showed her where to find the remotes to control the lights and the temperature.
    He explained the styles in which each of the rooms was furnished, telling her about his mother’s penchant for design and how different everything looked years ago when his family first bought the house.
    “Nick,”