Ignite by Karen Erickson Read Free Book Online Page A

breath.
    â€œYou two aren’t going to start fighting are you?” West asked warily. They used to when they were kids, over stupid girl stuff that drove him up the damn wall.
    â€œDid someone say the word catfight ?” A male voice asked from behind him. West turned to find a guy around his age smiling widely, his gaze only for Wren, who glared at him in return. “I’d pay money to see you tumble around with your bestie, Gallagher, especially if the clothes start flying off.” He started to laugh.
    West frowned. Who was this dude? And why was he calling Wren by her last name? Clearly it bugged the shit out of her.
    â€œShut the hell up,” Wren muttered, turning her charm onto the bartender, who approached with all the drinks. “Ooh, yay. I’m thirsty.”
    Harper grabbed West’s beer from the counter and handed it to him, her fingers brushing against his when he took the bottle. Electricity sparked between them and he wondered at that. Remembered how it had been between them before. So hot, they’d nearly set each other on fire.
    He wondered if that would happen again, was tempted to make a move on her if only to see if they could still create that heat.
    But he couldn’t. She just broke up with her live-in boyfriend. That was serious. She was probably nursing a broken heart. Was it wrong that he found her timing impeccable? Probably. Harper had serious girlfriend written all over her and he had hey, let’s get drunk and screw around for one night written all over him.
    Didn’t mean he couldn’t flirt with her for just a little bit tonight though. Test the waters, so to speak. “Thank you,” he murmured, his voice low. Just for her. “Did I tell you that you look pretty tonight?”
    Her cheeks turned the faintest pink. “Stop.”
    â€œI’m serious.” He tipped the bottle to his lips and drank, the icy-cold beer sliding down his throat. She watched him the entire time, her gaze never leaving him, and he wondered at that too. “You were sort of rude to me at the supermarket yesterday,” he said after he swallowed, setting his beer on the counter right next to her.
    She made a little face. “I was having a bad day.”
    â€œAnd seeing me made it worse?” He was practically holding his breath waiting for her answer, which was crazy. “Never mind, don’t answer that.”
    â€œOh, no you don’t. I want to answer your question.” She touched him, her fingers pressing into his forearm, and he went completely still. “Seeing you didn’t make my day worse. But it did bring up some . . . old memories.”
    â€œGood or bad ones?” He sounded nervous. Hell, he was nervous. There was something about Harper that set him on edge.
    Harper parted her perfect pink lips, ready to say something just as Wren butted in.
    â€œWeston, I forgot to introduce you to Tate Warren. He works at your station.”
    He turned to find the guy who called his sister by her last name smiling at him, holding his hand out. “Good to meet you, man,” Tate said.
    West shook his hand, getting the distinct feeling he was being sized up. Fine with him, considering he was sizing up Tate too. What the hell kind of name was Tate? Though he had no room to talk. His entire family had slightly unusual names.
    â€œNice meeting you too,” West said. “What’s your position? You a firefighter?” The guy couldn’t be much older than him, maybe was even younger.
    Tate grinned. “I’m your captain.”
    How could he not remember Warren’s name? Oh yeah, he’d been interviewed by a panel of battalion chiefs, all of whom worked at the ranger unit’s headquarters. So he’d never had a chance to actually meet his new captains.
    â€œAnd we’re ready to have you at the station,” Tate continued. “Nothing better than knowing a Gallagher is coming to work with us.