Love in Flames by N. J. Walters Read Free Book Online Page A

the family legacy. But that day had not come. Not yet.
    Striding down the hall, she grabbed her purse and keys from the table that sat beside her front door. Pushing all thoughts of the past and the journal from her mind, she locked the door securely behind her and hastened to her car. If she didn’t encounter any problems, she should just make it to work on time.
     
     
    Several hours later, Esther sat back and sipped her green tea, savoring the crisp, fresh flavor. While the men and women around her preferred to guzzle coffee all day, she wanted no part of the bitter brew. She came from a family of tea drinkers.
    Grinning, she remembered the shock and disbelief that had met her the first time she’d turned down coffee when she’d come to work here. Even though she’d worked here for two years now, many of her coworkers still shook their heads in mock dismay when they saw her enjoying her tea.
    It was sometimes hard for her to believe how quickly the past two years had flown by. It seemed like only yesterday that she’d left Baltimore and her family behind, needing to get away from the memories of the past and the protectiveness of her older brothers.
    Her brothers, Ian and Brian, had protested vehemently when she’d told them she was moving. Surprisingly enough, her mother had been the one who had understood Esther’s need to strike out on her own. She’d been sad to see her daughter moving away from the town she’d lived in her entire life, but she’d given her approval and that was all that had mattered to Esther.
    Still, firefighting was in her blood. She’d grown up within the tight-knit community of firefighting, and she understood what they did was brave and necessary, but she needed to remove herself from it. At least a little.
    Working as a dispatcher was a way to stay involved without becoming too involved. She still worried about her brothers, but it wasn’t the same gut-wrenching fear that had hit her every time they had gone out on a call. Now that she was no longer a part of their everyday lives, she was better able to handle the fact they risked their lives on a daily basis.
    Although she’d been certain her decision was the right one for her, it had still been incredibly hard to leave Baltimore behind. She’d cried when it was time to go. She was not only leaving behind her family, but lifelong friends as well. She went home to visit several times a year and her family had all been to Burnt Cove, but it wasn’t the same. Even though she’d made a good life for herself here, she missed them. But she still didn’t regret the move. It had been the right thing for her to do.
    Esther took another sip of her tea before placing her mug aside. Thankfully, it had been slow so far this evening. But, as she well knew, that could change in the blink of an eye.
    She sensed Ryan’s presence before she saw him. It had been like that from the very first time she’d met him. She felt as though her entire body was tuned to his. She knew when he entered a room and when he left, even if she never laid eyes on him.
    Although he’d worked here for several months now, she still felt uneasy around him. It wasn’t that she thought he would hurt her physically, but some deep feminine instinct warned her this man could be a danger to her emotional well being.
    “Still drinking that dishwater?” Ryan smiled, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes.
    She picked up her cup and raised it in a mock salute. “It’s better than that swill you boys drink at the fire hall.”
    “I’m not so sure about that.” He sauntered across the room and leaned his hips against the edge of her desk. She couldn’t help but notice how his biceps flexed when he crossed his arms over his massive chest.
    She was extremely aware of his presence. The heat and sheer sensual magnetism of the man was astounding. Her clothing always felt too tight whenever when he was near and, in spite of her best efforts, she always became aroused whenever