Wildfire on the Skagit (Firehawks Book 9) by M. L. Buchman Read Free Book Online

her neck and kissed her, hard. He clenched his gut for the punch he deserved. But instead she returned his kiss with a heat that matched his own. Her tongue fought his as her own hand fisted in his short hair.
    He was suddenly as eager and clumsy as a sixteen-year old boy from Boise getting his first kiss at the Turner Gulch boat ramp on Lucky Peak Lake. Some switch had been thrown and he was taking all the heat that Krista could give. Unaware of his own actions until they were complete, he grabbed one of her magnificent breasts, firm, lush, far more than a handful. Rather than pulling back, she leaned into his hold on her.
    Evan shifted to nuzzle her neck—and instantly regretted it. Like all smokies after a fire, she had a band around her neck of sweat-dried ash and soot that had been ground into her skin by her shirt collar until it was a gray-black ring that tasted of salt and charcoal.
    She laughed. It was a big hearty laugh for all that she kept it soft. He felt it move through her chest beneath his palm.
    “Sorry,” he hated himself for saying it. He pulled back and removed his hand from her breast. “I shouldn’t have.”
    “Not in the Army anymore, Rookie.”
    “But you’re still my comman—my boss.”
    “No, Akbar is. I’m just his jump partner. You want to go kissing him though, you’d better ask Laura first. She’s pretty possessive about her man.”
    “I’ll do that,” he did his best to keep his tone dry. It still wasn’t right the way he’d grabbed at her, driven at her. God, he wanted to throw her on the ground this instant and just bury himself in her until all of his black anger and pain was spent.
    He’d tried that before, a long time ago. It hadn’t turned out well. A two-month relationship hadn’t made it to the first day of month three. He’d never figured out how to apologize for that one and then she’d been gone—with a real clear, Don’t you call me. Ever!
    “Just steer clear, Krista. I’m fine on a fire, it’s just on the ground that I’m a mess.”
    She didn’t respond for a long time and he couldn’t turn to look at her. Couldn’t face her because he didn’t want to see the disgust on her face.
    “Been a smokejumper ten years, Rookie. I live for messy.”
    Then she stood up, and did the craziest thing. She leaned down and gave him the softest kiss he’d ever had.
    # # #
    “Let me know when you’re ready to wrestle some more,” Krista whispered into his ear then started the hike back up over the rise to camp.
    What the hell was that, girl?
    She never, ever kissed or slept with anyone on her team. It just made for an ungodly snarl. She’d watched other women try it, smokie or hotshot crew, and it always screwed up everything. Sometimes so bad that they bailed on the career ‘cause it so messed with their heads.
    But when Evan had unleashed that kiss on her, her brain had switched off and she’d finally figured out why she’d sent him on down the line that first day—the fourth reason. He didn’t move or act like anyone she’d ever met in a decade of jumping fire. There was a barely contained power in him like a big blaze on the edge of blowup—that moment when forest fire became wildfire.
    Besides, she’d never been kissed like that before in her life and she’d had some good ones over the years. He hadn’t held back like she was some tender female, he’d gone at her like he wanted her any way he could get her.
    She stood a long time in the shadows of the camp and stared down at the sleeping smokies by the light of the failing campfire.
    Krista wished desperately that she didn’t want him to try again.

Chapter 4
    The next three fires, which hit back to back, Evan threw himself into the firefight. He’d seen what the MHA teams could do and he did everything in his power to make sure he fully integrated in—driving himself until he was nearly shattered with exhaustion.
    He’d also made sure that he ended up on Akbar’s teams whenever there was a