Only Sam

By Em Woods

When a restaurant goes up in flames, will a spark of love rise from the ashes for a chef and his hero?

When chef Dylan Brookes finds his restaurant engulfed in flames, all he can do is watch his dreams turn to ashes. Shock, hurt and disbelief leave Dylan vulnerable to both the man who wants to love him...and the one who wants to kill him.

Fire fighter Sam Carter has been frequenting the same small restaurant for a year, trying to work up the nerve to ask the chef out on a date. When Dylan's Omni burns to the ground from foul play, Sam steps in to help.

Now the question is...will his efforts be too late?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Pride Publishing
• Release date: Feb 13, 2012
• ISBN: 9780857158864

Book preview

A Total-E-Bound Publication

www.total-e-bound.com

Only Sam

ISBN # 978-0-85715-886-4

©Copyright Em Woods 2012

Cover Art by Posh Gosh ©Copyright February 2012

Edited by Stacey Birkel

Total-E-Bound Publishing

This is a work of fiction. All characters, places and events are from the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or places is purely coincidental.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form, whether by printing, photocopying, scanning or otherwise without the written permission of the publisher, Total-E-Bound Publishing.

Applications should be addressed in the first instance, in writing, to Total-E-Bound Publishing. Unauthorised or restricted acts in relation to this publication may result in civil proceedings and/or criminal prosecution.

The author and illustrator have asserted their respective rights under the Copyright Designs and Patents Acts 1988 (as amended) to be identified as the author of this book and illustrator of the artwork.

Published in 2012 by Total-E-Bound Publishing, Think Tank, Ruston Way, Lincoln, LN6 7FL, United Kingdom.

Warning:

This book contains sexually explicit content which is only suitable for mature readers. This story has a heat rating of Total-e-burning and a sexometer of 2.

This story contains 49 pages, additionally there is also a free excerpt at the end of the book containing 7 pages.

ONLY SAM

Em Woods

When a restaurant goes up in flames, will a spark of love rise from the ashes for a chef and his hero?

When chef Dylan Brookes finds his restaurant engulfed in flames, all he can do is watch his dreams turn to ashes. Shock, hurt and disbelief leave Dylan vulnerable to both the man who wants to love him…and the one who wants to kill him.

Fire fighter Sam Carter has been frequenting the same small restaurant for a year, trying to work up the nerve to ask the chef out on a date. When Dylan’s Omni burns to the ground from foul play, Sam steps in to help.

Now the question is…will his efforts be too late?

ONLY SAM

Em Woods

Dedication

For all of those who stand in the line of fire—both real and figurative.

Trademarks Acknowledgement

The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmark mentioned in this work of fiction:

Polo: Ralph Lauren Corporation

Chapter One

How could this have happened?

Dylan Brookes kept his kitchen meticulously organised. He ticked off things in his head. The espresso machine, mixer and processor had been unplugged before he left, his stainless steel counters had been wiped down, and the garbage bags were always changed whether they had been used or not. Maybe it had been a short in the wiring behind the walls?

Though the sirens blared in the parking lot, they were still unable to drown out the snap and pop of the flames licking from the kitchen window of his upscale organic eatery, The Omni. Dylan sat on the bumper of an ambulance, a stiff hospital blanket wrapped around his shoulders, and watched his life going up in smoke…literally.

Hey, Dylan!

Dylan glanced up and took a shallow breath, trying not to wrinkle his nose at the acrid smell of smoke and burning paint in the air. His supposedly silent business partner and ex-brother-in-law Mike Eagon jogged up to him.

Mike patted him absently on the shoulder, his gaze flickering between Dylan and what remained of the restaurant. You okay, man?

When Dylan saw him like this, with his eyes a deep, meadow green, concern etching tiny lines between his brows, it was easy to see what his sister, Jenny, had seen in Mike when they’d first met.

Yeah, but I don’t think Omni will be. Dylan’s gaze drifted back to the smoking building. One fireman stood with his hose on full bore, trained at the ground around the restaurant, and two more had theirs pointed in the windows. Dylan’s heart broke.

There had once been the most beautiful stained glass window depicting a sensual male form entwined in the bark of the Tree of Life. It was his trademark and had been gifted to him by Jenny shortly after he’d opened the restaurant with Mike.

We’ll build it again. Maybe bigger next time, eh? Mike faced the pile of rubble, his head tilted as he looked at the damage.

Bigger? Dylan couldn’t believe his ears. His eatery had been perfect. I liked the size of our place.

It’s just some bricks and paint, right? Mike spun around, his eyes alight with whatever idea had struck next. Maybe make it an Italian restaurant!

Dylan’s heart thundered. And that was a prime example of why she’d divorced him. The guy had no sense of what emotional attachment meant.

What are you going on about? Are you kidding me? Dylan’s voice rose. It isn’t even a pile of cold ashes yet.

Mike waved a hand absently. But we have to start planning, right? Jenny could help.

I’m not asking Jenny to come back to change my restaurant. Dylan didn’t know what the fuck was going on here, but he knew that for certain.

Mike paced in front of Dylan, occasionally stopping to stare at him as though he didn’t understand why he was resisting. "This is our chance, Dylan.

Reviews for Only Sam

[jules0623 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Needed to be longer to be satisfying. Not bad, just not reaching its full potential.