Singe: Lanville Firefighters, #3

By Lynn LaFleur

Julia Woods has worked for the U.S. Forest Service in Northern California since she graduated from college. Becoming involved with a thrill-seeker left her bruised and determined never to go through a heart-wrenching situation again. Craving a quieter life, she moved to Lanville, Texas, and accepts a housekeeping position at The Inn on Crystal Creek.

 

Stephen McGettis is exactly the kind of man Julia wants to avoid. Her heart--and hormones--have other ideas. Julia and Stephen begin an affair until he pulls a dangerous daredevil stunt while fighting a house fire by jumping from the ladder truck through a window.

 

Julia can't take his don't-worry-about-tomorrow attitude. Despite her deepening feelings, she tells Stephen she wants nothing more to do with him.

 

Losing Julia wakes up Stephen to how his adventurous ways could make her think he doesn't care about living. No matter how long it takes, he'll prove to Julia he's a man who is worthy of her love.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lynn LaFleur
• Release date: Sep 21, 2022
• ISBN: 9798215199602

Lynn LaFleur

Lynn LaFleur was born and raised in a small town in Texas. After living in various places on the West Coast for twenty-one years, she is back in her hometown. Lynn also publishes with Ellora's Cave, and when she is not writing, she loves reading, sewing, gardening, and learning new things on the computer.

Book preview

Chapter One

Lanville, Texas. A blip on the highway southwest of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. Small, picturesque, slow-paced. That’s why Julia Woods decided it would be the perfect place to settle.

It hadn’t been easy for her to decide to leave the home she’d always known in Northern California. She’d lived her entire life among the Sierra Nevada mountains. But the incident with her former lover left her no choice. The pain had been too severe to ever experience again. She needed a fresh start someplace far away from horrible memories.

Now, she sat in a booth at Burger King in Lanville, ready to begin the next chapter of her life.

Munching on a French fry, Julia studied the directions Dolly Mabery had emailed on how to get to her place. Dolly and Julia’s mother, Cathy, had gone to college together and had remained friends for the past thirty-plus years. Dolly had offered Julia a job at her bar to help her until she decided exactly what she wanted to do with the rest of her life.

While thankful to Dolly for her generous offer, Julia had waitressed in her early college days at a diner that hadn’t exactly been at the top of the food critics’ must-go-to list. She hadn’t liked it. The tips could be very generous, yet Julia had quickly grown tired of men’s groping hands and sexist remarks about her big breasts. She’d heard them called every slang term ever created to describe that part of the female anatomy, from balloons to cantaloupes to tatas.

Some men could be such jerks.

Besides, she didn’t think she could stand on her feet for long periods of time now, not with her bum knee.

Masculine laughter at the main doors had Julia raising her head to see who entered the fast-food place. Four men sauntered in, all of them wearing jeans and dark-blue T-shirts with a gold-and-red logo over their left pectoral. Two had dark hair, two blond, and all four possessed amazing good looks. The blonds had to be brothers—perhaps even twins since they favored so much, and appeared to be in their mid twenties. Cute, but nothing to make her heart beat faster. One of the brunettes must be in his early forties. Very good looking, but again he did nothing for her.

The other brunette...

She guessed him to be twenty-six or twenty-seven. He stood at least six feet tall with wide shoulders and a muscled body. Olive skin gave him the appearance of a year-round tan. A couple of days’ worth of stubble covered his lower face. His thick mane of dark-brown hair fell over his forehead, ears, and nape in waves that would wrap around a woman’s fingers. Julia could easily imagine her fingers in his hair while his full, shapely lips moved over hers in a ravenous kiss.

Mmm, nice thought.

But one she knew wouldn’t come true. She had no intention of dating for a long, long time, much less getting involved with anyone.

That didn’t mean she couldn’t enjoy the scenery.

The man she had momentarily drooled over let the other three step to the counter before him. He turned his back to her as he studied the menu, giving her an excellent view of the way his jeans molded to his ass. Such a nice ass, with just the right amount of fullness so a woman could grip it while they made love.

The bite of French fry stuck in her throat. Julia picked up her cup of iced tea to wash it down, but she’d already drunk all of it. She could get a refill, except the beverage dispensers sat by the counter where the four men stood. She’d be within a few feet of them if she refilled her cup.

So? You’re a big girl. You can ignore them.

The decision made, Julia rose from the booth and headed for the dispensers. She refilled her cup with tea, chose another lemon slice, and dropped it into her beverage. Taking a sip, she turned to go back to her booth.

And looked directly into a pair of eyes the color of aged cognac.

She froze in place. Her throat closed, which kept her from choking on her tea. She watched the hunky brunette’s gaze dip down her body to her hips before making the return journey to her face. A slow smile lifted the corners of his mouth.

Stephen, you’re up, the older man said.

’K. He winked at her, then stepped to the counter.

The temperature in the room shot up at least twenty degrees. Julia stopped herself before she fanned her face. She had no idea how a simple wink could raise her blood pressure.

She turned and returned to her booth. It didn’t surprise her to feel that pull, that awareness, toward the handsome man. She’d left Cole’s bed a month before she made the decision to leave California. After a very healthy sex life, weeks of abstinence had her thinking of cool sheets and hot skin.

Shaking off the thought of sex—or lack of sex—Julia concentrated on what she needed to do. A job came before anything else. Dolly had warned her finding a job in Lanville wouldn’t be easy. The small town businesses tended to keep their employees for years instead of having a quick turnover. At least Julia didn’t have to search for a place to live right away, since Dolly had offered her guest room for as long as Julia needed it.

An online search had garnered some ideas of places to apply for work. The Inn on Crystal Creek occupied the spot at the top of her list. Although she hadn’t found an ad listing open positions, Julia hoped there would be something available in housekeeping. It would be physical work with a lot of standing, yet she enjoyed cleaning and would be able to take more rest breaks than if she waitressed.

Gathering her personal items and the tray with her lunch trash, Julia rose and headed for the exit. She had to pass the table where the four men sat. They all gave her a quick glance and she returned their attention with a small smile. She emptied her tray in the trash and turned toward the door. Before she pushed it open, she glanced over her shoulder at the table of men. The sexy brunette stared at her with interest in his eyes.

Julia held his gaze a few seconds longer before she managed to look away from him and leave.

––––––––

Damn, Kory said, did you see the centerfold tits on that blonde?

Stephen McGettis most certainly had. He’d noticed everything about the beautiful woman—the long, straight, blond hair, her heart-shaped face, her huge blue eyes. Her full breasts, rounded hips, and perfect ass almost cried out for a man’s hands to caress and fondle.

He looked across the table at the Wilcox twins. Kory always said exactly what popped into his head, which sometimes got him in a lot of trouble. Kirk had more control, more finesse. He wouldn’t describe the beautiful breasts on a woman as tits. Neither would Stephen. He believed a woman’s body should be worshipped, treasured.

He wouldn’t mind spending about three days worshipping that woman’s body.

You should watch your mouth, Luis Galendez said, pointing a finger at the younger man.

What did I do? Kory asked, confusion obvious in his voice.

You need to be more respectful of women.

Kory spread his arms wide. "Hey, I love women."

They don’t love you back, bro, Kirk said. Maybe they would if you grew up.

What is this, pick on Kory day? he asked with a frown. And you’re the same age I am.

I’m just sayin’ there’s a reason why the women around here turn you down when you ask them out.

Kory’s lips thinned and a red flush colored his face as he glared at his brother. "You aren’t exactly burning up the sheets, bro."

"I burn ’em more often than you do."

Stephen bit back a grin. He looked at Luis seated to his right. The older man’s eyes gleamed with laughter. The twins could be very entertaining. Okay, I think we can all safely say none of us have been successful in the sex department lately.

Speak for yourself, Luis said with a grin.

Stephen chuckled. "Okay, I’ll rephrase my statement. None of us single guys have been successful in the sex department lately."

"Not without lack