Burnt to Ashes: Law of Attraction, #1

By Chelle Pimblott

He's the hottest firefighter she knows. He's also her brother's best friend and off limits!

 

Ashley Carter and Samuel King have known each other for most of their lives, but that doesn't mean he's not the hottest man she knows.

 

Sam may be off limits to Ash, but that doesn't stop her from wanting him or using him in the moments when she's alone and fantasising that it's his fingers playing with her until she screams his name!

 

Sam dreams about a naughty nurse looking after him after he gets hurt at work. Never in a million years did he think that Ash Carter would be that nurse. He wants her, that's not the question, but Tyler Carter is like a brother to him.

 

If they give in to their attraction when Sam needs Ash's help to heal, will Tyler forgive them?

 

BURNT TO ASHES is the first novel in the Law of Attraction Series!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Chelle pimblott
• Release date: Apr 6, 2023
• ISBN: 9780645340310

Chelle Pimblott

Chelle Pimblott lives in Regional Melbourne, Australia with her husband, two teenage sons, and their Irish Wolfhound, Sarge. She started reading romance novels back in the 80’s, when she found her grandmother’s Mills & Boon stash, and she hasn’t looked back since! Although, she didn't actually start writing romance novels until her mid 40’s, well after her beloved grandmother’s death, she’s pretty damned sure her grandmother would be proud as punch of her pursuits today. Chelle’s stories are very steamy, but even so, she knows her grandmother would love them! Chelle started writing after sharing a quickie that she’d written with her friends one day, and they encouraged her to continue the story. That same group of friends still stand behind her today, and that first quickie became ‘Sneaky’, her first published novel.  

Book preview

Burnt to Ashes

Chapter One

Ashley

H ey Ty, you home?

Ahhh, the voice of all my frustrations for at least the last decade calls out. I close my eyes, hoping he just walks on by, and leaves me alone.

Ashy, baby, how are you? I don’t answer him, I don’t open my eyes, but I can feel him approaching. Are you asleep, baby? His voice is a whisper.

No, I just want you to fuck off! I mutter.

All that gains me, is a guttural, husky laugh that turns me on.

Yeah, he may be my brother's best friend, and I may have known him since I was a little girl, but that doesn’t stop me from having the kind of feelings for him I definitely shouldn’t.

I know he doesn’t have those kinds of feelings for me, but that doesn’t stop my body from reacting to him, unfortunately.

Don’t roll your eyes at me!

His mocking tone makes my eyes snap open to glare at him. He’s closer than I thought, and now I'm looking dead straight into his eyes.

Fuck. Off. Samuel. I ground out.

Wow! Someone needs to go back to bed. Samuel announces, but before I can bite back, my brother enters the room.

"Do not mention my sister, and being in bed, in the same sentence again please, Sam."

This time it’s Samuel’s turn to roll his eyes.

I was just saying that perhaps she needs some more sleep after her shift last night. She seems a little grumpy.

"I'm not grumpy, Samuel, I just want you to fuck off, and leave me the hell alone. I was enjoying the peace and quiet."

Language, young lady! You may be an adult now, but you’ll still mind your manners when you’re home. My grandmother admonishes me.

Yeah Ashy, language! The asshole smirks at me.

As for you Samuel, leave Ashley alone. She’s worked a long night shift, and doesn’t need any crap from you.

I smile at him, and bat my eyes.

"He has a point though sweetheart, you do need to get some sleep."

I’ll head home now, Grams. Walking over to her, I kiss her cheek and wrap her in a warm hug.

Didn't your friend, ohhh shit! What's her name? Give you a lift here? She taps her forehead.

I look over at Tyler, we exchange a silent conversation. He gives me one, barely perceptible nod of agreement.

Stacie. I wouldn’t call her a friend though, Grams, she's more of a colleague. I explain, giving her another kiss on the cheek. I can call a taxi.

You could just stay here, your room is still made up, you know. She looks at me hopefully, but I can't stay here.

I know Grams. Maybe another day. I need some quiet to get some sleep so that I can do my shift tonight.

You work too hard, sweetheart.

What about me? Tyler demands, playing at being offended to help get me off the hook.

My brother might be a huge pain in my ass most days, along with his ever present sidekick, Samuel, but he always looks out for me. Even when I don’t want him to.

I can run you home, Ash. I'm heading out anyway. Samuel volunteers.

Didn't you just get here? Ty asks him, while simultaneously punching him in the arm. What did you want?

No, you stay. Ty’s right, you just got here.

I don’t mind, really.

I'm a big girl, I can look after myself. I roll my eyes at him once again, as I pull my phone out of my pocket to pull up the taxi app.

Let me. Samuel gently pushes the phone to my side.

I let out a deep sigh.

"But you just got here." My brother whines.

I know, and I can come back. He clips my brother over the ear. "I don’t want your sister in a car with a stranger. Perhaps you should have offered to drive her home, you idiot."

I'm busy. He grumbles.

Doing what, Ty? Honestly, no wonder you can't get a girl to settle down. Samuel shakes his head at my brother.

Neither can you. He fires back, and I nod, that’s a fair point.

I'm not looking, idiot, you are. Samuel gently grips my elbow, and starts directing me towards the door. Have you got everything?

Can I say goodbye to my grandparents first? I grumble, yanking my arm out his grip.

I don’t need the tingling sensation of his touch. It does something to my body that no-one else has ever done, and it annoys the absolute fuck out of me.

Sure. I’ll be waiting in the car.

You're not going to say goodbye?

Nah, I’ll be back. He sends me that stupid smile of his that makes women drop their knickers for him.

I'm not going to lie, it works on me too. The difference is, I know it won't happen because he doesn’t mean it with me. So I roll my eyes at him instead, then turn around to go searching for my Pops.

I find him in a little room at the back of the house that we all jokingly, but lovingly, call his cave.

Pops, are you hiding back here?

Shush you. I don’t want your Grams to find me just yet. He comes over to the door, pokes his head out, before ushering me further inside so that he can gently close the door behind me.

What did you do now? I ask with a laugh. Knowing my Pops, it’s something he doesn’t want his wife to know about. Not until he can work out an excuse for whatever it is, anyway.

I didn't do anything, young lady! He scolds me, even as he smiles. "It’s what she wants me to do that has me in hiding."

Do I want to know?

Probably not. His chuckle tells me everything I need to know.

I shake my head, even though I'm both amused and impressed by their love for each other after all of these years together. They've been through a lot together.

The loss of their son and daughter in law in a tragic accident. Resulting in them taking in their two grandkids, when they should have been retiring, and enjoying their lives.

Stop it, Ashley. I can see what you're thinking, and you're wrong. He sweeps me up into his arms for a hug that I find so damned comforting. He’s been a safe space for me ever since our parents died. Now, to what do I owe the pleasure of your company?

I’ve come to say goodnight. I smile.

But it’s the beginning of the day. He frowns and then smiles as it dawns on him. Nightshift! OK, sweetheart, go home and get some sleep. Thank you for coming to check in on us.

I plan on it.

Hang on, didn't one of your friends drop you off here? Is Tyler taking you home?

Yes she did, and no, he's not. Samuel offered when I said I was booking a taxi.

"He's a good man, that one. Unlike your brother who shouldn’t have offered, he should have just told you he was taking you home. I brought that boy up better than that!"

I roll my eyes at my Pops. He did an amazing job with both of us, well all three of us if I'm being honest. Samuel spent more time here in this house when we were kids, than he did in his own home.

I was more than happy to walk or get a taxi. It’s Samuel that insists on driving me home. I sigh. I should get going, he’s waiting out in the car for me.

He didn't want to say goodbye to me?

He's coming back to hang out with Ty, so you haven’t gotten rid of him just yet.

Well, if that’s the case, don’t keep the man waiting.

He can wait. I know I'm being petulant, but Samuel King brings out the worst in me. He always has.

"Now I know you know better than that!" He raises an eyebrow at me, and just like when I was younger when he did it, I feel reprimanded.

Fine, but it’s just Samuel, he’ll wait. I whine, even as I turn to leave my Pops’ haven.

"Just because he will wait for you, doesn’t mean you should make him wait any longer than he has to my girl."

I know he's right, but I wouldn’t mind pushing some of Samuel’s buttons and annoying him for a change.

I'm going.

Just because he would do anything for you, doesn’t mean you should abuse his kindness.

Kindness! I can't help the snort that I let out. When I look at my pops he's frowning at me.

I'm not sure that Samuel would do anything for me, but I'm not going to argue with my pops about it.

Love you, Pops.

I love you more, my girl. Don’t make that boy wait any longer. He kisses me on the cheek. Go home, and get some sleep.

I sneak out the back door, so that I don’t see my brother, and he can't annoy me again.

Just as I close the door, I hear Grams voice yell out, I swear to all that is holy Gerald, if you're trying to hide from me in that stupid room again, I will follow through with boarding up the door!

I'm still laughing as I lower myself into the passenger seat of Samuel’s car.

Did Grams find Pops in his cave, and threaten to board up the door again?

Yeah. We look at each other, and crack up.

The man will never learn. He says, as he catches his breath first, and puts the car into reverse. Those two are relationship goals right there.

What? My laughing stops immediately. I'm so surprised by his admission.

What do you mean, what? You think I don’t want to find someone to spend my life with? I've pissed him off, I can always tell by the tone of his voice.

The truth is, I never thought that was something he wanted.

I guess I just didn't think -.I don’t finish that sentence when he throws a dirty look my way.

I’m not scared of Samuel, he’d never hurt me, or anyone else for that matter, but it doesn’t mean I want to have this conversation with him.

God damn it, I don’t even want to think about him with a woman that isn’t me in that scenario, and that is my issue to deal with, not his.

Chapter Two

Samuel

She didn't think!

I know what everyone else thinks of me, but I honestly believed that Ash knew me better than most.

"I want love, Ashley. I want marriage and a family. I want what your grandparents have. I want what my parents didn't have. I sigh, and try to calm myself. I refuse to be like my old man, especially in front of Ash. I didn't think you saw Ty and I like everyone else does. I thought you knew us better than that!"

Yeah OK, I'm angry the more I think about what she almost said.

I didn't mean that, Sam.

Or do you think I don’t deserve it, is that it?

No, I think you deserve all the happiness you want. She sighs, and my grip on the steering wheel loosens. But let’s face facts here Samuel, you and my brother are players, and you have been since you both discovered girls. I know Ty wants to settle down, because he’s my brother. I guess I just-

She stops, and I need her to finish.

You just what? I ground out. No, come on, Ashley, you might as well finish what you're saying now that you’ve started. Get it all off your chest. Spill it out into the open. I tell her with a sweeping hand through the air to indicate the area ahead of us.

We’re only a minute away from her house, and she’s silent as I pull into her driveway.

And I'm too fucking angry to speak. If I ask her again to finish what she was going to say, she’ll hate me. I can't stand the thought of Ashley Carter hating me forever.

Thanks for the lift. She says as she eases herself out of my car.

"Any time, baby." I grumble out quietly, as I put the car in reverse. I need to get out of here before either of us say something we might regret.

I start to move backwards, until I realise she hasn’t closed the door yet.

When she leans back in, I hold my breath, not really sure I want to hear what she has to say.

Either she's going to bust my balls, or she's going to be kind and sweet. I don’t want to have to deal with either version of my best friend's sister right now.

I didn't mean to upset you, Sam. I guess, I just thought with your history that perhaps that wasn’t part of your plan, you know?

She closes the door with a thunk before I can think about replying, and I watch as she lets herself into the house. She waves a hand distractedly in my direction, in the universal signal for everything is fine, and disappears inside.

It takes me a minute to gather my wits, but when I do, I back out of her driveway, and take off out of her street like a bat out of hell. Anyone would think there was a pack of hellhounds chasing me.

I make it back to the Carter’s faster than I should have. So, instead of going inside right away, I sit in my car and take a few deep breaths.

I jump at a banging on my window.

Are you coming inside sometime soon, or are you just gonna sit out here in your car? Ty yells at the closed window, and I sigh.

He's my best friend in the world, but sometimes, just sometimes, he's a pain in my ass so huge that I want to kick him in his ass.

I open the door without any warning, causing the idiot to jump back so that he doesn’t get knocked over.

Dude! That one word is laced with annoyance, with a tinge of concern. You shouldn’t have taken Ash home if it pissed you off that much!

Taking her home didn't piss me off.

Then what's gotten your knickers in a twist?

An idiot driver cut me off. He grunts in agreement of my easy lie.

Well, you seem to have broken the land speed record to get here, maybe you deserved to be cut off my friend.

I guess Ashley isn’t the only Carter busting my balls today.

Well, I knew you were waiting for me. I say as I walk back into his grandparents’ home, Ty following closely behind.

Yeah, but I'd rather you make it back here in one piece, Sam. I don’t need you having an accident just so that we can hang out. He clamps a hand on my shoulder. We understand more than most just how often those kinds of accidents can happen.

His sombre reminder has me wishing I could have told him the truth. At least some version of the truth.

How do you tell the best friend you’ve ever had, a guy who is like a brother to you, exactly why you're pissed off at his sister, not to mention that you want that happily ever with her?

Tell me, how the fuck do you do that? If you’ve got any insights, I'd love to hear them. Honestly, I would, because admitting to Ashley how I feel would be easier than explaining any of it to her brother.

Yeah, you're right. I'm sorry. He slaps me on the back, and walks into the kitchen.

He's not wrong, as a member of the fire and rescue crew here in our hometown, I see more than my fair share of tragedy, and usually, Tyler is on the scene before me, as a cop.

It’s all good, just no more land speed records for you, OK? If taking my sister anywhere irritates you that much, just don’t do it.

I don’t respond to him, instead I ask him what's been grinding my gears since Ash said it.

"Do you think I’ll ever settle down, Ty? Do you see me with a wife and kids?"