Page 119 of Fire Fight

“So Missy Plano?”

“Missy Plano is, for lack of a better term, the town whore.”

Holy shit.

“Damn,” I breathed. “I never knew her last name.”

Lane snorted, the scratch of his pen replaced by theclick-clackof computer keys. “Neither did I. Doesn’t help that she goes by Mel now either. Or she tries to, anyway.”

“What else do you know about her?”

“Nothing off the top of my head,” Lane admitted. “But I ran her through the system and got a DOB.”

“She got a sheet?”

“The usual shit given her…proclivities,” my brother chuckled. “Solicitation. Couple distribution charges, but nothing has ever stuck.”

I rolled my eyes. “Wonder why.”

“DOB puts her in high school at the same time as Lee and Stanhope though,” Lane said. “Maybe we should pay another visit to Mom.”

“I’m not opposed to the idea. We can run it by her at dinner this week.”

“Deal. See you then, baby bro.”

The line went dead, and as I drove home, my mind swirled with all kinds of ideas. Truthfully, I couldn’t wait to see Aspen. Not only because it had been over twenty-four hours since I last had but because I couldn’t wait to tell her everything I’d learned and see what she thought of it all.

“Aspen?” I called as I padded down the hall from the mudroom.

“In here!” she replied from the living room.

I made my way toward her, not bothering with verbal pleasantries as I hauled her off the couch and into my arms, my mouth capturing hers instantly.

Fuck, she tasted good. Like coffee and something that was purely her. I skated my hands down her sides and found her bare thighs, lifting her off her feet. Her legs came around my hips and, mouths still fused, I walked us through the house toward my bedroom.

With her still in my arms, I climbed onto the mattress and settled us in the center before I finally broke free.

“Hi,” I grinned down at her.

“Hey, hotshot.” She leaned up to press a kiss to the side of my neck, inhaling deeply. “God, you smell so fucking good. Especially after a call. All smokey and sexy.”

“Maybe I should quit showering before I come home,” I mused.

Aspen shook her head. “I don’t want the sweat. Just the smoke.”

I chuckled. “Whatever you want, baby.”

“How was the call?”

“The Lees house is a total loss, but luckily they weren’t home.”

“They’re in Arizona with their other daughter and her family.”

“You keep in touch?”

Aspen shimmied her shoulders. “Here and there. They were planning on coming home for the Fourth of July.” Her face fell. “Now I guess they’ll stay in Mesa.”

Rubbing my hands up and down her arms, I pulled her back to my chest. “I’m sorry, little phoenix.”