Page 5 of Her Silver Fox Firefighters

Through the window, I hear Beck's laughter carry across the yard.

My phone is still on the porch. Chloe's voice drifts up faintly: "Liv? Liv? What's happening? Why do I hear men laughing?"

I lean against the door, face burning, heart racing for entirely new reasons.

Apparently hiding out in Ember Ridge comes with hazards I wasn’t prepared for. The biggest ones are six feet tall, carved like temptation, and just witnessed me lose a fight with a vibrator.

I think my plan to fly under the radar just imploded.

2

OLIVIA

“Olivia, I swear I had no idea that the thing would come with the batteries inside,” Chloe says through the phone the next day.

“It doesn’t have batteries that you change, Chloe. You charge it with a cable. It’s actually very high tech,” I calmly reply, sarcasm dripping from my voice.

I pause as I measure flour into a bowl.

I’m putting some of the baking tools to the test in her grandmother’s kitchen. Luckily for me, Mrs. Jackson invested quite a lot in refurbishing this part of the house, fitting it with one of those snazzy French ovens that bakes everything to perfection.

The scent of cinnamon and lemon zest fills my nostrils, bringing a subtle smile to my lips while I wait for the milk and butter to heat in a saucepan on the stove.

“Did you try it out?” Chloe asks.

“You’re lucky you’re not here, because if you were, I would whack you over the head with it!” I jokingly snap. “I haven’t been able to look at it since Leo so graciously handed it over.”

She bursts into laughter, and I know it’s all in good humor, so I join in.

“Seriously, though, read the reviews. They all gave it high praise.”

“I’m sure they did, but honestly, I’m still recovering from embarrassment. I can’t even look at the thing right now.” I pause and add baking powder to my dry ingredients. “Maybe later.”

“Fine,” she acquiesces. “So how’s everything?”

“I’m okay. I’m actually baking some cookies for the guys.”

“Aww, that’s sweet. They’ll definitely appreciate the gesture.”

“Did you know that they’re firemen?”

Chloe sighs in a dramatic fashion. “That adds an extra layer of hotness now, doesn’t it?”

“It sure does. Former military. Now firefighters and EMT’s. We already know they’re handy around the house because your grandmother clearly adored them,” I reply. “I came upon a box of her things in the attic full of photos taken with them, some from when they were on leave during their service. She even went to their decoration ceremony.”

“Sounds like they’re too good to be true.”

“Judging from personal experience, they probably are,” I mutter. “There’s got to be something rotten beneath the surface.”

“Hey, not all men are Marcus. He was just a horrible glitch in the matrix, Olivia. He’s the unpleasant exception, not the rule.”

“How are things back in Devon?” I ask her.

“So far, so good,” Chloe says. “Quiet for now, but I’m sure Marcus will be back to ask me some follow-up questions.”

“He won’t stop until he finds me.”

“Well, he can suck a bag of dicks as far as I’m concerned. You’re free of that man, and he doesn’t know where to find you. As long as you keep a low profile, you’ll be fine. My dad is looking into his tax returns as we speak, and my mom reached out to a lawyer friend in New York. They’ll find a way to trip him up eventually.”