Fighting the Flames Read Free Page B

truck. There was no sign of Jess.
    Ryan grabbed a couple of boxes and went inside. He set them on the floor, went back outside, got a few more and brought them in. Between the two of them, it took less than an hour to unload the moving truck. Jess didn’t have a lot of belongings, but the furniture she did have was heavy. “That’s it,” Ryan said, taking off his shirt and wiping his face with it. It wasn’t even noon yet, and it was blistering hot out.
    “I got some cold beer at my place,” Jim said. “We can throw some burgers on the grill.”
    Ryan’s stomach growled at the mention of food, his muffins having long deserted him. “Sounds good to me.” He reached for the doorknob at the same time the door swung open, bringing him face-to-face with Jess, who had a pizza box in one hand and a twelve pack of beer in the other. She was wearing a pair of short denim shorts, flip flops, and a tank top with a bra that pushed her breasts up into tempting little mounds. Her sleek black hair was pulled into a ponytail, and her big brown eyes were outlined with a touch of makeup. Her lips were shiny. He wondered if she still used the same lip gloss that tasted like exotic fruit. If he had his way, he’d find out before the day was over.
    Her lips worked up and down for a few moments as she attempted to get her brain and mouth to cooperate. “Ryan?”
    “Hello, Jess.” He flung his shirt over his shoulder and smiled. God, she was breathtaking. He wanted to grab her, pin her against the wall, and take out three years of sexual longing on her.
    “What… what… oh my goodness. What are you doing here?” she asked, still stuttering and stumbling on her words.
    Before he could respond, Jim popped into the living area. “Oh, hey, Jessie, glad you made it. Did you have any problems finding the place?”
    “Uh, no, thank you. I brought lunch.” Ryan stepped out of the way and she entered. “Wow. You guys have been busy. I can’t thank you enough.”
    “Pizza and beer is a good start.” Jim took the food from her and set it on top of one of the boxes. He reached in, grabbed the largest slice and took a big bite.
    Jess laughed and Ryan thought his heart was going to rupture in his chest. She had such a melodic laugh. It had always done funny things to him to hear it. He remembered the way she used to giggle when he kissed her neck. She’d squirm and try to push him away, but he’d be relentless until he made his way to her lips. She would graze her fingernails along the nape of his neck and he’d tremble from her touch. He was getting hard just thinking about it. Damn. The woman was still under his skin.
    “So, you never did answer me, Ryan. What are you doing here?”
    Her mixed signals had him on edge. He was getting the feeling that she wasn’t happy to see him. Her eyes told him otherwise.
    “Oh, Ryan? He’s your neighbor,” Jim answered for him as he finished his pizza. He was reaching for another slice just as his phone started ringing. “Damn. Excuse me,” he said, digging his cell phone from his pocket and stepping out the front door with it.
    “Is that true?”
    “Yes, I live in the little white house to the right.” He shoved his hands in his pockets so he wouldn’t act impulsively and try to touch her, because Lord knows that’s all he could think about at the moment.
    She took a deep breath. “Well, neighbor, thanks for moving all my stuff.”
    “No problem.” He raked his gaze over her body, devouring every inch of her, until the sight of her was seared in his memory. “Do you need help with anything else?”
    Jess looked around. “You can stay and help me eat this pizza.”
    Ryan smiled. He was starving and desperate to spend as much time with her as possible, so he agreed. Taking a slice, he took a bite and sat on the couch. She also took a slice and sat beside him. They ate in silence. Ryan’s mind raced with things he wanted to say to her, questions he wanted to ask, and things he