2. Marlee
Chapter 2
Marlee
I heaved a sigh as I surveyed the smoldering ruins of the house. This was going to be a nightmare when it came to paperwork.
Last month, I packed up my life in San Francisco and moved to the little town of Romeo, Texas, to fill an open position as the director of the local real estate office. The paycheck was considerably smaller, but the cost of living wasn’t as hard on my wallet as California had been, so it balanced out in the end.
And I needed to get away. To escape charming men who toyed with my heart and slept with other women behind my back. I needed to disappear for a while, to lick my wounds, to mend the pieces of a heart that had been broken one too many times.
I sipped my coffee and grimaced now that it was no longer hot. The memory of that firefighter in the coffee shop still replayed in my mind.
You must be new to Romeo. I would have remembered running into someone as breathtaking as you around here.
Seth Teagan was exactly the kind of man I wanted to avoid. He knew he was handsome, easily attracting women who would melt in his arms when he flashed a smile and dropped a flattering compliment.
Under normal circumstances, I would have gladly flirted a bit. He was a dream come true with those messy honey-brown curls, warm brown eyes, and broad shoulders. The smudges of soot on his face only made him more endearing.
But I steered clear of him instead. I came here to work and that’s what I intended to do. Men didn’t feature on my agenda. Not even for a casual fling or a harmless flirtation in a coffee shop.
So, I firmly put thoughts of Seth Teagan—and anyone else like him—out of my mind.
When I reached the police station, I marched straight to the front desk.
“I’m Marlee Jenkins,” I said. “I spoke to Sheriff Beck about a house fire earlier. He’s expecting me.”
The receptionist nodded and gave me directions to his office. The door was open when I arrived, showing Sheriff Beck in conversation with someone else—a man in a firefighter’s snug-fitting blue t-shirt and pants. My stomach dropped when I recognized his profile, that tousled honey-brown hair, the smooth tan from hours spent in the sun. He was clean this time, though. No soot, no heavy gear.
“Miss Jenkins, there you are.” Sheriff Beck gestured for me to come in. “Have a seat, make yourself comfortable. This is a firefighter who was at the scene today, Seth Teagan. He was the one who discovered signs of arson.”
Teagan rose from his seat with an infuriatingly smug smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. He extended his hand again, a wicked little gleam in his eye.
“Good morning, Miss Jenkins,” he said. “It’s a pleasure to bump into you again.”
I flicked a glance at Sheriff Beck, then back at Teagan. There was no way out of it this time. A handshake was the professional thing to do. I couldn’t snub Teagan in front of Sheriff Beck without raising eyebrows.
Reluctantly, I clasped his hand with a firm shake. Teagan’s smile grew. His palm was warm and callused, his fingers strong. A lump formed in my throat at the undeniable spark of attraction I couldn’t afford to allow myself to feel.
Then I withdrew my hand, resisting the urge to wipe my palm on my pants.
“Tell me more about this arsonist,” I said.
Sheriff Beck retrieved something from behind his desk and held it up—a rusty gas can, sealed in an evidence bag.
“Seth found this at the house when he was conducting his sweep of the interior,” he said.
“There’s a good chance the arsonist could strike again,” Teagan put in. “The fire department and the police department will work closely to put a stop to it.”
“Do you have any idea why the arsonist targeted one of the houses my real estate office is trying to sell?” I asked.
Teagan blew out a breath with a shrug. He sprawled deeper in his seat, nonchalant and comfortable. I tried to convince myself that his manspreading was obscene, but the flex of his muscled thighs beneath the fabric of his pants drove me to distraction.
“Could be any number of reasons. An empty house is an easy target. That provides plenty of opportunity with very little resistance. It’s not like the arsonist had to get past a resident in order to burn the place down.”
I narrowed my eyes, studying Teagan’s lackadaisical posture and folded hands.
“In other words, you don’t have much to go on and this arsonist will likely be free as a bird for the rest of his days.”
“Or her,” Teagan supplied.
“I beg your pardon?”
“You automatically assumed the arsonist was a guy. Could be a woman. I’ve met a lady firebug once or twice in my day.”
I stifled a growl of frustration at his correction, even though technically, I knew he had a point. Not that I would admit it out loud. He was already gazing at me with that sparkle in his eye, like he knew he was annoying me and enjoyed every minute of it.
“Whether the arsonist is male or female doesn’t change the fact that I can’t sell a pile of ashes,” I countered. “I’m losing money because of this firefly.”
“Firebug,” Teagan said.
“Whatever,” I replied, exasperated.
He pressed his lips together and ducked his head. When he scrubbed a hand over his mouth, I could have sworn he was trying to prevent himself from laughing. Did he think this was funny?
I pushed to my feet.
“If you find anything else, Sheriff Beck, I would appreciate it if you could inform me right away. I need to take precautionary measures to ensure I don’t lose any more houses.”
“Of course, Miss Jenkins.”
Without acknowledging Seth Teagan in any way, I headed out of the sheriff’s office. But I couldn’t get rid of him that easily. Teagan hurried to catch up to me, trotting at my heels.
“It looks like we’ll be seeing more of each other, sweetheart,” he said.
“I have assistants who handle members of the public that I don’t wish to deal with,” I replied, fishing my keys from my purse. “And that’s Miss Jenkins to you. Not sweetheart, unless you’d like to be reported for sexual harassment.”
“ Miss Jenkins. Not Mrs? There’s no Mr. Jenkins in the picture then? Interesting.”
Teagan darted ahead of me and pushed the door of the police station open. With a flourish, he gestured for me to go ahead.
“Ladies first,” he said. “See? I can be a polite member of society worthy of your time and attention. You don’t have to hand me off to an assistant. I can behave myself, cross my heart and pinkie promise.”
I shot him a sideways glance as I passed through the door.
“Why do I get the feeling you actually have no clue how to behave yourself?”
Teagan grinned with a wink. My stomach swooped. I wrenched my gaze away, walking a little faster to my car in a desperate need to distance myself from this man who was setting every nerve in my body on fire against my will.
“You know,” he said. “I’d be happy to give you a call if the fire department finds out anything else about this arsonist. In the name of sharing information of course.”
I kept my gaze straight ahead, locked on my car, and my inevitable escape. Teagan’s long, confident strides and his boots gave him the advantage of sure footing on the pavement. My damned heels didn’t make for a quick getaway.
“Wouldn’t that be against the law?” I pointed out. “Sharing evidence with an outside party before going to the police?”
Teagan flashed a devastating smile—a hint of golden-brown scruff, a dimple peeking out from his right cheek, and mischievous eyes that swept over me from head to toe. This man knew how to flirt and he did it well.
“It can be our little secret,” he replied. “All I need is your number.”
By now, we had finally reached my car—a black Jaguar polished to a mirror-like shine. My ex hated it, so I had no intention of getting rid of it, even though it did look out of place amid the muddy pickup trucks and sedans in the parking lot.
I retrieved a business card from the pocket of my blazer and slapped it against Teagan’s chest—totally copping a feel in the process. I couldn’t stand staring at the tight stretch of his shirt across his pecs any longer without putting my hands on him.
Yep. Firm muscles. Warm body heat. Built like a brick wall.
Fuck, this man meant nothing but trouble.
“My receptionist’s number is on that card,” I said. “Don’t hesitate to reach out and contact us if you’re interested in some real estate, Mr. Teagan.”
I opened the door of my car and climbed in. Teagan chuckled and shook his head.
“If you’re going to hate my guts, you might as well call me Seth. Being on a first name basis makes that animosity a little more personal.”
He wedged his body against the door, preventing me from closing it. Bracing one arm on the roof of my car, he leaned in.
I didn’t like this—positioned lower than him, so I had to look up into those brown eyes that sent heat prickling up my spine and a familiar ache between my thighs. I caught the scent of his soap, sharp and citrusy, mingled with a hint of smoke. I would have preferred to be standing. In my heels, we were nearly the same height, and I would have been nose to nose with him…pinned against the car…with his arms bracketing me…
I stuffed that thought into a dark corner of my mind.
“I don’t hate your guts,” I said, jutting out my chin in defiance. “I’m a professional, Mr. Teagan. That’s all. I’m just doing my job.”
That infuriating, attractive smirk reappeared. He hummed in thought.
“You’re determined to shut me out in the cold,” Seth said, his voice pitched lower, quieter. “You can act like you despise me, Miss Jenkins, but your eyes give you away. Your pupils dilate every time I get close. Big and beautiful and so dark. Aroused. ”
I sucked in a sharp breath. Before I could form a protest, Seth laughed softly and shut my door. He stepped back, kissed my business card, and slid it into his pocket. I clutched the steering wheel with a death grip as I watched him saunter away, the smug bastard.
It wasn’t fair that his pants were a snug fit, providing the perfect view of his ass. For a brief instant, an image flashed through my mind—digging my fingernails into his ass with Seth’s hot breath at my ear, praising me every time he thrust deep.
Look at you. Blushing and speechless, taking every inch of my cock like a good girl. I knew you wanted this the moment we met. My gorgeous, filthy little—
“Nope,” I rasped, shaking my head. “No, no, no. Absolutely not. Don’t go down that road.”
As I started my car and drove out of the parking lot, my gaze strayed to the rear-view mirror, hoping for one last look of Seth Teagan. Romeo was a small town. I’m sure I couldn’t avoid him forever. And he seemed determined to chase me, no matter how far or how fast I ran.
A smile twitched at the corner of my mouth.
I pressed my lips together, stifling it. The last thing I needed was a charismatic asshole like Seth toying with my heart, no matter how much my body wanted him.