Fire and Ice (King Creek Firefighters #1)

Chapter 1

“I think I’ll burn down my house.”

“What?” Kyra Connor jerked her head up, her hands frozen over her ice skate in mid-tie as she stared at Chelsea.

Chelsea Dunn barely noticed her friend as she nodded toward a hockey goal at the end of the indoor ice rink in the middle of downtown Phoenix, Arizona.

They sat close enough to see a gorgeous, dark-haired man in protective gear, holding his helmet beneath his arm as he talked with the goalie.

He strapped on his helmet, skated away, then exploded into movement toward the goal and slapped the puck past the goalie.

Chelsea sighed. Just watching the man made her heart flutter. “Men in uniform are so hot.”

Music blared from the speakers as several people skated around the rink, which was separated from the hockey players by a movable barrier.

“He looks familiar.” Kyra tapped her finger on her lips. “Where have I seen him before?”

“Bette in concessions told me his name is Grady Donovan, and he’s a firefighter.” Chelsea put one elbow on her knee and rested her chin in her palm as she stared at the man who certainly set her on fire. “Work, play—he has both going for him when it comes to a man in uniform.”

Kyra nodded. “Double whammy.”

Watching him did funny things to Chelsea’s midsection, as if a pair of champion skaters performed triple axels in her belly. “According to Bette, he moved to King Creek not too long ago from Seattle—the odds that this man lives in our small town are crazy. Maybe I’ll run into him.”

“Imagine finding that sexy hunk in your bedroom.” Kyra gave Chelsea a teasing look. “You don’t want to let him slip through your fingers.”

Before he’d put on his protective gear, Chelsea had spotted the firefighter, who earlier had worn snug jeans and a blue T-shirt that stretched at his biceps and chest. Chelsea would bet her last dollar he had ripped abs, too. “If only.”

“Hmmm.” Kyra finished securing her skate. “Have you seen the latest firefighter calendar? He’d definitely qualify for Mr. January.”

“Any month would do.” Chelsea sighed. “Yep, I definitely need to burn my house down.”

Kyra shook her head. “You’re a nut.”

Chelsea straightened and looked away from the man. “Think he likes women who are on the fluffy side?”

Kyra lightly punched Chelsea in her upper arm. “Dammit, Chelsea. You’re gorgeous, and that’s that. Not only on the inside, but you are amazingly beautiful on the outside. No one cares about anything but who you are.”

Chelsea rubbed her arm even though it didn’t hurt. “Can’t help it.”

Kyra narrowed her gaze. “Yes. You. Can.”

Chelsea offered her friend a smile. “I’m happy with who I am, I just wondered—” She snapped her mouth shut at the murderous look in Kyra’s eyes. Chelsea raised her hands, her palms facing Kyra. “Nothing. I wondered nothing.”

Kyra sniffed as she stood, and they made their way to the rink. “Come on and show me those moves you promised to teach me.”

Chelsea stepped onto the ice, conscious of the man who had taken over her waking fantasies. She was grateful she was skilled and confident enough that she didn’t worry about falling on her ass in front of him. She looked damned good on the ice.

The moment she started to skate toward the opposite end of the rink, Grady looked over his shoulder, and their gazes met and held. He didn’t even look at Kyra, who had an elegant, willowy, and beautiful presence.

A slow, sexy smile curved the corner of Grady’s lips.

Chelsea’s cheeks heated in a five-alarm blaze. She cut her gaze away from him and put on a little speed to move across the ice and distance herself from the man she’d like to use to douse the fire that now coursed through her body.

“You’re blushing.” Laughter rang in Kyra’s voice. “Mr. Firefighter more than noticed you.”

Chelsea mumbled under her breath. “Shut up and pay attention.”

Kyra sniggered. Chelsea glared at her.

While Chelsea instructed Kyra on a few moves, Kyra landed on her ass several times. She laughed every time she hit the ice. They had been friends for a relatively short time, but one thing Chelsea liked about Kyra was that she could laugh at herself. She was fun to be around and easygoing.

Chelsea avoided outright looking at Grady but did glance at him from beneath her eyelashes and from the corners of her eyes. She caught him watching her a few times. The thought that he could be interested in her warmed her enough that she didn’t feel any chill from the ice.

After Chelsea had given Kyra extensive instruction on a move, she saw that the firefighter and goalie had left. She glanced around the rink and didn’t see anyone watching. Disappointment curled in her belly. She was so preoccupied that she nearly skated into Kyra.

“He’ll be back.” Kyra laughed as she held onto Chelsea’s arm in an effort to stay upright.

A song came on over the loudspeakers that Chelsea had skated to in one of her championship performances back when she trained and lived in Colorado. “I think I’ll stretch my legs.”

Kyra plopped down on a bench. “I’ll be your audience.”

Chelsea raced around the rink—it was the day after Thanksgiving, and the ice was nearly empty of skaters.

She let herself fall into the rhythm of what was one of her favorite choreographed performances.

She set her mind free, no longer thinking of gorgeous firefighters or any number of things that bombarded her when she wasn’t on the ice.

She was glad it was one of her longer performances.

She needed the feel of cool air brushing her skin and the extra stretch in her muscles.

Her thoughts turned back to the firefighter and the reason she had decided never to date anyone in a dangerous profession. Why would she even look twice his way?

Because he’s so freaking hot and looks like a great guy.

Get a grip, Chelsea.

She sped up on the ice, performing her routine at a faster pace than normal.

Back when Chelsea competed, before her grandmother passed away, she had been a world-champion skater.

She had left home at thirteen to live with a host family in Colorado Springs while one of the most renowned trainers in the world took her under his wing.

She trained at the Broadmoor World Arena, in the World Arena Ice Hall, one of the finest training facilities in the world.

When her parents died two years later, her siblings had been taken in by their abusive grandmother.

Her only regret had been leaving her four younger siblings with a woman who could harm them in any way. Chelsea had wanted to earn enough money to take care of her brothers and sisters when she was old enough.

As she skated around the rink, the day their grandmother died came to mind. Chelsea’s chest tightened at the thought of the unkind woman who had raised them.

Chelsea had become the pseudo-matriarch of the family and carried on, doing her best to raise her younger brothers and sisters.

She had always been an emotional eater, but she had controlled it with a strict diet and constant training. Once her grandmother was gone, and Chelsea could no longer compete because of her responsibilities, her emotional eating took over.

To help ease the tension caused by thoughts of her grandmother, Chelsea performed one of her more complicated moves as her chest relaxed.

She had made peace with no longer being slender and athletic, but now and then, a hint of insecurity knocked at her mind. Well, she hadn’t given in to that for some time, and she wasn’t going to now.

Chelsea came to the graceful end of her performance, smiling, her arms raised, her head thrown back as if she stood in front of a row of judges and knew every movement had been perfect.

Light applause brought Chelsea out of her thoughts. She whirled around and saw Kyra where Chelsea had left her.

Kyra clapped like mad. “Incredible!”

More applause came from behind Kyra, and she looked beyond her friend to see the drop-dead gorgeous firefighter on his feet in the stands, grinning and clapping.

She heard him say, “Beautiful. That was beautiful.”

The heat she felt earlier was nothing compared to how her body responded when he made a “come here” gesture with his forefinger.

She hesitated just a moment as Kyra urged her on by mouthing, “Go on.”

Heart pounding, Chelsea skated to the place Grady stood. She came to a stop just inches from the barrier separating them. Not only was he built, but he had the most beautiful blue eyes she had ever seen. Fire-ice blue.

“That was incredible, Chelsea.” He gave her a sexy grin as surprise must have flashed over her features. He jerked his thumb in the direction of concessions. “Bette told me your name when I asked, and said you live in King Creek. I just moved there.”

Chelsea felt flustered for a moment. He had asked her name?

He held out his hand. “I’m Grady.”

She almost told him she already knew, but she grasped his hand instead. Wildfire seared her the moment they touched. “I think I need a fire hose.” The words came out before she could stop them.

He laughed. “Bette, right?”

Chelsea flushed as she realized she’d outed herself after all. “Bette mentioned your name and that you’re a firefighter.”

“You have beautiful green eyes.” He didn’t release her hand. Instead, he drew her closer to him. “Have dinner with me.”

“Thank you.” The way her entire body warmed at his compliment and his touch, she couldn’t think clearly, and it made her feel suddenly shy. “You’re asking me to dinner?”

He gave a slow nod. “Unless you’d rather get together for something more casual, like coffee.”

She was still stuck on the fact that he had asked her out. “Dinner is good.”

“Terrific.” He inclined his head toward the entrance.

“I’ve got to go. I wrote my cell number down for Bette to hand to you when you’re ready to leave.

” He studied her intently. “Give me a ring tomorrow afternoon. If I don’t answer, I’m probably out on a call.

Leave a message, and I promise to get back to you as soon as I return. ”

How could she refuse his self-assured request? The way he spoke didn’t feel like a demand or an order. It felt like something simpler. Like they had known each other for ages.

She let out her breath. “I will.”

He squeezed her hand one last time. “Talk with you later.”

She missed the warmth of his hand as he released it and turned to jog away from the rink and toward the entrance. She couldn’t stop watching him, and he smiled when he glanced over his shoulder and met her gaze.

All thoughts of him being in a dangerous profession drifted away like smoke, floating as if carried by a breeze.

The man flipped a switch inside her that hadn’t been turned on in a long time. Not only was he good-looking, but there was a kindness and genuineness about him that was so apparent that she’d felt like she could taste it.

She sighed and cut her gaze to see Kyra grinning.

“I won’t say I told you so, even though I more or less did.” Kyra laughed. “Oh, girlfriend,” she said, “You should see the stars in your eyes.”

“You should feel the meteorites dropping in my belly.” Chelsea shook her head. “What just happened there?”

Kyra grinned. “Did one of the best-looking men on the face of God’s green earth just ask you out?”

“Dinner.” Chelsea turned to look back at the doorway Grady had disappeared through. “How many hours until tomorrow afternoon?”

“Can’t wait to call him, huh?” Kyra said.

“Hell, no.” A smile crept across Chelsea’s face. “And hell, no, again.”