Flames of Desire

1. CHAPTER ONE - MEETING AGAIN

T he musty smell of the bookstore welcomed me as I pushed open the doors and stepped inside. I glanced around with a content smile on my face. This particular building had been at the top of my list for the year, and as of right then, I was finally the proud owner of a bookstore right in the heart of Greendale.

Yesterday was the grand opening of my bookstore, and just as I had expected, a number of people showed up to support me, including my friends and my parents, but my brother was nowhere to be seen.

I shrugged, putting the thought behind me as I waltzed into the store. I had thought of hiring some help, but for now, I wanted to relish the thought of finally having something that was mine and mine alone.

All my life, my decisions had always been dictated and influenced by my parents or my overbearing brother, but for the first time in my life, I was the boss. When I told everyone about my plans to open a bookstore, I was met with such negative energy, and for a moment, the thought of completely dashing my dreams crossed my mind.

But I loved books, the stories they held, the emotions of the author trapped in between the pages, the fucking smell of a freshly opened book. They were a core part of me that I wasn’t ready to let go of.

In the end, I convinced my parents that I was going to open a bookstore, and you can imagine just how hard it was for them to hear such a thing coming from their daughter, who had just earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting.

My parents were no problem, actually, but my brother, Colton, was where the real problem was. He was incredibly pissed at my decision and clearly showed it. We hadn’t talked in weeks, and he didn’t bother showing up to the grand opening of my bookstore, much to my surprise. I had honestly thought that although we had our differences, he would at least show up to support me. But then again, I guess I was wrong.

I walked through the aisles of bookshelves with a satisfied grin on my face. Yesterday had been a smashing success, and I needed to import even more books into the store after taking out the ones from storage. I noticed a small box of books on the counter and remembered that I hadn’t put all the books on the shelves before closing up last night.

I picked up the box, noticing they were mostly romance novels, and approached the romantic aisle of shelves. As I slowly took the books out and bent to place them on the bottom part of the shelves, the chime of the bell above the door caused me to look to the entrance, and I spotted a pair of legs walk in.

The bookshelves covered his body, so I couldn’t see him properly— only his legs and boots. I thought about how big the boots looked and wondered if he was a giant, but my questions were quickly answered because as soon as I stood up, I caught sight of the tall, handsome man who had walked into my bookstore, and my heart skipped a beat.

Alex Sinclair, the town’s most infamous firefighter and my brother Colton’s best friend since I could remember.

Alex and I didn’t relate much. Actually, he was always just Colton’s friend and now the firefighter of every girl in town’s dreams. He stood there, looking every bit the hero with his broad shoulders, strong jawline, and those piercing blue eyes that seemed to see right through me. His blonde hair was tousled, like he’d just come from the scene of a daring rescue. Even in his casual jeans and fitted t-shirt, he looked like he belonged on a magazine cover.

There was a brief moment of surprise, and then Alex gave me a small smile before speaking to me. “Good morning, Lily.”

“Good morning, Alex,” I replied, trying to keep my voice steady despite the surprise. “What brings you to my little corner of the world?”

He chuckled, a deep, rich sound that made my stomach do a little flip. “Just thought I’d check out the new bookstore in town. Didn’t realize it was yours.”

“Yeah, it’s mine,” I said, nervously fiddling with the edge of a book. “Welcome to Chapter & Verse.”

Alex looked around, taking in the cozy interior with its warm lighting and inviting atmosphere. “It’s nice. Cozy.”

“Thanks,” I said, trying to ignore the fluttering in my stomach. We've got a great selection of books. Is there anything in particular you’re looking for?”

He hesitated, scratching the back of his neck. "Uh, not really. Just browsing."

“Right,” I said, feeling the conversation slipping into awkward silence. “Feel free to look around. If you need any recommendations, I’m here.”

“Will do,” he said, giving me another awkward smile before wandering off into the aisles.

I watched him go, my mind racing. That was Alex, my brother’s best friend. The one who had always been around during my childhood, teasing me and treating me like a kid sister. And now, here he was, in my bookstore, making me feel nervous and self-conscious.

I took a deep breath and forced myself to focus on the task at hand, but my eyes kept drifting back to where Alex was browsing, and for some reason, my heart was beating rapidly just behind my chest.

Suddenly, he raised his head, and I quickly bent mine so he wouldn’t catch me staring. I could hear him slowly approach me, and I focused hard on not looking at him. He cleared his throat as he got close to me, and I turned to face him, my pulse quickening.

“Hey, Lily. Do you remember this one?” he asked, holding up an old fantasy novel.

A smile tugged at my lips as I recognized the cover. “The Chronicles of Eldoria. You and my brother used to read this all the time.”

Alex nodded, a nostalgic look in his eyes. “Yeah, we did. I remember you trying to sneak into your brother’s room whenever we were having our little reading sessions.”

She laughed, the awkwardness between them easing slightly. “You guys used to be such dorks, and I just wanted to be part of the adventure. You two always had the best stories.”

He grinned. “Well, you were always quite the little adventurer yourself. How's your brother, by the way?”

Lily's smile faltered slightly. “He's good. Probably busy with work or something. We don't get to see each other as much these days.”

“Yeah, same here,” Alex said, his expression softening. “I guess sometimes, life gets in the way.”

There was a brief silence, and we just stared at each other. I then glanced down at the book in his hand. “You know, we still have that book if you want to relive some old memories.”

Alex's eyes lit up. “Really? That would be great.”

I nodded, reaching for the book. “It's on the house.”

“Thanks, Lily,” he said, his voice sincere. “It means a lot.”

As we walked back to the counter to confirm his purchase, I couldn't help but feel a sense of connection, and the old awkwardness gave way to a more comfortable familiarity. “Maybe Alex’s unexpected visit wasn't so bad after all.”

I wasn’t done with my train of thought when the door chime rang out yet again, and I looked to the entrance to see a woman walk in wearing a very provocative outfit. She had on a tight, red mini dress that barely covered her thighs and hugged her curves like a second skin, paired with thigh-high black boots and a leather jacket slung over her shoulder. Her hair was a wild shade of dark brown curls, and her lipstick matched her dress, making her lips look like they were painted in fire.

“Alex!” she yelled, strutting toward the counter. She grabbed hold of his hand, her red-tipped nails looking like claws against his skin. “There you are.”

Alex looked at her, a mix of surprise and annoyance crossing his face. “Tina, I told you to wait in the car until I was done.”

She pouted, batting her heavily mascaraed lashes. “But I missed you, babe. I wanted to see why you were taking so long in an ordinary bookstore.”

My mood immediately soured as I watched her fingers curl around Alex’s biceps. I felt a wave of utter disgust. I had forgotten the reputation Alex had in this town. He was none other than the town’s notorious bad boy. And the girl clinging to his hand only confirmed the rumors.

I began to pack up his book hurriedly, trying to ignore the lump forming in my throat. Alex must have noticed my demeanor because he turned to me, a hint of concern flickering in his eyes as he asked, “Are you okay, Lily?”

I gritted my teeth, trying to keep my voice even as I forced a smile. “I’m perfectly fine.”

I kicked myself mentally for letting his charm get to me. I should have known what kind of a person Alex was. The signs were right there. But just being alone with him made me question my better judgment, and now here I was, already feeling terrible because I found out what he actually was.

I shoved the bag containing his book toward him, “Thanks for stopping by,” I said in a curt manner, my tone leaving no room for further conversation.

Alex gazed at me with those deep blue eyes, trying to understand what had gone wrong, but I didn’t bother even looking at him. I walked away into the back of the store.

When I was sure he had left by the sound of the door chime, I came back out into the empty store and sat on the small sofa by the wall. The thought of me being so incredibly stupid irked me, but before I could dwell on it, a small group of teenagers trooped into the store, and I had to act normally.

I plastered a smile on my face and greeted them. “Welcome to Chapter & Verse! Feel free to browse around and let me know if you need any help finding something.”

They nodded and dispersed into the aisles, chattering excitedly about whatever kids were into these days. I decided to bury thoughts of Alex deep inside. He wasn’t worth it, and besides, he hadn’t even shown the slightest bit of interest in me, so why in God’s name was I doing this to myself?

After a very long day, as I was closing up the store, my phone buzzed. I picked it up to see that it was a message from the manager of the renowned author Richard L. Ginsberg. I had been trying to get Mr. Ginsberg to come for a book signing to promote his new book in my store and help with the store’s publicity.

The message was pretty simple: “Mr. Ginsberg will be at a secluded cabin on the outskirts of town due to media reasons and would love to meet you.” At the bottom was his live location, so I could easily find it with a GPS.

I grinned in happiness and rushed out of the store, eager to get back home. It was then I realized that it had begun to snow. Winter had come.