Let Me Burn (Angel Sands 1)

Could her face flame any hotter? “Yes it is, but…” She shook her head, frantically trying to find the right words. “I didn’t ask for it. I don’t know this guy. It’s this stupid app. It attracts the strangest people.”

“What app?” Lucas asked.

She didn’t want to look at him, afraid the mortification might kill her. “The Sizzle app, my friend made me download it.”

“Sizzle?” There was a frown in his voice. “Isn’t that a hook-up app?”

“A what?” Still not looking at him. Instead she was looking down at her feet, wondering if anybody would notice if she let the ground suck her up.

“An app people use for casual sex.” His voice was thick, but he didn’t sound anywhere near as embarrassed as she felt.

“Do you know the app?” she asked him. “Are you on it?” And if so, why hadn’t he come up in her suggestions?

“Nope.”

It was no good, she was going to have to look at him. “Then how do you know so much about it?”

“I’ve heard stories at the station.” His eyes caught hers and he slowly shook his head. “You should probably stay away from it.”

She felt her flush deepen. “It’s fine. I’ve got it under control.” Could this get any worse? “Not everybody on there’s an idiot like this guy,” she said, straightening her back. “There are nice men on there, too. In fact, I’m going on a date with one next week.” She looked at him from the corner of her eye to see his response.

“You’re going on a date with a guy you’ve never met?” His voice was even lower than before, if that was possible. “Is that wise?”

“I can take care of myself.” She offered him a smile. “But thank you for worrying about me.”

He opened his mouth to respond, but Frank’s shout drowned him out. “Okay, let’s move on to where we’ll be setting up the booths,” Frank called out. “Follow me everybody.”

Ember followed the crowd closely, trying not to look at Lucas, her heart still hammering against her ribcage. Frank led them up the grassy field and through a row of bushes. Her t-shirt got caught on one of the brambles and she tugged at it, wincing as she heard the fabric rip.

“Hey, hold up.” Lucas reached across her. “If you keep pulling you’ll only make it worse.” Gently, he lifted the fabric from the thorn, then frowned as he looked at the damage. “You’ve got a scratch, it’s drawn blood.”

She twisted her arm to get a look at her skin. Sure enough, a few red beads were bubbling up through the welt the thorn had left. “It’s only a little one. It doesn’t hurt,” she told him. “I have some wipes in my bag.” She frowned, realizing her shoulder was bare. “I left it in the car. I should go and get it.”

“I’ll come with you.” His tone didn’t leave any room for argument. Anyway, he might be useful. As a firefighter, he probably knew about first aid.

Yeah, except this really wasn’t an emergency. It wasn’t like her arm was falling off.

By the time they reached her car the beads of blood had multiplied, and a few were starting to roll down her arm. She pulled her keys from her pocket and unlocked the door, reaching across to grab the wipes from her bag.

“Let me do it,” Lucas said, holding his hand out to take the wipes. “Do you have any antiseptic wash? I want to make sure my hands are clean first.”

“I have a gel somewhere.” She rummaged through her bag again, pulling out a blue bottle of antibacterial hand sanitizer. Lucas took it and squeezed some gel into the center of his palm, carefully rubbing across both hands in an effort to make sure they were clean.

“You sit down on the seat,” he said, inclining his head at the driver’s chair. “And roll up your sleeve if you can.” He squatted down next to her, until his head was at the same height as her shoulders, he was so close she could feel his breath against her.

She did as she was told, holding the fabric up as he pulled a wipe out, gently pressing it against her skin. He moved it slowly, his face a picture of concentration as he wiped the graze clean. Then he grabbed another wipe and cleaned it again, as though once wasn’t quite enough.

And all through it she held herself perfectly still. She wasn’t sure whether it was the sensation of him touching her that made her spine tingle, or the thought that only a few minutes before they were squabbling about the Sizzle app. Either way, she couldn’t help but enjoy the way he touched her. Soft, yet with a surety she didn’t think she’d ever possess.

“It’s clean,” he murmured. “Do you want a Band-Aid on it?”

She caught his eye and saw the skin around it crinkle. It was impossible not to smile back. “I think I’ll live without one. Though I do have some really cool Sesame Street ones somewhere in my bag.”

“Is there anything you haven’t got in your bag?”

“I’m a teacher. It’s my job to be prepared for anything.”

“I thought that was the Girl Scouts.”