Play With Fire (The Men of Fire 1)

Sorry, Mom. Guess I’ll paint your porch next time.CHAPTER 3AMELIAWhy the hell can’t I get those grey, stormy eyes out of my mind? Duh, they were sexy as sin, that’s why. Pull your shit together, Amelia!

I stand in my kitchen, making the girls lunch and all I can think about is the handsome stranger who wanted to help me find a paint brush ... and I freaking sounded like a moron. I mean, who the hell does that? What twenty-six-year-old doesn’t know how to talk to a sexy stranger without making a fool of herself?

This bitch, that’s who.

God, I’m an idiot. Though, it shouldn’t matter. It’s not like anything was going to come from it. I’ve got way too much shit going on to worry about adding a man to the mix. Two kids, a douchebag ex, bills coming out of my ears, and a house that’s falling apart. Yeah, not exactly the kind of woman who has time on her hands. Besides, once a guy like that gets the slightest insight into my crazy life, he’ll be running for the hills.

He was perfect though. My god. The arms, the chest, the jawline … the thighs. Good lord, those thighs. He was a walking orgasm and when he winked … shit. I nearly came right there in the middle of Avalon Lake Hardware Store. I never would have lived it down.

A light giggle comes from out front and has my head instinctively pulling up. I see Ryan playing in the yard and I smile to myself. She loves it here, although it’s seen better days.

This used to be my dad’s place. It was the home I grew up in and the one place on this green earth where I can truly find happiness. Or well, it used to be. Now my happiness lies with my girls. Wherever they go, so does my heart.

Bryce had split when I first found out I was pregnant with Coby and dad immediately took us in. He suffered through the horrible pregnancy and was there to help my every need when I was put on bed rest.

Pregnancy sucks. Whoever tells you that pregnancy is a beautiful thing is a liar.

I don’t know what I would have done without my dad. He literally saved us. He took me and Ryan in, gave us a home, and welcomed Coby with open arms when she came screaming into the world.

Dad was my guy. I freaking loved him. We were like two peas in a pod, and I sure as hell would have loved him harder if I’d know he wasn’t going to be around much longer. He passed just over six months ago and it still shatters me. I can’t even think about it without tears springing to my eyes. But what’s worse is knowing that my girls will grow up, not knowing that same love from their grandfather that I’d been so blessed to have in my life.

My attention falls away from Ryan and I take a moment to listen out for Coby playing in her sister’s room. They’re both happy and despite the house being a mess and the pile of laundry that’s been staring at me all day, I’m happy too.

It’s a great day. We rarely get this. My shift at the dance studio was canceled due to the security system malfunctioning. Literally nobody in or out of the building, so I got today off which meant my babies did too. No daycare for them and I have to admit, it came at a great time. I needed nothing more in the world than to just be home with my girls, listening to their laughter ringing throughout our home. Nothing short of perfect.

I get back to making them some lunch before they realize they’re hungry and come screaming for it.

My mind instantly falls back to the stranger at the hardware store. I can’t believe how much of a bumbling idiot I was. I find myself replaying it over and over again in my head, saving the image of him to my mind.

He had walked up to me and I hadn’t even noticed him until it was too late. He gave me this smirk that had me catching my breath, and then his deep baritone voice came out and nearly knocked me right off my feet. I don’t think I even heard what he said over the rapid pulse beating in my eardrums.

What was wrong with me? After the morning I’d had, I was surprised anyone wanted to come anywhere near me. I had on my resting bitch face that told people to leave me the hell alone and walk the other away as fast as they could.

My best friend’s voice had popped into my head and I could picture her saying, ‘If they can’t deal with you at your worst, I don’t blame them. You’re fucking crazy sometimes.’ Those words reminded me that I had one hell of an attractive man standing before me who looked like my next unplanned pregnancy and I needed to get rid of him before I made a big mistake.