Ella

Life isn’t fair. I know that lesson well.

I said goodbye to Caleb ten years ago.

The boy I once loved is man now—a rugged, s*xy as h*ll man.

As a hotshot firefighter, he’s all about saving others.

Life ripped us apart, stealing more than I could’ve imagined.

Time didn’t heal all of my wounds, and time never let me forget what we once had.

Once again, he comes to my rescue.

This time, I’m running from a different set of demons.

Maybe this time we have a second chance.

Caleb

Fire burns hot and bright. It can destroy everything.

Just like it destroyed what I had with Ella.

What comes out of the ashes is stronger than ever.

Ella meant everything to me once upon a time.

We were young and foolish when tragedy tore us apart.

She went running, and I was too torn up to chase after her and make it right.

They say time heals all wounds.

Some things never die, and the fire between us burns hotter than ever.

I’ll do anything to keep her safe, to make her mine.

Excerpt

Ella

I couldn’t have known that he would hold me close all night—pulling me up against his side where I could comfortably drape myself over him, or spooning behind me, holding me in the cage of his arms.

That was how I woke the following day—with the sun angling across the bed and Caleb’s warm, hard body curled behind me. His palm rested on the curve of my belly, and I could feel his breath rise and fall, slow and steady, against my back.

I shifted my hips, my body reflexively seeking to be closer, and felt his quite obvious arousal against my bottom. I was instantly slick between my thighs. My body moved on its’ own accord, my hips shifting restlessly, trying to ease the ache at my core. I felt him come awake from a subtle shift in his breathing. He murmured something and then flexed in a shivering stretch that I felt to my bones.

His palm slid up my belly to cup one of my breasts. My nipples puckered, instantly tight and achy. “Mmm, Ella,” he murmured in my hair before dropping a kiss against my shoulder. He was warm all over, and I loved it. I tended to be cold. All the damn time.

Much as I loved winter and I loved Alaska, I had never loved the cold that came with it. I was the kind of person who went to sleep with socks on just keep my feet warm. That wasn’t necessary with Caleb. He was my own personal heater.

My hips shifted back against him again. I couldn’t resist rocking into the hard, hot length of him. Because I knew I wanted and where I wanted it. I turned my head, reaching a hand up to trace along the strong line of his jaw. He caught my lips in a kiss.
On the heels of a breath, his hand slid down, sifting through the curls at the apex of my thighs and dipping his fingers into my folds.

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About the Author

USA Today Bestselling Author J. H. Croix lives in a small town in the historical farmlands of Maine with her husband and two spoiled dogs. Croix writes steamy contemporary romance with strong independent women and rugged alpha men who aren't afraid to show some emotion. Her love for quirky small-towns and the characters that inhabit them shines through in her writing. Take a walk on the wild side of romance with her bestselling novels!

You can find me online here: Website | Bookbub | Facebook | Twitter

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