Susan Andersen - Burning Up

“Andersen creates a sexy, feel-good contemporary romance…Palpable escalating sexual tension between the pair, a dangerous criminal on the loose and a cast of well-developed secondary characters make this a winner.”

—Publishers Weekly on Bending the Rules

“This start of Andersen’s new series has fun and interesting characters, solid action and a hot and sexy romance.”

—RT Book Reviews on Cutting Loose

“Snappy and sexy…Upbeat and fun, with a touch of danger and passion, this is a great summer read.”

—RT Book Reviews on Coming Undone

“Lovers of romance, passion and laughs should go all in for this one.”

—Publishers Weekly on Just for Kicks

“Andersen again injects magic into a story that would be clichéd in another’s hands, delivering warm, vulnerable characters in a touching yet suspenseful read.”

—Publishers Weekly on Skintight

“A classic plot line receives a fresh, fun treatment…well-developed secondary characters add depth to this zesty novel, placing it a level beyond most of its competition.”

—Publishers Weekly on Hot & Bothered

“Sassy, snappy and sizzling hot!”

—New York Times bestselling author Janet Evanovich on Baby, I’m Yours

“Lively and fun!”

—New York Times bestselling author Susan Elizabeth Phillips on Be My Baby

Dear Reader,

The past year has been kind of taxing, so when I started this book I only had one criteria: to have fun. To that end my imagination presented me with MTV queen Macy O’James—a one-time small-town girl with a big, bad reputation and a penchant for in-your-face clothing. The minute the ink on her high school diploma dried, she kicked the dust of farming community Sugarville, Washington, from her boots. But now she’s back, and if the citizens of S’ville don’t like it—and she fully expects many of them to be vocal in their displeasure—well, she’s prepared to live with that.

What she’s not prepared for is her unwelcome response to Sugarville’s new fire chief, Gabriel Donovan.

Gabe left a career as a big-city arson investigator to simplify and de-stress his life. But things aren’t turning out according to plan. This placid little town is suddenly plagued by a raft of fires. Those, he knows how to handle. The infamous woman he heard reams about even before she came home is another story. He was prepared to discount the gossip, but up close and personal, Macy threatens the even-keeled existence he’s carved for himself. She’s trouble, and that’s the last thing he’s looking for. After a hardscrabble childhood and a wild adolescence, there is no way Gabe’s falling for a too-hot-to-handle firecracker like Macy O’James.

Still, that up-close-and-personal thing is pretty hard to resist.

I had a ball writing Macy and Gabe’s story. I hope, hope, hope you have even more fun reading it.

Susan

But wait! There’s more! (Yeah, I know, I’ve gotta cut back on watching infomercials.) As an extra added treat, be sure to check out Auntie Lenore’s recipes in the back of the book.

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This is dedicated, with love,

to

Joey Zderic Gaviglio

For

Long walks, lotsa laughs and non-stop conversations.

I’m so tickled we reconnected after all these years.

Thanks for all the shared goodies and recipes—not to mention turning me on to some great walking shoes and sandals.

I always look forward to Wednesdays.

—Susie

I also owe a huge thank-you to the firefighters who took time to help me with the technical aspects of this book. My gratitude to King County Fire Marshall Gary Owens, Assistant Fire Chief Robert Young of Mountain View Fire and Rescue, and Doug Napoli of the Tualatin Valley, Oregon, fire district. You guys rock; any and all mistakes I may have made in the use of the information you gave me are mine alone.

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

CHAPTER NINETEEN

CHAPTER TWENTY

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

EPILOGUE

AUNTIE LENORE’S OLD-FASHIONED BUTTERMILK FRIED CHICKEN

AUNTIE LENORE’S (AND SUE BELL’S) SUGAR COOKIE RECIPE

GABRIEL DONOVAN KNEW Macy O’James was trouble the minute she rolled into town.

Hell, he knew it before she even hit the city limits. He and Johnny Angelini were sitting in Johnny’s police cruiser out near the county line, shooting the bull and discussing ways to improve workplace efficiency, when he had his first Macy O’James sighting.

Not that he knew it was her at that moment. Despite old Sheriff Baxter’s objection to what he considered the newfangled notion of interdepartmental information sharing between Johnny, Sugarville’s sole deputy, and Gabe, the town’s fire chief, the two men liked putting their heads together every now and then to talk out problems they felt had crossover potential. And that particular hot July afternoon, Gabe had just finished recounting why he thought Johnny should check out a ramshackle trailer out near Leavenston that he suspected might be a meth lab, when a candy-apple-red, drop-top Corvette roared by, trailing screaming rock and roll in its wake.

The two men exchanged a look. “Not going that much above the limit,” Gabe commented laconically.

“True.” Johnny nodded. “Ten over hardly seems worth the time to write up a ticket.”

“That was my thought.”

“Still,” Johnny said. “Hot car, hotter driver, man. Blonde. Could be my future bride.”

“There is that,” he agreed, although how his friend could state the driver’s hair color, much less her hotness factor, from the one quick glimpse they’d gotten as she’d blown past was beyond him. He didn’t, however, doubt it was true. Johnny had eyes like a raptor when it came to the female portion of the human race.

The deputy scratched a thumbnail across his jaw. “And it is a hot day. Be a real mess if Myerson chose now to let his cows cross the road.”

“Little car, big cattle,” he granted.

“My civic duty to do my job. It’s not like they pay me the big bucks for sitting under the trees. So.” He raised an eyebrow. “You in?”

Gabe considered. Common sense dictated he get out of the cruiser, get back in his rig and go about his business. He had no real reason or even desire to check out Johnny’s “future bride.” Beyond the fact he was currently dating a nice woman, he was nowhere close to being the hound with the babes that Johnny was.