Their passion’s rising…

Ever since the tragedy that tore through his life, Mason Foley guards his heart, never letting any woman get too close. Yet the gorgeous, independent Sabrina Crawford is perfect for a sizzling fling, even if she does seem resistant to his charms. He’ll just have to turn up the heat, igniting a longing the hard-to-get wedding photographer can’t resist.

Once burned is enough for Sabrina to swear off a man’s touch forever. But it’s impossible to ignore the hunky San Diego firefighter who’s making her temperature soar. And when Mason puts his life on the line to save hers, Sabrina knows she’s found her ultimate hero. If she gives in, though, is she headed down the road to heartbreak once again? Or will she find a love to keep her soul ablaze forever?

Lord help her, that first touch of his mouth on hers was like she had touched a live wire. She felt a jolt of electricity shoot through her body. It was as though a part of her had been shocked back to life.

Her heart pounded out of control as Mason began to move his lips over hers with tantalizing slowness. Sweet heat spread through her.

And it felt so good.

Sabrina let herself surrender to the kiss. She let herself surrender to this gorgeous man. Because there was something thrilling about being chased….

But then thoughts filled her brain that jarred her from the moment. Cat and mouse. A game. This wasn’t real, just something for Mason to entertain himself with.

Her lust subsiding, Sabrina broke the kiss and pushed him away from her, then quickly stepped past him.

She breathed in and out heavily, catching her breath. Regaining her sanity. Why had she allowed him to kiss her like that? As though he had any rights to her?

“Why did you do that?” she demanded. “And after I told you to leave.”

“Are you saying you didn’t like it?”

“You can’t just go around kissing people! There are laws against that!”

Mason flashed her an easy smile. “If I’m guilty of liking you, then I’ll do the time.”

KAYLA PERRIN

has been writing since the age of thirteen and once entertained the idea of becoming a teacher. Instead, she has become a USA TODAY and Essence bestselling author of dozens of mainstream and romance novels, and has been recognized for her talent, including twice winning Romance Writers of America’s Top Ten Favorite Books of the Year Award. She has also won the Career Achievement Award for multicultural romance from RT Book Reviews. Kayla lives with her daughter in Ontario, Canada.

Burning

Desire

Kayla Perrin

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Dear Reader,

What is it about a uniform that makes a man that much sexier? Whether a police officer, naval captain or firefighter, there’s something incredibly sexy about a man in uniform.

Maybe it’s the fact that we know the men wearing these uniforms are strong, noble and can save you when your life is in duress. Or maybe it’s just because they look good in their attire.

Sabrina Crawford has what many would consider a dream job: she’s creating the annual firefighter’s calendar. But for her, it’s just another job. Having suffered one too many heartbreaks at the hands of a gorgeous man, she’s immune to the men she’s photographing. Though Mason Foley certainly gets her blood boiling—in more ways than one. Sabrina’s determined not to succumb to his charms. Mason is determined to make her his.

Welcome to the world of the Ocean City Fire Department. I’m excited to be writing about firefighters for the first time in a new series for Mills & Boon Kimani Romance. I hope you enjoy the first book!

Kayla Perrin

This book is dedicated to first responders everywhere.

Thank you for your brave acts of heroism that make a difference in people’s lives every day.

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 1

The flames raged out of control, consuming Jodi’s Steakhouse, a popular new restaurant in Ocean City’s downtown core. The sparks flickered in the night, illuminating the dark sky in a dance that was both magical and menacing.

Mason Foley, captain at Station Two of the Ocean City Fire Department, led the charge, doing what he did best—battling the fire. In many ways, he was like a gladiator stepping into a coliseum, knowing that with each battle it was kill or be killed.

And he would do everything in his power to emerge the victor.

At least there was no one inside the building, something that had been determined from the initial 911 call. And when Mason and his team had first gone into the building, they had used their thermal cameras to determine that indeed, there were no bodies inside. Given that it was nearly four in the morning, it hadn’t been likely that they would find anyone in the restaurant, but you could never be too sure.

But despite the early hour, there was chaos around him on the downtown streets. People who were up at this time had converged on the scene to watch the firefighters battle the blaze. Others observed from the windows of the condominium across the street.

While some captains did more overseeing and doling out of responsibilities at a fire scene, Mason believed in getting his hands dirty. After giving his team directions, he and Omar Duncan, a friend as well as a colleague, held a hose on the dying flames licking the inside of the building. Firefighters from the ladder truck had vented the roof, and then proceeded to attack the fire with hoses from the aerial ladder.

An hour and a half later, the fire was out. The battle was won. And most importantly, the men and women of Station Two had kept the fire from spreading to the neighboring restaurants.

Mason’s body was filled with adrenaline, and though he should be tired, he didn’t feel any exhaustion. He pulled his oxygen mask from his face as he exited the building. He walked to the middle of the street and surveyed the damage. Smoke still billowed into the sky, and the once upscale restaurant was now a burned-out shell.

Tyler, one of his best friends and the engineer in charge of the pump truck, approached him and gave him a pat on the shoulder. “Good job, man.”

“You, too.”

Tyler followed Mason’s line of sight to the burned structure, then faced him again. “I know that look. What are you thinking?”

“Second restaurant fire in a week? Same hour of night? I’m wondering if we’ve got a serial arsonist on our hands.”

“The same thought crossed my mind,” Tyler said.

Mason walked back toward the building, passing firefighters who were drinking water and opening their heavy jackets to cool down. He headed straight for the restaurant’s back door to see if his hunch was right. Amid the debris he found what he had at the other scene, five days earlier. Signs that the back door had been pried open, as well as a discarded gasoline can in the back alley.

“Great,” he uttered, exhaling in aggravation. “Definitely arson.”

“You think the M.O.’s the same as the last restaurant?”

Mason turned around to find Tyler standing a few feet behind him. “Gas can in the alley.” He pointed. “From the scraping and indentation on the door, you can tell that it’s been pried open, probably with a crow bar.”

“Exactly like the first time,” Tyler commented wryly. “What happened—this guy get food poisoning or something and now he’s taking it out on the city?”

The police were already trying to find the person behind the first arson, with no luck thus far. Hopefully, he had made a mistake with this one and left some sort of clue behind. If he had burned himself, he would likely end up at one of the area hospitals or even one outside the city limits.

“We need to track this guy down before he strikes again,” Mason said.

“Or her,” Tyler corrected.

“Or her,” Mason agreed. Two years ago, a female arsonist had started three fires before getting caught and prosecuted. So while uncommon, it couldn’t be ruled out.

“If this second fire is any indication, we’re going to be real busy until this person is caught.” Tyler made a face. “You know as well as I do, arsonists become braver with each fire. It’s like they get a high and can’t stop.”

“Tell me about it,” Mason said.

The owners of the restaurant that had been burned down earlier that week claimed that they had gotten threatening letters before the fire. Three letters over a span of the four weeks since they had opened that had warned them to close down and leave. The owners hadn’t heeded the warnings, not after having invested their life’s savings into the business. Then the restaurant had been burned to the ground, leaving the owners devastated.

Police were following up on leads. The suspicion being that another business owner in the area was possibly behind the arson. The letters were being analyzed for any DNA evidence, and time would tell if they held any further clues.

With another restaurant burned to the ground and all signs pointing to arson from what Mason could tell, the idea that the culprit was another business owner—likely a restaurateur—seemed even more likely. But one could be sure.

Though early, a call to the owners of this establishment would soon take place to inform them that their restaurant had been destroyed. He wondered if the owners of this place had also gotten threatening letters.

“The scene is secure,” Tyler began, “and the Fire Marshall will be here come morning. Time to head back to the station.”

Mason nodded absently. Although there was a part of him that wanted to stay and examine the building, even be there when the owners arrived, he had to get his team back to the fire hall. Besides, the Fire Marshall’s office would do the official investigation as to the cause of the fire. It was just that Mason was determined to find answers, which would lead to justice for the victims.

“Nothing else you can do here, man,” Tyler said to him. “And once our shift is over, I don’t want to hear that you came back to the scene, searching for clues.”

Mason faced Tyler, who was more like a brother to him. Someone he knew would always have his back. Even if that meant intervening when he believed that Mason would spread himself too thin for the sake of a fire investigation.

“The Fire Marshall’s office is perfectly capable, and you don’t want to step on toes like you did last year.”

Last year, Mason had inserted himself into the investigation of a warehouse fire, and had been able to find a clue in the debris that was missed. His goal had been to solve the arson, but the Fire Marshall had seen Mason as trying to one-up him, and it caused tension.

“Roberts got over it,” Mason said.

“Still. Leave it to the right department. We’ve done our job. You might even want to spend some of your free time going on a date.”

Mason scoffed. “Just because you’re happily involved doesn’t mean we all have to be.”

“I’m just saying. Get a hobby. Find a girlfriend who lives in town. Because Kenya—she’s always off jet-setting, so she can’t be here to distract you.”

“And she’s not really my girlfriend.”

“That’s my point. You need to find someone. I know you, man. You have a tendency to work way too hard. The fire’s out.”

Mason nodded. “All right. Job well done. Let’s get the guys back.”

As he started back to the street with Tyler, Mason’s mind was still on the situation at hand. He planned to be involved in as much of the investigation as possible on his end, no matter what Tyler said. He would do whatever it took to see the culprit caught.

As a firefighter, arson was truly the worst part of the job. Because it was a crime that destroyed people’s lives. Sure, some arson cases were instances of insurance fraud, and typically in those cases no one got hurt. But Mason had seen fire used as a weapon. A weapon of hatred, a weapon of revenge, or as possibly in this case, a weapon of intimidation.

Nearly twenty years ago, fire had killed Mason’s mother and his five-year-old brother. Even two decades after their deaths, Mason wondered if the fire had been arson, though it had been ruled an accident. But what had troubled Mason at the time and still haunted him today was the fact that there had been no official cause. Not a stove left on, not a cigarette burning on the sofa, not a curling iron plugged in and forgotten in the bathroom. There had been no real answers.

For Mason, who had been away at summer camp at the time, learning that his mother and brother had been killed had not only crushed him, but it had become a driving force in his life. That tragedy led him to a career in the field of fire and rescue.

He hadn’t been able to save his mother and brother, and though he knew it wasn’t his fault, he hadn’t been able to forgive himself. Maybe he couldn’t—not without real answers as to what caused the fire. What if the cause had been something that he, a fifteen-year-old boy at the time, would have been alerted to? His mother had often taken sleeping pills to calm her anxious mind, and once the fire had started she hadn’t had a chance. But had he been there, Mason believed wholeheartedly that he would have smelled the smoke, heard the alarm and gotten his family to safety.

His father should have been home at the time of the fire, but instead had been out drinking with friends.

Mason flinched when he felt a hand clamp down on his shoulder. “Hey, you all right?”

Mason faced Tyler. “Yeah,” he said. But he felt the tightness in his chest, one that had nothing to do with the toxic fumes the fire had produced.

Some people wondered why he had become a firefighter, given that he had been a prodigy of sorts at a young age. At the age of nineteen, Mason had been an NBA top draft pick, with a hefty contract. The eight-figure deal was the kind people could only dream of. However, five years into his career, he had walked away from it all. A controversial decision that die-hard basketball fans still talked about.

For Mason, it had been easy. Basketball had been something he was good at, but it hadn’t been the burning passion in his heart.

Ever since losing his mother and brother, his heart told him that he should do something to help people. In a way, by battling every fire, he tried to atone for the fact that he wished so desperately he could turn back the clock and save his mother and brother on that terrible summer day.

Gritting his teeth, he tried to force the painful memory away. But it wasn’t going anywhere. It was always there, like a physical wound that would never heal. He had learned to live with it, but the guilt prevailed.

His best friends and everyone else he knew had told him that it wasn’t his fault, and rationally he knew that. He’d been a kid, needing to get away from a turbulent home by going to summer camp, the one highlight of the summer. But in retrospect, he hated that he had left his mother and little brother alone with his father, whom he’d known had always drank too much. If he hadn’t gone to summer camp, wouldn’t he have been able to save them that night?

It was the “what if” that continued to haunt him.

“The hoses are back on the truck,” Tyler said. “The guys are ready.”

Mason nodded. Then he called out to his team, “Stephenson, Eisler, Duncan. We’re ready to roll out of here.”

Chapter 2

Sabrina Crawford stared at the photo of Mason Foley on the screen of her Mac computer. It was a candid shot of him, taken while he was standing over a stove in the firehouse. He had been caught midlaugh, and the photo seemed to capture a confident and playful nature about him.

He was the next firefighter scheduled to come in for a photo shoot for the calendar she was working on with the Ocean City Fire Department. As she had done before each firefighter came into her studio, Sabrina checked out a candid shot of the man in order to get ideas on how best to utilize him in the shoot. Usually something about the man’s eyes, smile or expression would lead to inspiration in terms of what kind of pictures she would take of him.

But right now, her mind wasn’t coming up with any ideas. How could it, when all she could think about was the letter she’d received?

Glancing at the letter, which she had discarded on her desk, Sabrina swallowed. A painful lump lodged in her throat as she picked the letter up and decided to read it a second time.

Sabrina,

I am taking the time to write this letter because you are clueless. Why on earth would you think that I would ever want to hear from you? You have done enough to destroy my family. The fact that you can’t even figure that out shows the kind of person you are. Selfish and horrible.

For once in your life, think about someone other than yourself! You need to stay away from me and my family. Forever. Never try to contact me again, you pitiful excuse for a human being. If you don’t heed this warning, I will have to involve the authorities.

I am being as nice as I possibly can given your harassment, but none of us is interested in having anything to do with you.

You should never have been born!

Sabrina felt the same way she had when she’d read the letter half an hour earlier—as though someone had ripped her heart out of her chest. Because although the letter was unsigned, she knew who had sent it. And after simply trying to reach out to her, this awful letter was the last thing Sabrina had expected. The words made her out to be some sort of evil person. And even though she knew she wasn’t the words still stung.

Especially the part about how she never should have been born. Given the circumstances under which she had come into the world that comment truly hurt.

Sabrina picked up the tension ball on her desk hoping that the stress from the back of her neck would transfer to the ball. All she had done was reach out to her sister on Facebook. She hadn’t expected such a painful and rude rejection.

Though maybe she should have. Because not once in her thirty-three years had Julia and Patrick—her half siblings—ever reached out to her. Sabrina was certain that they hadn’t known of her existence for several years—as she hadn’t known about them. But for the past fifteen years at least, they knew of her. Knew of her, but wanted nothing to do with her.

When Sabrina had turned eighteen, her father decided to finally introduce her to his other children. She had been nervous but hopeful. But those hopes were quickly shot down when Julia and Patrick had said less than two words upon meeting her. They’d made it clear that they wanted nothing to do with her, and that hadn’t changed over the years.

It didn’t take a psychologist to figure out why. Sabrina was a child of their father, conceived in an adulterous relationship. And for that reason, it seemed that they would never accept her.

It had been a huge shock to learn she had siblings, and Sabrina was sure that they were just as stunned to learn of her existence. But Sabrina acknowledged that for them, the situation had to be harder. Discovering the truth of their father’s betrayal wasn’t easy to accept.

Perhaps if Sabrina had never pressed the issue, she would have never known the truth about her father. But when the standard “Your father isn’t in your life” answers weren’t enough for her, her mother had finally told her the truth. That her father didn’t live with them because he had another family. And how that family wasn’t interested in getting to know her. Those had been hard words to accept at the age of thirteen, but Sabrina hadn’t been concerned about people she didn’t know. She’d been concerned about her father. And having another family or not, she hadn’t been able to understand why he never saw her. There were other kids at her school whose parents had gone on to marry other people, but they still spent time with both parents.

Sabrina had bombarded her mother with questions about her father, and finally at the age of fifteen, her mother revealed his identity. Sabrina had been excited to find out that her father was Gerald Parker. A man her mother had been able to show her articles of in the paper, and stories about on the news. At the time she’d learned of his identity, her father had been a city councilor running for mayor. The father she had always dreamed about, had always wanted in her life, was famous. That reality had filled Sabrina with pride.

Sabrina could still remember the feeling of nervous hopefulness when her mother had arranged for her to meet him. But all the hopes and expectations she’d had of him had shattered after they’d met. Because the hope that he would become a constant figure in her life proved only to be the wishful thinking of a young girl. Even during their first meeting, Gerald Parker had seemed uncomfortable around her, and Sabrina had been smart enough to know that it wasn’t simply because it was their first meeting. After that, their interactions were few and far between. He made sure to send her gifts on special occasions, but what Sabrina had wanted was his presence in her life.

As an adult, Sabrina came to understand why her mother hadn’t pushed for her father to be a part of her life. Her mother knew that he would ultimately hurt her by choosing his family over her every time. For one thing, Gerald feared that the secret about his affair and illegitimate child would come out and ruin his career in politics. But Sabrina’s mother, Evelyn, had never tried to do anything to hurt the man she had clearly loved. She hadn’t even given Sabrina his last name, to keep anyone from learning the truth. Gerald’s wife, Marilyn, who had stayed by his side despite his infidelity, wasn’t able to accept the very real proof of her husband’s bad behavior. At least that was what Sabrina’s mother had always told her. The very few times she had seen her father proved to her the theory was true.

Sabrina hoped that her siblings—her sister in particular—might be open to a relationship with her. But clearly, that was wishful thinking.

Sabrina folded the letter, put it back in its envelope and tossed it in the top drawer of her desk. She should throw it out...but she would keep it as a reminder of how pointless it was to reach out to the family that wanted nothing to do with her.

Sighing, Sabrina rubbed both of her temples. As she and her mother got older, she was able to picture a future without any real family to call her own. There were cousins in upstate New York, a far cry from Ocean City where she lived. They may as well have been strangers to her. Her father and her half siblings were in the Ocean City area and Sabrina saw it as a real tragedy that she was basically banned from getting to know them.

Hadn’t enough time passed to prove to Marilyn that Sabrina’s mother was no longer a threat? Her mother and father had been involved thirty-four years ago. More than enough time for Marilyn Parker to put aside her gripes on getting to know Sabrina.

Through social media, Sabrina had hoped that reaching out to her sister would be the way to connect to the family that she always wanted to get to know. Neither she nor her siblings were accountable for her father’s actions. They were innocent, not responsible for the way they had come into the world. Sabrina had hoped that after so many years, her siblings would be curious to get to know her and forge a relationship.

“Hey,” Nya said softly, peaking her head into the office. “Can I come in?”

Sabrina looked up at her office assistant and best friend, whom she had known since high school.

“Sure,” Sabrina told Nya.

“Well?” Nya asked cautiously as she walked into the office. “I figure if it was good news, you would have told me. I’ve been patiently waiting, giving you time. But now I’m figuring you might need a hug.”

“She wants nothing to do with me,” Sabrina said simply.

Nya sat in the chair opposite Sabrina’s desk. “That’s all she said?”

“Her language was a bit more colorful.”

Nya searched Sabrina’s desk. “Where’s the letter? Did you throw it out?”

“I should have. But I put it in my desk.”

“Can I read it?”

Sabrina opened the desk and retrieved the letter, and then passed it to Nya. Her best friend for fifteen years, Sabrina shared everything with Nya. She couldn’t really talk to her mother about this, because her mother would surely say I told you so. Especially since her mother had told her for years that her father’s family would never come around.

Nya withdrew the letter from the envelope. Sabrina could tell when she got to the more vile parts because her eyes began to bulge.

“Oh, my God. This is her reply?”

“Like I said, it’s obvious that she wants nothing to do with me.”

“Still, this isn’t the way to respond to people. I saw the message you sent her on Facebook. You were very polite. Overly polite. It did not call for this kind of a response.”

Sabrina nodded. She realized she was gritting her teeth, and made a deliberate attempt to relax her jaw, shoulders, and the rest of her body. “Obviously, there’s nothing I can do about this. I held this dream for too long.”

“Well, I say forget them.” Nya shoved the letter back into the envelope. “You don’t get to choose your family, but thankfully, you do get to choose your friends.” She beamed, and gestured to herself. “And this friend would love to take you out for dinner and drinks tonight so we can forget this letter ever arrived. What do you say?”

“I don’t know, Nya. I was kind of thinking I would just chill out tonight. Probably watch one of those Chevy Chase movies to remind me that families are overrated.” She smiled, but knew it had come off as forced.

“No. You are not going to stay home and wallow. Who needs Julia Parker when you have Nya Hayes? Better than any blood sister could ever be.”

Sabrina cracked a real smile this time. Nya was right about one thing, you didn’t get to choose your family. At least Sabrina had chosen wisely when she had befriended the scrawny girl with braces her senior year of high school. At the time, Nya had been new to the school, and it was hard to make friends when you were the new kid. Sabrina knew something about feeling as though you didn’t fit in, and she and Nya had become fast friends. Nya had since blossomed into a beautiful woman—with perfect teeth.

Nya was still looking for love, like Sabrina. So Sabrina knew that as much as Nya enjoyed going out for dinner or a drink with a friend, she also hoped that she would spot her Mr. Right. And it was that part of a night out that Sabrina wasn’t looking forward to.

Sabrina loved Nya dearly, but wasn’t in the mood to hear her rate various men, nor watch her flirt. Nya was like a sister to her, but in that way, they were as different as night and day. Nya was prone to looking for love around every corner and as Sabrina sometimes joked, under every rock. But after Sabrina’s failed marriage, she wasn’t looking for any man at all.

Though, if God were to appear before her and tell her that a certain man was the right one, she wouldn’t ignore that type of divine intervention. But for now, she was happy concentrating on her work as a photographer, which kept her very busy. And in this competitive field, she didn’t have much time to think about marriage or family. She was happy to focus solely on her career and expanding her clientele.

Over the past seven years, Sabrina had created a name for herself as a skilled wedding and special events photographer. It was her reputation that had led her to get what she considered a dream assignment. She was contracted to take photos of the local firemen at Station Two in downtown Ocean City for their annual firefighter calendar fund-raiser.

“And we can make it a business meeting, if you want,” Nya said. “I would love to see the shots you’ve taken of the first five firemen.”

Sabrina looked at her friend and grinned. “I’m sure you would.” But Sabrina was funny that way. She didn’t want anyone seeing her work until she was satisfied with it. From taking the shots to determining which ones were best, she was a consummate professional who trusted her eye and her eye alone. “You know I will let you see every single shot—once I have determined which ones are the best.”

Nya frowned. “Come on. I’m a hot-blooded, single female. I think I can help you determine which shots are the best.”

“You know how I work,” Sabrina said. “Besides, if I leave it to you, you’ll have all the raciest photos in the calendar—which is not necessarily what the fire station wants.”

“Racy sells!” Nya objected. “I saw the calendar they put out last year.” She frowned. “It was okay, but it could’ve been a lot better.”

“Which is why they hired me for the job.” Sabrina had taken the initiative to go to the fire station and offer her services as photographer for the next calendar. She’d brought a portfolio of her work, had talked to them about her creative ideas to make the calendar better and assured them she could produce a stunning calendar that would sell. She had obviously impressed the powers that be at the station, because they had given her the job. And along with it, a very attractive fee.

“It’s going to be a great calendar,” Sabrina said. Over the past week and a half a handful of the firefighters had come in as their schedules allowed. Firefighter Mason Foley was scheduled to come in the next afternoon, and she was looking forward to the shoot.

She had taken photos at the fire station already, and other places. But she had something else in mind for Mason. Perhaps along a stretch of beach or someplace with a scenic background. She was glad that he had hours to spend with her because she had a few locations in mind that would highlight the beauty of Ocean City. And most importantly, the brave men who worked to keep not only fire under control, but who also rescued people in car accidents and a number of other situations. The Ocean City Fire Department was all encompassing, and fires were really only a small percentage of the job they did.

“You know you don’t want to wallow in misery on your sofa this evening, especially not before your shoot tomorrow. And what better way to keep me distracted from the eye candy in the restaurant than to show me the pictures you’ve taken so far?”

Sabrina narrowed her eyes. “Oh, you’re good.”

Nya tapped a finger against her cheek. “What better way to kill two birds with one stone? Lighten your mood, and keep me from flirting with the available men?”

That remained to be seen, but Sabrina was already sold. Why not? She made the rules, so she could certainly break a few every now and then.

“All right,” Sabrina began, “I’ll bring the laptop and let you see some of the shots I took of the first firefighter, Alex. I want to go over those with a fresh eye, anyway.”

Nya squealed. “Oh, I can’t wait!”

Chapter 3

Sabrina held the receiver to her ear and listened to the phone as it rang. On the third ring, she was pretty certain that Mason Foley wasn’t going to pick up.

Again.

She had already left him two messages to confirm their appointment, but he hadn’t gotten back to her. Now, she had no clue if he was going to show that afternoon.

“How unprofessional can a person be?” she muttered, and pulled the phone away from her ear to hang up. She halted. Had she just heard someone say something on the other end of the line?

Quickly, she brought the phone back to her ear, still uncertain if she had heard anything other than the beginning of Mason’s voicemail greeting.

“Hello?” said the groggy voice.

“Oh, hi,” Sabrina said lamely. She had expected no response and wasn’t actually prepared to speak to the man.

“Yes?” Mason said.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Did I wake you?”

She heard him yawn before saying, “It’s okay. Who’s calling?”

Sabrina glanced at the clock on her computer screen. It was minutes after ten in the morning—a time when most people were up. But Mason was a firefighter, and she knew that they worked twenty-four hour shifts. It was likely that he had worked the night before and barely had a full night of rest.

Either that or he had spent the night pleasuring a woman. She’d seen his picture, and just looking at his gorgeous face and immaculately toned body, she knew he was the type who had to fight them off.

“Hello?”

“Um, this is Sabrina Crawford,” Sabrina quickly said, wondering why her thoughts had ventured to Mason’s likely night of making love. “I’m the photographer working on the Firefighter’s Calendar. I’m sorry to call so early. But you’re supposed to come in today for your shoot.”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

What did that mean? “So you’re going to make it?” Sabrina asked.

“Yeah, I’ll be there.”

“Oh. Oh, good.”

“Why do you sound surprised?”

“Well, I wasn’t sure. I left you a couple of messages to confirm, and I didn’t hear back from you.”

“Sorry about that. I’ve been busy with work. I meant to call you back, but didn’t get around to it.”

“It’s fine,” she told him. At least she’d gotten through, because she had started to worry that he would be a no-show. “So today at three o’clock?”

“Actually, is there a chance we can do it a bit later?”

“How much later?”

“Like four p.m. I had a late night due to a fire. You may have heard about it. The restaurant on Maple Avenue. And I’d like to head into the firehouse before seeing you. I need to follow up on something.”

“Four o’clock will be fine. Again, I’m sorry I woke you up.”

“No problem.”

“Just to confirm, you’re bringing your fire gear including helmet, as well as your dress uniform.”

“Yep. I’ll bring some tools, as well. Accessories for the shoot.”

“Sounds great,” Sabrina said. “I’ll see you at four.”

Sabrina hung up. She then loaded up a picture of Mason on her screen. It became all too clear why she had thought about him in bed. He was gorgeous, and everything about him oozed sex appeal, which would work out well for her shoot. She was certain that he would be an easy model to work with.

With each of the firefighters, she had taken shots of them in her studio. She had also taken some photos at the firehouse with the engine and ladder trucks as backdrops but she had also utilized local parks, the waterfront, and the forest the bordered the eastern side of town. With Mason, she wanted to travel a little bit north along a stretch of the Pacific Ocean that had a beautiful rocky backdrop. She was certain to capture what would be stunning photographs there. She wanted the calendar to be pleasing not only because of the male models, but because of the lush scenery in Ocean City. It was what would make this particular calendar unique.

And he had a feeling that Mason was going to be an ideal model.

* * *

It was just minutes before four o’clock when Nya entered Sabrina’s studio to announce that Mason Foley had arrived.

“Oh, good.” Sabrina climbed down from the stepladder. She had just finished putting up the background she wanted to start with for the shoot. It was a cityscape of Ocean City at night. Turning to face Nya, she saw a huge grin on her friend’s face.

“Nya, what is it?”

“Giiirl.” Nya all but pranced toward her, the grin on her face growing even bigger. “I have seen some fine men in my day, but Mason— Oh, my Lord. He has got to be the finest man to step foot in this studio!”

Sabrina looked beyond Nya’s shoulder toward the door that led out of the studio, in case Mason had followed her in. Not seeing him, she said in a lowered voice, “So the man is fine. Get a hold of yourself.”

“That’s easy for you to say. You haven’t seen him yet! I’m just trying to prepare you!”

“Okay, I get it.” Sabrina sounded nonchalant. She had photographed all sorts of people in her life. She wasn’t the type to lose her head over an attractive man. “Go ahead and tell him to come on back. I’m ready for him.”

“Oh, you think you’re ready.”

What the heck had gotten into Nya? “You know what you need?” Sabrina said, smiling sweetly. “You need a man.” It was obvious that her friend had gone too long since her last relationship, because her extreme reaction to this Mason guy was over the top. Sabrina only hoped that Nya had been professional with Mason in the reception area.

“Maybe I can help you here while you do the shoot?” Nya offered.

“Nya!” Sabrina made a face. “What’s gotten into you?”

Sabrina shooed her silently, hoping that Mason had not overheard any of their conversation. She had to admit that this behavior was a little out of character, even for man-crazed Nya.

And it wasn’t that Sabrina didn’t enjoy a good-looking man as much as the next woman, but she certainly knew how to be professional.

“Go get him, please,” Sabrina reiterated. “And please be professional,” she added in a hushed voice.

Once Nya left the room, Sabrina went over to the octagonal softbox light that she had set up, and fussed with it. She heard his footsteps, but still didn’t look behind her, preferring to appear busy.

“Ms. Crawford?”

Sabrina turned. And just like that, the air left her lungs in a rush. Instantly, she understood why Nya had been out of sorts. Mason Foley was indeed a stunningly gorgeous man.

When Sabrina had seen his picture on her computer, she had deemed him to be a fine specimen of a man. One who would surely be a hit with the ladies when the calendar was produced. In fact, she had already figured that a picture with him would be great on the cover.

But her reaction to him now was visceral. And for a moment, she was bereft of words.

Totally unlike her.

He took a step into her studio, seeming to fill the space with his tall muscular frame. “You’re Ms. Crawford, right?”

It was then that Sabrina realized that she had not moved since seeing him, and she forced one foot in front of the other until she reached him. She outstretched her hand and offered him a smile. “Sorry. I just...” She just what? Was taken aback by his good looks? Surely she couldn’t tell him that. “I didn’t expect that you would be so tall,” she finally said. “How tall are you?”

“Six foot six,” he told her.

“Oh, wow.” Realizing that her tone had been filled with awe, Sabrina frowned slightly. What was wrong with her? She felt flushed, and her heart was beating faster than normal. It had been a long time since just looking at a man had set her heart aflutter like this.

The pictures she had seen of him did him no justice. In person, there was a quality to him that radiated throughout the room. A charisma that made him instantly likable.

Glancing beyond Mason, she saw that Nya was standing in the doorway, a dreamy look on her face. Sabrina cleared her throat before speaking. “Nya, would you put the kettle on?” She faced Mason. “Would you like some tea, coffee, water? We also have a variety of juice.”

“Just a bottle of water, that’d be great.”

“Is there anything else I can get for you?” Nya asked. “I can run out and get some sweets from the bakery across the street, if you like...”

Sabrina widened her eyes as Mason turned to look at Nya, silently trying to tell her friend to take it easy.

“Just the water,” Mason told her.

And when he turned back to look at Sabrina, she felt a definite charge. Goodness, it wasn’t simply that he was good-looking. What Sabrina felt was undeniable attraction for this man.

She turned, walking toward the backdrop, determined to rid herself of whatever had taken over her being. “You brought your gear?” she asked.

“Yes. It’s in the reception area. I figured I would ask you how you want to do this first. You might want to take a couple of shots of me wearing this before I change.”

Mason was wearing jeans and a white cotton shirt that was unbuttoned down to his mid chest with the sleeves rolled up. There was an easy confidence to the way he walked, and Sabrina got the sense that he knew exactly how he affected women.

Sabrina could easily take photos of him in what he was wearing, and probably make a fortune selling them to GQ magazine. But this shoot was for the firefighter’s calendar, and that meant taking photos of him in his uniform. In full gear, partial gear and in his dress uniform. She would take a variety of pictures and decide which ones were best. But if he looked as good without his shirt on as she expected, she had a feeling that the best photos of Mason would be ones with him wearing only his fire retardant pants and suspenders. She was certain those would be a hit with the women.

“Actually, if you could show me what you brought, that would be great.” She spoke the words and knew that her voice sounded a little wispy. “We can decide from there what’s best for you to wear, but I definitely want you in your uniform.” She paused. “How do you feel about going shirtless?”

“I have no problem with it. I’m yours to do with as you please.”

Sabrina had to do everything in her power not to react with a sound of carnal lust. The suggestive nature of what he’d said had her coming undone.

Which was ridiculous. Obviously, his words hadn’t had any secret meaning. She had seen many attractive men before, photographed plenty of them. Why was she so flustered around this one?

“It’ll all be tasteful, of course. And as long as you look good with your shirt off, I’m sure the shots will come out great.” She smiled. “Oh, there’s Nya with your water. I’m not sure if I actually introduced you, but Nya is my personal assistant and also one of my best friends. So anything you need, feel free to ask her.”

Nya approached him with the bottle of water, her eyes wide, as though she were a deer caught in headlights.

“Thank you,” Mason said as he accepted the bottle of water.

As he took it in his left hand, Sabrina surreptitiously checked out his ring finger. It was bare.

Nya continued to stare, and Mason gave her an odd look. “I—I’m sorry that I’m staring. It’s just that I don’t see men like you coming into the studio.”

Sabrina narrowed her eyes. “Forgive my assistant—”

“It’s just that you’re so tall.”

“Six foot six.”

“And you went into firefighting instead of basketball?” Nya shook her head, as though she couldn’t understand what he had been thinking.

“Nya,” Sabrina said. “Can you please call back the Johnsons to make sure they got my message about changing their appointment time?”

“Of course,” she said. Then, to Mason, “You’re sure I can’t get you anything else?”

“We’re fine,” Sabrina said, her tone firm.

“Okay. Well, you know where I am if you need me.” Nya’s smile was syrupy as she stepped backward out of the studio, before finally turning and heading toward the front office.

“All right.” She faced Mason again. “If you’d put on your entire outfit, helmet and all, that would be good.” She figured it would be best to start with him in his full uniform, and then he could take off the layers, as she deemed necessary.

“Sounds good. Where should I get changed?”

“When you go back out to the front, you’re going to see a door on your left. That’s the washroom. Feel free to get changed in there. Or, if you need more space, I can let you get changed in here and I can wait out front until you’re ready. Whichever works best for you.”

“I’ll figure it out.”

As Mason headed out of the studio, Sabrina couldn’t help eyeing his long, muscular frame.

She then mentally reprimanded herself for being so distracted by the man’s good looks and made her way over to her Canon 5D. She checked to make sure that the battery was full, which she knew it was. However, she had others in the room charged and ready to go if that one lost power. Then she went to her camera bag and verified that all of the accessories she would need for their trip to the beach were indeed there.

When Mason came back into the studio dressed in his fireman’s uniform, Sabrina felt the same bodily reaction toward him as she had earlier. Obviously, it had been way too long since she had been involved with anyone. But he was definitely not her type, so her pull of attraction toward him made no sense.

He took a step toward her, and her pulse sped up. Okay, so she was lying to herself. The man was definitely her type. In terms of the kind of man that turned her on, Mason may as well be pictured in the dictionary. But he was also the kind of man who turned on lots of women, and Sabrina was wise enough to know that that kind of guy was dangerous to a girl’s heart.

Her heart in particular.

She’d dated the kind of man that everyone liked back in college, and had ended up heartbroken because of it. She had long since vowed never to date someone that every woman had to stop and gawk at ever again.

“What do you think?” he asked.

That was a loaded question. She thought he was smoking hot. He would look—at least for the calendar—like the hero he was. A man in uniform here to rescue the damsel in distress.

“Looks great.” She averted her eyes. “Why don’t you come up in front of the canvas? I like this one, and I’ve got plenty more that we can try, as well. Let’s start with some shots of you in your full uniform like this, and then we can go to shots where you take off the upper portion. You know, give the ladies what they want.”

Mason’s smile was enigmatic. And, if she wasn’t mistaken, it was a smile just for her.

Again looking away from him, she first closed the door to the studio for privacy, and then headed toward her camera. He walked past her and stood in front of the wall where the canvas was set up. Sabrina looked through the lens of her Canon, getting a sense of how she wanted the photo to be framed. She manually zoomed the lens out to see his entire body, and then half pressed the shutter release button to focus the shot. Easing her head back, she eyed the lights that she had set up on either side of the room, satisfied that they needed no adjustments. She snapped off a test shot, and looked at the viewfinder to see how she liked it.

“I wasn’t ready,” Mason said playfully.

“That was just a test shot, but you look great. You’re a natural.”

Mason was definitely one of the most photogenic men she had ever come across.

“Okay, keep standing the way you are. But look at the camera. And don’t smile. Give me a serious face.” Mason did as she asked, and she snapped shot after shot. “Good, let’s do a couple more just like that. Turn your head slightly to the left. No, my left.” She grinned. Then she took a couple more pictures. From her viewfinder, she was very impressed with the results. “Excellent. Now, how about you give me a smile?”

Mason’s smile was instant, and it lit up the room. He looked good in his more serious shots, as well, but his smile was like a giant gold foil bow on a Christmas present—the perfect final touch on an extravagant package.

Sabrina took photo after photo of Mason in his full uniform. Then she had him hold his helmet against his chest for some of the pictures, and under his arm, as well. Almost all of the shots looked great. It was going to be hard to choose the right one, but that was a good dilemma.

Now it was time to get a little sexier.

“As we discussed, you can take off the upper portion of your uniform. I’m going to change the backdrop.” She had ordered a backdrop from a photo she had taken of flames, and she loved how it turned out. She went across the room to the far wall to get the stool so that she could use it to unhook the current backdrop. She looked in Mason’s direction, surprised that he had begun to disrobe right there, instead of heading to the bathroom. She caught a glimpse of his smooth dark skin, and quickly averted her gaze. Mostly. But she couldn’t quite help glancing in his direction.

“Do you want some help?” he asked.

“No,” Sabrina responded. She had pulled the lever to wind up the canvas, and it was ready to come down. “I generally don’t put the talent to work.”

“That’s not what I call work. I’ve got no problem helping you do this. What do you need to do? Unhook it?”

“It’s okay.” Sabrina stretched to reach the top portion of the heavy canvas, and when she looked down, Mason was at her side. “Certainly you’re not opposed to someone helping you? And for what it’s worth, I don’t consider myself the talent. We’re in this together, aren’t we? You’re helping the fire station create a great calendar that’s going to bring us lots of money, which, of course, is going to help out local charities. Let me help you do this, even if you are completely capable of doing it yourself.”

Sabrina looked down at him. The glimpse of his hard muscles and strong arms made her suck in a breath. He extended his hand to her, and she took it, feeling a zap of heat as he helped her down from the stool.

“Thank you,” she said. “And once that’s down, I’m going to put up the canvas that’s resting in the corner.” She pointed to it.

“No problem.”

Sabrina watched as he easily put up the next backdrop for her.

Finished, he said, “There you go.”

“Thank you,” she told him.

Mason gestured to his upper body with a hand as he walked toward her. “So, does my chest meet with your approval?”

Sabrina’s eyes bulged. She wasn’t even sure how to answer.

“Do I look good with my shirt off?” he added.

And then she remembered the comment she had made earlier, and understood. “Oh, of course. Yes—”

“You seemed to be concerned that I might not be up to snuff,” he said, his lips curling in a grin. “So that’s why I was wondering. I want to make sure that you think I’m up to standard for the calendar.”

Sabrina swallowed. Surely he was joking or perhaps searching for a compliment. But his body—with an eight-pack and hard planes and muscles in all the right places—was more than satisfactory for the calendar.

It was phenomenal.

In fact, she was almost certain now that he would be the model she used for the front cover.

“I’m not sure why I said what I did,” Sabrina explained. “It was an off-the-cuff remark. Certainly unfounded. Your chest is flawless.”

“Thanks,” he said, his eyes twinkling as he smiled down at her.

Was he flirting with her, or was she out of her mind? Maybe her libido was simply clouding the sense God had given her.

There was a knock at the door, and Sabrina turned. “Come in,” she called.

Nya opened the door, and her eyes instantly went to Mason, sweeping over his naked upper body. Her expression said that she liked very much what she saw.

“Oh, wow.” She couldn’t hide her wanton appreciation of Mason’s body. Her eyes steadfast on him, she said, “Sorry to disturb you, but it’s after five, so I was going to head out. I’ve got that date to get ready for. But I wanted to see if you need anything else from me first.”

“I’m fine.” Sabrina turned to Mason. “You need anything?”

Mason shook his head. “Nope.”

When Sabrina looked at Nya again, she saw that her friend was still gawking at Mason, as though he was a public display of priceless art. Sabrina began to walk toward her. “We were going to head out soon, anyway, so feel free to head on home,” she said when she reached her friend. She then took Nya by the arm and physically led her out of the studio. Nya craned her head over her shoulder to say, “Bye, Mason. It was nice to meet you.”

“Nya, what’s gotten into you?” Sabrina asked once they reached the front office.

“Are you kidding me? That is one of the finest men I have ever seen.”

“Yes, he is. But remember, I run a professional studio here. I don’t want him thinking that he can’t be comfortable taking off his shirt.”

“I know, I know. But damn, he is fine. I can’t wait to see those photos.” Nya paused. “Did you find out if he’s single?”

“Nya! Aren’t you going on a date this evening?”

“Hmm, are you getting a little territorial?” Nya’s eyes narrowed as a look of playful curiosity crossed her face. “You like him, don’t you?” It was more of a statement, than a question. “Yes, you do!”

“He’s an attractive guy, sure, but am I supposed to be losing my mind over him?”

“I know you,” Nya began. “Look at you, there’s actually a bit of a spark in your eyes! Thank God, because I was beginning to wonder if you were dead from the waist down.”

Sabrina placed her hands on her hips and frowned. “Nya, this is completely inappropriate.”

“Look, I just wanted to know. Because if you’re not interested, and my date tonight doesn’t go well, then I’d love to get to know Mr. Firefighter better. But I can tell you like him, so I’ll back off.”

Sabrina stared at her friend in complete shock. “I don’t even want to know what you’re going on about. Mason is here to take photos. This is all about business.”

Nya looked at her, raising an eyebrow. “Maybe it should be about a little pleasure, as well. After all, you haven’t even dated since your divorce.”

“Okay, that’s enough.” Sabrina spoke sweetly. “Get your bag.” Once Nya had her purse slung over her shoulder, Sabrina put her hand on her back and guided her toward the front door. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Go for it,” Nya told her before Sabrina closed the door and locked it.

Through the glass, Nya held her gaze, giving her a thumbs-up gesture to imply that she had meant what she’d said.

Sabrina flipped the CLOSED sign on her door and turned away from her friend who was still beckoning at her in sign language.

Nya had clearly lost her mind.

Chapter 4

With Nya gone, Sabrina headed back into her studio. There, she found Mason texting on his smartphone. When he saw her walk in, he slipped the phone into his pocket and faced her. And for some reason, Sabrina’s mood went down a notch. Had he just been texting a girlfriend?

What did it matter if he had been? Maybe Nya’s nonsensical talk had gotten into her psyche, because it didn’t make sense that she should care about whomever he was texting. Just because he was an attractive man didn’t mean she had to act on what she was feeling. Even if her heart was racing simply from being in the same room with him.

She almost laughed at the thought that had entered her head. Was she actually thinking that Mason might go for someone like her? Not that she wasn’t an attractive woman. She had certainly had her fair share of attention from men. But guys like Mason—men who were in another league of hot—went for a specific type. And she wasn’t it. She didn’t dress to show her sexuality, she didn’t wear makeup to highlight every feature. She wasn’t Plain Jane, but she was fairly conservative. She pegged Mason for the kind of man who went after the hottest women. Women who loved to wear revealing clothing and parade themselves as eye candy. Sabrina was definitely not that kind of woman.

Pushing any ridiculous thought about dating out of her mind, she faced Mason and said, “You all set?”

“Ready when you are.”

Sabrina instructed him to stand in front of the new backdrop, and then she went back to work, taking picture after picture. The backdrop of the flames looked amazing, and the contrast of his dark skin against the bright reds and oranges of the fire was striking.

She stepped away from the camera and walked toward a shelf where she kept supplies. She picked up a spray bottle filled with a concoction of water and baby oil and started toward him. “I’d like your chest to be glistening for these shots. As though you’ve just finished battling a fire, and you’re sweating. Do you mind if I spray something on your chest? It’s water and baby oil.”

“You can do whatever you’d like with me,” he said, his grin both sexy and playful.

She tried her best not to show a reaction and approached him. She sprayed his chest, and he flinched. “Too cold?”

“No, it’s fine.”

She continued to spray his chest. She then smoothed her hand over one of his biceps, spreading the mix. And though she was the consummate professional, she couldn’t deny the rush of heat she felt just by touching his body. He felt incredible. Strong and powerful. Tipping up on her toes, she stretched to rub her hand over his shoulder.

“I usually don’t let a woman grope me like this until the second date.”

Sabrina’s face flushed, and she halted.

Mason chortled. “I’m just messing with you.”

Of course he was, so why did she feel so ruffled? It had to be the feel of his amazing body, and the undeniable sexual charge she felt.

Once she made sure his other arm was adequately glistening, she returned the bottle to the shelf, dried her hands with a towel, and took her position behind the camera. Over the next twenty minutes, she took a good hundred pictures.

“I think I’ve got all that I need in here. I’d love to head to the beach, as I mentioned before. The spot I’ve picked is about fifteen minutes away. I think it’s perfect. We can go in my SUV, and then I can bring you back. I figure it’s best if you just stay in your uniform. Obviously, you can put your shirt back on for now. I’ve got towels in the bathroom you can dry off with. When we get to the beach, I’d love to get shots of you with the T-shirt and suspenders, as well. But definitely also more shots of you without your shirt on.”

“Fine with me,” Mason said, “but if you don’t mind, I would prefer to take my car and follow you. I’ll have to get going once we finish at the beach.”

“Oh.” Sabrina nodded. “Sure. That’s fine.”

She already had her camera bag pretty much set. But she dismounted her Canon 5D from her tripod, put it in its case and added it to the bag. In the meantime, Mason put on his shirt and gathered his own belongings.

Minutes later, they were heading out the door.

“My car’s in the back. I’ll drive around to the front. I’ll be in a red Chevy Equinox.”

“And that’s my car right there.” Mason pointed to the sleek black Mercedes, the CLS version of the car that came with a hefty price tag. She knew that from having dated a real estate agent who had driven the exact same car, except in white.

It affirmed for her that Mason liked flashy cars—and by extension, flashy women.

Sabrina headed toward Pacific Coast Highway. She took it north until she reached the exit that would take her to the stretch of beach she wanted. It tended to be quieter than other spots along the Pacific, which was ideal.

As she searched for parking, she spied Mason’s vehicle behind hers. She had offered him a ride in her vehicle, but now she was thinking that it was best that he had not come with her, after all. Something about her session with him still had her heart beating a little faster than normal, and she couldn’t help thinking that Nya was right.

She had come alive in a way that was shocking. For the past two years, she had been all about her career. Her marriage had failed in large part because her husband had not been able to deal with her being a career woman.

She parked at a meter on the street where two spots were available, and Mason parked alongside her. Then she got out of her truck, opened the back and began to unload her camera bag.

“Here.” Mason, who was suddenly beside her, spoke. “Let me help you with your stuff.”

He had his own bag with gear, yet took hers, as well, before she could take it out of the trunk. She grabbed the portable stand and umbrella setup for her Quantum Q flash, which she would need in order to erase any shadows as she took pictures of Mason facing the water. She also grabbed her tripod.

“This is a heavy bag,” Mason commented. “What do you have in it?”

“Two of everything,” she said. “A couple different types of flashes, extra batteries, different lenses, a variety of filters. Pretty much everything I need in order to shoot away from my studio.”

“And where are we heading?”

“Straight ahead. To those steps that lead down to the beach.”

It was the first weekend in June, and the beach was sparsely populated, unlike the weekend before. For the Memorial Day weekend, Sabrina had headed to this beach with Nya, thinking it would be quiet, but it had been jam packed with people.

Thankfully, today the closest people to where she planned to set up were a good fifty yards away, allowing for privacy.

Forty-five minutes after arriving at the beach, Sabrina told Mason that they were done. She was beyond satisfied with the shots. With the rocks as a backdrop, the beach, and the stretch of Pacific, they all looked stunning. Mason would certainly be a top contender for the front cover, but she would finalize that once all the photos had been taken of the remaining firefighters. There were still five more to go. But with his status as captain at the station, it made sense that he be featured.

She was elated that everything had gone so well, and hated for the shoot to be done because Mason had been incredibly easy to work with.

“All right,” Sabrina announced. “I think I have everything I need. Thank you for a great shoot. I know the pictures are going to be amazing.”

“I had fun,” Mason said.

Sabrina disassembled her umbrella light, folded the tripod and light stand, and returned everything to her camera bag. Mason was stripping out of his fire pants and boots while she packed up. Once he had the pants off, Sabrina’s eyes ventured to his bare feet. Good grief, even his feet looked sexy. From her vantage point, they looked long and perfectly formed. Manly.

While Sabrina figured out a way to juggle all of the items she’d brought, Mason came over to her and extended a hand. “Let me take your bag,” he offered.

“I got it,” she told him, finally securing the light stand and tripod under each arm, the camera bag already slung over her shoulder.

“I can see that. But I’m offering to help you.”

“And I appreciate it, but I’ve carried my camera bag and gear around a gazillion times. I don’t need—”

“Are you always this stubborn?” Mason asked.

“Stubborn? I wouldn’t call it stubborn because I’m used to handling myself in all types of photo shoot situations. It comes with the territory.” Besides, for some reason, she was ready for Mason to be on his way. The sooner the better.

“And I like being a gentleman. Come on, give me one of the bags.”

Looking at him, Sabrina conceded. The car was parked a good ways down the street and the gear was heavy. She passed him the large bag.

“I can take the tripod, as well,” Mason said.

“I—” She stopped herself midprotest, and said, “All right.” She gave him a sidelong glance as she looked up at him. “I guess I am a bit stubborn. But I’ve always been used to taking care of myself.”

“And why is that? No man to take care of you?”

Sabrina stopped and looked up at him. “I don’t need a man to take care of me.”

“So that’s it.”

“You make it sound like a curse.”

“It’s neither good nor bad. But perhaps you can tell me all about it over dinner.”

Sabrina’s eyes widened. Had she just heard Mason correctly? She decided that even if she had, it had been a slip of the tongue on his part.

She began to walk briskly, thanks to the fact that she was no longer weighed down by her heavy bag.

“That was a question. Customarily, questions are followed by an answer.”

Sabrina turned around to face Mason, who was looking at her with a disarming grin. “You were serious?”

“Of course I was serious. I’d love to take you to dinner. I can’t do it tonight, but perhaps we can make arrangements for tomorrow. I’m back to work on Friday.”

“No, thank you,” Sabrina said without preamble.

“Just like that? You’re not even going to consider it?”

Sabrina hesitated before speaking. She was trying to digest the fact that Mason had even asked her out when she was certain she wasn’t his type. “This isn’t uncommon,” she said after a moment. “Feeling close to someone after spending some time in a photo shoot.”

Mason’s laughter was instant. “Are you saying that in the last two hours, you think I’ve developed some sort of savior complex where you’re concerned? Or do you call it a photographer’s complex? I’m not familiar with the term.”

Sabrina inhaled a breath and continued. After hearing Mason’s response, she conceded that the idea sounded a little silly. But she persisted, nonetheless. “To a degree, yes. We connected well. We enjoyed some flirtatious banter. I’ve seen you with your shirt off. I even rubbed your body down with that solution. And now you think it would be a nice idea to take me on a date.”

Mason looked amused. “So you’re telling me that hitting on the photographer who just took photos of me is typical?”

Sabrina was flustered once again. She hadn’t exactly come off as eloquently as she’d hoped to. But he had to understand the idea that she was getting at. That simply because they had spent time together, he was feeling that they’d connected. That was what was making him think that going on a date would be a good idea. But whatever attraction he was feeling wasn’t really founded in reality.

“It’s not an official complex or anything,” Sabrina said, not quite meeting his eyes. “Just...you know how people who work together often end up dating? Simply because they spend so much time together during the work week. That’s sort of what I’m getting at.”

“Ahhh.”

“And typically, they end up regretting it.”

“Right.”

Thank God, he understood.

“Thanks for the warning,” Mason went on. “I appreciate your consideration for not wanting to blur the lines between business and pleasure, if that’s what this is. But all the same, my reason for asking you out has nothing to do with the fact that you’ve seen me with my shirt off. Plenty of people have seen me with my shirt off, and I didn’t ask them out on a date.”

Sabrina’s face flamed. “Like I said, that came out the wrong way.”

Then she started walking again, grateful that Mason did the same, in silence. At her SUV, Mason helped her get the bags into her trunk. Sabrina was ready to be on her way and forget about this strange interaction with Mason.

Until he said, “Despite what you said, I actually would like to take you out to dinner. Would tomorrow work for you?”

Sabrina looked up at him, shocked. So he was serious. This wasn’t going according to plan, not at all. She was truly hoping that they could simply part ways, so she could put the unprofessional parts of the day out of her mind.

“Why?” she found herself asking.

“Call me old school, but I’d like to take you to dinner because I find you incredibly attractive and I’d like to get to know you better.”

His words stumped her. She hadn’t expected him to say that. He was way too gorgeous to be single, let alone interested in her.

“Mason, I’m flattered, but—”

“Don’t say no. I’ll take you somewhere nice, we’ll enjoy a delicious dinner and we’ll talk.”

“I’m flattered, I really am. But I’m sorry. I—I’m just not interested.”

Mason looked at her, his eyes narrowing with suspicion. “Oh. You’re involved with someone?”

“Do I have to be involved with someone to say no to you?” Sabrina asked. She crossed her arms over her chest, unaware of the defensive gesture.

“That would be one explanation.”

She laughed without mirth. “Quite the ego you have, don’t you?”

“Maybe I’m completely off base, but I thought I felt something between us. Some sparks. Especially...”

“Especially what?”

“Especially when you had your hands on my body.”

Sabrina felt a rush of heat, which she attributed to embarrassment. “Really? Well, you couldn’t be more wrong.”

“Oh. Ohhh.” Mason’s eyes widened, as if he finally understood something. “Are you telling me that you’re not into men?”

For a moment, Sabrina was too speechless to react. Then her lips parted, and she gaped at him. “Because I’m not interested in going out with you, that means I’m gay?”

“It’s a possibility.”

Sabrina was suddenly enraged. There was a part of her that wanted to throttle him. He was smiling good-naturedly, as if this was all just fun and games for him.

“No, I’m not gay. I don’t appreciate your caveman tactics. If no one has ever had the guts to tell you no before, let me be the first one.”

Instead of being frazzled by her comment, Mason’s eyes lit up with humor. “Caveman?”

“Well, you certainly seem to have Neanderthal attitudes about dating.”

“Caveman, Neanderthal. Go ahead, don’t hold back. Tell me what you really feel.”

Sabrina gritted her teeth, and then closed the door to the back of her vehicle. She was beyond ready to get out of there.

She went to the driver’s-side door, but Mason followed her. “Are you planning to take off? Without even a goodbye?”

“You are getting on my last nerve,” she muttered.

“What was that?” he asked.

Sabrina spun around to face him. “You want to know what I think about you? I think you’re attractive man. One who has an honorable job. But a guy like you has a hard time hearing no. And because no one tells you no, you expect everyone you ask out to say yes. Right now, you’re completely baffled as to how I could possibly reject you. So you assume I must be gay. That’s why I said you have a caveman attitude. It is offensive for you to assume that I’m not interested men, simply because I’m not interested in you.”

“I don’t think anyone has ever called me a caveman before.”

“I call it as I see it. And with your archaic—”

Before Sabrina even knew what was happening, Mason suddenly bent down, slipped his arms around the back of her knees and hoisted her over his shoulder.

Sabrina screamed. “What are you doing?” she demanded.

“I’m going to take you somewhere so I can have my wicked way with you.”

“Let me down!”

“Why? According to you, this is how I operate, right?”

Sabrina could see people’s heads whipping in her direction, smirks across their faces. Two people who had just exited a car nearby raised their cell phones and began snapping pictures.

“This is humiliating!” Sabrina went on.

“But I’m only doing what you expect of me. You said I’m a Neanderthal. In fact, you said that about three times.”

“Let me down!”

“Not until you take back what you said.”

“Mason! I swear—”

He then slowly slipped her down his body. Her breasts pressed against his rock-hard chest as he lowered her. Her heart was racing, her pulse pounding in her ears. She gripped his shoulders instinctively, for balance, but the moment her feet hit the ground, she pounded on his chest.

She should have slapped him, but he had already made a spectacle of her and she didn’t want to draw more attention to them.

“How could you?” she asked, her chest heaving up and down. “People are staring! Taking pictures! I’m probably going to end up on the internet somewhere!” Mason grinned down at her, an easy smile on an undeniably handsome—and arrogant—face. “And you think this is funny?”

“One thing you’ve got to know about firefighters is that we like to joke around. Our jobs are so intense, it’s important to find ways to make it light.” He shrugged his shoulders. “And, you did call me a caveman. I believe, from what I’ve learned about caveman, that they’re prone to knocking woman over the head and taking them over their shoulders.”

Sabrina turned away from him, her breathing erratic as she tried to calm herself. She was angry. But she was also turned on. Being in his arms like that, she’d felt a purely sensual reaction to him.

Two young women in their early twenties walked toward Sabrina and Mason en route to their own car. “Are you really a firefighter?” one of them asked, looking up at Mason’s helmet.

“Yes, I am.”

“Lucky you,” the other one said to Sabrina, before remotely unlocking the car behind Sabrina’s Equinox.

The two women then giggled as they got into their vehicle. Sabrina turned back toward Mason, leveling an angry stare in his direction. “You shouldn’t have done that.”

“It’s my view that everyone can benefit from a little lighthearted goofing around. Maybe some more than others.”

“Are you trying to say I’m uptight?”

“The only thing I know about you for sure is that you’re a tough cookie. But I look forward to learning more about you at dinner. Unless you’d prefer we only go for a drink.”

Sabrina marched toward her driver’s-side door and opened it. “Mason, it was nice working with you. Now, I must be on my way.”

She climbed into her car, slammed the door and quickly started the engine. She then she drove off, leaving Mason standing at the curb, looking after her.

Chapter 5

Of all the completely insane things for a man to do! The next morning, Sabrina was still livid. She couldn’t believe that Mason had actually had the nerve to throw her over his shoulder in front of strangers at the beach. She was humiliated!

Who knew if photos of the embarrassing incident would end up on the internet? Or even video? She was a professional in Ocean City. She didn’t need to have photos berating her reputation online.

But worse than what had happened was that Sabrina had a reaction to Mason’s ridiculous behavior. A small part of her had actually felt a thrill. Sabrina still felt an odd tingle in her nether region when she thought about how Mason scooped her into his arms. He had picked her up as though she weighed no more than a rag doll. His strength was impressive and her attraction to him electric.

After that initial rush, reality had set in, and her embarrassment had taken over. Embarrassment and outrage.

As Sabrina had lain in bed not sleeping, she’d dreamed about what had happened earlier that day. Though her dream had gone in a completely different direction. Once Mason had put her down, he had kissed her senseless.

When Sabrina woke up, she was hardly rested—and it was all Mason’s fault. As she got ready for her day, she thought about how nonroutine her photo shoot with Mason had been. Of all the shoots she had done in her career, his had been the most unusual.

Dressed and ready to work, Sabrina made her way downstairs. Although her studio and office were housed in the lower part of the house, she physically had to exit her apartment upstairs, go down the staircase in order to open her locked office. It was the best of both worlds. One, it was cheaper having her office and studio in the space where she lived. Two, having to physically exit her apartment and go downstairs was akin to getting in a car and heading to the office. Only this way, she didn’t have to deal with the commute.

There was a small kitchen in her office, and she placed a pod of French Vanilla coffee into her instant brewing machine—truly the best invention since the toaster, in her opinion. A short while later, she was heading into her personal office with a steaming cup of java.

Sitting at her desk, she fired up her computer. The Apple computer had a twenty-seven inch screen, which was excellent for viewing several photos at once. She retrieved her camera and unloaded the SD card she had used to take the shots of Mason, then inserted it into her computer.

But instead of looking at photos of Mason, she opened the folder with the pictures of Ricardo, another firefighter. She needed to get Mason off of her mind, at least for a little while.

She heard Nya enter the office by the clicking of her heels on the tiled floor. Based on the quick succession of clicks, she could tell that Nya was moving around hurriedly. And she knew why. It was ten minutes after ten, meaning that Nya was late.

“Morning,” Nya said, peeking her head through Sabrina’s office door. “Sorry I’m late.”

“It’s all right,” Sabrina told her. “Does that mean you had a great date?”

Nya rolled her eyes. “No. The date was a disaster.”

“Oh, no.”

“I mean, Sean started out great. He seemed really nice, a total gentleman...until we were at my car and he groped me and did his best to get me to go to bed with him.”

Sabrina grimaced. “Oh, boy.”

“He said he thought I’d be down for it. That I looked the type. I almost slapped him.”

“Well,” Sabrina began cautiously, “I’ve told you this before—maybe you should change your online profile. You’ve got some really sexy pictures up there—nothing inappropriate, mind you—but I think it gives some men the wrong idea.”

“I think I’m finally done with dating. I can’t take the stress anymore.” Nya shook her head and made a sound of disgust. “How about you? How was yesterday with Mason?” She wiggled her eyebrows.

“It was a good shoot,” Sabrina told her.

“And...?”

“And nothing.”

“Nothing?”

“We left the studio, went to the beach. I got some incredible shots.” Sabrina quickly brought her coffee mug to her lips, hoping that Nya wouldn’t pick up on the fact that she was omitting a huge portion of the story.

“Bummer.” Nya pouted.

“Because you expected us to make a love connection?”

“Well. Yeah. I totally saw a different you yesterday.”

“He’s a cute guy,” Sabrina said, hoping that her acknowledgment of that would be enough for Nya.

Nya’s pout lingered. “I’m going to go get some coffee and head to my desk. I swear, love sucks.”

Nya left the office, and Sabrina went back to looking through the photos of Ricardo. She smiled, happy with what she had done. The photos looked incredible.

She looked over the pictures of the other firefighters, as well, before finally going over the hundreds of photos she had taken of Mason the day before. A part of her didn’t want to do even that. She truly wished that she didn’t have to see him again, not even in pictures.

The door to her office suddenly opened. Looking toward the door, Sabrina’s eyes widened in alarm. The bouquet of dazzling red roses was so large that she couldn’t even see who was carrying them. It was only when she heard Nya speak that she realized her friend was behind the flowers.

Nya placed the bouquet of what looked to be at least fifty red roses down on her desk with a huff. Nya then planted her hands on her hips. “You lied to me.”

“What are you talking about?” Sabrina asked.

“You told me that nothing happened with you and Mason yesterday. That there was no spark. So explain this.” Nya gestured to the impressive bouquet.

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