Fans of Eloisa James & Julia Quinn discussion
Monday Puzzler
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Monday Puzzle (June 9, 2014): Falling for the Hero--Literally
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Heroine's a firefighter I take it? Definitely haven't read it before, but my GOD, does it sound intriguing. It's also made me discover the world of firefighter/smokejumper romance :DCan't wait to find out :)
Again, I feel I've read this one. If I were a baseball team, I know I wouldn't be in the standings at .500, though :).
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I don't know a lot of good firefighter romances--there is one By Roberts and a few that are ok by Shalvis...
I haven't read it, but it sounds great. Another for the TBR pile!
great series. new one out at the end of the month, can't wait!
Hmmmmm, I don't know it, but sounds great. Dls said it's part of a series. I read one firefighter romance that was part of a series, but I don't have the rest yet (although mine was a male firefighter). Wonder if it could be part of the same series. Only time will tell I guess. :)
I know this one!!! It's a good one, Janga.
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Well this is for sure going on my to read shelf!
Heroine briefly wondered how much trouble she would be in for kicking him with her steel-toed boots and if it would be worth it. Some of her best friends were civilians, but honest to God, there were people who totally lacked common sense.
"Stay back," she yelled. "Step away from the ladder and don't interfere."
"I'm not interfering. I'm helping."
Before Heroine could respond, several things happened at once. Cat gave one final push for freedom. Heroine leaned over to make sure she kept a grip on the squirming cat. The ladder lurched, the idiot below started up and everyone had a moment to rediscover the power of gravity.
Cat fared the best. He used his claws to dig in to the side of the tree, then scurry down. Heroine came in second. She was maybe six or seven feet from the ground. It came up fast, but instead of hitting the sidewalk or even the grass at the base of the tree, she slammed into the guy who'd been trying to "help."
As she lay on top of the idiot and sucked in air, Heroine watched Cat stroll over and give a last annoyed hiss. The cat stalked away, his tail high. Heroine rolled off the guy, aware that at five-ten and well-muscled, she weighed a whole lot more than was considered fashionable. No doubt he'd had the wind knocked out of him. With luck, only his pride was hurt and then she could lecture him on why it was never good to be stupid. At worst, she was about to have to call for an ambulance.
"You okay?" she asked, shifting into a kneeling position and glancing at the man for the first time. "Did you hit your head and—"
Crap and double crap. This wasn't some random stupid person, she thought, taking in the perfectly shaped jaw, the firm, full mouth and, when his lids slowly opened, the dark eyes fringed by long lashes. This was possibly the best looking man on the planet.
Hero, model, movie butt double. His ass had been flashed in magazine ads, calendars and on the big screen. He had a killer body and his face was even better. He was the kind of man for whom, on the promise of a smile, the earth would change its rotation.
She'd met him a couple of times. At her friend H's recent wedding to Hero's brother, for starters. Plus Hero lived at the ranch where she boarded her horse. They'd nodded at each other over stalls and hay bales. But she'd never seen him up close before. Not in the flesh, at least. Had never been so near to a flawless human.
Reluctantly, she had to admit, it was a little unnerving.
One corner of that perfect mouth turned up. "Hey," he said. "I saved you."
Heroine snorted. "Not likely. Did you hit your head? Because if you did, I'm hoping it knocked some sense into you."
The slight curve became a smile. "You're welcome." He sat up.
Heroine put a hand on his shoulder. "Hold on there, hot shot. Are you injured? You were at the bottom of our pile up. Make sure nothing's broken."
"My ego's a little bruised that you don't appreciate what I did for you."
"You knocked me off the ladder and nearly killed us both. No, you don't get a cookie." She stood, then held out her hand to help him up. "Can you stand?"
The smile turned into a grin. Damn, the man was pretty, she thought absently. Despite the fact that it had literally been a decade since she'd found any man attractive, there was something about his near god-like perfection that was appealing.
He ignored her hand and stood in one easy movement. "I'm good."
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
She shook hands with him, conscious of his fingers engulfing hers. Not in a tingly, I-can't-believe-his-face-is-better-than-his-ass kind of way, but more with the awareness that his hands were bigger than hers. And he was taller, by at least four inches.
Interesting facts, but of no earthly use. First of all, she had yet to conquer her man-phobia and if she decided she wanted to, it wouldn’t be with anyone like him. She would look for safe. Nice. Normal. Second, even if she was silly enough to be attracted to him, which she wasn't, there was no way in a million billion years that a guy like him would be interested in a woman like her. Men like him fell for supermodels and...and...women like her mother. Well, back when her mother had been younger.
Heroine knew what she was. Strong and capable. She could wear the fifty pounds of gear her job required without breaking a sweat. She could haul hoses up ten stories of stairs, no problem. She was self-sufficient. She knew how to change a tire and fix a leaky faucet. She didn't need a man. Except maybe for one teeny, tiny thing.
"Ah, Heroine?"
"What?" she snapped.
Hero glanced at their still joined hands. "Did you want me to leave? Because if you do, I'm going to need that back."
Damn. She released him instantly. "Sorry."
"No problem." He flashed a smile that would send a lesser woman to her knees. "I'll see you at the ranch."
The ranch, she thought blankly. Oh, right. He lived there, she boarded her horse there. They would run into each other. "Sure."
He waved at the two women on the porch. "Have a nice day, ladies."
They both nodded without speaking. As he strolled away, Heroine saw M and Mrs. C drop their gazes to his butt. Heroine allowed herself a quick look before heading toward the house and a freshly baked brownie.
Sugar was easy, she thought. Deliciousness followed by a blood sugar spike. But men—not so much. And Hero was worse than most. Because for a split second, when he'd tossed her that last smile, she would have sworn she felt something deep down in her belly.
Not attraction. That was too strong a word. But a flicker. The faintest whisper. The good news was that part of her wasn't as dead as she'd thought. The bad news was she'd discovered that fact by being in the presence of a butt model with the face of an angel. A man who could have any woman he wanted, simply by asking. Or maybe hinting.
His world was ruled by those who were flawless. She was broken. Maybe not where anyone could see and she'd sure learned how to fake normal. But she knew the truth.
Still, progress had been made. A flicker today, a tingle tomorrow. Give her a millennium or two and she might find her way to being just like everyone else.