Hot Shots Men of Fire #2 - Hot as Sin - Bella Andre Page 0,95

much he wanted her. She was amazed all over again that he wanted her, just as she’d been at eighteen.

Of all the women he could have chosen, he’d picked her.

And she’d chosen him right back.

Only this time, they were actually going to get the fairy tale. The whole thing, not just the opening credits.

“I can’t wait to hear what you’re thinking,” he teased, brushing a lock of hair out of her eyes.

At her silent question, he said, “Your brain is always going, always working, always questioning. It’s one of the things I’ve loved about you from the start.”

Her smile huge, she said, “I was just thinking about us. About our future.”

She paused and looked at him to see if the word “future” had freaked him out, but his expression remained open and loving, a far cry from the shuttered, closed-up man he’d been through the first half of their journey to find April.

“Earlier, when April and I were talking, she told me it isn’t my fault that I’m a control freak.” He chuckled as she said, “But I’ve finally figured out that it’s time for me to let go. Not just with April, so that she can live her own life, but with you and me. I don’t know what’s going to happen, Sam. I can’t predict what’s in our future. When I was eighteen, I was scared, so I left. But I’m not scared of risking my heart to you anymore.”

Sam’s mouth came down over hers with a kiss so sweet and filled with love that it brought tears to her eyes.

But there was one more thing she needed to know.

“What about everything you said to me? About needing to stay away from me because of what happened after I left?”

His black hole. How could she ever forgive herself if he ended up back in that dark place?

His answer was swift. Sure. “I’d risk a thousand black holes for the chance to love you, Dianna. Because not being with you will hurt me far more than anything else. Even falling off a cliff,” he teased.

And then they were kissing again and her hand was making its way beneath the sheet when the door opened.

“I’d tell you to get a room,” a nurse joked, “but I’m afraid even that’s not going to help you around here.”

Not feeling the least bit repentant, Dianna snuggled in closer to Sam. She couldn’t wait to start their new life.

Together.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Almost a week later…

HAVING FALLEN into a deep sleep on the plane out of Vail, Dianna was still groggy as they headed to Sam’s car in the San Francisco Airport parking lot.

And then they were standing in front of his old green Jeep and memories came rushing back, one after the other. Of Sam teaching her to drive a stick shift and laughing when she stalled in the middle of the intersection and cars from all four sides started honking at them. Of driving to one of Tahoe’s small, deserted beaches and making out in the front seat, then pulling off their clothes and going skinny-dipping under a full moon.

She’d had so much fun sitting beside Sam in the Jeep. More fun than she’d ever had with anyone else. Not to mention pleasure beyond her wildest dreams.

“You still have the Jeep.”

His dark eyes were full of heat. “I couldn’t get rid of it. Not when it felt like my only connection to you.”

“I’m glad you didn’t.”

Relaxing in the passenger seat, Dianna felt looser and lighter as the miles clicked by and they started climbing into the mountains.

That morning, April had headed back up to the Farm to reconnect with her friends and make some decisions about what to do next. Although it was hard to let her sister make the trek back up the mountain on her own, Dianna knew she had to let go and leave April’s life up to April.

As expected, Sam recovered quickly from his injuries. After Connor had arrived at the hospital, everywhere Dianna went she overheard both female nurses and doctors talking about the “gorgeous firefighters” on the fifth floor.

Dianna would never stop feeling lucky that Sam was her firefighter.

After a long talk with her friend and producer, Ellen, they both agreed that Dianna wasn’t ready to go back and host West Coast Update yet. Not without a long vacation first. So when Sam had asked her to go back to Lake Tahoe with him, she’d immediately agreed.

And then they’d gotten the good news from the Rocky Mountain police. The