Flameover - Esther E. Schmidt Page 0,3

but when her tongue slides over my bottom lip, biting down slightly before she devours my mouth while her hands tear at my slacks, all sanity evaporates.

I do know one thing for sure as I sink myself bare and deep into her tight, hot body; I’m going to be spending the rest of the night inside this woman. One night might not be enough to get my fill and I already regret not giving her my own name. Come morning I will set her straight and give her my real name along with an explanation. And I’ll be sure to ask for her number before I have to head back to Sunnyville.

Though, when I open my eyes the next morning, all there’s left are cold sheets beside me and memories of the best night in my life.

CHAPTER ONE

Present day

– LEONTINE –

Tears sting my eyes but I refuse to let them spill. Another flare of stabbing pain shoots through my ankle at the same time a window shatters. I swallow hard as I see thick smoke swirl angrily inside my house while firefighters are shattering the windows to let the smoke out in an effort to save the house. The house Deni, my three-year-old daughter, and I moved into a mere few days ago.

It was more of an escape, an effort to reboot my life. My father died three weeks ago and the walls of my old house started to close in on me. I simply had to do something that would completely rip me out of the state of mind I was dragging myself deeper into. Hence the spur of the moment—pack everything up—and move to Sunnyville action.

Why did I pick Sunnyville? Because of sentimental reasons as this is where my daughter’s biological father lives or lived. Who knows if it’s true because he lied to me. I tried to contact him one single time after our one-night stand. I had to reach out when I knew I was pregnant. That’s when I realized he lied to me. Another harsh reminder hits me since her biological father doesn’t know of Denise’s existence.

It’s not that I didn’t want him to know, I really did. I knew his name and the fact he was a firefighter in Sunnyville. Not as hard to track down, so I called the firefighter’s station and asked for Grady Scott Malone. I was told his wife had an emergency and that he was out for the day.

Great, right? Have a one-night stand with a guy—best night of my life—only to find out he’s a cheating asshole. He must have thought the whole cliché about whatever happens in Vegas was a great excuse to get his rocks off without his wife knowing.

Okay, I might have a few secrets of my own, but come on, he cheated on his wife. A freaking wife. If I knew he was married I never would have ended up in bed with him. Needless to say, I instantly hung up the phone and didn’t bother to try and contact him again. I decided right then and there I would raise Denise on my own.

I’m honest enough to admit it had been my plan all along; to become a single mom. Well, I didn’t exactly plan to land in bed with Grady, it was more like a tiny window of opportunity, a spur of the moment, last minute decision. A fifty-fifty shot of getting pregnant. And I did reach out to him to let him know, but yeah . . . married. Shocking. Even more shocking than the whole pee on a stick and realizing I was in fact knocked-up thing.

I gasp when another glass window shatters. Denise yelps and hugs me tighter. Why can’t I catch a break for once? Between dealing with the grief of losing my father, maintaining the company, and dealing with the creep who thinks he now has the right to run the place. All while I try to be there for Denise. And now this.

A few firemen stalk out of my house and there are some other ones who are currently pumping loads of water into my garage that’s attached to the house. At least there aren’t any flames anymore. I close my eyes and release a choppy breath.

Terror was flowing through my veins when I woke up from hearing the smoke detector blare when I was dozing on the couch. I could smell the fire and called 911 as I was heading for Denise, grabbing her to