Burning Romance - The Series

Burning Romance -The Series Box Set

Jessica Kelly

Copyright

This is a work of fiction.  Names, characters, places, events, establishments, organizations, locations, incidents, or dialogue are either a product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously.  Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, actual events, locales, establishments, or organizations is entirely coincidental.  References to real people, events, locales, establishments, or organizations are intended only to offer a sense of authenticity, and are used fictitiously.

Copyright ©2016 Jessica Kelly

Published by Premier Content Source, Inc.

All rights reserved.  Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in, or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the copyright owner.

The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission.  The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

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A sexy firefighter.  A steamy romance.  A secret past that threatens to destroy their future.

Thanks to a twist of fate, Amelia Sandstone is living every girl's fantasy—she's got a hot firefighter who makes her bed sizzle with fiery passion.

But this isn't your average sexy firefighter book...

Wyatt Key may be as hot as the fires he battles, but there's plenty smoldering below the surface, too.  He's hiding secrets—big ones—and when Amelia finds out the real story, it sends her life into a tailspin.  All of a sudden, her entire universe turns into a nightmare that she can't wake up from.

She never would have guessed it, but this love story comes with a healthy dose of suspense, danger, and drama.

What will Wyatt do once his secret past is exposed? 

Who else is going to get caught up in the crossfire?

Will Amelia ever be able to recover from the bombshells that have been dropped on her? 

Will this burning romance lead to a fiery explosion? 

If you like hot passion and jaw-dropping surprises, you'll love this box set!  The three sexy firefighter books that make up Burning Romance - The Series contain steamy scenes and adult content, so this short romance series is best-suited for readers who are 18+.

Scorching Hot

The Burning Romance Series #1

Jessica Kelly

Chapter 1

The smoke was all Amelia could see.  In a matter of seconds, her cozy corner office had filled up with thick gray smoke, and she knew the flames couldn't be far behind.  But right at this moment, all she could see, feel, and taste was smoke.  Her chest ached for a few precious gulps of oxygen, but there was none to be had.  She closed her eyes and begged herself not to panic. 

You're going to get out of here, she told herself.  Your life isn't finished.  Now, calm the hell down, and do whatever it takes to make it out of here alive.

The sound of alarms going off thundered in her head.  They shrieked at her from every direction, telling her to get out.  Getting out would be a hell of a lot easier if this smoke wasn't blinding me! her mind shouted back.  She'd worked in this office for two years, so she should have known the layout like the back of her hand.  She should have been able to get up from her chair, walk out, and make it to the elevator while wearing a blindfold with one arm tied behind her back.  But all of the smoke was disorienting.  She could barely tell left from right, up from down. 

You've always picked yourself up, Amelia, she reminded herself.  You've got to do it one more time.

She got down on her hands and knees and began crawling slowly through the office, praying that she was heading in the right direction.  After a few long moments, she felt the door.  Thank god! her mind screamed.  You did it!

She reached up and held the palm of her hand up to the door.  It was warm but not hot.  What does that mean? she wondered.  Are the flames waiting for me on the other side?  Or are they waiting a few feet down the hall?  Will this door lead me to safety, or will I head straight into a death trap if I turn the knob?

She remained completely frozen.  As much as she wanted to get out, she was too scared to open the door.  As bad as it was in here, it could be even worse out in the hallway.

Enough, Amelia! she yelled silently to herself.  This is not the time to turn into one of those weak, weepy women.  Let's go!

Trembling, she grabbed onto the doorknob and gave it a slow twist.

What am I going to get when I open this door?  Freedom or death?

The next thing she knew, the smoke was gone.  She blinked her eyes a few times to make sure she wasn't dreaming.  Nope, she really was outside.  The same South Florida sunshine she'd been gazing at through the window before the fire was now beaming down on her.  Normally, the heat of the sun would have been a much-appreciated dose of warmth after spending hours in her chilly office.  Now, in a weird twist of fate, the sun was actually a cool relief from the blazing fire she'd just escaped.  But the even bigger relief was the fresh, smoke-free air that suddenly filled her lungs.  She opened her mouth and gulped as much of it in as she could.

You passed out for a minute, but you're going to be OK.

Amelia had been so ecstatic to begin breathing again that she hadn't even noticed that she was being carried.  She turned her head in the direction of the deep, husky voice and found herself face-to-face with, quite possibly, the best looking man she'd ever seen.  He was the stereotypical hot firefighter—tall, broad shoulders, a perfectly-chiseled chest, a firm chin, and a furrowed brow that was smudged with just enough soot to make him look mysteriously sexy.

Amelia opened her mouth to thank the god-like man who had carried her to safety, but all that came out was coughs and sputters.

Atta girl.  Get it all out, he smiled as he gently placed her down on the grass.  I'm sorry to say that you'll probably be coughing like that for awhile.  Smoke can be a real pain in the ass.

Despite her coughing fit, she could feel her cheeks turning pink—and it had nothing to do with the heat of the fiery office building she'd just been pulled out of.  Having to be rescued from a burning building was bad enough, she thought to herself as the violent coughs rattled her entire body, and now I can't get my shit together long enough to thank Firefighter Adonis for saving my life.

She struggled to catch her breath just as two EMT's came running up.

We can take it from here, Wyatt, one of them said to the firefighter.

Thanks guys, Wyatt answered.  We've still got another floor to clear.

Amelia watched Wyatt head back towards the smoky building. She was amazed that a man could save her life and then go back inside to look for someone else to save like it was no big deal.  Just a regular Tuesday in the day of a hero, she thought to herself.  And a hot hero at that.

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Chapter 2

The next afternoon, Wyatt could tell the woman was surprised when he walked into her hospital room.  He didn't make a habit of checking up on people he pulled from fires—he didn't really have the time or the inclination, to be honest—but he wanted to follow up with this one.  He wasn't really sure why.  All he knew was that he'd been thinking about her ever since he carried her out of that office building. 

Oh my god, it's you! she exclaimed as a few strands of her long blonde hair fell in her face.  Now that I've finally stopped coughing, I can actually thank you for saving my life.

All in a day's work, he chuckled.  I'm just glad you're OK, Miss—?

I'm Amelia.  Amelia Sandstone, she said as she reached a hand out to shake.

He couldn't help but notice that she had a strong grip.  She seemed to ooze confidence, despite the fact that she was propped up in a hospital bed with an IV line attached to her left arm.  It was a look that most people couldn't pull off, but she sure did.

I'm Wyatt Key, he said as he held onto her hand for a few more seconds than necessary.  So how long are they keeping you holed up in here?

The doctor says I should be able to go home tomorrow, she smiled.  Having smoke inhalation is no fun, and apparently I'm dehydrated too, but it beats the heck out of what would've happened to me if you hadn't shown up.

He'd found her crumpled up in the third floor hallway.  At first, he was afraid she'd stopped breathing.  She was one of the last people he and his crew had pulled out of the building, so he knew she'd been in there for awhile.  But when he knelt down beside her and saw her chest heave up and down a tiny bit, he knew she was unconscious instead of dead.  He didn't want to tell her how bad she'd looked when he found her, though.  She'd already been through enough.

I'm just glad you're OK, he said instead.

Me too! she chuckled.  Do they know what caused the fire?

A burrito, Wyatt said with a shake of his head.  Some guy on the floor below you decided to heat up a leftover burrito for lunch.  Apparently, his mom never told him that aluminum foil makes the microwave blow up.

I almost died because of a burrito?!  You've got to be kidding me!

He couldn't help but laugh.  You'll never look at Mexican food the same way again.

They were both still laughing when a nurse walked in.  Sorry to interrupt, Amelia, but we need to take you down for some blood tests.  Your friend is welcome to wait here if he wants.

That's OK.  I should get going.  Feel better, Amelia.

As Wyatt walked out of Amelia's room and towards the elevator, he still didn't know why he'd come to visit her.  All he knew was that if he had it his way, he'd see a whole lot more of her.  The sooner the better.

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Chapter 3

Tell me why I'm doing this again, Wyatt groaned as he looked at himself in the mirror. 

He wore his navy blue Station 2 t-shirt all the time, but this time it looked different.  He'd never noticed how tight it was before.  Every muscle in his chest and shoulders looked like it was standing up at attention.  He felt like a fresh piece of meat.  There were about a million other things he'd rather do on a Friday night, and yet, here he was.

Hey, little kid burn victims need all of the money they can get, Andrew, one of his crew mates at Station 2, answered.  And auctioning us off to a bunch of rich old ladies is apparently going to bring in a ton of money for them.

I'm sure they'll get a pile of cash just from you, Mr. November, Greg laughed.

Hey!  That calendar was for charity, too, Wyatt said with a laugh of his own.  You're just bitter that no one asked you to be in it.

A woman in a cocktail dress rushed in.  Five minutes, guys.  Then, she looked down at her clipboard.  Lieutenant Key, you're up first, so be ready.

Wyatt sighed.  Just think of the kids, he reminded himself.  Helping them is worth parading around on stage in front of a bunch of horny cougars.

Welcome to the Eastern Cove Convention Center! he heard the emcee shout.  Are you ready to have some fun tonight?

A herd of squeals came from the crowd.  Wyatt grimaced at the thought of them squealing at him.  He wasn't shy, but he'd never been one to strut his stuff for an audience.  His idea of a good time was something more private, and being auctioned off was anything but private.

Unfortunately, the emcee's introduction didn't last long.  After a minute or so, he heard, And now, for our first eligible firefighter.  Lieutenant Wyatt Key, come on out!

Knock 'em dead, tiger, Andrew teased.

Wyatt took a deep breath and walked out onto the stage.  The lights were bright—but not so bright that he couldn't see the faces in the audience.  Just what I thought, he said to himself.  A bunch of old ladies who are hopped up on wine spritzers.

You may recognize Wyatt from the Eastern Cove Firefighters Calendar! the emcee shouted over all of the whooping and hollering in the crowd.  Wyatt is thirty years old, and when he's not fighting fires and rescuing kittens from trees, he loves taking walks on the beach!

Wyatt had been kidding when he told the event coordinator that.  He figured it would be just cheesy enough to draw a laugh from the crowd.  But if the oohs and ahhs were any indication, every woman in the crowd had taken his answer seriously.

He's a special one, the emcee continued.  And this dreamboat can be all yours for one night!  Let's start the bidding at $500.

Wyatt stood on stage, trying to not look embarrassed as woman after woman held up their bid cards.  He couldn't help but notice that one of them licked her lips every time she did it.  Another one of them winked at him over and over.

Give 'em a little flex of those muscles, Wyatt! the emcee said with a cheesy smile. 

Wyatt did what he was told, hoping he didn't look as awkward as he felt.  He figured he must have done alright when the squeals from the crowd got even louder and several more bid cards shot up in the air. 

The bids kept going higher and higher, but eventually the emcee shouted, Five thousand going once... going twice... sold to the woman in the gold dress!

Five thousand dollars, Wyatt repeated in his head as he walked off the stage and into the arms of his adoring bidder.  It was staggering to think that a woman would pay $5,000 just to spend an evening with him.  At least it's all going to a good cause, he reminded himself.

You're even more gorgeous in person! the woman shouted.

Thank you ma'am, Wyatt said as he silently begged his cheeks not to get red from embarrassment. 

I know I'm old enough to be your mother, but you don't need to call me ma'am, she said with a smile that looked a little too dirty for a charity fundraiser.  She began rubbing his bicep and sighed, If only I had been born later.  Where were guys like you when I was thirty?

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Chapter 4

On Friday night, Amelia walked into her favorite bar, Emilio's, wearing her favorite gold and black off-the-shoulder top, her distressed skinny jeans, and the pair of black patent leather stiletto's she'd fallen in love with a few weeks ago.  She knew she was a little dressy for Emilio's casual flip-flops-and-shorts beachy vibe, but she didn't care.  She was so excited to be meeting up with Carrie—instead of being stuck in bed—that she didn't mind being a tad overdressed.

Friday night was the first time she'd felt right since the fire.  Finally, she was cough-free, full of energy, and ready for a fun night of drinks and gossip with her best friend.

I ordered us each a cosmo, Carrie said as soon as Amelia sat down at the table.  And I got some temporary digs for us to work in while they repair the building.

You're such a good boss, Amelia smiled.

She meant it, too.  Originally, Carrie had hired Amelia to work for her interior design firm, but over the past two years, they had become much more than boss and employee.  They had truly become best friends—such good friends, in fact, that Carrie had promised to make Amelia a partner in Sinclair Designs once Amelia could scrounge up enough money to buy a few of the  corporate shares.

"No more work talk, though.