But, Icouldsay I was the hottest firefighter in Whynot.
That had to count for something, right?
Five minutes later, I made it to the sign just outside the town limits.
“What the hell?” I snorted as I pulled off the side of the road.
A silver corvette was parked in the tall yellow grass. Next to it was a massive cactus that was no longer upright.
Neither of those were what made my brows shoot up, though.
It was the sexy hockey player down on his knees.
CHAPTER SIX
Mateo
A line of sweat trailed down Levi’s broad back. His gray T-shirt clung to his muscles as he inspected the car’s tire. Wranglers made his ass look damn good, even if they were just a little too new and his boots definitely hadn’t been broken in yet.
I’d seen him here and there in town—it was hard not to notice him. Usually he had a camera with him, and I had half a mind to ask what that was about.
I pushed my glasses up my nose and hopped out of the truck. “Hey, Levi. You okay?”
His head turned as he got up, letting out a low grunt. I didn’t miss his wince as he stood.
“Are you hurt?” I rushed out.
“I’m fine. Shouldn’t have rented a fucking sports car. A rabbit ran across the road, I swerved, and ended up running into that cactus.”
Rogue cactus blossoms were strewn across the dead grass, the car slightly tilted on top of the saguaro. “You really need something cheap and hardy out in these parts. Especially if you go to the state park.”
Levi was silent for a moment, but then broke it. “I take it someone called me in, huh?”
“Yep. Anyone new in town will grab attention, whether they like it or not. Even if you used to live here. Maybe especially so.”
He tipped his head back with a groan. The Davis Mountains cut into the powder blue sky in the distance, a band of dark clouds hovering even further away. If we were lucky, maybe we’d get a sprinkle of rain. We certainly needed it.
“I guess it’s a good thing, since my phone died.” Levi pressed his lips together and then regarded me thoughtfully. “I was an ass on Wednesday.”
“Well, I don’t think you planned to set Avery’s hair on fire.”
“I didn’t. I didn’t plan to take an art class. I didn’t plan to be here in Whynot.Nothingis going to plan.”
I raised a brow. Up close, Levi was more handsome than should have been allowed. He had a ruggedness about him that felt out of place with the new denim and the flashy car. But then there were his eyes.
Green. Bright, grassy green. A shade of green that’d been haunting my dreams.
His beard looked soft and well kept. I thought about running my fingers through it, then shoved that dirty thought away. God, what the hell had gotten into me?Something.
Ever since the class with Avery and Levi, I’d been too horny for my own good. They were two threads I kept trying to yank free, but only pulled tighter with every tug.
The truth was, I’d always wanted Avery. That was one of my longest kept secrets.
But Levi?
One look at the hockey player had my body craving things I’d kept in check for two years. Since Avery moved back to Whynot, I hadn’t dated or been with anyone. Why? Maybe because she was who I really wanted, but I’d just never crossed the line with her. Maybe because we lived in a small town where there wasn’t really a chance to be kinky like there was in the city.
Either way, Levi’s presence was disrupting all of my hard-earned self-restraint.
