Read Online Dakota Heat (Book 3 - Dakota Hearts) by Lisa Mondello - Free Book Online Page B

that would stay with her long after she left Rudolph.
    It had been three weeks since Matt had told her about the murder of the woman in Montgomery. Despite the fear that had sent her here, Summer was finally able to put her guard down and just allow herself to live and feel in the moment.
    She and Sam spent every precious moment they could together. She loved waking up with sunlight streaming through her window and spending the day naked and loved by Sam McKinnon. Here in the room above the garage, Summer had found more peace and happiness than she’d had in a long time.
    Each day Summer work dispatch while Sam was out in the field with the crew. Some days were longer than others. Sometimes she’d come back to her room alone and Sam would spend the night in the Crew Haul with the others crew members while he finished his shift. He’d come back to basecamp and shower off all the dirt and soot fighting fires had deposited on him and then they’d go back to her room and make love again.
    Summer cracked her eyes open as moonlight streamed through the window. It had only been a few hours since they’d made love and still she could feel every touch of Sam’s hands on her body.
    A shy smile curved her lips as she recalled every intimate detail of the night. She turned to see Sam fast asleep, his arm outstretched as he lay on his back. Shifting closer to him, she laid her head on his chest and listened to his heart beating. Strong. Steady. Comforting.
    Sam instinctively moved, pulling her against him as he turned onto his side. Summer felt a deep sense of contentment within her as her eyelids drifted shut.
    The shrill ring of Sam’s cell phone jolted her awake before she could fall fully asleep. Instantly awake, Sam grabbed the phone off the table next to him as he sat up.
    “Adam?” he said, his voice gruff with sleep.
    Summer watched as Sam listened to whatever Adam was saying. His expression was grim. “I’ll be right there,” he finally said and disconnected the line.
    “What’s going on?” Summer asked, suddenly apprehensive.
    “Adam needs me to come in. The wind shifted. The containment field is now gone and in the last two hours the fire has doubled in size and spread fast.”
    “Tomorrow is your day off.”
    “Today. But the crew that’s out there has been out all night. We have more Hotshots and Smokejumpers coming in tomorrow. Right now Adam needs me.”
    * * *
    Sam watched Summer as she stared at the kettle, waiting for it to switch off. She was wearing a loose tee-shirt and a pair of shorts – clothes meant for comfort. And yet, he had never seen anyone look more beautiful.
    He wanted to hold her to himself, to keep the world and all its dangers away from her, to feel her soft skin under his fingers, to feel her tongue as it brushed against his and to feel her around him as he gazed into the depths of her beautiful blue eyes.
    The click of the kettle resounded in the silent night, snapping Sam back to reality. He watched Summer as she moved around preparing the tea and a pot of coffee. And he realized that although he wanted Summer, his first priority was to keep her safe and to keep his mind on the work he had ahead of him.
    “You promise you’ll stay here every night. No taking risks. No going off without protection.”
    “Ethan is here at night and there are a whole slew of people at the basecamp during the day. I’ll either be there or here. I don’t want you worrying about me.”
    Sam sighed. “At least Mom hasn’t woken up.”
    He didn’t need to see the worried look on her face or allow himself to be distracted by it.
    “Here you go,” Summer said, placing the travel mug full of coffee in his hand.
    “Thanks.” He took in the gravity of her heavy sigh. “You know, you didn’t have to get up. You’re not due at the basecamp for another few hours. You need the sleep.”
    Throwing her arms around him, she hugged him tight.
    “I’m not going to let you leave without this,” she