Page 38 of Hearts Storm

Good luck today! You’re gonna kill it. Don’t let those boys intimidate you. They’re all bark, no bite. Mostly.

I grin. Sasha and Noia have become two of my closest friends. They welcomed me with open arms when I started teaching part-time at Summit Studio, and now I can’t imagine living in Lakeside without them.

Sasha, with her wild red waves and infectious laugh, runs the gym like the bad ass boss babe she is. And Noia, outgoing and sharp-witted, is a famous spicy romance author. Together, they’ve made me feel like I belong.

Thanks! Nervous as hell. I keep having visions of tripping over my own feet and face-planting in front of everyone.

SASHA

Then you’ll fit right in. Most of those guys are a bunch of goofs.

That makes me laugh, helping to ease some of the tension.

Setting my phone aside, I take a deep breath as I study my reflection. Dark jeans and a black T-shirt with the Lakeside Fire Search and Rescue emblem on the sleeve, hair pulled back in a low, tight bun. I don’t usually wear makeup when I work, other than mascara and a touch of lip gloss. I definitely look the part, even if I don’t quite feel it yet.

First-day jitters are normal, right? Even if your new boss happens to be the man you ghosted after the best sex of your life?

The memory of how I found out Logan was going to be my boss still makes me cringe.

I was at the Skin & Ink fundraiser with Sasha and Noia at the Dunk-A-Hunk, not expecting to see anyone I knew. But then Logan showed up as one of the “hunks” looking just as shocked to see me as I was him.

One perfect throw later, the satisfaction I felt dropping him into the ice-cold water was almost enough to make up for the mortification I felt after seeing those texts.

After lunch, still reeling from seeing him for the first time in almost a year, I went to help Lizzy at the Skin & Ink booth, where she was applying temporary tattoos and doing face painting for the kids.

“Hey, you okay?” Lizzy asks, glancing up from where she’s painting a rainbow butterfly on an adorable, chubby-cheeked little girl. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

I force a smile, shaking my head. “Just a little tired. Still have another round of training before I start at LFSR next month.”

“Oh, that’s right!” Lizzy’s face lights up. “You’ll be working with my brother, Logan. You remember how I told you he’s going to be the new captain? He just transferred back. Been bouncing around Washington and Canada fighting wildfires for the past couple years.”

She dips her brush in pink paint. Shifting her focus, she adds more detail to the butterfly’s wings as she quips, “He’s a great guy. You’ll like him.”

Logan Cade, Lizzy’s twin brother. The brother she mentioned at lunch a while back. The same man I spent an unforgettable weekend with in Portland.

My stomach drops to my knees when another thought slams into my brain.

Lizzy. Izzy. Iz.

Holy shit. How did it not click before?

I’ve heard Lizzy being called different variations of her name a few times since I met her. And it wasn’t until this moment that it all comes crashing down.

Fuck’s sake, Rey. That text was from Logan’s sister!

Heart sinking, I take a deep breath.

I fucked my friend’s twin brother ten ways from Sunday, ran away like a coward, and now he’s going to be my boss.

Grabbing my boots from the closet, I shove my feet inside, spiraling through every worst-case scenario imaginable.

What if Logan is pissed? What if he’s been stewing for the past year, waiting for the perfect moment to make my life a living hell? I wouldn’t blame him.

And Brex. God, Brex.

The memory of him between my thighs, tongue dragging through my sex, makes my skin all tingly and hot. I never called him after that night. Did he tell Logan what happened? Does Logan know I hooked up with his best friend too? The thought makes my stomach twist into a knot so tight I can barely breathe.

Focus, Rey.