Page 7 of Bewitching the Firefighter

“I thought you were the Wicked Witch of the West. You should cast a spell on me.”

I stand on my tiptoes. “How do you know I haven’t?”

He crowds me against the back of the carnival booth, and my heart just about beats out of my chest. He leans forward and brushes his thumb across my lips before slamming his mouth into mine. The kiss is fiery and delicious, even though we keep our hands to ourselves.

He pulls back, handing me my hat. “Yep. You’ve definitely cast a spell on me.”

Then the firefighter motions toward the main carnival lane, following me back to my family before he disappears into the crowd.

Chapter 5

Lincoln

As a firefighter, I work a 48/96, which translates to a forty-eight-hour shift with the next ninety-six hours off. Sometimes I work a side job with Station 8 Fitness, an outdoor exercise group run by Captain Bannon. That’s where I find myself stepping out of my Dodge Charger wearing lime green spandex yoga pants with flames at the ankle because that was all I could find.

Tucker and Nolan clap while Mike Gentry gives a slow wolf whistle.

“Looking good, West.” Tucker slaps my back. “The flames add a nice touch.”

“You think?” Nolan, the rookie, shakes his head. “You don’t think it’s too subtle?”

I open my trunk. “Get your asses over here and help me.”

Only Tucker and I are officially working, but a lot of us will join workouts when the weather’s nice. That’s not why these dillheads are here, but I don’t hold it against them.

The golden light of morning slants through the trees as we pull out safety cones, hula hoops, and exercise bands. Today is a mix of calisthenics and resistance work. Tucker sets up the safety cones in the parking lot to cordon off our warm-up spot.

As participants arrive, my mind keeps drifting back to Isla Sutton and the sexy witch costume she was wearing. I didn’t mean to kiss her. She just looked so damn beautiful with her pouty lip and her sass and all that dark hair billowing in the breeze. Then I had to go and open my damn mouth. You’ve definitely cast a spell on me. Nothing like using frat-boy speak to woo a woman.

After Tucker leads the group warm-up, I take over. “Today, we’re dividing into two groups. Tucker will lead the hula hoop drills while I lead calisthenics.”

I divide the group in half and model my first move. We always show a modified version of each exercise so that people of all levels can join in. Then, I watch for form as I count off jumping jacks. The air is crisp this morning, the leaves on the trees starting to turn orange and yellow.

The park is a popular place, with people getting their runs in or leisurely walking their dogs. Later, the playground will fill up with kids, and the dog park will be full. Mist still hangs over the lake, but it’s starting to burn off.

When we begin our third set, two women are rounding the path, and even from a distance, I can see one of them is Isla. She’s wearing black yoga pants and a black tank with a pink jacket tied to her waist.

As she gets closer, I can’t help but notice her thick thighs and creamy skin. I do my best not to ogle her chest, which is really hard because her tits are fucking great.

“Two minute break,” I call out before we start squats. I set the timer on my watch just as the two women slow on the path.

“Loving the look, West,” Capri says, pointing to my ridiculous pants. “That a new uniform?”

“Just promoting the firehouse,” I say because I’m not about to admit anything. I jog over and peek down at the infant in the stroller, the little one’s brown eyes bright with contentment. “She looks just like her older sister. Glad she didn’t inherit Zane’s ugly genes.”

“At least my husband doesn’t wear a lime green flame pants.”

“Touché.” I chuckle. She’s used to all the shade we throw around.

“Hi, Isla.”

“Hi, Lincoln.”

I glance at my watch, glad there’s a minute left. “I’d still like to grab that cup of coffee sometime.”

Her mouth opens slightly as if she wouldn’t expect me to ask in front of her cousin. I’ve got nothing to lose. That kiss was incredible, and there is something about her that just draws me in. It’s like I just can’t get enough of her. Just standing next to her makes me feel more relaxed.

Well, despite the daggers, her eyes can shoot at me. Luckily, they’re sheathed right now.