Simmering Heat Read online

  Chapter 2

  Almost all of the groomsmen were firefighters that worked at the same station as Winter’s fiancé and were all amazing eye candy. The group certainly managed to live up to the stereotypical firefighter fantasy with bulging muscles from their forearms all the way down to their calves. Jasmine never complained when the guys happened to crash their ladies’ nights, either at the house or at the bar, but so far, she hadn’t had the guts to snag one of them for herself. With their beards, cycles and overwhelming testosterone, the men caused Jasmine’s mouth to go dry without even saying “hello.”

  “I need to get laid,” Jasmine admitted to the silence that had fallen between her and Winter.

  “I’ve been telling you that ever since you bought us matching vibrators,” Winter joked, referring to the last Christmas present that Jasmine had given her. Was it her fault that the adult store had been having a buy one get one sale?

  “They were on sale,” Jasmine snapped.

  “You always say—” Winter started but stopped abruptly when a muscled arm was tossed across her shoulders.

  “Hello, ladies.” The voice came from a face that Jasmine had not seen before yet seemed familiar for some reason.

  “Leo!” Winter turned and hugged the new arrival. Swinging back toward Jasmine, she smiled big. “Jazz this is Leo, Will’s best man.”

  “Nice to meet you….” Jasmine’s voice trailed off as she stared at the man in front of her.

  And boy was he something to look at. His thick dark hair was short on the sides, almost shaved completely off, but the top was long and groomed to give him an appearance reminiscent of a greaser from the fifties. Jasmine knew that some ladies preferred their men clean shaven, but the specimen in front of her was the perfect example of why some men needed to have beards. Leo’s strong jaw was covered in one of the most spectacular beards that Jasmine had seen outside of a romance novel cover, and his blue eyes were icing on the proverbial man-cake standing before her.

  Jasmine couldn’t help the smile that tipped her lips when she took in his well-fitting jeans, button-down white shirt with the cuffs rolled up and black boots.

  Where had this man been all her life?

  “We’ve already met,” Leo drawled in a deep voice, flashing a white straight smile.

  Jasmine’s mouth dropped open, ready to argue with the beautiful lumberjack in front of her.

  “I don’t think—” Jasmine started but stopped when he flashed her a full smile, recognition starting to take hold of her brain.

  “I know you as Jazz and you used to call me Leonard, ring any bells?” Leo folded his strong arms across his chest, waiting for her to catch up.

  Leonard?

  No. There was no way. She had only ever known one Leonard and he was someone she hadn’t seen since high school.

  “Jazz?” Winter said her name, sounding as confused as Jasmine felt.

  “Leonard Trask?” Jasmine whispered in awe, “Is that really you?”

  “The one and the same.” Leo held out his hand for her to shake. “It’s good to see you again,” he said.

  Jasmine stayed silent, her eyes still wide at the revelation that the man in front of her was the boy who drove her nuts as a teenager. Looking toward Winter, Jasmine could tell that her friend was about to explode with curiosity.

  “Winter, do you remember when I talked to you about Janet from back home?” Jasmine kept her eyes on her friend as she spoke even though she was tempted to keep staring at Leo.

  “Yeah, that’s your parents’ housekeeper. Right?” Winter answered. Her brow furrowed in confusion.

  “She was much more than that.” Jasmine felt a smile come over her face as she recalled her caregiver when she was younger. “She’s the one who made cupcakes for my class, took care of me when I was sick and my parents had to work, hell…she even took me shopping for my first bra.”

  “That was an interesting trip,” Leo quipped with an arched brow.

  Winter was waving her hand as if she wanted Jasmine to get to the point already.

  “Janet is Leo’s mother, but back then he went by Leonard.” Jasmine grimaced. “Leonard liked to drive me crazy when we were younger.”

  “That’s a little bit of an exaggeration,” Leo added, shrugging his shoulders. “I just wasn’t a fan of sharing my mom with a girl.”

  “How the hell do you know Will?” Jasmine nodded toward the men across the room. “In fact, if you’re the best man, how is it that you are just now coming around?”

  Winter waved to someone across the ballroom and huffed out loud. “I have to go wrangle another relative it seems.” Grabbing another glass of champagne from a passing waiter, Winter moved toward her crazy family.

  “Well Miss Nosey, I have known Will for years, but I haven’t lived around here for a while. Our parents sent us to the same summer camp when we turned twelve and the rest is history. After graduation, I moved up to Colorado for some fresh air and a change of scenery. I was working at a station close to Estes when we had some budget cuts and decided to come back home to settle down.” Leo took a sip from the beer bottle he was holding by the neck. The sight of his throat working as he swallowed was truly whimper worthy.

  “Wow, I just can’t believe what a small world it is,” Jasmine said, still stunned to find her childhood nemesis standing in front of her. “How is your mom doing?”

  Leo shrugged his big shoulders, his body moving closer to avoid a server carrying a large tray. “She’s doing good, decided to move to Florida with her sister now that she’s retired.”

  “And you, are you married? Kids?” Jasmine sipped her champagne as she asked the questions as nonchalantly as she could.

  “Nope and nope, I was engaged for a few months, but it ended up not working out.” Leo looked down at her through thick lashes that looked too plush to be real. “What about you?”

  “Nah, nothing on my end either. I just graduated with my nursing degree, and wasn’t big on dating while I was going to school. The parental units actually keep trying to set me up, but that’s working out like you would expect.”

  Jasmine was getting ready to say more when the sound of someone tapping their glass pulled her attention away from Leo.

  “Attention everyone, dinner will be served in a few moments so please find your tables and get comfortable.”

  Jasmine recognized Will’s older brother, obviously chosen to make the announcement because of his booming voice and ability to get the attention of the crowd.

  “Well, I guess we’ll just need to catch up later….” Jasmine looked around the room for a moment, trying see which tables had been set aside for the wedding party. She was startled when a large warm hand settled on her elbow, steering her toward the front of the ballroom.

  “We are seated over here,” Leo answered before she had a chance to ask.

  “Oh, I guess that’s something I should have known.” Jasmine frowned.

  “Everything okay? You seem a little upset.” Leo kept a firm hold on her arm as they walked toward their destination.

  “I’m the maid of honor, and so far, I’m blowing it.” Jasmine’s voice sounded pathetic even to her own ears. “I wasn’t able to help decorate because I had to attend a ceremony for my parents. I was over an hour late for the engagement party, and instead of helping keep everything running smoothly tonight, I have no idea where I’m supposed to be and what the itinerary is for this evening.”

  “There’s an itinerary?” Leo’s voice cut in causing Jasmine to stop in her tracks.

  “Isn’t there?” Jasmine looked around again hoping to spot Winter and ask if she needed help with anything.

  “Look.” Leo took her by the shoulders and stared into her eyes. “Will’s family is laid back, and from what I can gather, Winter’s family is a little crazy. The only thing I think we need to do is help when asked and
keep some old guy from smoking.”

  Jasmine was nodding even before he stopped talking. “That’s Winter’s uncle.”

  “Who?” It was Leo’s turn to look confused.

  “The old guy that keeps trying to light up.” Jasmine spotted the man in question in a pale blue suit getting ready to sit down and subtly pointed in his direction. “That’s Winter’s uncle, I can’t remember his name, but he is a little handsy with the ladies and likes to smoke stogies.”

  Leo chuckled at her description. “Did he hit on you?”

  Jasmine laughed and nodded. “I’m pretty sure he pinched my ass, but he’s surprisingly fast and I can’t be sure if it was him or one of his cronies. They all have those bony old man fingers that give me the willies. It was like the Crypt Keeper trying to cop a feel.” Suppressing a shudder, Jasmine tried to forget the pinching incident.

  “Well, just let me know if he steps out of line again and I’ll have a talk with him,” Leo offered, sending a mock glare in the direction of the horny old goat.

  Jasmine had to admit that the longer she talked Leo the less he reminded her of the bratty older boy who loved to pick on her when she was younger. Looking back on it now she realized that some of it had been her fault. Jasmine had relied on Janet stepping in for some of the things that her own mom was too busy to bother herself with. When it came to school projects or even the typical girl growing up stages, it had always been Janet who was there to help. As a young girl, Jasmine hadn’t even given a second thought to the annoyance that she must have been to Leo. She basically had stolen his mom during a good portion of their younger years and that was something that she felt she needed to apologize for.

  “Leo—” Jasmine started what was bound to be an awkward conversation, but was interrupted when Will walked up to them in a rush.

  “Have you seen Winter?” Will’s question was directed at them, but his gaze was roving over the crowd searching for his fiancé.

  “She was with some of her family the last time I saw her,” Jasmine offered, but jumped when Will cursed harshly under his breath and ran his hand through his hair. “What’s going on?”

  “I need you to find her for me,” Will ordered, his voice rough. “I just heard that Candy and a couple of the pole bunnies were giving her shit and it didn’t sound good.”

  “What the hell, Will? Why were they even here to begin with?” Jasmine pulled her phone out of her clutch, and sent Winter a text asking where she was.

  “Some of the guys brought them as dates.” Will shook his head, his expression thunderous. “I’ve already chewed out the guys, but I need to know what damage those vipers did so I can fix it.”

  Jasmine looked down at her phone when she felt it vibrate.

  “Is that her? Is she okay?” Will asked in rapid-fire succession.

  Jasmine sighed and tried to give Will a smile. “Well, she’s managed to find a hiding place because she needed a few minutes alone. Let me work my magic and I will be back in a jiffy.”

  Jasmine started to move away, and realized that somehow, she had linked hands with Leo. Pulling her fingers free, she met his hot gaze. The look in his eyes let her know that they weren’t done here.

  Not by a long shot.

  Chapter 3

  “Sweetie, they’re just a bunch of bitches,” Jasmine said calmly through the door keeping her out of the bathroom. Looking around the suite that Winter and Will had booked for the night, Jasmine noticed a wrapped present placed on the nightstand. Scanning the card that was resting on top of the badly folded wrapping paper, Jasmine couldn’t help but smile.

  “Winnie, your stud has a present and card here for you…does that sound like a guy who’s ‘settling for some fat cow’?” Jasmine tried to keep her voice light, but she was seething on the inside with anger at those stupid vapid bitches downstairs.

  The door opened with a soft creak revealing that Winter had indeed been crying her little eyes out.

  “He got me a present?” Winter lifted her chin, trying to look around Jasmine.

  Walking to her best friend, Jasmine slung an arm around her shoulders. “He sure did, want to open it?”

  “Should I wait until he gives it to me? I don’t think he expected me to find it without him.” Winter sniffed delicately, her eyes reddened by tears.

  “Listen, if Will could see how upset you are right now, I’m pretty sure he would give you anything you wanted. The love that man has for you makes me green with jealousy, and I’m sure that’s what happened to those twatwaffles too. They’re just pissed off because they know he’s hooked for good, and they have no chance with him. Didn’t he say that he dated one of them a while back? I’m sure it’s just pettiness on their part. Will has already told the guys that if their dates start more shit then they are out of here.”

  Winter squared her shoulders and took a deep breath in, “You’re right…it was just all the family crap and then they show up and pretty much repeat everything that I was hearing all night and it was overwhelming. Plus, I’ve been drinking champagne like its Diet Coke and you know how that makes me…”

  “Weepy McGee is what happens so no more champagne for you,” Jasmine ordered, handing Winter the card that was on top of the present. “Remind me to teach Will how to properly wrap a present as soon as possible.”

  Winter smacked her arm with the envelope. “Don’t make fun of him. I think it’s sweet.”

  “Darlin’, it looks like a four-year-old wrapped it,” Jasmine teased, relieved at the smile that she saw on Winter’s face.

  Jasmine figured it was best to give her friend a little bit of privacy and walked over to the open window. Staring out the large pane of glass, she took in the beauty of Larryville with its sparkling small city lights.

  Small enough that the employees at the grocery store recognized you, but big enough to have options for shopping and eating. It was also the perfect place to raise a family, or at least that’s what Jasmine hoped. She couldn’t wait to get involved in the community garden project and walk down Main Street holding a little hand while they looked at holiday decorations in the store windows.

  Turning back around when she heard a new round of sniffles, Jasmine was prepared to console her friend again, but was relieved to see happy tears in her eyes instead of what she had seen before.

  “Everything good?” It better be, Jasmine thought to herself ready to strangle those girls that decided to try to ruin Winter’s night.

  Winter was clutching the card to her chest as if it were the Holy Grail and smiling. “It’s perfect.”

  Jasmine nodded and moved toward the door. “Good, then let’s go. Will won’t stop texting me and I’m pretty sure he’s about to have a heart attack if we don’t get back downstairs.”

  The women arrived back in the ballroom and were happy to see that Winter’s disappearance had gone unnoticed by everyone but those involved. Jasmine was grateful that Will’s family had stepped in and had gotten the caterer’s moving to distract the guests from the fact that the bride had been MIA.

  “I hope you don’t mind, but I moved your place card next to mine.” Leo stood and pulled out a chair next to where he had been sitting as Jasmine approached.

  Casting him a sly smile, Jasmine admitted, “I don’t mind at all. I wanted to catch up some more too.”

  “Jazz, I plan to do more than just catch up,” Leo drawled as she slid into her chair.

  Jasmine’s mouth had dropped open at his casual statement.

  Well hell.

  The last thing that she had ever expected was to be turned on by the Leonard from her past, but if she was being honest with herself she could easily see it happening with this hot firefighter version of Leo. The new and improved version also created yet another slight problem for Jasmine.

  She was looking for Mr. Nine-to-Five with a boring office job. Someone that would be home in ti
me for dinner with her and the theoretical kids she already had started naming. She didn’t have time to have her libido heated up by a firefighter who risked his life daily being a real-life hero. From what Jasmine had gathered from conversations with Winter, Will had a hard schedule to make plans around and there were times when Winter was out of her mind with worry while he was on the job. Most recently was a warehouse fire that stubbornly refused to be extinguished by Will and his crew of bearded hunks.

  That was the absolute last thing that Jasmine wanted or needed in a man. She wanted stable and boring, not hot and heroic. Too bad the chemistry that she felt was so off the charts hot that her lower half was having a hard time remembering that bit of info. If her vagina could make decisions for her, it would have been waving the white flag of surrender at the first glimpse of his muscled arms.

  It wasn’t long before the table for the wedding party started to fill up. Being surrounded by Winter and Will’s friends and family did little to distract Jasmine from the heat radiating off the man next to her. Was it her imagination or was he sitting even closer to her than when they first sat down?

  “Yo, Leo!” Mack clapped his hand down hard on Leo’s shoulder, the sound itself as heavy and hard as the action looked. “I just saw Jimmy loading up your bike. What happened man?”

  Jasmine watched the exchange realizing that Leo’s bike must have been the one that was hit in the parking lot.

  “A hotel shuttle backed into her and the back wheel was fucked up. I called Jimmy to come get her since he owed me a favor,” Leo answered, his expression dark.

  “That sucks. She going to be down for a while?” Mack asked, sitting in his assigned seat across the table.

  “Don’t know man. I just thought they messed up the paint at first. It wasn’t until I tried to straighten her out that I noticed the back had been hit harder than I thought.” Leo rubbed his hand along his bearded jaw. “You should’ve seen the manager. He was about to piss himself when he saw the damage.”