Fire of My Heart Read Online Free PDF

observing her, a subtle smile on his face, his arms
filled with seasoned logs. The breath caught in her chest. Adrenaline surged
through her without warning. With his tousled honey-brown hair brushing against
broad shoulders and a powerful presence that would have made any lesser man
humble, he could have stepped out of any fairytale book she’d held dear as a
child.
    “Good
morning, Miss Quinn.” Though casual, his tone commanded her attention as he
strode past her and knelt before the hearth, stacked the kindling on the floor.
“I’m sorry I haven’t the fire ready for you. I thought mayhap you’d sleep a
while because...”
    Huh?
    He
straightened and brushed the splinters from his hands against his tan suede
breeches. Their snug fit shamelessly displayed his firm, muscular thighs. A
lump rose to her throat.
    “...you were
so tired last night after I left you.”
    What had
happened last night? Who was he? Maybe she’d been drinking. Damn it, she
couldn’t remember anything clearly. Awkward panic erupted inside. Her stomach
twisted and seemed to tie into a perfect knot.
    He picked
up the wayward kettle, and as he leaned past her and placed it on the table,
his arm brushed the sleeve of her nightshirt. Oh. A shiver zipped up her spine.
Goose bumps came in its wake, but were concealed by her blue flannelette shirt.
He pulled back, and his eyes met hers. A smile curled at the edge of her mouth.
“Wait. Yes, I do remember you now.”
    “You do?”
His brow furrowed a little, uncertainty flickered in his eyes.
    “Of course.
You’re the caretaker, aren’t you?” She tucked a lock of errant hair behind her ear,
bit on her bottom lip. “Your name is, er...”
    His amazing
emerald eyes darkened with disappointment.
     “Rowan.”
That had been agony. How embarrassing. She smiled with relief. What exactly had
happened last night? “Hi. Good morning. Forgive me. I didn’t see you there just
now. Wow. You really do have a way of sneaking up on a girl, don’t you?” The
green in his eyes sparked.
    Her face
grew warm.
    “I didn’t
mean to frighten you, Miss Quinn.” Moving away, he picked up a small axe by the
hearth and began splitting the logs with ease. “I’m not used to having people
here.”
    “Really,
don’t apologize. I live alone too. I must have been very tired last night. Did
I go to bed late? I must be a bit of a nuisance with your routine, huh? I’m
just a bit jumpy for some reason this morning. Perhaps it’s the time difference
and all that.” Snippets of last night’s nightmare returned, unwelcome, and she
flinched. “And, please call me Ellen. Miss Quinn makes me sound like some old
school teacher who couldn’t get a boyfriend.” Babbling again. This was not
good.
    He paused
and looked up at her. His thick, golden eyelashes encased the emeralds within like
the fine work of a master jeweler. A wistful sigh escaped her. Gorgeous.
    Blushing, she prayed she
hadn’t said the thought aloud.
    She lowered
her gaze, and the soft warmth in her cheeks turned into a blazing inferno. Used
to living alone and dressing how she pleased, she’d come down stairs in an
oversized flannelette pajama shirt and a pair of long, stripy football socks.
Attractive…not! She closed her eyes and grimaced. God. No makeup, her hair was
a mess and her face never seemed at its best for at least an hour after she got
up.
    It’s a
wonder he’d hung around at all. Poor guy, perhaps he was in shock.
    She wished
he would just go, so she could squirrel her way back to her room and never come
out again.
    He coughed.
“If I make you feel uncomfortable, Miss Ellen, I can leave.”
    Had it been
so obvious? The pyre melting her face confirmed it. “No, not at all.” Liar. “In
fact, you’re just in time for tea. Can I make you a cup?” As she fumbled with a
small stack of mismatched porcelain, a cup toppled from her grasp onto the
table. Shit. She’d turned into such a klutz. And she’d dropped that oil lamp…or
had