Heart on Fire Read Online Free PDF

fault, of course. He’d taken note of her schedule and kept showing up where she would be. Catching a glimpse could fuel hours of fantasies.
    It wasn’t enough. He wanted to hear her voice. Needed to see a real smile, ideally directed at him. First he needed get past her defenses and get to know the real woman.
    They kept playing tug-of-war, and she was winning. Kyle would pull her in, and get her to open up a tiny bit before Mila pulled away. He followed, and sometimes she’d let him pull her back, allowing him in for another moment before pulling back again. Other times, she’d let go of the rope and walk away. She always picked the rope back up though, eventually, fueling his hope.
    Kyle started down the driveway, his feet hitting pavement. He turned toward her house. The corners of his mouth lifted as he caught sight of Mila ushering Cherish into the back of her Passat.
    As usual, Mila seemed to tame her sexy side for school. It didn’t stop the boys in her class from watching her every move.
    He’d know—and he was starting to feel like a stalker—because the firehouse was right next to the school, her classroom across from the workout room. These days he spent even more time in the gym, pathetic or not.
    For school, Mila appeared to be going for boring. Blouses that covered everything, and her plain slacks did nothing to hide her firm, round ass. Her long luscious locks were twisted into a bun at the back of her head. There wasn’t a trace of makeup on her face, not that she needed it.
    Having been a teenager himself, he had a good idea of what the boys in her class thought. They ogled her, or stared, probably drooled in some cases. Her conservative dress did nothing to stop the attention.
    Mila hurried Cherish, “Come on, love, we’re going to be late. We already had to change your coat.”
    Cherish pouted. “Ah, Mom. I didn’t mean to spill my juice.”
    “You aren’t in trouble, but we need to go, munchkin. So let’s get moving.”
    “Oh look, it’s Kyle.” Cherish lit up.
    Unable to resist either one of them, he jogged toward her car. “My two favorite neighbors. Morning, ladies.” He came to a stop next to Mila. “You should listen to your mom. She does know best.”
    “See, your favorite fireman agrees with me. So get your belt on.” Mila reached in to tickle her, causing her burst out in giggles, but she did as told.
    “Bye Kyle. See you later, at school.” Cherish waved and clicked the belt over her booster seat.
    “Bye.” Shutting the door, he turned to Mila.
    Her eyes narrowed. “Why are you going to be at her school later?”
    Yup, he had a thing for mama-bear. “Gavin and I are going for career day. We’ll be visiting each class.”
    A tiny smile graced her lips. “Oh, cool.” She fidgeted with the hem of her sweater as she looked down at her feet. “Good luck. That’s a lot of five-year-olds.” Raising her head, he saw mischief dance through her eyes as she stepped toward the car.
    “Wait,” Kyle pleaded.
    With a sigh, she pointedly checked her watch.
    He took a breath. “I know you’re in a hurry, but I wanted to tell you I’m looking forward to seeing you tomorrow.”
    Her breath caught, as she started to shake her head. “If I’ve given you the wrong impression, I’m sorry, Kyle. Cherish is my—”
    He held up his hands. “Not in the slightest. I like to count my neighbors as my friends.” He sure as hell wanted more than friendship, but he understood she needed to trust him first. Honestly, as frustrating as she was for holding him at a distance, he admired the way she consistently put her daughter first.
    “All right. Sorry I jumped to conclusions.” She reached for the handle, trying to fight a frown.
    So she was thinking about more, but probably telling herself not to. “Hey, I never said I wasn’t interested, but you moved in last week, started a new job, and hardly know me. First, I want to be your friend. Down the line, we can explore what’s