Inflame (Explosive) Read Online Free PDF Page A

that?”she mouths, pointing at him behind his back. I slowly shake my head, not wanting to alert him to her question.
    All of a sudden, Lily runs across the room, wrapping her sweet little arms around the soldier’s legs. “Kale! You made it!” she exclaims, and immediately I wonder why she’s calling him by his first name.
    Montgomery crouches down so he can give Lily a big hug, and I melt. There’s something about watching fathers with their daughters. A bond between a little girl and her daddy is one of life’s sweetest treasures—one I never got the pleasure of experiencing. So when I see something like the sight in front of me, my heart warms.
    Standing up, he grabs ahold of Lily’s hand and walks towards me. I crouch down right in front of Lily.
    “Hey sweetie, I think you told your daddy the wrong day. Bring Your Dad to School is next week, silly,” I tell her, ruffling her hair.
    Lily looks at me with a confused smile. “Really? Oh, man, that blows!” she says, causing me to laugh out loud before giving her father a stern look.
    “I wonder where she learned that language,” I tease him accusingly as I stand back up.
    He hold his hands up and gives me an innocent grin. “Hey, I have nothing to do with that. Blame her dad,” he says, confusing me.
    “Wait. What? Her dad? Isn’t that you?” I ask, and he shakes his head.
    “Ms. Dawson, now you’re the silly one. He’s Uncle Kale, not Daddy. Duh,” she schools me, reminding me of myself at that age with her sassy, I-know-more-than-you attitude.
    Placing my hand on my hip, I look down at her. “Well, excuse me. Why don’t you introduce us then, Lily?” I suggest, and she grins wide.
    “Ms. Dawson, this is my daddy’s friend Kale. He’s my godfather, and I’ve known him since I was a baby. Kale, this is Ms. Dawson. Isn’t she pretty? I told you she was,” she insists, causing him to give her a sly smile.
    “Lily, you weren’t lying. She’s as pretty as a picture,” he agrees, and I blush, something I’m not used to men making me do, yet he’s made me do it twice already.
    Apparently satisfied with her introductions, Lily leaves us and goes to her seat to rejoin her friends. I watch as he leans against my desk, appraising me, and I am suddenly wishing recess had been a whole lot longer.
    “If you’re a family friend, why are you here for Bring Your Dad to School Day? Or well, what you thought would be?”
    He smiles ruefully, looking back at Lily, and I’m guessing it’s to make sure she’s far enough away.
    “Her dad’s away on deployment, and her mom’s not around. Her grandmother takes care of her, so I promised Xavier, her dad, I’d look out for her while he’s gone. I pop in a couple of times a week to check in, and it just made sense that I’d stand in for him at school.”
    So you know how my heart melted at little girls and their dads? Apparently little girls and stand-in dads are even sweeter, because I’m about to swoon right out of my high heels. Once again, the no-more-men thing slips right out of my mind. And then I feel like an idiot when I remember that Lily’s grandmother informed the school about her father. I swear, one sexy smile and I lose my damn mind.
    “That’s very noble, Kale. I’m sure Lily, her grandmother, and her father appreciate it. I hope we didn’t ruin your day and you can still come back next week for the actual Bring Your Dad to School Day, even if you are just a surrogate,” I tell him, secretly wishing he’ll agree to grace us—well, me—with his presence in seven days.
    “Why, Ms. Dawson. If I didn’t know better, I’d think you want me to come back,” he says, grinning at me, and it’s irritatingly cute that he picked up on it.
    Not skipping a beat, I plaster a wide smile on my face. “For Lily’s sake, of course, Sergeant Montgomery.”
    He pushes off my desk, standing up straight. “Right, Ms. Dawson. See you next week,” he confirms as he turns and walks towards the