All Fired Up (Stardust) Read Online Free Page A

floor.
    Singing “There’ll Be a Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight,” Sam crossed the shop, maneuvered Roxanne aside, and executed a neat shuffle-step as he stomped out the blaze in rhythm to the old tune.
    He flashed his shaky cousin an upbeat grin. “All things considered, I think that little meet-and-greet went pretty well. How about you?”
    “I think that man better stay far away from me,” she said on a ragged breath. “He’d better keep his distance or this whole town could go up in smoke!”
    Sam heaved a longsuffering sigh and put a comforting arm around her shoulders. “Roxy, that is the wrong attitude. Slo lives in Houston, and he likes it there. He hates Star and never sticks around for long, but while he’s here, he’s your neighbor. You need to view this as a learning experience, because you’re not going to be able to avoid him.”
    “Yes, I can. I’ll go out to the ranch until he’s gone. I’ll stay with Harper and Evangeline.”
    “I’m sure they’d love to have you, but it won’t solve anything. Slo always visits Evangeline when he’s home. She’s one of the few people in the area he actually enjoys talking to.”
    “Then I…I’ll…”
    “You will stay here and face this.” Sam gave her shoulders a squeeze. “There’s nothing wrong with you, hon. You’re an attractive, intelligent woman with a powerful ability. If you’ll stop being so frightened of that power, I think you can conquer it.”
    “I can’t .” Her voice came out like the scratch of sandpaper. “I’ve never been able to control it. I’m a human flamethrower! That’s why my father locked me away in a nuthouse – because I am too dangerous to be allowed loose.”
     
     
     
     
    Chapter 3
     
    Bong, bong, bong…
    Twelve times the church chimes struck, sounding hollow and reproachful, like a warning from heaven. But Slo ignored it.
    Was he spying?
    Nah, it couldn’t be spying if he just happened to be sitting in his grandmother’s recliner by the side window, and that window just happened to offer a panoramic view of the Jones’s place next door.
    His grandmother herself had long since turned in. She hadn’t kept chickens in years, but still went to bed with them, figuratively speaking – rose and set with the sun, along with the rest of the town. Chalk up another black mark against Star, another annoying conflict of interest. Slo Larkin was a night owl.
    So was Roxanne Sinclair apparently. Not too many people watered their garden at midnight – while soaking wet. Roxanne was wet because she was periodically turning the hose around and watering herself as well. Not that Slo was complaining. If she liked her clothes plastered against her like a second skin, who was he to argue? He just thought it was kind of curious is all. A definite attention grabber, but—
    Aw shit, it was friggin’ weird.
    Unless… Maybe she knew she had an audience – him – and was putting on a deliberate show? Maybe Miss Innocent wasn’t as innocent as he’d thought?
    Slo angled the recliner back a notch and closed his eyes. He’d have to consider this very carefully for a minute – without any visual distractions. Like the winner of the wet T-shirt contest across the way. That was distraction with a capital D. Or a double D perhaps? Could you describe a female by her bra size if she wasn’t wearing one?
    The recliner snapped upright with a jolt. This wasn’t working. He couldn’t make a clear decision just sitting here and thinking. Hell, he couldn’t think clearly anyway – hadn’t been able to think, period, since he’d left the shop. There was only one way to get to the bottom of this.
    Her bottom, Slo was seriously hoping as he stood up and headed for the door. It was an indecent, animalistic hope, and he knew it. Pure lust and nothing to be proud of. But nothing he could avoid either. Maybe it was this town that brought out the worst in him. He’d been a near juvenile delinquent when he’d lived here – a