Torch: The Wildwood Series Read Online Free Page B

He doesn’t make you happy. Like . . . ever.
    “I’m wide awake. I’ve also completely come to my senses.” She tilted her chin up and narrowed her gaze, hoping she looked strong and capable. By the amusement she saw sparkling in his too-pretty eyes, she figured she looked silly instead. She still wouldn’t back down though. “Thank you for the ride. You can go now.”
    He cocked a brow. “Don’t you want me to tuck you in?”
    No. No way did she want him to do that. What if he gave her a sweet, soft good-night kiss with those perfect lips of his, only for her to wrap her hand around his neck to keep him in place and pull him into her bed, and next thing they knew, they’d be tangled up in the sheets . . .
    “I could sing you a song,” he continued, just before he did indeed sing her a song. “ ‘Hush, little baby, don’t say a word. Papa’s gonna buy you a mockingbird.’ ” Tate started to laugh.
    While her blood started to boil. “Get. Out.” She bit the words out, tired of the mocking way he teased her. It wasn’t funny anymore. None of it was.
    No, more like it was frustrating. And confusing. Deep down inside, she knew she had a major, raging, out-of-control crush on Tate Warren.
    And he considered her nothing but a joke.
    “C AN I ASK you a personal question?” Tate tried his best to keep his tone nonchalant as he sat across from his friend and fellow employee West Gallagher. He didn’t want to raise suspicion. He was back at work at the fire station, and it was a quiet afternoon. The engines were sitting in the garage, washed and polished, downright sparkling with cleanliness. The grounds were clean, as was the kitchen, and his crew was having siesta time. A nap was always necessary when they spent most of the previous night out on a medical aid call.
    A single-vehicle accident had happened on the twisty highway that led into town. People drove too fast around those curves, especially out-of-towners. The car had rolled and slid down the embankment. They’d worked on the accident all night long.
    Didn’t matter how tired Tate was. He couldn’t fall asleep. So he’d been scanning through his phone in the common area when West strolled in and sat on the couch across from him. A necessary distraction, considering Tate had too much on his mind. Well, someone in particular on his mind.
    West’s expression immediately turned wary. “Depends on what you’re asking.”
    Hmm. How could he approach this topic when it was about West’s little sister? The sister Tate currently couldn’t stop thinking about? Ever since he’d left her at her cottage a few nights ago, she was all he thought about. How sweet and warm she’d felt in his arms. They way she’d murmured his name in his car while she was asleep. How angry she’d become when he sang that stupid lullaby.
    How sexy she was when she was angry . . .
    “It’s no big deal.” Tate shrugged. Smiled. Chuckled. “It’s about Wren . . . ”
    West still glared at him. “Anything about my sister and you, forget it. You don’t have my permission.”
    Tate’s mouth popped open. What, like he needed his permission to mess around with Wren? Not that he’d ever tell West he wanted to “mess around” with his sister. “It’s nothing like that.”
    “Come on. It’s everything like that. You’ve got a thing for Wren, and she has a thing for you. The two of you have been circling each other like pissed-off cats ever since I rolled into town. God knows how long it’s been going on before I got here.” West leaned forward, intimidating as hell, but Tate refused to budge. He kept completely still. “I know what kind of guy you are.”
    Tate’s brows rose. “Excuse me?”
    “You’re just like I was. And don’t bother denying it either. You strut around town in your uniform trying to impress the ladies, and I’ll give it to you. It works.” West’s mouth thinned. “Doesn’t seem to work on my sister though.”
    “Maybe I don’t want it