Take The Heat: Firecasters Series, #2

By Vashti Valant

THE FIRECASTERS SERIES

Firecasters can start fires with their minds. Most people don’t realize they exist. Some fear them. Some want to control them. And the only way to channel their power is through intense sexual bonding…

TAKE THE HEAT

As an unbonded Firecaster, Justin enjoys cooling off—literally—by taking a dip in an isolated swimming hole. Nude. Which is fine, until a crazy woman with a gun threatens to shoot him if he doesn’t get out and lead her to the Fire Sanctuary.

Avah’s bakery was burned down by a Firecaster and she wants justice. But she never expected to have the same hunk she accidently saw naked assigned to help her investigate. And she’s not about to admit her attraction to him. Not even when they find themselves on the run from a second attack by the arsonist....

This is a stand-alone novella. It is the second book in the Firecasters Series, but the stories are independent, with no cliff-hangers, and can be read in any order.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Misque Press
• Release date: Sep 5, 2015
• ISBN: 9781516322718

Book preview

Chapter One

Justin tore off his clothes and dived into the quarry swimming hole. He wasn’t worried about being seen. The rock-mining pit where the lake had pooled was old and deep, with rough hewn steps of mountain rising steeply on all sides. There were only two ways in or out of the quarry—and only one of them appeared on any map. Even that road was a single-lane gravel drive.

He swam to the deeper section of lake using a powerful a butterfly stroke. There he floated under the shade of a steep cliff topped with pines. The evergreen scent and cold blue sky soothed him. Caressed by cold water and cold wind, by the grays and blues of stone and sky and lake, he felt his former irritation melt away. He’d been arguing with Garrison, a friend of his, and nearly lost it, but in retrospect, the whole debate struck Justin as silly. Which was what Garrison had said all along, but Garrison was a lot more sensible than Justin.

Swimming in the quarry lake had become Justin’s routine when he got angry. He was a Firecaster who had yet to bond with a lifemate, so when his temper bettered him, he chose to dip himself in cold water.

Eventually, Firecasters needed to find that one other person in the universe who could balance their power—that’s what the bond was all about. It wasn’t something you could force, however, or even something you chose. Sex, even without a bond, also helped Firecasters gain control of their powers, and in fact, most were initiated into their training by a member of the opposite sex (unless their tastes determined otherwise) for that reason.

Justin privately doubted he would ever find his bondmate. He just wasn’t that guy; though he sure wouldn’t have minded a sweet piece of ass right now. Sinking his cock into a woman would beat the rocks off a swim any day. But he did love the water, even though his power was all about making things burn.

Suddenly, the water around him bubbled with splashy impacts.

What the...?

Someone was shooting at him.

He felt his anger rise again and he ducked under water, not wanting unleash his rage until he knew who was after him and why. Most people had no idea Firecasters even existed, but there were a few who not only knew, but wanted to exploit them for less than savory purposes. When he had slid under the surface far from his original spot, he raised as little of his face as he could to peer at his attacker.

He saw only one slender figure on the shore, but that didn’t mean there weren’t more of them.

A woman’s voice called out, I don’t have to miss. And I know that for all your fancy flames, a bullet to the head will kill you. Come out and talk and I’ll stop shooting.

Like hell! he shouted back. He submerged himself again quickly.

Avah shot at the water again and waited for him to show his face again. The guy had to breath.

She didn’t intend to hit him, but he didn’t need to know that. It was important that he take her seriously. She saw him rise out of the water and aimed the gun at his silhouette.

I just want to talk to you! she shouted.

Put the gun away first, you crazy bitch!

She shot next to him again. Watch your language, mister!

Justin had been counting the shots. She should have run out by now and she wasn’t reloading. Did she have more ammo? Possibly. And he still hadn’t discounted the possibility that she had backup, snipers hidden in the cliffs around the swimming hole. But he decided to chance it. She wanted to talk? Fine, he’d talk. And see if he couldn’t wrestle that damn gun from her...

When the swimmer stood to his full length, Avah realized he was stark naked. Gloriously, gorgeously naked. He was not just beefcake, he was the sum of all beef and all cake, every taste savory and sinful combined in an oh-so-lickable package of Alpha Male. Goodness! She mentally shook her head and forced herself to get her head back to what she was here for.

Even though he stood tall and unashamed, she could tell that she had made him mad as hell. Too bad. She was