Burning both Ends

By Sinclair Jayne

Darington Knight has known a lot of loss in her twenty-six years. She can deal, so she resents it when the commander of her Montana smoke jumper unit sends her on a firefighter exchange program in Australia after her unit suffers a double tragedy. Hooking up with a sexy firefighter her first night Down Under improves Dare’s mood considerably until she realizes her hook up is now her station commander and he has a rule book as thick as her arm.


Lachlan Ryker did not make senior station officer as a Melbourne Metropolitan firefighter by the time he was thirty by acting impulsively, but when he meets the sexy, brash American in his favorite pub, his by-the-book, measured approach to life gets kicked to the curb. He and Dare ignite one night of smoldering passion he can’t forget. But before he can call for a second date, Dare strolls into his station newly assigned to him for three months. Lock knows he has to keep his hands to himself. He never breaks the rules. Dare, however, never heard a rule she didn’t want to shatter.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tule Publishing
• Release date: May 29, 2017
• ISBN: 9781946772480

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Chapter One

"Bloody hell, Darington Knight channeled the vocabulary of her Australian relatives because she’d seen enough death in the past six months, but now this—her beloved and very fit grandfather had died dealing the most brutal blow yet. She slipped into the Brisbane cathedral right as the minister intoned let us pray."

She stifled a totally inappropriate hoot of laughter. Pray? Her grandfather, Leonard Knight, a legend in the Australian firefighting world, a commissioner, a man who worked hard and played even harder, was dead. What good would prayers do him now? She almost expected him to toss open the lid of his coffin, scattering the ass kissing amount of flowers all over the marble floor and agilely pop out and blister the subdued mourners with a string of curse words before bitching about the crowd, the pomp, the heat, the waste of money, and the damn girly smell of all those blooms. Then he’d laugh and demand his seven sons and multitude of grandkids and colleagues join him at the pub.

Rosie’s if she remembered the stories correctly.

I could murder a beer. She muttered her grandfather’s favourite phrase under her breath.

She stifled her grin because no one would remotely understand a smile at the funeral of a fallen hero, especially one who fronted a fire fighting dynasty. Seven sons had become firefighters. And those men had been prolific breeders and kick ass firefighters. She was one of five daughters of the next generation—the American branch and the only one of her sisters who’d managed to make it to the funeral, but that had been unfortunate circumstances and distance not lack of love or respect or grief. Damn, though, she must have more than twenty cousins here. Aunts. Uncles. She could even see Logan, her favorite cousin, up front. His brother Duncan flanked him. And of course, more cousins, twins Caleb and Dylan. She’d always spent the most time with Logan, Caleb, and Dylan during family visits. Playing, swimming, building forts they swore they’d never leave. She wished they hadn’t.

Caleb was hissing something at Logan and a smile teased her lips. So familiar. Caleb scolding Logan for something. It was as if ten years hadn’t happened. But, damn, it had.

She could see so much family filling the cathedral, but she had no inclination to try to sit up front in the family pews. She’d had to change in the taxi on the way from the airport this morning, an easy enough feat, but the taxi driver had found it near impossible to keep his eyes anywhere near the road. She cast a quick look around. Yeah. So many family, but here she was, like she’d been for so many years, alone.

A couple of hours later Dare ducked through the hallowed door of Rosie’s, the pub of choice for Brisbane’s firefighters. She looked around. Packed with firefighters and history—like the Drop Zone, the bar of choice for her fellow smokejumpers back in Glacier Creek, Montana. Dare had never been to Rosie’s before, but her father, Seth Knight, had told tales. The beer. The trash talk. The darts. He’d taken her mother there once to say goodbye. Goodbye to his mates. His job. His family. His country. Within two weeks of meeting American model and art student Asha Leigh, Seth Knight had packed up his life, gotten engaged, and followed the nineteen year old back home to her native Tennessee where he worked as a firefighter with the forest service.

His mates had understood his sexual obsession with Asha, but love at first sight, not so much. His family had been even more dumfounded, yet looking at the Knight romantic family tree, instant, fierce, impractical yet forever love was how they rolled.

She was testament to that pattern. Didn’t matter if your soul mate died senior year of high school.

Dare bit down hard on her lip when her eyes pricked. Not today. Not ever again. She might have had only a handful of visits with her Aussie family while growing up, but Knights didn’t do tears, especially with cousins she hadn’t seen in years. And in a pub celebrating Leonard Knight, a man who was larger than life? Hell no. She got her game face on, but it wasn’t really necessary. So far she hadn’t been recognized. No surprise. She’d altered so much since her last visit at fifteen, she was apparently unrecognizable to her family, and her parents, who could have pulled her in, were cuddled together in a throng of uncles and aunts with their backs to her.

Hell, she couldn’t blame any Knight. She didn’t recognize herself as ever being that shy, quiet, youthful teen, looking for approval, and she didn’t want to.

She eyed the crush of jostling smack-talking uniforms three and four deep at the bar. How the hell did a thirsty smokejumper get a beer here? Then she spotted Logan. He nodded in recognition, his hand out in an international wait signal as he grabbed a second pint of beer and flanked, as always, by Caleb and Dylan, cut through the crowd towards her. He handed her the beer and then one arm hugged her hard.

Damn good to see you. Happy you’ll be here for a few months.

She made a face as coming to Australia hadn’t been her idea, but her commander’s back at her Montana unit as a break. Dare thought of it as running away, and she preferred to meet her demons head on. And her grandfather’s funeral had only moved up the timeline.

Suck it up. Logan laughed. It’ll be good for you to see some real firefighters in action. Brisbane Metropolitan is the best. We’ll take you to school. Teach you some tips.

Dare laughed and Logan shouted out for more cousins to join them.

Dare had always found Logan easy to hang out with. She’d caught up with him during his stint as a firefighter in an American/Australian exchange program a few years before. She’d never anticipated participating in an exchange program herself. Montana was home. Jumping out of planes fed her adrenalin craving and saving the forests fed her soul.

Still, jawing with Logan and teasing Caleb and Dylan felt good, and she could feel some of the heavy tension over her grandfather’s unexpected death ease even as Logan bitched about an ongoing investigation over how a deadly bushfire had been handled last year.

We should remember him in a special way. Dare jumped back into the conversation. Something permanent that would link us all. All the Knights could participate if they have the balls.

Hate to break it to you Dare, but not all the Knights are blokes. Her younger cousin, Kier, who’d sauntered over a few minutes ago, broke in. Although you seem hell-bent on pretending to be one.

Dare sipped her beer, making sure her middle finger was up high on her glass. Kier grinned back at her.

What are you thinking? Logan asked, ignoring Kier.

A tattoo, Dare said. We could get a Knight family crest with a message in it and today’s date to commemorate all of us being back together to celebrate the life of Leonard Knight.

A tattoo? Just like that? Logan finished his beer. He got up and looked at Dare. You might want to put in a little more thought before you ink yourself. Another round?

Not for me, Dare said, feeling a bit suffocated by all the socializing, and the emotions closing in with another death.

Her grandfather, though thousands of miles away, had been a strong presence for her. They’d texted, talked, and emailed often. He’d been there with her during the dark time, taking a leave of absence from his job for over a month because he’d known she needed him even though she hadn’t asked. And of all the people who’d tried to help her, her grandfather had been the only one able to reach her, able to give her the tool that helped her to find a way out. A way to remake herself and her life. No longer Darington, but Dare.

And she couldn’t go back to even pretending to be that girl. She liked who she was now. Strong. Unbreakable.

Dare smiled at Caleb, Dylan, and Kier as she stood up, leaving her half-heartedly drank beer on the table. She moved away to soak in the atmosphere, noting the positions of the windows and exits, where people sat, who was with whom, estimating the size and mood of the crowd. And that was when she felt his attention. Not unexpected. Dare was accustomed to looks from men—ranging from lusty stares, stupid lines, taunts, ass grabs, to curses and creative nasty names when she turned them down, which she usually did.

But this man was not the type any woman would turn down. Not even her best friend who was a lesbian.

Had been a lesbian. Dare shut down the memory and met the appraisal of the hunk of a man—had to be a firefighter with that bod and stance that hummed with sexual energy. She met his sexual scrutiny like she did everything else. Head on. Tilted her chin. Damn, he was hot. At least over six-foot-three. Had to be. So he had a few inches on her, which most men didn’t. And he didn’t care that he’d been caught staring. Instead, his look intensified to one of challenge with a hint of amusement as if he could tell that she wasn’t going to back down.

Hook. Line. Sinker.

She sure as hell wasn’t bait. She’d play shark.

He leaned against one of the bar’s support columns and looked relaxed, but looks were deceiving. He radiated energy, tightly leashed, and her breath tangled in her throat. Dark hair, slightly curly, a bit too long, careless. Intense stare. No idea of his eye color. Uniform jacket off. Tie off. Starched dress shirt cuffs rolled up high revealed tanned, muscular arms. Massive shoulders. Built tough. Definitely confident. Curious to see if she’d bite.

He looked like he was thinking about how she’d taste.

Flying under the radar just lost its appeal.

So did behaving and playing reunited Knight family. And no way could he be one of them. She would have noticed him before puberty. She might have given up on love, but lust, never.

Banishment to Brisbane became rife with potential sexual bliss. What better way to reacquaint herself with the land of down the fuck under?

He looked like he’d be quiet, but something in his focused stare made her think he’d like it dirty. And often, a little rough. She let her gaze heat down his body and then climb, almost reluctantly, back up to his face.

Yes, please.

He loped, there was no other word for it, toward her.

I can hear you thinking.

What am I thinking? She took his beer and took a swig, holding his appreciative gaze. He even made beer taste good.

God, his eyes were the deepest blue. Pacific Ocean blue, churning after a storm. And his face. All hard planes. Angular lines. Her artist mom would orgasm just to sketch him.

That you’re thirsty. A touch of a smile quirked his sensuous lips.

Too soon to lick them?

He took back his beer. Held eye contact. Took a deep drink.

And I’m hungry, she informed him.

True, but no longer for anything plated. Again, she played a provocative game to see how he held up, but she hadn’t expected her own arousal to flare so fast.

For food? His voice was neutral. So he too was used to women checking him out and was bored by it unless he chose the target and the time.

And she’d been chosen.

Dare reached for his beer again, grazed his fingers. His hands were large. A bit rough. Long, square fingers with clean clipped nails. She bet he knew just what to do with those hands. She looked back to his face. A man built like him who could flirt and hint at dirt without being crude would just slay her self-restraint. Not that she normally practiced it all that religiously but since she’d suffered so many losses this year, the grief piling up, monks had nothing on her sensual pleasure denying aesthetic.

She’d felt dead. Just like the first time, but here she was still standing.

Alive.

A Sia song wailed in her head.

Stand up. Always stand up. Her grandfather’s words looped in her head, lifting her. Let the wave wash over you but always stand back up.

The man. Back to the man. Conversation first. She could be civilized.

For food, yes. Haven’t eaten since yesterday. I think it was yesterday, but... She trailed off and let her voice go low and smoky. Her sister might be the country singer finally starting to chart, but Dare too had a good voice if she chose to use it. Something else.

Damn. He even had a cleft in his chin. More to lick and bite and touch.

His blue eyes flared.

And Dare relaxed a little. He wanted to play. This game was familiar. She knew the rules. Not like family she hadn’t seen in forever, who only knew facts not context or her at twenty-six, nine years out of the dark.

She inhaled, hoping to catch his scent but between the fried food, beer, and lots of bodies with cologne, aftershave, and perfume, it was all a sensory overload jumble.

Let me get you a beer, he said, turned and moved through the crowd like a knife through melted butter.

Watching him walk away pinched, but the view was spectacular. He moved like an animal. Total purpose. Efficient. Graceful. She admired the flex in his shoulders. His butt belonged sculpted and pedestalled with special spotlighting in one of her mom’s galleries, and the sexual glide of his long legs made her damp.

Wow. Just wow. And what a time for her libido to remind her that she was young, single, and in danger of her hymen growing over if she didn’t get back out there. Her grandfather’s wake. She bit her lip trying not to laugh. As usual her timing sucked.

And he was coming back. A pitcher in one hand and palming two glasses.

He brings a pitcher. Now that’s confidence, she murmured as he poured her a glass and himself one as well. He put the pitcher on a small ledge that surrounded the support pillar.

I’m generous, he said.

She’d bet he was. She wanted to chuck the beer and suggest getting the fuck out of there before any more cousins hunted her down, like Stephen, Kier’s brother. He’d been a dick at ten and at fourteen and worse at fourteen. She had no need to meet his thirty-year-old self.

Too soon to drag the hottie out?

She clinked glasses with him before taking a sip.

What are we toasting? he asked.

Not death, that greedy bastard.

But at least her grandfather had lived. He’d loved. Worked hard. Earned respect and, yeah, some enemies. He hadn’t been cut down in his prime or even before he’d been out of high school or before he got to see his kid head off to the first day of school.

To life then.

God, the way he watched her made her so hot. He was interested and thinking the whole time. And not bullshitting her about it. It should make her uncomfortable, self-conscious, but it really made her want to shrug out of this stupid, blue wrap dress, and give him something more interesting to look at and to think about.

He would definitely not want the lights off during sex, and he wouldn’t close his eyes when he was kissing her.

To life, she agreed and took a swallow, and the view. She held his gaze.

I’ll drink to that.

The heat in his eyes blistered her skin.

Although I’m still trying to decide, which view is better. She let her voice slide low and speculative. You walking away or toward me.

Depends on if you’re a glass half full or half empty person.

And you are?

Half full. The hint of a smile that teased around his lips was pure seduction. And I’m just about to pour some more.

He matched his words to action, adding beer to her glass then to his. She needed to be careful. She did not want a drunk hookup at her grandfather’s memorial. She needed to be sober for the gift in front of her that she wanted to unwrap.

Still too soon to hit it with him?

Damn, Leonard would have loved me chatting you up during his memorial service, she said.

You’d likely be right about that though I never chatted him up so I’ll take your word on it.

He didn’t know who she was. Perfect. Then his face closed down, as if he too were having bad memories, and a frisson of panic shivered down her spine that he was going to say something trite about her grandfather, which would just ruin the moment or make her cry. To head him off, she blurted something she’d been thinking, but definitely shouldn’t be saying, but it was guaranteed to derail his thought process.

That shirt hugs you tighter than most of my panties She kept her voice factual. Standard issue or custom fitted?

If she’d expected him to choke on his beer, he didn’t, and Dare was pleased. He did pause a millisecond, take a drink and then look at her. The glint in his eyes made her mentioned panties damp for real. Well, damper than they already were. She’d always been really visual. And

Reviews for Burning both Ends

[lulu150 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed this book. It was a romance that keep you entertained and I did not want to put it down. I plan on reading more of the Hot Aussie Knights books.

[jadavid-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I really liked Dare. She was brave, bold and a little vulnerable. She thought that to honor the memory of the boy she loved meant she couldn't love anyone else. Ever. Then Lock came along. Lock thought he was done with relationships, but he didn't count on Dare. Dare's family is a little intimidating, but he had known her grandfather and really respected him. He didn't expect to fall in love with his mentor's granddaughter.

[bookbeat · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Take a feisty smoke jumper from Montana, send her to Melbourne, Australia in an exchange program. Now assign her to a station run by the man she had a one night stand with. And that’s just the beginning of the book! Sinclair Jayne is now on my list of authors to watch!

[pelusa41-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Received an ARC for my fair review for netgalley. I will always try to enjoy firefighter stories, because they are firefighters. We meet Dare and Lachlan, and they meet in a funeral and have sex, yup, a funeral and he ends up being her boss. She was feisty, and her name says it all, so she was not my favorite person, it took me a while to get into it, but I eventually did, read til the end, and it was hot, I will give you that, but they did have a lot of issues, which you know eventually got resolved. Ok read, not my favorite

[karen813 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

You can't go wrong with a romance featuring fire fighters. This was a quick read that checked all of the boxes of a successful romance; likeable lead characters, great chemistry, interesting storyline and a happy ending. My only complaints were some minor grammatical and spelling errors and the story stuck pretty close to the romance formula so it didn't really cover any new ground. That being said, the characters were likeable and the story was interesting even if it did follow that formula. I thought it was a pretty good example of a contemporary romance and If you like contemporary romance novels this is a good one to add to your to read list. I received a free copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for a fair review through the early reviewers program.

[cathygeha · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Burning Both Ends by Sinclair JayneA Hot Aussie Knights Romance #2This sizzling sensual story of two firefighters who meet at a funeral, feel immediate lust for one another and then decide to spend one memorable night together definitely does not end after that one night. Nope, Darington “Dare” Knight has been sent to Australia as part of a firefighter exchange program and eventually ends up working under Lachlan “Lock” Ryker, fire station commander. Lock, as you might have guessed, is Dare’s man of the one night stand. With rules in place against fraternization, pasts that impact the present and scorching chemistry it is not long before the two are busy evaluating the pros and cons of spending heir few months together as colleagues or as perhaps more. With a few surprises thrown in to keep things interesting this was a book I could not put down once I started reading. And, I am still thinking about Lock…he’s a keeper…and thankfully he and Dare eventually get their HEA. Oh…Dare is no slouch, either. The two SO deserve to end up together :)NOTE: This is book 2 of Hot Aussie Knights but also book 1 of Smoky Mountain Knights. Prolific Leonard Knight had 7 sons all of whom became firefighters. Those sons had children that will be showcased, I believe, in the two book series. Rocky Mountain Knights will include Dare’s sisters and take place in Sweet Tea, Tennessee while the cousins down under will have their stories told in Australia. At least…that is my guess. Fun thing is that some of the books seem to be written by different authors so though connected a variety of voices will be used to share the stories of at least some of the Knight family. Thank you to NetGalley and Tule Publishing for the ARC – This is my honest review.

[theyodamom · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Sexy, romantic, heroic, with a believable romance and no cheesy lines!First lets talk about that cover. What on earth is happening with that flame placement ? I had at least 6 people point that out to me. Didn't anyone look at it before going to publishing ? Poor cover design, but great inside.I won this book and had low expectations, I expected the average cheesy romance that follows a over used formula. What I got was a very well written story about interesting characters with full backstories and real life issues. Not one eye roll from this reader. Woot Woot.A young female fire jumper is on a learning exchange program in Australia from Montana. She was picked for this program for several reasons. One being her Grandfathers funeral is in the same area, so she has family there to support her. The other is that she is "damaged" emotionally from a great loss of her unit in a forest fire. She needs time to recover her footing and to morn. Right off the plane she heads to the funeral where she meets a sexy firefighter, and a one night stand is just the right medicine for this messed up time. Sparks fly the sheets heat, she walks away but karma nips her and she bumps into him again.He is a firefighter who has raised his siblings, taken care of others all his life. He loves like he works with all his being, and he wants this crazy jumper from the USA in more than his bed.I really enjoyed their stories, each had such a different and difficult trail to walk to get where they were. Both were such honest people, no game playing, no half held truths. I liked them, would invite them over for coffee and pie. I can not wait for more of this series.

[nelispelusa · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Received an ARC for my fair review for netgalley. I will always try to enjoy firefighter stories, because they are firefighters. We meet Dare and Lachlan, and they meet in a funeral and have sex, yup, a funeral and he ends up being her boss. She was feisty, and her name says it all, so she was not my favorite person, it took me a while to get into it, but I eventually did, read til the end, and it was hot, I will give you that, but they did have a lot of issues, which you know eventually got resolved. Ok read, not my favorite

[ashpreads · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

These two characters are so opposite to each other but share so much that is the same. Dare never thought she'd find someone to love ever again and Lock just didn't trust himself enough to have a relationship with anyone. But for them, it was love at first sight. They just didn't know it yet. The book follows their time together as Dare who initially gets jostled from one firehouse to another and finally ends up at Lachlan's. Keeping this firecracker under control is more than Lock can handle but protecting his heart from her is even more difficult than he can imagine. Dare is clinging on to a ghost but Lock is fast breaking through her defenses. In spite of each of them placating themselves that their relationship has an expiry date, love has much greater and better plans for them.

I received an Advanced Reader's Copy from the Publisher via NetGalley for voluntary review consideration.

[ash_p-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

These two characters are so opposite to each other but share so much that is the same. Dare never thought she'd find someone to love ever again and Lock just didn't trust himself enough to have a relationship with anyone. But for them, it was love at first sight. They just didn't know it yet. The book follows their time together as Dare who initially gets jostled from one firehouse to another and finally ends up at Lachlan's. Keeping this firecracker under control is more than Lock can handle but protecting his heart from her is even more difficult than he can imagine. Dare is clinging on to a ghost but Lock is fast breaking through her defenses. In spite of each of them placating themselves that their relationship has an expiry date, love has much greater and better plans for them.

I received an Advanced Reader's Copy from the Publisher via NetGalley for voluntary review consideration.