Fire in the Smokies

family. Even their strides were similar.

“Ma’am.” The one on the left tipped his hat. “I’m Sergius.” He reached out a hand and shook hers.

Brianna smiled at him. Before she could speak, the other brother took her hand from Sergius. “Micah. Welcome.”

Jaxon pulled her hand from Micah and swatted at his brother. “That’s enough. Give her some space.” He pulled Brianna in front of him and wrapped his arms around her middle.

She grinned internally at his possessive streak. It felt so…safe.

Micah stepped back. “Like the space you’re giving her?” He laughed.

“No, like the space you’d want me to give your mate, hotshot.” Jaxon squeezed her tighter, if that was possible.

She glanced down at his hands against her stomach. God, she was still in full fire gear. And she had no doubt there was soot still lingering on her face. “I’m a mess. Do you have a shower somewhere in that cabin of yours? Perhaps if I could clean up a bit, I might be recognizable.” She twisted her neck and smiled up at Jaxon.

“I think we can at least muster up some cold water and a metal trough,” he rattled in a mock backwoods accent.

“Ha ha. Unfortunately, even that sounds divine right now. Water of any sort would do wonders.”

Sergius laid a hand on Jaxon’s shoulder. “Take her inside, man. We’ll talk later.”

Brianna let Jaxon lead her toward the house, his grip tight on her hand. Every time he touched her, she could feel it all the way to her soul. Electricity flowed from him into her, warming her and heightening every sense.

When they reached the house, Jaxon bowed dramatically low as he opened the front door. “After you, ma’am.”

The inside was not what she expected. Modern, and yet maintaining a rustic look. She could tell a woman lived there. The place was immaculate.

“Hey, now. Juliana is a wonderful gal and she works hard around here, but we did okay for ourselves before she met Serg. We aren’t slobs.” His jest made her smile.

“Jax?” She looked pointedly at him.

“Yes?”

“Stop rummaging around in my head.”

“I can’t help it. You’re so wide open.”

Just then the woman who had to be Juliana appeared. “You must be Brianna.” She smiled as she grasped Brianna for a quick hug, soot and all. “I’m so glad you’re here. The potent male overload was getting on my nerves,” she teased.

Juliana was stunning. Thick, soft, red curls made a halo around her face and hung halfway down her back. Clear green eyes gave Brianna the most genuine welcome. Even in jeans and a simple long-sleeved shirt, the woman made Brianna feel inadequate.

“Thank you,” Brianna muttered. She had no idea what to say.

Juliana turned to Jaxon. “Why don’t you show her to your wing? I’m sure she’d love a bath and a change of clothes.”

Clothes. Shit. Brianna had nothing with her. Why hadn’t they stopped to pick up some things before heading out here?

Juliana was sharp. “Can I lend you something to wear? You must have come straight from the fire.” She glanced up and down, making Brianna feel a bit self-conscious. “I bet we’re almost the same size. I’ll find something for you.”

“Thanks.” The woman was incredibly kind. It was impossible not to like her. “I’d appreciate it.”

“Come on. I’ll show you my rooms and let you get cleaned up.” Jaxon tugged her arm again. He did that habitually. Brianna felt a bit like a rag doll, allowing him to yank her around from place to place. However, it wasn’t at all unpleasant.

Her entire life was structured around fighting to stay tough in a man’s world. Every day she struggled to stay stoic and firm. It was the only way she could be taken seriously in her line of work. The idea of having someone take control for a while made her feel desirable, sexy, who was she kidding…horny.

“Relax, baby.” Jaxon took both her hands and led her down the hall backward. “Just be yourself. Everyone will love you.”

When they reached the end of the hall, Jaxon pushed a door open and backed into the room. “Here we are.” He stood back and let her enter. “Sorry, it’s a bit messy. I wasn’t expecting to bring home a mate when I left the house this morning.” He chuckled.

Brianna glanced around the room. Although, honestly, the word “room” was a bit too diminutive for the space. It was more like a suite.

Jaxon shut the door with a snick. “Whatever you don’t like, we’ll change. I don’t have much of a sense for style.”

The bedroom was bigger than her apartment. Brianna wandered in farther. A king-sized bed sat against one wall, the blankets strewn on it haphazardly. Jaxon rushed past her to straighten the sheets and make the bed.

To the right was a sitting area with a beige couch and a flat-screen TV. Surrounding the television was an entertainment center that bulged with CDs and DVDs.

“I like my music.” Jaxon shrugged as he wandered back toward her.

The carpet was a thick luxurious tan, a shade deeper than the sofa and the comforter on the bed. The walls were also painted a deep brown. The room was warm and inviting, like the rest of the house.

“Did you decorate yourself?” Brianna couldn’t imagine any man having the fashion sense to pull this together.

He shook his head. “’Fraid not. I love it, but I can’t take the credit. I hired a decorator when we first moved in. Haven’t changed much since then.” He took her hand again. “Interested in the bathroom?” He raised an eyebrow as he spoke.

“If you don’t mind.”

“Mind? A gorgeous naked woman in my bathroom, luxuriating in my deep Jacuzzi tub? Why would I mind?” Jaxon turned toward a door on the left and pushed it wider, exposing the largest bathroom Brianna had ever seen.

“Did you say Jacuzzi? You have one of those in your bathroom?” She followed him, lured by the promise of steaming hot water.

“I did.”

She nearly gasped when she entered. Sure enough, the bathroom boasted a tub big enough for two people in the middle of the room, half sunken into the floor. While she gawked, Jaxon fiddled with the knobs, sticking his hands under the water until he got the temperature just right.

As the tub filled, Jaxon turned to Brianna. With his gaze plastered to hers, he tugged on the sleeves of her jacket until he had the yellow coat removed.

Brianna stood frozen, as though she weren’t capable of undressing herself. Something about the way Jaxon moved around her was so damn sexy, she couldn’t bring herself to stop him. Like a ritual mating dance of some sort, he pulled her boots and outer pants off, lifting her feet one at a time. He then proceeded to remove all her thermal wear.

Every time he let his gaze land on hers, she could see the fire burning behind his eyes. His expression grew more serious by the second.

When he had her completely naked, he laid a hand on each of her biceps. “Brianna…” The one word was all he said, muttered so soft she could have missed it. His lips landed on hers for a sweet kiss. “Do you know how fucking alluring you are?”

Brianna didn’t respond. She knew she was attractive. Well, she assumed as much by all the whistles she got from men in the academy she’d attended. But those men could have been desperate, considering the long days without any other women around besides her. The captain of her company didn’t tolerate any sexual misconduct