Flash Point by Shelli Stevens Page A

couldn’t say never. Once before.
    But Kate was different. There was no urge to move on. Sexually she was amazing. Always so excited to try new things in bed, and it blew his mind with the trust she placed in him. Her eagerness and innocence so completely refreshing.
    It wasn’t exactly a relationship, but…it went beyond sex, he thought as he drove home from the fire station. Yes, they were good in bed. But they were good out of it too. They’d spent time outside the house, bundled up in their winter coats and walking the beach. Going to dinner, not caring who saw them. And he knew people saw them and were talking. But it didn’t matter. This was between him and Kate, and to hell with whoever had a problem with it. Including his brothers…
    Tonight Todd was already planning on charming her with a cedar-planked salmon and wild rice dinner, maybe an action movie after, followed by a little action of their own. It didn’t really matter what they did, he loved every minute he spent with Kate.
    Before he could swing by Kate’s shop though, a text came in from Tyson. Todd checked it and scowled. His brother had asked him to drop by for a few minutes to talk about the attacks on Kate’s bakery.
    Todd hesitated, but since he was about twenty minutes early picking up Kate, he made the turn toward his brother’s house.
    He parked his truck a few minutes later in his brother’s driveway and climbed out. The door swung open on the second knock.
    “Come on in,” Tyson drawled. “Can I get you a beer?”
    “Thanks, but I’m meeting Kate—”
    “Have a beer, Todd. I called Kate and let her know you’d be late.”
    Todd’s jaw flexed. “You don’t say.”
    Tyson gave a hard smile. “It’s been a week, Todd. Shouldn’t you be moving on to the next vagina by now?”
    Instinct had Todd’s fist flying, and Tyson just barely blocked the punch to the face. In the next instant Todd found himself pinned against the wall, his older brother glowering at him. The verbal attack had thrown him off guard, but he shouldn’t have been surprised.
    “Ah, now you know violence isn’t the answer, little brother,” Tyson teased. Then his tone hardened, “Look, I don’t know if your male-whore stage is because of Anne, but you need to let that shit go. You can’t hurt Kate like this.”
    “Fuck you,” Todd growled and threw his brother off him easily. Heat stole up his neck as Tyson’s works sunk in.
    As an unspoken rule they didn’t talk about Anne. Had barely discussed it all those years ago, and now here Tyson was resurrecting it in his face.
    Todd turned and headed for the door. “I’m outta here.”       
    “Hang on,” Tyson said placidly. “I’ve said my piece about Kate, and I’ll back off now. But I really did want to talk to you about the attacks on her shop.”
    His anger faded, instead tension swept through Todd’s body and he paused, before turning to face his brother again. He’d been ready to walk out, but this had to do with Kate’s safety and that was his top priority.
    “And? You find out who’s doing it?”
    “No. Penny might be a crotchety chick with a grudge toward Kate’s shop, but she seems to have an alibi for all the events.”
    Todd drew in a slow breath and shook his head. His conversation earlier in the week with Kate flitted through his head. “And what about Andrew Lewis?”
    Tyson cocked his head and stroked his jaw. “The guy she dated in high school?”
    Dated? Hah. The scumbag had been using her to win a bet. Todd’s lips curled with derision. “Yeah.”
    “Hmm. I can check into it, but he’s kept a pretty low profile lately. Keeps to himself and runs the garage.”
    “Do that.” Todd nodded and narrowed his gaze. “And while you’re at it, why don’t you do some digging into Walt Chapman too.”
    Tyson folded his arms across his chest and smiled. “Looking for a reason to rule out the competition, Todd?”
    “What competition? Kate would pick me over any guy