Slow Burn (All Heart Series) Read online

  Table of Contents

  SLOW BURN

  COPYRIGHT

  DEDICATION

  1

  2

  3

  4

  5

  6

  7

  8

  9

  EPILOGUE

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  OTHER BOOKS BY TRACIE

  Copyright © 2018 by Tracie Douglas

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Editor: Diamond in the Rough Editing

  Formatting: CP Smith

  Cover Design: Dark Water Covers

  Dedication

  To Christie

  They weren’t lying when they said a sister will always be the best friend you can have. Your belief in me never lets me down. Thank you for being my biggest fan.

  1

  Ben

  The clock on my dashboard tells me I’m ten minutes early as I pull into the parking lot of one of Chicago’s public libraries. I reach for the hardcover suspense thriller in the seat next to me and check my hair in the rearview mirror before getting out of my truck.

  My teenage daughters, Kinsley and Katie, have been here since early this morning. Their high school internship started a few weeks ago after school let out for the summer. It’s a good program, keeping the girls busy and out of their mother’s hair.

  I didn’t object to the idea of the internship, even when I knew I would have to drive an extra half an hour to pick them up on the days they spent with me. I didn’t mind it because it gave me the opportunity to see her again.

  The sexy librarian I haven’t been able to get out of my head, not since the day I first laid eyes on her. It was a few months back. Since my company specializes in working on historical buildings, the city hired us to oversee some minor modernizations.

  She was sitting at the main desk, the last stop on my walkthrough with the city planner and my foreman. She looked up from her book, gave us a shy smile, and answered all our questions with a delicateness I’ve never seen before. Her soft voice was like music to my ears; the more she spoke, the more I wanted to listen. I found myself entranced by her, soaking up every detail of the beautiful creature in front of me.

  I cross the threshold, push open the door of the building, and spot her right away. She’s sitting in the same place I saw her all those weeks ago. Taking a second to catch my breath, I remember the book in my hand, and then I slowly approach the desk. She looks up at me, and her eyes light up with recognition.

  Mine.

  Where did that come from?

  I push the thought away, trying not to focus on the way my body has come alive at the sight of her. It’s always like this, and I suffer for hours after leaving her.

  “Good afternoon, Ben,” she says, closing her book and granting me her undivided attention. When she smiles up at me, I feel it in my cock. I shift, moving closer to the desk, trying to hide my body’s reaction to her. All I can think about is how much I want to make her smile like that every day, right before I bury my cock inside of her.

  “Hello, Cami.” I nod, giving her a smile back, fighting the primal urge to lean over and kiss her senseless. Instead, I lift my book and place it on the counter. “Thought I’d return this, since I’m done reading it.”

  “Great. Tell me, what’d you think of it?”

  “It was pretty good. Thanks for the recommendation.” When I picked the girls up last week, I asked her for a book recommendation, mostly to have a reason to speak with her.

  “I have a little confession to make.” Her face grows serious as she leans closer and lowers her voice. “I haven’t read it, but in my defense, I’ve been told it’s a great read.”

  “I see.” I smile down at her. Her confession isn’t surprising; she doesn’t come across as the Dean Koontz type. Especially after I found myself tearing through the pages, trying to find some insight into who she is, only to come up short. “Mind if I confess something, too?”

  She nods at me with curious eyes.

  “I already knew that.” She frowns, tilting her head to the side, trying to figure out how I knew she hadn’t read the book. “I’ve never seen you read anything not written by Austen or Brontë, in fact, this one I’ve seen three times now.”

  She looks down at the book in front of her and places a gentle hand on top of it—Pride and Prejudice. I have a feeling it’s her favorite, which would explain why I’ve seen her with it more often than any other book.

  “You’re very observant,” she says in a low her voice and peeks up at me from beneath her thick, dark lashes.

  “When it comes to you, I am,” I confess, but the sound of my daughter screeching from across the room keeps me from saying anything else.

  Cursing inwardly, I turn around and spot both my daughters headed this way.

  “Dad.” My oldest, Kinsley, stops in front of me with a smile. I’m instantly suspicious. She doesn’t smile, at least not at me, not since she discovered boys and makeup.

  Cami reaches out, and our fingers brush as she takes the book from my hand. The sensation sends a shiver throughout my body. I look back at her, wondering if she felt it, too, but she’s already resorted back to librarian mode, and the warmth I saw in her eyes has been replaced with professionalism. My heart aches a little, not ready for our time together to end.

  “Dad,” Kinsley calls again, this time gently grabbing my arm. “Can I drive home today?”

  “Hi, Kins, how are you?” I ask, trying to hold back my annoyance, cursing myself for not getting here sooner. Something happened today, something between us, and I can’t explain it. All I know is, I want more of it.

  “Dad, please, can I drive?” She bounces from one foot to another, ignoring me.

  “Don’t let her,” Katie speaks finally, irritation written all over her face.

  “Hey, what’s your problem?” Kinsley turns and faces her younger sister, her face flushed with annoyance.

  “You almost got me killed this morning. That’s my problem.”

  “Enough.” My voice transforms into stern father mode, and both girls quiet down. “Now is not the time. Kins, I’m driving you and your sister home today. You need to get better with your mother’s car before you get behind the wheel of my truck. Now, please, wait outside for me.”

  Both girls grumble all the way out of the building, but I ignore them, quickly turning back to Cami with an apologetic smile.

  “Sorry about that,” I say, but she holds up a gentle hand and stops me. She smiles and lets the warmth seep back into her eyes.

  “Don’t worry about it. Sisters argue. I get it. I have an older sister. Don’t worry, they’ll outgrow it.” She laughs lightly. “One day, they’ll be best friends.”

  “I hope you’re right.” I exhale loudly, half chuckling, half groaning, then Katie peeks her head back in and wails at me.

  “Daaaaaaaaaad! Kins pinched me.”

  I roll my eyes and lift my hand, silencing Katie’s complaint. Cami’s shoulders shake with laughter over the situation.

  “Goodbye, Cami,” I sigh before turning away to follow my girls. Next time I pic
k them up, I ‘m going to be here extra early.

  _______________

  As we walk to the truck, Kinsley’s eyes are glued to her phone, but Katie’s watch me with curiosity.

  “I like her, Dad,” she says softly, moving to walk next to me.

  “You should like her, Katie; she’s a nice lady,” I reply. Katie’s always been the shy one of my daughters, so her telling me she likes someone is a big deal for her, but I don’t think too much about it.

  “No, Dad, I like her… for you.”

  Her words almost cause me to falter my next step, but I manage to hide my surprise.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “You like her,” she explains, watching as Kins throws her backpack into the front seat. She frowns but doesn’t say anything to stop her, even though it’s Katie’s turn to sit up front. “She likes you, too.”

  “Katie…” I stop and turn toward her, wondering.

  “You shouldn’t be alone.”

  “Katie—”

  “I mean, it’s okay when Kins and I are with you, but when we’re not… I worry about you.” She tucks a stray strand of dark hair behind her ear. “Mom’s happy with Bill. You should be happy, too.”

  “I’m happy,” I tell her, not believing the words any more than she does.

  “You don’t have to pretend with me.” She shakes her head before hefting her backpack higher onto her shoulder and walking past me to the truck. “Just think about it, Dad. And so you know, Kins feels the same way I do.”

  I take a breath to steady the pounding of my heart, and I watch as she climbs into the backseat without looking back. Hearing my daughter, knowing her concerns, I can’t help wondering if she’s right.

  This is the last thing I expected to come from this day.

  2

  Cami

  The plan was to stop by the butcher shop this morning, but I hit the snooze button on my phone a few times too many. I guess that’s what happens when you spend the night tossing and turning, dreaming of the many different cuts of “meat” available on the menu, but all their faces wind up looking like Ben.

  As I park my car outside The Meat Market after work, I can’t stop thinking about Ben Miller and the way he looked in those jeans, walking away from me yet again this afternoon. The man is superhero hot, but it’s more than that. Something about him calls to me. He’s charming with a boyish smirk that would melt any woman’s panties. He takes care of the people around him, like his crew, always ensuring they have what they need before heading home for the night. Most of all, he makes me comfortable.

  The first time I laid eyes on him, he was walking the building with the city planner, going over the blueprints. The moment our eyes met, I melted into his dark chocolate depths. The air crackled with each step he took, intensifying the closer he came to me. When they finally stopped at my desk to ask a few questions, I found myself rambling on just to keep him near.

  Never has a man evoked the emotions he has in me. The more he comes around, the easier it is for me. He came around often during his project, making up reasons to talk to me, and I found myself looking for him on the days I knew he’d be in. There were a few occasions I thought he might ask me out, but he never did.

  Turning my head, I shake off my sudden disappointment over Ben and bring my attention back to the quaint building next to me. I open the car door and step out onto the street. Then I lift a hand to make sure my hair is in place before I make my way inside the building, pushing Ben out of my thoughts completely.

  If he were interested, he would have made a move by now, but he hasn’t, I tell myself while taking in the atmosphere around me.

  The first thing I notice is the change in temperature, but then I see that no one is behind the counter. A small silver bell glints at me from the counter, and I walk over and press down on the button, alerting whatever staff is around to my presence.

  “Be out in just a minute,” a male voice calls from a doorway behind the counter. “Feel free to take a look around.”

  I shift from foot to foot because my nerves are starting to kick in, making me second-guess my decision to do this.

  What in the hell are you thinking, Camilla? I chastise myself, but before I can turn and flee, a man emerges from the doorway. A man who would make any warm-blooded woman stop and look twice.

  “Hi,” he greets me with a dazzling white smile, and for a moment, I’m struck dumb by the Adonis he is. “How can I help you?”

  I clear my throat to speak, but words don’t come easy. He smirks, clearly aware of the effect he’s having on me.

  Woman up, Camilla!

  “Is Jason here?” I manage in a cracked voice, but my hands begin to shake as my nerves ramp up.

  “I’m Jason,” he says, tilting his head to study me. I take a hesitant step forward and a deep breath.

  “Hi, Jason.” A flush heats my cheeks. Why does Jason have to be so gorgeous? But to be honest, he isn’t my type, and he isn’t Ben. I cringe. Shit, don’t think about Ben right now!

  “Are you okay?” His brow crinkles, and his eyes fall on my hands clasped tightly together in front of me. I keep twisting my fingers almost painfully. I take a deep breath and push through, refusing to let my sudden attack of nerves control me.

  “Yes,” I respond, releasing my hands in the process. “I’d like to place an order.”

  “Sure.” He eyes me carefully before pulling out an order slip from the register. “What can I get you?”

  “I’d like to order some meat?” I reply with a small chuckle, trying to be clever about the whole thing, but instead, I feel like a total dork.

  “Okay, would you like to order a single helping or for a group?”

  “Single. Wait, you do groups?”

  “Sure,” he answers, but the way his brow furrows, it’s almost like he isn’t sure how to answer my question. “Large orders require a minimum month’s notification.”

  “I don’t want a group order. I just want something pleasing.” I relax a little, no longer feeling as ridiculous but still nervous enough I once again clasp my hands in front of me and begin twisting my fingers.

  “What kind of meat would you like?”

  “I’m not sure. Do you have a menu, or like a catalogue?”

  “For meat?”

  “Yes, I’d like to know what you offer.”

  He tilts his head, his curiosity written all over his face, making me feel like I’ve lost my mind. I stare back at him, blinking once and then twice, but he says nothing.

  “Did I say something wrong?” I ask, suddenly aware of how weird the conversation is becoming.

  “No, but I have a feeling we’re talking about two different things.” He places the order form down onto the counter and leans forward. His eyes narrow on my face, like he’s trying to figure me out. “You’re not here for a traditional slab of steak, are you?”

  “No. I’m looking for something untraditional,” I answer, feeling a little braver. His eyebrows lift, and he chuckles, clearly entertained by me.

  “Are you a referral?” he asks, and just like that, whatever worries or concerns I had about Miranda making all of this up are gone.

  “I overheard some coworkers talking about it yesterday.”

  “Eavesdropping on a private conversation?” He crosses his arms before smirking at me. My insides respond as he looks me up and down.

  “Yes, er, no. Maybe.”

  “And you wanted to see if they were telling the truth.” I nod and swallow the lump forming in my throat. He eyes me carefully, assessing the legitimacy of my curiosity. “You’re serious about an order, then?”

  “Now that I know this is real, yes, I’m serious about placing an order.”

  “What’s your name?” he asks, focusing on my face.

  “Camilla Babcock.”

  Something flares deep within his eyes when he hears my name, almost like he’s heard it before.

  “You work at the library?” he
asks, and I find myself speechless. How does he know where I work?

  “Yes, how did you—”

  “Camilla, I know exactly what to order for you.” He smiles at me, his eyes holding a secret. “Will you trust me to set you up with one of my guys?”

  I close my eyes and take a breath. “I don’t know.”

  “You came here today to take a chance. So, take it. Trust me, I won’t steer you wrong.” He finishes with a wink, and I can’t help feeling like he’s telling me the truth.

  “Okay,” I agree, shaking my head.

  “Be ready Friday night at seven. Your date will pick you up then.”

  “It’s that easy? How do you know what I want from him?”

  “First, you need to give me your address and a credit card. Second, yes, it is this easy. And finally, whatever does or doesn’t happen is between you and your date.” He hands me a piece of paper, and I write down the name of a restaurant. He eyeballs it. “You want to meet up at this restaurant?”

  “If it’s not too much trouble.”

  “Not at all. He’ll be there Friday at seven.” I reach into my purse and produce a credit card. I swallow hard as the reality of what’s currently taking place sets in.

  Holy shit, I just booked a date with an escort!

  The thought does something to me I can’t quite explain. Something life-changing, and I like it.

  For the first time in my life, I feel powerful, womanly, and definitely sexy.

  _______________

  “You have a date?” my sister, Rachelle, squeals across the line.

  I didn’t want to tell her, but I gave Jason the name of her restaurant, and she’s going to find out when I request a table for two. I’d rather tell her now to get it out of the way and set the ground rules.

  “Don’t act so surprised,” I murmur, rolling my eyes, not that she can see my annoyance.

  “What’s he like? Who is he? How did you meet?” She bombards me with questions, exactly like I expected her to.

  “Seriously, I’m not going to do this with you,” I tell her, shutting her down quickly.

  “Then why call me at all about it?” she asks.