SuddenHeat

Denise
A. Agnew

Book one in the Love Under Fire series.

Where do you yearn to be in the face of danger? In the arms
of a man bound to serve, to protect and to love…

Librarian Melanie Falconer knows too well the horrors of
war. Military men, as far as she’s concerned, are off the marriage menu. As
maid of honor at her best friend’s wedding, she makes a mall run and lands
straight into the arms of seriously hot marine Matt Frasier, the best man.

Matt has seen too much violence, and his heavy attraction to
Melanie promises to soothe his soul and set his body on fire. But when gunfire
erupts, the game is on, and Melanie and Matt fight for their lives—and the heat
exploding between them.

Inside Scoop:
The couples in the
Love Under Fire
series find love through the crucible of a mall shooting event.

A
Romantica®
erotic romantic suspense
from Ellora’s Cave

Dedication

To my
own military hero, my husband Terry.

Constitution, Arizona

Constitution Mall

Juggling two large shopping bags, soon-to-be maid of honor
Melanie Falconer stepped out of the lingerie shop and slammed into a hard body.

It was late Tuesday and the mall would close in less than an
hour. She couldn’t afford one more delay in her busy life. Especially when the
totally ripped body belonged to best man Matt Frasier. She registered Matt’s
surprised face a half second before momentum won and their bodies collided.

“Oof!” Her breath rushed out and her packages went flying in
all directions.

Strong hands gripped her waist and prevented her from
landing on her butt. She faced an intense stare that reminded her of sky fading
into night. No, his eyes did more than look into her soul and bring forth her
secrets. They caressed her, wrapped her in instant warmth that enveloped her
body with breath-stealing attention. Every time the tall, muscular marine
walked into a room and she was there, Melanie’s breath halted and her pulse
skittered.

Ridiculously aware of him, she wanted to run from the crazy
attraction that stole her self-control. And she needed all the self-control she
could get.

This last week didn’t bode well for that.

Work at the library had ramped up with the introduction of a
new computer system, her boss had come down with the flu and Thanksgiving week
always gave Melanie that sinking feeling. When her best friends and fellow
bridesmaids Kathleen McSwain and Lena Williams had decided the wedding party
should buy a group present for the groom Patrick and the bride Danelle, Melanie
went into overdrive. What to get the couple who seemed to have everything? It was
Melanie’s idea, initially, to have a large frame engraved as an additional
present, and the others had been thrilled. Patrick and Danelle had established
their own business in Constitution and they’d moved in together two years ago.
With a well-appointed house, they didn’t need many things a couple would
normally ask for on a gift registry. Melanie wanted to give her friend
something special for her wedding. The biggest strategic problem had been
figuring out how to get the entire wedding party to the engraver’s so that she
could record everyone’s personal signature for the engraving. They’d also
tentatively planned dinner together afterward. The engraver had told her he
wouldn’t have time to see them until about five fifteen today.

She’d agreed to the idea with relief. With everyone there at
once there wasn’t much chance she’d have to spend any time alone with Matt
Frasier.

Yeah. Right.

“Hey Melanie.” Usually his eyes looked somewhat stoic but
now they had softened by a degree. “Sorry. You all right?”

“I’m fine.”

They bent at the same time to grab her purchases. Heat
filled her face as he gathered a red lacy demi-cut push-up bra in his big hand.
A thirty-four C-cup. His gaze lingered on the bra and she imagined his big hand
caressing the bra while it was on
her
. Heat shot through her.

She snatched the bra from him and stuffed it back in the
small bag. “Thanks.”

His assessing gaze said volumes. Straitlaced librarian
Melanie Falconer wore screaming red underwear?
Say it isn’t so.

“Are the other ladies in the shop too?” he asked as they
stood.

“Heading that way.”

He gestured back toward the tuxedo shop. “Jake and Rick are
still having last-minute measurements on the tuxedos. Rick was late getting
here. He’s chronically late to everything. I decided to head over to the
engraver’s.”

“We’re all late tonight. Kathleen and Lena got caught in
traffic. We split up to get things done.”

As he handed her one of the bags, his fingers brushed
against hers. A tiny shock went through her body and coiled in her stomach. A
hot, undeniably sexual spark that refused to be extinguished.

His hands fascinated her—which was strange considering she’d
never given a man’s hands much thought. They felt and looked so strong, so
purposeful.

She almost winced, not because of pain but because Matt
Frasier turned her on. His brand of masculinity seemed to have found her brand
of femininity and called to all the primitive channels inside her. Oh yes. It
wasn’t only his body that floated her boat. Since she’d met him at the party,
he’d impressed her with what he’d said, his opinions and an inherent sense of
the honorable.

And she wondered too much. She wondered how he’d make love,
if the sensuality he seemed to have in spades would bring her to a
mind-stealing orgasm. Orgasm. Yeah, well, she hadn’t experienced one of those
in a while. Heat filled her face, her entire body. God, she needed to forget
these raging hormones. Matt would leave town soon and that would be it. Finis.
Done. And there was no way in hell she’d get involved with a marine who’d
experienced what he’d no doubt experienced recently in Afghanistan.
No way.

His gaze danced across her face, down her body. She’d worn
casual attire of jeans, sweater and boots. Boots for the snow threatening
outside. Still, his look devoured and said the attraction she felt wasn’t
exactly one-sided. A slow burn awakened tingling senses, demanding action to
extinguish the flame. She’d thought she had seen him checking her out before
but she’d dismissed it as imagination. She cleared her throat.

He cracked a grin and it brightened his stern face into
soul-stirring handsome. Matt rarely smiled, at least he hadn’t last Friday
night when she’d met him at Danelle and Patrick’s house for a pre-wedding bash
given by Danelle’s parents.

“Patrick is across town and up to his butt in last-minute
things Danelle wants him to do for the wedding.” A twinkle in his eyes added to
the teasing in his voice. “My brothers told him to get used to the ole ball and
chain.”

She laughed softly. “When she called me a little while ago she
sounded stressed out.” She shook her head. “Weddings
are
a pain in the
butt.”

His eyebrows winged up. “Seriously?”

It was her turn to be taken aback. “You don’t think so?
You’re a guy.”

Amusement brightened his eyes and the whisky and velvet in
his deep voice tugged on her primal needs. “First time you noticed?”

Taken off guard by his teasing, she said, “First time—no. Of
course not.”

Was he kidding her? Beautiful dark eyes, a day’s worth of
stubble on his jaw and his black hair trimmed in a sharp military cut weren’t
the only things that made this marine hot. Damn but he was
fine
. More
than fine. Utter hardness and self-assurance marked his face, a countenance too
strong featured to resemble anything but tough guy. His nose a tad too large,
his eyes ringed by thick lashes that increased their laser intensity threefold.
And his body. Taut and honed by military precision. How could any woman ignore
broad shoulders covered by an old brown leather bomber jacket and blue sweater?
She’d seen him the first time wearing one of those sweaters that couldn’t hide
unmistakable strength as biceps and forearms flexed. Jeans curved around a
tight backside and outlined steel-hard thighs. She stood five feet six inches
tall and Matt was at least six two. Any woman with one ounce of red blood would
take a second look at him.

When Patrick had shown them all photographs of the Frasier
brothers, her jaw had about hit the floor.

Jake and Rick Frasier were disgustingly masculine too, and
if her hormones hadn’t homed in on Matt, she probably would’ve found them more
intriguing. Her friend Kathleen had grown up here and knew the brothers from
school. Kathleen and Jake avoided each other way too strenuously, and the
glances they threw at each other made Mel wonder about their previous
relationship.

Well, in the end it didn’t matter. They all had jobs to
return to. The Frasier brothers were only in town for Thanksgiving and the
wedding this Saturday. After that they went back to war. Well, at least Jake
was headed back to the Middle East. Matt had recently finished a tour in
Afghanistan and Rick was in the coast guard and would return to Alaska.

He cocked his head to the side. “You don’t like weddings?”

“Hate ‘em.” Curiosity deepened in his eyes but she cut him
off at the pass. “Don’t get me wrong. I think Danelle and Patrick are made for
each other. I just don’t like the whole stress-out beforehand and the expense.”

He crossed his arms. “You’d rather elope?”

She smiled. “Now you’re talking.”

Curiosity entered his eyes. “You been married before?”

She almost choked on a sound of disbelief. “Me? No.”

“You make it sound like a disease you haven’t caught.”

Did she? What the hell did she say to that?

He laughed and the soft rumble strummed her strings and sent
swirls of heat around in her belly. She wanted to squirm, more than a little
annoyed that she did this every time she saw him. What was it all about? It
wasn’t like she hadn’t desired a man before but this man, oh baby…

She glanced at her watch. “We need to get to the
engraver’s.”

Matt nodded and consulted his own watch. “You’re right.” His
eyes narrowed and he took one step closer. “Look, with all the craziness going
on I’m glad I ran into you. I wanted to ask you—”

A series of staccato popping noises interrupted. Two. Three
popping noises. Loud enough to startle.

She jerked in surprise. Saw awareness pour into his eyes
followed instantly by grim acknowledgement and understanding.

She thought she knew what those sounds were. “Matt, what—”

“Gunfire.” Eyes hard, he reacted.

She glanced around as every muscle in her body went on high
alert.

He stepped closer, gaze scanning the area rapidly. His words
were as rapid as the gunshots. “We need the nearest exit.”

“There’s a set of bathrooms.” She pointed east. “Two stores
down. I think there’s an exit there.”

“That’s the direction of the gunshots. We can’t wander
around here in plain sight.”

Female screams echoed.

Two more bangs. These closer and coming from the east side
of the mall.

“Move.” He clasped her biceps and ran toward the lingerie
store. “There’s no time.”

In the rush she dropped her shopping again but at least she
had her crossover body bag secure over her chest. They barreled into the store.
She expected to see the two employees who’d manned the counter but the shop
looked empty.

Zigzagging around racks of bras and panties, Matt urged her
along. “There’s got to be a back door.”

Harsh and urgent, his voice compelled her to hurry as much
as his grip on her arm.

Pop. Pop. Pop.

More screams.

Her heart slammed in her chest. She was hot, her pulse
tripping double time, fear screaming through her veins.

They rushed past dressing rooms, dodged boxes and passed a
small employee lounge. Melanie hit the exit door almost at a run, slamming
against it when the bar gave then resisted with a clanging shriek.

Matt shoved on the door as well. “Damn it. Come on.”

He grabbed her arm again. “There’s a bathroom here.” Matt
opened the unisex bathroom door and pushed her inside. “Stay here and call
9-1-1. I’ll check the front and be back. Turn off the light and lock the door.”

As he started to pull the door closed, she whispered
frantically, “Matt, be careful.”

He left without a word. She locked the door. She turned.
Jolted as her face stared back at her from the single mirror above the sink.

Ridiculous thoughts jammed up in her head. Her ash hair
tumbled around her shoulders—she’d decided to grow it out from a bob. Her blue
eyes were too wide, too filled with doubt and uncertainty, with fear. She took
a deep, shuddering breath. Now wasn’t the time to freak. She needed her
legendary self-control if she wanted to survive this. Whatever
this
was.

After flipping off the light, she felt her way along the
wall and sank down in the corner away from the door. She fumbled with her
purse, found her cell phone and dialed. As soon as the 9-1-1 operator came on
the line Melanie relayed the situation as best she could. Her throat was so
tight it ached and she stuttered as her dry mouth barely managed the words. The
operator explained that others had called in too. She heard a beeping noise and
realized her phone was dying. She’d planned on plugging the phone into the car
recharger when she left the store. As the phone gave one more bleep and died,
she cursed softly. She stuffed the cell back into her purse.

Thoughts scattered through her mind at what seemed like a
hundred miles an hour. Where had the lingerie shop employees disappeared to and
why the hell was the exit door locked? Melanie’s breathing rasped in her ears,
the silence in the pitch-black bathroom like a live entity sharing space and
threatening to smother her. Chaotic thoughts careened through her head.

Where were Kathleen and Lena? Had they been hurt? Killed?
Her blood ran cold, dread curling in her stomach.
No. Please, no.
She
shivered and rubbed her arms. The floor was cold, seeping through her jeans.
She’d left her short winter jacket in the car, not wanting to carry it around
and certain her sweater would keep her comfortable.

Who was shooting and why? Terrorists? Right now she didn’t
care. In one of those wild and irrational thoughts people experience when shit
has just hit the fan, she made a vow to do something if she escaped the
situation alive.

She was going to kiss Matt once. Just once to get it out of
her system and see if all that pent-up hard-ass marine energy lived up to her
imagination.

A soft knock against the door made her freeze. Her heart
almost stopped.

“It’s Matt.”

Relief made her legs weak but she shoved to her feet and
hurried to the door. She flipped on the light and unlocked the door with shaky fingers.
He rushed inside holding some sort of three-foot metal pole then locked the
door and turned the light off again. He clasped her shoulders, pressed her back
into the corner and shielded her body with his.