Free Falling for Mister Wrong by Lizzie Shane Page A

person? I was freaking out and then wham , there you
were.”
    “I’m Will. I live downstairs. I heard a
scream.”
    “I’m Caitlyn. I don’t remember screaming, but
it sounds like something I would do if my house suddenly decided to
burn to the ground with me in it.”
    He gave a half-hearted laugh at her attempt
at humor.
    “How did you know what to do?” she asked,
staring at him so steadily he began to think she wasn’t in shock
after all.
    “Tuller Springs is too small to have a
standing fire department, but I volunteer along with some of the
other citizens. We’re trained to contain fires until the big boys
from Aspen can get their asses out here.”
    “I’m lucky you were here,” she whispered.
“Thank you.”
    He settled down on the floor next to her. “No
problem. I figure I owe you for all the free concerts.”
    It was hard to tell in the low light, but he
thought she blushed. “You can hear me?”
    “I’m developing quite a taste for Classical
music.”
    Now he was sure she was blushing, her gaze
flicked down. “I have a damper pedal. So it wouldn’t be so loud. I
can’t use it when my students are here, but when it’s just me—”
    “No. I love hearing it.”
    Her eyes lifted. “Oh.” Then her blush grew
even more heated and she couldn’t hold his gaze. “What happens
now?”
    “The rest of my guys are on their way to make
sure the fire is really out. Then there’ll be an investigator from
Denver to tell us what started the fire and an electrician to make
sure the house is safe. Do you have some place to stay
tonight?”
    “I have to leave? But my piano…”
    “Is it insured?”
    “Well, yes, but…”
    “I’m sure you love it like family, but it’s
an instrument. No instrument is worth dying for. Do you have
someone you can stay with tonight?”
    “Yes.” The word was whisper soft.
    “Hey.” He hooked one finger under her chin,
tipping her face up so he could see those dark blue eyes again.
“Hopefully we’ll both get to come home soon and you can serenade me
some more, but better safe than sorry, right?”
    She wet her lips, staring at his eyes and
giving a minute nod. Then her gaze slid, heavy and slow, down to
linger on his mouth.
    And suddenly he couldn’t help himself from
looking at hers. The curve of it. The lush, rosy temptation.
    His breath grew shallow. And damn if hers
wasn’t coming short as well.
    He hadn’t really looked at a woman in so
long. Hadn’t been interested. Hadn’t wanted . Not like this.
Attraction hit him like a mule kick to the gut. Suddenly her pale,
soot-stained skin looked pearlescent in the lights from the
mountain. Her eyes were huge and vulnerable—but not weak, just
hopeful, like everything she had ever wanted was piled into each
look and it all hung on him. She looked at him like he was a god or
a genie—or the angel she’d called him when he first
appeared—someone who had the power to make all her dreams come true
if he just said yes.
    And damn if he didn’t want to say yes to her.
He didn’t know how a man would ever be able to tell this woman no.
Not when she was looking at him like that.
    His free hand lifted of its own volition to
tuck a stray auburn curl behind her ear, the little brush of her
skin against his finger impossibly soft. And still she watched him.
He couldn’t tear his eyes away. She listed forward, just an inch,
her eyelids going to half-mast.
    “Caitlyn…” He breathed her name like a
caress, soft and inviting, but it broke the spell.
    She flinched, blinking rapidly, jerking back.
“I’m sorry. I don’t know what I—” She shook her head, hard.
    “No.” He came to his feet in one movement,
occupying himself with the flashlight. “No, it was me.” He yanked
his cell phone out of his pocket, extending it down to her. “You
should call your friend. It’s late.”
    “Right.” She took the phone, blushing,
looking down, whispering again, “Right.”
    The wail of the approaching siren