Free Controlled Burn by Delilah Devlin

and below penetrating the dark cloud. “For bullying me, dickhead.”
    “Bullying?” he shouted over his shoulder. “Seriously?”
    “You picked on me constantly.”
    “I was only teasing.”
    “When you pointed out the fact I was poor? That my clothes came from thrift shops?”
    “Didn’t mean anything by it. Swear. I liked you.”
    She threw up her hands, even though he wasn’t looking and no one was around to see. “No wonder you never had a girlfriend!”
    “We’re there.” He reached back, took her hand, and started wading into the river.
    Just a few feet in, the water rose to her chest. Once they stopped, they went silent, their joined hands floating on the water, listening to the creak and groan of trees, to the whoosh of the hot wind as it blew by. At least, the smoke didn’t hug the top of the water. The cooler temperature lifted the hotter air higher above them. They could breathe. She tugged down her bandana.
    “I’m sorry you felt like I was comin’ down on you,” Tater said with a shake of his head.
    “We’re not dying here,” she said, rolling her eyes. “You don’t have to make good before you meet your maker.”
    “I know that,” he said, his lips twisting in sneer. “Just wanted you to know. The Black Cats were a bit of overkill, though, don’t you think?”
    “Yeah.” She grimaced. “One would have done the job. It’s all I planned to light. But then the match was lit, and I knew one of the adults would look for more once they came to investigate. I didn’t want to get caught with them. And you really had pissed me off.”
    Tater grinned. “I almost peed myself.”
    She smiled back. “Would have been hard to hide in your tighty-whities.”
    They laughed, and then she heard splashing nearby. Hoping the arrival was one of the team and not a cougar escaping the smoke, she turned.
    Jeremiah waded toward them. His narrowed gaze went to their hands.
    Tater withdrew his hand first. “You said to make sure she came.”
    “I did.” Jeremiah’s gaze flicked to her.
    Carly shrugged. “He likes me.”
    “ Liked ,” Tater said. “Before you nearly killed me.”
    Carly’s grin dimmed at Jeremiah’s deepening frown. “The fire run the rim?”
    He shook his head. “No, never rose that high. Besides, I wasn’t that worried. I had people standing by. And the fire’s nearly out.”
    She glanced around, and yes, the smoke did seem a little thinner. “Where’s the rest of the team?”
    “Farther upstream.”
    “Good.” Carly wished he’d lose the scowl, which made her nervous. “How long—”
    “Tater, would you mind moving downstream a bit?”
    Carly clamped her mouth shut. He wasn’t even trying to be polite. When they were alone, she faced Jeremiah with her arms crossed over her chest. “What is with you?”
    “It’s not what. It’s who.” He grabbed her arms and pulled her against his chest.
    His mouth slammed against hers, and she tasted a little blood from the impact against her teeth, but she didn’t mind so much. At last, Jeremiah was communicating. And she talked back, climbing his body to wrap her legs around his waist as he continued to ravage her mouth.
    When he finally pulled back, he was breathing hard. “I didn’t like leaving you.”
    “What? Were you afraid Tater would leave me in the middle of the blaze out of revenge?”
    “I heard that!” came Tater’s voice from somewhere in the smoky distance.
    “Butt out!” she bellowed.
    Jeremiah’s frown deepened, but a laugh shook his chest. “Do you argue over everything?”
    She stopped herself from giving him a stinging retort. “I guess.”
    “I don’t mind so much,” he said, sounding surprised. One of his hands cradled the back of her head as he stared down into her face. “You’re pretty loud doing everything.”
    “Not nice.” She couldn’t keep from narrowing her gaze.
    “Heard that, too!” Chuckles echoed over the water.
    “Butt out!” Jeremiah called toward the disembodied