Redemption
Golden Beach #4
By
Kim Loraine
Genre: Contemporary Romance/New Adult
Cover Design: Ramona Lockwood
Release Date:
February 8, 2017
Synopsis
Sparks may fly in the
bedroom, but fire always brings destruction.
Golden Beach
firefighter, Lieutenant Michael Oliver, has everything he wants — a beautiful
wife, a job he loves, and a future that finally looks bright after years of
darkness. Until one day a surprise from his past shows up, throwing everything
he’d finally recovered from back in his face.
Lena Shirakawa married
the man of her dreams in an impulsive Vegas wedding. As a free-spirited and
highly sought-after travel photographer, being the wife of a firefighter who
wants her to settle down isn’t easy. Especially when her job takes her all over
the world for months at a time.
When Lena’s
deep-rooted fears take hold, the damage is done and divorce seems the only
option. But Michael won't give up, even if it means risking everything to keep
her.
Excerpt
Lena Shirakawa swayed
in her spot as the unseasonably warm October sun beat down against them. She
wiped the beads of sweat from her brow and waited for the models to get into
position.
She heard them as they
approached, filling the quiet beach with rowdy banter. Twelve drop-dead
gorgeous firefighters from different stations across the Virginia coast filed
into the partitioned section of sand and surf. Her heart raced at the sight of
the men in uniform—chiseled, well muscled, and confident.
"Where do you
want them?"
Lena snapped her mouth
closed as her assistant waved a handkerchief in her face.
"I wasn't
drooling," she told Hallie, aware of the indignant tone in her voice.
"It's for your
forehead. You're sweating … but now that you mention it—"
"Shut it,
Hal."
Hallie laughed as she
gathered a reflector and started her stroll toward the group.
"Can you line
them up by month? I want a few shots of all of them and then we'll go down the
line, January through December."
"Any particular
poses?"
Lena shook her head
and snickered as her gaze fell to the table of props. A few axes, a coiled fire
hose, rope, chains, and a bottle of baby oil covered the surface of the table.
This was going to be fun. She counted the men as Hallie lined them up and
stopped short at eleven.
"Hal? There's one
missing. And where's my truck? I was told we'd have a truck and that I'd get
real flames to work with."
Hallie nodded.
"The truck is on the way, along with Mr. December . . . Michael
Oliver." She nodded to the pile of driftwood stacked about twenty yards
down the beach. "There's your fire."
Lena cocked an eyebrow
and smirked. "I trained you right, didn't I?"
Hallie chuckled and
continued positioning firefighters which turned out to be more difficult than
it seemed. They were loud, boisterous, and Lena couldn't stop herself from
snapping candid shots as they teased and flirted with her assistant.
Six of the men were
from Station 31, Golden Beach's local firehouse. She knew most of them by
reputation alone, and one due to a mistake she'd made a year earlier.
"Okay, fellas.
Line up. Backs to the waves, if you please. Let's go ahead and get your shirts
off." Hallie directed them without batting an eye and Lena just stood back
and watched.
She started plotting
the next few hours in her head, planning for the best poses, but lost her focus
as bare chests, tattoos, and washboard abdominals came into view.
Stop it. You are a
professional. Ogling is not okay.
She snatched the
bottle of baby oil and tossed it at Hallie with a wink.
"Glistening,"
Lena instructed.
"Some days this
job sucks. Today is not one of them."
As Hallie offered oil
to each of the guys, Lena turned her back, organizing her thoughts and planning
the shoot. The waves crashed behind them, and the sun hung low in the sky. All
she needed was the damn fire truck and Mr. December.
The sound of a siren
broke through the chatter. Engine 31 rolled down the beach, lights flashing,
and Lena rolled her eyes.
Michael parked the
truck and jumped down from the driver's seat, a wide grin on his perfect face.
"Damn. That man
is beautiful." Hallie's breathy whisper echoed Lena's own feelings. He was
beautiful. Pouty lips, a chiseled jawline, gentle eyes graced with soft laugh
lines. She knew what those lips felt like . . . everywhere.
"Physical
perfection. Too bad he's only pretty on the outside," Lena muttered.
"I don't know.
Might be worth it."
Lena offered a light
shrug and walked over to inspect the truck.
"Freshly waxed
just for you." Michael's deep baritone drew a layer of arousal over her
body.
"Good. You're
late," she snapped.
"You're
welcome."
She eyed him, trying
to get past the jaw-dropping good looks and focus on the reason she was here—a
calendar for charity.
"Shirt off,
please," she ordered. "Let's see what we've got to work with."
That had been a bad
choice. He stripped off his thin, blue t-shirt and tossed it at her. It smelled
of leather and something spicy. She had to force herself not to bring the
fabric to her nose and inhale deeply.
"Do I get your
stamp of approval?" He cocked an eyebrow and smirked at her as he flexed
his chest.
She had to clear her
throat before she could get her voice to cooperate, then she shrugged.
"You'll do,"
she threw over her shoulder as she walked away, gripping her camera tightly and
trying to control the shaking of her fingers.
After a few deep,
calming breaths, she got past the sparks of attraction she felt for Michael,
and the shoot fell into place. At the end of the night all that remained were
the embers of the bonfire and three firefighters, including Michael. They sat
around the dying fire, talking and watching the waves.
"Should we
leave?" Hallie asked under her breath.
Lena shrugged as she
continued packing up. Donovan Miller, the newest firefighter at the station,
had already taken the truck and borrowed props back to the firehouse. All that
was left to do was make sure the flames were extinguished and load the table in
the back of her van.
She tipped the table
on its back and started collapsing the legs while Hallie carted a bag up the
path to the parking lot. Struggling to gain traction in the sand, Lena lifted
the long rectangle at one end and began to pull.
"Let me help you
with that, princess." Michael's voice sent warm tingles down her spine.
He grabbed the other
end of the table and lifted it with ease, grinning as he followed her lead and
they made their way to the waiting van.
Hallie snickered and
cast her a knowing glance as she passed the pair on her way back to the beach.
"I'll get the boys to help me put out the fire. You don't need to hang
around on my account, L."
She could practically
feel his broad smile behind her and she shook her head, fighting a laugh.
The idea of a night or
two tangled in the sheets with a gorgeous man sounded exactly like what she needed.
Unfortunately for Michael, she wasn't willing to give him the satisfaction of
adding her notch to his bedpost—again.
As he helped her load
the table he brushed his fingers along the exposed skin of her shoulder. She
fought off an involuntary shiver, pushing the door closed and turning to face
him.
"So, are we doing
this?" His tone was confident as he closed the distance between their
bodies—his hips touching hers.
A wave of need crested
over her. It was all she could do to wait for it to recede.
"Not
tonight." She could barely manage a whisper.
His lips turned down
in a playful pout but instead of backing away, he pressed closer, one hand on
either side of her face.
"That's not
a never."
Also Available
Kim Loraine is
the author of the “Golden Beach” series, including “Restoration” (2015) and
“Renovation” (2015). She started writing at a young age, scribbling down song
lyrics, short stories, and poems she was too afraid to share with anyone. Busy
working as a music teacher in her Pacific Northwest hometown, it wasn’t until
her family of four picked up everything and moved to beautiful Japan that she
decided to finally take the plunge and send her characters out into the world.
The central theme in Kim’s books is self-discovery, whether that is found through taking risks, breaking down walls, or admitting mistakes. Kim likes to write characters that seem like someone you actually know, who find that life is a journey not without its challenges.
The central theme in Kim’s books is self-discovery, whether that is found through taking risks, breaking down walls, or admitting mistakes. Kim likes to write characters that seem like someone you actually know, who find that life is a journey not without its challenges.
When not writing
Kim spends her time with her husband, chasing around their crazy kids,
exploring Japan, and binge-watching Doctor Who on Netflix.
Author
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