Tastes Like Sugar

Sometimes the sweetest things come when you let your guard down, even if that means risking a little fire in the process.

After ditching the chaos of city life—and a cheating fiancé—I’m more than ready for a fresh start. Collier’s Creek, with its small-town charm and the warmth of my family, seems like the perfect place to regroup. Throw in a job offer as the new office manager for the local fire department, and it feels like everything is falling into place.

That is, until I meet Hayes.

The confident, cocky, and sinfully sexy firefighter is all smooth moves and effortless charm. Our connection? Instant. Our chemistry? Scorching. But here’s the problem: I’m supposed to be wrangling the firefighters and keeping the department in line, not getting distracted by the hottest man in town—who also happens to be my nephew’s best friend.

As the fire department’s Mr. December, Hayes is used to turning heads, but he’s got his sights set on me. And while I’ve sworn off mixing business with pleasure, this guy makes resisting nearly impossible. Every sweet gesture and playful flirtation chips away at my resolve, leaving me wondering if this time around, I should just give in.

Because the more time I spend with Hayes, the more I realize he’s not just fire and heat—he’s all heart. But with our undeniable attraction and my unease of our familial connection as well as our age gap, can we handle the sparks flying between us without getting burned?