Dare To Fall

DARE TO FALL FIREWEED HARBOR SERIES J.H. CROIX CONTENTS 1. Fiona 2. Blake 3. Fiona 4. Blake 5. Fiona 6. Fiona 7. Blake 8. Fiona 9. Blake 10. Blake 11. Fiona 12. Fiona 13. Fiona 14. Blake 15. Blake 16. Fiona 17. Blake 18. Fiona 19. Blake 20. Fiona 21. Fiona 22. Fiona 23. Fiona 24. Blake 25. Fiona 26. Fiona 27. Fiona 28. Blake 29. Blake 30. Blake 31. Fiona 32. Fiona 33. Blake 34. Fiona 35. Blake 36. Fiona 37. Blake 38. Fiona 39. Fiona 40. Blake 41. Blake 42. Fiona 43. Blake 44. Fiona 45. Fiona 46. Blake Epilogue Find My Books Acknowledgments About the Author This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. Copyright © 2023 J.H. Croix All rights reserved. Cover design by Najla Qamber Designs No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. Created with Vellum To new beginnings and family in all shapes and sizes. Sign up for my newsletter for information on new releases & get a FREE copy of one of my books! http://jhcroixauthor.com/subscribe/ Follow me! [email protected] https://amazon.com/author/jhcroix https://www.bookbub.com/authors/j-h-croix https://www.facebook.com/jhcroix https://www.instagram.com/jhcroix/ Chapter One FIONA I tapped the button inside the elevator, and the doors began to close. Just then, I heard footsteps moving swiftly in the direction of the elevator. A hand shot out, catching the door, and a second later, a man appeared. My system felt jolted for one fiery second. His eyes met mine as he smiled. “Made it.” He stepped into the elevator, and the small space suddenly felt even more cramped. This man’s presence and size filled it. “Floor three?” he prompted when he glanced at the panel. I cleared my throat with a nod. “Well then, we’re going to the same place.” He tapped the button, and the elevator began to move before it abruptly stopped with an unsettling shake. “Hm,” the man said. “That didn’t feel right.” “Did we stop on the wrong floor?” I asked needlessly because we’d barely moved. “Something like that.” He tapped the button again. I looked around the small space, curling my arms around my waist and willing myself to stay calm. The man beside me pulled out a phone and tapped on the screen. A second later, he swore. Lowering the phone, he eyed his screen. “No reception.” His gaze flicked to me. Even though I could feel my heart racing and a sense of panic churning inside, I couldn’t help but notice he had stunning eyes. They were a silvery shade of gray with thick dark golden lashes to match his hair, which was the color of burnished brass with glints of gold that shimmered even in the dim light of this elevator. “We won’t be here long,” he assured me, his confidence belying the anxiety I felt. “If you say so.” “I’m Blake,” he offered after another moment. “There are only four stories, so we don’t need to worry.” His tone was light, and meanwhile, the space was feeling smaller and smaller. When he arched a brow after several beats, I kicked my brain into gear. “Oh, I’m Fiona. Fiona Blake, actually.” He chuckled. “We share a name.” I smiled, thinking this man was way too handsome. Here we were, trapped in a tiny elevator, and my hormones were doing gymnastics at the sound of his rumbly laughter. “It can’t be too long,” Blake offered another few minutes later. He tapped the emergency button on the panel, only to get a crackling sound in reply. Suddenly, the elevator jerked, and I lost my balance, stumbling against him. His arm curled around my shoulders as he steadied me. “That’s a good sign.” “It is?” “Sure. It means they’re trying to work on it.” The elevator jolted again. Blake’s arm hadn’t left my shoulders, and it felt nice. He was warm and solid. Just when I started to feel hopeful, the elevator plunged. I cried out when it stopped with a shuddering thump. “I think we just fell all the way down.” My voice was a little shaky when I peered up at Blake. He met my gaze, nodding. “I think so. That’s either good or bad.” “Good?!” I squeaked. “Good, because we can’t fall any farther.” He slipped his phone out of his pocket again to peer at the screen. “Still no reception. What about your phone?” I still had my purse looped over my shoulder, so I fished my phone out of it to glance at the screen. There wasn’t a single bar of reception. “Nothing.” “Damn,” he said slowly. “I guess we’re here for a bit.” I took a breath, willing my heartbeat to slow. He leaned his hips against the wall, curling one hand on the railing. “Well then, tell me about yourself.” My eyes widened as I looked over at him. “Now?” His lips kicked up at one corner, and my belly did a little shimmy. “We’re stuck.” The elevator jerked again, really hard, and then lifted slightly. Once again, I stumbled into Blake, my purse falling off my shoulder and hitting the floor with a soft thump. My hand landed on his chest. I could feel the heat of him through his Henley shirt. I could also feel the muscled planes of his chest under my palm and the steady beat of his heart. When I looked up at him, my heart drummed a little faster. We stared at each other. “I want to call you Fi,” he said, his slow and raspy voice sending heat pooling low in my belly. “You can call me Fi,” I whispered, a distant corner of my mind almost aghast that