He's been searching for his forever, and she's desperately trying not to be found. But when a wildfire forces her into his waiting arms, will she let him keep her safe from more than just the flames?

Tarah

After my parents' suspicious deaths, I was placed under the control of my uncle?a man who's spent years manipulating every part of my life. When he learns about the inheritance I'll receive once I'm married, he becomes determined to sell me off to the highest bidder and steal it for himself.

So I run.

With nothing but a car, a few dollars, and desperation, I flee Aspen and drive until the tank is empty and my money runs dry?ending up on the far side of the Rockies, alone in a nature preserve near Hideaway Mountain. I tell myself it's only temporary. But when a wildfire rips through my camp, my fragile freedom turns to ash.

Then I'm pulled from the flames by Jared Kincaid?a firefighter with steady hands, broad shoulders, and eyes that see right through me. He doesn't just want to save me from the fire; he wants to protect me from the danger that's been chasing me my whole life.

He says he'll marry me to keep me safe?but it won't be some cold, on-paper arrangement. My strong, relentless firefighter wants my heart as much as my hand.

The only question is... after everything I've endured, do I even have a heart left to give?

Jared

I came to Hideaway Mountain for a fresh start. Escaping the cycle of addiction and poverty in the trailer park where I grew up wasn't easy, but firefighting gave me purpose?and a family I never had.

Still, there's something missing. For the past year, I've watched my crewmates fall in love one by one, finding their forevers while I go home to an empty bed. With so few single women in town, I've started to lose hope?until the day I find her.

Tarah Hartlove?beautiful, terrified, and strong in a way that makes my chest ache. The moment I pull her from that burning tent, I know she's the one. And when I learn she's running from more than just the fire, I make her a promise:

I'll protect her. I'll marry her. I'll give her the life she deserves.

Because Tarah isn't just a woman I saved. She's my forever. And if anyone tries to take her from me, they'll get more than just a taste of smoke?I'll burn the world before I let anyone touch what's mine.

A Taste of Smoke is a sweet and spicy, fast-paced, OTT insta-love novelette set in the Hideaway Valley Fire Series. It features a curvy FMC, a possessive and protective MMC, double V-cards, lots of heart, and a satisfying HEA. Though each book in the Hideaway universe has interconnected characters, they can all be read as standalone stories.