Brandon Russo can't stand the sight of blood and the current heat wave makes doing almost anything outdoors unpleasant. So when an SUV sideswipes a bicycle right at the gate of the storage facility in Burlington, Vermont, where Brandon works for his aunt, he considers just locking himself in the office and calling 911. But he's rewarded for letting his good nature overcome his squeamishness when the man he rescues from the ditch turns out to be absolutely gorgeous.<br><br>Scott Seay is a photographer on the trail of a legend. A strong lead has brought him to Vermont for the auction of a storage unit whose owner had been obsessed with Champy, the creature rumored to live in the depths of Lake Champlain. When Scott winds up in a ditch outside that very same storage facility, being rescued by a hot, chivalrous man who literally sweeps Scott into his arms ... well, Scott's always believed in fate.

Heat Wave: Burlington

“You really believe this stuff?” Brandon asked, putting down the copy of Far Crythat Scott kept in his portfolio. That particular issue contained his shoot from the Sasquatch hunt, as well as such informative articles as “Has Your State Installed an RFID Tag Along With Your Flu Vaccination?” and “Inside the Red Cross: Are Vampires Responsible for the Current Blood Shortage?”


It was hot as hell in his hotel room; housekeeping apparently turned the AC off every single time they came in, as a cost saving measure. Off. Not down, which might have helped, but now the unit had to fight an uphill battle against a thirty-degree difference between actual room temperature and comfortable…the unit creaked and complained. And would probably need the condenser tray emptied before morning.


Scott chuckled, rubbing his lower lip with his thumb. “You know I have to be really careful about what I say to and about my employers, right?”


Chapter 8