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

“We open at ten,” Brandon repeated several times. “Unless for some reason I can’t get in to work, in which case, it will be later. Excuse me, now.” He managed to get most of them to back off, except for one truly over-excited, ancient man, probably about four hundred years old, with hands shaped more like talons ready to snatch breakfast out of the water than actual human appendages. Once the old man got a claw wrapped around Brandon’s upper arm, Brandon almost had to call for help to get free. In the end, Brandon almost closed the gate on the man’s head. Sigh. God, kill me before I get old, Brandon thought as he turned away, tuning out the complaints and conversation behind him.


“Hey, kiddo,” Aunt Ginny greeted him. “Where’s your date? Ali said he was some kinda gorgeous.”


Brandon rolled his eyes. “Ali gossips too much.”


Chapter 12