It has been five years since Ava Kingston left her parents’ house in New Jersey. She ran and never looked back, all because of one night. One night that could’ve changed her life forever. Now living in Chicago, working as a journalist, Ava thinks her life is finally where it should be. She is working toward a promotion, has a great family, and a few amazing friends. What more could a girl want? Just when Ava comes to a calming sense of closure in her life, her past reappears in the form of the Hunks in Uniform calendar. Will Ava’s feelings for this fearless firefighter resurface against her better judgment? Or will Ava try to forget the one person she ever really loved?
Gavin Sawyer is a Chicago firefighter who is stopping many women’s hearts as a model for the Hunks in Uniform calendar. Gavin only tried out for the calendar because of her—the one person who knew he was worthy of such prestige. He knew how much she wanted him to do it, but then she was gone. Without a warning, Ava left Gavin behind with a broken heart and bruised ego. He loved her, but she ran. One night separated them forever. Now, five years later, Gavin will stop at nothing to win her back. A chance encounter with Ava sets his heart on fire and proves that old feelings really do die hard.
“Come on,” Gavin said as he pulled her over to a group of people gathered around two men singing “Imagine” by John Lennon. Ava turned to Gavin with a look of shock. He remembered. She had told him in conversation the week before that she loved classic rock, especially The Beatles. She also told him that if she ever had a daughter, she would name her Lennon. Thinking back on it, Ava was surprised Gavin asked her out after that comment. Ava held Gavin’s bicep and laid her head against his arm. She closed her eyes and listened to the two men sing one of her favorite songs. At one point, she began to sway, and she felt Gavin pull her into his body. It felt right being with him. Their bodies fit together perfectly, and she didn’t want to break contact with him. Fire was shooting through her veins, and she couldn’t believe that someone’s touch could do this to her. When the two men were done, the crowd erupted in a loud applause. Ava didn’t notice, but she had been crying. That song always did it to her.
“Are you OK, Ava?” Gavin asked as he wiped a tear with the pad of his thumb.
“I’m fine, Gavin. That is my favorite song, and I always get emotional when I listen to it. That was amazing. Thank you.”
“Of course, but you haven’t seen the best part.” Gavin pulled her through the crowd, and in the middle of the circle was a huge peace sign made out of stone with the word “Imagine” in the middle. Along the outside of the peace sign was a bunch of different flowers outlining it. This truly was amazing. Ava could only imagine what John Lennon would’ve been capable of had he been alive today.
Ava looked at Gavin and reached up on her tippy toes to kiss him on the cheek. “Thank you, Gavin. This has been the best date ever.”
Gavin held Ava in his arms and kissed the top of her forehead. “So, could we add this to the list of things that you like?”
Ava laughed into his chest. “Yes, Gavin, we can.”
The next moment happened so quickly Ava didn’t even realize what was going on. Gavin dipped Ava back and planted a sweet kiss on her lips. Thankfully, Ava didn’t scream when it happened, because the kiss probably wouldn’t have been as amazing. Gavin’s lips were so soft against hers, and they tasted like mint and lemons. Ava cupped her hands behind his head and opened her mouth so Gavin could deepen the kiss. Gavin’s hand was on Ava’s lower back, and the other was behind her head. They continued their kiss, dancing with their tongues. They would’ve kept kissing if it weren’t for the applause and whistles they heard around them. They broke their kiss, and Ava buried her head in Gavin’s chest once again.
“Good job, man!”
“Get a room!”
Gavin just waved to everyone, and Ava pulled him toward the street.
“Oh my god. That was so embarrassing,” Ava said with a slight blush in her cheeks.
“Was it really that bad kissing me?” Gavin asked with his hand over his heart, faking insult.
“No, the kiss was amazing. I have never done anything like that in public before.”
Gavin pulled Ava closer. “Good. I like that I was able to share that with you. But, I promise, Ava, the next time I kiss you will be behind closed doors, and I will not stop there.”
Ava’s cheeks burned, and she knew she was red. The thought of Gavin’s lips on hers again was causing a stir in her belly. She wasn’t the type of girl to sleep with someone on the first date, but she could make an exception for someone who made it the best date she’d ever had.
If this date gave Ava any clue as to how their relationship would be, Ava was going to be one lucky girl.
© Ashli Rose, Hearts on Fire 2014
AUTHOR INTERVIEW
How long have you been writing?
This
is actually my debut novella. I also
enjoyed writing. Even though I love to talk, I have an easier time getting my
thoughts down on paper. I made it my New
Year’s Resolution to write a book and here we are.
What does writing bring to you
- or what do you feel when you write?
Writing
lets me forget about the “real world” for a while. Whenever I am writing I am right there with
my characters. I am working on book 2 in
the Harts on Fire Series and let’s just say Louis and Bree aren’t making this
easy for me.
How do you connect with your
characters?
I
put little pieces of me into my female characters. I find it makes it easier for me to
write. Ava is me, Bree has similar
characteristics to my sister and Elise is a mix of me and my cousin. The male characters all share characteristics
with my husband.
How did you find the idea for
this story? Do you base your storylines
on real life scenario's or are they totally fictional and from your
imagination?
I
try to base my stories on my real life experiences. I find that it helps with the writing
process. Don’t get me wrong, some of the
things are purely from my imagination, but I like to lay the foundation with
real life experiences. I always say that
if I could record my dreams I would be a best-selling author.
Who is your biggest
inspiration?
My
husband inspires me every day. He does
so much for our family that I want to make him proud. Also, Nicole Edwards is a huge inspiration
for me. After reading her Alluring
Indulgence series, I decided it was time for me to put my story on paper.
How do you find the time to
write in your busy life?
I
ask myself the same thing every day LOL.
Wrriting Hearts on Fire was a little easier because my daughter was napping
two hours every day, so that was my writing time. Now, not so much. I have to sneak into the writing cave to get
work done. I am a Pre-K teacher during the day, so it will be interesting to
see how much writing I get done once school starts back up.
What types of books do you like
to read?
I
have been really into romance novels lately. But I can read anything from YA to
Suspense. I’m not too picky.
What do you do to relax when
you are not writing or reading?
I
love spending time with my husband and daughter. She is two and is changing so much every
day. She loves singing and dancing right
now so we have mini dance parties in the living room. I also like to watch my
teen shows, Teen Wolf, Pretty Little Liars, Gossip Girl, Vampire Diaries and
The Originals. I don’t care that I’m 30,
I love my teen shows.
Character Interview:
Ava Kingston
What is the "pull"
that Gavin has on you?
Have
you seen him? *Giggles* Honestly though, he is just an amazing person. He knows things about me before I know them
about myself. I think he is secretly a psychic.
What is the best feature that
Gavin has? How does he make you feel?
*Blushes*
He’s gorgeous, as I’m sure you’ve seen.
But I love his arms. They are so
strong and I loved being enveloped in them on good days and bad. There is just something about a hot guy with
big arms that make me forget all my problems.
What is the thing you love the
most about Gavin?
He’s
loyal. When he loves, he loves
hard. There isn’t anything that he
wouldn’t do for those that he loves.
How do you feel about your life
in general?
I
couldn’t be happier. Everything is
perfect and I haven’t been able to say that for a very long time. I think it took finding Gavin to realize
that.
Would you change anything in
your life right now?
Not
at all J I have an amazing family,
great job, and a hot man. What more
could I ask for. Although, I would like
children some day.
Gavin Sawyer
Does Ava set your heart on
fire?
*Smirks*
You know it! She had me from the first time I kissed her, I was hooked.
Would you change your life to
be with Ava?
I
already have, I came to Chicago to be with her and I don’t ever plan on losing
her again.
How did you feel when Ava left
you?
To
be honest, I didn’t expect anything when she left my house that night. But, when she started ignoring my calls I
knew something was up. I couldn’t
imagine what I could’ve done to make her run, all I knew was that I had to make
it right.
Will you really do anything to
win Ava back?
*Laughs*
You will just have to read the book to find out.
Tell me what you love about Ava.
*Smiles
that super sexy smile* It sounds cheesy, but I love everything about her. She kind, sweet, beautiful, smart and she
doesn’t take my shit. As I’m sure you’ve
seen, she’s got quite a mouth on her when she wants to.
Ashli Rose is the author of the new novel Hearts on Fire in the Hearts on Fire Series.
A Jersey girl born and raised, Ashli lives in Bergen county with her husband Patrick and two year old daughter, Laila. She loves spending time with her family, watching teen shows(She’s a sucker for PLL and Teen Wolf), taking pictures of her daughter, and shopping for shoes that she will never have enough money to buy. Ashli is obsessed with all things Michael Kors and would purchase all of his bags if she could.
Ashli graduated with a BA in English from NJCU and during the day she is a Pre-K teacher to 30 energetic four and five year olds. Between them and her two year old it's a miracle that Ashli found the time to write this book. It has always been a dream of Ashli’s to write a book, it wasn't until the New Year that she decided to make that dream a reality.
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