BB2 Bonus Epilogue

Burning for This

Desire muddied her green eyes and when she stared into mine, the intimacy of it did something to me. I was suddenly very aware of my heartbeat, and I swore I could feel her gaze inside me. She was seeing a part of me that no one else ever had. I was sure of it.

She must've felt it too because her lips parted, and her breathing shallowed. The heat emanating off her skin burned my hands. I was mesmerized by her, frozen in place, as my eyes whispered a commitment to her that I was helpless to control.

- Jesse

Bonus Epilogue

Hi Reader! I’m Kaye Kennedy, author of Burning for This. I hope you enjoyed reading Jesse and Lana’s story as much as I enjoyed writing it. I sat down for an interview with the happy couple to give you an inside look at their relationship. I know I’m happy for them, and I’m sure you are, too. So without further ado, let's see what they had to say, shall we?

We’re sitting in a booth at Hop Toddy. Jesse has his arm around Lana.

Kaye Kennedy (KK):

Thank you both for being here today to talk about your relationship. I have so many questions, but first, give us an update. It’s been eight months since the end of the book, so what’s going on with you guys now?

Lana Murphy (LM):

It’s so crazy. Next month will be a year since we’ve met. That went so fast.

Jesse Hogan (JH):

It did, but it also feels like we’ve known each other forever.

LM:

Yeah, it does.

JH:

I finally convinced Lana to move in with me in October.

LM:

Rolls her eyes.

Oh, please. Like it took much convincing.

JH:

Hey, there were twenty-three days between when I asked you and when you actually moved in.

LM:

You mean before my stuff actually arrived. I was already staying at your place every night for months before you even asked me.

JH:

That might be true…

KK:

Living together is a big deal. That’s wonderful news. How has that been?

JH:

Fucking fantastic. Sorry, can I curse?

KK:

Yes. Our readers have already read the book, so if you haven’t offended them yet, then I’d say you’re good.

JH:

Cool. I really love having her around all of the time. Even though she has completely taken over the bathroom and made it girly.

LM:

It’s a small bathroom!

JH:

Ryan and I built her a vanity for our bedroom, so she has a place to leave her makeup other than all over the bathroom counter.

LM:

I don’t hear you complaining when I actually do my makeup and get all pretty for you.

JH:

She’s gorgeous, she doesn’t need makeup. But I do love that red lipstick.

He winks at her and she blushes.

KK:

So you live together, and are you still working together as well?

JH:

We are. I work the door on the nights she closes. No way I’m letting her stay here alone.

LM:

Even though there hasn’t been a single incident since that one time last spring, he insists on closing with me.

KK:

What about when you’re working at the firehouse, Jesse?

LM:

He made me adjust my schedule so that I only close on nights he can be with me.

JH:

I didn’t ‘make you.’ That makes me sound like a control freak.

LM:

Not a control freak, just protective.

JH:

Can you blame me?

KK:

I think it’s sweet.

JH:

Thank you!

LM:

She laughs.

Off the record, I think so, too. But I will totally deny having ever said that.

JH:

I knew it! You like having me around.

KK:

While we’re on the subject of the two of you at this bar. There were some pretty intense moments shared here after closing. I’ve got to ask, did you ever fulfill your promise, Jesse?

JH:

To make love to her on the bar? Hell yeah I did.

LM:

More than once.

JH:

And in her office. And–

LM:

And I had the whole place properly cleaned and sanitized after.

KK:

I know our readers were all rooting for that to happen. Speaking of which, several readers have said that they knew the two of you were right for each other early on. Jesse, you realized this as well, but Lana it took you a little bit to get there.

LM:

It did. I think I always knew that Jesse and I were meant to be together, but I fought against it for the wrong reasons.

JH:

You came to your senses though.

LM:

Yes, eventually. I’m just grateful that you never gave up on me.

KK:

Jesse, I know we all hurt for you when Lana went out with Dr. Alex, and I know that was a hard time. How did you manage to hold out for her during that?

JH:

Sexually? It wasn’t even an option for me to be with another woman. I honestly had no desire to be intimate with anyone else. Emotionally, I wasn’t the most fun person to be around. I was pretty bitter a lot of the time, I really believed that she’d realize she was making a mistake. When it took over a month, I started to get impatient. Actually, if she hadn’t come to me when she did and said she left the doctor, I was gonna force her hand.

LM:

You were?

JH:

Yeah.

KK:

This is a story we’ve got to hear.

JH:

The fundraiser I was organizing at LBFD was that weekend, and I knew Lana never would’ve agreed to come just for fun, but I needed to get her there. So, I was gonna call her the night before in a panic, saying that the beer distributor screwed up and didn’t bring half of our order. I knew she’d swoop in and save the day by bringing a few kegs. I also knew I’d be able to convince her to hang around to promote Hop Toddy. Firemen and veterans are definitely the target demographic. But the real plan was for me to remind her of the night we met. I was gonna wait until I saw her sitting at a table and then I planned to bring her a beer and re-create our first night.

LM:

That’s actually really sweet.

JH:

I figured if I could make you feel like that again, you would’ve realized you were making a mistake.

KK:

Who knew you were such a romantic, Jesse.

JH:

I have my moments.

KK:

What do you think, Lana? Would it have worked?

LM:

I have no doubt that it would have.

JH:

But what we ended up doing that day in the storage room was a lot more fun.

LM:

Laughs.

Yeah, it was. Plus, then you never would’ve taken me to the aquarium.

JH:

That would’ve been disastrous. I wouldn’t have gotten you back if it weren’t for those damn sea lions.

KK:

Let’s talk about that moment because I know I swooned when you gave her that flipper painting.

LM:

Seriously the best gift I’ve ever received. I don’t think there could’ve been a better way for Jesse to show me how much I meant to him than that. It’s hanging up in our living room, and it still makes me smile every day.

KK:

Jesse, did you ever get to take Lana to see more sea lions.

JH:

Hell, yeah. I took her to Atlantis out on the east end of Long Island and–

LM:

And the sea lion kissed me!

JH:

Laughs.

She actually cried afterwards.

LM:

It was amazing.

JH:

I’ve got a picture of it, too.

LM:

It’s on the desk in my office.

KK:

That’s so perfect. To change gears a little bit, I want to talk about Lana’s Dad. First off, how’s he doing?

LM:

Really great, actually. Our relationship has gotten much stronger since we had that conversation back in June.

KK:

That’s wonderful. And Jesse, how has it been for you building a relationship with your girlfriend’s dad who is also your chief?

JH:

Surprisingly easy. We set some boundaries early on that we wouldn’t cross our work life and our personal life. It seems to be working so far.

KK:

And what about with your brother, Lana? How have things progressed with him?

LM:

He wasn’t exactly Jesse’s biggest fan at first, but he came around. When I found out that Jesse had gone to meet with him…it meant a lot to me. That he would, you know, go that extra step because he knew it was important to me. I know Declan appreciated it, too.

JH:

And now he’s my boy, so all good on that front.

KK:

Oh?

LM:

They’ve got a total bromance going on. Jesse convinced Declan to get a motorcycle and they take them out together all the time. Well, not now because it’s winter.

JH:

But spring is around the corner.

He winked.
He’s a really cool dude. Hangs out with me and my brothers a lot, too.

KK:

And how are your brothers?

JH:

Kyle is still…Kyle. Dylan and Autumn are getting ready for their wedding this summer.

KK:

That’s exciting.

LM:

It’s so exciting. Autumn asked me to be one of her bridesmaids. We’ve gotten pretty close.

JH:

Yeah, it’s been cool. Our families really fit well together.

KK:

What about Ryan?

JH:

Uh, I don’t know how much I’m allowed to say because his book is next.

KK:

Just don’t give too much away.

JH:

He’s…okay. He’s gone through a lot the last few months. Something happened and it changed him. Forced him to grow up a lot.

LM:

Everything happens for a reason. I think a lot of good is going to come out of this for him. Especially if things progress with Zoe. But that’s all I’ll say on that.

One of the bartenders came over needing Lana for something. She stood.

LM:

Excuse me, I’ve got to take care of something.

KK:

Thanks for sharing your story with us, Lana. And I appreciate you sitting down with me today.

LM:

Absolutely. Thank you.

She goes into the brewery in the back.

KK:

All right, now that she’s gone. I want the scoop. Any plans for your…future?

JH:

Let’s just say I have a plan that’ll make it really difficult for her to say no.

KK:

So you’re going to propose?

JH:

I guess you’ll have to wait and find out.

KK:

Fair enough. Thank you for sharing your story with us, Jesse. I know everyone wishes you both the best. Burning for Her will be available on Amazon on September 30th. You can find out more about Jesse and Lana, as well as Dylan and Autumn, while also getting to know their younger brother Ryan a bit better as he puts it all on the line for love. Happy reading!

Thank you for reading Burning for This! If you loved Jesse and Lana's story, please take a minute to write a review on Amazon and/or GoodReads. I rely on your reviews to help me continue to bring you stories that you'll love and other readers rely on them to discover new books, so your opinion truly makes a difference! Reviews increase the visibility of my books, which means the more I have, the less time I have to spend on marketing and the more time I have to write and bring you the next book!

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