Forget Me Not (Golden Falls Fire Book 4)

by Scarlett Andrews

  She appreciated it, as strange as it was to hear words of praise coming from his mouth.

  Alas, his gestures were too little and too late to consider rekindling their relationship. She hoped they could stay on friendly terms, anyway.

  But as she watched Sean cross the crowded bar, it was easy to cast Derrick from her mind. All she could think about was Lottie’s comment about the anticipated heroic largesse of Sean’s manhood and hope she got the chance to find out if it was true.

  She didn’t know how she could possibly go through an entire additional evening with Sean and not reveal they’d gone to the same high school. It hadn’t been a large school; she wouldn’t be able to pretend she hadn’t known who he was. What would happen when Sean found out she was the nerdy girl who’d had a hopeless crush on him? Would he make an excuse and leave?

  Even the thought of it made her ache with loneliness. For her, it had always been Sean. He’d been the only one she’d ever fantasized about, imagining him holding her in his arms, running his hands along her body, kissing her in places both chaste and not so chaste.

  She took a deep breath, willing herself to stay in control and not let on who she really was and how long she’d really wanted him. Not yet, anyway.

  Damn, she’s gorgeous, Sean thought as his eyes landed on Annabelle near the back of the crowded college dive bar. From the moment he caught sight of her, he was utterly entranced by her beauty.

  Up on the mountain, she’d been equally alluring with that free-flowing strawberry blonde hair and petite frame and pale cheeks that blushed when their eyes connected the least little bit. But on Denali, she’d just been through a trauma. She was injured, tired, and seemed burdened by the weight of what she’d just gone through.

  He’d been drawn to her then—hence his suggestion to join her for trivia night—but she was exponentially sexier now. Annabelle had an unconventional appeal. A shy delight, she had no idea how beautiful she was. Her figure, shown off to good effect by a tight pale wool sweater and jeans, made him want to run his hands over her body. He’d like to bury his face in her ample, pillowy breasts and give them the attention they deserved. A woman as intelligent as she must have a mind that rarely stopped; he’d love to drive her into the kind of ecstasy that made all rational thought impossible.

  After he’d taken off his coat and gloves and hung them on the extensive set of wall hooks in the arctic entry, he crossed the room toward her. His senses vaguely took in the smells of spilled beer, fried food, and wet wool. The air had a dusty feel to it, and the bar could use a deep cleaning. Annabelle felt like a beacon against the dinginess, like a lighthouse calling to him as he came in from the cold.

  She was warmth and light and everything good.

  When he got to her, they stood awkwardly for a moment. Sean was surprised to find his usual ease with women had taken a hiatus where she was concerned.

  “Hey, you,” he said, wanting to kick himself for feeling so flustered. He imagined how the guys from work would mock his pathetically unsuave greeting. Hey, you. Lame. “Great to see you,” he added in an attempt to salvage some of his dignity.

  “Great to see you, too!” Annabelle said, and when her eyes crinkled in genuine happiness, Sean stepped forward. Heat coursed through his body as they embraced. He wanted to pull her closer, sink his hands into her luscious hair. He loved how it cascaded over her shoulders and down her back. Her hair might possibly be her best feature, except for her honeyed lips, or her tempting figure, or maybe the oh-so-faint freckles that dotted her creamy skin.

  Damn, Sean, he thought. When have you ever been so enamored with a woman? You’re going to scare her off if you’re too intense.

  But after an appropriate beat, he stepped back, not wanting to make her uncomfortable. He already knew he’d have to take things slow with Annabelle. He was going to have to work hard to win her over. He felt sure that any moves he’d made on women in the past wouldn’t work with someone as intelligent and accomplished as Annabelle. She was an original—a refreshing original with one hell of a sexy smile.

  “I’m so glad you’re here,” she said. “I can hardly believe you actually came!”

  “I’m a man of my word.”

  “Let me introduce you around.” Annabelle gestured to her table mates. “You know Lottie, of course, and Derrick’s over there at the jukebox, and this is Cameron Doyle. He’s a glaciology grad student, too.”

  Lottie had a cheerful, yes-I’ve-been-drinking look about her, while the more sober Cameron was a hippie type who sported a ponytail he’d never get away with if he worked for the fire department. Still, he seemed friendly as he stood to shake Sean’s hand and pour him a beer from their pitcher.

  “Cheers,” Sean said to the group, taking a sip. “To . . . what do you call your group again?”

  “David Attenborough’s Pants. It’s silly, but it’s kind of an inside joke amongst science types.”

  “After the ‘Planet Earth’ guy?” Sean asked.

  “Exactly!” Annabelle pressed Lottie’s shoulder indicating she should scoot down, which Lottie did. “Here, have a seat.”

  Sean sat next to Annabelle, feeling happy and oddly nervous. He hadn’t been nervous around a woman since, well, forever . . . but damned if he didn’t feel buzzed already, not from one sip of beer but from the close proximity of Annabelle.

  He took another drink. “Anna’s Amber?”

  The beer, named for a famous husky dog, was one of the most popular craft brews from the Sled Dog Brewing Company.

  She nodded, and he thought of something, a little way to tease.

  “You say you can’t believe I came, but you must have thought I would if you got five beer glasses for the table instead of just four.”

  “Well.” Her eyes glinted. “I hoped you’d come, but I didn’t really think you would.”

  “Why not?”

  “Well, your girlfriend. Or is she your wife? The woman at the airport.”

  Damn it. She’d seen Melissa’s little display the other day. He thought she probably had, although he’d hoped by some miracle she hadn’t.

  “That was Melissa,” he said. “And we’re not together.”

  Annabelle raised her brows, her expression amused. “Does she know that?”

  “She does.” Sean made sure his tone was definitive. If he blew it here, he had no chance at all with Annabelle. “It’s not even a recent breakup. It was some months back, so I have no idea what that was all about. But we had a chat, and it’s all resolved now. I’m single. Definitely single.” He felt that might have been too forward. Too obvious. So when he saw Lottie pour the last of the beer from the pitcher, he reached for it. “Next round’s on me.”

  He made his way to the bar, and as the bartender was filling the pitcher with more Anna’s Amber, Derrick left the jukebox and sidled up next to Sean. In Sean’s world, when two men who were casual acquaintances ran into each other, they shook hands and exchanged pleasantries, but Derrick didn’t say anything for a long moment. Sean could tell Derrick was trying to intimidate him, and he was curious to see how it would play out.

  “Getting a pitcher?” Derrick asked, watching the bartender fill it.

  Captain Obvious, Sean thought.

  “Yep,” he said, resolving to be friendly, because as little as he thought of Derrick, they were on the same team that night, after all. “How’re you doing, Derrick? Ready to kick some ass in trivia?”

  “I don’t care about trivia,” Derrick said with a thin smile. “But you should know that Annabelle and I are dating, and we have been for a year. It’s fairly serious. Not quite engaged, but getting there.”

  Engaged?!

  Reeling, Sean stepped back. “She didn’t say anything.”

  And she should have, he thought. Right back there a few minutes earlier when they cleared the air about Melissa. Something was happening between them, sparks or a certain energy, and it would have been the time for her to say something. Sean hadn’t crossed any lines
or made any moves, but his interest in Annabelle was definitely more than casual, and he hadn’t tried to hide it.

  “Sorry, man, I didn’t know,” he told Derrick.

  The thought of Derrick’s hands on Annabelle’s body made him feel physically ill. He vaguely heard the bartender tell him how much he owed for the beer, and he tossed a twenty on the counter.

  “Now you do.” Derrick smirked. “You didn’t really expect Annabelle to be interested in you anyway—not with your education level—did you?”

  Oof. Sean felt that familiar gut-punch at the thought of his academic inadequacies. Still, it was a low blow.

  “Are you this much of an asshole to everyone you meet?” he asked. “Or do you have some particular problem with me?”

  “I just want to make sure we’re clear,” Derrick said. “I don’t mind if you stay, but I’ll ask you to keep your distance from her.”

  Sean regarded him. “It’s odd. Up there on the mountain, I couldn’t even tell that you two were a thing. You didn’t show much concern for her then. Man, if she was my girlfriend and she almost died—”

  “Well, she’s not your girlfriend,” Derrick said. “She’s not, and she never will be.”

  “Because you’re engaged.”

  “Right.”

  Sean still could scarcely believe it.

  As they went back to the table, he caught Annabelle’s worried eyes on them. He looked at her questioningly, wondering why she hadn’t mentioned she was practically engaged to Derrick. Wondering, too, how she could be nearly engaged to someone so ill-mannered and petty, but before he could say anything, the music stopped playing over the speakers, and an emcee on a makeshift stage announced the start of trivia night.

  After Derrick’s little man-to-man talk, coupled with his insult about Sean’s level of education, the last thing Sean wanted to do was stick around and watch the nearly-engaged couple get cozy, so he set the pitcher of beer on the table and made an excuse about needing to leave. Annabelle’s lips pursed with worry. They were lips he’d dreamt of kissing, but he knew now that it wasn’t going to happen.

  He gave her a small wave of goodbye, turned, and went to get his coat.

  Just like that, it was over between him and Annabelle—over before it had even begun.

  14

  “Sean! Sean, wait!”

  Annabelle hurried as quickly as she could on her bum foot, desperate to catch Sean before he walked out the door—and, she was sure, out of her life. She wasn’t about to let that happen if she could help it.

  She caught him in the coat room, already zipped into his parka and tossing a scarf around his neck. She stopped short, breathless and confused. “Do you really need to leave?”

  His eyes gave away nothing. “I think so.”

  “But trivia night’s just starting.” And I still lust for you.

  “Three’s a crowd, you know?” he said.

  Her stomach sank. “What do you mean?”

  “You and Derrick.” Sean’s eyes searched for answers as he studied her, and she adored those eyes. She’d adored them back in high school, and she adored them now. They were warm and guileless and sexy as hell. “I wish you’d mentioned you were together,” he said. “It’s not like you owed me that information, but—”

  “Wait, no! What? We’re not together!” Annabelle felt stirrings of panic. How dare Derrick give that impression? “We’re definitely not together. Is that what he told you?”

  “He said you’re nearly engaged.”

  An aghast breath escaped. “That’s totally not true,” she said. “Honestly, it couldn’t be further from the truth.”

  Sean’s cool eyes assessed her. “Why would he lie?”

  To get rid of you, maybe.

  To keep us apart.

  To make me suffer.

  “I don’t know,” she said, because anything else would sound way too melodramatic for her sensibilities.

  “So he just made it up out of the blue?”

  “We used to date. Sort of. It was never even an official relationship. But I ended it definitively. I promise.”

  Sean’s lips were pressed together. He glanced at Derrick, and Annabelle knew that even if he believed her—which he might or might not, she couldn’t tell—he’d decided, or was about to decide, that it wasn’t worth the hassle to get to the bottom of things.

  But it was. Sean showing up in her life again was a sign. Even though she, as a scientist, didn’t believe in signs, she believed in this situation. Her body was meant to be next to his—on the highest mountains, at trivia night, wherever. And always. He was always supposed to be with her. Hell, the earth had split open to bring them together—who were they to fight it?

  “Here.” Impulsively, she took his hand. “Come back to the table for a minute.”

  “Annabelle, I—”

  “Please, Sean. I let you explain about Melissa, didn’t I?”

  He nodded. “You did.”

  “So please show me the same courtesy.”

  She led him back to their table. They took it slow due to her limp, and Sean allowed her to keep hold of his hand. They’d held hands in the helicopter, too, when he was trying to put her at ease after the rescue; this time, she was the instigator. She needed him to know he could trust her, and that Derrick was as much in her past as Melissa was in his.

  The other members of the trivia team watched as they approached. The trivia master was explaining the rules over the microphone, but it was just background noise to Annabelle’s racing thoughts. She couldn’t settle on what to think; she was angry at Derrick and afraid of Sean leaving and couldn’t process it all. Mostly she wanted to throw a beer on Derrick and then kiss Sean.

  Derrick was focused on the trivia master, waiting for the first question, pretending not to see Annabelle approaching with Sean.

  That just made Annabelle angrier.

  “Hey, all,” she said when they got to the table.

  “Shh,” Derrick said. “We’re starting.”

  “Too bad,” Annabelle said, loud enough for the whole table to look at her.

  She let go of Sean’s hand and crossed her arms. “Derrick, Sean just told me that you said we’re practically engaged.”

  Lottie burst out laughing, while Cameron’s eyes got big, as if it was news to him. Annabelle hoped Sean saw both reactions, but he kept his eyes on Derrick while taking a step closer to Annabelle, which she took as a good sign.

  “So to quell any false rumors, Derrick and I are no longer in any kind of romantic relationship. Isn’t that right, Derrick?” She gave Derrick a hard stare.

  Derrick leaned back in his chair. “Whatever you say, Annabelle.”

  There it was again, that vague non-acceptance of her wishes. She wanted to lash out at him, but it wasn’t the time or place. The important thing was that Sean knew she was single.

  “I never thought you two were romantic in the first place,” Lottie said with a giggle. “Hey, Sean, sit down and let’s play some trivia.”

  Annabelle started to sit down, but Sean caught her elbow with a gentle hand, and a sizzle of fire went up her arm from where he touched her.

  “Sorry,” he said, his voice low. “I should have believed you. I guess I found it too easy to think a woman like you would already be taken.”

  Annabelle paused, choked up from the wild, happy emotion that flooded through her. He likes me. Sean Kelly likes me.

  She spoke her next words softly, only for him.

  “During that trip to the glacier, and especially after I fell, it became clear to me that there was nothing between Derrick and me worth salvaging. He did nothing to show he cared. But then you came, and everything was better.”

  Sean took her hand once more and smiled at her, a smile that was both encouraging and understanding.

  She near-whispered, “You showed up, and I knew I’d be okay.”

  I want this woman, Sean thought. I don’t care what the hell was going on with Derrick.

  Ther
e was something about Annabelle that called to his heart. It was too soon to know what it was, but it was there nonetheless. Whatever the equivalent was of Annabelle’s “you showed up, and I knew I’d be okay,” he felt it, too. From the way her cheeks bloomed from embarrassment, he knew it had been hard for her to say it, and he appreciated that she’d done so anyway.

  It was what he’d needed to hear, clarity about the situation with Derrick and a hint that his feelings for her might be reciprocated.

  Plus, it was damn nice holding her hand. There were other parts of her he’d like to touch, too, which necessitated staying for trivia night no matter what kind of crap Derrick might toss his way.

  He gave Derrick a derisive once-over and said, “All right. Let’s win this thing.”

  “Yay!” Lottie said. “Our Ken doll is staying!”

  Ken doll?

  He glanced at Annabelle, who rolled her eyes. “Ignore her,” she said.

  Sean and Annabelle took their seats. He tossed his coat on an empty chair and reached for his beer.

  The trivia master said, “One more time: no cell phones. No shouting out answers, true or false. And as always, the grand prize is three pitchers of beer, your choice! Second prize is a single pitcher. Don’t drink it all at once—no, wait, do! It’ll freeze solid if you try to take it home.”

  The crowd laughed politely.

  “He always says that,” Annabelle said, leaning close enough to Sean that he could smell a faint, delicious scent that reminded him of vanilla and fresh snow. Was it her hair? Her clothes? Perfume? Whatever the source, the scent suited her. Vanilla always smelled pure to him. Honest and pure.

  “Now for round one, general knowledge,” the announcer said.