CHAPTER TWO
What in the hell are you doing, Abby? She paced around the tiny living room as she waited for Ethan to return. She didn't know what had come over her. One minute she couldn't wait to get as far away from Ethan Barnes as possible, the next she was making innuendos and wondering what he would do about it.
Time to step back and evaluate things. She had gone the better part of two years without so much as going out on a date with someone. Was she really ready to jump back into that game? She certainly hadn't thought so. But that was before Calendar Hottie had looked her way and rocked the very foundation of who she was trying to become.
No, that wasn’t quite right. She knew who she was. Strong. Independent. Definitely not someone that needed a man to be fulfilled. He just happened to be a very enticing distraction. One that was potentially dangerous to the fragile sense of security she was just starting to feel again. She'd worked too hard to build that strength and security around herself to just let any old guy into her heart, only to have him shred it to pieces.
She knew she was being ridiculous. He was the first guy that came along and flirted with her, and she was already picturing herself picking up the pieces of her shattered heart.
"Get a grip, Abby," she muttered to herself. But just the thought of Ethan in her bedroom in that tight shirt had her so flushed she went to grab a bottle of water from the fridge to try to cool herself off. It was almost embarrassing. She leaned against the kitchen counter and gulped the water down, then pressed it to her warm cheek as she mulled it over.
It wasn't like she was actually going to let anything happen. She wasn't looking for anything. With anyone. A relationship was something she so didn't need to get herself in to. There she went again, jumping the gun. There wasn't even a relationship to worry about in the first place.
A quick rap on the door was followed by his voice calling her name, the deep timbre of it causing a shiver to race up her spine. She took a calming breath. Just chill out. Don't let him get to you.
"In here." Her voice came out much more controlled than she'd expected.
He walked around the corner with a drill in hand and gave her a disarming smile. "Ready to get started?"
Vowing to not let him see how easily he rattled her, she pushed off the counter and returned his smile.
"Follow me." Abby walked into the bedroom first, her eyes landing on the belongings she'd just begun to unpack, and wished she'd thought to put them away. Not that Ethan would think anything of them, but she did value her privacy and felt like she was exposing something about herself regardless.
He glanced at the picture but didn't say anything, instead getting right to work assembling the bed frame. True to his word, Ethan finished the assembly in only eight minutes, then somehow managed to get the mattress settled on it all by himself, refusing Abby's offer to help.
"Well," he said, standing up and stretching, "I think you're set."
Abby couldn't help but notice the way his t-shirt rode up on his stomach as he stretched, and her eyes were transfixed on the chiseled abs she caught a hint of. She pursed her lips and tried to fight the blush of embarrassment when she realized he was grinning at her again. She'd be caught.
"Thanks," she said brusquely, all business again and ready to have her apartment to herself again. Every minute with this guy was more unsettling than the last. "I guess I'll be seeing you around."
His eyes sharpened at her dismissal, but his smile didn't falter. "Yep. Just let me know if you need anything else. Do you have more furniture arriving soon?"
She shook her head. "This is it. I don't need much."
His curiosity was obvious in his expression, but again he didn't say anything about it. Abby felt a sudden rush of gratitude that he wasn't pushing her to reveal anything she didn't want to.
She smiled at him, sincerely this time, as she said, "Thank you. Really. You didn't have to do all this and I appreciate it."
"Not a problem. And seriously, I'm just downstairs if you need anything. One-oh-eight." He held her gaze for a moment, his expression unreadable, and for a reason she couldn't quite explain, knowing he was just a minute away put her at ease in a way she hadn't felt in a long time.
***
"So, how did things go after I left?" Braden grabbed a handful of nuts from the bowl on the bar and munched on them while eying Ethan with curiosity. "Did I miss anything good?"
They met up at the Old Gin just like they planned, but so far Abby was nowhere to be seen.
Ethan thought back to how she had joked and flirted with him, and a slow smile spread across his face. While he knew she wasn't his usual type, he hadn't been able to get her off his mind all evening. Something about her intrigued him.
"So I did miss something." Braden grinned. "Should have known not to leave you alone with her if I wanted a shot."
"No, man, nothing like that." Ethan shook his head and took a swig from his beer. He tried to brush off Braden's comment, but it got under his skin. He didn't want Braden trying to make a move on Abby. He felt oddly protective of her, even though he'd only just met her. Something about the wary look that kept coming into her eyes had him wanting to let her know she could trust him.
Which was ridiculous. He was the last guy that was interested in getting into a relationship. He'd been down that road before and it only ended in disaster.
"So you wouldn't mind if I walked over there right now and tried my luck with her?"
Ethan turned and followed Braden's gaze toward the door of the Old Gin, where Abby was just walking in with Lissa and her friend Cassie Martin. It was one of the only places in town that people could go to hear live music and dance, so it wasn't unlikely that he and Braden would be there, but he still wondered if Abby would realize that she was the real reason they were there tonight.
She looked incredible, her raven hair that had been piled atop her head now flowing freely down her back. And if the skirt she was wearing was intended to make her legs look like they went on for miles, it was certainly doing its job.
Glancing at Braden, he wanted to grip his shoulder and make sure he stayed right where he was, but in an effort to get himself back under control where Abby was concerned, he gritted his teeth together and turned back to the bar and signaled for another drink.
"Dude," Braden said, "what's up with that? Weren't you down with the idea of coming here to see her in the first place? What happened? Did she already shoot you down?"
Ethan sighed. "No. I just don't know that I want to get involved with anyone. You know what my life is like."
"And?" Braden eyed him skeptically. "It's not like you're about to settle down. There's nothing wrong with having a good time. But hey, if you aren't interested, I'm going for it."
Before Ethan could get another word in, much less stop him, Braden was headed off across the room to where the women were just sitting down at a table near the back wall. He gripped his bottle so tightly his knuckles turned white. When he heard the creak in his jaw from gritting his teeth so hard, he forced himself to get a grip and tried to remember his reasons for not getting involved with women anymore. At the moment, watching as Abby flashed a smile at Braden, he had a hard time finding them.
Maybe Braden was right. It wasn't like spending some time with Abby meant he was ready to settle down. That he was committing to anything. And the fact that he was sitting there stewing over it was completely out of character for him. On any given day, he was the life of the party. Ready for an adventure at any moment. Always the first to take a risk, accept a challenge. He thrived on taking chances and the adrenaline that came along with it.
It was part of what made him so good at what he did. And also what had cost him everything. Just the whisper of the memory had him backpedaling from that train of thought faster than he tore out of the firehouse on an emergency call.
In spite of it, he couldn't shake the desire to get to know Abby better. His gut told him she wasn't the kind of woman that could easily adapt to
his wilder side—the caution that was written all over her face earlier that day gave it away. But as he watched her throw her head back in laughter at something Braden said, he knew she was another risk he wouldn't be able to walk away from.
"It's a good thing you're a firefighter, Ethan. That's all I've got to say."
He whipped his head around to find Lissa standing at the bar next to him. When she signaled the bartender over and ordered two specialty margaritas, he couldn't help eying her rounded stomach.
"Drinking for two? And what's that jab supposed to mean?"
She smirked. "Three, actually." She rubbed her belly and laughed. "But these aren't for me. I offered to get drinks so I could find out why you're sitting over hear shooting flaming daggers at your best friend instead of joining us at the table."
Had it been that obvious?
She looked at him expectantly. "Get it? Flames...fire... Ugh, never mind." She rolled her eyes. "The point is, are you going to get over there and stake your claim or what?"
If he hadn't been so taken off guard, he may have come back with a witty retort, but as it was, Lissa's over-the-top question had him laughing in spite of himself.
"You're kidding, right? I mean, I know you're notorious around here for sticking your nose where it doesn't belong, but I never thought I would be the target of one of your matchmaking efforts."
She smiled innocently as the bartender set the drinks in front of her. "Well, are you going to carry these over to the girls for me or not? I can't have half the town gossiping that I was drinking tonight."
He shook his head and smiled back. She had him right where she wanted him. And if he was honest with himself, following her back to the table where Abby was now watching them like a hawk, oblivious to whatever joke Braden was now telling her, it was exactly where he wanted to be right now too.
***
The minute Lissa started talking to Ethan at the bar, Abby completely checked out of anything else going on around her. She did notice the knowing smile Cassie was trying to keep under control, and she was grateful that her new friend was valiantly attempting to keep the conversation going with Braden, but she couldn't care less what he had to say now that Ethan was trailing behind Lissa toward their table, sea-green eyes locked on hers.
Against her better judgment, she'd hoped he would come over and say hi since she first spotted him at the bar when they walked in. There was just something about him. He was so...captivating. It was the only way she knew how to describe him. Every time she saw him everything else seemed to fade away, to become muted in contrast to his presence. She couldn't even think clearly, much less carry on a decent conversation. She was still embarrassed over her erratic behavior that afternoon.
Obviously she was going to have to take charge of this issue or she'd be reduced to a stuttering mess in the next few seconds when he arrived at her table.
You can do this. He's just a guy.
A ridiculously hot guy. It wasn't as if she'd never seen a hot guy before. It had just been a really, really long time since one had been interested in her, and from the way he was smiling at her and not even looking at anyone else as he approached, she was pretty certain there was a bit of interest there.
Determined to get her act together and not appear as socially inept as she felt, she took a deep breath and tried to remember how she dealt with the panic attacks she used to have. Breathe in. Breathe out. Calmness in. Negativity out. She was relieved that it seemed to work just as well for her in this situation because now here he was and there was no more time to pull it together.
Feeling lighter, she tuned back in to the conversation going on around her.
"Ethan, it's been a while," Cassie was saying. "How are you?"
"Great, thanks." Ethan smiled as he handed her one of the drinks in his hands. "And you?"
"Feels good to be out with the girls for a change." Cassie had a sweet little girl named Sarah and a fairly new baby boy at home. Abby didn't think she'd been out without them since she'd had Carter.
"I bet. Here you go," Ethan said, turning his attention back to Abby as he came around the table and handed her an icy margarita.
She offered him a smile as she looked up at him. "Thanks."
Braden lifted his beer and clinked it to her glass. "Cheers. So you decided to join us after all, man?" he said to Ethan, a slight edge to his voice.
Abby didn't miss the look of challenge that passed between the two men. What was that about? Surely not her. But as Ethan grabbed an unoccupied chair from a nearby table and swung it around to straddle it backwards between Braden and herself, he received a glare in return from Braden. Well, maybe so.
It wasn't like she thought she was unattractive or anything, but to have two guys so obviously vying for her attention was an entirely new experience for her and she couldn't keep the laugh from bubbling up at the absurdity of it. Funny, she'd laughed more around him today than she could remember laughing in a while.
Ethan cocked a curious brow at her and grinned before raising his beer as well. "Cheers. And yes, my friend, I wondered why I was letting you have all the fun over here by yourself."
"Probably because this is girls' night, and you two are officially crashing it," Abby interjected pointedly, but her voice was full of amusement. Now that she was feeling a bit more relaxed, she thought maybe she would enjoy the night after all.
"Hmm," Ethan said, leaning in to bump his shoulder lightly against hers. "Isn't girls' night just a ruse for going out to meet guys?"
She pursed her lips in mock-indignation. "Certainly not. There is a long standing tradition of girls' night, and it absolutely does not involve meeting guys."
He made a noise in his throat that sounded like he wasn't convinced.
"Besides, in case you haven't noticed, my two lovely companions are married."
Braden leaned in and raised an eyebrow. "And where does that leave you? In search of Mr. Right?"
Abby's mouth fell open and Lissa laughed, saying, "You walked right into that one, hon. Sorry to burst your bubble, Braden, but I had to practically drag her out tonight."
It wasn't a lie. If she'd been able to come up with any excuse that her persistent sister-in-law would accept, she'd probably be watching a movie in her new comfy bed. But it wouldn't have given her a good enough distraction to keep from thinking about Ethan, one of the main reasons she hadn't put up a bigger fight when Lissa had called to remind her that she better be ready by eight.
And look where that had landed her. Mere inches from the guy. So much for a night of distraction.
Ethan lifted one corner of his mouth in a half-smile. "So you aren't in the market for Mr. Right?"
Not too long ago that kind of question would have sent her into a downward spiral that lasted for days, but something about the way he said it, light and teasing, no pressure, simply left her feeling at ease. That was the second time that day that she'd surprised herself with her reaction to him. Was she finally getting over Derek?
It wasn't something she wanted to think about. She just wanted to enjoy whatever this attraction was. At least for the moment. She could think about how she needed to watch herself around Ethan later. Right now she was sitting next to a guy who made her stomach do somersaults and she wanted to have a little fun for a change. Besides, she was surrounded by her girlfriends. It was perfectly safe.
So she did what any single, red-blooded woman would do when faced with a hottie of epic proportions. She flirted back.
"Mr. Right?" She gave him a saucy grin. "Why, do you consider yourself a good candidate for the position? Or perhaps your friend here would know better. Braden, what do you think? Does Ethan have what it takes to be someone's Mr. Right?"
Braden guffawed. "Maybe Mr. Right Now." He winced as Ethan jabbed him in the ribs with his elbow. "Hey, I just call it like I see it, man."
Abby arched an eyebrow. "I'm not even going to ask. Not that it matters."
"Is that so?" Braden looked at her skeptically. Et
han, however, didn't speak a word in his defense. She filed that away to mull over later. "Seems to me that most women are looking for The One."
She directed her response to Ethan. "I'm not most women."
"No," he murmured, so softly that she was pretty sure she was the only one who could hear him over the din of the crowd. "I don't think that you are." His eyes studied her face for a moment before he broke into another charming smile that had her heart rate jumping up again.
She looked back to the group in time to hear Lissa and Cassie debating about getting out on the dance floor, and she could tell from the way that Braden was looking back and forth between the two of them, and her and Ethan, that he was about to ask her if she wanted to dance. Without giving it any consideration, she jumped up and reached for Ethan's hand.
"Come on. Dancing does sound fun."
His look of surprise was only surpassed by Lissa's, who quickly nodded and gave her an encouraging smile. It was definitely out of character for her to be that forward, and she couldn't quite say what had pushed her to do it, other than the fact that given the choice between dancing with Ethan or Braden, she'd choose Ethan any day of the week.
"Let's do it. I'm always up for some fun." Ethan stood, keeping a firm grasp on her hand, and followed her out to the dance floor.
His hand was warm and strong in hers, and her heart kicked up a notch to pound even harder against her chest. For a minute she almost changed her mind and told him she didn't want to dance after all, but when she looked back at him, the megawatt smile he gave her sent that idea right out the window. As much as he had every nerve ending in her body on high alert, he also had a way of calming her with that smile.
Just as they reached the dance floor, the fast-paced song that everyone was laughing and having a good time dancing to transitioned into a slow ballad, and the band's lighting setup faded to a dimmer glow that caught lighter streaks in Ethan's dark hair that she hadn't seen before.
"We're going to slow things down for a few songs," the singer crooned.
Saved by Love Page 2
