Firecracker

by Firecracker (retail) (epub)

  “Need another round?” Arden tilted her head and met his eyes.

  Heat punched through his gut at the eye contact. Jesus.

  They’d been dancing around each other since Tuesday night when they’d fucked each other stupid. She’d left for work the next day while he stayed at her place, pretending to work on her bathroom. There had been legit delays with getting the plumber they knew to squeeze them in between jobs, but truthfully? He’d been dragging it out because he liked having her in his apartment naked. That night, he’d gone to Shenanigans to walk her home, as he had any night he wasn’t working. Even though it pissed her off, she’d gradually accepted that he was going to be there when he could. When they’d got back to her place, he’d paused outside her apartment, then kissed her forehead and said good night.

  He’d sensed that puzzled her.

  Then he’d had to work the next morning and hadn’t seen her much until tonight.

  “I’ll have another Fuzzy Navel.” Norton held up his empty glass.

  Arden smiled. “Sure.”

  “Why the hell are you drinking those?” Jamie asked. “That’s a girly drink.”

  The sharply sucked-in breath of the three women was audible even in the noisy bar.

  “What did you just say?” Mila asked.

  Jamie blinked. “Uh…”

  “What does that even mean?” Emma said. “What is a girly drink exactly? And why does a drink have to be gender specific? Why can’t men drink whatever they want?”

  “And women,” Arden added.

  Jamie held his hands up. “Sorry.”

  “I’m secure in my masculinity,” Norton said.

  “Good to know,” Jamie said dryly. “I’ll have another beer.”

  “Same,” Tyler added, though he hated Arden waiting on him. It just felt wrong. He wanted to be the one looking after her. But planting her ass on this couch while he went and got drinks would definitely be weird.

  “You drink whatever you like, Norton,” Arden said, squeezing his shoulder.

  Norton shot her a look of near adoration.

  Arden was always so kind and respectful to Norton, despite his idiosyncrasies.

  Just as she was leaving to get their drinks, Danny arrived.

  He was greeted with enthusiasm, except for Norton who hadn’t met him yet. Jamie made introductions, and Danny sat in the empty spot next to Norton on the couch opposite Tyler.

  “What can I bring you to drink, Danny?” Arden asked.

  “Jack and Coke, please.”

  “You got it.”

  “So, Danny,” Norton said. “We were just talking. What do you think…how long does it take you to know you’re attracted to a woman?”

  Danny smiled. “Long. Very long. In fact, never.”

  “Huh?”

  “I’m gay. I’m not attracted to women.”

  Norton’s mouth fell open. “Oh.”

  Tyler grinned. “Okay, how about men?”

  Danny cocked his head. “I dunno…maybe a minute. Or less.”

  Norton shot Danny a suspicious look and shifted away from him on the couch. Tyler winced and shook his head.

  “Don’t worry, Norton. I’m not attracted to you.” Danny patted Norton’s knee and Norton nearly leaped off the couch.

  Everyone else laughed.

  “That guy,” Danny said, nodding toward the bar. “Now he’s attractive.”

  They all turned to look at Liam.

  As if sensing their interest, Liam looked up and gave them one of his usual cocky smiles. He handed Arden the last of their drinks, which she loaded onto the tray. When she started toward them, Liam followed her.

  “Hello, mates,” Liam said. “Is lovely Arden here looking after you well?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “Yeah.”

  They were all enthusiastic in their praise of Arden to her boss. Her cheeks flushed as she set their drinks on the table. Tyler studied her legs, her skirt riding higher as she bent over. He wanted to slide his hands up the backs of her thighs… Yeah, he was a perv. He got annoyed at Norton, yet he was just as bad. Maybe not quite as inappropriate as Norton.

  “We haven’t met,” Liam said to Danny, eyeing him with as much interest as Danny had showed in him.

  Apparently the attraction was mutual.

  Arden blinked, clutching her tray, watching her boss.

  “Hey, Liam, this is Danny,” Jamie said. “Danny, Liam. Liam owns this place.”

  “That I do. Pleased to meet you, Danny.”

  Danny smiled. “Anyone ever tell you that you look like Prince Harry?”

  “Never.” Liam winked.

  “You’re Irish,” Danny said.

  “That I am.”

  “But he has that Irish curse,” Jamie said, smirking.

  Liam frowned.

  “What Irish curse?” Danny asked.

  “You haven’t heard of the Irish curse?” Jamie grinned. “Irish men are cursed with very small penises.”

  Smiles and chuckles broke out all around. Liam tossed his head. “I’ve offered to prove that’s false many times.” He shrugged. “Step into the men’s room.”

  “No, thanks.” Jamie still grinned.

  Liam didn’t give up. “As a matter of fact, my dick’s so big, it’s against the law to fuck me without protective headgear.”

  Laughter rose around them.

  “It’s so big, I entered a big dick contest and came in first. And second. And third.”

  Tyler caught the look of interest mingled with amusement on Danny’s face.

  “Oh my God,” Mila said. “You guys and your biggest dick competitions.” She turned to Danny. “We still haven’t come to see your show at the supper club. I’ve been trying to plan something, but it’s hard with everyone’s schedules.”

  “That’s okay,” he said. “It’ll work out some time.”

  Liam leaned on the back of an armchair. “What show is that?”

  “Danny’s a…an entertainer,” Tyler said.

  Liam pursed his lips. “A singer?”

  “Dancer.” Danny’s eyes gleamed. “I sing a little too.”

  “Cool.”

  “You need to give Arden a night off,” Mila said with a cheeky grin for Liam. “And maybe you could even join us.”

  Liam tilted his head. “Arden gets two days off a week.”

  “But the supper club is closed Mondays.”

  “Maybe I could work an early shift one Friday?” Arden eyed her boss hopefully.

  “We could do that.”

  “Yay!” Mila pumped a fist. “I’ll make a reservation for Friday. Who’s in?”

  They were all in, even Liam. He pushed away from the armchair. “Well. Best be back to work. You kids have fun.”

  Tyler grinned. He knew Liam was nearly forty, but the dude didn’t look it. He didn’t act it either. He was tons of fun.

  Tyler watched Danny’s gaze follow Liam back to the bar. Then he looked at Arden, saw her watching them too, before she met his eyes again. He grinned at her bemused expression.

  Sorcha stopped next to Arden. “Arden…table five is still waiting for their drinks.”

  “Oh. Right. Sorry.” She broke the connection and hurried away.

  “Hi, Tyler.” Sorcha smiled at him.

  “Hey, Sorcha. How’s it going?”

  “Good.” Now it was her turn to perch on the arm of his chair. “Busy, but it helps with a few new waitresses. Hopefully they’ll stick around longer than some have. How’s the firefighting business? Save any lives lately?”

  “Every day.”

  “You must work out a lot to stay in such great shape.”

  “Uh. Yeah.” He glanced at Arden who stood at the bar watching them with an expressionless face. Then she turned back to Liam who was handing her several cocktails that she set on her tray.

  Sorcha was leaning in with a flirty smile, and he knew Arden had noticed.

  He wasn’t the kind of guy to play games, and he’d never le
ad Sorcha on, knowing it would go nowhere, but hey, maybe it was good for Arden to see that another woman liked him. So he smiled back at her. “We all work out,” he said. “It’s part of the job.”

  Her gaze lingered on his biceps. “I guess it is. Carrying those big hoses…”

  He nearly choked. “Yeah, among other things.”

  She sighed. Then she turned, catching a customer at a booth waving at her. She rose with a regretful expression. “Sorry. I have to get back to work.”

  Tyler turned his attention back to his friends, who were now talking about how women had better hearing than men.

  “It’s true,” Mila insisted. “Studies have proven it.”

  “See, my last girlfriend didn’t believe me when I told her that,” Jamie said with a grin. “She kept accusing me of not listening to her. I just didn’t hear her.”

  “Much as I hate to support you on that, there is science behind it,” Mila agreed. “Testosterone affects the development of the auditory system, so it blocks out unwanted, repetitious noise.”

  “That’s why my brain was blocking her out. She was definitely repetitious.” One corner of his mouth lifted.

  “Well, she probably had to be, to get you to listen,” Mila said. “But she did have a very annoying voice.”

  “Yeah, you never liked Ashley.” Jamie frowned. “Come to think of it, you never like any of my girlfriends.”

  Mila snorted. “That’s not true. And anyway, most of them aren’t around long enough for me to like.”

  Tyler’s forehead tightened, listening to their exchange. Mila seemed…edgy tonight.

  “I need another beer,” she announced, looking around. “Where’s Arden?”

  “I’ll get it for you.” Tyler already knew Arden was in the kitchen. He rose. “Anyone else?”

  Everyone else was good, so he headed to the bar and slid onto an empty stool. Liam noticed him right away and he ordered Mila’s Pilsner and another IPA for himself.

  As he waited, he watched Arden come out of the kitchen with a tray of food for another table. She served them with her bright smile, getting more smiles in return.

  “Jaysus, man, stop making glad eyes at her.”

  Tyler turned to Liam, frowning. “What?”

  “You can’t take your eyes off her.” Liam nodded at Arden. “What is up with that?”

  Shit. Was it obvious to everyone? Tyler rubbed his forehead.

  “You’re here to walk her home nearly every night,” Liam added. “I’m still surprised she lets you.”

  Tyler barked out a laugh. “It pisses her off, but she lets me.”

  Liam nodded. “Does Jamie know?”

  “Know what?”

  “That you’re hot for his sister.”

  “Jesus. No.” He wanted to tell Liam it wasn’t one-sided, that Arden was just as hot for him, but even though he was as happy as the next guy to brag about his sexual conquests, it didn’t feel right when it was Arden. Also, there was no way in hell he was telling Jamie.

  He grabbed the drinks and headed back to the table.

  Had Arden said anything to Jamie?

  Nah, not possible. Jamie would have mentioned it. Or punched him in the nose.

  But it was none of Jamie’s business.

  Okay, Arden was Jamie’s sister, so it sort of was his business. But then, she probably didn’t go around telling Jamie about every guy she slept with.

  He pretended to be interested in the conversation, but when this round of drinks was done, everyone started making noises about going home. He cast another glance Arden’s way. She’d probably be here another half hour.

  He held up his beer, which was only half-done. “I’m gonna hang a bit longer. You guys go on.”

  “I’ll stay too,” Norton said, his “fear of missing out” always there. Tyler sighed, but Norton’s FOMO was probably easier to deal with than Jamie.

  They watched a rerun of a NASCAR race on TV while they sat there. Tyler finished his beer but still made no move to leave while Arden cleared the last few tables until the place was empty.

  Finally Norton gave up, giving Tyler a look laced with what-the-fuck-dude as he left money for his tab and headed out. Not before checking into plans for next weekend, though.

  Arden was finally done, pushing her arms into a sweater and pulling her hair out from it. “Tyler. Why are you still here?”

  “I had to finish my beer.”

  “Bullshit.” But her tone was mild, and her lips quirked into a smile even as she shook her head.

  They left together and walked through the cool night air home.

  “Why did you tell Jamie you weren’t leaving?” she asked.

  “I told him I had to finish my beer.”

  She snorted. “Tyler.”

  “Did you tell him about us?”

  “God, no! What would I tell him? ‘I slept with your best friend’?”

  “I wasn’t sure.”

  “So you haven’t said anything either?”

  “No. But I want to.”

  “What? Why?”

  “I don’t like lying to people.”

  In a very soft voice, so quiet he almost couldn’t hear her, she said, “Of course you don’t.” She let out a short sigh. “But…what would you tell him, Tyler?”

  I’m crazy about your sister. I always have been. I want more of her. I want all of her.

  He didn’t say those things out loud. Fuck no. No way in hell was she ready for that. “Uh…”

  “I mean…it’s not like we’re dating.”

  “We could date. Let’s do that. Let’s go out on a date.”

  She turned confused eyes on him. “Really?”

  “Why not?”

  Her pretty mouth twisted up as she contemplated that. “Because neither of us wants a relationship.”

  Oh yeah. He’d said that. “Oh, come on. We have fun together. We can go out and just have fun. When’s your next day off?”

  “Tomorrow.”

  “Shit. I work at eight.” He thought. “But then I’m off Monday morning for four days.”

  “My next day off is Thursday again.”

  “Okay! That’ll work. Thursday night.”

  They walked up to their building. Tyler used his key to open the front door and let her go in ahead of him, making sure the door was locked behind them. He followed her up the stairs, both of them treading lightly so as not to disturb Jamie or Mila. In the hall between their apartments, he paused. The air around them crackled with anticipation. Arousal. He longed to pull her into his arms. Feel her soft curves against him. Carry her into his apartment and do dirty things to her all goddamn night. He willed his dick to calm the fuck down and took a deep breath. “Okay. Thursday night. I’ll see you then.”

  A faint crease appeared briefly between her eyebrows and her eyes flickered. “Okay.” She hesitated. “I’m still not sure it’s a good idea, but…okay.”

  He leaned down and brushed his mouth over hers in a quick kiss. Any more and he wouldn’t be able to stop himself, and the magnetism shimmering around them told him she felt the same and was puzzled by his restraint. “Good night, princess.”

  Her lips quirked. “Night, Tyler.”

  Letting her go home without him was so fucking hard. But he wanted this to be about more than sex. And he wanted her to want more than that too. Watching her walk into her apartment and softly close the door, he squeezed his eyes shut, hands in fists against the urge to touch her, then turned and entered his own apartment.

  Chapter Seventeen

  “So I have to do this thing.”

  Arden smiled at Jamie where he sat at her kitchen counter on one of the stools she’d purchased from a yard sale, eating the dinner she’d cooked for them Sunday evening. “Thing?”

  “Yeah. A breakfast thing.” He grimaced. “With some clients. We don’t want to go to a restaurant, so I was going to get it catered, but I have no clue who to call.”

  “You might find Google helpful. Also, don’
t you have an assistant who can organize things like that for you?”

  “Yeah. But I had this idea…that maybe you would do it.”

  “Organize it for you?”

  “Well, yeah, sort of. I thought you could do the food.”

  Arden frowned. “What?”

  “You love cooking. It would be a way for you to make some extra cash.”

  She narrowed her eyes at him. “Are you just doing this because you feel sorry for me?”

  “Hell no.” He gaped at her. “I really need to do this. And you love stuff like that.”

  She considered it. That was…true. “How many people?”

  “Twelve.”

  She pursed her lips. That sounded…doable. “What kind of food did you have in mind?”

  “I got nothin’.” He shrugged and picked up a piece of chicken tikka masala with his fork. “This is really good, by the way.”

  “Thanks.”

  “It just has to be breakfast. You can get creative.”

  “Where’s it being held?”

  “At our office.”

  She nodded. “But how would I get the food there? I don’t have a car.”

  “You can use mine. I usually take the ‘L.’”

  He did. It was amusing, since he was probably rich enough to have a chauffeur drive him to the office.

  Arden tapped her fingers on the counter. Ideas were already popping into her head…frittatas, muffins, cheesy hash browns, fruit…

  “Breakfast won’t interfere with your job,” Jamie added.

  “What day is this breakfast?”

  “Not for another few weeks.” He gave her the date. “Eight o’clock.”

  She nodded. “Okay. I guess I could do that.”

  Jamie’s smile beamed. “Awesome. Thank you.”

  She smiled too. This was something fun to plan and look forward to. And yeah…she could use the extra money. “How much are you paying me?”

  “Hell, I have no idea. Figure out what you need to charge to cover the food and your time, and make a profit.”

  “I have a few questions. Like…do you want this served on actual dishes and cutlery, or paper plates? Any theme? Any food allergies with people? Vegetarians? Vegans?”

  “Jesus. I don’t know.”

  Arden grabbed a note pad and they spent the rest of the meal talking through the plan. Jamie truly hadn’t thought much about it, but that meant Arden had lots of freedom to do what she wanted, which was cool.