Flirting with Disaster & Fanning the Flames

by Victoria Dahl

  Laughing to herself at the thought, Lauren let her eyes slide away from him. He was cute, but not so cute he shouldn’t know that she was keeping her options open. She meant to give the room another quick survey, but her eyes never made it past the bar. There, tucking his wallet away as he reached for a glass of beer, was Jake. His eyes were on Lauren. His head tipped toward her and one eyebrow rose in greeting.

  Lauren would’ve skidded to a stop, but she bumped into a chair and her confident walk came to an abrupt end. Holy shit. He’d actually shown up.

  She looked at her table again, not sure what to do. Somehow, the idea of introducing Jake to Monsieur Gerard made her skin tighten with horror, but she was just as horrified at the idea of ignoring Jake to flirt with a boy nearly young enough to be her kid.

  Her indecision decided it for her. Jake was already halfway across the bar and headed straight for her. She felt strangely relieved and smiled more genuinely.

  “Having a good time?” he asked.

  Nodding, she couldn’t resist a quick scan of his body. “You look different,” she said, surprised by his transformation. She hadn’t seen him dressed so informally in a long time, aside from his near-naked running outfit. Tonight he wore dark jeans and a green button-down shirt. She could just see the hollow of his throat and a few enticing curls of chest hair not covered by fabric.

  “So do you,” he answered.

  She blushed then, reminded that her breasts were pushed up and half exposed, but the blush felt good, tightening her nipples and making her skin warm.

  “Can I buy you a drink?” he asked.

  Her pulse quickened with alarm at the question. It was just so...not familiar. Not harmless. Can I buy you a drink? was something a man said to a woman when he wanted to get to know her better. More intimately. She darted another look at her table and saw that Gerard was now speaking very close to Sophie’s ear, and Sophie’s smile seemed to approve. Good. Let those two kids have fun.

  “Yes,” Lauren finally answered. “I’d love a drink. Whiskey on the rocks, please.” Jake smiled as if he approved.

  “Give me a minute. I’ll bring it to the table.”

  “No!”

  His eyes darted over to Gerard.

  Lauren made herself smile. “Let’s sit at the bar.”

  He nodded, then led the way and signaled the bartender with a subtle wave, like a man who’d been ordering drinks for twenty-five years. Lauren liked that. She liked watching his hands as he drew his wallet from his jeans and slid out a few bills. His hands were wide and scarred and dark from years in the sun. She wondered how he touched a woman in bed. If he was careful or rough.

  Careful, she decided, remembering Ruth’s petite frame and kind eyes.

  When Jake handed over the drink, she took it gratefully and tossed half of it back, feeling almost defiant. Let him see that she wasn’t delicate or subtle. Better that he know. Not that he was likely to have any doubts. Most of his interactions with her in the past few years had been listening to her bitch about his men, after all.

  They took the last pair of stools and settled in, both of them facing the bar instead of each other.

  “It’s a young crowd tonight,” Jake said.

  Her chuckle was more of a gasp. “I know.”

  “I mean, I haven’t been here in years. Is it always a young crowd?”

  When she didn’t answer, she felt him turn slightly toward her, waiting. Was he wondering if that was her thing? If that was why she’d come here? “I think so,” she finally said, meaning that she didn’t know, either, but it came out a little breathless, as if she knew and didn’t want to admit it. “I mean, it’s my first time here in a long time, too.”

  Clutching her drink, she glanced at him, and Jake’s serious mouth curved into a smile. He leaned a little closer, surprising her pulse into a gallop. “It’s weird, isn’t it?”

  “The saloon?”

  He shrugged. “Everything.”

  God. Yes. It was weird. All of it. Lauren smiled back at him. Then she found herself laughing. Hard. She cradled her forehead in her hand. Her fingers were cold from the drink, and they felt so good against her hot face. “God, yes, Jake. It’s so weird.”

  “These girls are all my daughter’s age. Or younger.”

  “I was just thinking that. About the boys, though. How am I supposed to flirt with them? They’re babies.”

  “Well, I’m glad I rescued you, then. I wouldn’t want you flirting with little boys.”

  “They’re not all so little,” she said without thinking, then blinked down at her drink in horror.

  But Jake just laughed and picked up his beer for a sip. “Listen. Don’t let me cramp your style. A cold beer sounded good, but I’ll get out of your way if you want.”

  Did she want that? She stole another look toward the table, but Sophie and Gerard had been joined by another, even younger couple. Even though Sophie was thirty, Lauren felt as if she should hand them all condoms and pamphlets about sex education.

  She turned back to find Jake watching her carefully, the lines around his eyes slightly tight. “No,” she finally said. “This is nice.”

  He smiled again, and she noticed he had dimples, just like that pretty young boy by the jukebox. Only Jake’s dimples were camouflaged by the shadow of day-old stubble that glinted silver and black against his skin. He wasn’t smooth and unlined. He was rough and prickly and so damn handsome it made her heart hurt for a few brief beats.

  “Another?” he asked, gesturing toward her drink.

  “I probably shouldn’t,” she said, but she tossed back the last sip and gestured for another glass.

  Jake laughed, and when his arm brushed hers, she didn’t move away. A few minutes later, as he slipped his wallet into his front pocket, his fingers touched the bare thigh she’d pressed close to his hip, and he didn’t move away, either.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  JAKE WATCHED LAUREN return from a quick talk with Sophie. His head buzzed, and not from the beer he’d had. She smiled a little shyly as she approached. “Can I bother you for a ride home?”

  Jake sat straighter. “Sophie’s not taking you?”

  “I want to skip out early and I hate to interrupt her fun, but I can stay if it’s a big deal.”

  No. No, it wasn’t a big deal. He’d had only one beer and he’d love to drive Lauren home, whether that meant just a drive or more. But he felt like a player as he gave her the honest answer. “It’s no problem at all, but I walked. My truck is at my house, though. It’s just around the corner, if you wanted to come over...”

  “Sure!” she answered, grabbing her purse from the bar.

  Jake pretended he wasn’t surprised by this turn of events and moved quickly toward the saloon door to hold it open for her. “It’s two blocks. Are you okay in heels?”

  She tossed him a smile. “Oh, I can walk just fine in heels.”

  “I see that,” he said, unable to help himself. Her curves were delicious and he could still feel the ghost of her thigh under his fingers, so damn soft and warm. And now she was coming to his house. Just so he could grab his keys and give her a ride home, though. Not for...any other kind of ride. He assumed.

  But just the idea of that possibility was enough to heighten his senses. Her shoulder bumped companionably against his as they strolled and talked. She laughed up at him, her eyes so warm and happy, and Jake’s heart twisted with a pain that felt sweet and right. He’d been avoiding her all these years, trying to forget how much he’d always liked her. How well they’d always gotten along as friendly acquaintances. At a Christmas party nine or ten years before, they’d spent an hour talking about horror novels and how they were nearly always ruined when made into movies. He’d forgotten that conversation, but he remembered it now. Her laugh. Her sharp mind. The way she touched him when she was making a point.

  But no matter if he’d found her attractive before, he hadn’t let himself think of her sexually. Still, just admitting that was a condemnat
ion. That he’d always had to stop himself from thinking about her that way.

  But tonight...tonight was a very different animal. Tonight the temptation of something forbidden transformed warm friendship into something sharp and dangerous. He’d known her as a friend. Now he wanted to know her differently. Know her body and her needs and what made her gasp. What made her wet.

  The stunning thought of Lauren wet—wet for him—hit Jake square in the gut, and the shock radiated out from there. He felt his cock starting to swell, and was half horrified, feeling like a teenage boy walking a girl home and knowing her house was empty.

  “This is it,” he said roughly, gesturing toward his front porch. “I just need to grab my keys. Unless you’d like to come in for a drink?”

  “Sure,” she said again, just that easy, as if she was letting this unfold naturally instead of torturing herself about it. Well, shit. Maybe he should try that.

  It wasn’t until he was opening the door that he remembered Annabelle. His arm stuttered to a stop, but the rest of his body was still moving forward, and he nearly nailed himself in the forehead with his own front door. Dammit.

  Hoping he didn’t look as awkward as he felt, Jake forced himself to push the door open and sighed with relief when he saw that all the rooms were still dark. Annabelle wasn’t home. She always left a trail of lights on as if she were still five years old and afraid of the dark. It was nearly ten o’clock, so Annabelle was likely spending the night with Kevin. That evidence of adulthood had been hard for Jake to accept up until tonight. Tonight he was damn glad for Annabelle’s relationship.

  “I’ve got Scotch. It’s nothing too fancy, but probably better than what they serve at the saloon.”

  As he turned on lights, Lauren wandered over to look at the old pictures of Annabelle on the living room wall. “She’s getting married in a few months,” he said as he handed Lauren a Scotch and sipped from his own. “To Kevin. From the station.”

  “I heard. Congratulations.”

  He waited for her to sit on the couch before following her lead. “Thanks. They grow up fast.”

  “Mmm. Sometimes it didn’t feel all that fast to me. High school homework, Little League practice...”

  Jake choked on a laugh. “You know what? You’re right. Everyone says it goes fast, but some of Annabelle’s teen years dragged on for a damn long time.”

  “I’ll drink to that,” she said, then made a little noise of pleasure. “That is nice Scotch. I’m glad you invited me in.”

  “Is that all it takes to make you happy? Midpriced Scotch?”

  She laughed, but as her laughter died away, her eyes snapped with heat. “No, actually. It takes more than that to make me happy.”

  Her voice had gone low and warm, and regardless of worry or guilt, Jake was damn sure not going to miss that hint. “Lauren,” he said, setting down his drink. “Are you drunk?”

  “I’m a little buzzed.”

  “How buzzed?”

  Her gaze slipped down to his chest. “Buzzed enough to tell you that I love watching you run without a shirt on.”

  “Oh.” That blasted all thought from his brain and left him blank for a moment.

  “You’re really sexy. I shouldn’t tell you that, but I’m buzzed and I really want to tell you.”

  “Lauren—”

  “Because you walk around without a shirt like it’s no big deal. Like you don’t even know. And, Jake? It’s really, really...” She reached out her hand slowly, fingers brushing over the fabric of his shirt. “Distracting.”

  His chest filled with a strange, hot mix of pride and arousal and embarrassment as her fingers sneaked beneath the edge of his shirt to touch the bare skin of his collarbone. Her eyes looked greedy as she watched her fingertips stroke his skin. She caught her bottom lip with her teeth, turning it even pinker and leaving a hint of moisture when she smiled. “I’m not drunk, Jake,” she said, and that was all he needed.

  He curved his hand around her neck and carefully drew her closer. “Then I’m going to kiss you,” he murmured just before his mouth touched hers.

  She sighed against him, the whisper of her breath teasing his mouth as he pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. He angled his head and her lips parted just enough so he could feel the heat of her. He tasted her. The briefest taste. Teasing. Her neck arched against his hand as she melted a little closer. One more brief taste then, loving that her tongue touched his as if she couldn’t wait another moment.

  But he wanted her to wait. He loved that part, so he pressed a kiss to the corner of her mouth, then her jaw, then her neck. Her long, pale, arching neck, which he’d looked at a hundred times tonight, thinking of how soft it would feel.

  He opened his mouth against her skin and her breath quickened. When he sucked gently, her voice cracked over a sigh.

  “I’ve been staring at your neck all night,” he whispered. “You’re so beautiful.”

  “Oh,” she sighed, turning her head a little, even as her hands reached for the buttons of his shirt. She worked a few free and then her hand pressed to his bare chest as he groaned.

  He couldn’t quite believe that she wanted to touch him so much. That she thought he was sexy. He was just a forty-six-year-old guy with graying hair and a bad shoulder. But her hand slid along his chest as if she needed to feel him, and when he scraped his teeth against her neck she gasped and her hand rose to grip his hair.

  “God, yes,” she said. He wasn’t sure if she pulled him down or he eased her lower on the couch, but he was over her then, kissing her, their mouths pressed hot together, her tongue demanding more, more. Her greedy hands pushed his shirt half off and, God, her touch drove him mad. The way her hands explored, alternately smoothing and clutching at him, as their tongues found a sweet rhythm.

  Her knee rose to his hip, and his hand was on her pale thigh again, but this time there was nothing tentative about it. His whole palm was against her, his fingers stretching to hold as much of her as possible. Her muscles moved beneath her skin, tightening as she urged his hips closer.

  She moaned as he settled tighter, and he moaned, too, at the feel of her pressed to his cock. Fuck, he hadn’t been this hard this fast in so long he couldn’t remember. He still felt like a damn teenager, but she seemed to approve. Her hips tipped up as if she wanted him inside her already.

  Jake pushed her dress higher, reveling in the heat of her raw curves. He told himself to slow down, take his time, make sure this wasn’t a mistake, but it felt like something they’d both been waiting for and had no patience to resist.

  When he stroked up her hip for the third time, Lauren reached for him and guided his hand lower. His fingers slipped into her panties. “Oh, fuck,” he breathed when he found her wet heat. Lauren cried out as his fingers brushed her. When he touched her clit again, she threw her head back and pushed against his hand.

  Jake braced a hand next to her head and raised himself so he could slide his fingers deeper and watch as her face melted with lust. This was a new Lauren, a Lauren he’d never even imagined, and she was beautiful.

  “Jake,” she urged. “God, you feel good. Just...” He stroked her slowly and her hips worked in time with him. “Yes. Just like that.”

  He felt slightly stunned by her response. By the harsh catch in her breath and the soft whimpers that urged him on, and the sweet abandon on her face as her nails dug into his wrist. When he pushed two fingers deep into her, Lauren cried out and pressed him even tighter to her. He thought she’d come, but no. When he stroked her again, she was still needy and wild, her clit a tight bud under his fingers.

  His wife had been more gentle. Nearly silent. A sweet, easy partner who’d blushed when he’d teased her about sex. But Lauren...Lauren was fighting for her pleasure, back arched and nails digging and every breath a plea for more. He’d give her more.

  He lowered himself to kiss her, burying his hand in her hair to hold her still as he dragged her panties down. She kicked them the rest of the way off, and th
en he pushed his fingers into her again. “You’re so fucking wild,” he murmured as she writhed under him.

  She kissed him with tongue and teeth and lips as he fucked her with his fingers, her hips meeting every thrust. God, he needed to fuck her. He needed to hear her make those noises for his cock instead of his hand. Needed her pushing up to meet his thrusts, taking him deeper, urging him to do it harder, faster, more.

  She seemed to have the same thought. Her hands reached for his belt and scrambled to unbuckle it, but as he freed his fingers, he slid over her clit and Lauren cried out and bucked against his touch.

  “Oh, fuck,” she screamed, her hips working, working as she came. Jake gave her what she needed, circling her clit over and over, watching her face as she let go. She was beautiful and wild. He could watch that every day.

  She shook beneath him. Her panting breath filled his ears. When she finally opened her eyes, they were dark with shock. “Jake,” she said simply.

  His heart thundered. The hand he’d twisted into her hair shook.

  “My God,” she sighed. “That was so good.”

  Lust and pride swelled inside him, but when he kissed her, he tried to keep it soft and careful. His attempt at calm failed when her knuckles brushed his cock and he hissed in near pain.

  Lauren smiled against his mouth. “Not quite as good for you?”

  “Oh, it was damn good. I’m completely satisfied.”

  Laughing at his lie, she cupped his erection and stroked. Despite the torturous barrier of his jeans, Jake moaned at the pleasure.

  “That doesn’t sound like satisfaction. Maybe we should take care of that.”

  She unfastened the last buttons of his shirt and pushed it open, her hands spreading over his chest and down his ribs. “God, you’re gorgeous.”

  He said her name, shaking his head in denial, but he couldn’t say more than that. His heart beat so hard that it shook his chest and made it hard to breathe. She ducked her head and licked one of his nipples, and he was shocked at the pleasure that zinged through his body. No one had ever done that before, and when her teeth pressed into him, he jerked in shock and watched her smile against him.