Rekindled Ember

by Sara Arden

  Livie slowly dragged her gaze up to meet his eyes.

  “I work hard on this body.” He leaned down close to her ear. “So hard.”

  That was it, she was dead.

  She coughed. “Royce, you’re going to get us both in trouble.”

  “Am I?” He pulled away.

  Something had definitely changed between them, and she didn’t know what the switch had been. Maybe it was the way she’d touched him, running the pads of her fingers along that hard ridge of muscle. Maybe it was because she’d been unable to stop looking at his body. Or maybe it was because he wanted her as much as she wanted him.

  There was no more denying it and she didn’t think she wanted to. She was so tired of thinking about consequences. So tired of being sad. So tired of being angry.

  So tired of duty.

  She wanted something that was only hers.

  Something that felt as good as she knew Royce Cole would.

  “I think you’re the one in trouble. You’re the one drowning.”

  She wrapped her arms around his neck both to hug him and to whisper in his ear. “Maybe I am, but I don’t want to be saved anymore.”

  “Are you sure about that?” His hand was on the small of her back and it was like his touch burned through her clothes and straight into her marrow.

  “Yes,” she said, as she pulled away. “She’s going to paint a new face on me and then we’re doing a shoot. For the bar.”

  “Erin said she’d try to talk you into it. I’m almost sorry you agreed.”

  “Why is that?” Her stomach knotted in on itself.

  “Because I told her that if she failed, I’d try to persuade you. I was looking forward to trying.”

  His words were like a physical touch and her mouth went dry. “Maybe I’ll be contrary later, just so you can try.”

  Had she just said that? It sounded so flirtatious, playful. Maybe even full on sex-kitten. Not something Livie had ever been in her life.

  She walked away from him while she could, praying she didn’t trip and fall on her face in more ways than one.

  “Your boyfriend is so hot,” the assistant said. “I’m Karlie, by the way. I guess I should introduce myself before I go drooling on your man.”

  Livie laughed. “We’re actually just friends.”

  “Well, if I had friends like that.” She fanned herself. “So, we want your features to stand out, but we want to keep a neutral, natural look, right?”

  “You know what? I don’t care. Go nuts.”

  “Really? I could use some glam for my portfolio and I might’ve happened to bring a dress.”

  “A dress?” She arched a brow. “What kind of dress?”

  “One that’s red and sparkly. You’ll look amazing. Especially with shirtless firemen carrying you around the bar.”

  Maybe she should’ve thought this through, but she was already in the fire, right? She might as well look at all the pretty colors while she burned.

  She let Karlie pinch, poke, paint and otherwise transform her as she saw fit and when she was done, Livie thought she was looking at a photograph rather than in a mirror.

  Her eyebrows had never been so perfect.

  Her hair, shiny as a raven’s wing. Sleek, but in soft, vintage waves.

  And the dress. Holy hell. Livie hadn’t known her figure could look so lush. The cut of the dress was definitely flattering, making her look like an hourglass. Her cleavage was something to be admired as well.

  “You look stunning.”

  She put a hand to her face, as if checking to see if it was really herself she was looking at.

  “Wow. I don’t look like me at all.”

  “Yes, you do. You look like you, with some sparkles. Ready to go knock them dead?”

  “Oh yeah.” Because it was now or never.

  She walked out to the where the shoot was happening and everything stopped. Silence became a sound itself. A pin drop would’ve echoed like a shotgun blast.

  “Livie?” Erin finally whispered.

  “Who were you expecting?” She pushed a lock of her hair behind her ear nervously.

  “Change of plans. Livie is going to be in this group shot,” the photographer said. “Come on, gorgeous. We’d all kill to be in your shoes.”

  “I’m not wearing any shoes,” she said, dumbly.

  “Even better.”

  6

  He’d never seen Livie so glamorous. Not even on the day she married Ben.

  She was always beautiful, but this was something else. Not only was she beautiful, but she knew it. It was there in the lift to her chin, the straight line of her spine, the curve of the smile when she looked at him.

  “Livie needs her own calendar,” he said.

  She blushed. “Don’t be silly.”

  “He’s not,” the photographer said. “You’re stunning.” The camera kept clicking. “Okay, how do we feel about some lifts? Royce, take her to the door and carry her as if you’ve just saved her.”

  He was happy for any excuse to put his hands on her and he swung her up into his arms easily.

  “I think I like this,” she said. “I’ve decided this is how I’m going to do everything. Tending bar. Going to the grocery store. Paying my bills…”

  “We can work that out.”

  Her fingers were splayed against his chest and he wondered if she could feel his heart beating. He forced himself to be calm, cool, and professional. If this were a save, he’d have no thoughts about how great her cleavage looked, or what she felt like pressed up against him. It would be all about the job.

  “Really?” she laughed. “So all I have to do is put on a pretty dress and you’ll be my slave?”

  “You just have to ask, Livie.” He leaned down to her ear. “No dress required.”

  He heard her sharp intake of breath and knew she was just as affected.

  The flashes kept exploding and the shutter clicking, but he didn’t notice it. He only half-heard what Shondra, the photographer, was saying to him.

  She felt too good, too right in his arms.

  When it came time to lift her above his head, she tightened her grip on his neck. “How about no?”

  “None of us will let you fall, sweetheart. If you really don’t want to do it, we’ll do something else. Are you afraid I’m going to drop you?”

  “Not on purpose.” She bit her lip.

  “Remember the full keg? I can balance that above my head while I’m doing stairs. I can hold you.”

  “I’m trusting you, Royce.”

  He knew, somehow, that she meant with more than just this.

  “I know. I’ve never let you down before, have I?”

  “Never,” she answered.

  “Ready?” He hoisted her above his head and Hayden moved in at her ankles and Noah at her shoulders.

  Shondra then posed Livie so it looked like she was laying on a divan, resting her head on her curled fingers.

  She had the guys smile, and took several shots. “This is cover worthy for the insert on the bar.”

  Erin piped up. “That’s definitely what I’m talking about.”

  “Erin, they should get you up here for advertising for the bachelor auction.”

  “Not only no, but hell no.” Erin shook her head.

  Shondra beamed. “Oh yes. You and Noah!”

  “Nope.”

  “Yep,” Noah said.

  “My turn’s over already?” Livie’s red lips drew together in a pout.

  “Sorry, babydoll.” Noah helped ease her to the ground. “Duty calls.”

  Royce didn’t want to let her go, so he didn’t. He just held her there, and she looked up at him, still pressed so tightly against him. “All that oil they rubbed on you is going to ruin this dress.”

  “That’s not all that’s going to ruin it,” he said.

  She blushed, but didn’t look away from him. “Really?”

  “With your permission.”

  Shondra was still snapping, but he was
only vaguely aware of her. Of everyone else in the bar. Where they were. His whole world had narrowed to this woman.

  “What if I gave it, Royce? You know the paint, the dress…” she whispered.

  “It’s just wrapping, Livie. We had this conversation days ago, if you’ll remember.”

  She rose up on her tiptoes, and kissed his cheek.

  It was supposed to be chaste, but it was all fire. Her lips burned him and all he could think about was getting her alone and putting his hands on her. Making her blush again all over.

  Livie went back to change and Shondra directed him back to the doorway.

  But Livie ran back to him and stood on her tiptoes again. “After the shoot. My house.”

  He knew he should say no because this wasn’t about anything but the physical and he wanted so much more from her than that, but he was willing to settle for this.

  For now.

  If he could show her how good it would be between them, maybe she’d see his version of forever could be something she wanted, too.

  He went through the rest of the shoot on autopilot.

  “Hey, we’re going for tacos,” Hayden asked him. “You in?”

  “No, man. I’ve got plans.”

  “With Liv?”

  “Yeah.”

  “She and Sophie have gotten close,” he said. “She was wondering if Liv was going to come back to Sunday dinner anytime soon.”

  “So were Mom and Dad, right?”

  “Obviously,” Hayden replied.

  “She won’t tell me what happened in the kitchen, but I didn’t really expect her to.”

  “Yeah, when I was little and I wasn’t allowed to go into the kitchen with them, do you remember telling me that Grammie and Ma were witches who were casting spells in there?”

  Royce smiled at the memory. “I do. It kept you out of trouble, didn’t it?”

  “Not really. Remember when Grammie kept us that afternoon and we got into her spice cabinet and made a ‘potion?’”

  “I’d forgotten that! That was how the Cole brothers learned to hate baseboards. She had us scrubbing them on our hands and knees.”

  “And she had cookies for us when we were done.”

  “Witch cookies.” Royce nodded. “And she said she’d put other bad boys in her cakes, but not us because she loved us.”

  “She wonders where we get it.” Hayden shook his head. “Livie fits.”

  “I know that.”

  “Does she know how you feel?”

  “I tried to tell her, but she didn’t really want to hear it. It was all supposition, but she basically said what I already knew. She doesn’t want a relationship with someone who does our job.”

  Hayden clamped a hand on his shoulder. “She already loves you, but she’s afraid of it. I understand why. I know Ben was your best friend, but he wasn’t a saint. Not to speak ill of the dead, but he wasn’t good enough for Livie. Before you punch my face, let me tell you why.”

  Royce snorted. “I wasn’t going to punch you. I was going to let you explain first.”

  “It feels weird for me to be waxing poetic like I know what the hell I’m doing, but being with Sophie changed me. No, no. That’s not exactly right. It made me see the deficits in myself and I chose to change them. Ben and I were cut from the same cloth. I don’t know what happened to him that made him like that. For me, it was Sophie’s burns.”

  His brother hadn’t really spoken about what happened to him. Not like this. He knew Hayden had gone through a transformation and he’d been glad for it. He’d been afraid he was going to lose his brother like he lost Ben.

  “I’m listening.”

  “He let her love him when he didn’t love her back, not like he should’ve, because he didn’t love himself. Remember when you showed me the traffic vid of me jumping off the bridge? Ben was like that, too. Livie is right when she says that being a hero was the most important thing to Ben. He used that to fill whatever was empty in him. You just have to prove to her that’s not who you are. She should already know that, but she might be afraid to believe it.”

  “Yeah, you’re right.” He knew what Ben’s flaws were. So did Ben. That was why he’d asked Royce for his vow to take care of her if something happened to him. “Sometimes, I wonder if he knew he was going to die like this.”

  “You’re thinking about the vow, aren’t you?”

  “Yeah. I meant every word of that, you know.”

  “Of course you did, and he knew it, too. Sophie and I are cheering for you.”

  “What? Really? You guys sit around and talk about my love life?”

  “Well, yeah. Sophie has some very set ideas about what she wants her family to look like. That was us. Now, it’s us and Livie. You know Grammie’s on board.”

  “Can you maybe get Sophie to talk to Mom and Grammie? Get them to not push? I tried to talk to them about it, but I don’t think they’re going to listen to me unless I put my foot down. I don’t like to do that because I know they mean well.”

  “Honestly? I thought the same thing, but they actually know what they’re doing. There are things Ma can say to Livie that you can’t. Things Ma has lived with that you haven’t. She knows what it’s like to watch her husband and sons walk into the mouth of a beast that wants to devour them whole. Remember what you asked me when you were talking to me about the bridge?”

  “Great. I’m about to get spoon fed my own advice. Well, let’s have it.”

  Hayden laughed. “I’m actually not enjoying this as much as I thought I would. That makes me sad. I really wanted to say ‘I told you so’ or poke you, but it’s no fun watching you actually suffer. But think about it from her perspective. Think about watching her do what we do.”

  He exhaled a heavy breath. “I imagine that might kill me. If it was what she wanted to do, I wouldn’t be able to tell her she couldn’t, but it would tear up my guts something ugly.”

  “Just something to think about.”

  “Thanks, man.”

  “No problem. If you can get Livie to agree, maybe see if she wants to come over to Sophie’s for dinner. It’ll probably just be Italian, some cheap wine, and board games, but Sophie and I would love to have you both.”

  At the moment, that sounded like the vision for the rest of his life. His love. His family. Quiet nights spent together doing things like sharing a meal and playing board games. “I’ll ask her.”

  Of course, he wanted adventure, too. He knew that Livie wanted that as well. “I was actually thinking about asking Liv if she wanted to go to the Caverns next weekend. Some ziplining through the Ozarks. Maybe you and Sophie would like to come, too?”

  “I’m on shift, but we’d love to. I’ll see if I can trade with one of the guys. You better get going if she’s waiting for you.”

  “Yeah. Headed home to shower first. This body oil might be here for the duration, though. It’s worse than glue.”

  “I think that’s the point.” Hayden arched a brow.

  “Yeah, I guess.”

  “Sophie asked me if I minded being objectified.”

  “Do you?”

  “Not at all. You?”

  “Nope. And, I mean, it’s for charity.” He studied his brother for a long moment. “Thanks, Hayden.”

  “Anytime, brother. Anytime.”

  He headed out the door, home first to shower, and then to Liv’s.

  Royce was prepared that she might’ve changed her mind. Hell, he half expected her to text him and tell him this was a mistake.

  Because it probably was.

  He should take her out to dinner. To the movies. To picnics at the lake. They should talk about their future together. She was more to him than a one off.

  Although he’d grant maybe that’s all she was ready for.

  There was part of him that was still conflicted. Part of him that rang all his warning bells and told him this was a mistake.

  Except its voice could never be as loud as the one that wanted to give Livie anythi
ng she needed. Anything she asked for.

  And she’d asked him for this.

  He’d never been as nervous knocking on a woman’s door as he was right in this moment. Not even when he’d taken Heather Holt to prom.

  Why the hell was he knocking? He didn’t knock at Livie’s house. He just walked in. If he didn’t want this to change their relationship in a bad way, he couldn’t let it.

  He opened the door. “Hey,” he called.

  She came down the stairs, fresh-faced and with wet hair, and wearing only a t-shirt that came to mid-thigh.

  This was like a dream, but better, because it was real.

  “I took off the dress,” she said, biting her lip.

  She was as nervous as he was.

  That comforted him, in a way. It made him feel like he should take the lead. She’d said what she wanted, now it was his turn to provide it. He could do that.

  That made sense to him.

  “Change your mind now that we’re both scrubbed clean of whatever sorcery that was back at the bar?” She bit her lip.

  “I thought I was clear,” he said.

  “With what?” She took another step toward him.

  “That I want you. I’ve always wanted you. Red dress and makeup or t-shirt and wet hair.”

  “I don’t know why I still find that so hard to believe.”

  “Believe in me, Livie. When have I ever let you down?”

  “Never.” She took another step toward him.

  “I’ve said what I want. What do you want?”

  “To feel something good.”

  “To feel something good or to feel something good with me?” He didn’t know why he’d asked because the answer, no matter what it was, wouldn’t change what was about to happen.

  “Both. Is that okay?”

  “Anything you want is okay.”

  “You keep saying that. It’s like… you give me too much, Royce. I don’t know how to process it all. Do you know what I mean?”

  “Not really. I’m an all or nothing kind of guy, but we can talk about it. I’ll listen.”

  “I don’t want to talk.”

  “Tell me, Livie. Remember? I can’t give you want you want unless you ask for it.”