Firecracker: A contemporary romance Read online

  “Nah. Mila did.”

  “Figures. It’s nice.”

  He laughed.

  Arden had yet to meet Mila, though she’d heard about her. Mila and Jamie had gone to college together, and now she lived with him. Well, not with him, not that way. But in the same building. Arden had teased Jamie once about Mila being his girlfriend, and he’d been horrified. “Christ no!” He’d waved his hands like an umpire calling someone safe on base. “We’re friends. That’s all.”

  Apparently it was, because Jamie was constantly out with women, and Mila had a boyfriend.

  As they entered, Arden took stock of the building, having never been there. The hardwood floors had been beautifully refinished, as well as the tall baseboards. She admired the original stained glass windows, the ornate ceiling medallion and crystal chandelier hanging above, and elegant sconces on the walls now fitted with electric lights. Mahogany doors on either side of the hall wore big brass numbers 1 and 2, and a grand mahogany staircase climbed to the second floor.

  “Wow, this is gorgeous, Jamie.”

  “Thanks. The place needed a lot of work, so I got a good deal, but it’s coming along.”

  She could only imagine how much a building like this—in this neighborhood—cost, even if it did need work. She set a hand on the big carved newel post. “Up?”

  “Yeah. Leave that case, I’ll come back and get it.”

  The door of apartment two swung open and a woman popped out into the hall. “Hiiiii! You must be Arden!”

  Arden smiled tentatively. “And you must be Mila.”

  “Yes! I’m so happy to meet you! It’s going to be awesome to have another woman in the building!”

  Mila was stunning…shiny dark hair cut in one of those bobs that was short in the back and longer at the front, curving around her perfect oval face. The tilted-up corners of her eyes gave her a mischievous look. Her full lips and high cheekbones had Arden blinking in awe of her beauty.

  And her enthusiastic greeting was…nice. Arden’s smile widened. “Yeah, you don’t want to be outnumbered.”

  “Hell no. The testosterone around here sometimes is suffocating. And annoying.” But she grinned. “Welcome back to Chicago.”

  “Thank you.” Mila obviously knew her story, but there was no awkwardness as she stepped forward to hug her.

  “You’ve been through a rough time,” Mila said, her tone gentler. “So we’re going to have some fun.”

  Dammit, tears stung Arden’s eyes again. She didn’t want pity, but someone being nice to her was enough to make her cry. “I’d like to have some fun.”

  “We’ll get you settled in.” Mila reached for a suitcase.

  “You can’t carry that upstairs,” Jamie told her.

  She frowned. “Yes, I can. I’ve been working out.”

  He snorted. “With five-pound weights.”

  She bugged her eyes out at him. “I’m up to eight pounds now.” She raised one slender arm and flexed, and tiny biceps appeared.

  Arden rolled her lips in to keep from laughing.

  “I’ve never had good upper body strength,” Mila said to Arden. “A while back, I lost an arm wrestling match against your brother, and I vowed that would never happen again.”

  Arden widened her eyes. “Jamie beat a girl at arm wrestling?” she asked in a shocked tone.

  Jamie gave the back of her head a gentle smack. “Hey now. Enough of this. Up.” He jerked his chin at the stairs.

  Mila and Arden exchanged smiles, and Arden started up with her carry-on.

  The second floor was similar to the first, with a small hall and a door on each side, this time obviously numbered 3 and 4.

  Mila entered first, the door unlocked, and Arden followed, Jamie bringing up the rear with a suitcase. “Tyler’s working, or he’d be here to welcome you too.”

  Arden walked to the middle of the living room. “You unpacked my stuff.”

  “Yeah.” Jamie dragged the big suitcase into the bedroom and reappeared. “Tyler and Mila helped me get things arranged.”

  “You guys.” Arden’s bottom lip quivered yet again. “You didn’t have to do that.”

  Mila shrugged. “It was no trouble, really. You don’t have a lot of stuff.” She said it in such a matter-of-fact tone that Arden decided right then that she loved her.

  “Nope, I don’t.” There’d been a time in her life when having the new car, the big house, designer clothes, and beautiful furniture had mattered. Now, she knew stuff didn’t matter at all.

  While Jamie clomped down the stairs and back up with the other suitcase that Mila had apparently changed her mind about carrying up, Arden looked around the small apartment. The hardwood floor had been refinished up here too, the golden oak gleaming in the afternoon sun that flooded in the two arched windows overlooking the street. The walls on the other hand…were a mess. All the trim had been removed and there were big holes here and there in the plaster, the paint chipped and peeling.

  “I love the fireplace,” she murmured, moving toward it to inspect the old brick and the oak mantel.

  “We all have one,” Mila said. “It’s definitely a great feature of this building. They’re going to clean up the brick and refinish the mantel. And you can see some of the work that’s in progress.” She waved a hand. “But come see the kitchen! It’s gorgeous.”

  Arden moved to the kitchen, separated from the living space by a granite counter. “It is beautiful.” She contrasted it to the huge gourmet kitchen she’d had in Phoenix. She loved to cook and had taken a bunch of cooking classes over the years. But even though this space was tiny, it had decent counter space and was fitted with new stainless steel appliances among the dark wood cupboards. She could see herself cooking there. Maybe not the big dinner parties she and Michael used to host, but even cooking for just herself, it was a nice space.

  “I love it.” She smiled at Jamie. “You did good.”

  He grinned. “It was a team effort.”

  “As in Tyler did all the work.” Mila wrinkled her nose at Jamie.

  “Bullshit. Also, you helped.” He pointed at Mila. “She picked out the cabinets and appliances.”

  Arden slid open a drawer and found her cutlery already there. When she opened a cupboard, she discovered the set of dishes she’d elected to keep, about half of her bright Fiestaware collection. “Thank you,” she said again, touched by how they’d helped.

  “I picked up a few basics at the store.” Mila gestured at the fridge. “So you won’t have to go out shopping right away. There’s coffee and milk, bread…cheese and crackers. But we’ll take you out for dinner tonight.”

  “You don’t have to do that.”

  “Sure we do! We want to show you around the neighborhood and help you settle in. And anyway, we have to eat, and neither Jamie nor I are very good in the kitchen.”

  “Okay, thank you. That sounds nice.” She couldn’t help but think Mila and Jamie sounded like a couple. But just friends…okay.

  Mila and Jamie showed her the rest of the apartment. The bathroom was functional but had dated fixtures and ugly wall tiles. Her king-size bed had been set up and was made with the bedding she’d shipped, and her only dresser sat against one wall. Boxes of books and clothing sat stacked in the corner for her to deal with.

  “We’ll let you explore a bit and unpack,” Jamie said.

  “You might want to move things around from the way we arranged them,” Mila added. “If you need any help just come on down.”

  They arranged a time to go out for dinner, and then she was alone. She looked around, pressing a hand to her heart. Okay. This was it. Her new home and her new life.

  She was terrified.

  Chapter Two

  Tyler rolled out of bed at the crack of noon on Sunday.

  Hey, he’d just come off a twenty-four-hour shift. He’d only had a few hours’ sleep due to not one but three drug overdoses they’d had to respond to…typical Saturday night. He’d crawled into bed when he got home at
eight thirty to grab a few more z’s.

  He yawned and stretched as he walked naked to the bathroom to crank on the shower. After that and a pot of coffee, he’d be good to go.

  Two full days off stretched ahead of him. A gorgeous summer Sunday, judging from the bright sunlight streaming in the bathroom window. He’d see what Jamie and Mila were up to; maybe they’d hit the beach or something.

  After a shower and a rub of a towel to his hair, he started coffee then returned to the bedroom to pull on a pair of loose athletic shorts and a faded navy Chicago Fire Department T-shirt. He looked at the mail that had arrived yesterday while he’d been at work. Nothing interesting.

  He poured coffee into a travel mug and headed downstairs to find Jamie, but paused outside his apartment door. He needed to get bathroom measurements from Apartment Four so he could go to Home Depot and pick up some stuff. Maybe he should do that now.

  He ducked back inside his apartment to grab a tape measure and a notepad. He shoved a pencil behind his ear. Juggling his coffee and the other things, he crossed the hall. But when he tried the knob, it was locked. Huh.

  They hardly ever locked their doors in the building, since it was just the three friends, and the exterior doors were always locked. But he had a key, so he retrieved it then let himself into the apartment.

  He’d helped Mila and Jamie unpack Arden’s things a couple of days ago. They hadn’t touched the really personal stuff, but unpacking her sheets and pillows had felt weird. Even weirder because it was Arden’s sheets and pillows. The girl who’d starred in every single one of his teenage fantasies.

  The apartment even smelled different now…must be because of her things being there…an exotic fruity floral scent. He strode purposefully to the bathroom and yanked open the door.

  The female scream that split the silence nearly ripped his eardrums open.

  “Jesus Christ!” The items he was carrying flew out of his startled hands, the tape measure and the mug clattering to the floor, the note pad skidding down the hall. As he staggered back, he caught a glimpse of naked woman.

  Smooth, tanned skin. Long dark hair. The sweep of a hip and—sweet mother of God— the curve of a breast tipped with a dark nipple. And wide, horrified eyes as she grabbed a towel and held it in front of herself.

  “Get out!” she shrieked then let out another piercing scream. “Aaaaah! Help! Jamie! Help!”

  Jesus, fuck, it was Arden. Tyler held up his hands. “Hey! Hey! Calm down.”

  She made some frightened noises.

  “It’s me, Tyler! Remember…Tyler Ramirez? Jamie’s friend?”

  She gaped at him, the little blue towel she clutched not covering much. Now he wanted to whimper. She was fucking gorgeous.

  Still.

  “I am so sorry.” He kept his eyes firmly on her face, smiling tentatively. “When did you get here?”

  “Um.” She looked like she was having a heart attack. Good thing he was a trained EMT. “Yesterday.”

  “Shit.” He grimaced. “I could’ve sworn Jamie said you were arriving Monday.”

  “No.” She swallowed. “Are you really Tyler?”

  He frowned. She didn’t even recognize him? “Yeah.”

  “Oh. Okay. Um…could we continue this conversation when I’m dressed?”

  He smacked his forehead and turned around. “Yeah. Of course. Dumbass,” he muttered under his breath. “I’ll, uh, wait in the living room.”

  He picked up his things, rubbing at the hardwood floor he’d just refinished weeks ago, hoping like hell the travel mug hadn’t scratched the new finish. Looked okay. Then he strode back to the living room where they’d arranged her furniture. He was going to fucking kill Jamie.

  He set his things down on the granite counter and pressed the heels of his palms to his eyes. Christ, that vision was seared into his retinas for the rest of eternity. Naked Arden Lennox. Holy shit.

  Okay, okay, calm down, dude.

  He was over that high school crush. Way the fuck over it.

  She was here and he was an idiot.

  He’d been trying to imagine what it would be like to see Arden again. It had been, what—eleven years since he’d seen her? Nah, he’d seen her one year at Christmas when she’d been home…so maybe nine years ago? Whatever. So he’d had a crush on her. That was a long time ago. He’d been a kid then, and she’d married someone else. She was a widow now, mind you, but still. They were different people.

  And he’d just embarrassed them both.

  A few minutes later, Arden appeared, now dressed in a pair of cropped black leggings and a loose tank top. And yeah, she was still just as beautiful with those big brown eyes, creamy smooth skin, and sweetly curved lips.

  “Well, that was a great reintroduction, wasn’t it?” Tyler said with a grin. “I really am sorry. I had no idea you were already here. I came to get some measurements so I can get started on your bathroom next week.”

  She still seemed shaken and annoyed. “I guess there was a miscommunication about when I was arriving.”

  “Yeah. I’m going to murder your brother.” He frowned. “I’m surprised he didn’t come running to your rescue. That scream was loud enough that everyone in Lincoln Park probably heard it.”

  “He’s not home,” she admitted. “He and Mila went out to get breakfast a little while ago. They’re going to bring back something for me, so I jumped in the shower.”

  “What? They’re not bringing me anything?”

  “Actually, I think they are, but they didn’t want to wake you up.”

  “Oh. Okay.” He paused. “So you screamed for him even though you knew he wasn’t here.”

  She made a face and her lips twitched. “I figured a burglar wouldn’t know that.”

  “Quick thinking. Luckily I’m not a burglar.”

  “How did you get in?”

  “Through the door.”

  Her eyebrows rose. “You have a key?”

  “Yeah. Uh…is that a problem?”

  “I’d kind of like to know when someone’s coming into my apartment.”

  “Interesting concept.”

  She frowned, and he couldn’t stop his grin. Jamie and Mila wandered at will in and out of every other apartment, and he’d learned to lock the door if he really needed privacy.

  “We hardly ever lock our doors inside, since the outside doors are always locked. But we all have keys to one another’s apartments just in case. I’m in this unit all the time working on it. But I’ll try not to get in your way.”

  She nibbled her bottom lip. “Jamie told me you’re still working on this place. I knew that was part of the deal.”

  Right, right. Apparently she’d had to sell her house. Jamie’d told him that she’d discovered after her husband had died that he hadn’t exactly been in good financial shape.

  She moved past him to the kitchen and reached into a cupboard for a bright yellow mug. “Would you like some coffee?”

  “Got some, thanks.” He picked up the travel mug that had bounced off the floor minutes ago. Luckily the lid had stayed tight.

  He watched her pour coffee into the mug. “You haven’t changed at all,” he blurted. Maybe she had a bit—that smile she’d beamed around seemed to have dimmed a little.

  Her lips curved up reluctantly and she curled her hands around the mug. “Thank you. You sure have.”

  He rubbed his face. “You really didn’t recognize me?”

  “I think you were sixteen the last time I saw you. You weren’t even shaving, probably, and you had braces.” Her gaze swept over him, lingering on his chest and shoulders. “And you’ve…filled out.”

  The air in the apartment thickened, and Tyler’s blood heated at her perusal of his anatomy.

  Then she blinked and added, “You were a pretty scrawny kid.”

  Okay, maybe that hadn’t been sexual interest and a flirtatious comment. And her reminder that she’d viewed him as a kid was even more deflating. “Huh. Yeah, I guess I was. I work out a lot
now; we kind of have to stay in shape to do our job.” He scratched the side of his neck.

  “You’re a firefighter, Jamie says.”

  “That’s right.”

  “That’s a hard job.”

  “Sometimes. Sometimes it’s also boring as hell.” One corner of his mouth cranked up. “But I work with a great group.”

  “I understand I have you to thank for getting my stuff unpacked.” She waved a hand.

  “Partially.” He grimaced. “I helped. Mila’s the one you should thank. She was all concerned about you feeling comfortable when you get here. I’m afraid Jamie and I were kind of clueless males.”

  “Well, it did help, so thank you.” She sipped her coffee.

  He wanted to say something about her husband, but fuck, this was awkward. He swallowed. “I’m sorry for your loss…of your husband. Jamie told me about it.” He cleared his throat. “Of course.”

  Yeah, he was smooth. As smooth as Lake Michigan in a winter windstorm.

  “Thank you. It’s been a tough year.” Her mouth tightened and her eyes flickered, but she kept her head high.

  “I’m sure. But you made the right decision to come home. Family’s important.”

  She blinked at him and nodded. “That’s true.”

  “Jamie’s been worried about you.”

  “Aw.” She rolled her eyes and lifted her mug to her lips again. “Yeah, I know. Truthfully, I’ve been worried about myself.” The corners of her mouth quirked up.

  Her humor in the face of adversity made his chest warm.

  “But I’m fine,” she added. “So…you said you needed some measurements…?”

  “Right.” Christ. He was distracted watching her, kind of blown away by the fact that he was standing there with Arden Lennox. Er, Arden Hughes, now. “Yeah, I can do that.” He set his cup down and grabbed his other things, then booked it into the bathroom.

  Here that scent was even more evident…warm and feminine and sexy, the air still slightly steamy from her shower. He paused a moment to breathe it in. Damn. Letting out a long, slow breath, he checked out the room. Yeah, it would be good to get this done. He started measuring and jotting notes, ignoring the dripping pink puffy sponge, the bottles of shampoo…his gaze fell on the body wash. Bombshell. That was the scent. Jesus Christ.