Firecracker: A contemporary romance Page 6

  She took a step closer to look past the plastic hanging from the door frame. Tyler was sweeping the bathroom. He’d taken off his shirt.

  Arden’s mouth went dry seeing the muscles in his strong back flex as he swept. He sang along to the music in an off-key voice that made her smile.

  For a moment, she just watched, mesmerized by the beauty of his big body.

  Yep, Tyler Ramirez was definitely all grown up.

  His jeans sat low on his hips, exposing twin indentations at the base of his spine. She dragged her tongue along her bottom lip, then sank her teeth into it. Her body tingled everywhere, studying the expanse of sleek skin and muscles.

  This was her little brother’s best friend. She should definitely not be objectifying him. Or lusting after his hot body. She took a deep breath. “Hey,” she called over the music.

  He started and turned to face her. His bare chest gleamed with sweat, although dust had accumulated on top of his shoulders and hair, which stood up in all directions. He’d apparently been working hard, and it looked good on him. “Oh, hey. You’re back.”

  She nodded. “I’m back, safe and sound. And guess what?”

  “What?”

  “I got a job!”

  His eyes widened, then he frowned. “A job? What kind of job?”

  “Waitressing!”

  His frown deepened. “Seriously? That’s what you want to do?”

  Her pleasure at her accomplishment dimmed a little. “I don’t know what I want to do. But I do know I need money.” She lifted one shoulder. “So this’ll be fine for right now, while I figure things out.”

  “Where’s the job?”

  “A cute little place called Shenanigans.”

  His eyes widened again. “Shit. Really? We hang out there all the time.”

  “You do?”

  “Yeah.” He leaned on the broom handle with both hands. “You met Liam, then?”

  “Yes! He’s very nice.”

  “He’s a good guy. But…damn, Arden. I can’t picture you hauling around trays of beers and cleaning sticky tables.”

  “Why not?” She lifted her chin. “I worked as a waitress in high school. For a while.”

  “You sucked at it.”

  “I did not!”

  “Didn’t you set the kitchen on fire?”

  “That was an accident! I slipped on some grease and knocked over a pan.”

  “What about the eggs you dumped into Mrs. Biletsky’s cleavage?”

  He had to remember that. “It was my first day on the job. I leaned over too much with the tray. I learned from that.”

  Tyler shook his head, still frowning. “How much are they paying you?”

  “I, uh, don’t know.”

  “What?”

  She made a face. “I forgot to ask that. But they have to pay me minimum wage, right? Plus I’ll make tips.” And any money coming in was better than no money.

  “Jesus, Arden. And what kind of shifts will you be working? That place is open until midnight during the week, one o’clock Fridays and Saturdays.”

  “Well, tomorrow, I work four to midnight.”

  “Fuck that.”

  “What?” She frowned at him and crossed her arms. “That’s a normal eight-hour shift.”

  “You’re going to be walking home all alone at midnight?”

  “I told you I’m a grown woman! I can handle this.”

  Once again she remembered his past, but that was nothing like this. She wasn’t a twelve-year-old girl, she was an adult who’d been on her own for a long time.

  And why did he have to look that good while pissing her off? It was hard to be angry when he was standing in front of her shirtless and all she could think about was licking the ridges of his abs. “Thank you for your concern. But I’ll be fine.”

  He sighed. “Well, at least we know the place, and we know Liam’s a decent boss, even if he is a little scattered. He won’t sexually harass you or steal your tips.”

  “Good to know.” She lifted her chin. “I am a pretty good judge of character.”

  Her failed marriage immediately taunted her about that comment. The man she’d married hadn’t turned out to be whom she’d thought he was. But she didn’t have to share that with Tyler.

  He narrowed his eyes at her. “You got lucky.” Then he laughed. “Or maybe not. I guess we’ll see how long you last serving beers and burgers.”

  “It can’t be that bad.” She rubbed her upper arms. “I don’t have a problem with working hard.”

  “When’s the last time you actually worked?”

  She gazed back at him, her throat tightening. “Ouch.”

  He winced. “I didn’t mean it like that.”

  “Okay, it’s been a while. That doesn’t mean I’m lazy. I’ve held jobs. I worked hard in school and at college.”

  He didn’t appear convinced.

  She swallowed a sigh. The truth was, most things in her life had come easy to her. She’d studied as much as she had to, but got decent grades even when she didn’t. Her waitressing jobs had been short-lived when she got bored with them. Her cheerleading had been fun, so she’d willingly practiced. College had been a little more work, but she’d enjoyed a busy social life for the most part. She had committed to the volunteer work she’d done in Phoenix, though. She wasn’t a total slacker.

  But life hadn’t been easy the last few years. Tyler didn’t know everything she’d been through. He didn’t know how desperate and lost she was. He didn’t know she wasn’t too proud to work as a waitress, and she’d do her very best at it. He didn’t know that she was stronger now because of everything she’d gone through.

  She’d show him.

  Chapter Six

  Tyler grabbed his phone where he’d set it and ended the music, which he’d cranked up since he was alone. Silence descended around them as he bent to sweep up the last of the dust and chunks of plaster and tile on the bathroom floor. The floor that was now stripped down to plywood, in the room that was bare studs and wires.

  He’d accomplished a lot while Arden had been out. And now he was almost done cleaning up for the day.

  He tucked his phone in the back pocket of his jeans, and bent to pick up one of the heavy totes. Arden’s gaze tracked up and down his abs and chest, then moved over his arms and shoulders. She swallowed.

  He fought back a grin. Arden liked what she saw. Yesssss.

  Other women had complimented his body. He worked out regularly at the station, as did most of the guys. Strength was important for their job.

  “I’ll get rid of all this stuff.” He held up the tote. Her gaze dropped to his biceps and he flexed a little more than was necessary to lift the tote. “And then I’ll be out of your way for a few days.”

  She nodded. “Thank you.”

  “No problem.”

  He carried the tote box out and down the stairs, then out the back door to the dumpster in the lane.

  She’d found a job. Waitressing. At Shenanigans. Jesus.

  Well, like he’d said, it could be worse. She could have gone a little farther down the road and ended up working at Cherry’s. The “gentleman’s club” was not where he (or Jamie—or her parents, for fuck’s sake) would want her working.

  Yes, Shenanigans was a better choice, but hell…waitressing?

  He swiped sweat off his forehead with his forearm and made more trips up and down the stairs to carry out all the crap he’d ripped out of the bathroom. This was his workout for the day. It felt good.

  It had also felt good when Arden had given him that look, like she’d been impressed…and maybe a little turned on.

  Kind of like how he’d felt that morning he’d walked in on her in the bathroom. And that day at the beach. And…well, pretty much every time he set eyes on her.

  Fuck, what was he thinking? Yeah, he’d had a crush on her. But that was a long time ago. Also she was Jamie’s sister. There was no way she was going to see him as anything more than her little brother’s friend
, and it would make things very messy for them to get involved in any way. It couldn’t happen. He needed to shut that shit down.

  He returned to her apartment one last time. She was unpacking some shopping bags in her kitchen. Apparently she’d stopped to pick up groceries.

  “If you want to make a bigger run to a grocery store, I can drive you.”

  She looked up. “Oh, thank you. But that’s okay.”

  “No, seriously.” He walked over and set his hands on the edge of the island separating them. “I like to go to Whole Foods. I’ll take you next time I go. And on Saturday, the farmers’ market is pretty cool.”

  She met his eyes. Hers were alight with interest. Ah. He’d tempted her with grocery shopping. Interesting. And yet he sensed she wanted to reject his offer.

  “It’s not a big deal,” he said, holding her gaze.

  She dropped her eyes to the big container of Greek yogurt she’d pulled out of a bag. “I’m trying to do this on my own.”

  “Why?” He frowned. “You’re not alone. Your brother’s here. We’re his friends and we’re here for you too.”

  “I just…” She bit her lip and turned to the fridge. “I made a mess of my life in Phoenix. I want to prove that I can get back on track. By myself.”

  He studied her slender back, her long dark hair hanging all shiny down it, her very grabbable ass displayed in snug jeans. She’d made a mess of her life? Her husband had died, so yeah, obviously she’d been having a rough time, but… “How’d you make a mess of your life?”

  She didn’t turn at his question, just bent to put the yogurt away. Oh man, she did that…putting that ass on display. Then she straightened and closed the fridge door. “It’s a long story.”

  Okay, he got that message loud and clear. She didn’t want to talk about it. It made curiosity burn behind his sternum, but he wasn’t going to be an asshole. “Well, you ever wanna talk about it, I’m a good listener.” He kept his tone casual.

  “Thanks.” She turned, and he caught the shadows in her eyes even though she smiled that sweet smile of hers.

  “So come and see the bathroom.”

  “Okay.”

  She followed him and he pulled aside the plastic he’d used to cover the door. He gestured for her to enter the small space, and she brushed past him, with a quick glance at his bare chest as she did so. He caught a hint of that fruity floral scent he’d banished by tearing down the walls of the room. He wanted to grab her and bury his face in her hair and breathe in the sexy scent. Focus, man. “So, you can’t shower or have a bath now.” Jesus. His throat dried up thinking about her having a bath…all naked and soapy and slippery… He gritted his teeth. “But I replaced the toilet so you can still use it for now. Sorry it’s ugly, but at least it’s functional.”

  “Yes, that’s fine. I can handle ugly for a while, thank you.”

  “If you want to shower, just come over to my place. My door’s always open. I work at eight tomorrow morning for a twenty-four-hour shift, so I’ll be gone until Wednesday morning.”

  “Um, okay.”

  Yeah, thinking about her in his shower didn’t help the tightening in his groin.

  “Okay.” The word came out gruffly and he cleared his throat. “I’ll be back Wednesday to do more. Not sure what time…depends on if I get any sleep while I’m at work.”

  “You sleep at work?” She gazed back at him with big, beautiful dark eyes.

  “If it’s not busy.” He made himself smile. “It’s a twenty-four-hour shift. If things are quiet, I might get some sleep. If not…well, I’ll be ready to crash when I get home.”

  She nods. “Okay. Wednesday morning. Got it.”

  He started back toward the door, grabbing his T-shirt from where he’d hung it on her bedroom doorknob. Then he hesitated at her door. Dammit. He didn’t want to leave her alone.

  She was so proud of herself for getting that job. And yet there was still an air of sadness about her. He sensed that she really felt she was alone, even though she was living with the three of them, and he absolutely knew Jamie would take care of her, even though she’d outright said she wanted to make it by herself.

  His jaw tightened.

  “What?” She stared back at him, elegant dark eyebrows lifted.

  There it was. The princess look. The one that had intimidated him in high school. Now, though…he wasn’t intimidated. He was seeing there was a lot behind that look.

  She lifted her chin.

  He smiled. “Nothing. Let me know if you need anything.”

  He knew she wouldn’t. But at least he was right across the hall.

  She gave a tiny eye roll, pursed her lips on a smile, and shook her head. “You’re as bad as Jamie. I’m fine.”

  “Yeah.” He studied her face…smooth skin, high cheekbones, the appealing curve of her mouth. “You are. See you later, Arden.”

  He left her apartment, crossed the hall to his own, and shut the door.

  He paused there for a moment.

  Arden Lennox—er Hughes, he had to remember that—living across the hall from him was going to kill him.

  He closed his eyes briefly, then strode to his bathroom. He needed a goddamn shower. She smelled like passion fruit and orchids, and he probably stunk of sweat and dust.

  He cranked on the water and stepped in, and of course was immediately assailed by images of Arden in there with him, naked, hair dripping, water running over those perfect fucking breasts he’d caught a glimpse of yesterday. He’d never, ever forget that.

  Jesus. He was still fourteen, crushing over a girl. He needed to get a grip. He needed to get laid.

  He also needed to have a little talk with Arden’s new boss.

  Yeah.

  He shampooed his hair, scrubbed his body clean and rinsed off, then stepped out to towel dry. It wasn’t long before he was leaving his apartment, dressed in clean jeans and a T-shirt, his cell phone, keys, and wallet all accounted for.

  He eyed Arden’s closed door as he shut his own. Jamie and Mila were still at work, and with the kind of hours they put in, who knew when they’d be back, despite it being a holiday tomorrow. He hated leaving Arden there alone.

  But he didn’t need to make a fool of himself by being that guy—the needy, desperate guy. Nope.

  He jogged downstairs and headed out, walking the few blocks to Shenanigans in the warm late afternoon. After the heat of the last few days, dark clouds were accumulating low in the sky. The air felt thick and heavy. Probably going to be a wicked storm tonight. Be good if it happened tonight and cleared the air before the Fourth of July festivities tomorrow.

  He entered Shenanigans, which was getting busy with the happy hour crowd. Sure enough, Liam was behind the bar, laughing with a couple of regulars seated there. Tyler slid onto a stool next to the guys, Dave and Hashim, who ran a nearby business selling soccer jerseys. “Hey, guys.”

  They all greeted one another, and Liam slid him a Goose Island Pilsner. He grinned his thanks and picked it up.

  “So I hear you hired a new waitress,” he said to Liam.

  Liam’s eyebrows shot up. “Well, the grapevine is astonishingly efficient. How the hell did you hear that?”

  “She’s Jamie’s sister.”

  “Feck clean off. Seriously?”

  “Yeah.”

  Liam rubbed his forehead. “She has a different name.”

  “Yeah. She…was married.”

  Liam’s eyebrow rose.

  “He died.” Tyler grimaced.

  “Well, shite.”

  “It was a year ago.”

  “She said she’s moved back to Chicago and is staying with her brother.”

  “Yeah. She’s living in the vacant apartment.”

  “Huh.” Liam shrugged. “Well, she needed a job and I needed a waitress, so…”

  Tyler leaned forward. “You’ll treat her well.”

  Liam’s head jerked back, and he slapped a hand to his chest. “What the hell? You think I don’t treat all my
staff well?”

  Tyler shook his head, smiling. “Just sayin’.” He lifted his glass. “You’ll also keep an eye out for her so players like these dudes don’t hit on her.” He jerked his head at Hashim and Dave.

  “Is she hot?” Hashim grinned.

  “Don’t even go there,” Tyler warned. “She’s… Her husband just died. Leave her alone.”

  All three men made sympathetic and apologetic noises. “We’ll all watch out for her,” Dave said. He shrugged. “We’re here enough.”

  “That you are.” Liam grinned. “And I appreciate the business. Another pilsner, Tyler?”

  “No thanks. Just having one tonight.”

  “If I wanted only one drink, I’d go to communion,” Dave muttered.

  Tyler laughed. “I have to work tomorrow.”

  “Don’t we all.”

  “But I will have something to eat. Can I get a pulled pork sandwich?”

  “You bet.”

  The pork came with a tangy marinade made with Guinness that was damn good, along with the bar’s excellent fries. That was dinner for tonight.

  What was Arden doing for dinner on her own?

  Christ, he had to stop thinking about her. Worrying about her. She wasn’t his concern.

  But she’d just moved back to Chicago and was living alone and…

  Stop.

  He forced himself to focus on the banter between the guys while he waited for his sandwich.

  It arrived moments later, served by Sorcha. She smiled at him across the bar as she set the plate down. “Here you go, handsome.” She turned away and grabbed a goblet, filled it with ice and water and placed it in front of him too. “Anything else I can get you?”

  He gave her a vague smile and shook his head. “This looks great, thanks.”

  She didn’t leave, watching him, still smiling at him with an idolizing look on her face.

  Tyler repressed a sigh. Sorcha didn’t hide how much she liked him. She’d even asked him out. Why he didn’t want to go out with her, he wasn’t sure. She was pretty and nice. She kept Liam in line; without her, he’d dream away his days and the bar would go all to hell. That probably wasn’t entirely fair to Liam. But there was an element of truth to it.