Firecracker: A contemporary romance Page 9

  “Okay, gorgeous, you can head on home,” Liam said.

  “Thanks,” Sorcha said with a smirk.

  Liam snorted. “I was talking to Arden.”

  “I know.” Sorcha rolled her eyes. “When have you ever called me gorgeous?”

  Arden came back a few minutes later with her purse and a sweater over her white shirt, tucking her tips into her purse.

  “I’ll walk home with you.” Tyler slid off the stool.

  She gave him a look, then said good night to Liam and Sorcha.

  Outside the bar, in the soft summer darkness, they turned toward home.

  “Is this why you came here tonight?” Arden asked.

  She was a smart woman. She might have fretted over not being as smart as Jamie, but there was no doubt she was bright. He lied anyway. “No.”

  “Bullshit.” She sighed. “Tyler. You didn’t need to do this.”

  “I wanted a beer.”

  “And you have none at home?”

  He grinned. “Okay, fine. I don’t like you walking home alone late at night.”

  “I told you, I’ll be fine.”

  “Humor me.”

  She shook her head but didn’t protest.

  “Did tonight go better? It looked like the customers all love you.”

  “It did go better. But not all the customers love me. There was a couple in tonight who apparently hated everything, including their food, their drinks, and possibly each other.”

  Tyler laughed.

  “They even hated Sorcha. But she got back at them.”

  “Uh-oh…did she spit in their food?”

  “No. She told the man his credit card was declined.” Arden laughed softly. “I thought his head was going to explode.”

  “Guess they won’t be back.”

  “Nope. I think Liam will be okay though.”

  “Yeah. Also, I don’t know how worried Liam is about making money.”

  “He should be worried about it! Isn’t that why you have a business?”

  “Sure. And I think he does fine. But he’s not trying to become a millionaire or a big restaurant chain owner. He just loves what he does.”

  “And that’s awesome. That’s how life should be.” She glanced sideways at him. “That’s how you are.”

  “Well, I’m not gonna lie. I want to work my way up in the fire department.” He’d passed his lieutenant’s exam. Now it was a matter of waiting, since promotions were based on seniority, and there were a lot of people ahead of him.

  “Do you want to be fire commissioner one day?”

  “Eh, don’t know about that. That’d be a dreaded office job. Then again, maybe when I’m older, I’ll want an office job.”

  They turned the corner onto their street and kept walking. The leafy trees formed an arched canopy above them, shifting gently in the breeze. Arden let out a soft sigh.

  “Are you tired?”

  “Oh yeah.” She flashed a wry smile. “My feet and legs are killing me.”

  “Shit.”

  “I can handle it.” She lifted her chin.

  “I know you can.”

  After a beat, she said in a quiet voice, “Thanks.”

  “Want me to carry you?” He would. He’d pick her up and carry her all the fucking way home.

  She choked on a laugh. “Um, no.”

  “You work tomorrow night again?”

  “Yes, but earlier. Eleven till seven.”

  “Ah.” He nodded.

  “Emma is coming over tomorrow night, after I get off work.”

  “Cool.”

  “I’m so excited to see her again!” She actually gave a little hop, despite her fatigue.

  “That’ll be nice. She never left Chicago?”

  “No. She went to college here and then started working at Hutter Golding.” He recognized the name of the big asset management firm. “We kept in touch of course, and she came to visit me in Phoenix a couple of times.”

  They walked up the short sidewalk to the dark house.

  “Wonder if Mila’s home. She was going over to her boyfriend’s place earlier.” He frowned, remembering his convo with Jamie and his concerns about Mila. But Jamie’d brushed it off, so he was probably just being an old lady.

  “I have to meet him.”

  “Yeah, I’m sure you will.”

  He let Arden go up the stairs ahead of him, locking the front door behind them, then following her. He allowed himself to watch her ass in those snug black pants. She couldn’t tell he was ogling her from behind her. And her ass was definitely worthy of ogling.

  In the upstairs hallway, the motion-sensitive light came on and they stood there outside their apartments.

  “Well, thanks for walking me home. Even though you didn’t need to.”

  They were about a foot apart. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail, with a few strands loose around her face, and it gleamed in the overhead light. The opening of her shirt was modest but revealed a hint of cleavage, the white cotton fitted to her breasts. Those sparks he always felt around her prickled and heated his skin. Awareness shimmered between them. Her eyes darkened and her lips parted. She felt it too. She did.

  Goddamn, need for her burned inside him in a searing blast. He wanted to taste that pretty mouth, feel her soft lips under his, pull her hair out of that ponytail and run his fingers through it. Desire throbbed inside him, a nearly overpowering urge to reach for her and…

  She took a step back, her breath hitching. “G-good night, Tyler.”

  He gave a jerky nod. “Yeah. See you tomorrow.”

  “Oh. Right.” She blinked rapidly, then reached for the doorknob behind her and opened her door. “See you tomorrow.”

  She disappeared inside her apartment and the door closed.

  Tyler pressed his lips together and closed his eyes, his body still aching for her. Fuck.

  He turned and shoved into his own place, giving the door a firm push to shut it. He pulled a long breath into his lungs. Okay.

  He was frustrated. But that was okay. Because the good thing was…she felt it.

  He wasn’t going to push too hard, or too fast. Christ, patience had never been a strength of his, but he learned it over the years. She’d just arrived a few days ago. She was in the middle of a huge upheaval in her life. It wouldn’t be fair for him to be too aggressive. He’d take his time. Show her it was okay.

  In the meantime, he needed to rub one out. Spank the monkey. Arm wrestle with his one-eyed vessel. Yeah.

  Chapter Nine

  Arden hurried home from work. She’d left fifteen minutes late because Elena, one of the other servers, had taken an extra long break, and Emma was going to be at her place soon. She hadn’t had a lot of time to prepare for Emma’s visit after a late shift last night and working earlier today, and that annoyed her.

  She enjoyed being a hostess. She and Michael had entertained a lot, and she’d taken pride in having the perfect party—mostly the food, because she enjoyed cooking, but also decorations, music, ambience.

  Today, she had no decorations, not even a vase of fresh flowers. The music would be a playlist from her phone, and the food was a bunch of nibbles she’d picked up—nothing fancy.

  But the important thing was seeing Emma!

  She raced up the stairs and into her apartment, feeling sweaty and gross as usual after a shift. She’d planned to shower after work, but she skidded to a halt in her hall facing the demolished bathroom.

  Oh right. She had to shower at Tyler’s.

  At least her things were still there. With a quick glance at her watch, she turned and bolted across the hall. She knocked on the door.

  Tyler opened it. “Hi.” His face lit up at seeing her, that gorgeous smile spreading wide to reveal perfect white teeth. Damn. That smile reached down inside her and made her girl parts squeeze.

  “Can I have a real quick shower?”

  He blinked. “Sure.”

  She pushed past him and headed straight to the bathroom
. “My friend Emma is coming over.”

  “Right. You said that last night.”

  “I was late leaving work and I need to clean up quickly.”

  “Go for it.”

  After a rapid shower and shampoo, she grabbed her clothes. Ugh. She didn’t want to put them back on. She needed to invest in a nice thick terry robe for crossing the hall. She sighed and wrapped a towel around her, tucking it in at her breasts to hold it in place. She twisted another towel around her hair in a turban.

  She peeked out of the bathroom. Could she make a run for the door and leave without encountering Tyler?

  Clothes clutched in her hands, she made a move, scurrying on bare feet over his shiny hardwood floor.

  “Done already?” He appeared in front of her.

  She sighed and halted. “Yes. Thank you.”

  His gaze swept up and down her body, leaving a wake of tingles on her skin. “Nice outfit.”

  “Sorry. Just wanted to get home and get clean clothes on.”

  His eyes gleamed. “Don’t apologize. This is the highlight of my day.” His admiring gaze lingered on her bare shoulders.

  Heat slid up from her chest into her face.

  She shook her head and exited the apartment, coming face to face with Emma in the hall. “Hey!”

  Emma blinked at her, her mouth open. “Um, hi.” Her eyes flickered to Tyler standing behind Arden, then back to Arden.

  Arden gave a strained laugh. “Oh my God, I’m sorry! I’m running late and needed a quick shower.” She gave Emma a one-armed hug. “Let me get dressed so I can hug you properly.”

  “Sure.” Emma’s wide eyes went back to Tyler. Her head tilted. “Tyler Ramirez, right?”

  “Right.” He grinned, leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed. “Good to see you again, Emma.”

  “Uh…you too.” She blinked again, and Arden caught the appreciation in her friend’s eyes as she took in Tyler’s sexy smile, shadow of beard stubble, broad shoulders, and bulging biceps.

  “I’ll look after Emma while you get dressed,” Tyler said to Arden. “Go on.”

  She stared at him, and he met her eyes with a small smile. Then she whirled and pulled open the door to her apartment. “Come on in.”

  She dashed to her bedroom, quickly discarded the damp towels and dressed in jeans and a tank top. She brushed her hair out and aimed the blow dryer at it until it was half dry, then took one extra minute to brush on some eye shadow and mascara, although Emma wouldn’t care about that.

  I’ll look after Emma.

  What the hell was that about?

  Annoyance at this added to her haste to get back to them. She found them in her kitchen, leaning on the counter laughing together, Emma with a glass of the Chardonnay she’d had in her fridge, Tyler with a beer.

  Huh.

  “Sorry!” She beamed a smile at Emma and moved toward her with open arms.

  They hugged for a long moment, then drew apart. Emma smiled at her. “Don’t apologize, I understand. No big deal.”

  “It’s so good to see you.”

  “You too. You look great.”

  “No, I don’t. I look frazzled and my hair’s a mess, but whatever.” Arden waved a hand.

  Tyler handed her a glass of wine. “Here.”

  She cocked her head and gave him a long look. “Thank you.”

  “I better head downstairs. Jamie’s got some guys coming over to play this new game that just came out.”

  “Oh.” Arden made a face. “Sounds like fun.”

  Tyler grinned. “I’ll let you ladies get caught up. I’m sure I’ll see you again, Emma.”

  “You bet.” She winked at him.

  Hmm.

  Tyler waved as he left, leaving her apartment door ajar.

  Arden and Emma both watched him then turned to each other.

  “What is going on here?” Emma demanded.

  Arden gulped her wine. “Nothing.”

  “I don’t think so! You were at his place—naked! Are you two…?”

  “No! My bathroom is being renovated.” She waved a hand toward it. “It’s pretty much gutted right now. So Tyler’s letting me use his bathroom to shower. Since it’s right across the hall.”

  “I can’t believe that’s Tyler Ramirez.”

  “I know, right? I didn’t recognize him the first time I saw him.” When she’d been naked. She shook her head.

  “He’s all grown up, and wow!”

  Arden didn’t want to get into a lengthy discussion about Tyler’s hotness, because she was trying not to notice that. “He’s a firefighter.”

  “Oh God, that’s even hotter.” Emma sighed. “How’s Jamie?”

  “Good.” Arden moved to her stove and turned it on, then opened the fridge to take out some of the food she prepared earlier. She set out a bowl of mixed olives, another of cubed feta cheese marinated with herbs, and some sliced Italian salami.

  “Yum.” Emma popped an olive into her mouth.

  “Jamie’s business is going well, apparently.” Arden set slices of bread onto a baking sheet to toast them. “He’s been buying properties like this one and renovating them. Lucky for me, since I have no money to pay rent.”

  “Oh.” Emma’s eyes shadowed. “I can’t believe what happened, Arden.”

  “I know. Me either.” She gave her friend a wry smile. “But it happened, and I’m dealing with it. I have a job!”

  She told Emma about Shenanigans while she finished making bruschetta, and they nibbled and drank wine. They fell right away into easy conversation, moving the food to the coffee table in the living room so they could curl up on the couch with their glasses of wine.

  It was so easy being with Emma. It was like they’d never been apart.

  “I have to admit, I’m a little disappointed there’s nothing going on between you and Tyler,” Emma said much later.

  “What? Why?”

  “Because he’s gorgeous. And you deserve some hot, sweaty sex with a gorgeous man.”

  Arden laughed.

  “Seriously. You need to get back out there. I’d fix you up with someone, except I’m not that good at it since I can’t even find a guy for myself.”

  “I’m sure you could.” Emma was beautiful, wicked smart, and fun to be around.

  “I don’t have much time for dating.” Emma sighed. “I work such long hours, I don’t have time for anything.”

  “That’s not good for you.”

  “I know, but that’s the nature of the business. Up early to check the London market, then New York, then when the markets close at four, it’s time for meetings to review portfolio holdings and talk about ideas for potential opportunities the next day.” She smiled. “I love it.”

  A female voice spoke from the door. “Hey, Arden, are you…oh.”

  Arden and Emma turned to see Mila at the door. “Hi, Mila.” Arden smiled and gestured. “Come in.”

  Mila entered. “Sorry to interrupt. The guys are all into some video game, so I came up to see if you were busy. I see you are.”

  “This is my friend Emma. Emma, this is Mila. She lives downstairs and works with Jamie.”

  Emma and Mila shook hands.

  “Sorry,” Mila said again, holding up her hands. “I’ll let you get back to your visit.”

  “No, stay. Have a glass of wine with us.”

  “Sure?”

  “Yes, of course.” Arden rose and moved to the kitchen. Luckily she had a couple of bottles, because the first one was nearly empty. She filled another glass and handed it to Mila where she sat on the loveseat.

  “I met Arden’s hot neighbor earlier,” Emma told Mila. “I was just saying that Arden should climb his fire pole.”

  Mila laughed. “I guess he is good looking. Hard for me to imagine banging him when I see him as a brother.”

  Emma nodded with satisfaction. “Okay, good. I wondered if there was competition for him.”

  “Emma! You’re crazy.” Arden shook her head. “He’s my little
brother’s friend.”

  “Okay, first of all, Tyler is not little. Second, who cares if he’s your brother’s friend?”

  “Well, it would be awkward. Since we all live here.”

  “I suppose. Also, I have to say that your little brother is looking pretty hot himself these days.”

  Arden frowned. “You’ve seen him?”

  “He let me in when I got here. Also I ran into him at a club a while back.”

  “Oh.”

  “He’s all grown up too, and I like the hipster glasses and beard stubble.”

  Mila frowned. “You’re talking about Jamie?”

  “Yes, I am.” Emma grinned. “Don’t worry, Mila, I’m not interested in him that way.”

  Mila’s eyebrows shot up. “Me? Worried? Ha! Jamie’s a pain-in-my-ass friend. Besides, I have a boyfriend.”

  “Oh.” Emma tilted her head. “Okay.”

  “Hey.” Mila straightened. “I don’t suppose you two girls would like to come to pole dancing lessons with me?”

  Arden choked on her wine. “Um, what? Pole dancing?”

  Emma grinned.

  “Yes. I signed up for a class. It’s supposed to be a great workout.”

  Arden blinked. “I don’t even know what to say to that.”

  “When is it?” Emma leaned forward.

  “Sunday afternoon.”

  “I’m off Sunday,” Arden said slowly.

  “Perfect!”

  “I’m in,” Emma agreed.

  Mila helped herself to some Soprasetta and olives, and they all chatted, Emma and Mila getting to know each other and discovering a mutual love of Keeping Up with the Kardashians.

  “I don’t even know why I love it,” Emma said with a laugh. “It’s crazy.”

  “I know, right? We should get together next week and all watch it together. How about here?”

  “Depends if I work.” Arden wrinkled her nose. “Damn job is going to interfere with my social life.”

  The others laughed. “Yeah, working for a living does put a crimp in fun. Okay, we can DVR it and watch it together when we can all do it. With lots of wine. We’ll make a date.”

  “Sounds good.”

  A knock sounded on the door of the apartment, and the three women turned to see Tyler.