Bad Boy's Heart: A Firemen in Love Series Novella (9 page)

“What's going on between the two of you?”

Dana cornered me as I took a nice, big gulp of my drink. She folded her arms and gave me a knowing look.

“Carter's an asshole.” The alcohol stung my throat. “All of 'em are.”

She chuckled. “Well, duh. Most guys are clueless; the rest of them are dicks. Some are both. But hey, if they're good in bed, that's all that matters.”

“No it's not!”

“It is when you've got your pick of the litter.” She gestured to a trio of guys who were nervously watching some girls dance. “I could nab any man here just by winking at him. You could do the same.”

Dana was related to me by blood, so I wasn't sure how we'd turned out so different. Sure, sex was all that mattered when you wanted company for a night – not when you were looking for forever with someone.

“So tell me everything,” she said, grinning. “Have you fucked him yet?”

“Excuse me?!”

“Carter.” She was nonchalant. “Guy's a firefighter who could double as a movie star. He's the sexiest man in this club tonight, no question.”

She was, unfortunately, right about that. Already, he had girls nipping at his heels and hovering beside him at the bar. I cringed when he bought one of them a drink.

“We're only friends,” I assured her, hoping I could believe the lie myself. “And that's all we'll ever be.”

“You can be friends with someone and still bang them. Guy that scorching hot wouldn't last five minutes around me.”

“Don't you
dare.
”

A wicked smile spread over her face. “Ah, so you do have a thing for him.”

His laugh carried across the dance floor. Some flirty redhead put her hand on his back. He sure as heck didn't protest.

“It's clear as day he wants you too.” She stirred her beverage and sounded quite jealous. “For him to come to Florida with you and pose as your husband for a week, that's more than most friends would do.”

“He's only doing it because I promised I'd pay him a share.”

“Do you seriously believe that?”

He and the redhead seemed to be getting along far too well for my liking. I contemplated striding over there and tossing my drink in her face.

“Hey there. You two ladies up for a game of pool?”

The man's voice made both of us jump. Behind us stood a a good-looking guy with warm hazel eyes and a disarming smile. He rolled a couple of balls from hand to hand.

Dana immediately pounced on him. “We'd love to. I'm a pool champion, though, so you know.”

“Is that right?” He gestured to another man waiting by the tables. “Just so happens we're betting men. What do you say to a little wager?”

“Let's hear what you have in mind.”

“If we win, you'll give us your numbers.” His gaze shifted to me. “And if you win, we'll get you both drinks.”

“Sounds like you two win either way,” Dana flirted back. “C'mon, Alicia. Forget about Carter. He's a big boy. He'll be fine without you.”

I spotted him at the bar as Dana dragged me away. The redhead was talking his ear off, but he didn't take his eyes off me.

His jaw clenched. I could see that he disapproved.

You know what? Too bad. If he could screw around, so could I. Maybe he'd at least understand how I felt for once.

The men introduced themselves as Robert and Tim. Both were handsome and charming, and it felt good to flirt with someone new after the shit Andy put me through.

Between shots at the pool table, Tim relentlessly hit on Dana. It wasn't long before he had his arm around her waist.

Robert offered his critique on my game technique. “See, you're holding the stick wrong. You'd sink more shots with better posture.”

“You think so?”

“Definitely. Let me show you.” He stood behind me, just a little too close, and adjusted my arms. “Try it like that.”

He was so warm, and smelled so good, and I was halfway to drunk. I decided I wouldn't mind too much if he asked me to go someplace private.

Across the room, Carter was fuming. The redhead had moved on; other girls kept trying to get his attention – but the only woman he'd look at was me.

“Ooh, another miss,” Robert teased. “Keep this up, and you'll be handing over your number for sure.”

“Where's Dana?” I looked around for her. “It's her turn.”

I spotted her in a dark corner, making out with Tim as she sat in his lap. Well, then. I knew she moved fast, but jeez.

“I think they've forfeit the game.” He looked me over with a lick of his lips. “We can keep playing by ourselves, or –”

“Allie,
there
you are.”

Carter's voice was tinged with annoyance. He came up and threw his arm around my shoulders like I was a piece of property he owned.

I glared at him. Robert, taken aback by his intrusion, just stared.

“It's getting late. We've got to go.”

I wrenched away. “Go if you want. I'm having a good time, so I'll get a ride back with Dana.”

“Hang on a minute,” Robert cried. “Who the hell are you?”

“I'm her husband.”

He said it while looking squarely into my eyes, and a sudden chill came over me – followed by anger. How dare he? Who did he think he was?

“
What?
You didn't tell me you were married.” Robert backed away from us, muttering excuses for why he had to go, and vanished into the crowd.

Carter was triumphant, but I hit him in the chest.

“Why can't you just let me have fun for once, huh? You're not my keeper, Carter. Stop chasing away every guy who comes on to me.”

He stuffed his hands in his pockets. “I'm looking out for you. Don't wanna see you get hurt again.”

“Bullshit! I've already been hurt – by you.”

I could see that he didn't understand, and I wasn't in the mood for explaining.

“I don't get it. It's all right for you to whore yourself out to any woman in the bar, but not okay for me?”

His brow furrowed. “But... But that's different.”

“No it's
not.
”

Suddenly, it all seemed to dawn on him. He tried to reach for me, but I pulled away, too pissed off to let him have me so easily.

“It bothers you when other girls hit on me. Doesn't it?”

I couldn't answer. Pain and jealousy swelled in my chest. Why did I feel this way? Why should I care what Carter did with other women? He'd only just waltzed back into my life a day ago.

“I'm going to tell Dana goodbye,” I said flatly. “Take me back to the hotel. Then you can do whatever you like without me burdening you. Screw every girl in this bar; I don't care.”

He gaped at me in bewilderment. Yeah, I was acting like a spoiled child, but I couldn't make myself stop. I'd hidden my feelings for years, and finally, I'd had enough.

“...Allie? Tell me what's wrong.”

I pushed him away and fought back tears. What was wrong?

I wished I had a sensible answer to that.

Chapter 9 - Carter

Watching Alicia get ready for bed was a treat and torture both.

“Ugh. I
hate
getting dressed up.” She kicked off her heels with a sigh. “No wonder I never got into the club scene. Bleached hair, manicured nails, and a fake tan just aren't for me.”

“Then it's a damn good thing you look beautiful just the way you are.”

She studied me in the mirror as I brushed my teeth. I didn't
mean
to hit on her, but how could I help it?

“I appreciate you trying to flatter me, but I highly doubt I look good with no makeup and dark circles under my eyes.”

She went into the bathroom to change clothes – door shut, sadly – and emerged wearing a tank top and gray cotton shorts.

All right, that did it. She was trying to punish me now. How could I sleep tonight without this woman in my arms?

“Four more days of this,” she murmured, checking the vacation plans on her phone. “Tomorrow, we're visiting my grandparents at their house for dinner. Think you can keep up the husband act?”

“Mmm, I don't know. We still haven't consummated this marriage, if you know what I mean. That'd make it a lot easier for me to get into character.”

That knocked her speechless. Maybe I was overstepping my bounds, sure. And she'd probably get pissed off at me all over again.

But she was already pretty mad, so I figured taking a chance with her wouldn't hurt.

“Y-you're joking, aren't you?”

I didn't say anything. I couldn't talk, anyway. Was too busy staring at her curvy ass as it bounced in those stretchy shorts.

The vibe was weird between us all of a sudden. It mostly started at the club, when she freaked out at all the girls hanging on me.

What she didn't know was I never had any interest in them. It was her I had my eye on the whole time.

That's why when those guys put the moves on her, something broke inside of me. It
infuriated
me.

Because I wanted her all for myself.

Figured if she was gonna torment me, I'd do the same back, so I sprawled out on the futon and peeled off my shirt.

“What do you think you're doing?” She fumbled with the coffee pot, but didn't take her eyes off me.

“Not sure what you mean,” I said, resting a hand on my stomach, drawing her gaze right where I wanted it. “You don't expect me to sleep with my clothes on, do you?”

Adorably flustered yet again, she pretended to be organizing the things in her suitcase. It took a lot of willpower not to go up and hug her from behind.

“I can't believe you did that. At Captiva.”

That wasn't exactly the answer I'd been hoping for. Still, she needed to get something off her chest. Maybe I did too.

“You're not going to let that go, are you?”

She slammed her bag shut. “I don't understand you. First, you encourage me to go out and have fun. The second I start talking with someone, you flip out and run them off like you're my overprotective father.”

How could I admit the truth? If I told her I wanted her, that the thought of anyone else touching her made me want to break things, I'd scare her off.

I couldn't have that. I needed her in my life, even if she was just a friend. She was too precious to give up a second time.

“...I just don't want to see anyone hurt you.”

“It's my decision to make, Carter. If I want to flirt with fifty different guys a night, that's my call. If I get screwed over, well, it sucks, but that's life. I don't need you trying to protect me from it.”

She plopped onto the bed and mindlessly flipped through TV channels, never settling on any of them.

“Oh yeah? What about you?” I asked back. “I'm not blind or stupid. The moment your friend Dana started showing off her tattoos to me, there was fire in your eyes. And oh boy, how about the death glares when I was having drinks with those girls at the bar?”

She was silent. Of course, she could say nothing back to that.

I'd had about enough of this. If I didn't settle it now, I'd be so frustrated that I couldn't sleep.

I sat next to her on the bed and put my arm around her. She started to protest, but I shushed her.

“We're not teenagers anymore, Allie. We're adults. I think it's time we cut the crap.”

“I... I don't know what –”

“I'm too old to be playing petty games. There's more than a few things bugging you, and I want to know what.”

She didn't answer, of course, but her small frame trembled at my touch. Her shoulders were so soft and warm; what I wouldn't do to explore the rest of her body next.

The late-night talk show on TV seemed to have her attention more than I did. Finally, she stared at the floor and mumbled something almost unintelligible.

“I guess I'm still just upset about the wedding fiasco. That, and mom forcing me to lie to my grandparents.”

“Is that really all it is? You sure it has nothing to do with a certain kiss, ten years ago?”

Her cheeks turned scarlet. Okay, I almost had her. Just had to take this slow.

“You've been holding a grudge against me all this time. I can't fix it if you don't tell me why.”

“Why?” She pushed me away, slid off the bed, and began to pace around the room. “I seriously have to tell you
why?
You kissed me. I thought you cared about me.”

“Of course I cared about you.”

“Then why did it only happen once, huh? You never touched me again after that. Just moved on with your life, like it never happened.” She sniffled. “Then three weeks later, you were dating Nina from the cheerleading squad.”

Shit. I should have known; to her, that wasn't some mere kiss. I did it because I was curious what it'd be like. But she had actual feelings for me.

How could I have hurt her so badly? How was I so blind back then? No, I was blind now, too.