Burning Up (Flirting With Fire Book 1) Read online

  He smiled. “I’m trying, and that’s half the battle.”

  Jake’s heart threatened to beat out of his chest. Which was ridiculous. He was eating ice cream in a public place. But just being around Erin stirred up something inside of him like a brushfire during a windy day. Embers on dry leaves. It was only a matter of time before Jake’s carefully cultivated forest of solitude burned to the damn ground.

  A gust of wind kissed her shoulders, and Erin shivered. The night was cooling down much faster than Jake had anticipated. He shucked off his jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders.

  “Thank you,” she said, pulling it closer to her body. She looked sexy in it, her hair a little windblown, her cheeks blooming a deep pink.

  He stared at this fountain. He’d come here thirteen years ago feeling so goddamn helpless. His gaze shifted across the courtyard, scanning over the families, couples, and runners slowly making their way through the perfect July night. Anywhere but at the woman who put that same fear in him. Back at nineteen, he’d been an idiot. Naive. He had thought sheer determination would solve everything. Determination did jack shit when left with a goodbye note and a crying baby. From that day forward, he’d decided to put all those feelings into raising his daughter.

  He pulled a coin out of his pocket. The old quarter was covered in black Sharpie and had been since it had come into his possession twelve years ago. He’d kept this quarter since the day Maisey had disappeared. She’d left money—two twenties and some change, including the blackened coin. Said that Jake should use it for formula and diapers. He’d deposited the cash into Bailey’s princess piggy bank and pocketed the quarter.

  The coin served as a reminder of why he did this, why, he now realized, he’d been so lonely. He’d carried it around in his wallet for more than a decade to remind him that people leave. But he’d be a constant in Bailey’s life. Because no matter how out of control he felt his life was sometimes with the whole parenting gig, he made damn sure that he was there for her.

  Enough.

  He’d been carrying around this weight for long enough.

  “Give me a second,” he said, taking his arm from around Erin’s shoulder.

  He palmed the coin, rubbing his finger along the grooved perimeter. If there was ever a night for wishing, this one was it. He flicked the coin into the fountain, and it hit the water with a gratifying plop.

  Erin’s blonde hair ruffled in the breeze. His jacket ended at her knees, looking so damn adorable and sexy at the same time. When she looked up at him with those big hazel eyes, his fingers itched to run through her hair and pull her to him until their lips met.

  “What did you wish for?” she asked.

  “If I told you, then it wouldn’t come true.”

  She slid her gaze to him. “You really believe in that?”

  He didn’t know what he believed in, but hell, anything was worth a shot.

  “And birthday-candle wishes. Every one of them has come true.” To make it another year, to be the father Bailey deserved.

  “I wouldn’t have pegged you for the superstitious type,” she mused. Damn, that smile made his chest squeeze. What was it about her that had turned him into a total sap? He’d never noticed things like the way a woman’s eyes crinkled or the soft curve of her neck. Something about Erin sparked something inside Jake, something that wouldn’t quiet down.

  “Nothing wrong with putting a wish out to the universe. Sometimes the universe delivers.” It’d given him a supportive family, a tight group of buddies, and a daughter who still managed to melt his heart. When she wasn’t rolling her eyes.

  He might have been dealt a rough hand, but as cliché as it sounded, he got the best thing in his life because of it.

  She shook her head. “I don’t think I believe that.”

  “Then what do you believe in?”

  “I don’t know. I just know that things aren’t going to happen by putting something out in the universe. Like with the whole teaching thing—me filling out a million job applications, going to interviews, showing my skill set. Those are going to be the things that get me a job.”

  “That’d probably go a lot better without unicorn pants.”

  She screwed her face. “You think you’re so funny.”

  Erin’s eyes tracked the movement of his mouth as he took another lick of his ice cream. Her eyes dilated, and her teeth raked over her bottom lip. It was clear what she wanted. He’d happily use his tongue on her. Every damn inch. “On occasion.”

  He walked closer to her, pulling her into his chest as they walked down the waterfront. This felt good. Right. He liked the way she fit under his arm.

  “Do you like having your family close?”

  “My family is nosy as hell, but I couldn’t imagine living far away from them. It’d be lonely without them.” Not to mention there’d been a lot of choices when it came to babysitters when Jake was on shift. He’d never had to put Bailey in day care when she was younger because of his family. “Why? Changing your mind about California?”

  “What? No.” Her response was quick, almost rehearsed. “It’s been my home for the past ten years. It’d be leaving a piece of me behind.”

  “That’s not how you felt with Portland?”

  Her brows furrowed as she seemed to contemplate this. “I don’t know. There were just so many things that drove me away.”

  Her lips pressed together in a thin line. He was desperate to kiss her, to finally know what those lips felt like against his own, but he was finally getting somewhere with her and didn’t want to spoil the moment.

  “Running from problems never helped anything.” He glanced over at Erin. Her posture had changed since the sudden shift in questions. Give her a pair of tennis shoes and she’d be ready to run.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Running. He had to bring up her past. But if there was one thing Erin was good at, that was it. The “13.1” and “26.2” stickers on the back of her car were testaments to this. “It’s worked for me so far.”

  “Were you happy in California?” His solid gaze slid over her, watching her so carefully.

  “I loved my job.” The other stuff? She realized it was disposable. She thought she’d miss her downtown apartment. Or the fact that she had the best takeout options known to mankind. But when was the last time she’d had a real honest-to-goodness conversation with her old roommate? She didn’t count their conversation earlier this week, when she’d pointedly left out key information about the wedding. And she could get takeout food anywhere.

  “What about the rest of it? Friends? Dating?” he asked.

  She blew out a sigh and shoved the rest of her cone in her mouth, giving herself an extra few seconds to think about how to respond. “I had a couple of good friends.” She shrugged. Her dating life had been a disaster. First there was Dean with the good hair. That was about all he had going for him. Erin now knew better than to date men prettier than she was. Then there was Jared, occupier of best friends’ beds. And you couldn’t forget Michael, who was actually married with two kids. Yeah, Erin hadn’t found that out until she’d shown up at his house as a surprise.

  Okay, so maybe she did have a crappy track record with dating. That didn’t mean she was running because of it. “Dating . . . well, you know how it goes.”

  “Not really. I haven’t been on a date in a long time.”

  The thought boggled her mind. All her friends in California would take a ticket and line up like they were in the DMV to get a chance with him. There might even be some catfights.

  “I’d give you an A plus.”

  His brows raised, and that dimple made an appearance. “Impressive. Especially coming from a teacher.”

  She wagged a finger at him. “Jobless teacher.”

  “It’ll happen, shortcake.”

  She smiled. When Jake said it, it made it sound possible. Maybe he was right. That tiny little sliver of hope she’d been holding out glimmered under all the angst and despair she’d been
feeling ever since that “Sorry, your position has been cut” e-mail had landed in her in-box. “Maybe I should try out that wishing well.”

  “Couldn’t hurt.”

  She shoved her hand in her purse and dug around, coming up empty. “Uh, I don’t carry cash on me.”

  “First you steal my bagel, and now you want my cash. You know, I’m beginning to see a pattern here.” He pulled out his wallet, searching in the billfold.

  “The bagel was purely coincidence. The cash, not so much. I mean, I’ll take a twenty along with the penny if you have one in there.”

  “Can’t blame a woman for knowing what she wants.” He chuckled and then produced a penny. As he placed the coin in her hand, his fingers lingered, his strong hand encasing hers. Just that simple touch spread heat from her ears to her toes. “It’ll happen, Erin. You’ll be back in California before the school year starts and have your own class again.” His Adam’s apple bobbed, and his smile didn’t quite meet his eyes.

  A wave of goose bumps cascaded down Erin’s arms, and she hugged Jake’s jacket tighter to her body. It was so easy to talk to him. To tell him exactly what she felt. Which scared the crap out of her. Why was it that she couldn’t find anyone in San Francisco to connect with? What made him so different?

  Because he’s Jake, a little voice whispered in her head.

  He’d always been in the back of her mind, even when she lived so far away. And now he was dangling this perfect date in front of her even though she knew that her time here was slipping through her fingers like sand? She didn’t know whether to be elated or bummed. Was there a word in the dictionary that combined the two emotions? She’d just made one:

  Bumated: (adj.) The act of feeling both overwhelming happiness and soul suckage simultaneously. Also see: Date with Jake Bennett.

  His gaze lingered on hers and then traveled south to her lips.

  She swallowed hard. “Thanks.” She closed her eyes tightly, and for the first time in years, she let herself wish. She didn’t know if it went against wishing-well-penny protocol, but she packed in an extra two wishes just in case the well was feeling especially nice.

  “Let’s get you home. I have to wake up early for my shift tomorrow.”

  They’d made their way out of the riverfront and back to Jake’s truck. Silence settled into the truck cab on their way home.

  Before it had the chance to get awkward, he pulled into her mother’s driveway. How funny that the one true date she’d been on in a long time happened to end at her childhood home. It seemed like a time warp really had happened. Add in Jake feeding Erin gummy bears while watching The Notebook together, and the transformation of high school fantasy would be complete.

  They both got out of the truck and he led her to the front porch, his arm wrapped protectively around her hip.

  “I had a really good time tonight,” she said.

  He nodded. “Me, too.”

  She shrugged her shoulders, the weight of Jake’s jacket a comforting reminder. “Oh, here. I should give this back to you.” She went to slip it off when his hand came to rest on her arm.

  “Keep it. It looks better on you.”

  He smoothed his hand over her cheek. Those hands that had so skillfully worked over her body were kind and tender as they brushed along her jawline. She bent her head back, leaning into his touch.

  “I’d really like to kiss you now,” he said.

  She let out a shaky breath. She’d wanted this since she’d seen him at the bakery. No, since before she was even of age to drive. She’d wanted Jake Bennett for years.

  She swallowed hard, trying to keep her voice level. “I’d like that.”

  Both hands came to rest on her cheeks. His lips met hers in a soft brush. A tentative taste. Smooth, silky lips parted way to his tongue, playfully teasing at the entrance of her mouth. A warmth rushed over her cheeks, her whole body tingling. This was happening. He’d had his hands on her before. All over. And yet this simple touch felt more intimate than his fingers stroking her most private places. His lips reminded her of warm honey, of being cocooned in an angora blanket. Soft. Warm. Comforting. Their tongues tested, toyed with each other, as the kiss deepened. Erin felt herself slipping away, every swipe of Jake’s lips pulling her under the current.

  She liked how Jake kissed her, like he was savoring every swirl, every brush of their lips. Her lips sizzled from the touch, sending a blast of liquid heat straight to her core.

  “Good night, Erin.” He kissed the top of her head, and the skin on her face tingled. How could he make the simplest gesture seem so important? But that was Jake. He moved with importance. Everything he did was concise, straight to the point.

  “Good night,” she breathed.

  And with that, he took a step off the porch and made his way to his truck.

  What if you could have this every night? The thought was fleeting, disappearing faster than a shooting star across the sky. She didn’t have the luxury to wonder such things.

  Erin shuddered and reached for the doorknob, her mind still foggy from Jake’s lips. She entered the darkened room and locked the door.

  “That’s my girl,” came from the darkened corner.

  “What the—? Oh my God.” Erin’s heart pounded in her chest, and she fell against the side of the couch, trying to catch herself. Her arms flailed, and she landed butt first on the hardwood floor. Her mother sat on the bench under the bay window, beaming ear to ear.

  “Were you watching me?” This crossed so many lines. Which didn’t surprise her one bit.

  “What else is there to do? I have to get my entertainment somehow. I will say, Jake is a nice catch. I was serious about a man who can cook.”

  “Mom,” she warned.

  “Maybe he can come over here for dinner sometime this week.”

  “Absolutely not.” And there her mother went again, overstepping. Ignore. Smile. Move on.

  “Why not?”

  “Because—Mom. Please.” She didn’t want to get into it now. Not when she’d had the best night in . . . well, since the wedding, she supposed.

  “Wait till Sadie hears about this.” Her mother disappeared to her bedroom, doing a little victory dance before shutting the door.

  Never a dull moment in this house.

  And, even though this totally violated her privacy and made her want to bang her head against a desk a few times, there was a pang deep in her chest at the thought of how much she’d miss all this when she moved back to California.

  Chapter Seventeen

  ALEXIS: Hey girl! Miss u.

  ALEXIS: Going out tonight with Chloe and James. I’ll have a glass of rosé in your honor.

  ALEXIS: Been a few days. Lose your phone?

  Erin was a crappy friend. Alexis had left more than a dozen texts over the past week, and she hadn’t returned one. First, because she was trying everything in her power to close herself off from the painful realization that she very well might not be going back to California if she didn’t get her ass into gear. Second, her fear of missing out was strong. And it got only worse when Alexis texted her about all the awesome things she was doing without her.

  She sat at her usual spot at Patsy’s. The tufted chair had practically formed a permanent indent of her ass. Madison and Sloane had joined her, both done with work for the day.

  “I need your opinion on which shot you like better. I’m entering it into Career World,” Madison said, swiveling her laptop around.

  “You’re serious about entering that?” A reality show didn’t seem like Madison’s sort of gig. Especially one that matched people up based on job compatibility.

  “If it gets me more clients, then yes. I look at this as a promotional opportunity.”

  Savvy. Madison had always been that way. Back in elementary school, they’d put a lemonade stand up in front of Erin’s house. While Erin had been worried about the sugar-to-lemon ratio, Madison had been coming up with ways to tack on extra fees for cups, and manpower to stir the i
ngredients.

  Erin glanced at the black-and-white photo of the bride throwing her bouquet into the air. It was an artful shot where the bride was bent backward, the jewels in her corseted top gleaming. The second photo was of the groom seeing the bride for the first time. Tears welled in his eyes—love, kindness, and tenderness shining in them. The bride was a soft blur in the background. Erin hoped that a man would look at her like that one day, with so much tenderness it would be a kick in the gut.

  “I like the second one.”

  “Same. The dude is absolutely gaga over that woman,” Sloane added.

  Madison smiled, apparently pleased with their answers. “I like that one, too.” She went back to typing on her laptop.

  “How was the hospital, Sloane?”

  She shoved a piece of scone in her mouth and then took a sip of coffee, her eyes lacking their usual shine. “My shift was brutal last night. So many codes.”

  Erin frowned. She hated to think about all those little kids in pain. She didn’t know how her best friend did it. She’d crumble if she lost anyone that she loved that much. The realization of that statement hit her like a ton of bricks.

  “Only thing that brightened my shift was hearing about your date,” she said.

  “Let me guess. My mom informed on me.” She knew her mom liked to hover, but this was an all-time low, even for her.

  “Actually, yeah.”

  She choked on her coffee. “What do you mean? She actually called you guys?” Okay, this was taking it too far.

  “She posted about it.”

  “What do you mean? I follow her account and didn’t see anything.” The woman had this horrible habit of posting updates about the family on other people’s posts tagged to Erin’s account. Her mom didn’t quite understand the concept of posting on someone’s wall. Or using private messaging instead.