Burning Up (Flirting With Fire Book 1) Page 20

  “Do you have something to do with Jake not returning my texts?”

  His lips pressed together. Guilty. As. Charged. He tried to play it off with a shrug. “Maybe he’s just come to his senses.”

  “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

  “I’m looking out for my friend, Erin. I love you. You know I do, but what are you playing at here?”

  “What do you mean?” She stared at her brother. Hard. He’d always been on her side. Sure, they fought like any siblings do, but he’d never meddled with her relationship before.

  “Jake’s getting forgetful on the job. He’s distracted. For fuck’s sake, he thought the girl we were treating yesterday was going to be you. I’ve never seen him move so fast.” His hands gripped the counter, the color in his knuckles draining to bone white.

  Her heart made an unexpected U-turn in her chest. “How does that have anything to do with him ignoring me?” And why had he thought it was her? So many questions, and the one person she wanted answers from wasn’t returning her calls.

  Reece’s hands formed into fists at his side. He looked like he was fighting for some type of control. “Don’t you get it, Erin? This is Jake’s life. My life is in his hands on these calls.”

  When they were younger, Reece had always been the sensible one. Overly cautious. The one to remind her to put on sunscreen when they went outside. The one who held her hand to cross the street when they walked to school together. The one that was always in control of a situation. Whatever had happened yesterday had really spooked him.

  “You’re blaming me for him being distracted?”

  “Hell yes. The guy already has enough on his plate. He doesn’t need you playing with his feelings.”

  What the hell? Is that what her brother thought of her? That she was just coming in here to stir up trouble and then leave on her merry way? If she could fight this damn attraction to Jake, she’d stay miles away from him. She’d do anything to avoid the inevitable pain of what the next few weeks would bring. It was looming in the distance, like a storm coming into the bay. What they’d shared at the river was something she’d never experienced before. She didn’t know if she’d ever experience it again.

  “What is that supposed to mean?”

  “You know exactly what I mean. How many relationships have you had, Erin? How many guys did you just string along because you couldn’t commit?”

  “You’re really judging me by my dating history. Get off your patriarchal high horse there, brother.” Oh, if she had the proper arm span to reach the giant oaf, she would deck him in the face right now. “I didn’t know I needed to submit a curriculum vitae to you before going out with your friend.”

  “Have you changed? You move every few years. You never stay anywhere for long. Why is that?”

  Her brother always did have a knack for sticking his thumb in the exact spot that would elicit the most pain. Right now, it was like he was digging his thumb into her solar plexus. Her breath barely made its way to her lungs.

  “I had to move for different jobs,” she said.

  “That’s bullshit. I think you’re afraid.”

  That’ll be a yes for $2,000, Alex.

  I’m always afraid, she thought. That little voice came out of nowhere, confirming her worst suspicion. The only time that little voice quieted was when she was with Jake. “You think you’re so perceptive. Maybe try taking a look in the mirror. I see a man who’s afraid to let go.” They all saw it. He’d never been the same after his high school girlfriend had left him to marry another man.

  His eyes sharpened, and Erin immediately regretted bringing up that subject. It was a low blow, but Reece wasn’t exactly playing fair. “This isn’t about me, Erin.” He let out a frustrated sigh and raked his hand through his hair. “All I’m saying is he deserves better than that. He’s been through enough to have you come tearing through his life. You said it yourself. You’re leaving in the next few weeks. So do what you do best.” He waved his hands dismissively, as if she very well might disappear into a puff of smoke.

  Erin had to admit that hearing her words thrown back in her face ranked up there with getting physically slapped.

  “It’s not like that with Jake.” Then what is it? the tiny voice in the back of her head asked. She didn’t know. There was only one thing she was sure of at this point: she didn’t know how she was going to work things out because Jake and California were not synonymous. They were the parts of a Venn diagram that never overlapped. “And anyway, what happened to being the protective older brother in this scenario?”

  He scoffed. “You’ve shown everyone you can take care of yourself.”

  “I can.”

  “Then do him a favor and don’t get involved unless you intend to stay.”

  He brushed past her and out of the kitchen, most likely resuming his spot at the table. It’d been foolish to start this with Reece. She was leaving in a few weeks. Why pick a fight with her brother now? But she couldn’t let this go. The thought of Jake putting the team in danger because of her. Her stomach turned leaden.

  She moved to the center island and picked at the grout in the tiles. No use going back to dinner. She wasn’t hungry.

  “Mom, I’m heading out for a while,” she called. She grabbed her keys and drove.

  Jake stared at the empty spot at the dining room table as he ate a bowl of cereal. Parenting had forced him to eat balanced meals, for Bailey’s sake. Since she’d been gone, he hadn’t cooked anything more complicated than chicken and rice. He couldn’t wait to pick her up from the airport tomorrow.

  His phone sat next to him, blinking. Possibly another message from Erin.

  He’d gone from full throttle, embracing the fling, to questioning everything. He still couldn’t believe he had let that interfere with his job, the one thing he held sacred.

  Answer her back, asshole. Instead, he shoved the phone aside. Later. He’d figure out what to say to her once he got his shit together. Yesterday had rattled him to the core.

  He took the last bite of cereal, pushed back from the table, and deposited the bowl into the sink. As soon as he cleared his place at the table, the doorbell rang. He glanced at the clock on the microwave and frowned. He hadn’t been expecting company, and this was getting a little late for solicitors.

  He opened the door to find Erin standing on the other side, her arms hugging her body. The air in his lungs evaporated. Just seeing her immediately put his body on high alert.

  “Hey.” He’d successfully avoided her for the last day, and he was planning on continuing that after the spook he had on his shift yesterday. Zero chance of that now that she was standing here, so damn gorgeous.

  “I know you have been avoiding my texts, but I wanted to clear up some things,” she said.

  Fuck. Leave it to Erin to never hold back. She said what she felt, and he respected that. It was a relief not to have to play mind games like some of his previous girlfriends had.

  “Okay.” He opened the door wider, letting her inside. He’d been a dick to ignore her, but he didn’t want to commit to anything until he had some time to think.

  “Reece told me about what happened yesterday.”

  “Yeah, that wasn’t my finest moment on the job.” One of the worst, probably. Besides the time he passed out in training and fell down a flight of stairs.

  “Want to talk about it?”

  “Not really.” In fact, if he could just ignore it for the rest of his life, that’d be just fine. “Want to come in?”

  Shit. What was wrong with him? He should be distancing himself from her, but there was that damn magnetic pull between them that he couldn’t ignore.

  She made her way to the kitchen and turned to Jake. “The river was a mistake.” She hoisted herself up to sit on the kitchen counter, her legs dangling over the edge. Those damn cutoffs rode high up her thighs, barely covering the spot he’d kissed two days ago.

  “A complete mistake.” He moved closer to her, his arms
resting on the kitchen counter, caging her in, standing between her legs.

  Everything inside him roared, Let her go. Tell her to leave. But he couldn’t. Her breasts brushed against his chest, and she looked up at him with an intensity that turned his insides aflame. Something about her called to him like a damn beacon.

  Her legs hugged Jake’s sides as he closed the distance between them.

  “We can’t keep doing this, Erin.” The words were hollow. A feeble attempt to save himself. Because Erin was going to wreck him. And he didn’t know if he could handle it.

  “I know.” She hopped off the counter and slid slowly down his body inch by inch. Jake fisted his hands in his jeans as a preventive measure to stop his fingers from tangling in her hair. Every damn cell in his body lit up, his cock swelling against his jeans. She moved past him toward the other end of the kitchen.

  Jake walked behind Erin, watching the sway of her hips. Back and forth. Back and forth. The motion was mesmerizing.

  She opened the fridge and bent over, rooting around for something, and came up with a beer. Christ. He’d take her right here if that didn’t sound like a horrible idea. He was supposed to be putting some distance between them.

  Erin found the opener mounted to the underside of the counter and cracked open her beer. She took a long pull, her mouth so sweet and delicious the way it curved over the opening. Jake’s dick twitched in response.

  “Do you have any idea what you do to me?” he rasped.

  “Enlighten me.” She took another sip and watched him as she lightly trailed her tongue along the edge.

  “I have never had an issue with keeping my cool. Ever.” He swallowed hard, keeping his gaze on her face. Everything else would just remind him of the day at the river. “But I need you, Erin. To the point where you take up every bit of available space in my head. Hell, even when I’m asleep, I’m thinking of you. And then when we got the call yesterday about a female passed out on the riverfront, I lost it. I fucking lost it.” He could still feel the remnants of his heart tremoring at the thought of her lying lifeless on the ground. He’d gone through a spectrum of emotions over the past twenty-four hours, but shame remained a steady hum in his veins. He couldn’t afford to bring emotion into his job.

  “I’m sorry. That must have been really scary.”

  “You don’t get it. I’ve passed up chances with women for most of Bailey’s life. I wanted to protect her. Protect myself.”

  Her lips quivered in response. And the wall Jake had tried to build to shut her out for good crumbled.

  “I can’t pass this up with you. I can’t stop thinking about you. And I don’t want to. I’m sorry I ignored your texts yesterday. I just didn’t really know how to handle what was going on.” He moved closer to her.

  Her chest rose and fell heavily in response. “I like you. A lot,” she said.

  “I think we can assume the feeling is mutual.”

  “I don’t want to give up what we have just because I’m leaving in a couple of weeks. I want to make the most of our time together. What you said out on the river—you’re not living scared anymore. Well, I’m not either,” she said.

  “Let’s make our time count for something.” More than he could articulate. More than he wanted to admit. Because what he felt for Erin ran deeper than just liking her, and he wasn’t ready for that. At all.

  His hands coasted down her waist and hooked under her ass, pulling her up until she wrapped her legs around him. He may not have had the words to show her how he felt, but he had other ways of letting her know.

  His lips met hers, and he kissed her slowly, carefully. This was Erin. In his house. And it felt so goddamn right.

  He moved past the entryway, up the stairs, and toward the back of his house until he reached his bedroom. His knees hit the edge of his bed, and he laid her down. She looked perfect there, sprawled out on his comforter, gazing up at him with eager eyes.

  His heart squeezed in his chest. A few weeks ago, he didn’t think it’d be possible to feel anything toward someone. Yes, he’d been out with a few people, but none of them had slipped past his walls. Erin obliterated them with the Jaws of Life.

  He promised himself he’d take it slow, but everything about Erin told him to move. Fast. To devour every inch of her while he could.

  She sat up on her knees, and both hands tugged at the bottom of his shirt, pulling it over his head. His hands glided up her stomach, pulling up the tank top, exposing her breasts. His lips moved from the arc of her neck to the valley between her breasts, finally swirling his tongue around her peaked nipple. Her body ached in response, and she let out a soft moan. He pushed her down until she was flush with the bed.

  “I will make every moment with you count.”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  A shaft of warm, buttery sunlight streamed through the crack in Jake’s curtains. Erin shifted in bed, nestling into the cozy down comforter. She could lie here all day, ignoring the call of the outside world if it meant that she could stay in this bubble a little longer.

  She turned to where she’d slept next to him, cocooned in his warmth all night. Jake was nowhere to be seen, but there was a note on his pillow, along with a bouquet of wild flowers and a box of cherry tarts in an Olivia’s box.

  Even a free spirit can enjoy the taste of home. Went out for a run. Be back soon.

  Jake freaking Bennett. She knocked her head into the pillow. He was going to be the end of her.

  Just as she folded the note, the door downstairs creaked open. Jake appeared in the doorway moments later, earbuds in his ears, a trail of sweat suctioning his T-shirt to his chest, outlining every muscle.

  He pulled an earbud out of his ear and smiled at her. “I was hoping I’d be back before you woke up.”

  “Just woke up.” She lifted the box of cherry tarts. “How did you know these were my favorite?”

  “You forget. I know a lot about you, Erin. Ten years may change some things, but not when it comes to your home.”

  Jake was beginning to feel a lot like home. She held the comforter tighter. That thought should scare the living crap out of her. What scared her more was how much it didn’t make her want to book a flight out of town.

  “I know this is kind of sudden, but do you want to come over for dinner tomorrow night? I’m picking up Bailey today and thought maybe we could all get together. If you’re interested.” He held her gaze, clearly trying to gauge her reaction.

  There should be red flags. Warning flares visible from the space station. Erin should have wanted to sprint out of the room screaming. Instead, something in her chest fused together. Damn it, she was like the Grinch when his heart grew three sizes on Christmas day. She knew what he’d just asked of her took an enormous amount of faith—to trust her around his daughter. “I’d love to have dinner with you and Bailey.”

  He nodded, which seemed more for his own benefit than Erin’s. “Okay. It’s a date.”

  He pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it into the laundry basket across the room. “I’ll be right back.”

  She joined him in the shower.

  Two hours later, Erin made her way home. She grabbed her laptop from her room and headed down to the kitchen, where her sister was making lunch.

  “Ah, Teacher Barbie. I was wondering when you were going to show back up,” Andie said.

  “I’m not here to pick a fight.” Why was her sister still so defensive? It wasn’t Erin who had brought up college at dinner the other night.

  “Good. At least I can eat my lunch in peace,” she grumbled.

  Where had she gone so wrong that their relationship couldn’t even handle a tiny spat? She’d never been that hard to talk to over Skype, but then again, that was because her sister always had something to talk about from school.

  She got it. She sucked as a sister. She had a lot of making up to do. Given the limited time frame, she didn’t know if that was possible.

  “Where’s Mom?”

  “A
t the truck.” Andie grabbed her ham-and-Swiss sandwich and sat down. Her blonde hair was pulled into a messy bun, putting her tattooed shoulders on display. The ink seemed to sweep deeper down her arms than she last remembered, and she wondered when she’d had the new design done.

  Erin slid into the seat at the table across from Andie. “Are your friends back in town on college break?” Friends seemed like a safe topic. One that should get minimal side-eye action.

  Andie frowned, putting down her sandwich. “No. Most of them stayed on campus. Since they’re sophomores now, they got apartments.”

  “That sucks.” Back when Erin was in college, she always dreaded small holiday breaks where students would go home for the long weekend. Since she’d lived a state away from her family, she’d opted to stay in her dorm and binge-watch TV shows, ignoring the pang of missing her friends. Erin couldn’t imagine how Andie felt with her friends suddenly ripped out of her life.

  “It does.”

  “Andie . . .” Let me in. Let me be the sister you deserve to have.

  “Please don’t, Erin. I don’t want to talk about it.” Tears glistened in her sister’s eyes. Her sister may have been a lot of things, but it was rare to see her cry.

  “Okay. Well, I’m here if you decide you’re ready to.” She was about to say more when her phone buzzed on the table. A California number.

  Oh gosh. She was not prepared to handle any type of news at the moment, good or bad. She shook out her shoulders and tried to calm her breathing.

  “Hello?”

  “Ms. Jenkins?”

  “Yes.”

  “This is Brenda from Highland Prep.” That tiny thread of hope ballooned in her chest. She’d made it to the second round, which was better than the last few interviews. This could be her lucky break.

  “Hi there. Thank you so much for interviewing me last week.”