Unbearable Heat (The Grizzly Next Door 2)

by Aya Morningstar

  Lily nodded, but she still couldn’t ease her mind.

  “Where did you see him?” she asked.

  “Uh,” Seth said, “there.”

  He pointed, but he was pointing to a spot hundreds of feet away.

  “You saw clearly that far away, at night?”

  He bit his lip, hesitated, and then said, “I didn’t see clearly. Maybe it was nothing at all. That’s why I’m saying not to worry.”

  Her throat felt dry, and she gulped, but then she felt the warm caress of his fingers slide across her skin. They ran across her bare upper arm, and then he took firm hold of her shoulder. He pulled her into his body. He was so tall that her head was low on him, just where his rib cage would be were it not packed with those delicious ab muscles. So she let him hold her, and she rested her head on his muscular body. The only place to grab hold of him was his hips, dangerously close to his belt line, but she took hold of him. She could feel his V-cut through his thin shirt, and her hand wanted desperately to move around and feel for itself everything her eyes had taken in the night before.

  She resisted her temptations and let herself feel content to have this. This was more than she could have asked for, and looking at the rubble of her house was bearable now in Seth’s embrace.

  When he finally let her go and they got back in his truck, she felt what she could only describe as an afterglow.

  Jesus, Lily. It’s been so long since you’ve had sex that you’re feeling an afterglow from a guy holding you with one arm?

  Yes, it was stupid and pathetic, but the warm buzz she felt was real, and it was hers, and she wasn’t going to let it go. She smiled as they drove the short distance to Seth’s place.

  He looked over at her with raised eyebrows. “Uh, looks like you’re taking it pretty well then?”

  “Yeah,” she said. “I was dreading it so much, but it wasn’t so bad. Sure, it sucks, but it could have been so much worse, you know? I got out unscathed, more or less. I could have had horrible burn scars all over my body. I could have lost a limb or two. I could have just died. But none of that happened. I’m perfectly okay, and all I really lost was my house.” She paused, and then she added, “And I have you to thank for that.”

  They were at his house now, so he slowed down and put the truck in park.

  “It’s lucky I was there,” he said, “but you’re strong, and smart. It looked like you probably would have made it without me.”

  I don’t want to make it without you. I want to make it with you, she thought. Everything was better with him by her side. And less than twenty-four hours since he’d rescued her, she was already hooked on him. Her rational brain screamed at her that she was being an idiot. She was setting herself up high to fall, and she’d regret letting herself feel this way soon enough. Her heart felt differently, and it fluttered as Seth opened the door for her, took her by the hand, and helped her down out of the truck.

  “I’ve gotta go to the firehouse at five,” he said as they walked inside. “You want to eat with me before I go?” I won’t be back until 1 a.m. or so.”

  “Um,” she said, “actually Lana wants to meet up with me tonight.”

  “Cool,” he said. “That will be nice...to get out. I was worried you’d be bored out of your mind alone here.”

  “Nope!” Lily said. “We’re going bowling, so I won’t be bored, but it’s too bad you can’t come with us.”

  “We’ll think of something fun to do this weekend,” Seth said.

  As he said it, Lily’s mind went straight to the gutter. She could think of at least sixty-nine fun things to do with him. She caught herself licking her lips. Then she bit her lip to stop herself.

  “So,” she said, breaking the silence, “what do you guys really do at the firehouse? Run drills up and down the pole? Play with your fire hoses? Whack at stuff with axes?”

  She blushed and forced herself to stop talking. Sex had taken over her mind; it was influencing everything she said or did. It was all Seth’s fault. He was sex incarnate, but she couldn’t risk it. She was getting mixed signals from him, or were they not really mixed? Was she just reading into them the way she wanted to? If she acted on her feelings and was wrong, she’d ruin everything.

  “Uh,” Seth said, “mostly we just play foosball and watch TV. It’s mostly just about being ready, because every other night or so something gets called in, and then we have to suit up really fast and get in the fire truck. You can’t really just zone out or let your mind wander too much, because you have to be ready 100 percent when there’s a fire. Usually we get there and it’s a small brushfire or a dumpster fire, or something else that doesn’t really need a truck full of firefighters. But every so often, like last night, it is real and we need every last man. We always have to be ready for that. Tonight, though, I’m hoping to beat Pat at foosball for the first time in months. I’ve got a new strategy worked out.”

  Lily laughed at that, but as he spoke, images of Seth’s strong chest bulging through an undershirt shot into her mind. She imagined him drenched in sweat and pulling on his firefighting clothes. Red overalls and a yellow jacket, but he didn’t zip the jacket up—no, he just left it open sexily and took hold of an axe…

  “Lily?” Seth said, ending her fantasy.

  “Yeah?”

  “Did you want to watch a movie before I have to leave?”

  “Oh,” she said, realizing he must have already asked her but she was too busy thinking sexy thoughts to respond.

  “Yeah, sure.”

  Seth messed with the TV and handed Lily the remote.

  Lily moved over to the search box and entered: “F-I-R-E-F-I”

  The search auto-completed, and Seth groaned.

  “Really?” he asked. “You want to watch a movie about firefighters?”

  “Yeah,” she said.

  She selected Backdraft, and the movie started playing.

  Lily sat down on the couch and hoped Seth would sit close to her.

  “You should take my chair,” he said.

  “The couch is fine to me.”

  “This chair is so comfortable, especially when watching a movie. You should take it for a spin.”

  “Okay,” she said, disappointed, but what objection could she seriously raise? I want to sit with you, or, I want to take you for a spin?

  Lily sat down in the chair, and it was incredibly comfortable, so comfortable that she passed out almost straight away. She didn’t wake up until Seth touched her arm, and there was a building on fire on the TV screen.

  “I thought you liked firefighter movies,” he said.

  “I do...but the chair.”

  “Told you,” he said, smiling. His hand was still on her arm, but then he squeezed lightly and let go.

  “I have to leave for work now. Tell Lana I said hi, and tell her I’m down to hang out on the weekend.”

  “Will do,” she said.

  The chair was so comfortable that it had seemingly swallowed her, and she was fully reclined. She struggled to get up, but it felt like escaping from a pit of quicksand. Seth reached out his arm, and she took hold. His steely forearm bulged beneath her hand, and he lifted her up from the chair as if she were as light as air.

  “Thanks,” she said. “You’ve saved me twice now.”

  “I saved you,” he asked, “from the chair?”

  “Yeah,” she said. “I would have been stuck in there forever, but you rescued me.”

  He laughed. “I’ve really got to leave now though.”

  “Foosball is waiting for you?”

  “Yeah,” he said, tightening the laces on his boots. “I’m gonna kick Pat’s ass tonight. Maybe put out some fires too.”

  And then he was gone. As soon as he shut the door, the house felt transformed. She suddenly felt scared and alone. It was the first time since the fire that he hadn’t been with her. Did she really need him that badly? She wouldn’t stay here forever.... Sooner or later—likely sooner—she’d have overstayed her welcome and wo
uld need to move on, find a new place to live. Alone.

  Her phone buzzed on the table, and she saw Lana’s thumbnail in the corner. It was a text, so she just quickly read it. Lana was ready and on her way.

  Lily had just slept on a chair for an hour and a half, and her hair was a mess. Lana knew that Lily wouldn’t be ready in time, so she didn’t have to rush too much, but she didn’t want to make Lana wait forever, so she went faster than she’d have liked to.

  They were going bowling. Shit. She’d only bought work clothes. She usually went bowling in jeans and a tank top, or just a T-shirt. She had bought plenty of skirts.... They weren’t ideal, but she could bowl in one. She’d rent bowling shoes after they arrived, and she found a blouse that didn’t look too stuffy. She put everything on, and it looked pretty damn good. She combed some knots out of her hair and sprayed down some of the frizz, and then she wiped off all her makeup, washed her face, and started reapplying it fresh.

  She heard the doorbell ring. It must have been Lana, so she didn’t care about answering the door with only half her face done.

  She rushed to the door and hesitated before opening it. It felt really strange to be opening Seth’s door like this, as if she lived here. She opened up the door and prepared to say a quick hi and then rush back into the bathroom. Lana knew the drill.

  But it wasn’t Lana. It was Flynt.

  He wore a tight sweater that showed off his new muscles without quite flaunting them. He had on expensive-looking jeans and nice, polished brown shoes. His unibrow was still gone. Did he pluck that thing daily now? Or maybe he waxed it?

  “Flynt?” she said. “Jesus. What are you doing here?”

  “I heard what happened, and I just wanted to come see if you were okay.” He looked her up and down. “You look...great though.”

  “Yeah,” she said, feeling impatient. Why was he here? “I’m fine, Flynt. Nothing’s changed.”

  “Well,” he said, “you almost died, so there’s that.”

  And now she felt selfish. She put herself in his shoes. She had these stupid feelings for Seth, which he didn’t reciprocate, and if Seth had almost died, she’d want to check up on him. Flynt still had feelings for her, and even though she didn’t return them, he probably just wanted to see that she was okay.

  “Yeah,” she said. “It was scary, but I’m okay.” She coughed, but she couldn’t clear her throat. She had to dig deep and cough hard several times.

  Flynt put a hand out, but she backed away. “Ugh,” she said, “sorry about that. I’m fine, really. They said it will clear up on its own, and it’s definitely getting better. The doctor said it’s nothing serious.”

  Flynt reached down and grabbed hold of something. Then he raised it up and held it toward her with both hands. It was a gift basket. It was big, and the top was covered in that shiny, plastic paper. It was full of chocolates, fruits, some flowers...it was a really nice gesture.

  “It looks like overkill,” Flynt said, “but when I heard, there weren’t many details. I thought you were in the hospital.”

  She understood. The gift basket was a bit much, given that she was well enough to go bowling, but Flynt hadn’t known and had likely bought the gift basket as soon as he’d heard. He probably had thought she’d be in the hospital for days, and if she had, the gift basket would be just the right thing.

  She took hold of it and set it on the table. “Thanks, Flynt. It’s not too much.... I really appreciate it.”

  “I heard Seth saved you,” he said.

  “Yeah,” she said, looking down at her feet.

  “I know we have history,” he said, “but if you wear out your welcome here, you can always crash at my place. In the spare bedroom, of course.”

  “Thanks, but I’m probably going to find a new place soon.”

  “Well,” he said, “it looks like you’re about to go out, so I’ll let you go.”

  Her makeup. Dammit. It was still only half done. She must have looked ridiculous to him. Well, it was just Flynt. She had been annoyed when she first saw him, but he was just trying to be nice and show his concern. And now that he had, he was leaving. He hadn’t been pushy or overstayed his welcome. Maybe she could be friends with him still.

  Right as she finished her makeup, the bell rang again. Lily was sure it was Lana this time, but she peered through the peephole just to make sure.

  “Lana,” she said.

  Lana stood at the doorway in jeans and a tank top. She was curvy like Lily, and maybe an inch or two taller. Her makeup was always done immaculately. She was so good at it that she ran a YouTube channel with like a million subscribers, all just about applying makeup. That was her full-time job, making YouTube videos about makeup. Lily always got jealous just thinking about it, but she was happy for her all the same.

  “I know,” Lana said. “Ten more minutes and you’re ready?”

  “No!” Lily said. “I’m actually ready on time.”

  “Come on, Lily,” she said, “it’s fine. Take your time.”

  “Really!” Lily said. “I’m ready. Look!”

  Lana did look then, and she said, “Damn. New clothes?”

  “Well, all my old clothes burned up in a fire, so yeah.”

  “Oh,” Lana said. “Sorry...I wasn’t thinking.”

  “It’s fine. It’s probably the only good thing about all your earthly possessions burning to ash: You get to buy a totally new wardrobe guilt free.”

  Lana smiled, a devious smile that Lily knew all too well.

  “What?” Lily asked.

  “It’s not the only good thing about the fire,” Lana said, winking.

  “We’re just friends—”

  “Ah!” Lana said, pointing. “If you didn’t know what I was talking about, you wouldn’t have protested it like that. You’re sooo bad at hiding your emotions. Seth has got to know!”

  “He’s a guy,” Lily said. “Guys are too dumb to pick up on stuff like that. He’s totally oblivious…”

  “Which makes him even hotter,” Lana said, grinning.

  Lily blushed and then laughed. “Yeah, totally.”

  “So this is his place?” Lana said. “Can I be a creep and snoop around?”

  Lily thought about it. “You can be a bit of a creep, but stay out of his bedroom and don’t poke around too hard.”

  Lana grinned and started giving herself a tour. “Is that what you’re going to tell him? Not to poke around too hard? What’s with all the bags of flour?”

  Lily ignored the joke. “He bakes his own bread. Every morning he wakes up at like five and starts baking.”

  Lana stopped dead in her tracks and looked at Lily wordlessly. “Are you shitting me? That is so cute.”

  “You should taste the bread,” Lily said.

  “Invite me over for breakfast and I will.”

  “I don’t live here. I can’t invite you.”

  Lana smiled and put down the flour. “I know. I'm just joking. After you guys get married you can invite me though.”

  Lily got into Lana’s car, and they drove to the bowling alley.

  They liked going bowling because they were both awful at it. The bowling alley had a bar attached with karaoke, and after they bowled poorly, they would wander into the bar and watch people sing poorly. Lily was glad that Lana had never tried to get better at bowling, like Pat had with foosball. If either of them ever got good, it wouldn’t be fun anymore.

  Lily took a light purple ball and rolled it down the alley. She aimed for the three middle arrows, but it spun wildly and hit the gutter so hard that it nearly jumped into the next lane. Lana laughed hysterically.

  “I think we get worse every time,” Lily said. “Maybe we can ask for some of those foam bumpers next time—the ones little kids use.”

  “Hmm,” Lana said, “that sounds fun.”

  “Did you ever find that guy on Facebook?” Lily asked.

  “What guy?”

  “Uh, the Russian guy? You said you were going to try to find him
.”

  “Oh, Alex? He was Romanian. I tried looking, but I’m not even sure I remember his last name. Come to think of it, Alex may have been part of his last name. In which case, I have no clue what his real first name was. I googled what I thought it sounded like and looked through lists of Romanian names, but I’m just not sure. Or maybe he’s not on Facebook, or maybe he has it set so people can’t find him?”