Taking the Heat

by Samantha Long

  Taking a deep breath, he got out. He found her apartment easily on the second floor and stood a minute before he knocked. There was no going back now.

  She swung the door open and his heart stuttered. Her hair was in a messy pony-tail, she had no make up on, and she wore sweats and a t-shirt. His jeans suddenly felt too small.

  "Hi." She stepped back.

  He went inside, set the cardboard box on her counter. To calm himself down he looked around, noted that her place wasn't spotless. It fit her. "Nice place."

  "Thanks." She reached into the box and scooped the kitten out. "Hey there, cutie pie. Ready to explore your new home?" She set the kitten on the carpet and watched it sniff at her feet and then move slowly around.

  Not knowing what else to do, he just stood there.

  "Want a beer?" Addie glanced at him, then pointed to the fridge. "I have Dos Equis, if you like that."

  He nodded. Why didn't he just leave?

  "Help yourself." She followed the kitten into the living room area.

  Shrugging to himself, he gave up and went into the small kitchen and grabbed two beers from the fridge. He handed her one as he walked into the living room.

  "Thanks. The kids loved the field trip, by the way. It's all they talked about for the rest of the day." She sat on the couch, gestured for him to join her.

  "Good." God help him, but he couldn't think of anything else to say. She didn't seem to mind, because she kept talking.

  "I haven't thought of a name for the little girl. What do you think?"

  "Me?" Finn glanced at the little fur ball that crawled around her entertainment center. "I don't know."

  She laughed at him and his abdomen tensed. "Nothing? No names come to mind?"

  He felt foolish now that he couldn't think of something. He racked his brain for something that Addie would like. Something that would suit her. "Harlow."

  She considered the name. "I love it. Her name is Harlow. I think it fits her." Addie stood and he watched the way she moved. "I'm going to show her the food and water bowl and her litter box." She picked Harlow up, giving him a good look at her ass in the sweatpants, and walked around the counter into the kitchen.

  His hands fisted on his thighs. This was a bad idea. All he wanted to do was put his hands in her hair and kiss her until all she thought about was him. He didn't move though. He couldn't make himself leave, even though he thought about it.

  "Have you had dinner?" She called from her little laundry room.

  "No." He knew she was inviting him to stay, to eat with her. He could easily get up and leave, but he felt glued to the couch. His skin started to itch, to crawl, and he bit the inside of his cheek.

  "Hey, are you okay?" Addie appeared next to him, sank down.

  He hated seeing the worried look in her eyes, just like his sisters. "Fine."

  Addie placed a hand on his.

  The panic evaporated. Just like that, from the feel of her hand on his. His eyes widened as he looked into her calm face. There was no pity in her eyes, and that's what sold him.

  He pulled her onto his lap, his hand going to the back of her neck. Her lips pressed to his before he could pull her closer and a thrill shot through him at her not being coy. She settled on top of him and dug her fingers into his hair.

  His tongue slipped into her mouth, a teasing exploration, as one hand slid up her thigh to her waist. She nipped his lower lip and pressed closer to him. The center of her sweats rubbed against the bulge in jeans and he lost his breath for a second.

  She smirked against his lips and rubbed herself against him, letting his tongue swipe over hers. His hands tightened on her waist when she pulled back a little.

  "I have to eat something first. Just because you brought me a kitten doesn't mean I'm going to fall into bed with you. You have to buy me dinner a few times first." Addie slid off his lap.

  He ran a hand through his hair, tried to get a handle on his breathing. Jesus Christ, that woman was a ball of fire.

  "Do you want Chinese or Mexican?" She asked as she went to the menus that hung on her fridge.

  His mind couldn't wrap itself around the question, so it took him a minute to answer. "Mexican."

  "Cool, that's what I wanted." She brought the menu to him and a pad and pencil so he could write down his order.

  If she saw his hand shaking a little when he reached for the stuff she didn't say anything about it, just went to get her cell. When she returned she took the paper from him and placed the order.

  She sat close enough that their thighs touched and looked at him. "What made you be such an ass to me?"

  He could tell by her tone that she wasn't being a whiny female, just curious about his actions, so he sighed. "It's my thing."

  She arched a brow at him. "Your thing? Because giving me the kitten didn't seem like a very ass thing to do."

  "Yeah, well, I knew you wanted it, so I brought it." He shifted on the couch. Talking about himself or his past was the last thing he wanted to do. She seemed to realize that and let the subject drop.

  She picked up the remote to the TV. "What do you want to watch?"

  Relief coursed through him at her change of subject. Most women would dig in and beg him to tell them about his past hurts and why he was this way. That's what made him leave them every time, why he focused on staying away from them. "You pick."

  "I'll go easy on you and pick something not too girly." She went through the guide to the movie channels and found a comedy. "You like comedies?"

  He did, actually. They were his favorite before. "Sure."

  She set the remote down and put a pillow in her lap. Her fingertips played with the myriad buttons sewn onto the front and he got the feeling that she couldn't sit still for long. That doing stuff with her hands helped her to focus and concentrate.

  Somehow he tore his stare from her and to the Adam Sandler comedy that flashed on the screen. He didn't really see any of it, only felt the warmth of her body as she sat beside him.

  When the delivery man knocked on the door, Finn held his hand out to her. "I'll get it."

  "Okay, thanks." Addie sat back.

  Finn looked through the peephole before opening the door. His adrenaline coursed through him, fast and quick, and he hated the fact that war had changed him this way. That he couldn't even answer a door without preparing to fight the person on the other side.

  "Hey, man. It'll be 33.50." The blonde teenager held out the bags with the receipt stapled to it.

  Finn set the bags on the ground beside him and reached into his back pocket for his wallet. He handed the kid $50 and told him to keep the change.

  "Thanks, man." The kid grinned and walked back down the stairs.

  "That was sweet." Addie stood by the counter with two plates and some utensils. "Do you want to eat at the bar or on the couch?"

  "Doesn't matter."

  Addie grabbed the plates and forks and took them to the coffee table. "Most of the time I eat here, since I don't have a table."

  He didn't know how to reply so he carried the white plastic bags to the coffee table and sat on the couch. He wasn't trying to be rude by not talking. Sometimes he had a hard time forming words.

  She grabbed her order, tucked her feet underneath her legs and started eating. He tried not to stare, but he loved the way she ate without worrying what she looked like. She clearly enjoyed her food.

  His ex had eaten each bite so meticulously, always worried about getting food on her face or the weight she would gain. It drove him nuts. Didn't matter, though. He broke it off when he realized that everything she did made him crazy, and not in a good way.

  "Are you going to eat?" Addie's voice broke him out of his reverie.

  He blinked, realized he held the box in his hand but hadn't opened it. "Yeah." He cleared his throat, opened the box and dug in.

  They sat in companionable silence, watching the movie, and eating. Harlow meowed at Finn's feet after he finished. He scooped her up and set her in his lap
. He'd never really liked cats, but this one stared up at him with luminous blue eyes that reminded him of Addie. The kitten nuzzled his fingers and he ran his hand down her small body.

  At the sound of purring, Addie grinned over at him. "Good to see you have a soft side."

  His face cracked in a smile that felt weird on his face. "Do I seem like an ass all time?"

  "Not all the time. You were sweet with Abigail today. If you hadn't, I'd have kicked your ass in the garage." Addie took a sip of her tea. "She's had a hard time with male figures in her life. Her dad died a few years ago, and her mom's boyfriends aren't always the best."

  "That sucks for the girl." Finn was lucky on that front. He came from a big family, he had four sisters, two of which lived in Sanctuary Bay. That's the whole reason he moved here after leaving the Marines, to be with them.

  "Yeah, well, life isn't always kind. I lucked out, but some of the people I know didn't. It breaks my heart."

  He could hear the sincerity in her voice, she wasn't just saying it to say it. She truly felt for those people she knew.

  At the end of the movie, Finn stood. It was too tempting sitting next to her, especially after her kiss. He needed to leave before he started something he wasn't entirely sure he wanted to continue.

  "Thanks of dinner." Addie rose up on her tiptoes and brushed a kiss over the stubble on his cheek. "See ya."

  He walked back to his truck, brushing his fingertips over the spot her lips touched. The heat of it stayed with him the entire way home.

  Chapter Seven

  Addie

  "Hey, thanks for this." Addie sat on the stool in Victoria's kitchen the next morning. Halle sat next to her, a mimosa in hand.

  "Sure. You said you needed to talk, so here we are." Victoria stood on the other side of the bar and took a sip of her mimosa.

  Addie loved seeing the sparkle in her sister's eyes, the color in her cheeks. Being with Nick definitely looked good on her. "Where are Nick and the girls?"

  "He took them to his mom's. They're going to go to the beach and I'll join them later." Victoria narrowed her eyes over the rim of her cup. "So, what's up?"

  Addie sighed. "I met a guy."

  Halle snickered into her cup. "You always meet guys."

  "No, I met a guy." She stressed the word, knowing her sisters would get it.

  Victoria nearly dropped her drink. "As in, you like him more than a one night stand kind of thing?"

  "I haven't slept with him yet."

  "Holy hell." Halle shook her head, amazement in her eyes. "That's not like you."

  "Spill everything. Now." Victoria pulled a stool around and sat on it.

  Addie felt her sisters' stares, knew they weren't going to let this go. It was why she came, right? To get this off her chest. She launched into the story of how she and Finn met, the sports bar, the field trip and the kitten. She even told them about the kiss she put on him.

  "You didn't go any further than that?" Halle asked.

  "No." Addie spun her glass around in her hands. "I wanted to, trust me. He's hot and tattooed. But he has a past, something happened to him. I can see it in his eyes."

  "Everyone has a past, honey." Victoria laid a hand over hers.

  Addie held her sister's hand for a minute. "I know, but do I want to deal with that? I'm not the type of person to heal other people. I love 'em and leave 'em, not stick around."

  She saw the look that Halle and Victoria shared. She didn't bristle about it, she knew they cared about her. "What?"

  "This guy has you tied up in knots. I've never known you to even notice a guy's feelings that way." Victoria held up a hand when Addie opened her mouth to defend herself. "Sweetie, it's not a bad thing. You're just you, and this guy has you seeing things you don't normally see."

  "I don't want to see things." Addie's shoulders slumped. "I want things the way they are. I want my independence, and I'm not looking for anything more."

  "Did he ask for anything more?" Halle asked.

  "No, no he didn't." Addie faced her own brutal honesty. "I'm afraid that I will."

  Now both her sisters' eyes widened.

  "I know. It's not me at all. There's something about him, I don't know what it is." Addie couldn't steady her mixed emotions. "It scares the hell out of me."

  Halle put an arm around her waist, pulled her close. "Don't let it. Look at Victoria. Look how happy she is. That can happen to you, too."

  "It can happen to you, Halle." Victoria put in.

  Halle tensed beside her and this time Addie pulled her into a hug. "I can hit him again, if you want."

  Halle moved away, shook her head. "No, I'm okay. I've had time to get over it."

  Addie and Victoria shared the look this time.

  "It's only been three months. It took me over a year to really get over what Roger did and he didn't cheat like Trevor did." Victoria's eyes misted for her sister.

  "It's okay, I'm okay." Halle smiled at them, but Addie saw the strain.

  Not for the first time Addie wanted to hunt Trevor and his little whore, Jenna, down and beat the hell out of them. It would make her feel better, that's for sure.

  "Did Luke invite you two to his game party Saturday?"

  Addie noticed Halle perk up a bit when Victoria said Luke's name. "Yep, I'll be there and I'll drag Halle kicking and screaming."

  Halle pushed Addie's shoulder. "I'm not a total hermit. I'll go and I'll even drive myself."

  "Got something to prove?" Addie teased, and Halle's answering smile cheered her some.

  §§

  Addie smiled at her nieces as they walked into their house. They were already gearing up to beat her in bowling on the Wii and she shook her head. How could they possible love playing that game all the time? It didn't matter, she'd play as many times as they wanted just to see them happy.

  Nick and Victoria were both working late tonight, Victoria at a staging for a rental house and Nick at a client's house, trying to wrap up his contracting work before the happy couple returned from their honeymoon in France.

  Addie dropped her purse on the table by the door, removed her black flats and waited on the girls to get it set up. They chattered about their day to each other as they grabbed the remotes and came to stand next to the couch.

  "You ready?" Lucia quirked an eyebrow at her.

  It reminded Addie so much of Victoria that she was momentarily stunned. "You bet." She recovered, sent the girls a wink.

  As they played, Addie kept thinking about Finn. She hadn't seen him since last Friday night. A few times she almost picked up her phone and texted him and that bothered her. She wasn't the type to go after a man, they came to her. Just the thought that she was already weakening toward him pissed her off. It wasn't his fault, she knew, but that didn't stop her from being pissed at him. She was a woman and that gave her the right.

  After a few rounds, Helena took the wrist strap off and put the controller up. "I need to start this paper. I told the teacher I'd have it finished in a few days." She hugged Addie close. "Say 'bye before you leave."

  "Of course." Addie snuggled her closer before Helena walked away.

  "I'm hungry. Want a snack?" Lucia gestured toward the kitchen.

  Addie heard the change in her tone of voice, saw the way her hands messed with the ends of her pony-tail. "Yeah, let's get one." Something was bothering her.

  They picked crackers with cheese and bacon bits, and Lucia sat while Addie arranged everything on a plate and brought it to the bar. Lucia nibbled on a cracker and Addie waited for her to say what was wrong. It didn't take long.

  "When did you lose your virginity?"

  Addie coughed on the cracker, had to swig almost a whole glass of water. Not just to clear her throat but to organize her thoughts. Lucia watched her, hands twisted in her lap, until Addie set the glass down. "Why are you asking that?" She racked her brain for reasons, none of them good.

  "Some of the girls on the cheer squad have already lost theirs," Lucia whispere
d.

  Addie forced the question out even if she didn't really want to know. "Are you one of them?"

  Lucia's gaze snapped to hers. "No!"

  Relief coursed through and almost knocked Addie to her knees. She wasn't prepared for this. What was she supposed to say? Did she need to tell Victoria? "Good. Is that the only reason you're asking?"

  Lucia cut her eyes to the left, shrugged.

  Addie's stomach clenched. "Lucia." She reached for her niece's hand. "Why are you asking? You know you can talk to me about anything."

  "It's just...there's this guy, Connor. And he's really sweet and we've been talking," Lucia said. "But he's starting to talk about...that...and I don't know what to do."

  Jesus. Sweet Jesus. Addie had no idea what to say. Isn't this a conversation a girl had with her mother? Then she thought, did she talk to her mother about this? Hell no. "What do you want to do?"

  "I don't know. I like him, but I'm not sure I like him that much."

  "Is he pressuring you?" Addie would kick a little boy's ass in a heart beat.

  "No, just talking about it. I never really say anything back, but some of the girls on the squad say that if I don't do it, he'll stop talking to me."

  These girls were thirteen years old. Why were they worried about this now? Was this really when it started? Addie's heart squeezed when Lucia looked up, tears shimmering and threatening to fall. This was serious. "Why don't you talk to your mom about this?"

  Lucia wiped a hand over her eyes and red nose. "No, you have to promise you won't tell her. Promise!"

  Addie sighed. She hated the position she was in right now. She wasn't sure not telling Victoria was the right thing to do, but on the other hand she didn't want to betray Lucia's trust. "Okay. I promise. Now, let me tell you something. Those girls don't know what they're talking about. That type of...relation...between people is special. Especially your first time. Don't let yourself get pressured into it with a boy you barely know."