Kiss of Fire (St. James Family)

by Parker, Lavender

  “You know I was.” This time he rewarded her with a full-on grin and she couldn't help but light up like a lightbulb when he did. “I think you've finally realized that the best way to catch a fly is with honey.”

  “Some flies just can't seem to catch the hint.” He slammed his hand against the steering wheel suddenly as they got caught by another light. “Shit,” he mumbled.

  “Are you in a hurry?” she asked.

  “No.” He shook his head, but she could feel the nervous energy coming off him in waves. “Where am I going anyway?”

  “Seventy-eight and Columbus. If you really drove all this way just to take me home.” She watched his profile, but he didn't react. “Are you going fishing?” she asked, motioning to the equipment in the back.

  “What?”

  “I love to fish.” He looked at her like she was a mutant with two heads and she laughed. “Really. I told you I grew up in Louisiana. From the ages of five to ten, all I did was fish and run around in the bayou.”

  “What happened at ten?” he asked.

  “Grandaddy died and ballet took over,” she shrugged. “Where do you fish?”

  “I go down to Howard Beach and the Rockaways,” he said slowly, looking at her strangely.

  “What?”

  “Nothing.”

  He made a sharp right and they got stopped by a garbage truck, blocking the road. He slammed the steering wheel again. “Fuck!”

  “Okay, what is your deal?” Toni asked. “Why are you wound so tight?”

  “I'm horny as fuck, Toni, if you want to know the truth.” He turned in his seat to look at her. “You've got me so fucking hard and I can't get you out of my head. You want to fuck? I say let's just get it over with.”

  Toni felt her mouth drop open. He was finally admitting that he wanted to sleep with her, but in typical O'Donovan fashion, he said it in the most dickish way possible. Not exactly red roses and poetry, Mr. Romantic, she thought wryly, crossing her hands over her chest.

  “Let's just get it over with?!” she yelled.

  “Yeah. Let's screw and then get on with our fucking lives.”

  “No, thanks. I think I changed my mind.”

  “Fuck, Toni!” he pounded his hand on the horn, honking at the truck blocking their path. “I'm fucking dying here.”

  “Too bad. You can drop me off on the corner. I'll walk home.”

  “You don't get off that goddamn easy,” he said, finally finding an opening around the garbage truck. He laid on the gas and swerved. Toni squealed and held onto the dash.

  “Jesus Christ!” she yelled, feeling her stomach drop. This was why she didn't do cabs anymore, because they all drove like maniacs. He got stopped by the light again and stepped on the brakes. They jerked to a stop. “Asshole!”

  He worked his jaw, staring at the road. Toni was already undoing her seatbelt, wanting to be anywhere but in the truck with O'Donovan. He grabbed her arm. “Stop. I'm taking you home,” he said, his voice still gruff, but calmer. She felt herself calm instantly at his softer tone. After a minute, just to let him sweat a bit, she re-buckled her seatbelt. The light turned green. He made a left onto Columbus and they rode in silence for a moment.

  “So you want to fuck me, huh?” Toni said, wrapping her mouth around the dirty word, enjoying torturing him.

  “Forget I said anything, lovely,” he said, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel. Toni laughed. No way she was going to do that anytime soon. The more she thought about his words, the hotter they became. She'd been taken aback by his bluntness, but she supposed she should just get used to bluntness when it came to O'Donovan. Lust was already pooling in her stomach as she replayed them in her mind.“Don't,” he said.

  “Don't what?”

  “Don't fuck with me,” he was working his jaw again. “I'm not in the mood.” She could practically hear him grinding his molars together. He really was worked up over her, she thought with devilish glee. How would she make him pay?

  “You know what? I don't want to go home,” she announced. “I'm hungry. Are you hungry?”

  He shrugged, giving her the side-eye like she was up to something.

  “I bet you're one of those guys who is always hungry,” Toni mused, studying his profile. He snorted out a laugh, but the sound was hardly amused. It sounded pained. Frustrated. “There's a 24-hour diner on Amsterdam. You down?” she asked. After a second, he nodded, running his tongue over his lips. Toni thought she saw a small smile on those lips, but he turned his face away before she could tell for sure. She set her hand on the console, her fingers itching to touch him, but she didn't. That could wait for later.

  ***

  O'Donovan stared at Toni from across the table, feeling that odd mixture of shame, amusement, and arousal that she always seemed to stir in him. What right did she have to act like she was insulted? She was the one that had started this ball rolling. She was the one that had brought it up in the first place! He knew now that calling her had been a mistake. When he'd gotten off work, he'd had the perfect plan for his days off. When he checked the weather and saw that it was supposed to be in the eighties for the next few days, he'd decided to go down to Howard Beach and fish. He loved fishing, and his father had left him a boat and a little shack near the water. The water would relax him. It would be the perfect way to get his mind off of Toni, he foolishly thought.

  But after he'd packed up the truck and got on the road, he found himself heading over the Queensboro bridge, on his way into Manhattan. No matter how much he tried to fight it, he couldn't. They'd had a fire late into his shift, and fuck it all if he wasn't horny after he got off. He could've called Brigid. He could have picked up some chick at a bar. But no. He'd had to go and blow it. Antoinette St. James still had a hold on him, and he knew that the only way to break it was for them to fuck. Too bad she was being difficult.

  Toni blew on her black coffee, eyes flicking up to meet his. Those damn, sexy eyes. She was driving him insane. He shifted in the booth, his cock reacting to the mischievous look on her face. She was going to make him pay for being an ass, he realized. Over and over. But the thought only made him more turned on. What the hell was the matter with him?

  “You know, that burger is going to kill you,” she said, smiling brightly.

  “Really? Is it going to pull out a knife and stab me?” he said, lifting the rare burger to his lips and taking a big bite of it. She shook her head, laughing softly as she dug into her green salad.

  “You might not keel over right away, but that heart attack is coming.”

  “Jesus, you are a know-it-all, aren't you?” he said.

  “Me? No.” Her eyes widened with mock innocence. “Basic nutrition is a pretty well-known concept.”

  “Know-it-all.”

  “I am not!

  “And a brat, too?” he shook his head, taking another bite.

  “I am a brat, sometimes,” she allowed, taking another sip of her coffee. “Not right this second, but sometimes.”

  “How many siblings do you have?” he asked.

  “One older sister.”

  “You're the baby,” he said. Just as he'd figured.

  “Yes, I'm the baby,” she said, narrowing her eyes. “But that doesn't mean anything.”

  “It means a lot,” he said, thinking of his youngest sister Rory and how she acted like a total princess most of the time. Like moving to California so she could be a damn hippy, on his father's dime.

  “Whatever.” She flicked her fork, annoyed, and he felt a little bit of warmth at having gotten her worked up. “How many siblings do you have?”

  “Two younger, one older,” he said.

  “Any still in New York?”

  “Older brother. A cop,” he said. “He lives on Long Island.” Toni made a little face and he immediately honed in on it. “What? What was that face for?”

  “Long Island?” She made the face again.

  “What's wrong with Long Island?”

  “Nothing,” To
ni said, wide-eyed again.

  “I want to live on Long Island. I want to get married and move to Long Island,” he said. “What do you think about that?”

  “What do you care what I think?” she said, scrunching up her nose. He stared her down until she relented. “I think that maybe you shouldn't be looking for a wife if you just got a divorce,” she said, lightly, shrugging her dainty shoulders. “Why are you in such a rush to get married? Why don't you sow your wild oats or whatever?”

  “What do you think I'm trying to do, lovely?” he said, looking at her pointedly. She speared a slice of tomato on her fork.

  “So, apparently I'm the oats?” she said, her eyes on her plate.

  “Oats, yes. Wife material, no,” he said, not knowing why he felt the need to include the last bit. The thought of Toni as a wife on Long Island was laughable. He simply couldn't imagine it.

  “Why not?”

  “Because you're a brat.”

  “Well, you're a jerk.” She leaned forward in her seat.

  “We've established that,” he said, not able to resist leaning forward to meet her.

  “I don't want to get married anyway. Not to you or anyone else.” She bit down on the tomato.

  “Good, cuz I didn't ask you to,” he said. She chewed slowly, sizing him up, and again he had that uncanny feeling she had x-ray vision. Then she smiled, and he felt a pang of lust hit him right in the guts.

  “Okay.” Toni nodded. “I have a proposition for you.”

  “Another proposition, huh?”

  “Yes. Take me fishing and then we'll fuck,” she said, and another pang hit him in the nuts. He loved hearing her say the word 'fuck'. She relished it on her tongue, and it made him think of all the implications. He couldn't wait to see what else she would relish with her tongue.

  “You'll fuck me if I take you fishing?” he repeated, making sure he heard her right.

  “Yup.” She nodded curtly, having the nerve to not look the least bit embarrassed about her proposition. He shook his head, leaning back. Things were spiraling out of his control again. In his lust-addled brain, he'd had tonight all mapped out. He planned to take her home, fuck her at her apartment, and be out the door as soon as possible. He'd be on the road to Howard Beach before sunrise. But he should have known Toni was going to be difficult. If he took her fishing, he'd be stuck with her for hours. Many long, torturous hours.

  “What if I say no?” he said.

  “How can you say no?” she said, smoothing her lips together. His eyes caught on the small movement and he imagined those lips closing over the tip of his cock and sucking him deep. He was so screwed. Was he actually considering taking her fishing? Absolutely. He wondered if she was fucking with him again. But now that he was in her company, it was impossible to say no. She was making him jump through hoops, but he was going to do it. Besides, what the hell else did he have going on? All of his roads led back to Toni.

  ***

  O'Donovan didn't know it yet, but he'd already won. Toni was ready to give up, straight up hand him her body on a platter. She wanted him, and now she knew for sure he wanted her. But she still had to make him work for it. She remembered Annata's words, that night they all got high on the patio. If she didn't make him work for it, he wouldn't appreciate it. And it wouldn't be as much fun. But he had her. He so had her.

  He cocked his head and pushed his plate away, like he was ready to go. She chewed slowly on a bite of her salad, trying to read his face, but he was purposely closed off and not letting her in. She swallowed hard and then drained her cup of coffee. Why did he make her feel so antsy? And yet, being with him seemed so natural. Fighting with him, playing with him, kissing him. It all felt so natural. O'Donovan raised his hand for the waitress, signaling he wanted the check. Toni gnawed at her lip, trying not to be anxious. It was just sex, right?

  “Whoa, I suggested food, so I should pay,” she said, reaching for her purse. People paid for her all the time, but it felt weird to have O'Donovan pay.

  “Not a fucking chance,” he said, pulling out bills and dropping them on the table. She stuck her tongue out at him and he smiled. She was really starting to love his smile, she decided. When they lapsed into silence for a moment, she could feel his eyes on her, wordlessly sizing her up. Then he shook his head, looking at the TV behind the counter. The waitress came by and grabbed their check.

  “You need any change, honey?” she asked.

  “No, thanks,” O'Donovan said, then stood. Toni followed his lead, standing and slinging her purse over her shoulder. She smiled at the waitress.

  “You have a good night, alright Lena?”

  “You too, Toni.” The older woman smiled, her tired face lighting up a bit.

  “Bye!” Toni called over her shoulder as they exited the front door, waving at the busboy near the front. Then they were alone again in the warm night on the mostly empty street. Across the way, drunk people screamed to each other and music wafted out from the bars that lined Amsterdam.

  “Do you always do that?” O'Donovan said, jabbing his thumb in the direction of the diner.

  “Do what?”

  “Make best friends wherever you go?”

  “I told you, I'm friendly.” She shrugged. “I like to talk to people.”

  “It's weird.” He was looking at her strangely again. Suddenly, tension was crackling between them, so thick she could practically feel it on her skin.

  “You're weird,” she murmured. He stepped closer to her and she felt herself backing up.

  “What if I want to fuck you now?” he asked.

  “Right this minute? In front of everyone?” she murmured, feeling her back hitting the brick wall of the diner. Then they were kissing, and Toni didn't know how it happened. One minute she wasn't in his arms, and the next minute she was. She didn't question it though; she just went with the flow. He thrust his tongue in her mouth and she slid her hands over his shoulders, loving the feel of him under her fingers. He pulled her close, sliding one hand down her spine to cup her ass. She stood up on her tiptoes, wrapping her arms around his neck and holding on for dear life. His tongue teased hers, playing with her. He loved to play with her, she was starting to realize. And she loved it when he did.

  He pulled away first, trailing kisses down her jaw, breathing heavy. She let her hands wander up his skull, to his hair. She loved his hair. She could run her hands through it all night, she decided. “You are something else,” he said, looking down at her with heavy, bedroom eyes. She felt a chill run through her despite the warm night.

  “Can I come fishing with you?” she asked, before she could stop herself.

  “Be on a boat for hours, all alone with you? No fucking way.” He shook his head, but she could see the amusement behind his eyes. He was playing with her again.

  “Were you going to head there right away?” she said, her eyes on his lips. “You like to get out on the water early?”

  “Mmm-hmm.” He ran his fingertips up the curve of her neck and she felt her thighs clench together.

  “Take me home, I'll grab some things and then we can go.” She leaned in and brushed her lips across his.

  “If you come with me, you're mine,” he said, leaning into her. “You know that, right?”

  “I know,” she breathed, her heart jumping in her chest. He slid his hand over her shoulders and he steered her toward where he parked the truck. She dropped an arm around his waist and was surprised at how natural the movement felt. They could be any couple on the street, walking hand in hand. It seemed... normal to her. She reminded herself that O'Donovan was just messing around with her, probably. He wanted to get laid, and that was it. But this time, she wasn't exactly buying her own rationalizations. She had a feeling that maybe it was time to get her hopes up. Maybe O'Donovan could be hers, after all.

  Maybe.

  Chapter 10

  Toni was distracting O'Donovan from the road. She had fallen asleep at some point, her head resting against the window. She'd cha
nged into tight jeans and a fitted T-shirt, the outline of her white bikini top visible through the thin fabric. Her breasts rose and fall with each even breath, and he couldn't stop himself from watching. She really was something else, he mused. When she'd told him she liked fishing, he hadn't believed her because he'd never been able to get Gwen on the boat. He was starting to realize that Gwen and Toni had about as much in common as a pigeon and a swan. They were both birds, but one was not much like the other.

  The sky lightened around them as they crossed the narrow bridge that lead into Howard Beach. The small area had been devastated in the Hurricane Sandy, and he again thanked his good fortune that he had a friend who'd allowed him to dock his boat up in the Bronx during the storm. Otherwise, he would have lost it. It was a shitty little boat his father had bought from a friend of a friend of a friend back in the day, but it was his now, along with the beach shack his father had given him when he left for the homeland.

  “You take care of her for me, until I get back,” Declan O'Donovan had said, patting the bow of The Luck of the Draw, not more than a little misty-eyed. And O'Donovan was happy to do so. His love of fishing had been passed down for generations. His older brother Sean had not gotten the fishing gene, and had never shared the interest he and his father had. So O'Donovan was the lucky inheritor of the family fortune—a leaky little boat and a drafty beach shack that was occasionally overrun by mice.

  When they reached the edge of town, it was 5:00 a.m. Almost time for the sun to rise. He pulled into the driveway of a 24-hour convenience store. Toni didn't stir as he turned off the engine and lightly closed the truck door behind him. He bought beer for himself, waters for Toni, and a few snacks. He grabbed the cooler from the truck bed and dumped in the ice, then the beers and the waters. Then he returned to the cab. Toni hadn't changed positions, but when he slid into the driver's seat, he noticed she was looking at him.

  “Are we there yet?” she said, sleepily.

  “Not yet. Go back to sleep,” he said, patting her thigh, his hand lingering. She smiled and closed her eyes again. He stuck her coffee in the cup holder between them and turned over the engine. The truck roared to life.