Ignite on Contact: Brotherhood By Fire

by Jaci Burton

  “Not like that. I mean, yeah, like that. I like you, Carmen. I want to see you. Like, a lot. Going out. Dating. Doing fun things together. Romance. Kissing. Sex. The whole thing that you do when you’re attracted to someone.”

  Her face flamed hot at the mention of sex, though she didn’t know why, since it was often Rafe she fantasized about when she was alone in her bed, naked with her hand between her legs.

  And just the thought of that made her even hotter.

  “You want to go out with me.”

  “Hey, I’m not proposing or anything. I’m just suggesting we have some fun. Get you out of the house.”

  She frowned. “I wasn’t suggesting marriage, either, idiot. And I’m hardly wasting away in my castle.”

  He laughed. “No, you’re definitely not wasting away. You stay busy. I get it. It’s one of the reasons I admire you.”

  “And yet you think I’m a lost cause.”

  He reached over and grasped her hand. The contact between them was electric. He must have felt it, too, because she saw the heat reflected in his warm brown eyes.

  “No, I think you’re dynamic, sexy, desirable, and smart as hell. I also think you’re hiding because someone hurt you and you’re afraid to put yourself out in the dating pool again.”

  He was so on the mark it was scary. “Thank you for the compliments. And maybe.”

  “So . . . baby steps. I’m not asking for anything other than some fun. And I promise not to break your heart.”

  She inhaled deeply, then released it. Rafe was right. She had been hiding ever since her divorce. What would be wrong with a no-strings fling? As long as her heart could come through it intact, then no harm, right?

  “Fine. We’ ll . . . go out and have some fun.”

  He laughed. “You make fun sound about as pleasant as taking out the trash.”

  “I’m sorry. I’m just not used to this yet. It’s been a while, you know? I really want to go out with you, Rafe.”

  He grinned. “Great. I promise to show you a good time.”

  She was counting on it. Because she was definitely ready for one.

  CHAPTER 10

  AFTER WORKING TWO DAYS OF TWELVE-HOUR SHIFTS, Carmen was looking forward to a day off. She had a house to clean, and laundry was piling up, plus she had grocery shopping to do.

  But instead of diving into this morning’s to-do list, she sat in the kitchen inhaling a cup of coffee and thinking about her date last night with Rafe.

  After dinner, he’d driven her home and walked her to the front door. She’d expected him to invite himself in. Instead, he’d thanked her for coming to dinner with him and waited for her to let herself in. She said good night. He said good night, then turned and walked to his truck.

  Just said goodbye and left.

  She’d been stunned, and if she was honest with herself, a little disappointed.

  He hadn’t even kissed her.

  For some reason, she’d built that kiss up in her mind the entire drive home from the restaurant. How he’d do it, what it would feel like. Would he lean over and just gently put his lips on hers, or would he pull her into his arms and give her the kind of kiss she’d remember forever? And what kind of kiss would she want from him?

  A passionate one, of course. It had been a while, and she was long overdue for some passionate kissing. She wanted him to lay one on her, the kind of kiss that would leave her breathless and aching all over.

  By the time they’d pulled into her driveway, she’d worked up some serious imaginary momentum for that kiss, only to be disappointed when absolutely nothing had happened.

  She sighed and took another sip of coffee.

  What had she expected, though? She’d pushed hard against the whole idea of going out with him. She’d more than made clear she wanted to take things slow. So when he had, she couldn’t complain.

  Except she’d really wanted him to kiss her.

  You can’t have it both ways, Carmen.

  At least now she’d have time to go buy some new underwear. She jotted that down on her to-do list.

  The doorbell rang. She frowned and looked at her phone. It was eight freaking thirty in the morning. Who the hell was at the door? She got up, went to the door and pulled it open, surprised to find Rafe standing there. She wasn’t surprised at the kick in her heart rate. Seeing him always seemed to do that to her.

  “Hi,” she said.

  “Hi, yourself. You mentioned you had the day off today.”

  “I do.”

  “Got any plans?”

  “Oh, tons.”

  “Yeah? Like what?”

  “Come on in.”

  He did, and she closed the door, inhaling the smell of soap as he walked by. She tried hard not to lean into him, instead leading him into the kitchen. “Would you like a cup of coffee?”

  “Love one.”

  She poured him a cup of coffee and handed it to him. Then they went to the table and sat.

  “So, what do you have going on today?” he asked.

  “Very exciting things. Laundry. Housecleaning. Errands to run.”

  He held the cup in his hands, motioning to her notebook. “Is that your errand list?”

  “Sort of.”

  “Let’s take a look.” He reached for the notebook before she had a chance to grab it.

  “Groceries. Light bulbs. New kitchen faucet.” He looked up at her with a gleam in his eyes. “New underwear.”

  “It’s for my grandfather.”

  He slanted a knowing look at her. “Bet not.”

  “Okay. For me.”

  “Awesome. I’ll go with you.”

  “You will not.”

  “But I like shopping for faucets.”

  She cocked her head to the side, knowing that wasn’t at all what he was interested in.

  “And underwear.”

  She laughed. “Fine. You can go with me. But I’m going in the underwear store alone.”

  “The hell you will. That’s like the cherry on top of the errand list.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Seriously? Are you some kind of lingerie aficionado?”

  He slanted a confident smile at her. “As a matter of fact, I can choose the lingerie that will rock your world.”

  “Oh, this I have to see.”

  “You have no faith in me. I intend to prove you wrong.”

  She couldn’t wait. Plus, it would be fun having some company on her errand runs. And Rafe was definitely some fine-looking company.

  “Have you had breakfast yet?” he asked.

  “No.”

  “Go get dressed. We’ll stop for breakfast, then shop. By the way, where’s your grandpa?”

  “He’s at therapy until two. Then Theo is picking him up and they’re going to some AFL-CIO dinner. Grandpa brought a change of clothes, and he’ll change at Theo’s house.”

  “Kind of a heavy day for him.”

  She appreciated that Rafe was aware of how taxing the day would be for her grandfather. “Yes. But he’ll have a couple of hours to rest at Theo’s house, and Theo promised me he’ll make sure Grandpa puts his feet up and they’ll watch TV. Grandpa always falls asleep in front of the TV.”

  “Good. My guess is his butt will be parked in front of the TV all day tomorrow, too.”

  Carmen laughed. “Yes, he’ll need a recovery day for sure.” She stood. “Okay, give me ten minutes and I’ll go get ready.”

  “I’m not in any hurry.”

  She went upstairs to change, feeling excited about Rafe going with her today. Which was ridiculous. They were only running errands together. It wasn’t like a date.

  But they were going to hang out together today. And she liked him, enjoyed spending time with him. Nothing wrong with that, was there?

  And maybe she’d tear through her to-do list a lot faster now that she’d have help. Then she could come home and dive into cleaning and laundry. And that would suit her just fine.

  Today was shaping up to be much more intere
sting than she originally planned.

  WHILE HE WAS WAITING FOR CARMEN, RAFE WASHED their cups and turned off the coffee maker, then wiped down the counter. After that, he took a seat at the kitchen table and made a list on his phone of all the places Carmen needed to stop today.

  Of course, he was particularly interested in helping her buy underwear. He could already envision her in some sexy red lacy bra with matching panties. Then again, Carmen was practical, so she might be the cotton type and prefer beige or white or black.

  She’d look hot in those, too.

  Mainly his preference was to get her naked, so he could stroke his hands across her skin and taste her all over.

  That train of thought was making his dick twitch, so he got up and went to the bay window, looking outside.

  Her backyard looked well manicured. He wondered who did the mowing and trimming for her.

  “I’m ready.”

  He turned and smiled. She’d put on a pair of blue shorts and a silky white-and-blue polka-dot sleeveless button-down shirt that pressed nicely against her full breasts. Her hair was pulled up, and even dressed casual like that she looked damned gorgeous.

  “You look pretty.”

  She glanced down at her feet where she wore a pair of navy blue and brown sandals. “Really?”

  “Yeah. You’re always beautiful, Carmen.”

  She sighed. “And you always know the right thing to say. Thank you.”

  They stopped at a local breakfast place not too far from their house. It was small, cramped. The owner was a cranky bastard named Gustav Lopez. His father hailed from Puerto Rico, his mother from Sweden, and the guy was six feet four, mean as he could be and made the best damned pancakes Rafe had ever eaten. Fortunately, his wife, Sofia, was the polar opposite, as sweet a woman as you’d ever meet, and Gustav’s bluster was all for show. The guy was a local treasure, as least as far as his cooking.

  “I can’t believe you know about this place,” Carmen said as they were seated at a table in the corner. “It’s one of my favorites.”

  “Mine, too. Jackson and Kal and I stumbled onto it not too long after we moved into the house. One bite of Gustav’s Swedish pancakes and I was a goner.”

  Carmen nodded. “They’re my favorites. So delicate and delicious. And the sausages he makes are perfection.”

  Their waitress, Roxanne, came over and brought menus and took their drink order.

  “How’s it going, Rafe?” Roxanne asked, offering up a bright smile.

  Rafe smiled back. “Good, Rox. How are you?”

  “I’m great. Got that new apartment I was telling you about.”

  “Did you? I’m glad to hear that.”

  Roxanne hesitated, then finally glanced in Carmen’s direction. “So, what would you like to drink?”

  They both ordered coffee, and Roxanne scurried off.

  “She has a crush on you,” Carmen said.

  Rafe frowned. “What? No, she doesn’t.”

  Carmen’s lips curved. “Oh, she does.”

  He shook his head. “She’s just a kid. Barely nineteen. She’s been working here for a couple of years, so she knows me.”

  “Kid or not, she likes you. I’m surprised you didn’t see the emoji hearts falling from her eyes.”

  He laughed. “Knock it off. I have never encouraged her.”

  “I’m sorry to have to tell you this, Rafe, but you’re good-looking and friendly. Women probably fall all over themselves around you.”

  “No, they don’t. I’m just nice.”

  She arched a brow. “Uh-huh.”

  Roxanne brought their coffee, set Carmen’s down with barely a look in her direction, and kept her gaze firmly fixed on Rafe.

  “Could I get some cream, please?” Carmen asked.

  Her attention still fixed on Rafe, Roxanne nodded. “Oh, sure.”

  She skirted over to an empty table, grabbed the bowl with the cream containers, then brought it over to their table, smiling at Rafe as she did.

  “Thanks,” Carmen said, smirking at Rafe.

  “So, Carmen,” Rafe said, turning his attention on her. “You ready to order?”

  “Absolutely.”

  Roxanne took her pad and pen out of her apron pocket. “What would you like, Rafe?”

  “How about we let Carmen order first?” Rafe asked.

  “Of course,” Roxanne said, reluctantly dragging her gaze away from Rafe. “What would you like, ma’am?”

  Carmen ordered, and then Rafe did as well. It was obvious to Rafe at that point that Roxanne paid way more attention to him. Like, all the attention.

  “Well. Damn,” Rafe said after Roxanne left to put their order in. “She is a little infatuated.”

  Carmen’s brows rose. “A little?”

  Rafe held his hands up. “Like I said, I’ve never encouraged her.”

  “I believe you. Not that I can blame her. You’re kind of irresistible.”

  “See, I knew I was growing on you.”

  “Yeah. Like a fungus.”

  He laughed. “I’m wearing you down. Soon you’ll be knocking on my door at all hours, just begging for my attention.”

  She took a sip of coffee, smiling over her cup. “You are a dreamer, Rafe.”

  “No, I’m a realist. And you and me, Carmen? We’re meant to be.”

  “Surely you aren’t telling me you believe in that whole soulmate thing.”

  “I don’t know about soulmates, but there’s chemistry between us.”

  He waited for her to deny it. Instead, she took another swallow of her coffee and stared out the window of the restaurant.

  Yeah, that’s what he thought. No way could she deny the spark between them.

  He noticed Roxanne coming toward them with their tray of food. He grabbed Carmen’s hand.

  She gave him a curious look.

  “Just go with it.”

  As soon as Roxanne arrived at their table, he started in. “And then I thought we’d hit the Keys next weekend when I have extra time off. We could reserve the penthouse suite at your favorite hotel—the one right on the water. Dance all night at the club, then take a cruise.”

  He gave her an intense look and rubbed his thumb over the top of her hand while Roxanne gaped at him.

  Carmen must have noticed, because she immediately smoothed her hand over his forearm in a slow, sensual way.

  “Oh, babe, that sounds fantastic. You know how much I love spending time alone with you.”

  “Perfect. I can’t wait for us to be alone, too.” Rafe lifted his gaze to Roxanne. “Oh, breakfast. Thanks, Roxanne, I’m starving.”

  Roxanne laid their plates down and walked away without a word.

  Carmen’s lips lifted. “A little harsh.”

  “But necessary. I think she’s grabbed a clue that I’m not available.”

  Carmen looked down at their entwined hands and extricated hers. “Right. Good call. Now we can eat.”

  Rafe had to admit that it felt good to touch her, to feel her fingernails raking over his forearm. He wanted a lot more of that.

  Breakfast was great. Rafe scarfed down his waffles and sausages and eggs, then snatched a piece of Carmen’s bacon and a bite of her pancakes.

  Carmen arched a brow.

  “What?” he asked.

  “You’re done already.”

  “Yeah?”

  She looked down at her plate, then at his empty one. “Did you even taste your food?”

  “Sure, I did.”

  She laughed. “Uh-huh.”

  He wasn’t sure what she was getting at, but he definitely liked the sound of her laugh. He wanted to hear it again. “What do you mean?”

  “You eat fast.”

  “Oh. Yeah. When you grow up homeless, you never know where your next meal is going to come from. Or when. My mom always tried to get us to eat more slowly, but I guess I never grew out of it.”

  She reached across the table and laid her hand on his. “I understand. But maybe you should
take a breath, slow down and enjoy every bite.”

  He wanted her to keep touching him. “I’ll keep that in mind in the future.”

  “I’ll try to remind you.”

  His lips curved. “You do that.”

  By the time Roxanne came to clear their plates, he noticed she was much more subdued and treated him like a regular customer instead of a potential boyfriend, so he was satisfied that there’d be no more flirting. He was going to have to bring Carmen with him again. Not that that would be a hardship.

  He paid for their meal and they left the restaurant, climbed in his truck and drove to the home improvement store.

  “What do you need light bulbs for?”

  She pulled out a list of the types of bulbs she needed and for which rooms, so they hit that aisle first.

  “You should let me put some LEDs in your kitchen. Make it much brighter in there.”

  “My can lights aren’t wired for LEDs.”

  “I can rewire those in an hour or so.”

  She leaned against the cart. “Really? And what might that cost me?”

  He shrugged. “Empanadas?”

  She laughed. “Sounds like a deal to me.”

  “Great.” Once she told him how many can lights she had on her ceiling, he grabbed everything he’d need for the retrofit project and put it in the cart.

  Carmen looked down into the cart, then up at him. “You know what to do with all of that?”

  He nodded. “I’ve got this, Carmen. Trust me.”

  She gave him a dubious look. “I divorced the last guy who asked me to trust him.”

  Rafe swooped his arm around her waist and tugged her against him, right there in the light bulb aisle. He lowered his gaze to hers, forcing her attention on the seriousness in his warm brown eyes.

  “First, hopefully you didn’t divorce him over electrical issues. Second, the one thing I want to make clear to you, Carmen? I’m not your ex. And I can be trusted.”

  For a few seconds, she couldn’t breathe, because she was mesmerized by his eyes, and by the feel of his strong, muscular body aligned with hers.

  There were so many things she wanted to do in this moment, the first being explore every inch of his body, from his broad shoulders to his amazingly sexy forearms to what she was certain were rock-hard abs, none of which she could do in the electrical aisle of the hardware store.