Giving Off Sparks

by Sami Lee

  “Me?” Blair raised a skeptical brow. “It’s not me they like, Chats. It’s you.”

  Leo shook his head and went back to watching the game of pool in front of him. He’d already placed a gold coin on the edge of the table, claiming it for the next game. Unfortunately, the two guys currently locked in battle sucked at aiming, and shooting, and sinking balls—so basically they sucked at the entire game of pool. It felt to Leo like he’d been waiting forever and he was itching to do something.

  Something other than rehash an old discussion with Blair. Leo took a swig of his beer and told himself to drop it. He couldn’t seem to. “Women would like you more if you didn’t go out of your way to shut them out.”

  “This again,” Blair scoffed. “I’m not shutting anyone out. I’m just not interested in happily ever after. No, more to the point, I don’t believe in it. I don’t want to lead anyone on, and I didn’t lead Michelle on. We were both straight up with her. What kind of woman goes to bed with two guys and thinks that’s going to lead to something serious?”

  Leo thought of his colleague Steve and the rumors that had gone around the fire station of how he had really hooked up with his girlfriend, Pam. Scuttlebutt was their relationship had started with a threesome between Steve, Pam and another firefighter. Leo had always suspected his housemate, Rob McConnell, but Rob had refused to confirm or deny, and Leo had left it at that.

  He thought of another firefighter, Corey Wachawski. He was openly bisexual and lived in a triad relationship with Dale Griffin and Erica Shannon. The three of them were tight, and Erica was pregnant now. Since he’d found out he was going to be a daddy, Corey had been walking around like he’d invented the Post-it note, all smiles like he was worth a trillion bucks.

  Leo took another swig of his drink, that unsettling itch bugging him again. Everyone seemed to be moving on, growing up, getting serious. Everyone except him. And Blair, of course. The two of them seemed to be stuck on a merry-go-round, or was it stuck in a revolving door? They picked up a lot of girls—it was amazing how many were intrigued by the idea of a three way with two healthy young firemen—had awesome sex and parted ways with said girls the next day. It was a habit he and Blair had fallen in to when they’d started working together a couple of years ago. Blair was open about the fact he didn’t want to get serious, and at the time, Leo had felt the same way.

  Sometime in the last few months though, things had changed for Leo. They hadn’t for Blair, which could prove to be a sticking point. He and Blair lived in a share house with Rob. How would inter-house relations go if Leo admitted he’d had enough of three-way casual sex and wanted to start actually dating properly?

  “I don’t know,” Leo said quietly at last. “Happily ever after happens sometimes, Blue. You seriously never wanted it?”

  “It’s not about what I want. I’m not into self-delusion, that’s all. Are these guys ever going to sink the eight or what?”

  Leo recognized Blair’s change of subject for what it was—a way to avoid the discussion he never seemed to want to have. He expected everyone to believe the whole I-don’t-want-love-don’t-need-it-don’t-believe-in-it line, but something told Leo it wasn’t as simple as that. Whether it was the fact both Blair’s parents had been married several times or because some girl had trashed his heart long ago, Leo wasn’t sure, but Blair’s rejection of all things emotional had to come from somewhere.

  Still, after two years of house sharing and woman sharing, Blair had never changed his tune. Leo didn’t expect to find out what really made the other man tick now. “They suck, that’s for sure,” Leo agreed about the pool-playing duo. “But they’re getting there.”

  Just as he spoke the words, one of the players lucked into sinking the last of his balls and the black in one go. The winner whooped for joy while his opponent groaned. Leo was glad to have something to do at last besides contemplate the meaning of his life—or lack thereof. He stepped forward to retrieve his coin. Before he could do it, someone set another coin down beside it.

  Leo saw the slender fingers tipped with purple nail polish, then the well-toned arm. A heartbeat later, he was looking into a pair of cobalt-blue eyes that were flecked with sparkly slivers of gold. The woman had hair the hue of black coffee that tumbled around her shoulders, unblemished olive skin and an impish smile to match the mischievous twinkle in her eyes. “You don’t mind if I go after you?”

  Leo’s first thought was that he wouldn’t mind what she did as long as she smiled at him like that. He could picture it clearly. “Do you think you could be so kind as to hide a dead body for me? I’d be ever so grateful.”

  “Why sure,” he’d respond. “I’ll bring the shovel, gorgeous.”

  Leo smiled, amused. Or maybe he was dumbstruck, because after a moment, the woman raised a finely arched brow, making him realize he hadn’t answered her question. “Ah…no. I don’t mind.”

  She flashed him a grin that made Leo’s toes curl. “Great. I’m waiting for someone, and he’s late. If he’s not here by the time you guys finish, can I play the winner?”

  Leo’s heart sunk. She was waiting for someone. A boyfriend, no doubt. Or husband. He subtly checked out her ring finger, which was curled around a beer bottle—the same brand of domestic that he and Blue were drinking, he noted.

  Nope, not a husband or fiancé. Still, there was the boyfriend thing, which was disappointing enough. “Are you good?”

  Boyfriend or not, that came out flirty. The woman seemed to notice too, because that smile of hers curved wider and she responded with a cheeky, “Only when I’m not being bad.”

  Oh boy.

  She stuck out her free hand. “I’m Ally, by the way.”

  “Yes, you are.” Wait—what? Leo took her hand, impressed by her confident shake. “The name’s Leo.”

  “And mine’s Blair.”

  Blair appeared out of nowhere. He had a way of doing that when a beautiful woman showed up. Ally turned to Blair and shook his hand too, offering him that sizzling smile. “Nice to meet you, boys. Which one of you is better at pool? My guess is…” she narrowed her eyes, sizing them both up. Eventually her gaze settled on Blair. “You. I sense a killer instinct behind those eyes.”

  Blair grinned. “You sense right.”

  Leo frowned. Did she prefer a man with a competitive streak? Doesn’t matter either way. She has a boyfriend. Still, he couldn’t let Blair get away with big-noting his pool skills unjustifiably. “I’d say it’s too close to call.”

  “Really?” Ally’s intrigued blue gaze swung back to him. “Care to take a bet? If Blair wins, you buy the next round of drinks.”

  “And if he doesn’t?”

  “I’ll buy. I can admit when I’m wrong.”

  “Sounds like a good deal to me,” Blair said.

  “You would say that,” Leo retorted. “None of the outcomes end up with you getting the drinks.”

  “I wasn’t going to no matter what happened.”

  Leo remembered the scorned bartender and turned to Ally. “You’d better watch out for him, Ally. He’s a heartbreaker.”

  “And you’re not?”

  Blair laughed as he inserted the coin into the table’s slot, releasing the balls. “Not Chats. Girls always want to stay friends with Chats.”

  If they stuck around long enough to get to know him, they usually did. It was Blair they tended to get pissy at when he reminded them he wasn’t relationship material. Probably because subtlety wasn’t his strong suit. Or maybe it was because he had that broody bad-boy persona that women seemed irresistibly drawn to.

  Was Ally attracted to Blair? Leo had definitely felt a zing when they’d shaken hands. Had she felt the same when she’d touched Blair?

  Given that he and Blair routinely shared women, Leo had no idea why that thought bothered him.

  The boyfriend’s going to arrive any second now, dickbrain.

  Shaking his pointless attraction to Ally off with a shrug, Leo picked up the pool cue and applied chalk
to the tip. “You want to flip for the break?”

  “You take it,” Blair said generously as he set up the balls in their neat triangle.

  “Don’t do me any favors, Blue. I’m going to kick your ass.”

  Blair flashed him a shit-eating grin. “Go for it, killer.”

  Leo stifled a curse as he lined up the first shot. Sometimes he wondered why he was still friends with a wanker like Blair Bowman.

  Chapter 2

  Ally Wachawski watched the two men play pool with all the intensity of gladiators fighting to the death and tried not to laugh. It was difficult, and she kept having to hide her amused smirks behind her beer bottle. They were trash talking each other with colorful inventiveness, the kind of insult-trading that bespoke long friendship. It was such an Australian trait, and something she’d missed dearly in all the years she’d spent overseas.

  Perhaps she shouldn’t have fired them up with that bet, but the devil on her shoulder had spoken, and this time the little red-caped minx just had to get her way. Not that that was different to most other times. That little devil was a persuasive woman.

  There were no available tables, but Blair had managed to wrangle a spare stool from some other patrons. She sat on it by the window and pretended to watch the bustle of the city outside, when she was really watching Leo and Blair duke it out with an interest that was…

  Let’s call a spade a spade and say sexual, Ally. Yep, she was definitely watching with more than a little sexual interest. How long had it been? Six months, she calculated. No—seven. Since Christian in Montreal. No wonder she was getting antsy.

  “You need another drink, Ally?”

  It was Leo, asking because he saw the empty bottle resting on the windowsill beside her. She sent him an expectant look. “I’ll wait.”

  Leo grinned, displaying perfectly even white teeth. “He’s not going to win you know. I hope you have cash on you.”

  Ally’s breath hitched and she wondered if she’d underestimated the man’s killer instinct. “Always, but I won’t need it.”

  Determination flashed in his eyes. They were green, almost verdant and extremely pretty. Not that pretty seemed the right word, not for him. Leo didn’t have the hard edge or penetrating icy-blue stair that Blair had, but he was by no means soft. Not with that body. No siree. The only soft things about him appeared to be his light brown hair and his lips, which were kissable by anyone’s standards.

  Christian had been a nice-looking guy who’d made her blood stir a little. But he was nothing next to Leo. He also hadn’t been anything spectacular in the sack. Ally couldn’t help but wonder if Leo would excel where Christian had failed in that department too.

  “We’ll see,” he said. Ally watched those lips move as he spoke and couldn’t help imagining them whispering sweet nothings against her neck. Or her inner thigh.

  She crossed her legs, as though Leo might detect the heat gathering between them. Take it easy, you horny shrew, Ally told the devil on her shoulder.

  Get me laid and I will.

  If the first sign of madness was talking to yourself, was the second sign conversing with an imaginary miniature demon?

  Leo turned his attention back to the game, and Ally forced herself to do the same. Blair was bending over to take his shot, and Ally bit her lip. The term buns of steel came to mind.

  Her little devil was having a lot of fun with this, and Ally kept reminding herself she was expecting her brother any moment. Her very protective older, muscle-bound, firefighter brother who’d probably try to drag her away from all the fun she was having.

  As though her thoughts called out to him, Ally’s phone began to jingle and vibrate in her bag. She pulled it out and saw the name Corey on the caller ID before she answered. “Hey, bro.”

  “Al, hey, glad I caught you. You haven’t left for the pub, have you?”

  “I’m here already.”

  “Damn. Sorry, I know we were supposed to have a drink, but I’ve had to bring Erica to the doctor.”

  Worry instantly gripped Ally. “Is she okay?”

  “I’m not sure. She’s having weird pains. We’re concerned they might be contractions, so I’m having her checked out to make sure.”

  Erica was only six months pregnant. If she was having contractions, that was seriously bad news. Ally really hoped Corey was overreacting. He was so obviously excited about this baby. “Do you need me for anything?”

  “Nah, I have it covered. Griff is on nightshift, but he’s only a phone call away if I need him.”

  Must be nice, Ally thought, having someone there whenever you need them.

  Ally pushed aside the twinge of envy immediately. She had that too, now that she was back home. All she had to do was reach out for it. Corey might seem wrapped up in his new life with a girlfriend and boyfriend to occupy his time—and boy, hadn’t that development in her brother’s life knocked her for six!—but Ally knew he’d do anything for her if she asked. And then there were her parents and her sister, Sasha.

  But her family’s love had always come with strings. They all wanted her to still be the cute little sister, the sweet youngest daughter. But Ally had never been very good at doing sweet.

  “Okay, if you’re sure,” she said into the phone. “Call or send me a text as soon as you know what’s up with Erica.”

  “Will do. Be good.”

  Ally laughed. “Aren’t I always?”

  She heard her brother groan as she pressed the disconnect button. Poor Corey, perennially worried about his little sister. She’d been causing him headaches since she was a teenager and boys had started showing an interest in her. Being the protective type and a teenage boy himself, he hadn’t trusted a single one of the guys who’d asked her out, and at times had been openly hostile. Corey had been six foot tall at the age of seventeen, so he’d scared off more than one potential suitor. Between him and her police sergeant father, dating had been next to impossible.

  One of the many reasons she’d decided, at the age of twenty-one, to head overseas for adventure and the unfettered fun her cloistered teenage years had not delivered. She’d lived overseas for four years, working here and there and traveling on the money. She’d seen much of Europe working as a nanny for a British family, crewed yachts around the Greek Isles after that and spent the last year and a half in Canada, moving from the ski resorts on the west coast to the cafés in Montreal, where she’d picked up a passable skill in the French language. She’d had an awesome time and she wouldn’t change any of it.

  Except maybe for the occasional bouts of isolation that were a side effect of her search for independence. At some point, she’d realized she’d made no lasting connections while living abroad. She’d missed her family, her old friends. Heck, she’d missed Australia and guys who trash talked each other over pool and called each other mate or dickhead with equal amounts of affection.

  “You’ve missed your chance now, dickhead,” Blair said, bringing Ally back to the present. She watched the man smirk with supreme confidence as he lined up the eight ball, which Leo had narrowly missed sinking. Leo flipped Blair the bird and Ally hid her grin, understanding the sentiment. She could tell already that Blair could be an aggravating individual, with his tendency toward braggadocio and arrogance.

  He was also as sexy as hell for those same reasons. There was something about a man who believed in himself, who knew what he wanted and exactly how to get it, that fired all Ally’s erogenous responses. The way Blair swaggered around a pool table made her all sorts of hot.

  But not so hot that Ally wouldn’t enjoy seeing the man taken down a peg or two. That little devil on her shoulder played havoc again, and Ally decided that watching that smirk drop from Blair’s face would be worth losing her bet. She leaned down to grab her handbag from where she’d left it at the foot of her stool. Ostensibly, it was for the purpose of returning her phone to the bag’s side pocket, but the move had the added advantage of causing her loose-fitting top to gape at the front and her
denim mini-skirt to ride up.

  She was directly in Blair’s line of sight. When he missed the easy shot into the corner pocket and let out a colorful curse, it was Ally’s turn to smile.

  “Too bad mate,” Leo said, not meaning it at all. “I guess you missed your chance.”

  “That was unfair play,” Blair said, turning those laser-like eyes on Ally in accusation.

  Ally widened her own eyes, all innocence. In reality, she was thrumming with a sense of triumph that was difficult to keep under wraps. It always gave a girl a boost to know her cleavage could derail a man’s concentration. “But I’m not playing.”

  Blair walked down to her end of the table and stood beside her. The electricity of his nearness made Ally’s skin tingle as they both watched Leo pocket the eight practically one handed. “You realize you just lost your own bet.”

  “I’m not a sore loser.”

  “I can be.”

  “Somehow, I’m not surprised.”

  Ally angled her head to look at him. He was already looking at her, as though he had been studying her profile. The notion made Ally’s pulse leap, and the intense focus of his ice-blue eyes kept it high.

  They eyed each other for a drawn-out moment. Ally was determined not to shy away from the open appraisal and interest in Blair’s gaze. At long last, he said, “Saw you on the phone earlier. Is your date late?”

  Ally hesitated over admitting her date was her brother. Perhaps because the idea of giving Blair Bowman such an obvious green light didn’t seem exactly safe. But she wasn’t going to put him off entirely. “Actually, he’s not coming.”

  “You were stood up?”

  It was Leo’s voice, filled with a mixture of shock and anger. Ally turned her attention toward him and saw his brow furrowed with displeasure. His reaction filled her with a warmth that sank all the way to her toes before traveling back up again.

  If she had been stood up for a romantic date, she’d bet Leo Chatfield would be the type of guy to provide the best possible comfort. Perhaps in the form of ice-cream and a corny movie, followed by a gentle hug that would turn into a few sweet and steamy kisses that would melt her body faster than the ice cream would melt in the tub…