by Carrie Elks
“Hey.” She smiled at him in spite of her embarrassment. He smiled back, and she felt a strange sensation in her chest. He had the best smile – on the rare occasions when he used it. It made little crinkles in the skin at the corner of his sparkling eyes. She couldn’t remember why she’d ever thought he was humorless. He was way too good looking for that.
And yes, if you were being really picky about it he could have taken the time to shave before he came out. But she liked the way his almost-beard shadowed his jaw. She wondered if it would feel soft or rough against her skin.
Oh God. Here she went again. She blamed Ally and Rachel. It was all their fault her heart was pounding like a herd of wildebeest.
She needed to stop this right now before she made a fool out of herself.
“Everything okay?” Lucas asked her. He had his head tipped to the side and a strange expression on his face. She lifted her left hand up to tuck her hair behind her ear. His gaze landed back on her fingers.
“Yeah, it’s been a long day.” She glanced at her watch. It was ten after seven. “I had to come straight from school, that’s why I’m late. We’ve been making decorations for the fair, and a couple of kids got a little too slap-happy with the paint.” Ember grimaced, remembering the mess they’d caused. “It took us hours to clean up.”
“Let me guess. Carter?”
She shook her head. “Not this time, though it is definitely something he’d do.”
“Okay, I think we’re all here. Let’s get started.” Frank Megassey had set himself up on the steps leading up to the fountain, like a town crier making announcements. “I’ve drawn up the planned booths and locations – thanks to all of you for emailing your requirements. I want us to walk through it and check that everything’s covered. And our local Fire Station representative can check the health and safety requirements, too. We don’t want anything to go wrong.”
“Oh, you have a serious job.” Ember smiled at him, thankful for the interruption to her thoughts. “You should probably walk to the front next to Frank.”
“And be given another booklet to read through over the weekend? No thanks.”
“Did you read the last one he gave you?” she asked him. Frank always gave newcomers a booklet an inch thick full of information about the fair.
“If I tell you I didn’t, are you gonna snitch on me?”
“Not if you don’t snitch on me.” She bit down a smile. “I never read it when I first joined either.”
“You didn’t?” He gave her a lopsided grin that started the wildebeest up all over again. “Man, I thought you’d follow all the rules, being a teacher and all.”
“Maybe you don’t know me that well.”
“Maybe I don’t.” He was looking at her hand again. It was strange. Did she have some dirt on it? A few months ago she’d have been sure he could see the dent and tan line from where her engagement ring had once been, but thankfully the skin had evened out. The faint band of white skin was now blended in with the rest of her flesh. Golden, thanks to the California sun.
It was one less thing to worry about.
“Okay, this is where the entrance will be,” Frank shouted as they came to a stop at the corner of the park, next to the boardwalk. “Temporary fencing will be erected the day before the fair. The gates are to open at ten o’clock to let people in.”
Ember’s phone buzzed again, then let out a shrill ding. Damn, she must have switched it off silent when she slid it into her pocket. Another ding made everybody turn and look at her. She hastily pulled it out, ready to turn it off properly this time.
As soon as she lifted the screen up, she felt her whole face fire up with embarrassment. Whoever was messaging her on the Sizzle app had decided to cut to the chase and bare himself to her.
Literally.
Right there in the middle of the screen was an honest to God dick pic. Her mouth dropped open as she hastily tried to turn the screen off. But instead of unlocking it, she opened up the Sizzle app.
“Is that what I think it is?” Lucas asked, looking over her shoulder. He sounded as shocked as she felt.
Could her face flame any hotter? “Yes it is, but…” She shook her head, frantically trying to find the right words. “I didn’t ask for it. I don’t know this guy. It’s this stupid app. It attracts the strangest people.”
“What app?” Lucas asked.
She didn’t want to look at him, afraid the mortification might kill her. “The Sizzle app, my friend made me download it.”
“Sizzle?” There was a frown in his voice. “Isn’t that a hook-up app?”
“A what?” Still not looking at him. Instead she was looking down at her feet, wondering if anybody would notice if she let the ground suck her up.
“An app people use for casual sex.” His voice was thick, but he didn’t sound anywhere near as embarrassed as she felt.
“Do you know the app?” she asked him. “Are you on it?” And if so, why hadn’t he come up in her suggestions?
“Nope.”
It was no good, she was going to have to look at him. “Then how do you know so much about it?”
“I’ve heard stories at the station.” His eyes caught hers and he slowly shook his head. “You should probably stay away from it.”
She felt her flush deepen. “It’s fine. I’ve got it under control.” Could this get any worse? “Not everybody on there’s an idiot like this guy,” she said, straightening her back. “There are nice men on there, too. In fact, I’m going on a date with one next week.” She looked at him from the corner of her eye to see his response.
“You’re going on a date with a guy you’ve never met?” His voice was even lower than before, if that was possible. “Is that wise?”
“I can take care of myself.” She offered him a smile. “But thank you for worrying about me.”
He opened his mouth to respond, but Frank’s shout drowned him out. “Okay, let’s move on to where we’ll be setting up the booths,” Frank called out. “Follow me everybody.”
Ember followed the crowd closely, trying not to look at Lucas, her heart still hammering against her ribcage. Frank led them up the grassy field and through a row of bushes. Her t-shirt got caught on one of the brambles and she tugged at it, wincing as she heard the fabric rip.
“Hey, hold up.” Lucas reached across her. “If you keep pulling you’ll only make it worse.” Gently, he lifted the fabric from the thorn, then frowned as he looked at the damage. “You’ve got a scratch, it’s drawn blood.”
She twisted her arm to get a look at her skin. Sure enough, a few red beads were bubbling up through the welt the thorn had left. “It’s only a little one. It doesn’t hurt,” she told him. “I have some wipes in my bag.” She frowned, realizing her shoulder was bare. “I left it in the car. I should go and get it.”
“I’ll come with you.” His tone didn’t leave any room for argument. Anyway, he might be useful. As a firefighter, he probably knew about first aid.
Yeah, except this really wasn’t an emergency. It wasn’t like her arm was falling off.
By the time they reached her car the beads of blood had multiplied, and a few were starting to roll down her arm. She pulled her keys from her pocket and unlocked the door, reaching across to grab the wipes from her bag.
“Let me do it,” Lucas said, holding his hand out to take the wipes. “Do you have any antiseptic wash? I want to make sure my hands are clean first.”
“I have a gel somewhere.” She rummaged through her bag again, pulling out a blue bottle of antibacterial hand sanitizer. Lucas took it and squeezed some gel into the center of his palm, carefully rubbing across both hands in an effort to make sure they were clean.
“You sit down on the seat,” he said, inclining his head at the driver’s chair. “And roll up your sleeve if you can.” He squatted down next to her, until his head was at the same height as her shoulders, he was so close she could feel his breath against her.
She did as she was told,
holding the fabric up as he pulled a wipe out, gently pressing it against her skin. He moved it slowly, his face a picture of concentration as he wiped the graze clean. Then he grabbed another wipe and cleaned it again, as though once wasn’t quite enough.
And all through it she held herself perfectly still. She wasn’t sure whether it was the sensation of him touching her that made her spine tingle, or the thought that only a few minutes before they were squabbling about the Sizzle app. Either way, she couldn’t help but enjoy the way he touched her. Soft, yet with a surety she didn’t think she’d ever possess.
“It’s clean,” he murmured. “Do you want a Band-Aid on it?”
She caught his eye and saw the skin around it crinkle. It was impossible not to smile back. “I think I’ll live without one. Though I do have some really cool Sesame Street ones somewhere in my bag.”
“Is there anything you haven’t got in your bag?”
“I’m a teacher. It’s my job to be prepared for anything.”
“I thought that was the Girl Scouts.”
“Yeah, well those too.”
He was still scooted down next to her. The way he was crouched forced his thick thigh muscles tightly against the denim of his jeans, and it was almost impossible not to feel overwhelmed by his sheer physicality. She couldn’t help but remember the way he’d picked up that propane tank without breaking a sweat, how his arm muscles had tensed and tightened with the action. For a moment she imagined them lifting her up as she curled her legs around his waist. Flushing, she tried to push the picture out of her head.
“Will you do something for me?” Lucas asked, leaning his hand on the car and glancing up at her.
“Um, maybe?” She blinked, trying to focus. “I guess it depends what it is.”
With one hand steadying himself on the car, he ran the other across his closely cropped hair. “It doesn’t matter.”
Ember tilted her head, the smile still playing at her lips. “You can’t do that. I’m intrigued now. What is it you want me to do?”
“I… ah…” He shook his head. “You’re gonna think I’m crazy.”
She lifted an eyebrow to let him know she already did.
“But I really don’t want you to go on that date.”
He wanted to take the words back as soon as he said them. The little furrows between her eyebrows deepened, and her bottom lip fell open. “What?”
Yeah… what? He was wondering the same thing. What the hell was he thinking, asking something like that? Especially after he’d already been an asshole about that dating app.
He was an idiot. That was the only explanation there was, that and the fact he couldn’t work out what emotion was stronger – happiness that she clearly wasn’t engaged any more, or worry about her using that damn app.
He didn’t like the thought of her talking to guys she’d never met before, even less the thought of her actually meeting them in person. It made his mouth taste bitter, like he’d been sucking a lemon or something.
“I just don’t think it’s safe,” he said, trying to keep his voice even. He was choosing his words carefully this time, hoping to avoid looking like such an ass. “Guys on there are only looking for one thing, they probably think all their birthdays have come at once when they come across someone as pretty as you.” And the thought of her going out on a date with one of them was killing him.
She blinked a couple of times, her thick lashes sweeping down then back up again. “It’s not just a hook-up site. My friend uses it, she says it’s good for finding dates.”
“How’s it worked out for her?”
Ember bit her lip. “Not great.” The faintest of smiles formed on her face.
“I think you can do a lot better than that. There are plenty of guys out there who would kill for a date with someone like you.”
“They’re not exactly beating down my door.” She was looking at him strangely. “Anyway, it’s just a date. In a public place, nothing bad is going to happen.”
“What public place?” Suddenly it came to him. It was protectiveness he was feeling, not jealousy at all. No wonder he was clenching his jaw so tight.
Because as pretty as she was – and Ember Kennedy was very, very pretty – he really didn’t need to complicate his life any more.
Only a few more weeks and he’d be back home at the White City Fire Department, back with his old crew. The kinds of emergencies he’d be dealing with wouldn’t involve school playground equipment or helping out at local fairs. No, he’d need all his concentration and energy for his job.
“We’re meeting at Delmonico’s on the Pier.” Ember touched the graze on her arm absentmindedly, then winced. “It’s out in the open. It’s public. Nothing could go wrong.” She smiled again, her eyes lighting up. “You really don’t need to worry about me. I can look after myself.”
“Well it’s part of my job to worry, or at least to spot dangers from a long distance away.” There was still a tightness in his chest, the same sensation that had been there ever since she’d announced this damn date. Strange how protectiveness was so close to jealousy. “So if you’re insisting on going, please be careful. And let me know you got home safely.” He pulled his phone out of his back pocket and handed it to her. “Can I have your number?” he asked. “Just so I can make sure you’re okay?”
Silently she nodded, then pushed her fingers against the on-screen keyboard, before passing the phone back to him. Her thumb brushed his palm, sending a pulse of electricity up his arm. He quickly pulled away, not wanting her to see his reaction, and sent her a text so she’d have his number, too.
Sliding his phone back into his pocket, he finally smiled, not sure if he felt any better about the whole thing. Still, at least he knew where she was going, and that she’d let him know she was okay.
God, it had been a long few weeks since he’d arrived in Angel Sands. The sooner he got back to White City and stopped worrying about these crazy things the better.
12
“I don’t know if I can do this,” Ember spoke into her phone, letting her head fall back on the headrest of her car. She was parked in Delmonico’s lot, the engine off but the doors still closed. For the past few minutes she’d been trying to get the guts up to actually get out and walk into the restaurant.
What had she been thinking? The app was only supposed to be a bit of fun, it wasn’t supposed to go anywhere. And yet here she was, in her best clothes, about to meet a guy she wasn’t even sure she was interested in.
This was Lucas Russell’s fault. If he hadn’t been so vehement about her not coming on this date, she probably would have pulled out of it all by herself. But she’d managed to talk herself into this corner and there was no way to get out of it.
There was more to it than that, though. She’d liked the way he’d looked when she’d mentioned the date, as though he was jealous, even though she knew it wasn’t possible. And he’d made her promise to call him when the date was over – for some reason that made her skin tingle.
“Of course you can do it,” Ally told her. “You’re almost there now. You need to channel your inner diva and strut your stuff into the restaurant. Remember, you’re the prize here. You need to act like it.”
Well she certainly didn’t feel like it. Not even wearing this blue-and-yellow dress she’d bought especially for the date. She glanced in the rear view mirror, adjusting it so she could see her face. Her make-up looked as immaculate as it had when she’d put it on an hour ago, and for once her thick hair was under control, falling in dark glossy waves past her shoulders.
Sighing, she pushed the mirror back into position. “Okay, I should go. I’m already late.” Her heart really wasn’t in it. If it wasn’t for the fact she had Ally encouraging her, she would turn around and drive right home. Okay, she wouldn’t, because she knew what it felt like to be rejected. She’d said she’d come on a date, and she was here. Now she just needed to get on with it.
“Five minutes late is perfect, it shows you�
�re punctual without being desperate. Now remember, ask a lot of questions about him. Be interested. Guys love showing off.”
It was ironic that Ally was giving her advice about men, when Ember was the one who’d lived with a guy for six years. Still, when it came to first dates she was less than clueless, it was like learning a whole new language.
She took a deep breath in. “I’m going now.”
“Okay. Call me as soon as you’re out. And remember, it doesn’t matter if he’s the most gorgeous guy you’ve ever seen, women like us never give it up on the first date.”
“What?” Ember scrunched her face up. “Why would I give anything up?”
“Do I have to spell it out for you? Whatever you do, don’t have sex with him.”
Ember rolled her eyes even though Ally wasn’t there to see it. “I wasn’t planning to, but thanks for the advice. Bye, now.” She hung up before Ally had a chance to say anything else to make her panic. Not that it mattered, because Ember was already feeling sick about this.
She couldn’t help but think about what Lucas had said. That guys who used this dating app were only after one thing. Was she going to be spending the night batting this guy’s advances off? She didn’t like the idea that Lucas was going to be proved right.
But then Adam Michaelson had seemed nice enough when they were chatting. He hadn’t mentioned sex or sent any disgusting photos, nor had he done anything that sent her senses tingling. From their communication, he seemed like a perfectly nice guy, who was looking for somebody to spend some time with. She’d eat dinner, have a chat, and maybe she’d be able to go home with some self respect.
Squaring her shoulders, she reached for the door and pulled at the handle. Here went nothing. As she stepped out of her car, she felt the warm air envelope her, the salty aroma of the sea mixed in with the delicious smell of appetizing food wafting out from Delmonico’s. Walking across the weatherworn wooden boards on the pier, she could hear the low chatter of diners sitting on the terrace overlooking the sea, and the gentle ebb and flow of waves as they lapped around the pier struts. She pushed the door open, trying to ignore the nagging feeling in her stomach, and walked up to the desk. While she waited for the maître d’, she couldn’t help but look around the room, trying to work out where Adam was sitting.