Kiss of Fire (St. James Family) (13 page)

“
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 changed 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.

“
I smell coffee,” she said, sitting upright.

“
Black, right?” he said, like he didn't know. She lifted the cup to her nose, took a big whiff, then let out a little sigh of happiness. Instead of letting himself react to her, he made himself pay attention to the road.
What the hell are you doing?
he asked himself for the millionth time. If he just wanted to fuck her, then why hadn't he just done it already? He could have had her. He could have pulled over at anytime and kissed her into submission. It wouldn't be difficult. He could have followed her up to her apartment instead of sitting in the truck like an idiot. He could have. But he found himself comfortable in her company. It felt... normal. It also felt like it was leading up to something. Sex was going to happen at some point, but that wasn't it. It was something else. Something bigger.

“
I have rules on the boat,” he said, quickly, trying to clear his mind.

“
Lay'em on me,” she said, her voice thick with sleep.

“
The first rule of fishing is that we—” He motioned to the air between them. “—don't talk, especially not on the boat.”

“
So, we sit silently, side by side, poles not touching?” Toni said.

“
Absolutely.” He saw her lips twitch and he cleared his throat to keep from smiling. “No talking. It scares away the fish.”

Toni smiled and put her hand to her forehead and did a quick salute.
“Aye aye, Captain. What else?”

“
That's the main one. The other one would be to not fall overboard.” He shrugged. “You'd be surprised how often it happens.”

“
I think I can handle those rules.” She laughed a soft, husky laugh that had his cock hard in record breaking time. He took a deep breath, willing his dick to stop doing gymnastics in his jeans.

When they pulled into the marina, the pink and orange sunrise was in full bloom. Toni hopped out of the truck as soon as he parked, shielding her face with her hand as she watched it. The view from where he was sitting was absolutely breathtaking. He could only stare at her, motionless, her lovely frame silhouetted against the brilliant light, the ocean spread to the horizon in front of her, and think that he was tired of waiting for friendly, stubborn, sexy Antoinette St. James. His body craved hers. He wanted her. And he was tired of fucking waiting.

O'Donovan wrenched open his car door and closed the space between them, sliding his hands over her hips and pulling her back against his chest. Her breath caught in her throat in surprise.“Get in the truck,” he said in her ear. She turned her face to his, a question in her eyes. He slid his hands over her hips and up her stomach to cup her tits. He felt her body stiffen and he knew she could feel his erection against her ass. “Toni, get in the truck,” he said again.