Rumor Has It (7 page)

The language was acceptable, but there was something off. Maybe it was just her.

“Sure. What time?”

“My shift is over around seven p.m., so how about we meet there about seven thirty?” He said this while packing everything up and placing it in the refrigerator. Now he was ready to go, and her house looked like he’d never been there.

“Sounds good.” She turned toward the faucet and used the sprayer to make sure all the suds had been rinsed down the drain.

“See you tomorrow.”

She didn’t want to watch him leave, especially like this, but she knew he had to go to work. “I’ll be there.” Trying to put a cheery voice on, she hoped that maybe he didn’t know her as well as she knew him. It was quiet for so long, she thought he might have left the kitchen and gone out the door quietly, but she could still feel him watching her. She didn’t want him to see what was surely on her face. More time was needed to pull herself together.

“That kiss wasn’t payment for anything,” he said to her back, not close enough that she could feel his warmth, but she could smell him. “No one makes me do anything I don’t want to or say anything I don’t want to say.”

“I hope not.”

“You’re going to make me staying away from you hard for me. Aren’t you?”

“I’m not trying to.”

“I know, but you’re doing it anyway.” He turned her to face him and then rubbed his knuckle softly along her jaw. “It’ll get better.”

She didn’t know if he was talking to her or himself, but he gave her a smile.

“If you say so.”

“I do,” he said as he placed a soft kiss near her mouth, like it was a compulsion, and then he walked out the door and was gone. She was going to have to work on how she felt about him, and if he wanted them to go back to being just friends, he was going to have to keep his hands to himself. She would work on gaining enough self-control not to touch his soft dark curls or rub his bulging biceps, but if he touched her first, all bets were off.

Chapter Four

The Fire Hydrant Bar and Grill was the hangout for fire personnel, police, medics, and all other public service people. Although it could be loud, they had a meeting room that blocked the noise somewhat. It also had a glass wall so you could see what was going on in the main bar. This came in handy when the meetings were boring—you could always watch what people were doing on the other side of the glass.

He’d brought three of his crew—Ethan, Brody, and Nick. They were the most loved of the department. He was relieved they didn’t complain too much about the meeting being after their shift. They also had another volunteer—from another crew—named Sue; he was grateful she wanted to volunteer but wasn’t sure about her motives. At this point, he didn’t care. They needed volunteers, and she’d answered the call.

He knew exactly when Raina walked into the establishment. There was a quieting of the crowd. She’d come often with Theo and with him, but she still turned heads when she walked through. He looked over to his buddy Ethan and watched him follow her through the crowd. He’d forgotten Ethan had the hots for Raina. That wasn’t new. No wonder he’d been so quick to volunteer. The few times she’d come to the firehouse to serve up a meal, the guys had hung on her every word like she was telling them hidden secrets of the world. The desire to punch his buddy in the mouth for the things he looked like he was thinking
was
new, and Liam needed to work on that and fast.

“Hello, everyone,” Raina said with a happiness that should have gotten on his nerves after a twenty-four-hour shift but made him want to smile. That was odd, because he’d gotten no sleep at the firehouse last night. Each time he closed his eyes, he could see Raina on her knees in front of him, and damn if that image didn’t make him hard as carbon every freaking time.

Blowing in like a vanilla storm, she wore her professional persona like a cloak. She greeted everyone like a long-lost friend and gave him a smile that probably looked to everyone else like normal, but her eyes were guarded. He knew they shouldn’t have done this. Just like he knew she would probably feel rejected by the episode last night.

There was no way he could have stayed. He’d had to go to work, and it would’ve been breaking another one of his rules. She’d been right about most of the things she thought about him and his rules, but he hadn’t ever broken them down for anyone. The women he was with knew the score, and they wanted what he did…at least in the beginning. It worked for him, and he wasn’t with anyone long enough for them to get too attached anyway. He never worried about getting too attached to them, but he’d never been with Raina.

She put all her things down, and he was again moved by a strong desire to maim when Ethan got up to ask Raina if he could get her something from the bar.

“I’ll take a lemon-lime soda, if they have it.”

“If they don’t, I’ll find it.”

Liam thought he’d be sick. He was always amused by how Ethan could charm the ladies so quickly, but he wasn’t amused now.

He watched her get her information set up, enjoying seeing her in her element. He’d seen her in her professional clothes, but he’d never observed her at work.

“All right, everyone, thanks so much for coming together on such short notice,” she said, clearly ready to get the show on the road.

Ethan was back. He’d placed her glass in front of her and sat down next to her like he belonged there. The rest of the meeting passed in a blur while Sue, the woman who’d come to volunteer from Firehouse 4, kept turning to him to smile and make small remarks.

He would get a rundown of what was said later because his wires seemed to be crossed. Annoyance with Sue, anger with Ethan, and lust for Raina were creating a mix of thoughts and emotions—
wait
. He didn’t do emotions. With Ethan hanging all over Raina and Sue and her ceaseless remarks, he just wanted to get out of there and take Raina with him.

It was a few minutes before he realized the meeting was over and everyone was dispersing. He should have gotten more sleep. He was exhausted.

Liam moved over to where Ethan and Raina were standing by the door.

“Hey, I’m going to walk Raina to her car,” Ethan said, looking happy and pleased with himself. It had been a quiet night at the station, and the younger man must have taken advantage of the time, as he looked well rested.

“Don’t worry about it. I needed to talk to her anyway.”

“Dude, you should probably wait for another day. You look beat.”

Raina stepped in to stop the pissing match. She was a smart woman, and she looked like she wasn’t in the mood for it. “Ethan, let me know if you need some help getting the trinkets over to the engraver.” She turned to Liam. “Are you ready?”

Liam nodded to Ethan in his usual way and took most of the materials out of her hand to help her to the car.

“I’ll follow you home,” he said as she opened her door.

“What?” She sat down and looked at him with an expression so puzzled he wanted to kiss her. She was trying hard to keep it the same between them. What was up with him? He knew what it was. He wasn’t quite ready for it to end.

She closed her door and opened her window. “Did you have something you wanted to say to me? We could talk right here.”

“I just want to make sure you get home safely.”

“I’ll be fine. I promise.”

“Humor me.”

When they reached her house, he followed her in and sat on her couch like their weekly visits. She was agitated; he could tell by the way she was fidgeting. He should go home.

“Let’s do something crazy,” she said out of nowhere.

“Like what?” He really just wanted to spend a little time with her. He talked to her every so often and saw her at least once a week, but for some reason, he was missing her almost as soon as he was out of her presence. He thought maybe he could gorge on her and have his fill. The problem was, every time he was with her seemed to make him need—no,
want
—more of her, and more frequently.

“I don’t know. I just want to do something wild and exciting.”

“I like just sitting here spending time with you. I brought that independent critic choice film
Crossed Buns
. I’ve been keeping it in my car for a night like this. Let’s watch that.”

She didn’t look as excited about that as he thought she would. “Is it that you don’t see me as exciting? Is that why when you get here, you want to watch a movie or read? I bet you don’t go to other women’s houses and just watch TV.”

“Oh, that’s what this is about.”

“Never mind. I’ll get the wine.” She started to get up, and he tugged her back down on his lap.

“Wait…so plain English. What is the problem?”

“There isn’t one.”

“We’ve been friends for a good while, right?” He’d never held her this close before the other day, but he found that he really liked it. He could smell the faint vanilla and wanted to taste the skin behind her ear. He nuzzled it with his nose and placed a soft kiss right below that spot.

“Right.” The word was breathy and made him think of the noises she made when she was excited.

“So why don’t you tell me what’s really bothering you.” He moved his mouth lower, to the skin where her neck and shoulder met, with soft pulls and licks. The moan that escaped him made him rethink the tactic he was using to get her to open up to him.

“I know the women you are usually around are fascinating, exciting, fun… I don’t feel like I’m any of those things. I want to be those things too,” she said, and he had no idea what to say to that. She was all those things plus some. He wanted her to know that.

He opened his mouth and was cut off with her fingers on his mouth.

MAYBE PUTTING HER fingers to his lips wasn’t the brightest idea. She was already getting aroused by the soft kisses he was putting on her neck, but touching those full firm lips was too much.

“It’s all right, Liam. I’m going to get the wine, and we’ll watch the movie.” She went to get off his lap, because any minute she was going to spontaneously combust. Just the other day, she hadn’t thought she could have an orgasm with another party present, but now it seemed like all her body wanted to do was interact with his. Like he was a hose and she was a hydrant or something.

He pulled her down onto his lap again.

“Wait a minute, Raina. Damn. Sometimes you say something that throws me for a loop, and it takes a second to search for the answer to a question that makes no sense.”

“I said never mind.”

“I know what you said, but that’s not what you meant. I do think you’re fascinating, exciting, and definitely fun. You talk about the other women I was with, and it seems like you think they aren’t like you—and you’re right. They aren’t. But that’s why I’m here with you and not anyone else. I enjoy spending my time with you. We can do anything and it’s interesting. Even sitting around reading the paper together is fun.”

“How is that fun?”

“I like having you around. It’s fun to look up and see you sitting there to discuss something or get your opinion or make you laugh.”

That he was trying to talk her down from this particular ledge was funny because she knew he didn’t stay with women long enough to be familiar with the twists and turns in women’s heads. He was doing a good job, and she was impressed he was trying and not headed for the door.

“Let’s go take a shower,” he said with a wicked smile on his lips.

“What?” That suggestion came so far out of left field she had to replay the last few sentences in her mind to find out where that had come from.

“It’s relaxing, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen your shower. It’ll be my chance to take a look at your private sanctuary.”

“Ha…really? You could just ask. I’d have given you a tour of the whole place if you wanted.”

“Let’s go, buttercup.” He gently nudged her to stand up and then prodded her to guide them back to her room.

“You don’t want to watch the movie?”

“There’ll be other times to watch. You didn’t seem that interested in it, so let’s find something that does interest you.”

She was afraid to say anything, lest he know how much she wanted to do this.

He walked her into the bedroom and let go of her hand. She gathered up the large, fluffy towels she’d never used, feeling they were too decadent to use for just a regular shower.

She’d thought her shower was so very large, but as she turned on the water and tried to get it to a good temperature, she watched Liam take off his clothes and thought the shower wasn’t going to feel as big as it usually did. He was a large man. Six feet three inches tall, broad shoulders; his build was muscular but lean, not bulky. He was the perfect specimen of a man. She stood there and continued to watch the show of him taking off and neatly folding his clothes.

“Do you need some help, sweetheart?”

“Raina,” she said and watched the questioning frown slightly wrinkle his brow.

“What?”

“My name is Raina.”

“I know what your name is.”

“Okay… It’s just, when you call me sweetheart, I feel like I’m like everyone else and you can’t even remember my name.”

“I know exactly who you are, Raina.”

“Okay, then…good.”

“Well?”

“Well what, Liam?”

He chuckled and pulled her into his arms. “Do. You. Need. Some. Help?” He punctuated each word with soft kisses to her mouth, and she enjoyed every one. He could punctuate all his sentences like that, but she couldn’t guarantee she would know what he was talking about.

He brought her T-shirt over her head and unsnapped her bra, all while kissing her. The kiss wasn’t enough…not deep enough…not long enough. This kiss was meant to torture, not to satisfy. She tried to wrap her arms around his neck, but he stopped her. He bent down to help her out of her pants, and then they were both naked in a bathroom that was quickly filling up with steam.

He opened the shower door and ushered her in. She watched as he closed the door behind himself and looked over the organized bath products on the shelves. He moved her to stand under the spray. Being in the shower with another person always seemed like fun, but as a worrier, she never would have suggested this. Even now she thought about the chances of her falling in the shower and embarrassing herself.