Page 28 of Living with Fire
SAVANNA
“Sweet or spicy?”
Something about the way that Nate is looking at me has my stomach flipping with excitement. It’s been forever since I’ve flirted with a man. Flirting with Preston felt forced instead of playful, so I never reciprocated, or gave him much attention. By the time I left Vincent and Colorado, it had been years since we’d flirted. When I was with him I didn’t dare do anything that resembled flirting with another man for fear of him finding out. If he even thought I was looking at someone else I would pay for it later.
So it’s been a while. And I find that I really want to flirt with Nate. There’s something about him, something about the way all three of these men are interacting with each other that makes me feel safe enough to be bold. It could be my lack of human interaction talking, but I really think it’s more than that. I can see the brotherly bond between them, and it reminds me of home, and of a familiarity that I haven’t felt in half a year.
In the dim light I can see that Nate’s eyes have darkened, their focus intently on me, watching my every move. It’s exhilarating, and I can feel the energy bouncing between us across the bar.
I lick my lips, keenly aware of his eyes darting down to follow the move. “What if I want a little bit of both?”
His eyes shoot back to mine, his nostrils flaring. I wonder if his heart is beating as fiercely as mine.
“It would be a pleasure to give you exactly what you want,” Nate tells me, his voice low and gravelly, the sound of it reverberating in my lower belly. My eyebrows raise in challenge, our eyes locked in a heated exchange that has my pulse fluttering out of control.
“You guys keep eye fucking each other like that, I’m gonna need to take my shirt off with how hot it’s getting in here,” Liam says from my left.
“Shut up, Liam,” Nate says, his eyes never leaving mine.
“I’m just saying, you could cut the sexual tension with a spoon right now. I feel like I’m about to watch live porn.”
I finally break our staring match to look at Liam, a grin spread wide across my face. “I hate to disappoint, but I’m not that kind of girl.”
“The porn kind?” Liam asks, pointing his bottle at me before turning it towards Nate. “That’s a good thing cause Nate wouldn’t go for a porn star.”
“That’s more Liam’s style,” Brody says from the other side of Liam, and we all laugh.
I might not know these guys beyond this exchange, but I already like them. Nate felt he had to warn me, and I’m glad he did, but I didn’t need it. They remind me of my own brothers, Connor and Devin, and how they would poke fun at each other, and at me, whenever they had the chance. It makes a pang of longing go through my chest and my jubilant mood dives for a second before I push the feelings away to focus on the present.
Liam shrugs, flashing an impish grin, not denying Brody’s claim, which makes me giggle. I wonder if he would actually go for a porn star, but I don’t ask. Heck, for all I know, he’s already had one.
“What kind of girl would Nate go for then?” I ask curiously, doing a double take when I glance at Nate.
He’s closing a cocktail shaker, his eyes trained on what he’s doing, but I can tell he’s listening closely to the conversation between Liam and me. I’m not sure what he’s making, or how he did it without me realizing, but I’m a little disappointed that I missed him in action up until now.
His hands are nimble and swift as he opens the shaker after his concoction is mixed and pours the liquid into a two-ounce shot glass rimmed with salt, or sugar, I can’t tell which. He looks skilled at what he’s doing, and it’s kind of hot.
Once the orange-colored shot is in front of me, his eyes meet mine, and his smile is sinfully sexy and mischievous. Slowly his eyebrows raise in challenge.
I want to ask him what’s in it, but I don’t because I feel like it would give him some kind of satisfaction, and I don’t want him to have that just yet. We’ve challenged each other, and now we’re in this dance that’s fun and suggestive. Admitting I wasn’t paying attention at a crucial moment feels like it would have the bubble bursting.
Taking the shot glass, I lift it towards my lips. First, I take in the smell. The tequila hits me immediately, but a second later the fruitiness of mango touches my nose, followed by something that makes it tickle. Sticking my tongue out, I taste the rim of the glass, sweetness exploding across my tongue.
I’m about to throw it back when Nate stops me. He bends down behind the bar and when he pops back up, he sets a beer in front of me. With a smirk, he explains, “In case you need a chaser.”
My eyes narrow before I throw my head back, my eyes never leaving him as the liquid enters my mouth. Sweetness slides down my throat, but there’s a heat right behind it that makes my mouth tingle in the most delicious way.
“Mmm,” I murmur, my tongue sliding along my lips as I set the shot glass down. “Just the way I like it. Screw the chaser.”
I can feel all three pairs of male eyes on me. Under most circumstances I would feel apprehensive about that, but with these guys I don’t, and I’m not sure why. They’re all insanely strong, I’m sure, given that they’re firefighters. I know firsthand how strong Nate is, which means they could all crush me without a second thought.
Instead, I feel safe. I’ve just done a shot, something that will no doubt knock down a few inhibitions and defenses, and I’m not even breaking a sweat over it. I’m not worried about what could happen. I’m not worried about saying or doing the wrong thing, or how someone might react to it. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt at ease around people that aren’t my family, and it feels better than I can describe.
“You.” Liam’s voice pulls me out of my thoughts, and I glance at him, the burning in my mouth slowly starting to subside. I must look confused because he elaborates, “You’re the type of girl Nate would go for.”
I give a short burst of laughter, looking between Liam and Nate. “Nate doesn’t even know me,” I tell Liam, feeling the slightest bit of unease.
I can’t be the type of girl that Nate goes for. I have way too much baggage. Between not having a job, not having a place to live at the moment, and of course the biggest problem of running from my ex, my life is a mess. The man has already been so good to me that even if I really, really want to be his type, I need to look out for both of us. Even if he didn’t care about the job or housing situation, I couldn’t put him in a position where he might be in danger if Vincent were to find me. It’s why I’ve isolated myself for so long, and it’s why I need to continue to remain on my own.