UP IN FLAMES

She was folding and refolding her newly acquired stash of clothing for the hundredth time when Alaric appeared in the doorway. The moment her gaze connected with his, heat zinged across her cheeks and she felt silly for blushing so easily.

“Hungry?” he asked, expression impassive.

Her stomach rumbled in response. All she had eaten earlier was a bagel with cream cheese. “What do you have in mind?”

“Thought we could go out and grab something to eat.”

For some reason, her heart flopped over in her chest. “Go out and eat?”

Obviously mistaking her high-pitched response for fear, he softened his features. “I know this place. My partner and I go there all the time. It’ll be safe.”

It was better if he thought she was afraid instead of knowing the truth. Which was what? The sudden increase in her heart rate was due to excitement? But that was silly. This wasn’t a date. Calmly, she placed the folded shirt on the dresser. “I don’t have anything nice to wear.”

“What you’re wearing is fine,” he replied, pushing out of the doorway. “It’s not that kind of place. You game?”

Could she really say no? Smoothing her suddenly damp hands along her jeans, she forced a tight smile. “Yes.”

He studied her a moment and then stepped aside, motioning her forward. As she walked past him, she felt his gaze drop. “I really like you in jeans.”

She arched a brow as her lips twitched. “Do I even dare ask why?”

Heated cobalt eyes drifted slowly back to hers. A half grin appeared. “It has to do with how well those pockets cup your ass.”

A laugh burst out of Vanessa, surprising her and apparently Alaric by the sudden sharpening of his gaze. She didn’t know what it was. The teasing was beyond inappropriate, but something about him eased the frostiness of her exterior.

“You should do that more often,” he said, following her down the hall.

“What?”

Alaric stepped around so he went down the stairs first. “Laugh.”

She didn’t respond to that. Waiting in the entryway while he grabbed the keys, she then followed him out to his car. Once again, she noted the detailed and near-perfect landscaping surrounding the driveway and porch. One day she would like to buy a home with a yard.

“You’re going to have to let me know who you hired to do your yard,” she said once she was inside his truck. “It’s beautiful.”

He snorted. “Hired? I didn’t hire anyone. I did it myself.”

Her eyes widened. “You did?” She glanced out the window, eyeing the trimmed bushes, the roses that were months away from blooming, the colorful early spring daisies that were straining toward the fading sun. “You’re good with your hands.”

“I am.” His lips curled sensually.

Muscles low in her stomach tightened. He was damn good with his hands and his mouth and his tongue… She shifted in her seat, closing her eyes, but it was already too late. Heat unfurled in her veins. Daring a quick peek at Alaric, she knew he was fully aware of where her body had taken the conversation.

As he backed out of the driveway, he cast her an appreciative look that started at her lips and ended at her chest. His overt sexuality was far from oppressing; it turned her on and made her want more. It’s just two people getting off, she reminded herself, and she would be okay with that, but strangely, it made her feel empty.

She needed a distraction. “So you like to garden?”

He shrugged as his gaze flicked to the rearview mirror. “I like being outside and I guess I like making things. You know? Taking a barren patch of land and creating something out of it. And I’m good with plants somehow.” A quick grin flashed across his face. “Paul says I have a green thumb.”

“I envy that,” she admitted. “I can kill a cactus in less than two hours.”

He laughed deeply, and she found her lips responding to the sound. “It’s pretty hard to kill a cactus that quickly.”NôvelDrama.Org exclusive content.

“Not if you’re me.” She glanced out the window, watching the houses slowly bleed away, fading into businesses. “But I do want something like that one day.”

“You plan on buying a house soon?”

“I would once I got settled… at least that was the plan before…Everything happened,”

He looked at her, and then his gaze went to the rearview mirror once more. “Then you’re going to stay here…When everything is over?”

“I’d like to.” Her thoughts turned wistful, something that wasn’t common. “I’d like to have a…a home.”

Alaric was quiet for a moment. “Didn’t have much of that growing up, did you?”

She almost forgot what she’d admitted the first night at his house. Shifting in the seat, she dutifully studied her nails. A manicure would be nice. Not having a conversation like this would be great, but her mouth opened and she started blabbing.

“Mom was never home and if she was, she wasn’t really there. She kind of ghosted through the house,” she said, sighing. “We didn’t stay in one apartment too long. She couldn’t keep a job to save her life.” Or mine. “Eventually I was sent to my grandmother’s.”

“And her house wasn’t much of a home?”

Her gaze flicked to the red light they were stopped at. “Her house was… It was cold. I mean, she loved me and I think she was happy to have me around, but I also think she was done raising kids, you know? I was unexpected.”

His jaw locked. “Unwanted?”

She sucked in a breath at the blunt question, but it was true. Her gram loved her, but she probably would’ve loved not having to raise her more.

Alaric placed his hand on her knee and squeezed. At first, Vanessa wanted to knock it away, but all she could do was stare at the large male hand. Something warmed in her chest and now…now she wanted to put her hand over his.

“Totally understand where you’re coming from,” he said, squeezing again. “My childhood was pretty much the same.”

She glanced at him, biting her lower lip. They did have that in common. Not the greatest thing to share. At another red light, his eyes met hers and it took a great effort to look away. His hand was still on her knee. She kind of liked it.