Once Burned (Firehouse Fourteen Book 1) (16 page)

"Brian, I need you to do me a favor." Nick placed his guitar on the rack and stepped off the stage.

"Depends. What do you need?" They walked over to the bar, pushing their way through the crowd until they could lean against the wooden railing. The barmaid immediately came over to them and took their order, and Nick made a mental note to thank Jay for making the service arrangements. Soda in one hand and a glass of iced tea in the other, Nick turned and scanned the crowded room, his eyes automatically resting on Kayla. She was seated at the back table with some of the guys she worked with, laughing.

"I need you to take over the vocals and lead for the first song during our next set." Nick explained why, drawing a look of skepticism from Brian in addition to his reluctant agreement. Nick thanked him then threaded his way to the far side of the room, barely acknowledging the greetings and comments he received. Kayla looked up when he was a few feet away, her gaze locking with his as he approached. She stiffened for a split second, her smile faltering when he stopped next to her.

"Nick. Um, nice set. You guys are pretty good." Her voice was too bright, her new smile too forced. Nick raised an eyebrow at her then took the seat someone held out for him, purposefully scooting closer to her when he sat down. He sat both cups on the table in front of him then turned and watched Kayla, his eyes studying her, noticing the slight flush that fanned across her cheeks. Embarrassment? Or something else?

She stiffened and looked everywhere but at Nick. With another smile that was obviously forced, she finally shrugged then reached for the pitcher of beer in the middle of the table to top off her drink. But before she could fill her cup, Nick reached out and took it from her, making sure he placed it in the middle of the table, out of her reach.

He knew he was drawing strange looks from a few of her coworkers but he ignored them, focusing solely on Kayla and the furious blush that now colored her face. He said nothing as he grabbed the glass of iced tea and held it out to her. A tense minute went by as she stared at him, anger clearly reflected in the deep green of her eyes. She made no move to accept the glass from him so he placed it directly in front of her and leaned over, his voice low so only she could hear him.

"No alcohol. Remember?"

His gaze held hers for another minute before she finally looked away, her jaw clenched. Yeah, there was no doubt she was furious. And he had no doubt that she thought his condition had only applied only to that one time. Well, let her be angry, he thought. She needed to know he was serious.

He slid his chair even closer and crossed his legs, resting his right ankle on his left knee, and leaned toward Kayla. She shifted away, quickly, as if she had been hit by something, and knocked into Jay's arm, spilling some of his drink.

"Hey! Dammit Mikey, watch what you're doing." Jay grabbed some napkins and dabbed at the spilled beer. The blonde sitting on his other side immediately started fawning over him, shooting Kayla a dirty look. Kayla rolled her eyes then reluctantly turned back to Nick, a comical expression on her face. The iced tea sat in front of her, ignored.

Nick watched the byplay with interest and wondered if he had merely imagined the tension between Kayla and the blonde—and between Kayla and Jay. He studied Kayla for another second then turned his attention to Jay's date, who was now sitting in his lap, her arms wrapped protectively around his neck. Nick took a sip of his soda but said nothing as the tension around him grew thicker.

"Don't you have to get back up there or something?" Kayla asked, eyeing him with impatience. He shifted closer to her and shook his head.

"Not yet. I thought I'd come over and talk to you for a while. Or didn't you want me to?"

"No, I..." Kayla trailed off, shifting in her chair. She finally grabbed the glass of iced tea and took a long swallow, keeping her gaze averted. They sat in silence while all around them laughter and conversation mixed and overlapped, occasionally drowned out by music from the jukebox. Kayla glanced at Nick then looked away, taking another drink. He reached out and took the glass from her and sat it on the table, then grabbed her hand in his.

"What—"

"C'mon, I want to dance." He stood up, pulling her with him and leading her onto the crowded floor before she had a chance to say no. He turned and wrapped her in his arms, holding her stiff body tight against his so she couldn't pull away. The music was barely audible above the din of the crowd but that didn't stop anyone from joining in, and they were jostled a few times by other dancers.

"Nick, I don't think this is a good idea." Kayla's words were muffled against his chest, but at least she didn't try to pull away. He elbowed an enthusiastic couple away from them then looked down at her.

"Why not?"

She shrugged, not meeting his eyes. Nick sighed and tightened his hold, moving in a smaller circle to avoid being bumped. Kayla didn't lean into him but she did relax her body, not holding herself quite as stiffly in his arms.

"You better get going. It looks like they're setting up again," Kayla finally said to him. Nick glanced at the stage and saw the rest of the band getting ready. He turned back to her, making no move to stop dancing.

"I get to sit the first one out."

Kayla eyed him warily, caution flitting across her face as the sound of instruments warming up floated across the crowd. She tried to pull back but Nick tightened his hold around her waist, keeping her against him.

"I didn't expect you to show up tonight, you know. I thought you'd come up with some excuse to go somewhere else."

Kayla's footsteps faltered and Nick felt her sigh rather than heard it before she spoke. "I almost did. I was outvoted, though."

"Outvoted? You could have still gone somewhere else."

"It wouldn't have been much fun by myself, though, now would it?"

Her statement momentarily stunned Nick, until he realized she had no idea how much it revealed. The guys she worked with had decided to come here, so she had to come here, too. Because she'd be by herself if she didn't. It made him realize again how little he really knew about her. He thought about asking if she ever did anything without the guys from work, then quickly decided it probably wasn't the smartest question he could ask.

"So, are you having fun?"

Kayla looked up at him, again eyeing him warily, pausing as though she were considering her answer. She finally looked away and shrugged. "I've had worse times, if that's what you mean."

"I guess I could take that as a good sign," Nick muttered. The jukebox suddenly went quiet and the crowd around them thinned as people moved back to their tables or to the bar. Kayla stopped dancing as well and tried to move away. "No, not yet."

She looked up at him, confusion clear on her face. Nick glanced quickly at the stage and saw Brian sling the guitar over his shoulder and step to the mike to do a sound check. He turned back to Kayla and grabbed her hand when she would have walked away, pulling her back into his arms.

"Were you guys staying here the rest of the night, or going somewhere else?"

"I don't know. Staying here, I guess. Why? What are you up to?"

"Up to? Nothing. I was just wondering."

"Nick—"

She didn't get a chance to finish whatever she was going to say because Brian started the intro for the next set. Nick watched Kayla's face closely for any reaction when the first song started. It was an original slow rock number, one that Nick had written more than a decade ago. With her help.

Kayla froze, the color draining from her face as soon as recognition struck. Nick tightened his arms around her and swayed to the soft notes, leading her in a gentle circle. Color rushed back to her cheeks and she looked up at him, her eyes wide and dazed, shining a little too brightly in the soft lights. "I had forgotten all about this."

"I didn't," he whispered. Nick's gaze held hers for a long minute before he slowly lowered his head and brushed his lips against hers in a brief kiss. He tucked her head against his shoulder and softly sang the lyrics in her ear, his eyes closing when she relaxed against him. For a minute everyone else around them disappeared and it was just the two of them on the dance floor, alone. Kayla's hand tightened around his. Was it his imagination, or were her fingers trembling the tiniest bit? Emotion thickened his voice and he stopped his whispered singing, pulling back to look down at Kayla.

Her eyes were still closed and Nick thought he saw a dampness on her dark lashes but he wasn't sure. He tipped her chin up with his finger until she slowly opened her eyes and looked at him. Bare emotion filled her eyes for an unguarded second, causing Nick's heart to pound painfully in his chest. He lowered his head and caught her mouth with his, kissing her. Hot, sweet, frantic.

Somewhere in the recesses of his consciousness he heard the last notes of the song fade and he slowly pulled away from Kayla, ending the kiss entirely too soon. She lowered her head, resting it on his shoulder with a heavy sigh as he hugged her more tightly.

Nick reluctantly released her from his arms and cleared his throat. "I need to get back up there. Will you let me know if you guys decide to leave?"

"Um, yeah." Her voice was quiet and subdued, almost as if she wasn't sure what was going on. Nick knew how she felt exactly: it was if something had happened during the song, as if the balance had changed and shifted between them.

Nick studied her for another quick second then leaned forward and placed a quick kiss on her lips before heading to take his place on the stage. He watched as she made her way to the table and sat among her friends, surprised that she didn't pour herself a fresh beer since he was no longer there to take it away.

He said a quick prayer that it hadn't been his imagination—that something
had
shifted between them. But only time would tell if he was right.

Mike leaned back in the chair, the now-empty glass of tea held loosely in her hand. She looked down at it, wondering again why she had let Nick demand that she drink tea instead of beer. Did she really care about his conditions? No, she didn't. What she did during her own personal time was just that: personal. So why had she listened to him?

She let out a heavy sigh and placed the empty glass on the table then turned to watch the last few remaining patrons gather their things and head out the door. The bar lights had been turned up, the jukebox was dark and silent against the wall, and the band was packing up their assorted instruments and gear. Her eyes focused on Nick, standing with his back to her, taking apart the microphones.

"Shit," she muttered to herself, closing her eyes to block out the sight of his broad back and trim waist and firm ass. Yeah, she didn't need to be watching him. What the hell had happened on the dance floor earlier? She had no idea, knew only that it filled her with apprehension and made her uncomfortable. Sighing, she opened her eyes to find Jay standing in front of her, watching her curiously. "What?"

"Are you okay?"

Well, that was a loaded question. Was she okay? Not for the first time that night, she wondered the same thing. Mike gave a short laugh and shook her head, which only made Jay frown down at her. She waved at him and nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"You sure? You're okay to drive?"

"Yes, Jay." She couldn't keep the impatience from her voice. Hadn't he noticed that she'd been drinking iced tea most of the night? Ever since Nick had come over, ever since that dance. That song. That damn song.

He frowned then glanced over his shoulder at the stage before looking back at her. "What about, you know? You okay with all that?"

Mike looked down at her hands, clasped loosely in her lap, and thought about how to answer the question. Was she okay? Hell if she knew. Everything had been skewed since that one dance and she didn't know what to make about any of it. She thought about talking it over with Jay, since he knew something wasn't right, but when she looked up, his date was standing next to him, hanging over him impatiently while glaring at Mike.

"Yeah, I'm fine. With everything. Just go, have fun." Mike forced a brilliant smile in their direction while mentally rolling her eyes at Jay's date. He frowned at her then finally shrugged and left, his arm draped around the blonde's shoulders.

Mike looked around and realized that she was now the only person left, with the exception of the band. She looked over at the bar, watching Grant and Angie cleaning up. No, not quite. Grant was cleaning up. Angie was watching Jay leave, a frown on her face. Mike blinked, wondering if she was seeing things. No, Angie was definitely watching Jay, with an expression she recognized all too well. It was the same look Mike was certain was on her own face whenever she looked at Nick, when she was sure nobody was watching.

She wanted to tell Angie to let it go. Jay would never settle down. And he would certainly never ask Angie out, not when he worked with her brother, Dave.

Mike sighed, telling herself it wasn’t her business, that she was probably imagining things, then looked around the empty bar again. Why was she still sitting here? She wasn’t sure, didn’t want to look too closely at the reason. She blew out a quick breath then stood up and grabbed her jacket from the back of the chair.

"Hey Nick, I'm leaving." She pulled the jacket on then headed for the door, afraid to stop, afraid to hang around any longer. She didn't even know why she had bothered telling him she was leaving. It wasn't any of his business, even if he had asked her to let him know. Mike was a few feet from escape when Nick caught up to her, stopping her with a hand on her shoulder.

"Whoa, hold up. What do you mean, you're leaving?"

Mike turned and faced him, careful not to look directly at him. Her emotions and thoughts were still in turmoil, still swirling through her mind like some crazy tornado, and she was afraid it was clearly written on her face. "Just what I said, I'm leaving."

"Who's driving you home?"

"Me."

"But you've been drinking."

Mike sighed and finally looked up at Nick, letting her irritation show, hoping it was enough to mask anything else that might be visible on her face. "No, Nick, I haven't. I've been drinking iced tea. I am fine to drive. If I had known this was going to happen, I wouldn't have bothered letting you know I was leaving."

Nick watched her for a silent second, his gaze intense and studying. He loosened his hold on her shoulder and shifted so that he was a little closer to her. "Why don't you let me take you home?"

The offer hung in the air between them, quiet and casual. Just one friend looking after another. Or was it? Mike finally met his gaze. Her stomach did a sudden roll at the look in his eyes and she immediately attributed it to the confusion that had been consuming her since Nick had asked her to dance. She swallowed and looked away, part of her wanting to accept his offer.

And part of her wanting to run away.

And that was the issue, right there. That part of her wanted to accept his offer. Why? What had happened to change her mind, to change her thinking? Why did this one man have the ability to confuse her and drive her crazy and make her
want
? Nobody else had ever come close to doing what Nick did to her, to making her think and feel and want the way Nick did.

To make her
need
the way Nick did.

Mike knew she was fine to drive. Perfectly fine. But if it had been anyone else offering, she wouldn't have hesitated to accept, just for company if for no other reason. But it wasn't anyone else. It was Nick.

And she was suddenly afraid of being alone with him.

"I don't think that's a good idea," she finally muttered, taking a step back to put more space between them. Nick kept watching her, a frown creasing his forehead. The frown disappeared, replaced by a look of mischievousness. There was a glint in his eye when he finally shook his head and stepped back, reaching into his pocket for something. Mike's mouth dropped open when he pulled out her car keys. "How did—"

"Either I drive you home, or you can walk." He waved the keys in front of her, then deftly pulled them out of her reach when she tried to grab them. She narrowed her eyes at him, her mind racing, trying to think of something to do. This was ridiculous. She didn't need a ride home, and she certainly didn't want to be alone with Nick. But he kept looking at her, amusement and something else—something she didn't want to see, didn't want to accept—deep in his eyes.

Part of her considered the possibility of just tackling him and grabbing the keys, but only for a second. She didn't think for a minute that she would have any luck succeeding at that. Another part of her actually considered walking. But again, that thought was quickly dismissed. It was late, it was dark, and home was a good six miles away on a back country road.

If she hadn't been so completely lost in thought, she wouldn't be the last to leave, and she wouldn't be in this predicament. From the small smile on Nick's face, he knew it—and was taking full advantage of it.

Mike crossed her arms tightly across her chest and leveled a dirty look at Nick. "Fine. You can take me home."

His eyes lit up with satisfaction and Mike had a hard time resisting the urge to kick him, just to wipe the look off his face. Nick walked back to the stage setup and said something to the guys there, then grabbed his leather bomber jacket and returned, guiding her out the door. Mike paused as the cold air hit her, realized Nick's hand was now resting on her back, the warmth of his touch reaching her through her jacket and sweater. She shivered and hoped that Nick didn't notice. Or, if he did, that he would attribute it to the chill in the air.

They walked to her Jeep in silence and Mike climbed in, huddling against the cold as Nick started the engine and pulled out of the driveway. The trip was a quiet one, the interior of the Jeep filled only with music from the stereo. She may have nodded off during the ride, or maybe she was just completely engrossed in her own thoughts, because they made it back to her place faster than she expected. Mike mumbled a thank you to Nick then stepped out of the Jeep, not realizing he still had the keys until she tried to open the locked door.

Biting back a curse, she turned to get Nick's attention, only to run straight into his solid chest. He reached out and steadied her with his hands. The touch did something funny to her pulse rate and she had trouble catching her breath until she stepped away from him. Mike closed her eyes, cursing the effects he had on her. And she wished, fervently, that she had been drinking beer instead of tea all night, because alcohol would have muted her awareness of him. At least, that's what she tried to tell herself.

Nick gave her a funny look then reached past her and unlocked the door, leading the way inside. Mike stepped over the threshold and took a deep breath, grateful to be home, anxious for Nick to leave. She flipped on the living room light and pulled off her jacket then walked straight into the kitchen, thinking she could have a drink now, that it wasn't too late to try and dull her awareness of him. Nick followed her, stopping right behind her as she rummaged through the refrigerator.

Her hand closed around a bottle of beer but she stopped, not pulling it out. Maybe it was because Nick was standing so close behind her. Maybe it was because she worried about what he would say, or about that stupid asinine condition of his. Whatever the reason, she released her hold on the beer and grabbed a bottle of water instead.

"Mind if I have one?"

Mike closed the refrigerator door, water bottle in hand, and faced Nick, surprised at the jumping of her pulse when she looked at him. She swallowed and forced a bored expression on her face. "Don't you need to leave now?"

Nick stepped even closer and she felt a brief moment of panic when she realized there was no place for her to go. She was backed against the refrigerator, with Nick mere inches in front of her, trapped. Her mind fought the sensation, but her body turned traitor and quickened at his nearness. Nick reached out and gently pulled the bottle from her hand, then leaned over and placed it on the counter before turning back to her.

"I can't leave, because my car isn’t here."

Mike's jaw clenched at his words, at the realization that he was right. He had brought her home in her Jeep, and she had given no thought whatsoever to how he would get home. The crazy thought that she could let him use her Jeep entered her mind but she quickly banished it. Nobody borrowed her Jeep. Nobody. Which meant he would just have to call someone to pick him up, maybe one of the guys who played in the band with him. She was ready to make that suggestion when Nick suddenly stepped away from her and turned toward the living room.

"I'll just sleep on the sofa, and you can take me home in the morning."