Hearts Ablaze (Hearts On Fire Series) Page 5

  ***

  I wake up to the smell of coffee and banging pots and pans. Sitting up in bed, I look around and see that Noah’s bedroom is huge and stunning. He has the walls painted a creamy white color, and the trim and ceiling are all dark wood. I get up and walk into what I assume is the attached bath. It has a standing glass shower that’s big enough for at least three people, and a long counter with two sinks, a large mirror hanging over them. It’s so nice I almost can’t believe it’s a man’s bathroom. Grabbing a face cloth off one of the shelves, I wash my face and throw it into the hamper. I grab a hair elastic from my purse and pull my hair back.

  Wandering down the short hallway, I find myself in an open-floor-plan living room. He has a sectional on one side that looks worn in and comfy, facing a ginormous television mounted on the wall. The kitchen and dining room are on the other side, facing the living area. Noah has his back to me, cooking something on the stove. And fuck, he has on no shirt and his hair is still wet on the ends.

  Good Lord Almighty. Noah hears me approach the kitchen, so he turns with a huge smile on his face. I smile back at him and try to ignore his naked chest.

  “Good morning, Aubrey! I hope you slept okay. I tried not to wake you up.”

  “Morning. And I actually slept very well, thank you. Your bed is really comfy. Is there any coffee?”

  He points to the Keurig at the end of the counter, so I grab one of the K-Cups and pop it in, looking around for a coffee cup. Noah just nods towards the cabinet in front of me and I help myself. I’ve carefully avoided looking at him, but when he isn’t looking I can’t help a peek. And Lord help me when I do. He has a very light dusting of hair on his chest, his arms are completely filled out, and don’t even get me started on his stomach. Toned abs with a sexy-as-hell happy trail that continues below his sleep pants, hanging low on his hips. His toned biceps ripple as he moves pans around the stove. This man is sex on a stick. And he’s supposed to be just my friend.

  I am in so much freaking trouble.

  Noah has made omelets and fresh fruit salad for breakfast, so we sit down at the bar and dig in. I’ve only eaten half of what he served me when I feel stuffed. I know if I offer to do the dishes he won’t let me, so I just get up and start them.

  “You realize my momma would have a heart attack if she knew I was letting a guest do the dishes in my house? She would kill me. Hand them over, Aubrey.”

  “No way, mister. It’s my way of saying thank you for last night. Really, Noah. You cooked, and you took care of me last night. It’s the least I can do.” Ignoring him, I continue washing the plates, not surprised when he comes to stand next to me, holding a dry dish cloth. I hand him the dishes to dry without a word. It doesn’t take us long before the kitchen is clean, so I put down the sponge and dry my hands, walking towards the living room.

  “So, you felt the need to be the stereotypical single man and have an eighty-inch TV? How much did you pay for that ridiculous thing?” I look over my shoulder at him as I speak.

  “For the record, it is not an eighty-inch. It is sixty-five. And I’m sorry, have you forgotten that football is better on a bigger screen? If I’m not at work on a Sunday during football season, I usually have Grayson and a bunch of the guys from the house down for the game.” Noah comes up next to me and gives me a wink, motioning for me to sit down on the couch before he heads down the hallway. While I’m getting comfortable, he comes back in, pulling a shirt over his head.

  “Sorry, I figured you’d be uncomfortable having to constantly ogle my goodies. Friends don’t look at other friends naked.” I almost don’t even know how to react, but then I start laughing. Like ‘holding my stomach, tears rolling down my face’ laughing.

  “What the hell is wrong with you, Noah? I swear to God, where do you come up with these things? I think Grayson may have rubbed off on you.”

  “Oh, Jesus, please don’t tell him that. I would never hear the end of it.”

  I’m still laughing at him and, after wiping the tears from my eyes, I notice that Noah is staring at me. “What?”

  “Nothing. It’s just nice to see you smiling. Last night was really rough. Are you okay?”

  And there it is. The black cloud looming over me. Taking a deep breath, I look at Noah.

  “Yeah, I think I’m okay. For now, anyway. I feel like that breakdown was a while coming. I tell myself I have to be brave, for my family, you know? It’s like, yeah, Landon and I are going to lose our father, but my mom has had my dad by her side for the last twenty-nine years. I’m sad for us, but I’m heartbroken for her.” I can feel the burning in the back of my eyes.

  “Yeah, I can’t even imagine. My parents have been married thirty-one years. They got married right out of high school, and they’re still crazy in love.” Noah is shaking his head. I’m sure he’s having a hard time thinking about either of his parents being gone.

  “Well, anyway, I’ll get going. I didn’t exactly tell Kenni that I was leaving, and I’m sure she’ll be worried.” I grab my purse out of his bedroom and walk back out to say good-bye. He’s standing by the front door, clearly waiting for me. Looking up at him, I bite my bottom lip, not really sure what to say. Noah has put up with a lot from me in the last month or so; I feel like I’ve totally disrupted his life. What if he had a girl over last night? I need to put a stop to this.

  “Thank you for last night, Noah. I really appreciate it. I’m sorry I’ve been such a pain. I had no right to show up here last night. I didn’t even take into consideration your life and if you had company or not. I promise no more unexpected visits. I don’t want to inconvenience you any further.”

  I start to open his front door when he leans over me and shuts it. He turns me to face him and looks deep into my eyes.

  “Aubrey, nothing about last night was an inconvenience. I live a pretty simple life, because either I’m at home or I’m at the fire station. Gray and I drink beer and watch sports on my ‘ginormous’ television. Maybe you haven’t noticed, but I’m not dating anybody. And I am not some kind of a man-whore. Yeah, I get laid from time to time, but I don’t like to use women. You have become one of my best friends, Aubrey. And if you need someone, you can depend on me to always have your back. I care about you, more than you probably realize.”

  He reaches out to cup my face, looking deeply into my eyes. For a second, I think he might kiss me, but he leans forward and places a gentle kiss on my forehead instead.

  “Drive safely,” he says quietly, before opening the door for me.

  I mutter a good-bye and leave his house, wondering what the hell just happened.

  CHAPTER 8

  NOAH

  What the hell was that? An inconvenience? She cannot be serious. How can she not realize how much I care for her? I know we’re sticking to the whole ‘just friends’ thing, but c’mon. Shaking my head, I go into my home gym and take a nice long run on my treadmill to clear my thoughts. When I shut the machine off a little over an hour later, I notice I ran almost ten miles and I’m dripping in sweat. I walk to my bathroom and strip off my sweaty clothes, then jump into the shower. Once I’m finished, I grab my cell phone and check my messages, telling Grayson that I’m heading over soon to catch the Braves day game. His television isn’t as large as mine, but I guess it’ll do. Maybe he can give me some advice.

  What am I going to do with this girl?

  A couple hours later, I head off to Grayson’s. Putting the six-pack I bought in the backseat, I take off. It’s a warm day, so I roll the windows down and enjoy the breeze before I pull into his driveway and park next to his car. Walking into Grayson’s house, I don’t even bother knocking. He’s already got the game going, sitting on his couch with his feet propped on the coffee table.

  “Hey, man, game just started. Beer’s in the fridge, and I ordered a pizza. Should be here soon.” I go into the kitchen and throw my six-pack into the fridge. Not bothering to grab one, I head into the living room, flopping down on the couch.

  �
�You look like hell, dude. What’s wrong with you?” Gray jokes.

  “Long fucking night.” Not bothering to elaborate, I turn my attention to the TV, crossing my arms over my chest. I can feel his eyes on me, but I don’t care. I’m not even in the mood to watch the game. Gray must have picked up on my foul mood, because after three innings he turns the game off and punches me in the shoulder.

  “Seriously, Noah. What the fuck is up? You look like someone pissed in your Cheerios this morning.” I don’t want to get into this. I’m not even sure what there is to get into. Actually, no, that’s a lie. I know exactly what’s up.

  “I’m fucked.”

  “What did you do now, jackass?” Gray sighs.

  “I fucking love her, man. I told her we could be friends and I’m fucking in love with her!” I stand up to pace, running my hands through my hair. “She showed up at my place last night at like midnight, wearing pajamas and bawling her eyes out. Her dad decided to refuse treatment, and they’ve only given him so long to live. She told me that she needed me. And the fucked-up part? As I was holding her in my bed while she cried—over her dying father, mind you—I realized I was in love with her. What the fuck, dude? I’m so fucking screwed!”

  Grayson is just sitting there with a smirk on his face, watching me walk in circles. I have no idea what he thinks is so funny, but I’m about to kick him in the balls.

  “What is so funny?”

  “The fact that you have just tuned into what Kennedy and I already figured out weeks ago. You and Aubrey both are so far gone over each other it’s ridiculous. We’ve been wondering which one of you would figure it out first. Guess I owe her fifty bucks.”

  “I didn’t realize you and Kennedy were so buddy-buddy. Since when are you two so close?” I drop down onto the couch and lean my head back, closing my eyes.

  “Well, while you and Aubrey were spending time together, we started hanging out. We’ve gone out for dinner a couple times. I mean, just as friends, honestly. She reminds me of Carmen, and that’s just too weird for me.” I look over at him with an eyebrow raised. Whatever.

  “So, what are we doing tonight? You wanna check out that new club across from that diner we went to last week? It’s supposed to be pretty sweet,” I say, going to grab a beer.

  “Yeah, sure, sounds good. What time you want to go?” Gray asks me, playing with his cell phone.

  I pop the top on my beer and head back to the couch. “I don’t care. Eight, I guess. Let’s finish the game.”

  I notice out of the corner of my eye that Gray isn’t watching the game; he’s still messing around with his phone. Not thinking anything about it, I turn back to the TV. I’m way too tired to deal with his craziness. Most of the night, I was up watching Aubrey sleep, wishing I could do something to take her pain away. Realizing I was in love with her only made it that much harder for me to see her hurting.

  ***

  We stop by my house so I can change my clothes before we head out for the night. I’m not a big club person, but it’s supposed to be a pretty awesome place. I’ve heard they mostly play country music, which is becoming all the rage, and I just need a night to drink away my stress. Probably not a smart idea, but I don’t care. I need to get Aubrey out of my head. She has said it many times that she doesn’t want to date, that she has too much going on. And the last thing I want is to pressure her into anything. I might want to be with her, but I’m not a total dick.

  Gray offers to drive, since I’m usually the one who has to be the designated driver. He must realize just how frustrating this is. I’m hanging out on my front porch swing, waiting for him to show up. When he pulls in, I head down the couple stairs and walk over to his Camaro. I climb in and we take off. It’s about a twenty-minute drive, so we spend the time talking about the newest hire at the fire station, a young kid who’s looking to be a pretty good fit for our truck. Talking about work helps take my mind off things, and even though he’s a pain in the ass, I’m grateful that Gray isn’t pushing the topic of Aubrey.

  Grayson parks a couple blocks down from the club and we walk over on foot. There’s a pretty long line, but luckily it moves fast and we’re in within fifteen minutes. We head straight to the bar and order a pitcher of whatever’s on tap. While we wait, I get a look around the place. It’s dark with all kinds of brightly colored lights flashing, and a huge dance floor surrounded by tabletops, , with more scattered in the area between the bar and dance floor. Current chart-topping country music is playing loudly, and people are dancing out on the floor. Our beer arrives, so I throw a twenty on the bar and tell the bartender to keep the change. I grab the pitcher as Grayson takes the glasses and we head to a table next to the dance floor. Once we’re all settled and I’ve poured us a round, I notice Grayson is back on his phone. He seems to be attached to it lately. I go to ask him what he’s doing when he takes a sip of his beer and puts it down, giving me a huge ‘I’ve just done something I shouldn’t have’ look.

  “Okay, dude, don’t get mad, but look out on the dance floor. Red and blue dresses.”

  I’m standing with my back to the dance floor, so I turn around and start looking for whoever he was pointing out. And then I see her. Holy. Fuck. Aubrey and Kennedy are dancing together, shaking their hips and really going all out. Aubrey is wearing a tight blue dress that shows off her curves perfectly. She has her hair all sleek and straight again, and she has on bright red lipstick with a pair of sky-high black heels. I swallow hard and try to forget the image. Unfortunately, my dick doesn’t get the memo, because he’s trying to bust out of my jeans. I turn back around, trying to casually adjust before I completely embarrass myself.

  “Jesus fucking Christ, Grayson. What did you do?” I know he’s behind this. It’s no coincidence that they’re here. It can’t be.

  “Yeah, sorry, man. It was all Kennedy’s idea. She keeps saying that you guys need to get together. I know you think it was a stupid move falling for Aubrey, but Kennedy assures me that she doesn’t think Aubrey is too far from figuring out how she feels. Just talk to her, Noah. What’s the worst that could happen?”

  I stand there trying to figure out if I want to strangle my best friend or hug him when the girls come walking up to the table.

  “Noah! Grayson! Whatever are you guys doing here?” I can hear the laughter in Kennedy’s voice, and all I can think is I hope she didn’t tell Aubrey how I feel.

  Aubrey walks over to me, obviously not picking up on the sarcasm of her best friend’s voice.

  “Oh, hey, guys! Awesome club, huh?” She steps closer to me and my jeans immediately tighten again. I can see the tops of her luscious breasts spilling out of the top of that dress. And she smells like fucking Heaven. This is going to be a long-ass night.

  “Hey, Aubrey, can I get you a drink?” I decide to go with casual until I’ve got at least a few more beers in me. Or maybe a couple pitchers. I look over at Aubrey again and she gives me a big smile. Hell, I might need a whole damn keg.

  “Yeah, sure. I guess one more can’t hurt. I’ll take a martini, dirty.” Aubrey smiles at me, then turns to talk to Kennedy.

  She did not just say that to me. Jesus. I’m gonna have to jack myself for hours to kill this fucking erection. I’m not sure how much more of this I can take.

  Adjusting myself once again, I head over to the bar to order her drink, hoping like hell I’ll cool off before I get back over there.

  CHAPTER 9

  AUBREY

  Holy shit. I cannot believe my best friend right now. I knew something was up when she pushed me into going out tonight. I was totally okay with spending the night with my two favorites, Ben and Jerry, but no, she insisted on going to this club that I’d never heard of. And why else wear my sexiest dress and wear fire-engine-red lipstick? Those fuckers. I should have known Kenni and Grayson were in cahoots. She’s been dropping hints to me all week about how I need to get over myself and tell Noah that I want to be with him. I’ve only just come to terms with my feelings for him; h
ow am I supposed to tell him? I’m pretty sure he only thinks of me as a friend. Hell, I’ve probably been driving him nuts, with all the crying and whining I’ve done lately.

  It doesn’t help my case when he walks over to me. Noah has on a pair of jeans that should be illegal, a black Henley and a pair of black Timberlands. He doesn’t have on his usual baseball hat, and his hair is a little unruly, as if he’s been running his hands through it. He just looks so damn hot.

  He hands me my drink, and I take it from him. I notice he no longer has a beer, but a small tumbler of what I’m assuming is whiskey or bourbon. Noah stands next to Grayson, avoiding eye contact with me. Every time we make eye contact, he gives me a small smile then shifts his feet, looking uncomfortable. It isn’t until Grayson narrows his eyes at me, and then looks at Noah, that I get what’s happening—Noah’s in the same boat as me. Huh. This could be fun after all.

  I take my drink and down it in a couple sips. Grabbing Kennedy’s hand, I drag her back onto the dance floor. I need to talk to her. Now.

  “Okay, Kenni, you guys win. I can’t take not being with him anymore and it seems like he feels the same. Now what?” I feel like a teenager that needs to get advice on how to kiss a boy.

  “Aubs, just relax. Grayson told me he’s pretty confident that Noah is completely into you. I saw how he was staring at you. He definitely likes what he sees. Go ask him to dance. Simple enough. And if he says no, go find someone who’ll say yes.”

  She dances away, leaving me alone on the floor. I turn around and see that Noah is staring right at me, the intensity in his eyes instantly making my heart race. Before I lose the nerve, I raise my hand and point to him, wagging him over. He places his drink on the table and heads straight for me.