“Thanks. Say, I have an appointment with Brad Mateo. Lily Ashden.”
The bartender motioned to a door behind the end of the bar. “Hmm, Brad wasn’t able to make it in today. But come on back to the office and I’ll get someone for you.” Lily followed the blonde through the back, past the kitchen and down a dim, narrow hall to a door on the left. She couldn’t help but notice how dated the back of the bar was—shabby even—with chipped and peeling faux-wood paneling, missing ceiling tiles and patchy carpet. They’d clearly overhauled the public areas of the establishment, but the rest of it was in terrible need of some TLC.
The woman opened the door and gestured Lily inside. The office looked more like a prison interrogation room than an inviting place to conduct business. The cracked yellow linoleum floor set the groundwork for boring beige wallpaper and a harsh metal desk that looked as though it belonged in a football locker room office. The rickety mismatched chairs were questionable, save for the plush leather office chair behind the desk. Lily gave the bartender a tight smile and sat carefully in the sturdiest-looking chair when the other woman left the room.
Lily’s spine felt like a rod, and her shoulder muscles were tight. To distract herself, she pulled out her laptop and set it on the desk. Despite the gloom, a full-bodied scent permeated the room. Musky, with heavy notes of spice and outside air. This was definitely a man’s office. She couldn’t imagine a woman working here, or the office wouldn’t be in this devil-may-care condition.
Time ticked away as sounds from the bar leeched into the small space. Lily was just about to get up to make her way back to the bartender to see if she’d been forgotten when steps in the hallway made her swivel in her chair to the door. A grunt followed the sound of paused footsteps, then a short sound of something being dragged.
“Seriously, Roan, I’m really tired of you passing out on the sidewalk. Next time, I’m just going to leave you there.”
Another grunt and something banged against the wall to Lily’s left.
“Lie down and sleep it off. I’ll take you home in a bit.” A door shut, followed by a mumble. “When the hell did I become a freaking babysitter?”
The voice became crystal clear as it came closer. She stood, not quite sure what was going on.
* * *
LILY’S STOMACH BOTTOMED out as a familiar form stepped into the doorway. Her eyes drank in the sight while her brain rallied against it.
White T-shirt stretched across broad, well-defined pecs. Beaten-to-death jeans hugging long legs for dear life. Work boots. Shaggy blond bangs falling in his eyes, deep golden skin covering the roping muscles of his forearms.
The only thing that would make Garrett more all-American was if his skin tasted like apple pie. But it didn’t. It tasted better. Like sex with a side of brown sugar and buttered rum. She’d half risen from her chair but didn’t realize it until her thighs started to ache from the odd angle.
“Lily.” The brilliant blue of his eyes bore into her. Garrett tugged at the leather gloves on his hands, methodically working each long finger free. “What are you doing here?”
“I have an appointment with...” Her voice trailed away as the tongue-brain connection faltered. “With Brad, but I hear he’s unavailable.” Crap, that came out as a squeak. Lily’s cheeks heated. This wasn’t the reaction she wanted to have. What happened to cool and professional? Out the window, apparently.
He palmed the gloves in one hand. “Wait...you’re the carpenter?” He leaned against the door frame as he tucked the gloves in his back pocket. Despite her dumbstruck brain, he didn’t seem at all ruffled to see her. Surprised, maybe, but not ruffled.
“General contractor,” she corrected. “From Ashden Construction and Design.” Lily smoothed her palms over her shirt and tipped her chin up. The move always helped when she needed a composure boost. “Did you...did you just drag something down the hall?”
He cracked an amused smile. “Ah, you heard that? I’m sorry—I didn’t know anyone was in here. You’re, uh, early. Anyway, yes—someone, actually. My buddy Roan had a little too much to drink, and I figured the couch in the employee room was a better mattress than the sidewalk, so...”
“Right.” She nodded as if it made perfect sense.
Next time, I’m going to just leave you there.
She tried to shake off the image his words brought to mind. Someone lying facedown on the sidewalk, passed out and vulnerable. Someone needing help but being left behind. She knew she should say something, but her mouth was suddenly dry.
“I didn’t peg you for a contractor.” He raked a hand through his unruly bangs, drawing her eyes to every delicious movement. If she hadn’t braced her hand on the desk, she might have leaned forward in time with his arm as it moved up and along the curve of his head as he swept his bangs away.
Instead, she turned to the laptop. Looking at Garrett brought back all the sour thoughts she’d had about Katja the last time she was in this bar. He reminded her... That was a problem. He reminded her of firemen and death and feelings she was working hard to get past.
“Well, I guess we’re both full of surprises, then.” Her chest was already wrenching the breath right out of her. Doug’s threat of layoffs gave her pause. This was a game—that was all. One she needed to win. If she looked at it that way—as a challenge she had to face and conquer—it was easier. She liked challenges, had faced and overcome her fair share, that was for damn sure. Lily gathered her composure and faced Garrett again, ignoring the flip of her heart.
“There’s an insult in there somewhere.” He spread his hands wide. “I feel like I should apologize for something, but I don’t know what.”
“You don’t need to apologize for anything.” Except for not wearing a damn DFD shirt like every other firefighter had been that night so she could have avoided him.
His face took on a boyish quality that made it seem he was teasing her. “Hmm, I’m getting the ‘it’s not you, it’s me’ vibe.”
“Does it matter? Look, Garrett, I’m here in a professional capacity, not a personal one.”
“I’d say the other night was a bit personal.” Two lazy strides brought him in front of her. Lily stiffened, though her insides had turned to mush. His eyes fell to her lips. “Talk to me, Lily.”
“There’s...nothing to talk about. The other night was...interesting, but I don’t want more. Frankly, I’m surprised that you’re acting as if you do.” Garrett’s eyebrows shot up. He leaned in just slightly, and the timbre of his voice made her skin prickle.
“Trust me, Lily, if I wanted more, you’d know it already.” He leaned back with a smug smile. “I’m just curious about why you bolted. That’s all.”
She drew away from him, heat flushing from her chin to scalp. He was as arrogant as he was charming.
“I don’t get involved with firemen.” It was a simple, uncomplicated answer, and he’d have to take it at face value, because she wasn’t going any deeper. To his credit, it wasn’t as if she’d asked him for his résumé and work references before they’d gotten their make-out session on. It wasn’t his fault she kept having flashbacks of her sister’s death—it was hers. She owned it, claimed it, and that was good enough.
“Ah,” he said, as if it made perfect sense. “You got burned once, I take it?”
Her eyes narrowed. “What?”
He flipped one palm up. “I was just thinking your aversion to firemen could be because you’ve been burned by one. If so, I hope it wasn’t a member of DFD.” His impetuousness was almost amusing; Garrett didn’t seem to even realize he was being rude. No way was she responding to that, because nothing good was likely to come out of her mouth.