Page 16 of Firecracker

“You’re quiet on this subject,” Tyler said to Arden.

She smiled. “I don’t care about age.”

“So you’d date a guy who’s twenty-one?”

She choked. “Okay, maybe I care a bit. Twenty-one is pretty young. But it doesn’t matter, because I’m not dating. Ever.”

“Oh, come on. You don’t want to spend the rest of your life alone. You’re a young woman.”

Arden caught the concerned glance Jamie flashed her way.

“I can’t think that far ahead right now,” she said lightly. “But right now, that is definitely not on my radar. And I don’t know if it ever will be.”

“Damn.” Norton sighed.

Arden grinned.

“Because you know,” Norton added, “if you were a chicken, you’d be impeccable.”

She frowned. “What?”

“Im-pecc-able. Get it? Chickens peck…”

Tyler cuffed him on the back of the head. “Okay, Norton, you’re done with the cheesy compliments today.”

Arden laughed. “Oh my God. Yes, let’s get food.”

She was getting a little worried about how much this afternoon at the beachside bar was going to cost. The drinks here weren’t cheap. Ah well, she’d eat ramen all week if she had to.

Chapter Four

After a trip to Home Depot Monday morning, Tyler lugged his supplies into the house and up the stairs. Eyeing Arden’s door, he paused in the hall. He’d checked with her last night that it was okay for him to come in and work today, since he had one more day off, but he was a little nervous about another naked bathroom encounter.

Actually if he was being honest, he’d love another naked bathroom encounter. He’d relived that moment a thousand times last night in his restless sleep. Of course his filthy mind had embellished things and imagined shower sex scenes with a slick, soapy Arden. Then he’d relived the beach volleyball game, watching her jump around in that black bikini, tits jiggling, the tight little cheeks of her ass on display, making him think of bending her over and pressing his cock against there, filling his hands with those perfect breasts.

All day, every time he’d looked at that bikini top, he’d envisioned the perfect round globes and tight nipples he’d glimpsed in the bathroom. Christ. He’d spent the whole day at the beach with a stiffy, thankful for loose board shorts and the cold water of Lake Michigan. Possibly the reason he’d drank too many beers and woke up late this morning with a faint headache and dry mouth.

He knocked on her door, which was weird since he was used to being in and out of this apartment at will.

It opened immediately.

Arden gazed at him, one hand on the door. “Hi.”

Fuck, she was even hot as hell wearing a pair of yoga pants and a T-shirt. The yellow top hugged her breasts. “Hi,” he managed to say even though his tongue weighed as much as the pail of drywall compound he’d just carried up the stairs. “Is this an okay time to do some work?”

“Of course. Come in.” She stood back, and he carried in a few things and set them in the living room.

“I have a few more trips.”

“Can I help?”

“No, no. I’m good. I don’t want to inconvenience you.” Although he felt unreasonably annoyed that he’d have to work around her for the…however long it took him to finish this goddamn reno.

Her lips quirked. “I think that’s my line. I’m the one who dropped into the middle of things because I was homeless. Seriously, if I can help, I’m totally willing.”

“How are you at patching drywall?”

“Um…” She bit her lip.

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