Page 48 of Firecracker

Oh yeah, that wasn’t distracting at all—imagining Arden spinning around a pole in sexy moves. “What do you guys wear for pole dancing?” He kept his tone casual. “Sequined g-strings?”

Mila laughed. “Um, no. I’ll be wearing leggings and a tank top.”

“Good to know,” Arden said. “I would have been so embarrassed showing up in my thong and pasties.”

Jamie choked.

Grinning, Tyler slapped him on the back.

Mila and Jamie left and clomped down the stairs to their apartments.

“Does Garth ever come over here?” Arden asked, rinsing a sponge in the sink.

“Not much. Especially lately. Maybe he hates us.”

“I doubt that.”

“It’s possible. Even though Mila’s been going out with him for a while, I don’t feel like I know him that well.”

“Huh. You guys are so much fun to hang out with, I would’ve thought he’d be here all the time.”

“Really? You think we’re fun?”

“No. I was just being polite.”

He snorted. “Come on!”

She smiled. “Okay, fine, you’re fun. I’m ready to go, just let me get my purse.”

“I’m gonna pop back to my place and grab some grocery bags.”

They met up in the hall, and he followed her down the stairs, taking in the short shorts that hugged her cute ass and left her legs bare. Her long hair bounced against her back as she ran down the stairs.

“We’ll walk to the farmers’ market first,” Tyler said. “It’s not far, and it’s hard to find parking that’s much closer than we are. Then we can leave our stuff at home and drive to Whole Foods. Plus the market’s only open until one o’clock.”

“Sure, make me walk. As if I don’t do enough of that at my job.”

He paused and eyed her.

“I’m kidding.” She rolled her eyes and kept walking. “I know you think I’m a princess, but I can walk a few blocks.”

“What’s wrong with being a princess?”

She slanted him a look as they walked along the sidewalk. “Someone who’s so pampered, spoiled, and sheltered that she has no idea about the real world?”

“That’s not you.”

She sighed. “That’s exactly me. I mean, it used to be.”

“A princess can also be someone who uses her status to help others.”

“I suppose.”

“Sure. Like Princess Diana. She did a lot of humanitarian work.”

Arden said nothing.

“And I’m sure I remember reading that she had a way about her that made people feel special. Because she was genuinely interested in them.” And that totally described Arden too. The other night at her place, she’d opened her door to people she didn’t even know and made them all feel welcome—no, more than just welcome…she fussed over them with food and drinks and took an interest in them.

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