Chapter 34
34
EMBER
I step into the bar and, as always, Connor is waiting for me. Of course he’s the first of us two to arrive - like a gentleman, he doesn’t want me waiting for him. He sits at the counter, looking so adorable patiently anticipating my entrance. He doesn’t even have a drink yet – he’s saving that for me.
The lonely big, burly firefighter sitting on his own...
I saunter up to him, taking my time to approach. It’s fun to play around like this. I’m enjoying seeing him wait.
The moment he finally spots me, his eyes light up. It’s adorable, in a gruff, rough way.
“Hello, Ember.”
Oh, that deep voice of his...
“Hello, Connor. Hope you didn’t wait long for me.”
He pats the bar stool beside him invitingly, and I hop on with a smile.
“No, I didn’t,” he replies.
“Thank you.”
“Want a drink?” he asks me while nodding at the bartender to place an order.
“Sure, I wouldn’t say no to that offer,” I say. “A glass of white wine, please.”
He orders the glass and a beer for himself.
“So, tell me,” the firefighter says, “what else do you need to interrogate me on? Why did you ask me to meet you here? What other material do you need for your article?”
I stare at him.
There is a hell of a lot more to this man than meets the eye. I came to this town expecting to interview some shallow rich boy with father issues, but every interaction with him has only made me more and more interested in finding out everything about him. I’m not ready to not spend time with him just yet. As we sit here, mere inches from each other, I wish that this little meet-up would last forever.
God, what is happening to me?
Yeah, I’ve certainly never felt like this with any of the drug lords I’ve interviewed...
“There’s still a whole load of questions, Connor. I feel like I haven’t scratched the surface.”
The man chortles.
“I’m not that deep,” he says. His defenses are still there, even though I’ve started to wear them down.
“I’m not so sure about that,” I reply.
“Oh, you’re not so sure?”
“I think you’re still holding back.”
“Why would you think that?”
I narrow my eyes and purse my lips.
“I just do...”
“You want to know me completely, then?” Connor asks me, his voice low.
We really are so close to each other.
I glance down at his lips.
He glances down at mine.
“Yeah,” I reply. “I need to. Professionally , I mean. For this article.”
The man nods and takes a swig from his beer.
“For the article . Sure.”
“See? You’re holding back, even now.”
I stare into his hazel eyes... those treacherous pools that hide his innermost thoughts and desires.
He’s staring right back at me.
I’ve not been able to decipher much about his mind, even after all these days spent together, but I can tell he’s mulling over something... a thought... an idea ...
“I’m not holding back, Ember,” he whispers.
I smile softly.
“I really think you are,” I whisper back.
In one swift gulp, Connor finishes his beer and places the empty bottle back on the bar before turning back to me.
“Okay, then. There is a place we can go where you can get to know me properly, Ember. It’s a place I’ve not shown anyone else before.”
“Yeah?”
“But you’ll have to get ready to spend the night,” he says.
Oh.
“We’re leaving Crystal River?” I ask. “Where?”
“Wait and see, Ember Mortensen,” Connor replies. “You think I’m holding back from you, then come and get to know me. Properly. Professionally .”