Chapter 27
TWENTY-SEVEN
Firefly is slammedby the time I get into work that afternoon. I have to call and beg Kyle to come in and help out. I can’t remember the last time we had a full crew here working the bar, but it makes for an amusing night.
A group of out-of-towners staying at Deep Creek Campground have come in to celebrate one of their friends’ birthdays. They’ve been piled at and around the bar since they arrived, getting plastered. If they hadn’t taken a rideshare here, I would have kicked them out long ago, but I promise them one more round before closing out their tabs.
“C’mon, Evie,” Lilith says, echoing the birthday boy, who she’s been flirting with obsessively. “It’s Billy’s birthday.”
Billy seems to be Lilith’s type, or at least the types she’s been here with lately—tall, bearded, handsome. I try not to dwell on how each one looks a little bit like Lincoln. Not nearly as striking in face, body, or mind, of course, but the similarities are alarming considering I know she’ll stop at nothing to get what she wants.
“Sorry,” I say to Lilith with a firm shake of my head. “Last call.”
She rolls her eyes at me the same way she used to do when we were kids then goes right back to hanging on Billy. I fight against revealing my amusement and busy myself with delivering a Diet Coke to the man in the corner of the room. He wears a black hooded sweatshirt and doesn’t even look up when I set the drink in front of him. Instead, he nods in acknowledgment but keeps his eyes glued to the book he’s reading.
Something about the scene sends chills up my spine, but I’m not sure why. I realize I’ve seen this guy here before in the same closed-up hoodie, like he’s trying to stay in the shadows. I back away slowly, my curiosity piquing when I see the small backpack on the seat beside him.
“You live around here or just passing through?” I try to make the question light, like I would with any other customer.
He shrugs, still not looking up. “Haven’t decided yet.”
I frown, confused by his answer. With no other choice, I walk back to the bar, determined to keep an eye on him for the rest of the night. But I don’t get that chance. The man abruptly stands, gathers his things, and walks out of Firefly, leaving his Diet Coke sitting untouched at his table. Weird.
When Lincoln walks into Firefly a short while later, I almost regret that I asked him to come. Lilith spots him immediately and ditches Billy, worming her way onto a barstool near my man.
I don’t even have to ask Lincoln’s order, simply pouring him a Tennessee Fire neat and sliding it to him. He winks at me before swirling the amber liquid around his glass while half paying attention to whatever Lilith is rambling on about.
Sighing, I make my way down to the other end of the bar where Kyle and Armando seem to be trying to reason with the group of drunk campers. “What’s going on?” I ask Janessa, who’s watching the scene unfold with wide eyes.
“They’re just wasted and refusing to leave,” she says. “Armando’s about to rearrange that one guy’s face. Why are out-of-towners always so rude?”
“Beats me.” I take out my phone and text Gabe. This scene is right up his alley. Then I step in front of Kyle to confront the group with a smile. “I’m going to do you all a favor, because I like you and really appreciate your business tonight.” I nod toward the window. “You walk down that road two blocks, and you’ll find a liquor store on the corner. It closes in twenty minutes. Pay your tab now, and you’ll have just enough time to get there.”
“What if we don’t want to leave?” one guy demands.
I shrug, maintaining my smile. “I’m afraid you don’t have a choice. You see, in five minutes or less, a police officer is going to walk into this bar and kick you all out for me. And if you give him trouble, you’re going to spend the rest of your vacation in the shittiest little hole-in-the-wall jail cell you ever did see. You hear me?”
Billy puffs out his chest, drawing my eye to the beer stains on his shirt. “I hear you, bitch.”
Before I can even react, a loud screech drags across the wooden floor, followed by the sound of a stool crashing to the floor. Then Billy’s body gets jerked backward. “What did you just call her?” Lincoln roars before tossing him back into his group of friends, causing them all to collapse like dominos. “Get the fuck out of here!”
Kyle and Armando hop over the bar to hold back two of Billy’s friends, who now want to take on Lincoln. Meanwhile, I make quick work of closing out the group’s tabs and slide their cards over to the only one in the group who will make eye contact.
“Ah, what about our tips?” Janessa complains.
I give her a sympathetic smile. We don’t have to deal with this kind of shit often, but when we do, it sucks for everyone. “I’ll make it up to you,” I tell her, and I mean it. She’s already helped me more than anyone tonight by working a double.
The group staggers out of the bar, dragging their egos behind them. I should be surprised when Lilith goes with them, clutching Billy like he’s just been wronged in some way, shape, or form, but I’m not. What does take me aback is something only I seem to catch—the subtle glance over her shoulder at Lincoln then a glare so heated he might have caught fire from it.
I move around the bar to Lincoln, who’s helping Armando and Kyle clean up the fallen glasses, tables, and chairs. “Hey, you okay?”
By the scowl on his face, it’s obvious he’s still fired up. “I’m fine. Are you okay?”
Tilting my head, I nod. “I’m fine.” I’m not sure if now is the time to tell him how turned on I am by the way he protected me just then, but I wrap my arms around his waist anyway. “I’m glad that didn’t escalate into a brawl. I wouldn’t know what to do if that pretty face of yours got messed up.”
His nostrils flare. “It’s not my face that would have gotten all bent out of shape, babe. Billy Bob back there would have been on his way to the hospital. The nerve of that guy.” He shakes his head and frowns down at me. “That incident didn’t help your case for moving out of my place.”
I bite down on my lip, amused. “I can’t move out if I never moved in.”
“I’m damn near ready to pack your shit up and move it into my house for you.” He takes my face in his hands. “Why are you so stubborn?”
“I’m just being realistic. I’ve never lived with a guy before, Lincoln. What makes you think I’m going to move in with you after knowing you for, what, two months? That’s insane.”
“Yet it’s the only thing that makes sense.”
At his words, I’m like wax, his flame taking me down to the wick, leaving nothing left of me but a puddle of warm liquid that will harden and break if I’m away from him. “The fact that I’ve even considered your offer should be something.”
A smile brightens his grumpy mouth. “I’ll just have to keep holding back sex.”
I narrow my eyes at him, feeling a challenge coming on. “I’d like to see you try.”
His smile widens. “Are you sure you want to do this, Evie?”
My shrug should tell him all he needs to know. I’m not backing down.
“Is this why you called me in here?”
I swivel my head to find Officer Gabe, glaring between Lincoln and me. Shit. I turn around, instantly regretting calling him, especially when Lincoln’s arms steal possessively around my waist from behind. Gabe’s glare intensifies on him.
“No,” I say quickly. “But we’re all good now. Just a bunch of jerks celebrating a birthday and getting too rowdy.”
Gabe nods, not taking his eyes off Lincoln. “Couldn’t you lose your license for this?” He gestures at us. “Canoodling with one of your patients?”
Lincoln’s arms stiffen around me. “It’s none of your business, officer.”
Gabe chuckles darkly. “Oh, but it is, doctor. Seeing as my job is to protect and serve. I should report you.”
Jesus, this entire night is getting out of hand. I break Lincoln’s hold and step into Gabe’s space, glaring daggers up at him. “I’m not his patient, so lay off.”
Gabe makes a disgusted sound in the back of his throat. “Don’t lie, Evie. I’ve seen you sneak into his office late at night.”
My cheeks heat with his words. “You’ve been spying on me?”
He frowns. “It’s my job to notice things.”
I plant a hand on his chest and push. “Get out of here, now. Actually…” I swivel around to locate the few people still left at the bar and cup my hands around my mouth. “Firefly is now closed. Everyone needs to go.” I wave to Armando, Kyle, and Janessa. “You guys too. Everyone out.”
Wide eyes greet this pronouncement, but I don’t get any arguments. Everyone shuffles out except for Lincoln. I don’t need to tell him to stay. Let’s be honest—even if I did tell him to leave, he wouldn’t.
I close the door behind Gabe, the last one to leave, then I lock it, deadbolt and all. Lincoln helps me close all the blinds before we meet each other in the center of the room to take a breath.
“What now, Evie?” Lincoln obviously already has something devilish in mind.
I grin, because I do too. “How about that date?”
After ordering us a steak dinner and cheesecake to share from the nearby diner, I pour us both a glass of Tennessee Fire to sip on. I can’t remember how or why we ended up on top of the bar, sitting cross-legged while he fills me in on all the changes in his life that came with becoming a father to Lucy. I hear about learning how to change a diaper, getting thrown up on too many times before he figured out that Lucy had an intolerance to sweet potatoes, and planning to be the most intimidating father alive to anyone she dares to bring home.
I shake my head. “You say that now, but she already has you wrapped around her finger.”
He sets his glass down. “That she does, but that doesn’t mean I have to go easy on her boyfriends. They need to know there’s a loaded rifle waiting for them if they don’t treat her right.”
I smile and reach for his hand, squeezing it. “You’re not going to need to do that, considering she’s being raised by you, and any man she falls in love with will have to live up to the standards you’ve set—the way you treat her and how hard you love her.”
Lincoln’s eyes soften, and he leans in to kiss me softly. “Well, damn. Another reason you should move in. You just might save the lives of innocent men.”
I laugh and pour us another glass of whiskey. “And how would you like it if Lucy moved in with a guy she knew for two months?”
Lincoln’s lip curls in a snarl. “I’d kill hi—” He catches himself, and his mouth drops in horror. “That was fucked-up.”
Laughing, I set my glass to my lips. “Just trying to make a point.”
He waves a hand in the air. “It’s not the same thing, and you know it.”
I just smile, not wanting to argue.
“Was your father protective of you growing up?” he asks. “I know you said your parents were oblivious, but what about when it came to men?”
I shake my head. “I didn’t date in high school. I had some crushes, but I was too riddled with anxiety after Carley’s death to allow myself to feel much for anyone. Panic attacks were a frequent thing.”
I bring my hands together and squeeze them. Just talking about my high school days triggers old feelings. “I was getting in so much trouble in school because of the anxiety. My teachers didn’t know how to deal with me, and my parents didn’t know what kind of help to get me. Or they didn’t care. So I just kept going back to school, dealing with the same old shitty peers. This one girl would follow me and taunt me. One day, after I warned her several times to leave me alone, I ended up slamming her into the water fountain.”
Cringing, I bring my eyes up to meet Lincoln’s. He looks to be in awe of my story, free of judgment, free of disgust. He’s just… listening.
“I guess I snapped.”
Lincoln scoots forward, lifting my legs so they wrap around him and I’m sitting in his lap. “Who could blame you for snapping, Evie? You’d never dealt with the trauma of Carley’s death. You were expected to carry on like normal.” His eyes dart between mine. “Like you were a firefly trapped in a jar, starved for air but continuing to flutter your wings. No one set you free, not even when your light was dimming.”
Something about his analogy makes my throat tighten with emotion. “So I cracked the jar and escaped?”
Lincoln nods. “You escaped and you survived. You did what you had to do.” His eyes are warm. “Whatever happened to that girl at school, anyway?”
I grimace. “She walked away with a bloody, broken nose, but her parents sued mine, and that’s when my parents were done with me.”
Lincoln’s jaw clenches. “Sounds like you should be thanking that girl’s parents for getting you out of there.”
Smiling, I slide my arms up his chest and around his neck. “Trust me, that’s the way I see it now. That incident was just proof of the help I wasn’t getting at home.” My thoughts spinning, I shake my head with a soft laugh. “Okay, enough serious talk. I’m too tipsy for that.” I lean in, kissing his delectable lips, loving the scratch of his beard against my chin. “Hmm.” The noise comes from the back of my throat when I taste his lips. “You taste like Fire.”
He grins before kissing me back. “So do you.” He hums against my mouth. “Who needs a shot when they can have you?”
It’s not just the alcohol that has my head buzzing. It’s my heart vibrating with happiness and my soul blossoming under his spell. I lose all sense of myself, clinging to him as I crush my lips to his. A low growl rumbles between us, and I take that as a positive sign. Especially when his teeth take hold of my bottom lip and my tongue lashes into his mouth like a weapon.
His hands become greedy, pulling at my top and lifting it over my head. I follow his lead, removing his shirt and tossing it to the floor. An intoxicating thrall envelops us in a haze of heat and passion. He fumbles a little with the clasp of my bra, only turning me on more. The fact that he doesn’t have the pinch-and-twist down like he’s in a race to win some kind of trophy is a total green flag.
I’m still dizzy when his lips slip from mine, and he shifts me off his lap then pushes himself off the counter. There’s no time to wonder what he’s doing, not when he swivels me to face him, spreads my legs, and presses himself against me with another soul-rending kiss.
He practically bruises my lips before ripping his mouth away and reaching for the bottle of Fire. “Take a shot.”
I let out a startled laugh. “What?”
He holds the bottle up to me. “Take a shot. I can’t taste the whiskey on your lips anymore.”
Still confused, I do as he says, tipping the bottle to my lips and letting the cinnamon-flavored liquor set fire to the back of my throat. When I pull the bottle away and my eyes catch on Lincoln’s, his tongue darts out to wet his bottom lip, then he reaches for my skirt and tugs. I lift my hips to help him slide the fabric down around my ass then my legs. He takes my panties too, leaving me completely bare.
His heated gaze scrolls the length of my body in one slow sweep. His hands move to my ass as his lips find the space between my breasts, and he kisses me there before lifting his head to kiss my whiskey-coated lips.
“That’s better,” he murmurs against my mouth. “My turn.”
He pulls away as I lift the bottle to his mouth, but he shakes his head with a wicked gleam in his eyes. “Not like that. I want to taste it on you.” He lowers his body onto a stool then frames himself between my open legs. “Here.” He grips my hand around the label and pulls it down before twisting my wrist, pointing the bottle down so reddish-brown liquid starts to slide out and down onto my belly.
A gasp slips past my throat as the cool liquid pools in my belly button. I try to tip the bottle back to stop the endless waterfall, but Lincoln’s grip is too strong. Soon, the whiskey overflows in every direction, and his tongue is there, too, saving the liquid from reaching my clit. He licks each streak of liquid then sucks the pool in my belly button, making me shiver.
With one devilish glance up at me, he slides his mouth back down, this time flicking his whiskey-covered tongue over my clit. He laps me once, twice, then places both lips around my sensitive bud and begins to flick his tongue while sucking me hard. The cool buzz of sensation on my clit is overwhelming, thanks to the cinnamon liquor that adds to my pleasure.
My insides coil tightly as he moves my hand to set down the bottle and places both of his hands on either of my thighs. The pleasure has my head spinning and my muscles tense, the force of his mouth enough to make my body convulse. The bottle drops from my hands and lands on the counter with a thud, and my palms slam onto the bar top behind me as an orgasm lights me up from the inside, illuminating my release and sending me straight into a free fall. Like a firefly producing light to seek a mate, I know without a doubt that I’ve found mine.
My orgasm is already ebbing when Lincoln pushes two fingers deep inside me. “Y-yes.” I wheeze the words, feeling the way my walls pulse around him.
His eyes roll with his groan. “Fuck, you’re so wet, Evie. I should be inside you for this.”
“What are you waiting for?”
“I want to memorize every inch of you to keep me company late at night.” He rolls my sensitive clit with the pad of his thumb, like I’m not already revving up for a second release. “You know, since you won’t move in with me.”
His fingers enter me again, deeper this time.
“Keep that up,” I moan, “and I just might.”
His eyes widen, and he flexes his fingers, flicking them rapidly. It’s like he’s punishing me with pleasure, milking me for all I have to give. At least he’s nice enough to let me come again before sweeping me off the bar and heading for the stairs to my apartment.