Page 7 of Burning Love (Looking For Love #7)

WHERE DO WE START

I t had taken Wonder Woman strength to play it cool with Jace yesterday.

No, he wasn’t cute, as her mother had said.

He was devastatingly sexy.

Those deep, shadowed eyes—blue or brown, she couldn’t quite tell—held her in place. She wanted to step closer, to find out for sure, but crossing that distance felt like crossing a line he hadn’t invited her to.

When he was showing her the fire hoses, she almost asked him to spray her down because she was positive her panties were on fire.

She sure the hell felt as if she was sizzling.

Since she wasn’t positive he felt the same as her, she’d give him something to look at tonight.

“Don’t you look nice,” her mother said when she came downstairs to Talia’s apartment. Talk about invading someone’s space.

Not that it was her space since it was her mother’s house.

She’d hoped to avoid her, but that wasn’t always possible with her mother free to go where she wanted.

“Thank you. It’s not too much?”

Talia wore a denim skirt that rode the line just enough coverage to keep it tasteful, not so short it screamed for attention or risked flashing someone if she bent over.

Her white and red sleeveless top was slightly blousy, casual without trying too hard.

Not every outfit had to shout she was looking for a man.

She’d slid her feet into a pair of nude heeled sandals. Not of the variety many would call sex on a stick, but still fashionable with a hint of fun.

“I don’t think so,” Aileen said. “I guess it depends on what you’re doing tonight.”

“Meeting a friend out for drinks.” Her mother didn’t need to know it was a man. Talia often went out on a Friday night to dinner and drinks with one or more friends. And she dressed just like this.

“Be careful,” her mother said, like she always did.

“You know I will.” She’d kept her hair down and tousled it a touch. Her makeup was slightly heavier around the eyes. A little more black but not much else. She picked up the red lipstick. Why not?

“Now you’re ready to let everyone know you’ve arrived.” Her mother sighed. “I miss those days.”

She snorted and turned to her. “I’m not sure I want to know about your days going out and partying.”

“I never went out to party,” Aileen said, indignant.

“Really? Because it wasn’t that long ago we all found out that you might have been pregnant when you married Dad rather than dating for six months and getting married. You knew him for weeks. You lied to us all.”

Her mother laughed and patted her cheek. “No one wants to think of their parents having sex.”

“Nope.” She was shaking her head. “Can I ask why you never tried again? To date or meet someone?”

Her mother sat down on the bed. Talia had been sitting at her makeup desk and swiveled around. Good thing she wasn’t in a rush, but she was the one who asked the question.

“I still love your father,” Aileen said, holding up her left hand with the wedding band on it. “That bond can’t be broken.”

“We know. But that doesn’t mean you should be alone.”

“I’m not alone,” her mother argued. “Or I wasn’t for years.

I had eight children to raise and I was tired at the end of the day.

I worked part time too for many years. There was no free time and very few men would want to get involved in our family dynamics.

Now there is no way I’d risk it and not know someone’s motivation. ”

“You still work, but it’s all you do.”

It was the first Aileen Carlisle had ever said she worried or didn’t trust bringing someone into the family.

Her brother West had bought a local bookstore for their mother to own. Aileen didn’t work full time, but it gave her something to do. She didn’t even have to actually manage it, as her brother had people who dealt with all the finances and her mother had a manager.

“It gets me out of the house and lets me mingle,” her mother said. “I enjoy it. I never had a career like you and Laken.”

“Did you want one?”

“No,” Aileen said, shaking her head. “My career was always going to be a wife and mother. That’s what I’ve done.”

It was the sadness in her mother’s voice. “I want to say you should try to find someone again, but I’m not sure I could see you with anyone and I can only imagine West and the rest of the boys being more protective of you than me and Laken.”

“You’d struggle with it more than the rest,” her mother said, getting up, moving over, and putting her arm around Talia’s shoulder. “I know that.”

“That’s no reason to give up.”

Aileen laughed. “I’ve never given up. I’ve got a wonderful life and beautiful successful children. I know you’ll move out in time, but Elias is only an hour away. I’m hoping for an engagement there soon, then maybe a baby I can watch or play with.”

“You’re going to watch a baby an hour away?”

“I’ll do whatever he lets me do,” her mother said. “I’ll go stay in the Hamptons and give Abby a hand when the baby comes too. You’re sure you’ll be okay in the house alone while I’m gone? I was thinking of going for at least a month.”

“I’ll be fine. Abby will love it and you know that.”

Her sister-in-law didn’t have a close relationship with her own mother who’d been in and out of rehab facilities most of Abby’s life. Aileen Carlisle had stepped up into that role and she knew Abby was thrilled to have that connection now.

“You’re going to be late,” her mother said. “Have fun.”

“Thanks.”

Talia stood up and grabbed her purse. Since her mother already saw her dressed up, she went upstairs and entered the garage through the house to get to her car. Normally she left through her private entrance and unlocked the garage door with a security code.

It took her less than ten minutes to get to the restaurant where she was meeting Jace. She didn’t know if she was here before him, but she’d go get a table if that was the case.

She’d heard the loud roar of a motorcycle and turned her head to watch it pull in and park. The guy riding it lifted his hand to her. She couldn’t see who it was because of his helmet.

That didn’t stop her from standing there and gazing as he parked. It was as if her body was telling her what her mind hadn’t comprehended.

The helmet came off and there was her date for the night.

Oh crap. As if she wasn’t already turned on by him, now he rides a Harley!

“Your mouth is open,” Jace said.

“Just a little shocked is all.”

He smirked. “Have you ever ridden one before?”

Her mother would kill her. “No. But I’d like to.”

“We can do that another time,” he said. “I’m not positive you can in that skirt unless you want to give everyone a show of what you’ve got on under it. You’d have to hike that baby up around your waist. Not saying I wouldn’t enjoy the sight.”

Oh boy, they were starting right off with the flirting.

His eyes were crinkled up while he had a smirk on his lips that might be dampening her panties.

She was going to have some major fun with him.

But she’d have to find out if that was all he wanted, and if so, would it work for her in the short term?

She hadn’t been dating much and felt rusty.

“We’ll have to figure a time out for it,” she said and turned to walk to the door. He grabbed it first and held it for her.

“You look nice,” he said. “Different from yesterday.”

“Yesterday was work. This is fun.”

“I like fun,” he said.

“You look different too.” She leaned in close. “Your uniform is pretty sexy, but you’re not half bad like this either.” Her eyes landed on his face, the rough growth of facial hair there. Hot damn, her lady parts were twitching slightly.

“I’ve heard that a time or two about the uniform. I guess we’ll find out if you’re one of those women or not.”

Her smile dropped. “I’m not like most women.”

“I figured as much.”

Talia didn’t know what he meant by that. She supposed she’d find out.

They were seated at a booth and ordered their drinks. A beer for him, a wine for her. The menus were left, she picked out what she was having and set it down. Might as well begin the conversation.

“So,” she said. “Where do we start?”

“I’m not sure. We both said we had things to talk about for another time. You assumed I knew about your family, but I don’t know much. You wanted to know why I became a fireman.”

She nodded. “Why don’t we start with you?”

“Sure,” he said. Their drinks were brought over and he picked his beer up for a sip.

They placed their orders and once they were alone, he continued.

“I tried college and it wasn’t for me. I worked construction for several years after that.

I still do it on my days off from the firehouse, but I wanted something that I could do on my own.

I like helping people. More of those in need.

Maybe I was in the position of needing help as a kid and wanted to give back.

I volunteered at a firehouse and EMT to see what it was about and here I am years later. ”

“We have that in common. I like helping people too.”

“You get to play with a lot of money to do that,” he said, smirking.

“It’s a long story. I just started this job. I’ve been doing other things while I figure out my life.”

He laughed. “I’m sure there are a lot of things you could have done.”

He was lumping her in with everyone else because of her brother’s wealth.

“Before you judge me, let me give you some background. My father was in the army and died when I was four. I never really knew him. I’ve got seven older siblings.

Six of them brothers and one sister. I’m not close with Laken.

Or not how I would have liked because she was so much older.

We are closer now.” She waved her hand. “West was eighteen and a senior in high school when my father died. He stepped up to be the man and has been acting like my father ever since. Not just to me but everyone.”

“So he takes care of you all still?”

“No. Not like people think. He busted his butt to get where he is with the help of Braylon and Laken. Those three are the closest in age and work together the most. Braylon is VP of Legal for West, Laken VP of Acquisitions. Then there is Foster, he’s VP of Technology.”

“Are you going to list them all and what they do?” he asked.

“I will if you want, as it will get to me and part of this story that you said you don’t know about. Unless you’d prefer I don’t bore you.”

“I’m not bored,” he said. “More like I wasn’t sure where you were going.”

“We’ll get to it. After Foster is Elias. He owns Fifth Kid Brewing.”

“I know him and his beer well.”

She laughed. “I figured as much. I picture you the type. He didn’t want to work in an office. Not everyone was expected to either. West said he’d give us all a start with something, but we had to come up with a business plan.”

“Seriously?”

“Very. There are no handouts in our family.”

“Not even to your mother?”

“Oh, she gets what she wants, but she never asks for anything. Ever. It drives West insane so he just gives it to her. Like the house. He had that built after his first big money fall so that we could have space as kids. Those remaining in the house. After Elias is Rowan and he creates custom surfboards on the pro circuit. He’s in Long Beach.

Nelson is the last boy. He’s in New York with the other crew and works for West. I’m the baby. ”

“Working for West,” he said.

“I am now, but I haven’t been until recently. People want to get to know me because of my brother. It’s annoying.”

“Just like you’re not like other women, I’m not like other men. I’d rather get to know the smoke show in front of me.”

She bluntly threw it out there and he returned it.

Now she had to believe it.