Hearts in Darkness Collection (Hearts in Darkness Duet) Read online

  He shrugged with one big shoulder, wiped his hands on a tea towel, and turned to her. “I don’t mind.” A small smile played around his mouth, and it softened the harsh angles of his face. “Where would you like to grab pizza? Have a favorite place?”

  She grabbed her purse and keys. “I have two favorites. But the one with the easiest parking on a Saturday is probably Antonio’s over on King Street. Ever go there?”

  He grinned. “In the Bradlee Shopping Center? Hell, yeah. That place is my favorite, too. Basically across the street from my house.”

  “It’s fate,” she said, laughing, even though, it was really freaking starting to feel like it could be fate. If she believed in that sort of thing. Which, until last night, she wouldn’t have said she did.

  At the end of her hall, she passed the elevator.

  “Wait, Makenna…” Caden pointed, his brow furrowing.

  “I’m not looking to meet anybody else in an elevator this weekend.” She smirked, hoping that he wouldn’t be offended that she’d planned to bypass the elevator in favor of the stairs. But on a Saturday, they were likely to stop at every floor and be squeezed in with the Emersons, their double-wide stroller for their three-month-old twins, and their two Frenchies, or with Mr. Henderson and his grocery cart, or with Mr. Jindal pulling his young grandsons in a wagon to go to the park. Or all three!

  For a moment, she could see the indecision playing out on Caden’s face before he gave her a pointed look. “That’s right. Because that’s our thing.”

  She smiled. “We have a thing?”

  “Oh, Red, we definitely have a thing,” he said, following her into the stairwell.

  She laughed, absolutely tickled that they had a thing. You didn’t have a thing with someone who was just a one-night-stand, right? Their laughter and animated voices echoed their whole way down. When they got to the first floor, she didn’t decide for him, and instead asked, “I’m happy to drive us in my Prius or go in your Jeep.” Even though she feared he’d find her Prius to feel tiny.

  He opened the door to the lobby for her. “I’ll drive. It’s a nice day for the Jeep anyway.”

  As she climbed in, she couldn’t help but wonder at everything that’d happened since she last got into his Jeep. Then, she hadn’t been sure if he was even that into her. Now, he’d more than answered that question even though she still wasn’t sure what they were. Or what he wanted them to be. But she resolved to stop worrying about how to describe what they were to each other and instead to just revel in it.

  They crossed town talking about everything and nothing at all, the wind in her hair, and the sun on their faces. She studied Caden in profile, loving the angle of his jaw and the way his muscles moved under the dragon tattoo.

  “What?” he asked, his hand rubbing over his scar.

  “Just looking,” she said with a grin.

  “Is that good or bad?” he asked, his jaw ticking.

  “Is it good or bad when you look at me?”

  “I fucking like looking at you, Red.”

  “Same here. See? There you go.”

  He shook his head, but now he only appeared exasperated instead of self-conscious. Still, she imagined his scars must’ve attracted a lot of stares over the course of his life, so she people watched out the passenger window, so happy that she was nearly giddy.

  Luckily, they’d already hashed out favorite pizza toppings the night before, so they made quick work of ordering and threw in an appetizer of mozzarella sticks so they’d have something to put in their stomachs until the pizza came.

  “Hey, Caden, how the heck are you?” asked an older man who looked a lot like the cartoon character on the restaurant’s logo. And there was a good reason for that.

  “I’m doing all right, Antonio. How’s business?” Caden asked, shaking the man’s hand.

  “Business is good, business is good. And who is your beautiful companion?” he asked, smiling down at her. He’d said hello to her before, as he did to just about every customer, but there was no reason he’d remember.

  “This is my friend, Makenna,” Caden said. She smiled and said hello. “Turns out Antonio’s is her favorite pizza place, too, so I knew she was a keeper.”

  Antonio belly laughed. “I can’t argue with that logic, my friend. Dessert’s on me, so you two let me know.”

  Caden shook his head. “Aw, man, you don’t have to do that.”

  The man’s expression filled with affection. “You know I do. And it’s my pleasure,” he said, moving on to chat with some other customers.

  “My station house isn’t even a half mile from here so me and all the guys are always in and out of here,” Caden offered.

  Jus then, their mozzarella sticks arrived and they both groaned. Makenna wasn’t sure who dove in faster. “Why did he say he had to treat you to dessert,” she asked around a bite.

  “Oh, uh, they had a kitchen fire last spring and I worked on his son and nephew. He’s been throwing me free stuff ever since even though I keep telling him not to.”

  How many people probably saw Caden as their hero? She couldn’t imagine, but she bet there were a lot more Antonios out there. “I remember that. You know, I’ve come to this shopping center more times than I could count. How often do you think we crossed paths?”

  He sucked a bit of tomato sauce off his thumb and gave her an appraising stare. “No telling. But I can’t imagine I wouldn’t remember you.”

  She felt her cheeks go warm. “I doubt that, Caden Grayson. You’re way more memorable than I am. And people everywhere know you. The firefighters last night. Antonio….”

  “That’s two times.”

  “Well, I’ve only been two places with you so far,” she said, laughing.

  Their pizza came and they each pulled a slice onto their white paper plates. “We are going to demolish this,” Makenna said.

  “I like a girl with goals,” Caden said, smirking.

  “That’s not even a goal. That’s a mission statement.”

  Now he was the one laughing, and then things got quiet while they both inhaled their slices. “You said two places so far…”

  Butterflies whipped through Makenna’s belly. “Did I?” she teased.

  His gaze narrowed, and it was sexy when he was being all stern. “Didn’t you?”

  “I did,” she said, smiling.

  “So where else should we go?” he asked.

  She didn’t tease him again, not when it was clear they were both trying to feel this thing out. “I’m game for anything. Show me your place. Or drive me by your firehouse. Or we could go down to Old Town for ice cream.”

  “My place isn’t much to see, really.”

  “Neither is mine,” she said. She was proud of her place, but it was still just a little seven-hundred-square-foot apartment.

  “Yours definitely is. It’s warm and inviting and homey. Tons of pictures. Mine is basically bare walls.”

  “How long have you lived there?” she asked, diving into her second piece.

  “Five years,” he said. “My mom’s father died and left me some money. We weren’t very close, but I think that was more because of my dad not being very receptive to contact with my grandparents after the accident.”

  Sadness squeezed Makenna’s gut. Caden had just lost so much, hadn’t he? “It sounds like he wanted you to know that he thought of you,” she said.

  “Yeah, I think that’s right. He was a good man.” He wiped his hands on a napkin.

  Worried that she’d unexpectedly steered them into serious ground, she changed the subject. “So, what are your favorite desserts here?”

  He chuckled. “The cannoli is fantastic, and the tiramisu is also very good.”

  “Oh, man, I love their cannoli,” Makenna said, already making plans despite making serious headway on a third slice. It wasn’t long before their pizza was gone and Antonio was bringing them each a cannoli. Makenna took a bite and moaned. “I’m so glad we got our own or else you might not have go
tten much of this.”

  “I’d have sacrificed my half for you,” he said, slanting her a glance.

  “Because you’re my Good Sam.”

  The corner of his mouth quirked up, and he looked at her for a long moment. “Yes, I am.”

  She wondered what the look had been about when she realized she’d called him her Good Sam. Oh geez, Makenna. The only thing that kept her from smacking herself in the forehead was that he’d agreed with her.

  When the check arrived, he grabbed it before she could. “You treated me to dinner,” he said, handing Antonio his card.

  “It was trail mix!”

  He laughed. “It was life-saving trail mix though.”

  “Well, thank you,” she said. “This was amazing. The food and the company.”

  He winked. “Come on. I’ll drive you over to my place.” It was literally a two-minute drive. His neighborhood was a super cute community of all-brick townhouses situated around courtyards. He led them up to the door, unlocked it, then stepped back so she could go in first. “This is it,” he said, closing the front door behind them.

  The first floor was one big room for as far as she could see, with a couch, coffee table, and television stand with a big TV in the front half and a small table and chairs in the back. “The wood floors are gorgeous,” she said.

  “I got a buddy to help me refinish them when I first moved in,” he said, leading her to the back where the dining area opened up to a small galley-style kitchen that looked more lived-in. Clean dishes on a drying rack. A stack of mail by the phone. Some apples in a bowl. “I got the place cheap because the prior owner had lived here for probably decades and it needed a lot of work and upgrades. Did as much as I could myself, sometimes with a lot of trial and error.”

  “That’s pretty awesome, Caden. Your walls might be bare, but you can look around here and see everything you did to make this place comfortable and modern.” She peered out his back door to where he had a plastic table and chairs set up on a little fenced-in patio. Turning back, she found him watching her. “What?”

  “You always find the positive in everything,” he said, his tone full of admiration.

  Makenna shrugged. “I just call it how I see it.”

  “Is that so?” He pulled her into his arms.

  “Yep.” She smiled up at him. “I’m having fun with you.”

  “Me, too.” He leaned down and kissed her. Once. Twice. “Have you ever been to Gravelly Point?”

  “No. Where’s that?”

  “By the airport. Great sight-seeing and walking paths.”

  “That sounds fun,” she said.

  “Yeah? Okay, then. Lemme throw on some clean clothes and we’ll go. You can come up if you want. Bathroom’s upstairs if you need it.”

  “Lead the way.” At the top of the steps was a little landing with four doors, one of which led to his room and another to the bathroom, which she used while he changed. It was respectably clean, which she found remarkable since she’d grown up with three guys not that different in age from Caden and let’s just say she’d always been very glad that she’d had a bathroom to herself. She came out to find Caden wearing a white Station 7 T-shirt and unintentionally flashing his abs while he fastened the button on pair of gray cargo shorts.

  He totally caught her staring and gave her a wink as he went into the bathroom after her.

  And the weird thing was…that none of it felt weird. She was in a strange man’s house for the first time ever, and she didn’t necessarily feel at home, but she felt comfortable because she was with Caden. He just…didn’t feel like a stranger. Not anymore.

  Back in his Jeep, he slid on a pair of Aviator sunglasses. “Holy crap, I don’t think I can handle you in Aviators,” she said, letting the filter slip between her thoughts and her mouth again. But, come on. He was already ridiculously sexy and now…Aviators.

  He peered over the top of the lenses at her. “That so?”

  “Just drive already.” She enjoyed the laugh she got out of him. She’d be happy to be silly if it made him laugh and smile like that. “Oh, and don’t forget to show me the station,” she said, tugging on his shirt sleeve.

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  She laughed. “I am not old enough to be called ma’am.”

  “I’m just trying to obey over here.”

  “I like the sound of that.” She waggled her eyebrows when he slanted her a glance.

  “Do you now?”

  “Mmhmm,” she said, unable to restrain a grin. Him flirting while wearing Aviators? No. Just no.

  Two blocks away, Caden slowed down and pointed out his firehouse. “We’re not stopping or else the fire gods will see I’m here, rain down some sort of disaster, and yank me away from spending time with you.”

  “We definitely don’t want that,” she said.

  “No we do not.” He told some stories about the guys he worked with on the ride over to the park he wanted to show her, and she enjoyed learning more about his life. It was clear that, even though he didn’t have anything left of the family that he’d grown up with, that firehouse was his family now. And she was really glad for that. Her family played such a big part of her life that it made her sad to think of Caden without anyone in the world who cared for him or looked out for him. Her brother was a cop in Philly, so she knew a little bit about the kind of brotherhood that being a first responder created. Caden deserved that.

  Gravelly Point was a park right on the Potomac River and across a small inlet from one of the runways at Washington’s airport. “Wow, this is cool,” Makenna said as a plane took off right above them.

  “I like to come out here sometimes,” Caden said. “Got a blanket and some water in the back.”

  They met at the back of his Jeep, where he had a lot more than that stowed. He also had a big first-aid kit, a change of clothes and shoes, flares, and some snacks. “Nice. You are prepared for anything.”

  He chuffed out a laugh and rubbed at the side of his head. “Yeah, I guess so.”

  It was the way he touched his scar that cued her in. He seemed to do it when something made him uncomfortable or self-conscious. She looked at the stuff again. And realization punched her in the stomach so hard that it pricked the backs of her eyes with tears. Water, food, first-aid supplies, a blanket, flares…all stuff that you might need if you got stuck somewhere in your car. Or trapped. Like he’d once been.

  Makenna went onto tiptoes to kiss his cheek. Because she had to do something. “Where do you like to sit, Good Sam?”

  He grabbed the blanket and bottled water. “There’s a clear view of the runway over here,” he said. It wasn’t crowded, but there were plenty of people there enjoying the late September sun and the sparkling blue sky. They laid there for hours, just talking and touching and kissing. She loved the feeling of his big hand holding hers. The airplanes were loud once they were overhead, but it was fun watching them and the people-watching was good, too. She could see why Caden liked it there.

  “I hate to say this, but I’m getting hungry again,” she finally said.

  He laid facing her, his head propped up on his hand. “Yeah?”

  “Can I interest you in my favorite noodle place? We could get carry out and find a movie to watch. But, I mean, I know you might have stuff—”

  “That sounds good,” he said. “Really good. I’m all yours.” Makenna really liked the sound of that. The sentiment made her belly go on a loop-the-loop.

  An hour later, they were on her couch, eating Drunken Noodles and Pad Thai and watching Field of Dreams, which they both liked because they were baseball fans even though the end always made her cry. “It’s a happy cry,” she said when Caden brushed away her tears. “He sees his dad. Gets me every time. Stupid, I know.”

  Caden shook his head. “I’ve lost a parent, too, Red. It’s not even a little bit stupid.” The hug they gave each other felt like pure understanding, and it tugged at something inside her chest, something fundamental and surprising and s
cary. Because how could she already have any kind of feelings for someone she’d just met?

  They cleaned up, and even after twenty-four hours together, Makenna wasn’t ready for him to go. “Stay with me?”

  He pulled her into his arms. “I was hoping you’d say that.” One day together turned into two, with him only departing when he had to go in for his shift on Sunday night. “I work a double.”

  “So you’re off on Tuesday night?” she asked, leaning back against her kitchen counter, trying to seem totally casual and like she wasn’t a little sad that the bubble of their weekend was over.

  He braced his hands on both sides of her hips and met her eye to eye. “Mmhmm.”

  “Plans?”

  He shook his head, his dark gaze intense and direct and full of desire…for her.

  “Would you like some?” she asked, her stomach threatening to drop.

  “With you? I’d fucking love plans, Makenna.”

  Elation shot through her. “Good. That’s good. Well, maybe, grab some Antonio’s and come after you get off?”

  Amusement immediately played over his expression.

  She frowned. “What?” Her wording finally hit her. “Oh, God, you know what I mean! Come over after you get off.”

  He guffawed so hard that his weight fell against her.

  She smacked his shoulder. “You suck.”

  “You’re the…you’re the one who…” He couldn’t get it out he was chuckling so hard. Good to know that her penchant for verbal nonsense didn’t turn him off. And seeing him full-out cracking up was her new favorite thing. When he finally pulled himself together, he said, “I’ll grab a pie and be over around 7:30.”

  “And cannoli?”

  He nodded. “And cannoli.”

  “That sounds perfect.”

  He peered at the digital clock on the stove. “I don’t wanna…”

  “I know. You go. Have a good shift. And please be safe.”

  Nodding, he kissed her long and deep and so deliciously thoroughly that she almost couldn’t breathe and the room spun around her. “Always,” he said. And then he made for her door, stopping again before it closed. “Hey, Red?”