Denouement (The Darkness Series Book 3) Page 7

  The door slammed behind her and Aubrey locked eyes with Nora. “There’s no sense in arguing with her most times. But if you really don’t want to go, I’ll get her to back off,” she told her. Nora laughed over the racket of Caleb banging his wooden train on the table.

  “It’s fine, she’s sweet. I actually think she’s right. A chance to unwind might be a good idea,” she turned to look at Greta. “Would you…”

  “Of course, Mrs. Thornton, you don’t even need to ask. The children will be fine without you for one night,” she gave her a soft smile.

  “Stop calling me that, I’ve told you, you’re like family now. So please, call me Nora.” Greta nodded and set a wriggling Hope on her feet, who promptly took off running into the other room. A crash followed by a loud wail had Nora sighing as she gained her feet.

  “Drinks are definitely a good idea,” she said to Aubrey with a sigh. It was going to be a long day.

  * * *

  True to her word, Autumn returned that night at eight o’clock sharp. Dressed in a red sweater dress that clung to every curve, she was sure to turn the head of every available and unavailable man in the place. She dropped a bottle of wine on the kitchen counter and hunted for the opener in the drawer.

  Aubrey came in just as she poured the third glass of moscato. Giving her sister a once-over, she vehemently shook her head. “No, no, no. You aren’t wearing that. Not happening.” She set the wine bottle down and took Aubrey by the shoulders and turned her around, marching her back to her room.

  “Autumn, please. What’s wrong with this? I’m comfortable,” she argued, not in the mood to be used as a Barbie dress up doll.

  “You wear these skirts and blouses to work. You can afford to change it up a bit and add a bit of variety in your wardrobe.” She stuck her head in Aubrey’s closet and rooted around, letting out a muffled “aha,” and emerging triumphantly with a few articles of clothing.

  Aubrey eyed her suspiciously. “What’d you find? Autumn, I’m not wearing something that won’t cover my ass,” she warned.

  “Relax, Aubs. Here go to the bathroom and put these on while I hunt for some shoes. There must be something of mine laying around here somewhere.” She thrust the clothes at her and shoved her out the door.

  Aubrey closed the bathroom door and looked in the mirror. Her red hair was pulled back in a neat ponytail and her green eyes sparkled behind her glasses; a light pink shade stained her cheeks from the altercation with her sister. With a sigh, she reached back and pulled the band from her hair, letting the tresses cascade around her shoulders in loose waves. Maybe for one night she could let up a little bit on the control, let go of her need to be so responsible all the time.

  She changed into the skinny jeans and black off the shoulder top that Autumn picked out for her, pleased that it wasn’t as revealing as it could have been. At the last minute, she swapped her glasses for her contacts and added a coat of sheer lip gloss. Stepping back to look in the full length mirror on the back of the door, she had to admit she was pleased with the result. She looked casual and fun; as though she was one of those carefree females without a worry in the world.

  Back in her room, Autumn was holding a pair of black ankle boots in one hand as she sifted through Aubrey’s jewelry box with the other. Not looking up, she called out, “Aubs, I know you have a pair of cute silver hoops, I’ve seen them. Where—” she cut off when she glanced over at her. “Fuck, you look fantastic. Here, try these.” She passed her the boots. Aubrey looked at the heel with apprehension, she was likely going to break her neck trying to walk in them. The determined look on her sister’s face meant she wasn’t going to win the battle of slipping into her comfortable flats, no matter how much she wanted to.

  The cute ankle boots enhanced her five foot six frame by a few inches, causing her to totter for a few seconds before she gained her footing.

  Satisfied, Autumn nodded and handed her the earrings she’d found and a silver necklace with a twisted knot at the end. Once they were on, Autumn let out a long, low whistle.

  “Aubs! You look…well you look like me! The men in this town are finally going to remember that we’re twins,” she teased.

  Self-conscious, Aubrey fidgeted with the ends of the long chain around her neck. “Autumn, I don’t know. Maybe I can just change into my blouse…” she trailed off as she realized it was no use by the expression on her sister’s face.

  “Aubrey, you’re gorgeous. I know you like to hide behind your glasses and old lady clothes and that’s fine, but once in a while it’s okay to step out of your comfort zone. You don’t always have to hide.” She kissed her cheek and then patted her ass. “Come on, sweet cheeks. Let’s grab Nora and hit the town. There’s a tequila shot with our name on it.”

  Shorty’s was the local pub which also doubled as a makeshift nightclub once the clock struck that hour when the patrons had indulged too much and stumbled their way onto the “dance floor.” The jukebox typically brought in its fair share of profit on a monthly basis, a fact that pleased Davis York, the owner, as that money went towards maintenance repairs and general upkeep of the bar. The décor was simple but cozy. A long wooden bar with glass shelves housing every available bottle of liquor imaginable lined the right side of the place and several wooden tables and chairs were scattered haphazardly throughout. There was only four booths, making each a hot commodity in the popular establishment.

  It was fairly packed when Aubrey, Nora and Autumn walked in, the jukebox already hard at work pumping out a popular country tune. Spying an empty booth, Aubrey bee-lined for it, yelping and screeching to a halt when someone blocked her path and beat her to it by seconds.

  “Hey,” she complained, moving out of the way to avoid being trampled. Looking up, she sucked in a breath when she found herself staring into Lieutenant Weston Hunt’s dark intense eyes.

  “Oh it’s you,” she said, blushing furiously. Why did he have to stand so close? And smell so good, have the most muscular arms…

  Catching herself staring at him dreamily, Aubrey shook her head and looked up at his amused smirk. He was laughing at her, he found her ogling of him entertaining. If her face got any redder she would have burst into flames.

  “Yes, it’s me.” He leaned down to whisper in her ear. “How are you, Ms. Sinclair?” His low voice sent a shiver running through her as all of her senses came to life. Her body automatically leaned into his and her breathing sped up. His nose grazed her ear and she all but jumped out of her skin at the intimate contact. The magnetic pull she felt towards him was intoxicating. This man was a threat, he had the ability to affect her, to strip away her carefully built walls and leave her raw and exposed—completely at his mercy.

  “I—I’m fine,” she stammered, out of sorts. “We’re about to sit down and have a drink,” she told him pointedly, angling her body to slide past him and into the booth.

  He snagged her wrist and tugged her back to him, enjoying the way her soft body brushed against his. “Actually, Ms. Sinclair, this booth is ours.” For the first time, Aubrey noticed the three men standing behind him, all dressed in firefighter pants with suspenders and blue t-shirts with the SCFD logo proudly displayed.

  She bristled against him, temper starting to boil beneath her skin. “You’re mistaken, Lieutenant. We,” she glanced behind her, narrowing her eyes at the delighted look on Autumn’s face as she witnessed their exchange. “We were here first and this is our booth.” She crossed her arms over her chest and planted her feet. Let him try and move her.

  West chuckled at her, thrilled to see her coming out of her shell more around him. Determined to push her even further, he moved forward into her space. He leaned his head closer to hers, lowered his lips within inches of her mouth and caught her sharp intake of breath. Her lips parted slightly and her eyes started to flutter closed only to snap wide open in seconds when his hands gripped her upper arms. He lifted her easily from her spot and deposited her a few feet away, allowing his buddies to slide into
the booth, claiming it for themselves.

  Momentarily shocked, Aubrey stood speechless and wide-eyed. West kissed her cheek and then turned her around, giving her a playful smack on the ass and a tiny push forward. “Go sit down with your friends, sweets. First round is on me.” He winked at her and then turned back to his buddies who were hooting and cat-calling, embarrassing Aubrey even further.

  She huffed and stomped her way to the nearest table, slamming her black purse down in an angry movement. “That. He. Did you see. And then he just—” she spluttered, furious and humiliated and damn it all, so turned on by his treatment of her. Her skin burned where he’d touched her and she was torn between wanting to march back up over there to kick him in the balls or grab his face and make him follow through on that almost kiss. It was as though her lips had a mind of their own and were begging her to plant them on his.

  Nora took pity on her and guided her to a chair as Autumn headed for the bar. “Yes, you’re right he did. How dare he,” she agreed.

  “It’s just that he…and he grabbed me. That damn man!” Aubrey swore, pushing her heavy hair off her shoulders.

  “Yes. He’s a right bastard isn’t he? But so sexy.”

  “He is! So damn sexy. Wait. What? No.” Aubrey glared at Nora, horrified. Nora laughed as Autumn came back to the table, juggling three glasses of sparkling liquid. A waitress followed behind her and set three shots, lemon slices and salt on the table.

  “Enjoy, ladies,” she told them. “This round is courtesy of that table of man candy over there,” she nodded to West’s table. Aubrey turned to look at him and they locked eyes. He saluted her with his beer and gave her a cocky smile that had her thighs clenching in response.

  “Ugh,” she muttered, turning back around and ignoring him. Grabbing the shot, she downed it in one swallow, not bothering with the lemon or salt. She wanted to feel the fire of it sear down her throat, warming her belly. Anything to distract her from the infuriating man sitting on the other side of the bar.

  “Whoa, Aubs!” Autumn exclaimed as she watched her slam the empty shot glass down on the table. Nora followed suit and Autumn sat there in shock.

  “Well I certainly never imagined that I’d be the last one out of the three of us to drink my shot,” she said, picking up her glass. Standing, she fluffed her hair and cocked a hip before letting out a long whistle to get the attention of the table of firefighters.

  “You boys may have stolen our table, but I think we got the better end of the deal over here,” she called out. She turned her body to the side and tipped her head all the way back, pouring the shot down her throat in a slow motion. She held the liquid on her tongue for a moment, relishing in the burn before swallowing it down and showing the empty glass to the other patrons of the bar that had stopped to watch her, mesmerized.

  Autumn took her seat, her eyes alive and dancing as she grinned at Aubrey. “So what was that all about with you and Lieutenant Hottie Pants? He sure got under your skin quick,” she commented.

  “Who, him?” Aubrey jerked a thumb behind her. “No. He was just being a bully. That booth should have been ours fair and square.”

  “Honey, that man is the farthest thing from a bully. He was letting you know, marking his territory to everyone in here.” Autumn sipped on her vodka cranberry as she spoke.

  Aubrey rolled her eyes. Her sister would never change. She was forever trying to pair her up or push her into a role she wasn’t comfortable with. “You’re being ridiculous. Now are we going to have some drinks or did you drag us out here to watch you put on a show making all the men drool?”

  “You’re saying that like we can’t do both. Watch and learn, sister dear.”

  Nora laughed, shaking her head. “I’ve missed you two.” She raised her glass and the three women called out a cheers, clinking their glasses together. “To new beginnings and making our own destinies.”

  West watched Aubrey dance for the fourth straight song in a row. For a shy thing, she really did know how to move that tight little body. She’d long since abandoned those sexy little half boots she’d been wearing, making her inches shorter than her twin and cousin. She had such a natural sensuality about her, her hips and shoulders would sway in time with the beat, causing her red hair to swing in an artful display. Those fire tipped tresses were driving him to distraction. He wanted those loose curls wrapped around his hands as he tilted her head back and tasted her smooth skin.

  Groaning, he tore his eyes away and tried to concentrate on the conversation his fire house brothers were having. It was no use, Aubrey was too much of an distraction. As much as he’d been noticing her, so had every other male in the place. The more Aubrey had to drink, the sloppier her movements became. Her hands scooped her red hair up on top of her head as she shook her ass in a seductive display. She was a real-life wet dream and the more he stared, the more his cock started to stir to life.

  He kept an eye on her as Carl Jenkins finally found his balls and started to approach Aubrey. West had been watching him lingering on the edges of the makeshift dance floor, wondering if he’d make a move. He walked up to her and slipped his arms around her waist, moving against her in time to the music. Aubrey stiffened at the contact and then slightly struggled to get free, he ignored her and one of his hands started to trail up and down her arm.

  West was on his feet and at her side in less than five seconds. He gently moved her behind his back and laid a hand on Carl’s shoulder. “Hey, man. Why don’t you go get a drink on me and then catch yourself a cab home?”

  Carl narrowed his eyes and glared at West. “Lieutenant?” he slurred his words. “Finally out among the living. Well ain’t no one needing saving in here.” He reached behind him for Aubrey’s hand but West stepped to the side, blocking her from his view.

  “Carl, why don’t you head back to the bar and grab another round for you and your buddies,” he repeated more forcefully, motioning to the table of men watching the scene with interest. “Davis!” he called to the owner, who was tending the bar. “Put Carl’s next round on my tab.”

  “You got it, West.”

  Carl teetered on the edge of accepting the free drink or throwing a punch. When the calls of his buddies wanting their next beer reached him, he caved. “Pretty lady, you find me when you realize this one’s a dud,” he told Aubrey, flashing what he probably thought was a sexy grin but was in fact an ominous leer.

  West turned to her and brushed a sticky hair away from her face. “You okay, doll?” Her face was turned up to him, her eyes glazed over from the alcohol and her cheeks held that light pink blush that he loved on her. His attraction to her was growing stronger every day; the scent of her skin was invading his senses and if he didn’t get a grip on himself fast, he’d be dragging her off to the corner and doing worse things than Carl would have ever dreamed up.

  “Maybe we should call it a night,” Nora suggested. She too had a slightly dazed look about her, but her eyes held happiness and it was a look West was glad to see. The sadness he’d seen in the diner had disappeared, she looked like the Nora he knew and loved once more. Almost. There was still something shimmering beneath the surface and West made a promise to find out just what the hell was going on with her and Gabe.

  “Come on, Aubs, let’s grab a cab before you start a bar room brawl,” Autumn teased as she wobbled her way to the door. She tossed her head and waved to Davis as they passed the bar. West and Aubrey followed behind Nora, making sure they made it through the crowd safely. He kept his hand on the small of her back, trying to keep her steady. Autumn had already flagged down a cab and she and Nora were climbing inside when Aubrey tripped over her feet in the heeled boots she’d put back on, falling forward into West’s arms.

  “Oh, I’m sorry,” she mumbled out, gripping his strong arms for support. Their eyes met once more and that was it. The sparks exploded and he could no longer resist. He crashed his mouth down on hers and wrapped his arms tight around her waist, anchoring her to his body with just
one tug. He backed them up against the side of the building, sweeping his tongue across her lips, demanding entrance. She complied, parting her mouth and sending her own tongue out to meet his in a dance of desire. His hands traveled down the length of her body, memorizing every curve and gripping her tighter to him. She tasted so sweet, he could easily get lost in her. Forget all the pain and misery he’d been shouldering and step back into the light. She had the power to revive him; to resurrect him from the cursed existence he’d been living and breathe life back into his otherwise decimated heart. His undoing. His saviour.

  Aubrey let out a low moan and West stepped back, breaking their connection. “If I don’t stop now, sweets, I won’t be able to stop at all,” he explained. He gave her a moment to catch her breath and then kissed the top of her head, leading her over to where her sister stood with her mouth agape.

  “Damn. I mean, well fuck. You two need to photograph that shit next time because fuck, that was hot.” Autumn took Aubrey’s hand and drew her forward, still staring at West.

  “Goodnight, ladies,” he said as they piled in the backseat. Aubrey looked completely disoriented and he couldn’t have been happier. “Ms. Sinclair, I’ll see you at the library in the morning.” He closed the door on Aubrey’s protests, satisfied. His cock on the other hand, was not impressed, screaming at him to go back and drag her out of that cab to finish what they’d started.

  “All in good time,” he said out loud, walking back into the bar, whistling.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Aubrey stacked books on her cart to be filed in a mindless manner the morning following their night out at the bar. Everywhere she looked, everything she touched reminded her of West. The hard spine of the books reminded her of his rock hard muscles. The rough pages of recycled paper reminded her of the way his callused hands had felt on her skin. There’d been a movement behind the coat hanger and her heart had leaped into her throat, thinking it was him. When inspecting further and finding an open window letting in a breeze that fluttered the jackets hanging there, she knew she was in trouble. The man was affecting her far more than he should.