The Firefighter’s Woman 2 Read online

  He grinned. “Yes, I do see that. Very fine.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Don’t start, Evan. I’m here to conduct business. Why are you here?”

  He ignored her question. “Business? What kind of business? Ah, you were at the gym during the fire. Is it so important to get back to your exercise routine that you ignore rest? You were carried from a burning building. Exercise is not more important than rest.”

  “You did not just lecture me on what’s important, did you?” Her meaning was clear in the scorn she directed at him. He’d hurt her by choosing the new job rather than staying in Forest’s End with her, or even taking her with him.

  He ran a hand through his hair. “Marlena—”

  She held up a hand on her way past him. “Don’t want to hear it, Evan. Like I said, I have business to attend to.”

  He caught her arm before she could move out of range and spun her to face him. Not caring who saw or how the rumors would be flying around town, he drew her close to him. Marlena’s body fit his to perfection. Her soft curves ignited his passion, making him want to toss her over his shoulder and take her somewhere they could talk—more than talk. But she didn’t respond well to caveman tactics. If he remembered correctly, they set her hackles up, and she did all she could to prove how strong she was.

  “Let me take you to dinner tonight, Marlena,” he suggested. “We can catch up on old times.”

  “I don’t think so.” She tried pulling away, but he held on. He didn’t miss how breathless she was.

  “We’re just two old friends…”

  “Old friends?” She chuckled without humor. “Old friends, you say? Hmm, funny, I guess it has been a long time because I don’t remember it like that. Let me go, Evan. I have nothing to talk about with you.”

  He should just let her go, let her become accustomed to him being back, but he couldn’t. Now that he held her in his arms—though not like he wanted to—he didn’t want to back off. She was the woman for him. He would have her one way or another. “One dinner. Can’t hurt anything.”

  Her expression said it had hurt a lot already. Pain struck him in the heart knowing what he must have done to her. He waited in silence for her to surrender, promising himself and her that he would make up for his stupidity.

  “I could…” she began. “I can’t do that. My boyfriend wouldn’t like it.”

  Evan narrowed his eyes while examining her. She’d lowered her voice when speaking about her boyfriend. He couldn’t for the life of him figure out why she would do that, since nothing was secret in this town. No doubt everyone knew who she was dating. He watched Marlena another moment and then glanced over his shoulder. Sherise stood on the other side of the entry hall speaking with one of the Y’s employees. Evan made the connection. Was there bad blood there? Was Sherise pissed that Marlena was seeing her ex? He’d never suspect Marlena of stealing another woman’s man, but then, for all he knew, she could be a completely different woman than the one he had left.

  He turned back to her. “One dinner, and I promise to leave you alone.”

  She sighed. “Fine, Evan, but so help me, if you try anything, I will…”

  “I won’t.” He chuckled. “Scout’s honor. I will do nothing you don’t want me to do.”

  She smirked. “You were never a scout. Now, let me go.”

  With reluctance, he did, and watched her sashay past him until she was out of sight. Joy and hope sprung up inside of Evan. He had one dinner to convince the woman he loved that they belonged together, and the rest of the day to learn everything she’d been up to for the last few years.

  Chapter Three

  Marlena stood in her shower trying to make her heartbeat calm down and not allow her thoughts to get away from her. Every time she rubbed on some of her body wash and closed her eyes, she’d start fantasizing about Evan running his hands all over her body.

  She had to stop. This was doing her no good, especially since she had to suffer through a dinner with him. “Suffer is right,” she told herself on a groan. Just being in his arms this afternoon had been more than she could deal with. She’d been ready to wrap her legs around the man and beg him to take away the need Tyrone hadn’t been able to satisfy.

  Her experience wasn’t vast, and Evan was the only white one, but none in her past could make her sing with pleasure like he could. Driving the man from her head, she stepped out of the shower and toweled off before checking her closet for something to wear. Not that she hadn’t spent the better part of the afternoon digging through her closet for anything that made her look smaller. She wanted to wow him to the point that he gnawed his own lip off in regret for letting her go. And then, at the end of the night, she would thank him for dinner and walk away like she didn’t give a damn about him. That would get a little of her own back after what he had done.

  After half an hour going through all of her clothing twice, she chose a dress with stripes over the top in purple, black, blue, and white. The silky material parted in the middle so it looked like she had little more than bands of cloth over her breasts. The stripes served to accentuate her breasts even more along with her revealed cleavage. The bottom half of the dress, knotted at the top with a narrow black belt, was made of stretchy material, and reaching to mid-thigh, it hugged the curves of her hips and ass.

  She accented the dress with high-heeled, T-strap shoes that were decorated with black and white beads. With her freshly done French manicure showing on her toes, she knew Evan would be eating his heart out the minute he saw her. He had been attracted to her when she’d been bigger. Now that she’d dropped weight, Marlena was confident she looked even better.

  By six-thirty, Marlena strolled into Alonzo’s. She had insisted Evan meet her there rather than let him come to her place to pick her up. It gave her a greater feeling of control, and while she was sure he could find out from anyone in town, she didn’t want him knowing where she lived just yet.

  The restaurant she was familiar with before she’d adopted her new eating regimen had changed in the last few months. She paused in the entry. The place had an old Italy feel to it.

  As an elective in school, Marlena had taken a decorating class, so she knew the style here was called Tuscan. Italian country décor used food and wine interwoven with nature. The colors most often were earthy tones including deep reds, oranges, and terra cotta. She had come to love the style and enjoyed the atmosphere of the place right away. The owners had apparently taken a class of their own, or hired a decorator.

  “Welcome to Tony’s on the Strand,” someone said.

  Marlena turned to find Tony himself, the firefighter. She frowned in confusion. “Tony’s? I thought this was Alonzo’s. You know, I did hear that you bought a restaurant, Tony. But here? I didn’t realize the place was for sale, and I’m sure I didn’t see the sign.”

  He grinned with pride. “Special made. It’s being delivered next week. It’s good to see you again, Marlena. You used to love my Tortellini Alla Panna when you came by the station with Evan. It’s good to see a customer who knows how to enjoy good eating.”

  She patted her belly. “Oh no, I’m watching my weight, Tony. Got anything healthier?”

  He looked offended, and she laughed.

  “Well…” She bit her lip. The man could cook, and she’d been excellent with her diet for months now. Maybe a really small portion. “Okay, we’ll see, but no dessert.”

  “That’s my girl!” he quipped.

  When she told him about meeting Evan, his eyebrows went up, but he didn’t comment. He simply checked his registry for the reservation and went ahead to seat her himself. Marlena had noticed the hostess, but Tony waved her off to help Marlena. The special treatment warmed her, and she hoped she wouldn’t disappoint him too much by not overeating. In the past, she’d scarfed down anything Tony fed her.

  Seated and sipping on a glass of red wine, Marlena checked her watch. She’d been fifteen minutes late when she’d arrived. Evan had always been on time for their da
tes in the past. Had he become more laid back in the time he’d been away? It didn’t fit him, but she wasn’t sure. Something must have come up to delay him. She’d give him a break.

  When seven-thirty rolled around and her stomach was rumbling nonstop, Marlena was all out of patience. She signaled the waiter and raised the menu that had been left on the table earlier. “I’m ready to order,” she announced when he drew alongside the table. Evan could kiss her ass, and he’d better not ever approach her for a date again. She should have known better. Well, he wouldn’t get a second chance.

  When Evan still hadn’t shown up after Marlena finished her meal, she settled her bill with a wince, knowing she hadn’t budgeted this week to go out to eat. Truth was, she never budgeted for it. She’d overcome a lot of bad habits, but making poor choices in restaurants wasn’t one of them. That was evidenced by the fact that she now walked down the street with Arancia Nero Torta in a take home container. The black orange cake was so rich, dense, and delicious. She had eaten half of the dessert before she could make herself stop, and if she didn’t get rid of it now, she’d eat the other half when she got home.

  “This is all his fault,” she spat. If he hadn’t asked her out, she would never have fallen off track.

  Rather than go home, she made a beeline for the Y. She hadn’t wasted a moment to get in there and set up times when she could run her exercise classes. The manager had been glad to have Marlena since attendance at the Y had dwindled over the last year after the gym opened its doors. Marlena had even been given unlimited access to the room where she would have her classes. She’d tested it out and left exercise clothing there as she’d been in the habit of doing at the gym.

  Within moments, she’d changed from the sexy outfit to a black sports bra and matching sports pants. Feet bare, she closed her eyes and began shaking her hands and then her feet. Afterward, she stretched, all the time hearing the music she loved in her mind if not in the room. For future use, she’d leave a player and CDs here as well.

  Within fifteen minutes, her muscles were warmed, and she began to rock her hips. The fun of dancing combined with exercise moves soon made her forget the hurt she felt with Evan’s treatment. Time forgotten, she danced nonstop.

  “You always did have moves that got my heart pumping, even if I was doing nothing but watching.”

  She stumbled out of her last pivot. “Evan! What are you doing here?”

  He shrugged. “Someone saw you come this way.”

  A grumble rose in her throat. Nosy people!

  He strolled toward her, dressed in dark slacks and a colored shirt that was buttoned wrong. That, along with his wet hair, made her think he’d rushed to get here. Never mind that it was after ten.

  “I know you’re angry, but hear me out.”

  She turned away to pick up her towel and wipe the sweat from her brow. “Not interested.”

  “Marlena, please.” He came up behind her to rest his hands on her shoulders. Marlena ignored the thrill that shot through her system at his touch. “I wasn’t goofing off or skipping out on you. I promise. In fact, I’m starving. It’s just that—”

  “I said, I don’t care,” she shouted. After quickly rifling through her bag, she produced the dessert. “Here, I hope you get fat eating it.”

  He took the container shoved at him, and she gathered her things to leave. Evan was too fast. He tossed the cake on a bench and grabbed Marlena half way across the room. “Wait, I want to talk to you.”

  She jerked against his clutch on her arm. Evan hauled her around to face him. “I said no, damn it!”

  “It couldn’t be helped, Marlena. There was a fire in the next county. Several engines were called out to help. You know how it gets during the dry season. Come on, baby, cut me some slack.”

  Marlena stopped struggling and sighed. “Yes, I know how it is, but this situation is like a sign to me, Evan. You can’t go back. We don’t work. It’s better that we leave things as they are and keep moving forward with our lives. You have to agree with that.”

  “No, actually I don’t.”

  Before she knew what he planned, Evan had pulled her into his arms and covered her lips with his. Her senses reeled. She put her hands up between them only to have them trapped as he drew her tighter and ran his palms over her back to cup her ass. Evan deepened the kiss while at the same time, he tugged her higher onto his erection. A moan of desperate need wrenched from Marlena’s throat, but she turned her head.

  “No, I can’t do this, Evan.”

  “Marlena,” he whispered in her ear, letting his warm mouth trail along her cheek. Shivers ran over her body. She wanted nothing more than to forget that, for the time being, she belonged to someone else, although she was sure her body had never been this on fire when Tyrone touched her. Evan nibbled her lobe. “You want this.”

  “I…”

  Her eyes drifted closed, and her head went back. Evan kissed his way along her neck, tasting her skin all the way to her chin and up to her mouth again. When his tongue darted inside, Marlena had a moment of weakness when she twirled hers with his. Sanity pushed through her fogged mind, and she tore herself from Evan’s hold.

  Putting space between them, she wiped her mouth. “You’re not going to seduce me, Evan. You might not respect the fact that I’ve moved on, but I do. I have someone that I care about very much, and he’s not you.”

  A flash of hurt registered in his eyes before it disappeared. He shoved his hands in his pockets as if that would keep him from reaching for her again. “What we had between us is not dead, Marlena. I think I proved that just now.”

  “Oh is that what it was?” She put her hands on her hips. “You were proving to me that you could use your greater strength to take advantage of me any time you want.”

  “You know that’s not what I meant,” he growled.

  She bent down to gather her bag, which had slipped from her hand. “Whatever you meant, I know you’re only looking to fulfill your fantasy. And for that, there are plenty of women in Forest’s End. You don’t need me.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  She looked up at him. “I’m talking about the truth. You were with me because you have this fantasy like a lot of men about sleeping with a black woman. Isn’t that right?”

  He didn’t answer.

  She nodded. “Yeah, that’s what I thought. Good-bye, Evan. Please don’t bother me again.”

  Chapter Four

  Marlena almost ran out of the room where she’d left Evan. Half hoping he would follow her or stop her again, she was surprised and pissed off that he did neither. He let her go. She slung her bag over her shoulder and headed down the street. Most places in Forest’s End were reachable by walking. Some people drove because they lived on the outskirts of town. Marlena had chosen her apartment complex because it was convenient to everything. She could save the money she would have spent on gas, car maintenance, and insurance, and burn extra calories walking.

  However, getting home meant passing several shops of all kinds. She was just strolling up to a second hand clothing store she frequented when a couple arguing two doors down caught her attention. Marlena stopped.

  There, in front of the entire world to see, were Tyrone and Sherise. Marlena blinked in disbelief. As far as she’d heard when she first started dating Tyrone, he and Sherise were no longer on speaking terms, so what were they doing here together when Tyrone had said he had to get some paperwork done and wouldn’t be able to come by her place? She’d assured him it was fine since she was having dinner with an old friend. Later, she’d intended to tell him it was an old boyfriend. She’d been hesitant about admitting it, but Tyrone wasn’t the jealous type. The same couldn’t be said of her, especially still battling self-esteem issues from her past.

  Wondering whether she should act casual and just go up and greet them both, she caught some of the conversation.

  “Come on, Sherise,” Tyrone said. “You know how it was between us.”

&nbs
p; Marlena couldn’t figure out if he was saying it had been really good or really bad. Was Sherise blowing him off or trying to get him back?

  “It was a wild trip,” Sherise responded. “I’ll give you that. Shoot, we were engaged. But we both know why it ended. Don’t we? Anyway, you’re with Marlena now. She’s a good person. Why aren’t you at her place?”

  Tyrone frowned, glancing down at the ground. “She’s out with her old boyfriend. Probably thinks I don’t know.”

  Marlena gasped. She hadn’t meant it to be a secret, but damn, that he knew and she hadn’t told him was bad. Maybe she was pushing him back to Sherise with it looking like she was going back to Evan. Well, he could forget that. Evan could find someone new. She ignored the pang in her heart thinking of Evan with another woman and started forward.

  “Hey, Tyrone, Sherise.” She directed a pointed look at Tyrone. “I thought you weren’t coming to Forest’s End tonight. Too busy.” Her gaze slid to Sherise, and she caught the guilt on the other woman’s face.

  Was this how it was going to be? She couldn’t compare to Sherise. The other woman was her senior by a few years, but she was still young and beautiful. She was naturally thin and curvy. She was a professional with a degree already in hand. Marlena was still struggling to get her Associate’s and had just gotten her GED a couple of years before.

  “Marlena,” Sherise declared. “Hey, girl. I hear you’re going to start up classes again at the Y. Count me in.” She turned to go. “Later, Tyrone.”

  Tyrone watched her walk away, Marlena watching him. She couldn’t read the expression on his face or guess at his thoughts. When his ex was out of sight, he turned to Marlena. “So, your date over?”

  “It wasn’t a date.” She fell into step beside him. “I told you, he’s an old friend.”

  “An old boyfriend.”

  “Yeah, but you don’t have to worry about that.” She bit her lip, wanting to be honest about the kiss, but hesitating. It wasn’t as if she’d initiated the thing. Evan had gone all caveman, like he had something to prove to her. So what, she’d been turned on the instant he touched her. That meant nothing. After all, they had history.