In Your Arms Read online

  Sean handed her his helmet. She took it without bitching about messing up her hair. Good thing to know about her. She accepted necessary protection and didn’t mind messy hair. He easily thought of similar situations.

  She tied her hair into a ponytail at her nape and slid the helmet on. As she adjusted the helmet to fit as best it could, he climbed on and held out a hand to her.

  “Have you ridden before?”

  She nodded. “It’s been a while though.”

  “I’ll take it slow. Where are we going?”

  “Take Fullerton east. I’ll let you know when to turn.” She hiked her skirt up to an almost indecent spot and swung a leg over. “I’ll tap you when we’re close.”

  He almost asked if she’d tap when she was close to coming during sex, but thought it might end their date too quickly. He wasn’t sure what to make of Emma. The girl wearing the buttoned-up suit didn’t match the one who wanted to ride and hiked her skirt like it was nothing. Getting her to relax was going to be interesting.

  When he started the engine, she scooted closer and wrapped her arms around his waist. Yeah, that felt good.

  The sun dipped low in the sky, but was still strong enough to warm his skin. He was so used to wearing a helmet, he’d almost forgotten how good it felt to ride without. If his brother Jimmy ever found out, Sean would be in for another lecture, but at the moment, he didn’t care. What Jimmy didn’t know wouldn’t hurt anyone.

  Sean eased onto the street and followed the directions Emma had given him. The neighborhood was alive for a Friday night. Kids ran across lawns and into the street. Smells of food cooking on grills reminded him he hadn’t eaten dinner. A couple of houses had cars up on blocks in the driveway, for those few houses lucky enough to have a driveway. Some people sat on front steps hoping to catch a cool breeze to break the heat of the day. Cars lined the street and he was glad he drove a motorcycle. Parking around here would be a bitch.

  Emma tapped his chest and he pulled over at the corner in front of a fire hydrant. He held out a hand to help her and couldn’t help but look as she tugged her skirt while climbing off. She removed the helmet. Her ponytail loosened and locks flew around her face.

  “It’s a few houses back.”

  “I’ll wait here.” He took the helmet from her and watched as she pulled her bag from across her body.

  A little more than ten minutes later, she was on her way back. The sight of her knocked the wind from him. Snug jeans and fitted tank top covered her, and she had a sweatshirt tied at her waist. She’d traded the heels for a pair of sneakers. Her hair was now completely down and long brown waves flew around in the breeze. For a moment, he considered that she’d lied about it being her mom’s place because he didn’t know any moms who dressed like that. But her bag was overstuffed, he assumed with her clothes.

  He pushed off the bike. “That was fast.”

  She offered a crooked smile. “I really need a drink. The radiator hose was the last in a line of things ruining my day.”

  “Hop on and you can tell me all about it over a beer. Or wine. Or whatever.”

  “Tonight’s a whiskey night.”

  Sean liked the sound of that. They mounted the bike and she put the helmet on. Before he started the engine, he asked, “Any place in mind?”

  “No. You pick.”

  Since he normally didn’t drink in the area, he drove closer to his neighborhood and parked beside his favorite dive bar. It was dark and relatively quiet. They could shoot pool or play darts or just listen to music. He helped Emma off the bike and locked his helmet down. Then he led her into the bar and directly to a corner table.

  “This okay?” he asked before sitting.

  She glanced around. “Fine.”

  She swung her bag over her head and plopped it on the free chair between them.

  A waitress came to the table. “Hey, Sean. Haven’t seen you in a while. You could give a girl a complex.”

  When he chose the bar, he hadn’t thought about Amanda possibly working. “Hi, Amanda.”

  He became acutely aware of Emma watching Amanda and him. He prayed Amanda wouldn’t say anything else.

  She smiled broadly and looked at Emma. “What can I get for you?”

  “A shot of Jack and light beer.”

  “Miller,” Sean added.

  “Bottle or tap?”

  “Bottle,” both he and Emma said.

  Amanda tucked a tray under her arm. “That question was for the lady. I’m pretty sure I know how you like it.” Then she spun on her heel and walked off.

  Emma’s mouth eased into a small smile. He wanted to believe she was just being friendly.

  “So how long did you two go out?”

  “Uh . . .”

  Emma waved a hand. “Forget I asked. It was obvious though. You might want to rethink bringing dates here if you’re going to run into your ex.”

  He searched for the words to let her know that Amanda wasn’t exactly an ex when Amanda reappeared with their drinks. She set them down quietly without comment, thank God.

  Emma picked up her beer and took a swig. “Well, you obviously didn’t screw her over too badly, or you’d probably be wearing your beer.”

  “It’s not like that. We had a good night together. Maybe two. Doesn’t quite give her ex status.”

  Sean pointed to the shot and asked, “So what makes this a whiskey night, other than your brother screwing up your car?”

  “Work stuff.”

  “What do you do?”

  Emma grabbed the shot and slammed it back. When she set the glass back down, he noticed a butterfly tattoo peeking out from the tank top on the back of her shoulder. She looked at him. “I’m a teacher.”

  He froze. He hadn’t expected that. One look at the suit she’d worn and he’d assumed some kind of office job, secretary or something. She was a teacher. He laughed as she took a gulp of beer.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “I can’t imagine any teacher I ever had doing a shot of Jack in a bar like this.”

  A dark look passed over her face, but then she covered it with a smile. “I guess we all have some surprises.”

  He reached over and brushed her hair off her shoulder. “I can guarantee I never had a teacher as hot as you. I never would’ve gotten out of school otherwise.”

  Emma snorted at him and then took another drink of beer. “You already got me to the bar, buddy, no need for compliments.”

  Sean’s hand slid away. He didn’t know how to read that. Women usually liked some sweet talk. “Being honest. If you were my teacher, I’d spend all my time imagining you naked.”

  “Show me a good time and you might not have to imagine it.” Her voice was low and a little husky.

  “You mean rigging your car to get you to safety, giving you a ride on my bike, and buying you a drink wasn’t enough?”

  She laughed. That too was a low, sexy sound. “I might be easy, but not that easy.”

  “I can guarantee a good time once you’re naked.” She didn’t look convinced. “In the meantime, we can shoot some darts in back. Or play pool.”

  “Okay, let’s go.” She grabbed her bag and her beer and slid from the chair.

  Sean hadn’t expected her to take him up on the offer, but if that showed her the good time she wanted, he’d play. She made a beeline for the dartboard. As she yanked darts from the cork, he asked, “Is your brother older or younger?”

  She paused and glanced over her shoulder. “Older. Why?”

  He watched her mark three hundred and one on each side of the board. She’d obviously played before. Another thing he didn’t normally picture a teacher doing. “Making conversation. Any other siblings?”

  “Nope. How about you?” She pointed at the board.

  He nodded. “Three brothers and one sister.”

  “Holy cow. Five kids? Who does that?”

  He accepted the darts she handed him. “Irish Catholics. I live in a neighborhood full of ’em.”
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  “Where do you come in?”

  “Dead middle. Two older brothers, one younger, and the baby is my sister.”

  “Uh-oh.”

  “What?”

  “Middle-child syndrome. Always being forgotten, struggling to get a piece of attention.” She pointed a finger in his general direction. “Explains the whole rebel thing you have going on.”

  Rebel? He didn’t think of himself as a rebel. Rebels stirred up trouble. He did what he wanted and expected everyone else to do the same. “You’re off base.”

  “I bet your oldest brother is super responsible.”

  She had him there. Jimmy was the most responsible guy he knew. Sean had always attributed it to Jimmy taking care of them after their mom had been killed. “There are extenuating circumstances.”

  One of her eyebrows arched up. “You and the older brother next in line are middle children. If you’re the rebel, my guess is he’s the clown.”

  Sean froze as he lined up his first shot with a dart. “It’s a little eerie how you did that. I’m not much of a rebel, but Kevin has always been the clown.”

  She bumped him out of the way. “Ladies first.” She let a dart sail across the room. Triple-point eighteen. “And the two youngest are coddled by everyone in the family because they’re the babies.”

  She threw her other two darts for a double twenty and a nineteen.

  “How did you do that?”

  She pointed at the board again. “Good aim.”

  “No. The things about my family.” Sean paused and remembered Leena, who had picked him up at a bar last summer. It wasn’t until after he’d gotten her home that he’d discovered that not only was she one of Jimmy’s exes, but she was weird. “Did you ever go out with Jimmy O’Malley?”

  “No. Who’s Jimmy?”

  “My oldest brother.” He took his mark and threw the dart. Fifteen. First shot and she was already kicking his ass. He halfheartedly finished his turn.

  “As far as I know, I’ve never met an O’Malley. Pretty sure I’d remember.” She took a swig of beer. “As far as understanding birth order, I did a paper on it a few years ago. Fascinating stuff. I bet I could do a whole thesis on the dynamics of a family like yours.”

  He laughed. “My family isn’t that interesting.”

  She stood to take her turn as he yanked his darts from the cork.

  “Hey, by your explanation, your brother would be super responsible like mine. He’d never say he’d fix your car and not do it.”

  She smiled. “Extenuating circumstances.”

  Chapter Two

  Emma’s night had taken a turn for the better. The bar Sean had chosen wasn’t one she’d go to by herself, but it wasn’t crowded, even for a Friday night. It reminded her a little too much of the places her mom had always worked. Looking around at the clientele, she had flashbacks to some skeevy customers.

  Sean’s company more than made up for it, though. He was funny and charming. And sexier than she wanted to admit. Of course, part of that was the alcohol talking. Sean was everything she’d sworn off. From the four-leaf clover with O’MALLEY on his bicep to the wicked glint in his eye, Sean should be off limits. For a while, she’d thought she was judging a book by its cover because he’d been cool to her. Then he’d brought her to a bar where they’d run into one of his exes, someone who clearly thought they might not be over. None of that screamed responsible adult.

  But she’d had a bad day. And it was the weekend. The last real weekend of the summer. The last before she had to go back to work full-time, being responsible and professional, assuming she’d still have her job in a month. What could be the harm in playing for the weekend?

  Emma knew she’d had enough to drink when she was convincing herself to sleep with a guy she knew was bad for her. But as she tossed back another shot, she didn’t care.

  She was at thirty-three points to Sean’s fifty-two. He didn’t seem to be bothered by losing to her, but they were both growing bored with the game. “Watch my bag. I’m going to put some music on.”

  He nodded as he lined up his next shot. The jukebox was old. Like from-the-eighties old. Emma wasn’t sure what kind of music selection it would have, but she hoped for something she could dance to. Not that the place struck her as a club.

  As soon as she stepped up to the machine, a man appeared at her side. “Can I buy you a drink?”

  “No thanks,” she said with a smile. She smelled the beer from a foot away. She knew the type. He’d probably been drinking since early afternoon. Her mom liked this type of customer. They tended to tip well. At least when they could stay upright long enough to remember to tip.

  “C’mon, baby. One drink.” He stepped closer as Emma slid her money into the jukebox.

  She shrugged and slid a little more to the side. “I’m here with someone.”

  He huffed but backed away. Emma focused on the music. Like the box itself, the music was all old, mostly classic rock. She chose some Doors and Janis Joplin. “Me and Bobby McGee” popped up first, and Emma danced her way back to Sean, whose eyes were steady on her. She wondered if he’d witnessed the drunk hitting on her. That summed up how the rest of her summer had gone. Another reason to let loose for one weekend with a sexy guy.

  “Cute dance. I’ll let you enjoy it a minute before you see the board.”

  She shoved at his shoulder and peered at the board. He’d hit a bull’s-eye. She squinted at him. “Did you cheat?”

  “No. I’m just that good.” He smirked and she couldn’t decide if she should believe him. “But to show you I’m a gracious winner, I’ll buy you another drink.”

  “I shouldn’t.”

  He pointed to a table. “You just put music on, so you should stay to enjoy it. I’m done drinking since I’m driving.”

  She was already feeling buzzed, and going home didn’t sound good. “Okay. No shot, though. Just a beer.”

  While she waited for Sean to return with her drink, she closed her eyes and let the music play around her, relaxing her. It felt so good to let go of everything.

  “Not falling asleep on me, I hope.”

  She popped her eyes open. “Enjoying the music.” Hopping off her stool, she grabbed her beer and added, “Dance with me.”

  “I don’t dance.”

  She wiggled her hips as she backed away from the table. “You don’t need to do much. Stand there and look pretty.”

  He stepped close and wrapped an arm around her waist. “I’m not pretty.”

  She settled into his embrace. “Your eyes are. Pretty and flirtatious and wicked sexy.”

  He chuckled, sending a vibration through his chest. They moved much slower than the beat of the music, but she didn’t care. He was strong and solid against her, and for the moment, that was enough.

  They swayed and Sean pressed her close. He smelled good even though she could sniff a hint of oil from work and he felt even better. Emma knew she’d go home with him if he asked. And at this point, they both knew it. She pulled away a bit and looked up into those amazing eyes. “Want to get out of here?”

  “If that’s what you want.”

  “Yeah.”

  He released her. “You finish your beer while I go to the bathroom.”

  She slung her bag across her chest and chugged her beer. When a hand landed on her hip, she assumed Sean had pissed fast. She turned to find the drunk guy behind her. Stepping back, she said, “Excuse me.”

  “You’re alone.”

  “No, I’m not. My date went to the bathroom.”

  “C’mon, sweetheart.” He reached for her again.

  Emma stepped back and bumped the table, sending her empty bottle rolling off. “Back off,” she said as sharply as she could muster.

  He put his hands on the table behind her, boxing her in. She couldn’t breathe without getting a lungful of his nastiness. Watery blue eyes stared at her mouth. Wide shoulders blocked her view of the bathrooms, which she prayed Sean would be out of soon. She could strike
out and hit this guy, hurt him enough to get away, but she didn’t want to cause a scene. Adults didn’t get into bar fights. She was past all that. Sean’s appearance would make the guy leave her alone.

  His hands edged closer to her waist, and he lowered his head. Emma bent backward as she pushed her palms against his shoulders.

  Then suddenly the weight and stench were gone. Smelly dude jerked back. Sean. She stepped forward and realized Sean wasn’t just pulling him off, he was swinging on him.

  “Sean, it’s okay.”

  He glanced at her and she saw another look in his eyes, one that said no way in hell was it okay. The guy rushed at him, but Sean sidestepped and then punched him in the ribs. The guy doubled over, but it wasn’t enough for Sean. He hit him two more times until the guy sprawled on the floor.

  Emma stood, staring. She hadn’t wanted a scene. She should be offended at the act of violence, but she wasn’t. In fact, she was a little turned on by it. Another reason why Sean was bad for her. He was like every guy she’d ever fallen for. Charming and quick to brawl, making her feel like a swoony teenager instead of a professional adult.

  But she’d never had someone come to her defense like that before. In that respect, he was different. Then Sean filled her field of vision.

  “Are you okay?”

  She nodded, not trusting her voice.

  “You sure?”

  “Yeah,” she whispered.

  He grabbed her hand. “Then we better get out of here before the cops show.”

  That snapped her attention and she let him pull her out of the bar. Sean was on the motorcycle and revving the engine as she pulled on the helmet. She scooted close and held tight. He tore away from the bar, and she shut her eyes against the onslaught of movement. The alcohol still buzzed through her system. The speed and the vibrations overwhelmed her. Just as she was about to tap Sean to have him stop, he pulled over.

  She sat, still curved around him feeding off the energy pulsing from him through her hands splayed on his torso. His heart raced beneath her palm. It wasn’t until he took one of her hands and peeled it away that she realized what she was doing. He looked at her over his shoulder.