Burn Falls Read online

  After the light show that lasted about twenty minutes, Draven and I headed back to Burn Falls. He kissed me goodnight on the front porch making me feel like a love-sick teenager. Once he left, I crawled into bed and slept for a few hours until it was time to head to the airport.

  Valencia grilled me about my date the entire flight home, and then I questioned her about her evening with Athan. He’d shown up after I’d left, and they went to the bar for drinks. She said nothing happened, and that she’d probably never see him again since he lived in Russia. I had no doubt in my mind that once she got home, she was going to check her passport to make sure it hadn’t expired.

  “I can’t believe you’re leaving in two weeks. I’m going to miss you,” V said as the Uber driver drove to my apartment. We were sharing a car and then she was heading to her place after they dropped me off.

  “I know. Promise me you’ll come visit?”

  “Of course. Hearing about the Northern Lights makes me want to see them now. You’ll have to take me, though we aren’t kissing.”

  We both laughed. “I will take you, and I promise not to kiss you. Once my mother gets back on her feet, and I find my own place, I’ll fly you out to help me decorate.”

  “Deal.”

  We said our goodbyes after the driver pulled up to my building, and as I made my way up to my apartment, my phone buzzed in my purse. Draven:

  Did you make it home safely?

  I smiled and texted back.

  Yes, just walking in the door now.

  Good. I’m heading to the hospital now. I’ll call you later if I get a break.

  The ringing of my phone woke me from my dreams. Glancing at the clock, I saw that it was almost midnight.

  “Hello?” I answered, my voice groggy.

  “Hey, it’s Draven. Sorry to wake you.”

  “I wasn’t asleep,” I lied.

  He chuckled into the phone. “Right. I’ll let you go.”

  “No!” I shot up in bed, fully awake at that moment. “It’s okay. Really.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes, I want to know how your night has been.”

  “Hasn’t been too bad. People in with the flu and whatnot. Did you start packing?”

  “No. I need to get boxes tomorrow after work.”

  “So, uh …” Draven hesitated. “I called my friend Martin and told him that you might need his help to move.”

  “What? You did?” Even though I was giving my two-week notice at work, I still had a month before I had to be out of my apartment.

  “I know what it’s like to pick your life up and move thousands of miles away, sweetheart. I wish that I could be there to help you every step of the way, and I figured that Martin was the next best thing. He’s my best friend besides Athan.”

  “You didn’t need to that.”

  “So, you have it all planned out?”

  “Well, no.”

  He paused for a moment, and I envisioned him taking in a deep breath. “I need to tell you something.”

  I swallowed. “Okay?”

  “I haven’t been completely honest with you …”

  My heart dropped in my chest as I waited for him to continue. I had no idea what he was going to tell me, and it made me instantly nervous.

  “Ever since you told me that you witnessed your father’s attack, I’ve been worried that the person would come back and finish the job.”

  I sighed with relief. He was just worried about me. My heart swelled. “But I didn’t see his face.”

  “We know that, but it doesn’t mean the attacker knows that.”

  “But why does it matter now? I’m all the way in Seattle, and nothing more happened while I was home in Burn Falls.”

  “It matters because I don’t want you to have to drive by yourself back to Burn Falls, and I won’t be able to make the drive with you.”

  “It’s not like the guy can smell me coming.”

  “No, but what would happen if your truck broke down? There are monsters in this world—you know this.” Draven was right. What would happen if I broke down in the middle of nowhere with no cell service? I hadn’t really thought about my move or the fact that I’d have to drive a moving truck back to Burn Falls. What about my car? Would I be able to tow it while driving a large truck? I’d never towed anything in my life, nor had I ever driven a moving truck. And I didn’t want to sell my belongings because I didn’t have the money to completely start over. Sure, I’d make money when I was on the payroll at OBB, but I loved everything I owned.

  I was far from being a damsel in distress, but knowing that Draven was worried about me made me feel warm inside. “Right,” I breathed. “So, you asked your friend to move me all the way to Alaska?”

  “Yes. He’s a Lieutenant with Seattle PD and can keep you safe if anything happens.”

  “Thank you, but I don’t think I need a police escort.”

  Draven chuckled. “It’s not because he’s a cop. I trust him because he’s one of my best friends, who just happens to be with the police department.”

  “Thanks, but I can’t let a stranger help me. Moving is a lot of work, and I’d feel uncomfortable making him help me.”

  “Then you’ll just have to meet him this weekend when I’m there so he’s no longer a stranger. I’ll make him help you.”

  I smiled as I thought about Draven coming on Saturday night. The thought of seeing him was giving me those warm feelings again, though it wasn’t going to be a long trip. He’d said that he had to help Martin with something.

  “I’m being paged, sweets. Have a good day at work tomorrow, and I’ll call you on my break tomorrow night.”

  “Okay. Have a good night, Hottie McNaughty.”

  “Hottie McNaughty?” Draven laughed.

  “Yeah. Haven’t you ever seen Grey’s Anatomy?”

  “Um … no?”

  “The hot doctors are Mc whatever. So, I’ve dubbed you Hottie McNaughty.”

  He chuckled again. “Good to know you think I’m hot. But how do you know I’m naughty?”

  My face flamed. I didn’t know for certain if he was naughty or not, but given what I thought he’d told me the night at Maxwell’s, I hoped he had a naughty side to him. “Just a hunch.”

  I could hear the smile still in his voice as he said, “All right, sweets. I’ll talk to you later. Hottie McNaughty has to go save some lives now.”

  I’d been at the bank for over five years, and now I was leaving because I was a distillery owner. Well, almost an owner. Mother had called and said that her meeting with the attorney went well. They faxed me documents to sign, and then they were filing them with the county recorder’s office. The attorney said it would take four to six weeks to transfer over and I was okay with that. It gave me time to get settled back in Burn Falls. Also, for the time being, Ted and the master distiller, Willy, were running what they could until I took over.

  The rest of the week was kind of a blur. I packed, checked in on my mother, and then talked to Draven for a few minutes each night. I hadn’t talked to V much, but tonight was my second to last Margarita Friday with her. I met her at our usual place, Unicorn, and we bellied up to the bar. Chance, of course, was the bartender; however, V wasn’t paying him any attention.

  “You’re over him?” I asked, motioning with my head toward Chance as he was at the other end of the bar pouring drinks.

  She bit her bottom lip but didn’t say a word.

  “What?”

  “I have to tell you something.”

  “I’m not getting any younger here.” I grinned.

  “Monday night I got a call from Athan.” She smiled, and I took a sip of my drink while I waited for her to continue. “And I may have seen him every night since.”

  “What?” I choked on my margarita. “He’s been in Seatt
le all week?”

  “Yeah. He comes over when I get home from work, we have dinner, and then we … you know. I pass out, and he leaves.”

  “He leaves? Where does he go?”

  V shrugged. “He said he was staying with that guy Martin.”

  “So, it’s a nightly hook-up?”

  “Pretty much.” She nodded.

  “And you’re okay with that?”

  “It’s not like he’s going to move here. We’re just having fun.”

  “As long as you’re happy, I won’t give you shit.”

  She leaned toward me and lowered her voice. “You know what’s weird though?”

  “What?”

  “I swear he fucks me so hard I have amnesia.”

  Oh, dear Lord. I laughed—hard. “What the fuck?”

  Valencia shook her head slowly as though she was trying to think of how to explain herself. She took a sip of her drink. “I know we have sex. You can always tell when you have sex, you know? And I remember bits and pieces, but I can’t remember every detail. Also, my neck is always sore the next morning.”

  “Are you drunk?”

  “Now?”

  “No! When you two are—”

  “No. That’s the thing. I have maybe a glass of wine. Max.”

  “Have you asked him about it?”

  “Ask him what? ‘Hey so this is crazy, but I can’t remember us fucking. Do you know why?’ Talk about an ego buster.”

  “Well, when you put it that way.” We laughed. God, I was going to miss her. “Maybe you should record it?”

  “Ladies.”

  I turned my head around to see the man of discussion standing behind us.

  “Athan!” V beamed. “What are you doing here?”

  “My boy Draven said that I might find you two here.”

  “You’re looking for us?” I asked.

  “I’m looking for this one.” Athan wrapped his arm around Valencia and pulled her against him.

  “You found her, but it’s Margarita Friday so you can’t take her,” I stated.

  “Not wanting to take her—yet. Is it cool if I hang with you two?”

  Valencia and I looked at each other, and I shrugged. “Only if you’re buying.” V smirked.

  Oh! Good one.

  “Not a problem.” Athan moved to the guy who was sitting next to Valencia, tapped him on the shoulder and asked, “Don’t you want to move over?”

  “Athan!” V scolded.

  Athan and the man’s gazes stayed locked until the guy said, “Yes.” He got up, and Athan sat in his place.

  “Rude much?” V asked.

  “What?” Athan’s brows furrowed as though he wasn’t impolite to the guy.

  “You could have asked him nicely,” V chastised.

  “I did.” Athan lifted his arm to flag down Chance.

  “All right you two,” I said. “You guys can work this out later.”

  “Oh, we will.” Athan winked at Valencia, and she blushed. She might not remember every detail of them having sex, but she definitely remembered something.

  Chance gave a head tilt and moved to Athan. “What can I get for you, man?”

  Athan grinned at me and then turned back to Chance. “O’Bannion Burn. Neat.”

  Chance rotated around and grabbed the bottle of whiskey from the top shelf.

  “So, Athan. What made you move to Russia?” I asked as I watched Chance pour two fingers of the amber liquid that was my legacy.

  “It’s a long story, but essentially, I vacationed there a few years back and just decided to move there.”

  “Wow, that’s amazing,” I said.

  “It was at first, but now I’m thinking of moving to Burn Falls.”

  “Really?” Valencia asked with hope in her voice.

  Burn Falls was still far from Seattle, but closer than Russia. I wasn’t even sure which part of Russia he lived in.

  “Does Draven know?” I asked before he could answer V.

  “Nope. I haven’t made the decision yet, but I love how secluded it is, and how most people just pass through. Before I make that decision, I’ll need to tie up some things in Russia though.”

  “Maybe I’ll hire you at OBB then,” I joked.

  “One can dream.” He smirked. “But I’d drink every drop before you could sell any whiskey.” Athan took a big gulp from his glass.

  Athan and Valencia dropped me off at home, and after taking a shower, I crawled into bed and sent a goodnight text to Draven.

  Hope your night is going well. I can’t wait to see you tomorrow.

  I fell asleep before he texted me back, but the next morning I saw his reply:

  Night, sweetheart. Can’t wait to see you either.

  I packed all day while I thought about Draven and what our night would be like together. Because of his schedule, he thought it would be best to take a late flight so he could get enough sleep. I didn’t argue with him, though I would have loved to spend the entire day together. Nonetheless, his flight wasn’t getting in until ten at night.

  Even though Draven had told me that he’d help box everything up, I ended up doing it all. I didn’t think he’d mind because it would give us more time to spend together. I didn’t know his exact plan with his friend, but I figured not having to help me pack would be a better situation for all of us.

  Just boarded. Can’t wait to taste you … I mean, kiss you. ;)

  I sucked in a breath as I read his words and then texted back:

  I can’t wait either.

  I took the time he was in the air to shower and get ready to see him. I was excited to see him obviously and the minutes ticked by as though they were hours.

  When I arrived at the airport, my heart rate kicked up a notch, and I became nervous as I waited for him at baggage claim. Was he going to kiss me? Was he only going to hug me? I had no idea what to expect. All the men I dated before had lived in Seattle. I knew what we were. But with Draven, I had no clue. Were we dating? Boyfriend and girlfriend? Fuck buddies like Valencia and Athan? Granted, we weren’t technically screwing, but I’d shaved all the right places before coming to the airport in hopes we would tonight.

  My phone buzzed in my purse, and I pulled it out to see Draven had texted me:

  Just landed and about to get off the plane.

  I’m at baggage claim.

  See you soon, sweets.

  I smiled as I texted him back:

  Can’t wait, Hottie McNaughty.

  You know I need to really live up to that name, right?

  What do you mean?

  You call me McNaughty. There’s only one way of making that true.

  My face became hot, and I knew it was as red as the sweater I was wearing.

  How’s that?

  You’ll find out soon enough.

  I started to pace back and forth near the passengers who were waiting for their bags, and I wondered how this was my life. I wasn’t pleased that my father was dead, but I was glad that something good had come of it. Lost in thought, I didn’t realize that Draven was standing behind me.

  “Excuse me, miss. I’m looking for a ride to my girl’s apartment. Do you think you can help me out?”

  My girl’s ...

  Floor, meet heart—again.

  Heart, I’m assuming you and floor will become best friends given this man makes you fall out of my chest.

  I turned, and when his gaze locked with mine and he smiled, I flung myself into his arms. Draven picked me up off the ground as though I weighed nothing. “How did you get here so fast?”

  “Ran,” he mumbled into my ear.

  I pulled back and then his lips met mine for a few beats before he set me on the ground.

  “Ready?” Draven asked.

  “Do we need
to wait for your bag or anything?”

  He patted the bag over his shoulder. “Only have this one.”

  I smiled, and he grabbed my hand. “You should really ask your doctor about your circulation problem. Your hand is really cold.”

  “Is it?” he asked as we walked out of the building and toward the garage. “I’m so used to it that I don’t even notice.”

  “Did you eat dinner? We can stop and get you soup or something. That should warm you up.”

  “I did, but I can think of another way that involves a lot less clothes.”

  Yep, glad I shaved everywhere.

  “You want me to come in, Calla?” Draven asked between kisses.

  “Yes,” I panted, my back against the door while his lips kissed along the side of my neck.

  “Invite me in then.”

  “What?”

  He lifted his head and stared into my green eyes. “Call me old-fashioned, but you need to invite me in.”

  “Okay …” My brows furrowed. Of course he was invited in. I’d picked him up at the airport and drove him here. I wasn’t going to make him stay in the car all night. “Draven, please come in so we don’t give the neighbors a show.”

  He grinned wickedly and had my door open to my apartment before I realized what was happening. We were back to being in a rush of lust, our mouths pressed together, our tongues tasting and sucking.

  “Fuck,” he groaned as the door slammed behind me. “Are you sure about this?”

  “Why wouldn’t I be?” I asked, reaching for his sweater so that I could strip him of it.

  “I don’t know if I can be gentle.”

  “I don’t want you to be.” Fuck was that the truth. I was burning with the need to see what was under all of his clothes. To feel his naked body pressed to mine as we were joined together and moving in sync with each other. I wasn’t a virgin, and I didn’t need to have my hand held. I was a twenty-eight-year-old woman with needs, and my needs needed to be met and fast. Life was too short to have regrets, and I didn’t think I’d regret being with this man. If anything, he’d regret being with me.