Page 75 of Firefly Effect

He frowns. “It’s my job to notice things.”

I plant a hand on his chest and push. “Get out of here, now. Actually…” I swivel around to locate the few people still left at the bar and cup my hands around my mouth. “Firefly is now closed. Everyone needs to go.” I wave to Armando, Kyle, and Janessa. “You guys too. Everyone out.”

Wide eyes greet this pronouncement, but I don’t get any arguments. Everyone shuffles out except for Lincoln. I don’t need to tell him to stay. Let’s be honest—even if I did tell him to leave, he wouldn’t.

I close the door behind Gabe, the last one to leave, then I lock it, deadbolt and all. Lincoln helps me close all the blinds before we meet each other in the center of the room to take a breath.

“What now, Evie?” Lincoln obviously already has something devilish in mind.

I grin, because I do too. “How about that date?”

After ordering us a steak dinner and cheesecake to share from the nearby diner, I pour us both a glass of Tennessee Fire to sip on. I can’t remember how or why we ended up on top of the bar, sitting cross-legged while he fills me in on all the changes in his life that came with becoming a father to Lucy. I hear about learning how to change a diaper, getting thrown up on too many times before he figured out that Lucy had an intolerance to sweet potatoes, and planning to be the most intimidating father alive to anyone she dares to bring home.

I shake my head. “You say that now, but she already has you wrapped around her finger.”

He sets his glass down. “That she does, but that doesn’t mean I have to go easy on her boyfriends. They need to know there’s a loaded rifle waiting for them if they don’t treat her right.”

I smile and reach for his hand, squeezing it. “You’re not going to need to do that, considering she’s being raised by you, and any man she falls in love with will have to live up to the standards you’ve set—the way you treat her and how hard you love her.”

Lincoln’s eyes soften, and he leans in to kiss me softly. “Well, damn. Another reason you should move in. You just might save the lives of innocent men.”

I laugh and pour us another glass of whiskey. “And how would you like it if Lucy moved in with a guy she knew for two months?”

Lincoln’s lip curls in a snarl. “I’d kill hi—” He catches himself, and his mouth drops in horror. “That was fucked-up.”

Laughing, I set my glass to my lips. “Just trying to make a point.”

He waves a hand in the air. “It’s not the same thing, and you know it.”

I just smile, not wanting to argue.

“Was your father protective of you growing up?” he asks. “I know you said your parents were oblivious, but what about when it came to men?”

I shake my head. “I didn’t date in high school. I had some crushes, but I was too riddled with anxiety after Carley’s death to allow myself to feel much for anyone. Panic attacks were a frequent thing.”

I bring my hands together and squeeze them. Just talking about my high school days triggers old feelings. “I was getting in so much trouble in school because of the anxiety. My teachers didn’t know how to deal with me, and my parents didn’t know what kind of help to get me. Or they didn’t care. So I just kept going back to school, dealing with the same old shitty peers. This one girl would follow me and taunt me. One day, after I warned her several times to leave me alone, I ended up slamming her into the water fountain.”

Cringing, I bring my eyes up to meet Lincoln’s. He looks to be in awe of my story, free of judgment, free of disgust. He’s just… listening.

“I guess I snapped.”

Lincoln scoots forward, lifting my legs so they wrap around him and I’m sitting in his lap. “Who could blame you for snapping, Evie? You’d never dealt with the trauma of Carley’s death. You were expected to carry on like normal.” His eyes dart between mine. “Like you were a firefly trapped in a jar, starved for air but continuing to flutter your wings. No one set you free, not even when your light was dimming.”

Something about his analogy makes my throat tighten with emotion. “So I cracked the jar and escaped?”

Lincoln nods. “You escaped and you survived. You did what you had to do.” His eyes are warm. “Whatever happened to that girl at school, anyway?”

I grimace. “She walked away with a bloody, broken nose, but her parents sued mine, and that’s when my parents were done with me.”

Lincoln’s jaw clenches. “Sounds like you should be thanking that girl’s parents for getting you out of there.”

Smiling, I slide my arms up his chest and around his neck. “Trust me, that’s the way I see it now. That incident was just proof of the help I wasn’t getting at home.” My thoughts spinning, I shake my head with a soft laugh. “Okay, enough serious talk. I’m too tipsy for that.” I lean in, kissing his delectable lips, loving the scratch of his beard against my chin. “Hmm.” The noise comes from the back of my throat when I taste his lips. “You taste like Fire.”

He grins before kissing me back. “So do you.” He hums against my mouth. “Who needs a shot when they can have you?”

It’s not just the alcohol that has my head buzzing. It’s my heart vibrating with happiness and my soul blossoming under his spell. I lose all sense of myself, clinging to him as I crush my lips to his. A low growl rumbles between us, and I take that as a positive sign. Especially when his teeth take hold of my bottom lip and my tongue lashes into his mouth like a weapon.

His hands become greedy, pulling at my top and lifting it over my head. I follow his lead, removing his shirt and tossing it to the floor. An intoxicating thrall envelops us in a haze of heat and passion. He fumbles a little with the clasp of my bra, only turning me on more. The fact that he doesn’t have the pinch-and-twist down like he’s in a race to win some kind of trophy is a total green flag.

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