Page 54 of Sky Full of Stars

After that we fall into easy conversation, have a few more drinks, some of the regulars start to leave but there are still plenty of people here to make it feel like a regular bar, not just the three of us shut in. I can see Adam is amused by the dynamic between Brooke and I, especially when Bon Jovi’s ‘Livin on A Prayer’ comes on and she squeals and grabs me. Adam watches as we slide out of the booth. It is one of our favourites and we always sing and dance when it comes on. Lou and two of his friends are singing along too, it’s kind of a McAllister’s anthem. As Brooke spins me and I see Adam looking, the room seems to go quiet. He’s side on in the booth holding his beer bottle between his thumb and forefinger and he is staring at me. It’s pretty hard to dance sexy to this song but it seems sexy isn’t necessary because dancing like a loon, spinning or with my back against Brooke’s as we sing, is holding his attention enough to make my heart pound.

“He so wants you,” Brooke whispers.

“I know,” I smile at her. I’ve already told her I’m holding out on him, at first she was horrified but my reasoning is sound and she eventually came around to my way of thinking.

“His hand is going to be so broken tomorrow.”

I laugh and push her. When a Bruce Springsteen song comes on, we go back to the booth. Adam is forced to move in between us but he doesn’t move far enough over for me to go anywhere other than pressed against him. Brooke announces she needs the ladies room and walks away.

“You okay?” I ask him, wiping my hair out of my eyes.

“No.”

I widen my eyes, anxious.

“I’ve never seen anyone enjoy a song like that,” his eyes go down to my lips. “I really wanna see you do that to one of my songs.”

I laugh softly, glad there isn’t something seriously wrong. “Which one?”

“Any,” he puts his hand on my shoulder, his fingers brushing my bare skin. He looks so serious, I can see the pure lust in his eyes. “To see you dance like that.” I notice Brooke is back from the ladies room but she is at the bar talking to Lou. He notices too. “This place is great, the guys would love it here. Maybe I’ll bring them when we’re all in New York. I think Arch would really like Brooke. I think they all would but Arch would be the only one I’d let talk to her,” he grins. “Shit, I really don’t want to go back to LA.”

“You’re not leaving yet,” I point out. I don’t want him to go either but I don’t want to think about that right now. For now, we’re in a bubble and he’s not a famous rock star.

“So,” he pulls his head out of his lustful thoughts. “Tell me about Lou, seems like he’s really protective of you, he keeps looking at me like he wants to kill me,” he adds.

“Lou and my dad grew up together. They were joined at the hip mom says, went through school together, then both trained to be EMT’s, joined the FDNY together.”

“Your dad was a fire fighter?” he asks, surprised.

I nod. “He died on the job,” I say, lowering my eyes. I didn’t tell him yesterday what happened, just that he died when I was young. His eyes go sad for me. “It was a pretty bad building fire, an industrial warehouse. There were workers trapped inside. They were doing everything they could to get them out. Dad and his squad kept going in and out rescuing as many as they could. Dad somehow ended up trapped with someone. They did everything they could to get them out but by the time they got to him, his oxygen had run out, he’d given the mask to the woman he was with but both of them…” I swallow. Adam pulls me to him. “Lou carried him out. His whole squad wouldn’t leave him there, they risked their lives to get him. The building collapsed about fifteen minutes later. He would have been stuck in there if Lou hadn’t brought him out.”

“I’m sorry, sweetheart,” he says kissing the top of my head.

“Ever since then, Lou has looked out for me and my mom. The whole firehouse did, it’s like this huge family and when one of them dies, they look after his. I remember there was always someone coming around and despite Lou taking over the real father figure type role, I had a lot of dads for a few years afterward. Still, all of them are retired now or in senior management but we still always get together for the annual FDNY summer picnic and a lot of times they come in. That guy there,” I point to the man talking to Brooke at the bar. “He was dad’s lieutenant.”

“I’m glad you had so many people looking out for you,” he tells me.

“Sometimes too many,” I laugh. “When I was a teenager, if any guy looked at me sideways at the picnics they’d all be glaring at him.”

“They’d have killed me then. Explains why I’m getting the stink eye too.”

“I’ve told him he doesn’t need to worry.”

“He really doesn’t,” Adam says quietly. I can feel his breath on my ear. He lightly presses his lips to my temple. “Why don’t we get out of here, let him close up.”

“And what exactly do you have in mind?”

“It’s late,” he says. “I’m thinking sleep but…not alone.”

“You want to sleep with me?” I laugh.

“You know I do,” he groans. “I do however respect your wishes and I’m always true to my word. But if I get to sleep next to you, I promise to keep my hands to myself.”

“Not sure I believe you.”

“Give me a chance to prove it,” his blue eyes lock with mine.

“Yeah, that look really makes me believe you.” He throws his head back and laughs and I tell myself I need to send him back to his hotel. Right now.

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