Tessa Teevan - Incinerate

“Jace McAllister. Look, I couldn’t help but over hear your…non-conversation earlier, and I just wanted to tell you that it’s not you.”

Unable to contain my laughter, I nearly choke on the sip of beer I just took and it burns my nose when I snort. Real sexy, Charlie. Rubbing my hands over my face, I cannot believe what I’m hearing. “Oh, Jesus. Fucking custodians and now the brush-off? Are you seriously giving me the ‘it’s not you, it’s me’ line for your friend? Please, God, tell me this is not happening.”

His brow furrows and he starts to protest, but my tirade continues. “Look, my life is pathetic enough. I’m sitting in the middle of a bar, playing Words with Friends with my dad while my best friend salivates over guys playing pool. I try, for the first time in two months, to talk to a guy and he’s not even interested in my name. And you know what? Yesterday, I’d be a huge melting pool of lust with one look in your mouthwateringly gorgeous blue eyes—bluer than I’ve ever seen to tell you the truth—but today? Nope. All I see is Rugged Man. So please, take your ‘it’s not you’ and shove it up his ass.”

I huff and down the rest of my drink, slightly mortified that I just went off like that but patting myself on the back at the same time. Jace is staring at me, eyes wide for just a moment before he busts out laughing, shaking his head at first me and then someone behind us. Turning around, I see Rugged Man scowling at both of us before turning to talk to the other guy sitting next to him. After glaring at him, I turn back around to Jace, who’s still chuckling.

“One, I’m not going anywhere near his ass, so you can forget that. Two, he didn’t send me over here to say anything, and I’m not here to hit on you. I swear. I’m happily taken. Here’s the thing. He’s not exactly in the best place right now, but he really doesn’t mean to be an asshole. He just comes across that way.”

I sigh, realizing I’m not surprised this one’s in a relationship. She must be one lucky lady. “Why are you telling me this? He wasn’t even really a jerk. He just…gave me the brush-off. It’s no big deal. Really. It’s fine. I don’t need an explanation.” Shooting him a confident smile, I pray he’s done with this line of conversation. It’s mortifying enough that I look so pathetic sitting by myself that he had to approach me, and I don’t want him thinking I need him to apologize for his friend.

He nods and positions his crutches so that he can get up from the stool. “I believe you. I just wanted to make sure that you knew that he has issues right now and any other time I know he’d be dying to ask you out. Maybe we’ll see you around, Charlotte?”

As much as I’d love to get to know these guys, I’m silently hoping I never have to see them again and that this night will become a very distant memory. Instead, I grin at him. “Sure. I’m sure we’ll run into each other sometime around town. Y’all have a good night.”

He gives me one last look before crutching back to his table. I watch him expertly maneuver across the bar, and I can’t help my take one last glance at Rugged Man. His eyes are watching me, and a cocky grin spreads across his face as he catches me checking him out. Before I can do anything, Lucy finally remembers that I’m here and she stands in front of me, blocking my view. She has the two pool players with her and she introduces them to me as Ben and Michael. They’re both attractive and friendly as we move to a high-top table and make easy conversation.

It becomes pretty apparent that Lucy’s wanting us to pair up, and as nice as this guy is, I can’t stop sneaking peeks at the object of my night’s affections. As the next two hours pass, I can feel his eyes watching me, and I swear I catch a scowl on his face when Michael’s hand grazes the small of my back when we get up to leave.

Right before exiting the bar, I take one last look back. His dark eyes pierce mine, momentarily paralyzing me in my spot. The cocky grin is gone, and all I see is lust, anger, and something else. The combination confuses me. His eyes graze down my body one last time, and I’m mesmerized as my legs begin to gravitate towards him. Before I can make it two steps, Lucy grabs my arm and leads me out of the bar, my eyes not leaving his until the door closes in my face

Knox

I WAKE up with a pounding headache, wishing I hadn’t had so much to drink the night before. I haven’t been able to drink in months, first from being deployed and then from the pain pills. That combined with the lack of appetite I’ve had lately, also because of the damn pills, makes for one fucking lightweight. Feeling like a teenager who got drunk for the first time, my mouth is dry as hell, and my stomach is rolling. I’m regretting the extra tequila shots I took after I blew that girl off.

Getting up out of the bed, I’m thankful that Cohen helped me put on a pair of basketball shorts last night before he headed to the guest room. His being gone is really going to suck ass. I’m probably going to end up smelling awful and looking like a bum. There’s no way I’m letting some strange guy help me get dressed.

As I brush my teeth, I can hear Cohen moving around the kitchen and I silently beg the gods of hangovers that he’s brewing coffee. I desperately need caffeine after a night of drinking and then tossing and turning with thoughts of the beautiful Charlotte, whose gorgeous whiskey colored eyes have been on my mind since we last locked gazes before her friend dragged her out of the bar with those two asshole guys.

I have no idea why I care, but every time the guy next to her touched her hand or grazed her back, my body tensed and I got irritated as hell. It’s completely irrational, especially since I made an ass of myself when she was only trying to introduce herself. I know I’m still reeling from seeing Megan, and honestly, I’m in no fucking state to get involved with anyone.

Right, because a chick introducing herself means she wants you. Whatever. I’m sure I’ll never see that girl again, even after Jace tried to do damage control—not that I needed or wanted him to. I’m not sure what my issue is, but there was something in the way she looked me over that I couldn’t stop thinking about. She was looking at me, the man, and I swear I felt a stirring in my dick when I caught her licking her lips. It was the first time in weeks that I hadn’t had to ignore the sympathetic, pitying looks, and for some reason it unnerved me, catching me entirely off guard. Deep down, a part of me feels like a dick for the brush-off, but I know it was for the best. Plus, she had Jace, Captain fucking America himself, to make her feel better.

Leaving the bathroom I make my way down the hall and find Jace lounging on the couch, watching Cohen playing Metal Gear Solid on my PS3. I get a head nod from both of them as I head to the kitchen, where I’m relieved to find a full coffee pot waiting for me. Grabbing a mug, I fill a carafe so I won’t have to get back up, because after a night out without my brace, I’m feeling sore as hell. Right now, I want nothing more than to sit in my recliner for the rest of the day without moving an inch.

When I’m about to settle into the recliner the doorbell rings. I glance at the clock on the wall and realize that my babysitter is here half an hour early. I’m grateful that Jace and Cohen are both still around. Who knows what kind of man is showing up to volunteer to help me? The doorbell rings again, and I’m already irritated with the impatience of this person. They both look at me questioningly, obviously not willing to stop their game to open the door. Setting down the coffee, I slowly walk towards the front door, and I hear a knock. “Hold the fuck on!” I yell, already not liking this Charlie guy.

I’m swearing as I open the door, stopping mid-sentence when my eyes meet the same big, beautiful brown ones I haven’t been able to stop thinking about. When she sees me, she inhales sharply and looks down at the piece of paper in her hand. How in the hell did she find out where I lived? Jace… It had to have been Jace.

“Stalkin’ me, sweetheart?” I ask, leaning my right shoulder against the doorframe as I watch the frown spread across her face. She takes a step back, checks the address on the side of my house, and then looks back at me.

“Unfuckingbelievable,” she whispers, groaning as her small, delicate hand rubs her forehead. I’m slightly taken aback at her comment, seeing as she’s the one who’s found herself on my doorstep.

“Good morning to you, too, sweetheart. If you came looking for Jace, you’re the most delusional broad I’ve ever met.”

Glaring at me, she places her hands on her hips. “First of all, we’ve never had the pleasure of meeting. I’m pretty sure I introduced myself and you blew me off. Second of all, I’m not here for Jace, although I wouldn’t mind telling him he’d be better off giving you a lesson in manners rather than cleaning up after you.”

“Who is it?!” Cohen yells from the living room, and Charlotte takes it as an invitation. She picks up the briefcase that’s sitting at her feet, shoving past me and into the house in the direction of voices. God dammit, I do not need this right now, I think as I shut the door and follow her into the living room. Apparently her entrance is worthy of a game pause, and both Jace and Cohen are looking back and forth between the two of us, watching the show playing out before them.

“Charlotte?” Jace asks hesitantly, slowly pushing himself up into a sitting position on the couch.

She gives him a wave as Cohen questions, “You know her?” Jace gives a slight shake of his head and then reminds my brother that she was at the bar the night before. Cohen’s eyes widen, and I know he remembers the mood I was in after our encounter.

Before anyone can speak, I spout off, feeling more than irritated. “What the hell are you trying to pull, J. Mac?”

Crinkling his nose, he looks at me, at Charlotte, and then back at me. His eyes light up as if something’s magically popped into his head, and he falls back against the couch in a fit of laughter. Glancing at Charlotte, I can see that she’s trying to suppress a grin as she watches him, and I feel a bitter pull of jealousy over the fact that he’s been able to make her smile when all I get are glares.

“Dude, what the fuck is wrong with you?” I ask, breaking his fit of hysteria. His laughter dies down and he meets my eyes, his grin spreading like crazy across his face.

“Knox, this is Charlotte… Charlotte, meet Knox,” he says, waving his hand between the two of us.

She slowly turns and looks at me, but I notice I don’t get the same grin from her that Jace does. I tip my head towards her, pretending that I’m not wanting to drown in those deep brown eyes.

“God, you’re a fucking idiot,” Jace says, breaking my concentration.

“Umm, what the hell?” I ask, but I’m interrupted by a sweet, Southern drawl.

“Excuse me, boys, but I need to get to work. Now that we’ve done the introductions, I need the details on his injuries, his needs, and what I can do to accommodate him.”

Cohen’s mouth drops open at her statement, and my one-track mind is moving right along with him. I may not be in the market for a relationship, but I’m suddenly ready to allow her to accommodate me anyway she wants.

Jace clears his throat, grabs his crutches, and gets to his feet. He quickly asks Cohen for a ride back to his apartment, and Charlotte and I are left standing in the room alone as they head towards the front door. I want to protest, not wanting to be left alone with this girl for a single second, but I know Jace is determined to make it happen. She frowns after the guys as they go to leave, and we both follow to see them out. Cohen’s out the door first with Jace right behind him, and I’m mentally cursing the fact that my brother packed his car already. Before he gets off the porch, Jace turns towards us, a stupid shit-eating grin flashing across his face.

“Knox, meet Charlie. Charlie, this is Knox. Take good care of him. You two have fun getting acquainted,” he says, tossing her a wink.

Charlie

“YOU’RE CHARLIE? Volunteer, be-my-pain-in-the-ass-babysitter-for-the-next-few-weeks Charlie?”

I have no idea what the hell is going on as I look back and forth between Jace and the guy that I now know as Knox. A dark scowl spreads across his face as he finally makes the connection. I’m not sure who he was expecting, but apparently it most definitely wasn’t me. Shrugging my shoulders, I hold out my hand, hoping that he’s in a better mood than he was last night.