“Open some windows,” I said, not stopping my vigilance on the pile of salt on his stovetop that had been a grease fire mere moments ago.
“Okay,” he said, followed by coughing splutters. He went over to the opposite side of the room, and a second later, all the windows wereopen. The fresh air pierced through the smog clinging to the kitchen from the fire. He came to stand beside me and crossed his arms over his chest. “So, who are you?”
A laugh escaped me. Right, I’d just burst into this guy’s house and started barking orders. Even though my gaze didn’t leave the pile of salt, I answered him. “Drake Castillo.”
Silence greeted me.
“Serena’s brother,” I clarified. “She sent me over with your stuff. Which is scattered in your front yard.”
He let out a low whistle and then coughed again. The salt seemed to have done the job, but I’d wait until the open windows cleared out the smoke before we’d start the cleanup.
“Want to have a seat?” he offered, gesturing to the two-seater kitchen table behind us. “I’m August, by the way. I don’t know if Serena mentioned me or not.”
I maintained a chill expression even though inside I winced. She hadn’t. I was aware she had a boyfriend, but the fact she hadn’t brought him home said everything. I took a seat, and he dropped into the other one facing me. “Sorry she couldn’t drop this shit off herself.”
He shrugged. “That’s always the case, right? Let’s be friends never really means that.”
My heart squeezed tight. Shit, I felt like an asshole. Definitely wouldn’t be doing this for my sister again.
August let out a laugh. “Sorry, you’re just the messenger, who happened to swoop in and save me from myself.” His hazel eyes crinkled, and I got my first good look at the guy my sister had been dating. He had tousled blond hair, a well-trimmed short beard, and the type of effortless attractiveness that always made me slow down a few paces.
Damn. Normally, my sister and I had opposite tastes in men, but this guy was straight out of my fantasies. About the same height as me,lanky but muscled, and the black-and-gray tattoos down his arms, the metal hoops along his ears.Shit.
I hadn’t gotten laid in far too long, but I wouldn’t hook up with my sister’s ex. It broke every code.
However, looking wasn’t a crime. And besides, chances were he was straight.
“I’d offer you something to eat, but my kitchen’s a war zone at the moment,” he said, running his fingers through his thick hair. The tilt back of his head showcased his Adam’s apple, his neck long and slender. Ngh. “How did you know what to do so fast? I was gonna hurl some water on it.”
I winced. “I know the temptation to hurl water is high, but that’s the last thing to do for a kitchen fire. A fire extinguisher’s your best bet, but if you don’t have that on hand, salt or baking soda’s next.” I licked my lips, realizing I hadn’t responded to his question. “And yeah, I work for Kennett Fire Company.”
August laughed. “I should’ve guessed from the shirt. Firefighter or admin?”
“Firefighter.” The adrenaline of the job had called to me from an early age, and I loved my career, even if life had been a bit rinse and repeat as of late.
“Well, damn. I got lucky then,” he said, his voice the sort of bright and rich that stoked my curiosity.
The salt had quenched the fire as far as I could see, and I pushed up from the seat to do one more check. All clear. “I should get your shit off your front lawn. I tossed it the moment I smelled smoke.”
“Let me help,” August said. “Most of it wasn’t anything I was upset about leaving behind.”
He rose and started towards the door, and his arm brushed against mine. Sparks rushed through me, and I sucked in a sharp breath.Clearly, it had been far too long since I’d gotten laid. I was overdue for a hookup. He didn’t move away, just strode in time with me, mere inches away. His teeth were white, one slightly crooked that stood out with his lazy smile. He had a carefree air about him for someone whose kitchen had caught on fire, and I liked that a hell of a lot.
“So, what do you do?” I asked, needing to distract myself somehow.
“For work? For fun?” he asked. “I’ve always found the question so odd. Like, my days don’t just surround my job. I’ve got a steady schedule of cooking, going to shows, and jerking off, but no one wants to hear about that.”
“Hot,” I drawled without meaning to. I blamed my exhaustion for knocking out my filter.
August lifted his brows. “Glad you think so. Most of the time I get called a weirdo. Thankfully, I’m surrounded by them.”
I snorted as I pushed the door open. The fresh air greeted me, and I sucked in a deep inhale. Only a few books and a shirt had escaped the box I’d been carrying, and I scooped them up and passed the box over to him. “Here you go. Unscathed.”
“My dinner plans went up in flames—literally—and I need to air out the kitchen. Do you want to grab a burger—on me? As thanks for saving my house. Rory would’ve killed me.”
“Rory?” I asked. Had he moved on from Serena already?
“My roommate,” he said. “Though he’s been spending more time at his boyfriend’s than at home recently.” A slight shadow dimmed August’s sunshine, his expression falling for a moment, and that struck me in the chest.
