As Milo led me to the bar with Ryder following us, I slid my hand down to cup and squeeze Milo’s ass cheek. He was turning me on something fierce in this outfit and right now, I didn’t care about this thing with Ryder.
With a sharp giggle, Milo shimmied out of my hold.
I peered at him and let him go. Was he uncomfortable with his friend around?
We stopped at the bar and slid up onto the last two open barstools, then I glanced back at Ryder, ambling along.
“Come on, Ryder.” Milo waved him over.
With a wide smirk, Ryder stepped between us and planted his hands on the bar top. “So, how about a shot or something?”
“Sure. Tequila?” I leaned forward, sending a coy grin to Milo. I knew a challenge when I saw one. I was right. There was a weird dynamic between Milo and Ryder.
“Tequila it is.” Ryder waved a female bartender to us and ordered our shots, then faced me. “So, Milo tells me you’re a hockey player for ASU. What position do you play?”
“Left Defenseman.” I barked out a laugh. “And you’re a firefighter? You get to bunk with a bunch of hot men?” Shit, that sounded a little stupid.
“I do, but some of us are women.” He lifted his chin.
“And you’re straight, right?” I tapped his chest with the back of my knuckles. Maybe I’d find out the truth. “So, was there ever any hookups in the fire house?”
“It’s not a fire house, it’s a firestation. And uh, no. Doing that on the job could lead to termination.” He tapped his fingers on the bar, then glanced at Milo, propping his elbow on the bar and his chin in his hand, watching us.
“So, have you been in any of those big wildfires up north?” My grin dropped. “Seems like a pretty dangerous job.” It had only just dawned on me that I was pretty much talking to a hero. How many lives had he saved?
“I have been in a lot of them.” He dipped his head. “Last summer we had a shit ton of jobs.” He drew in a deep breath. “You know, there is pretty much always a fire burning somewhere in Arizona.”
“Yeah, I could see that. I mean, it’s dry as fuck out here.” I looked around. Not like my home state of Minnesota. “Which makes me wonder, where are our drinks?” I stood up from mystool, then wound around to Milo’s side. “Here, have my seat.” I draped an arm over Milo’s shoulders and kissed his cheek. There, now Ryder wasn’t cock-blocking me anymore.
“Simone is coming. She’s busy.” Milo straightened in his chair.
Ryder climbed onto the barstool.
The bartender set our shots down, along with limes and a saltshaker. “Here you go.”
“Put them all on here.” I threw my credit card on the bar top. “I’ll let Dad pay for these.” I grinned at Milo, then Ryder. Yeah, this would be payback for the shitty call I’d get after our first game.
Ryder pressed his lips into a thin smirk. “Your daddy gave you a credit card?”
“Yeah, but I’m on a hockey scholarship, so he doesn’t have to pay tuition.” I picked up a shot glass. I wasn’t going to mention the life insurance money Dad had gotten after Mom had died. It was my money, too. “To best friends and hot dates?” I slid my arm down Milo’s back and tucked my fingers under the lacy band riding up Milo’s hip. Heat flashed over my skin.
Ryder picked up his glass. “Yeah, best friends and hot dates.” He tapped his glass on mine with Milo doing the same. Keeping his gaze affixed to mine, we both downed our shots.
“Damn, you guys. I can’t drink this stuff straight.” Milo licked his hand, poured salt on it, then licked it again, his gaze finding Ryder’s.
Ryder stared at Milo’s tongue.
The dude was not straight. Not looking at Milo like that. My chest pinched with heat, and I hung my head.
With a shiver, Milo drank his shot, then stuffed the lime in his mouth.
Ryder cleared his throat and adjusted himself.
I snuck my fingers into Milo’s shorts. Would he let me? It was a test of sorts.
“Hey, stop that.” Milo shifted on his stool and tapped my chest. “You need to wait for later.”
With a wicked grin, I nuzzled into Milo’s neck, nibbling him. He was playing hard to get, or was he?