Into the Fire (Bridge Book 2) Read online

  “You want to go for a walk? Get away from all the prying eyes?”

  After one glance in my mother’s direction, she returned her attention to me with a tight smile and a quick nod. “Sure.”

  Together we walked away from the party and down to the water. The sky had gone from pink and purple to a deep magical blue that matched the darkened waves crashing gently at our feet.

  I threaded my hand into hers and she didn’t protest. Good sign, I thought, but also there was something comforting about the simple connection that had nothing to do with the great sex I hoped it would eventually lead to.

  “So tell me about you. I want to know the real Vanessa Hawkins.”

  “I wish I had an epic tale for you, but my story really isn’t anything special.”

  “I find that hard to believe. The woman I met at the club months ago worked a million hours a week and danced her ass off every weekend. I want to know that one who sings karaoke like a pro. Where’d you learn to sing like that? I’ve never heard anything like it.”

  “My mom. I never had voice lessons, but she and my dad were both musicians, so I guess it’s in my blood. We didn’t have much when I was growing up. For a while, we didn’t even have a TV, so my mom and I would sing songs she’d learned on the road. She’d play her guitar and teach me the lyrics.”

  “So why are you working on Wall Street with a voice like that?”

  She shrugged, her focus narrowing toward the melting colors of the sunset ahead. “I love to sing. Don’t get me wrong. But it’s not something to pin my future on. Didn’t really work out so great for my mom.”

  “Why is that?”

  “When my parents were still together, they were on the road a lot. Toured at different little clubs and bars all over the country. That kind of life wasn’t really conducive to parenthood, so when my mom got pregnant, it came as a bit of a surprise. Her last stop on the tour was a little bar outside of Pensacola, not far from Callaway where I grew up. My mom was eight-and-a-half months pregnant, so she came home to her parents. My dad said he’d come back after a few more shows to be with her. He never came back.”

  “You never met him?”

  “No, I’ve met him a few times, in New York when he was coming through town. He’s a fun guy. Very charismatic. Talented too. I’ve seen him play a couple shows.”

  “So you get along. That’s great.”

  She shrugged. “Sure. Talking to him is like talking to a friendly acquaintance. I know he’s my father, but I don’t think I feel the way I’m supposed to about him. The relationship we have is very casual. Disconnected in a way that doesn’t bother me as much as maybe it should. That’s weird to say, but he was never around. He has no idea how to be a parent. I guess I just accept that.”

  “Sounds kind of refreshing. Maybe Diane and Frank can pick up a few tips.”

  “Were you ever close with your parents?”

  “Yeah, way back. Way, way back. I think I was nine when we started to see less of my dad. We moved out of the city but he commuted in. The more he worked, seemed like the less happy my mom was. For some reason it didn’t bring us any closer, but Cam and Liv and I sort of bonded together from that point.”

  She leaned into me a little. “Seems like there’s been tension between them and Cam, from what Maya’s told me.”

  “Oh, yeah. They’re uptight with too much money on their hands. The way my dad sees it, he worked as hard as he did so Cameron, Liv, and I could have the best of everything. Go to the best schools, marry into the wealthiest families, get the best jobs an Ivy League network can buy, and on and on and on.”

  “Doesn’t sound like a bad life.”

  “It doesn’t. But it’s their life. Not mine.” I couldn’t hide the spite in my tone.

  Why be a firefighter when I could be a banker? Why live in the heart of Brooklyn when I could have a house in the Hamptons? True enough, some people would give their left nut for the life of privilege that Frank Bridge wanted to give us. What those people didn’t see was how the light left my mother’s eyes a little more every weekend he stayed away working on a deal or schmoozing some new client. He lived and breathed work, and for my mother, no amount of vodka could replace the husband who’d left her to raise a family and keep up with the image of a banker’s wife. For as long as I could remember, I’d wanted to be as far away from that life and lifestyle as I could get.

  While my mind spun, Vanessa had grown silent beside me. I gave her hand a little squeeze.

  “Truth is, I’ve never felt comfortable wearing boat shoes. I’d look terrible on a yacht.”

  Her jaw fell a fraction. “Your parents have a yacht?”

  “No. Plenty of their friends do though. Keeping them staffed can be a chore, I hear.”

  We both laughed at that, and the sound instantly lightened the heaviness that had fallen with the subject of my family. Her natural beauty was amplified with the smile she wore. Sweet and genuine.

  I wanted to see that more. She’d been so guarded with me since that night at the bar. I resolved then to keep her smiling on this trip.

  We walked in silence for a few minutes. We were close enough to the party that the dim beat of the music could still be heard, but the nightfall had given us some privacy. I wouldn’t have her devoted attention for too much longer.

  “Tell me something about you that no one else knows.”

  “Like what?”

  “A secret. An embarrassing story. A weird habit.”

  She smiled again, all the way to her eyes. “Why on earth would I tell you?”

  “We’re getting to know each other. Come on. There’s got to be something.”

  A secretive smile curved her lips.

  “What have you got?”

  She shook her head several times. “No. Nothing. I can’t tell you that.”

  “Spill it.”

  “Forget it. I’ll think of something else.”

  I stopped walking, twirled her around, and brought her back into my arms. Why did she feel so perfect there? Like she fit just right, her lean torso molding to mine, her breasts soft against me. Her smile faded, and the quickening pulse at her neck caught my eye. She licked her lips, a little movement that didn’t seem intentionally seductive at all. But I couldn’t help but think about all the other ways we would fit. Of course, there was only one way to find out.

  “Listen, you’re stuck on an island with me. Like it or not, you need to get used to having me around interrogating you.”

  “It’s a big island.” A hint of a smile played at her lips.

  I slid my palms up the sides of her ribcage, trying to memorize the feel of her. “Run, and I’ll find you.” My tone was a little more threatening than I’d intended. It was true though.

  She licked her lips again and averted her eyes. If I held her much closer, she’d feel exactly what that little movement was doing to me.

  “How about this? Tell me, or I’ll kiss you.”

  She narrowed her eyes. “You wouldn’t.”

  “I absolutely would. Right here, right now. Do you have any idea how badly I want to taste you?”

  Her breath seemed to cease completely. She stared up at me, lips parted. Those pretty green orbs so open and asking. I pulled her closer, so her hips touched mine. I wouldn’t mind keeping her this way all night, in fact. I had to figure out a way to keep her close this week. Call it the player in me. I was determined to win her over. For the sake of my increasingly evident physical needs, but also because I actually wanted to show her I could be more… More than what?

  “So ’fess up. What is it?” Last chance. I traced her bottom lip with my thumb, counting down the seconds until I could have my mouth on it, nipping and sucking. Damn, I wanted to figure out what drove her crazy more than anything else.

  “I still sleep with a teddy bear.”

  She said the words so quietly I barely heard them.

  I laughed, and her pretty pink mouth turned down into a pout.

  “I
’m sorry, red. That’s a good one.”

  She slapped my arm and tried to pull away, but I wouldn’t let her. I liked her close like this.

  “Fine. Do you have any deep dark secrets you want to tell a complete stranger?”

  I could see now I’d opened Pandora’s box. I’d have to maneuver this one carefully. I gave her my best innocent face. “No secrets here. I’m an open book.”

  “That’s not fair. You need to tell me something.” She trailed her fingertips over my forearms.

  I leaned down, whispering in her ear, “I’ve got a weakness for redheads.”

  “That does not count.”

  “Sorry, red. I’ve got nothing. Nothing that can beat sleeping with a teddy bear anyway.”

  She was quiet, but I knew she wasn’t mad anymore.

  “I’ll kiss you,” she threatened.

  “I dare you to.”

  “I will. Two can play this game, you know.”

  Her eyebrows went high, but I knew I could beat this girl at poker any night of the week.

  “Then do it.” The taunt left me, but I’d decided that second I wasn’t going to wait for her to follow through on that empty threat. Her hands, once soft against my shoulders, tightened. If I could get her alone, I’d be making her tight everywhere. I groaned at the thought, and all my better judgment flew out the window. I sifted my fingers through her hair and angled her for a kiss she’d never forget, so close I could smell the coconut on her breath.

  “Darren! Buddy!”

  I cursed and tore myself away from Vanessa’s half-lidded gaze. One of Cameron’s military friends was trudging through the sand and coming our way. Clearly, he couldn’t recognize that I was far too busy for a reunion.

  “Darren!”

  Jeffrey’s voice was like a fucking megaphone. He must have had hearing loss from all the gunfire when he was overseas with Cameron. “Man, I haven’t seen you in ages. What the hell have you been up to?”

  “I’ll let you two catch up.” Vanessa’s voice was quiet as she stepped away.

  “No, stay.”

  I reached for her, but Jeffrey slapped his hand into mine and then slapped me hard on the back at the same time.

  Before I could argue, she was backing away. Lifting her fingers to her lips, she blew me a kiss.

  VANESSA

  I shouldn’t have done that. Blowing Darren a kiss was stupid because now it hung in the air between us like an IOU, and I had a feeling Darren wouldn’t be forgiving the debt. With him, a kiss wasn’t a kiss. It was a gateway drug into sleeping with him, and already I couldn’t get the possibility out of my head. He’d crept into my dreams again, and suddenly I was wound tighter than I’d been in months, maybe years. I had several more days on the island, and chances were good that, at this rate, I’d end up in his bed.

  Was that such a terrible thing? If his bed was anything like mine, it was soft and luxurious and smelled like the tropical flowers they put in our rooms every afternoon. Add the scent of Darren, and I was a goner. I might never leave.

  Hooking up with Darren wasn’t the problem. What worried me more were the stirrings I was already feeling around him—feelings that made me long for more, something that maybe had been missing from my life for too long.

  But Darren wasn’t on the market for more, and nothing with him would last for long. Didn’t change the fact that one look at him made my ovaries hurt. Every time he shot me that perfect smile of his, the small-town girl in me wanted to cook him dinner and press his shirts for the rest of my life. For the first time in a very long time, that insane thought almost seemed worth considering. Except that domestic fantasy wasn’t what he wanted, and that definitely wasn’t what I moved seven hundred miles from home to do.

  In a private room off the main dining area, our group of guests had gathered for a late breakfast. I scanned the long tables set with colorful juices, fresh flower arrangements, and clean white tablecloths. I found Eli and Maya and quickly placed myself between them.

  A server poured me a steaming cup of coffee, and I knew the instant Darren had joined the party. He paused at the entryway when I met his gaze. I could feel his eyes on me like a sunray. Warm, and not entirely unwelcome. Still, I shifted my focus back to small talk with Eli, forcing myself to think about planning our day with Maya. Darren had overrun my thoughts, but I had a long day planned and I hadn’t penciled him in anywhere. Spa activities with Maya and the girls and Eli, and the guys were going fishing or something. Maybe a good activity-filled day away from him would cool down this raging attraction I felt for the man.

  After breakfast, I wandered to the balcony to admire the view. Turquoise waters lapped up on the soft sandy beach dotted with blue-and-white beach chairs. Paradise. The object of a lot of daydreaming lately, and here I was, a distracted mess. Every peaceful moment was shaken up with thoughts of Darren.

  As much as my brain shouted at me to be careful, I’d wanted Darren to kiss me last night. Hell, I wanted him to stop talking to his cousins and come kiss me right now. I wanted to be back in his arms, a place that gave me more comfort than I’d ever expected.

  We barely knew each other, but being near him felt right. And for some inexplicable reason, he was trying to get to know me. Maybe it was all an act, a good play by a master player. A warm breeze kissed my bare shoulders, and I closed my eyes, caring less and less.

  Cameron came by my side. He was tall and thickly built, the same as Darren. They shared some features, but they were so different. Cameron was so serious. The only times I’d seen him smile were with Maya. They lit up near each other, like two halves that needed each other to become whole.

  “How are you doing?”

  I lifted my mimosa and gestured toward the gorgeous view. “Could be worse. This place is amazing. Great choice.”

  He leaned down and rested his forearms on the railing. “We thought so too. It’s very tranquil here, this little spot.” He was quiet a moment.

  “How about you? Cold feet?”

  He didn’t appear to be in a joking mood. He barely cracked a smile. “Not a chance.”

  “Figured as much.”

  “Have you been able to talk with Maya much lately?”

  “Not a lot, I guess. Eli, Olivia…you know, there’s always someone around. Why, what’s up?”

  He straightened, and the seriousness of his expression had me concerned.

  “I was wondering… Can you try to talk to her today? She’s close to you.”

  “She’s closer to you.”

  “Something is off. I don’t know what it is, and every time I try to bring it up, she brushes me off and changes the subject to something about the wedding. I don’t know if it’s nerves or what, but I’m worried about her.”

  “I’m sure there’s nothing to be concerned about, but I’ll talk to her. Probably just pre-wedding jitters, you know.”

  “I hope that’s all it is. I want tomorrow to be perfect for her. She deserves it. If there’s something else bothering her, I want to address it now. I don’t want anything getting in the way of giving her the perfect day. God knows she deserves this one day to go right.”

  I nodded and touched his shoulder. “I’ll talk to her. In the meantime, try not to worry. Today’s your last day as a bachelor. Enjoy it.”

  “I’ll guarantee he does.”

  I sensed Darren’s warmth behind me before his voice broke into my conversation with Cameron. We both turned toward him. Cameron’s intensity seemed to soften in Darren’s presence. He was so carefree. I envied that, and I wanted to be near it. Like a moth to a flame, his energy drew me in every time. Even knowing the feeling couldn’t last forever, I felt that little bubble of giddiness rising inside me again.

  Cameron eyed him steadily. “You better not have anything crazy planned for today.”

  “How crazy can things get on a fishing charter?” Darren winked at me. “How about you, red? Have any strippers lined up for this afternoon?”

  I couldn’t help but l
augh. Not Maya’s style at all. Not to mention the fact that we’d be hard-pressed to find strippers whose hotness rivaled Cameron’s and Darren’s. “I’m afraid not. Manicures and massages are about as wild as we’re getting today.”

  “Glad to hear it,” Cameron grumbled.

  Darren’s beautiful eyes scorched my skin, and the air around us grew warm. The way he looked at me seemed too intimate for present company.

  “Me too. Wouldn’t want you getting too distracted.”

  “He’s not bothering you, is he?”

  A deep frown marred Darren’s brow as he shifted to glaring at his brother. Cameron met his glare and then looked back to me.

  Was Darren bothering me? Well, yes. But I’d sooner throw myself into traffic than ask someone to stop his advances.

  “Of course not,” I said. I straightened out the collar of Darren’s shirt. “You know Darren. He’s the perfect gentleman.”

  That got Cameron to crack a smile, but the tension between them lingered. I caught a glimpse of Maya chatting with Diane and Olivia again, so I figured I’d get on my way.

  “You two have fun today. Hope you catch lots of fish. Don’t fall off the boat, okay?”

  Darren’s jaw was still tight, but he’d relaxed a little. “Give me a little credit,” he murmured, gently grasping my arm as I passed.

  I glanced up into his eyes. That quickly I was at risk of losing any semblance of control being this close to him. Close enough to feel his energy. An invisible current pulsed between us. I felt it in places I wished I didn’t.

  “You’ll have to earn it,” I whispered, leaving him before my legs failed me.

  DARREN

  “What the fuck was that?”

  Cameron pivoted away. “Stop taking yourself so seriously. It doesn’t suit you.”

  I leaned in. “You think because you’re getting married tomorrow that I won’t bust your nose for being an asshole? Think again, Cam.”

  Cameron smirked and nudged me back a step. “Someone needs to say it. You going after someone like her is like watching a lion go after a gazelle on National Geographic. You know as well as I do she doesn’t have a chance.”