Into the Fire (Bridge Book 2)

by Meredith Wild

  I’d used that line before. It meant physical benefits with no strings and possibly no future at all, not even as friends. That’s what I wanted, right? Make things a little interesting on the island, and Vanessa was exactly who I wanted to make that happen. Except she wasn’t talking. She could hardly look me in the eye.

  She twirled the stir straw through her coffee, staring at the swirls it made instead of me. “I’m sure you’ll make plenty of friends while you’re there.”

  I wanted to bristle at the comment, but I had no right. A hint of sarcasm laced her words, but there was something else in her voice that I couldn’t pin. Disappointment, maybe?

  The glimmer in her eye when I met her at the bar had vanished the second she saw me with Ian’s twosome, and ever since then, she’d seemed to see right through me. Every line. Every play. Anyone else, I wouldn’t have given it another thought. But for some reason, the guilt niggled at me. I was trying to make a play on a girl who was too smart for that bullshit.

  Ten minutes later, Ann took our emptied drinks and Vanessa finally chanced a look my way. “I don’t know about you, but I could use some sleep. I’m always restless the night before a trip. I slept terrible last night.”

  My jaw was tight, but I forced a polite smile. “Yeah, me too.”

  She crossed her legs, leaning away from me. Reaching for her earbuds again, she put them into place and closed her eyes.

  I couldn’t take my eyes off of her. I studied the small movements of her chest. Her breathing had slowed, and her eyelashes fluttered against her cheeks every so often. She was falling asleep. That’s how riveted she was with my advances.

  Maybe Cam was right and Vanessa had me pegged. Maybe I was incapable of getting to know a girl without the singular motivation of wanting to fuck her senseless.

  Goddamn, but for the first time in a long time, I wanted to be someone better than the man Vanessa thought I was.

  VANESSA

  I switched out my yoga pants and T-shirt from the plane in favor of shorts and a tank top. I fluffed my hair and applied a little makeup, hoping it didn’t melt right off my face when I stepped back out into the heat and humidity. I’m not sure why I bothered, but I wasn’t sure who would be showing up at the beach barbecue.

  Still unsatisfied with the vision staring back at me in the mirror, I went through three more outfits before settling on the first one I’d picked. My summer wardrobe had been lacking since I’d left home and moved up north. But that’s not why nothing looked right.

  Darren’s handsome face flashed in my mind. I shouldn’t care, but I did. I couldn’t get him out of my head. He’d even crept into my dreams this morning, and waking up flushed next to the object of my unconscious desires was more than a little awkward.

  I wasn’t thrilled that he’d ditched me to chat up another girl at the bar, but I was more upset with myself for hoping for a minute that he was a man who would act any differently. His apology sounded sincere, but Darren was a player, and likely a good one. I didn’t want to be the next girl who played right into his hands. I also didn’t want to get hurt.

  The truth was that Darren, on the outside, was a dream come true. A woman would have to be blind not to want him for herself. He was gorgeous, charming, and smart enough not to let any of the likely hundreds of women he’d taken to bed tie him down.

  The physical attraction was real, no doubt. I could handle that. I hadn’t been living a life of celibacy, but I wasn’t going to be a conquest for someone who got around as much I suspected Darren did.

  “Oh my God, I feel a thousand times better.” Eli emerged from the shower in a fluffy white robe that seemed to swallow him up. “You look nice.”

  I smiled, grateful because Eli wouldn’t lie to me if I looked terrible. “Thanks.”

  He moseyed to his suitcase and riffled through his clothes. “How was first class with Casanova? He indoctrinate you into the mile-high club up there? You’ve been glowing like a candle since we saw him the other night.”

  I laughed. “Not even close. I’m sure he wished he could get his money back for the upgrade. I crashed as soon as we took off.”

  Eli stood up straight and tossed a black T-shirt and some denim cutoffs on one of the beds. “He seems like a persistent guy. I’m sure he’s not done with you yet.”

  I had a nagging feeling that Eli was right, and if I was being honest with myself, I didn’t want Darren to give up on pursuing me either. Crazy as that was…I was rebuffing his advances and wanting them all at once, which wasn’t really fair.

  Darren would be Cameron’s best man, and I was Maya’s maid of honor. I was going to have to figure out what I really wanted to have go down with Darren. Especially if I was going to survive the next week opposite him in all things wedding-party related. Before I could get into it any further with Eli, a knock sounded at the door.

  Eli disappeared into the bathroom again with his clothes, and I went to the door. The second I opened it, Maya bounded across the threshold. I squealed and opened my arms for a big hug from my beautiful friend. I hadn’t seen her in a few days, and with all the wedding prep, she’d been too busy for our regular lunches. I missed her and was all the happier to be here now, celebrating with her and enjoying some time to catch up.

  “I’m so happy you’re here,” she said.

  “Me too.” When I pulled away, I noticed she wasn’t alone. “Hi, Olivia.”

  If the Bridge brothers were dashing, their sister was the female equivalent. Dark brown hair and striking blue eyes that matched the cold way she treated Maya most days. Maya insisted they’d warmed up to each other the past couple of months, but whenever I was with them to coordinate bridesmaid details, Olivia had been short and to the point. Maybe a few days on a tropical island would loosen the stick up her ass. As long as she didn’t mess with Maya’s happiness and her big day, I’d deal with her frigid attitude and share my time with Maya when I had to. Like now.

  Olivia smiled tightly, lifting her shoulders. “You made it.”

  “We thought we’d pick you up on our way to the barbecue.” Maya glanced around the hotel room. “Where’s Eli?”

  “Present!” He emerged again with a grand sweep of his arm.

  I laughed. Eli was somehow even more adorable and out of place than he usually was. His ghostly white legs were stark against his jean shorts. He had a twinkle in his eyes, and I sensed the sarcasm just waiting to break free at the first opportunity.

  He hugged Maya, and after a few minutes, our small group made our way toward the beach where the festivities had already started. The sun had set, the air balmy and warm. In the distance, steel drums chimed and a little thrill went through me. The sweet sounds of vacation.

  Maya hooked her arm with mine as we walked. “So how does it feel to be a free woman?”

  No one knew my work hell like Maya did. Lucky for her, she’d escaped the world of suits and finance.

  I took a deep breath, inhaling all the smells of my new environment. Spices and salt air and a hint of chlorine from the clear blue infinity pool we passed. “It feels…pretty awesome.” Truth.

  Briefly, I wondered how Reilly was going to survive without me on Monday morning. Then I promptly tossed the thought away. Not now. Not this week.

  “How does it feel to know you’re going to be a married woman in a couple days?”

  “Feels right, in every way.”

  The glittering sunlight coming off the ocean waves shimmered in Maya’s eyes. Something apart from her usual quiet excitement about the wedding passed over her expression. Maybe worry, or maybe a twinge of sadness. I couldn’t know for sure, and I didn’t want to ask and give whatever it was more energy.

  I hugged her arm a little tighter. “You okay?”

  She smiled quickly. “I’ve never been happier. I can’t wait to be Cameron’s wife. Honestly.”

  I was more excited for her to tie the knot than I’d ever expected to be. Maya deserved happiness, and I had no doubts that Cameron would be
the knight in shining armor she needed. A rock, a place to call home.

  I wanted a happily ever after for her, even as the headstrong person in me disputed whether marrying the man of your dreams in your twenties should be a goal for a woman of her talent and education. Half my friends back home had families already, but that wasn’t me. I had a career, even if it felt like purgatory, and I lived in the greatest city in the world. I had a plan and a long way to go before I could slow down and think about how to achieve domestic bliss.

  “Are you nervous?”

  Maya shook her head. “Not really. I could marry Cameron tonight and I think it would feel like the most natural thing in the world. I already feel like we’re married.”

  “You belong together.”

  She stared down our feet making a path through the soft sand. “Deep down, I’ve known that for a long time.”

  Other people staying at the hotel milled around the beach, but a small group of familiar faces gathered by the band. Nearby tables were set out with trays of food. Hints of spices and cooked meats wafted through the air.

  I fixed on the two men standing several feet away, seemingly lost in conversation. Darren and Cameron were showstoppers in a crowd of fairly average-looking people. Gods among the masses. They were wearing even less clothing than usual, and I couldn’t stop myself from sizing up Darren’s physique, an occupation that I could probably devote several hours to each day. His biceps strained against the hem of his green T-shirt, and his calves were strong and sinewy, proof of the no doubt countless hours he’d devoted to his body at the gym. The overall result was a work of art.

  “Maya.”

  A woman’s voice interrupted my thoughts. The woman was Maya’s future mother-in-law.

  “Diane.” Maya cleared her throat and gave me a tight look.

  Oh. This was Diane Bridge.

  “This is Vanessa. Vanessa, this is Diane Bridge, Cam’s mom.”

  “It’s good to meet you.” I held out my hand.

  She lifted her hand slowly and took mine, her gaze traveling the length of me as she did. Her careful appraisal felt nothing like Darren’s. I stood awkwardly, waiting for her to say something. She let my hand fall after a moment and shifted her assessment between Maya and me for a moment.

  “Vanessa is the maid of honor. Remember, I mentioned her,” Olivia chimed in.

  I could see now where Olivia got her ice princess tendencies. Her mother carried an air of superiority that could not be missed. I was surprised it didn’t knock people over when they passed her in the street. Still, she was beautiful and unmistakably elegant. I’d never seen someone look so refined on a beach in eighty-degree heat.

  “Hey, beautiful.” Darren came to my side, a welcome presence.

  Diane frowned, and Olivia’s eyes widened. The way they looked at me and the heavy judgment that poured from Darren’s mother made me feel anything but beautiful in that moment.

  “Mom.” He leaned in and gave Diane a polite kiss on the cheek.

  Her hard expression softened. A crack in her armor. Maybe she did have a heart in there somewhere.

  “Where’s Dad?” Darren asked.

  She glanced over his shoulder. “Frank is arranging some tours for us this week. You know he can never sit still.”

  “Cool. Well, if you don’t mind, I need to steal Vanessa.”

  “Do you?” Her voice was even cooler, and her perfectly plucked brow lifted a fraction.

  “Important wedding party business.” He shot her his dazzling smile.

  I smiled and let him take my hand. Relief, warmth, and a giddiness I couldn’t ignore coursed through me as he led us away. I glanced back, grateful that Cameron was doing the same now with Maya, and I hadn’t completely abandoned her.

  “Thank you,” I whispered.

  Darren smirked and threaded his fingers tighter into mine. “You’re welcome. I couldn’t stand there and watch that much longer.”

  “Your mom…she’s a little intense.” I hesitated over the words. I didn’t want to insult his mother. But I had a feeling “intense” was a kind word. In an instant, she’d made me feel so small and unworthy in her presence, as if she’d had a bird’s-eye view of every insecurity I’d ever had.

  He laughed. “You don’t have to spare my feelings. She’s my mom, but she’s a freight train of judgment. I have enemies I wouldn’t want to subject to her.”

  “Why is she so…cold?”

  “I don’t know.” He winced, like something unpleasant had crossed his mind. “You hungry?” We’d meandered near the tables catered with food.

  “A little.” Several trays were piled with meats that were almost unrecognizable with all the spices caked on them. The smells stirred my faint hunger. Next to them were an array of fruits and pretty desserts cut into small pieces. I made a small plate for myself and took a bite out of one of the desserts first. Coconut and a fruit I’d never had. I moaned a little. Yummy.

  “God, you’re pretty.”

  I caught Darren staring intently at me. Something about the look in his eye, more wonder than seduction, had my heart skipping a beat. I warmed, and suddenly the tropical heat had become too much. Would I ever get used to Darren’s compliments? Not likely. Still, I could spend a week listening to them, definitely. I didn’t know what to say though. Thank you? I swallowed my dessert over the little knot that had formed in my throat. Being around Darren was doing things to my body, no doubt about it.

  I stared down at my plate, my thoughts taking dangerous turns. Seconds passed and no words would form. My hands wanted to do the talking, but deep down I knew that was a terrible idea.

  “Darren…”

  “Come on, dance with me,” he said.

  I caught my lip between my teeth and sized up the area around the band. Diane’s unimpressed attitude wasn’t making me want to put on a display with Darren. If her aim was to discourage me away from her son, she was doing a great job.

  “No one’s dancing,” I said.

  “Not yet. That’s where you and I come in.” He caught my hand and pulled me toward the music. “Come on, then. Let’s show them how it’s done.”

  Chapter Four

  DARREN

  The reggae playing didn’t lend itself to any kind of beat that I was used to, so I pulled Vanessa close to me and we swayed together in a rhythm that was ours. I had to do something because watching her put exotic fruits in her mouth was giving me too many inappropriate thoughts. I was ready to kiss her, to taste whatever delights were on her tongue. I wanted to kiss her right now, but that was impossible. We were on display. Then Maya and Cameron joined us. Cameron’s military pals and their kids posted up around us…watching, talking, drinking too much.

  Vanessa sighed and settled against me. She fit nicely in my arms, like she’d been there many times, like she could easily belong there.

  I caught a glimpse of my mother’s face on our next turn. She was shooting me a look that was as predictable as it was irritating. Some of us thought we were here to witness two families coming together in holy matrimony. Not Diane. I knew better. She was losing one son this week. The idea, however unlikely, that she could lose me to Vanessa now was probably sending her into a full-blown tailspin.

  I couldn’t bring myself to care. I’d stopped caring about what she and Frank wanted a long time ago. My brother and sister had followed suit in their own time. One by one, they’d opted not to live under the superficial and unrealistic expectations that our parents had grown to believe were normal—white-collar jobs, debutante dating, country clubs.

  Fuck all that. I wanted to live.

  “What are you thinking about?”

  I considered Vanessa’s question a moment, wondering how I could explain what had happened to our family over the past fifteen years. Did I even know?

  I tightened my hold on her and searched her thoughtful eyes. “I was thinking about you,” I fibbed, but quickly turned it into the truth. One look at Vanessa and she’d stolen every thought.
I’d been with plenty of beautiful women, but had anyone ever captivated me this way? I searched and came up with nothing, and I was suddenly compelled to know why. What was it about her that drew me to her this way?

  She laughed. “Yeah, right.”

  “No, right now I’m thinking I want to know everything about you. Which is lucky because we’ve got the whole week together.”

  “Why am I suddenly so interesting to you?”

  I didn’t know how to answer that truthfully. I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her for the better part of the last twenty-four hours. Already I knew she wasn’t like anyone else. Still, she looked genuinely perplexed. God, she really had no idea what she did to men.

  I was determined to figure her out, and I was determined to get her under me.

  “I think there’s a lot more to you than meets the eye. Believe me, everything that meets the eye is driving me fucking nuts, but I want more. I want to see everything else.”

  She was quiet a moment. “From what I know, that seems unlike you.”

  I stared at her silently, not liking this reputation thing that kept coming between us. A little voice in my head told me I should let her off the hook. Like she said, I could make plenty of friends on this trip. But I couldn’t bring myself to give up that easily. I wanted to know Vanessa, and I wasn’t going to let my past get in the way.

  “You know what? You’ve got a past too. I’m guessing you’ve got a life with some shadows that maybe you’d rather not see the light. How about we forget all that? For the next few days, let’s just be us, without all the baggage. Let me get to know you, Vanessa, and I’ll do my best to let you get to know me too.”

  “Okay.”

  Relief settled in my shoulders.

  She took a breath, seeming resigned to the proposition, and simultaneously giving me a new spark of hope. I had a feeling she might have been overthinking her decision to devote any amount of time to me on this vacation. She’d be wise to, but I was determined to keep her talking.