TONY: Slow Burn (Raging Fire Book 1)

by Kallypso Masters

  “That’s you?” He pointed to a photo of her on a scuba dive years ago.

  “It is. That was my first scuba dive on a trip to Grand Cayman with my college roommates.”

  “You enjoy diving?”

  “Very much so. I eventually got certified for advanced open-water dives, but haven’t been in the water for a couple of years. I’ll probably need a refresher course.”

  “Nice. How long did it take you to certify?”

  “I finished most of my dives that week for my initial certification, but every time I went back to the Caribbean before things got too busy at the resort when Mama and Papa retired, I tried to take it to the next level.” He was silent a moment, and she felt compelled to fill the silence. “I’m going to Turks and Caicos right after Angelina’s party. Already scheduled a full week of diving lessons.”

  His eyes opened wider. “I didn’t picture you as such an island girl.”

  “Oh, don’t get me wrong. I love my mountains! But diving provides a monumental escape from what I know. Nothing beats the warm waters of the Caribbean. Have you ever been?”

  He shook his head. “I’ve been swimming in the Mediterranean off Sicily, but never the Caribbean. Snorkeled some, but I haven’t tried scuba diving.”

  “I think you’d enjoy it. You’d be a natural, because you already know how to use a regulator. And Marc says you’re the strongest swimmer at the station.”

  A shadow crossed his face, and she realized too late how insensitive that must have sounded after he’d suffered through a disastrous swift-water call recently. Not sure apologizing would make it better, she decided to change the subject. “We can talk more over dinner if you’re ready.”

  “Sure.” He placed his hand at the small of her back to move her toward the door and sent another spark of electricity to her core. “Need a sweater or anything?” he asked, misinterpreting her shiver.

  “No. It’s still warm outside. Why don’t we walk over?”

  “Sounds good.” After they exited her condo, she locked the door and led him to the sidewalk. The two walked in a comfortable silence the first few minutes, passing boutiques and art galleries without stopping to window shop. When they reached Main Street, she pointed in the direction of the restaurant. “Just another block.”

  “We still have plenty of time.”

  “I hope you’re hungry. Dimitri’s is amazing.”

  “Mm-hmm,” he said absently. His lack of enthusiasm surprised her. Of course, he had a sister who was an amazing chef, but Dimitri would win him over soon enough. At the restaurant, she reached for the door handle first, but he gently brushed her hand aside and held the door open for her. Normally not one to accept chivalrous gestures, especially when she arrived at a door first—no matter what Mama said—Carm merely shook her head with a smile and thanked him. Tony was a little old school too, being raised in a traditional Italian family as she had been.

  Laughter and joyous shouts emanated from inside the restaurant. She was amazed at the crowd for a Wednesday night. “Good thing you made a reservation, Tony.” They were seated on the patio overlooking the slopes her hotel butted up against. “With a view, no less!”

  When he pulled out her chair before the maître d’ could do so, she decided she liked the way Tony made her feel special. Cautious not to let this evolve into a date vibe, though, she reminded herself that they were here to discuss some family business over dinner.

  So why had she just fantasized what it would feel like to have his lips brushing down the column of her neck after he seated her?

  Carm’s intoxicating scent wafted to him as she sat down, and he scooted in her chair. That little black dress clung to her curves, its flirty skirt stroking her thighs in places he’d wanted his lips to return to ever since that garter reversal at the wedding reception.

  Shit!

  He needed to stop thinking with the wrong head. Maybe if he’d gotten more sleep last night…but the nightmares still plagued him despite his trying to create a routine the way Lisa had encouraged him to do. They’d also had two calls that had interrupted his ability to even chill. She’d said it would take time, but he’d hoped for instantaneous results.

  Then maybe you need to be up front with her. You need to tell her you’re having nightmares at tomorrow’s session.

  He pushed those thoughts aside, refusing to think about his problems tonight.

  After seating himself across from Carm, he noticed how the candlelight from their table made her eyes twinkle and cast a warm glow on her skin.

  “What looks good to you?”

  You.

  Catching himself, he picked up the menu. “What do you recommend?”

  “You can’t go wrong with the lamb souvlaki with tzatziki.”

  He’d never cared for the yogurt-cucumber sauce, so he chose the Greek version of lasagna—pastitsio—instead. For the first time in weeks, he had an appetite—not only for the food, but he’d take what he could get.

  After placing their orders and the meze platter was served, Carm launched into her ideas for games at Angelina’s party. She started talking about an activity where people tried to match their responses with other guests, but Tony was more interested in the sparkle in her eyes as she described how to play the game.

  “How do those two sound?”

  Two? He blinked back to the present. He hadn’t heard her mention another game and wasn’t sure how long he’d zoned out.

  When he said nothing, she continued. “Or is that last one too risqué?”

  Should he ’fess up or pretend he’d been paying attention? “Angelina loves a good party. She’ll love anything you want to do.”

  “How about you? From a guy’s perspective, do they sound like fun or would it be a little awkward?”

  Now he really wished he’d been paying more attention but didn’t want to admit he hadn’t been, because discussing the party games had been the whole reason for them to be here tonight.

  He supposed he’d wait and find out on the eleventh. “You know guys,” he began with a grin, “we just show up at parties for the food and drink.”

  Carm rolled her eyes, but took his sidestep with a smile. Their main course came, and they enjoyed the first bites of their entrees.

  “You really should try some of this,” she said, cutting off a piece of her chicken. Was she going to feed it to him on her fork? Having a woman feed him became a new fantasy. Instead, she held up her plate for him to spear it with his own fork.

  He took the bite and chewed it a moment. The flavors exploded in his mouth. “That’s amazing!” he said after swallowing.

  “Told you it was good!”

  Neither was particularly interested in dessert, so all too soon, they’d come to the end of the meal. After settling the check—refusing to let Carm pay half because this had been his invitation—he stood and went around the table to pull out her chair.

  “Thanks for going over things with me, Tony. And for dinner, too.”

  He placed his hand at the small of her back again and warmth spread to him through the fabric of her dress. Not wanting to break contact, he kept his hand there longer than necessary until they reached Main Street.

  “Do you need me to come early on the eleventh to help set things up?”

  “No, thanks. That’s the beauty of having it at the resort. My team will do a beautiful job. All we have to worry about are the games. And we now have that completely under control.”

  Still no repeat of what game she had in mind. He’d just have to wait and see.

  At her door, he took her key and opened it for her. The brush of their fingertips sent a surge of heat through his body. She turned toward him and found that she stood closer than he’d thought. Once again, her scent wrapped around him, reeling him in.

  The slight hitch in her breathing told him their nearness had affected her too. Her lips parted slightly, and the tip of her tongue licked across her upper one. Without a thought to the consequences, he leaned in. />
  Carm’s eyes fluttered closed, a clear signal to Tony that she wanted this kiss as much as he did. But what if they both were wrong? He needed to be sure, because once they crossed this bridge, they might not be able to go back to whatever their platonic relationship could have been.

  She opened her eyes. Rather than confusion or reluctance of any kind, he read passion. His balls tightened, and he held his breath, waiting. For what, he didn’t know. Maybe for his sanity to return.

  “Are you going to just stand there, T.G.,” she asked in a breathy whisper, “or are you going to kiss me?”

  He’d never been reluctant to kiss a beautiful woman before. Why now?

  This is Carm. Angelina’s sister-in-law. You can’t mess around with her and then dump her like you’ve done all the women in the past.

  “You’re sure about this?” he asked.

  She glanced down ever-so-briefly then met his gaze with even more certainty. “It’s a simple goodnight kiss. Don’t confuse it as an invitation into my bed for a few hours of hot sex.” Despite sounding slightly annoyed with his reluctance, she was totally underestimating his abilities in the kissing department. A mischievous twinkle lit her eyes and a smile tugged at her lips as though she knew she’d laid down a gauntlet.

  Her taunting words shoved any remaining caution to the wind. Maybe this was nothing more than a kiss goodnight to her, but the attraction Tony felt for Carm could have set off a three-alarm fire right inside him about now.

  Tony brushed a strand of hair off her cheek and tucked it behind her ear letting his finger trail down her neck to her collar bone. Her skin raised in gooseflesh along his path, and she shivered—but not from the cold night air. She wasn’t as unaffected by him as she pretended to be.

  “You haven’t been kissed by me before, Carm. How do you know this kiss won’t lead to just such an invitation?” he quipped.

  Her smile broadened, as mysterious as it was encouraging. “You’ll just have to kiss me to find out how strong my willpower is to resist your charms, T.G.”

  Game on. Tony placed his finger under her chin to tilt her head back. No turning back now. He wanted this kiss more than his next breath.

  Again, Carm’s eyes closed. Taken aback by her beauty, he stared at her upturned face for a long moment, but he could wait no longer to taste her. Leaning in and closing his eyes, he lightly brushed his lips over hers, savoring the initial contact but still intending to begin by giving her the chaste goodnight kiss she expected.

  If only his lips hadn’t tingled with electrical sparks where they made contact with hers. Damn. He didn’t know about Carm, but a chaste kiss wouldn’t be enough to satisfy him tonight. Tony should stop now before he lost what little control he had left.

  Then she opened her mouth for him, and a wave of heat surged through him. What Tony needed more than anything was this intimate connection with Carm. Taking her lower lip between his, he nibbled gently at first, then more possessively. Releasing her lip, he flicked his tongue into her mouth. A throaty moan escaped her, and she opened her mouth wider. When her tongue began to playfully tango with his, he pressed her against the still-closed door.

  Tony wasn’t sure where this kiss would end, but he had no intention of holding back.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Pressed between Tony’s hard body and her front door, Carm’s knees grew weak and her body thrummed with excitement. She wrapped her arms around his neck, partly to remain upright but also to make sure he didn’t end this kiss before she was ready. After all, there probably wouldn’t be another.

  The pressure of Tony’s tongue against hers warned her to slow this down, but her tongue continued to dance around his. She let out a moan, further giving away her state of arousal. His erection pushed against her lower abdomen, making her instantly wet. Carm ran her fingers through the hairs above his nape all the while tugging him closer.

  A niggling thought that she probably ought to take this inside crept into her consciousness before someone saw them making out on her doorstep. But inviting Tony inside might lead to more than either of them was prepared for. All she was certain about at this moment was that she most definitely wanted this kiss to continue.

  Carm wrapped her arm around Tony’s waist and caressed the firm muscles of his back. The man stayed in shape, whether it was from running, working out, or just plain working. With the fingers of her right hand, she continued to play with the hair above his collar. While fairly close-cropped, it was almost an inch long and soft to the touch.

  Abruptly, Tony pulled away, eliciting a groan she immediately wished she could take back. She didn’t like to sound needy. Carm usually was the first to break off a kiss and send a date on his way but wasn’t sure she was ready for this evening to end.

  Good thing at least one of them had a measure of control remaining, because if he asked her to go to bed with him right now, she didn’t think she’d be able to say no.

  Over the next few moments, both of them fought hard to catch their breaths. He looked as dumbfounded as she felt over that toe-curling kiss. How had they gone from two people who barely hid their dislike for one another to two people on the verge of a passionate encounter? The man hadn’t been kidding about the potency of his kisses!

  “I had a wonderful time tonight, Carm.”

  Wait! It doesn’t have to end!

  Oh, yes it does.

  Still, she couldn’t put two words together to form a response. Usually glib with guys, this man had rocked her world in a matter of minutes. Tony pulled farther away, and she would have slumped to the floor if he hadn’t supported her until she found her equilibrium once more.

  What a hot mess I am! Really hot.

  The only clear thought in her head was that her body wanted more than a kiss, but casual sex with Tony could be disastrous with their families so intertwined. If things didn’t work out between them, it would make family gatherings torturous and awkward for years to come.

  Christ, Carm, it was just a kiss. She didn’t want long-term with any man right now, biological clock be damned.

  Then why did she run the tip of her finger along the lips that had just seared their way into her cell memory and say, “It doesn’t have to end out here.” The words came out before she realized she intended to invite him inside.

  Tony sighed, but smiled slightly triumphantly. “You tempt me, Carm.” At least he didn’t gloat over his clear conquest.

  “I sense a but coming.”

  He chuckled. “But…I don’t think that either of us wants a fling. I care about you too much to let this go any further tonight.”

  Should she argue that they could do this and come out unscathed or just let him go? Tony ran his fingers lightly down her arm leaving a trail of gooseflesh before breaking contact.

  Unlike Tony, she couldn’t turn off the sexual energy sparking between them so quickly. “How about a nightcap then?”

  He shook his head. Was that regret in his eyes? “I’m driving through Independence Pass, so I don’t think it would be wise to put even a drop of liquor into my veins.”

  “It’s late to be driving that curvy road even sober. Stay here.” Before he took that as another invitation into her bed, she added, “My sofa is quite comfortable.”

  “Again, you tempt me, but after that kiss, I’m wide awake. I’ll spend the drive home thinking about all the things I wanted to do to you tonight but couldn’t.”

  A surge of sexual energy coursed through her again. “Couldn’t or wouldn’t?” Why did she keep challenging him when he clearly was trying to be the levelheaded one?

  “Both,” he said with a smile before tapping her on the nose like he might his little sister. “I’ll see you on the eleventh.” And with that he took her by the elbow and pulled her toward him. Just when she thought he’d changed his mind and might kiss her again, he opened the door behind her, turned her around, and gave her a gentle nudge inside.

  “Lock the door.” That was something her brothers would tell
her, further dousing the flames he’d sparked. Once again, he seemed to have returned to thinking about her in a sisterly way regardless of the message that kiss had sent. Tony started to turn away but stopped and added, “And do me the honor of featuring me in at least one flaming hot dream tonight.”

  Just like that, the fires ignited within her once more. She gave him her most seductive smile. “I will, if you will.” Her voice sounded husky even to her ears.

  He chuckled. “Oh, you don’t have to worry about that. I have a long drive to come up with a number of scenarios too.” His gaze lowered to her breasts making them burn with desire for him to touch and kiss them. Clearly, she’d misread his sisterly intentions earlier. “Sweet dreams, dolcezza.”

  Sweetness. The endearment warmed her heart—and a throbbing spot much lower.

  “You too. Text me when you get home, so I’ll know you made it there safely.”

  Tony nodded briefly then without another word, he turned and walked down the steps to the parking lot. She stood rooted to the spot until he motioned for her to get inside. Apparently, he wasn’t going to leave until she did.

  With a sigh that he wouldn’t change his mind, she entered the foyer of her condo and locked the door behind her. Inside the surprisingly lonely space, frustration from the unspent sexual tension made sleep of any kind impossible, so after a quick shower she curled up in bed and opened the spy novel Marc had given her. Despite his assuring her it was a riveting thriller, it didn’t hold her attention one iota.

  The memory of Tony’s body pressed against hers filled her thoughts and led to a heaviness in her lower body that wouldn’t be denied any longer. She opened her nightstand drawer and pulled out her bullet vibrator. If ever she needed release, it was tonight.

  Damn you anyway, Tony Giardano!

  She hoped he lost sleep tonight, too, after leaving her like this.

  And that he’d call her for another non-date soon. She didn’t want to wait a month to see him again.

  I’m an idiot.