TONY: Slow Burn (Raging Fire Book 1)

by Kallypso Masters

  This place could have been such a healing balm for his tortured soul. She wished he’d opened up to her more about what had happened Saturday. With a shrug, she pulled her bikini out of the top drawer and put it on. This just might be her uniform for the week when hanging out near the villa, only adding a cover-up when she went inside any nearby eating establishments.

  Before heading to the beach, she mixed a pitcher of Painkillers, a tropical cocktail she’d discovered on her first trip to the Caribbean during college when memories of Gino had been raw and at the surface. Made from dark rum, fruit juices, and cream of coconut, she’d made a tradition of drinking it on every island visit since then as a salute to the hero brother she’d lost. Gino would have loved spending time here sipping rum with her, maybe even diving. Nowadays, the drink brought her into an island frame of mind rather than dredging up painful memories.

  While sprinkling nutmeg on the first glassful, her phone pinged. Damn. She’d forgotten to shut it off.

  Ignore it. You’re on island time now.

  Doing just that, she carried her glass out to the patio, took a sip, sighed, and set it down on the table before glancing longingly at the pool. The temperature was in the mid-80s, balmy after the chilly day they’d had in Aspen yesterday. She could use a quick dip before going down to the beach to watch the sunset. What delightful choices after the exhausting schedule at the resort last week.

  Her phone pinged through the patio doors signaling an incoming text this time. Ignore that too. Probably someone from work. Sandro could handle anything that came up. Maybe she shouldn’t have opted for the international phone plan on this trip.

  Taking a long sip of her cocktail, she set the drink back down. The water called to her. A quick glance around told her she couldn’t be seen by any neighbors or anyone on the beach, just as the rental listing had promised. She’d forego her swimsuit and have this first swim in the nude. Why else have a secluded pool if you couldn’t enjoy a little skinny dip?

  Carm shimmied out of her bikini. The balmy breeze felt delicious on her bare skin and made her nipples peak. She dipped her toe into the deep end. Refreshingly cool. Not one to ease into a pool an inch at a time, she walked onto the diving board and dove in, then swam two lengths of the pool before pulling herself onto the side near the table where she’d left her drink and cover-up.

  The breeze against her skin was much cooler now and her nipples rose to attention again. The sun was beginning to set so she should hurry to the beach if she wanted to see the afterglow. Pulling herself from the pool, she picked up her wrap from the chair. When she glanced toward the gate to the beach, the distinct silhouette of a man stood there. The waning sunlight behind him made it impossible to see his face, but her heart beat in double-time. Could she make it inside the house before he caught up to her? Had she locked the gate earlier after checking out the beach?

  Holding the cover-up in front of her body—as if it afforded any protection whatsoever—she wished she had some sort of weapon nearby. While she’d taken basic self-defense courses in college, none of the techniques came to her mind right now.

  Was she about to become another crime statistic in paradise on the very first day of her vacation?

  Chapter Twenty-One

  A goddess.

  Tony had never seen a woman more beautiful than Carmella d’Alessio in his entire life. He followed the droplets of water running from her sleek black hair over her high, firm breasts and down to the dark triangle between her legs.

  She gasped when she saw him standing there and quickly grabbed a cover-up from the chair, but the flimsy, see-through, now-wet material did little to hide any of her attributes. Not that he would ever forget what her body looked like coming out of Angelina’s hot tub.

  Tony needed to stop coming up on this woman emerging naked from the water, or he wasn’t going to be able to continue to resist temptation. But she’d invited him to come here to unwind and get in some warm-water dives, and he’d decided this morning to take her up on her offer after spending a restless night in his apartment. Still, that didn’t mean she wanted to have sex with him.

  “What do you want?”

  Besides you? Not a thing in this world, dolcezza.

  “This is private property. If you don’t leave, I’ll call the police.” A slight tremor in her voice was his first indication that she couldn’t see who he was. He took a few steps forward out of the shadows of the palm trees and leafy bushes, but she stepped back automatically until she teetered on the edge of the pool.

  In a flash, Carm’s fear turned to surprise and recognition. “Tony?” Unfortunately, she continued to fall backward, flailing her arms in the air for balance as the cover-up tumbled into the pool. Afraid she might injure herself if she fell in too, Tony bolted forward to grab her. Just in the nick of time, he grasped one of her hands and yanked her toward him. He wrapped his arms around her in an effort to stabilize her, his hand coming into direct contact with the bare skin of her back.

  Jesus, take me now.

  Her breasts pressed against his chest, short-circuiting any thoughts about how they’d found themselves in this position. His gaze landed on her lips. God, he wanted to lean in for a kiss in the worst way.

  “Tony!?!” Carm punched him on the shoulder with her free hand, breaking the spell in an instant. He loosened his hold, but she didn’t wriggle out of his embrace completely. “You scared the crap out of me!”

  He should step away but couldn’t let her go just yet. What if she lost her balance again?

  Yeah, tell yourself that’s why you’re holding onto her delightfully naked body.

  “You can let me go now, T.G. I’m not going to fall into the pool.”

  After making sure she was steady on her feet, he slid his hand from her back to her elbow and slowly loosened his grip on her arm. Unfortunately, this only gave him a better view of her ample charms. Her nipples hardened before his eyes. Was that a reaction to his holding her a moment ago or to the cool air hitting her wet body?

  All too soon, Carm reached for a beach towel to dry herself and wrapped it around her torso, tucking the ends into her delicious cleavage. Too bad. He’d have loved to join her for a skinny dip.

  But with her body covered now, at least he could try and keep his mind on something nonsexual.

  Yeah, right.

  “You just took ten years off my life. I thought I was about to become some horrible statistic.”

  “I’m really sorry about that. I didn’t realize you couldn’t see it was me standing there until you threatened to call the cops. I thought you’d be expecting me.” Realization dawned on him. “If you didn’t get my message, then why was the gate propped open?”

  She glanced over his shoulder at the gate and furrowed her brow before returning her gaze to him. “What message?”

  Apparently, she wasn’t going to answer his question about her lapse in security measures, so Tony turned and walked back to lock the gate for her, saying over his shoulder, “About half an hour ago. I texted you that I’d changed my mind and was heading over from the airport.” Tony slid the heavy bolt on the gate and turned back to face her as Carm cocked her head.

  “When did you leave Colorado? I’ve only been here a few hours myself; but we weren’t on the same flights.”

  He walked back toward her. “Not long after you flew out, actually. I felt bad about the way I left you last night and wanted to apologize.”

  “You could have called or texted an apology. You didn’t have to deliver it in person.”

  Uncertain how to explain his change of heart, he shook his head. “The apology was only part of it. The more I thought about your offer, the more I knew I needed to take you up on it.”

  Following Carm to the islands just might be the second-biggest mistake of his life. But at least this one should have far less dire consequences.

  She glanced down at his shirt. “I got you all wet.” Tony wished more than anything that his being here and holding her a m
oment ago had made her wet too. Had her voice grown a little husky, or was that wishful thinking on his part? His cock grew hard.

  Carm blinked a few times—unaware, he was sure—and picked up the conversation again. “My phone pinged before I came out to swim, but I thought it was someone from work.” She cocked her head. “You could have messaged me when you left Colorado to give me more than a half-hour heads-up.”

  Tony gave her a half grin and shrugged. “I was afraid I’d chicken out before getting here.” His noble side had tried to talk him out of starting anything with Carm so many times on the flights here. He’d expected to come to his senses at any minute and turn around.

  And yet here you are.

  Right now, he tried to ignore the fact that he was within arm’s reach of the sexiest woman he’d ever met. “Joining you seemed like a brilliant idea this morning, Carmella.” While he still wasn’t sure he’d made the right decision, he addressed a more urgent matter. “You need to lock your doors—and gates—and stay safe. It’s a good thing I showed up.”

  Carm rolled her eyes. “I didn’t ask you to come here to be my personal security detail. Providenciales isn’t a den of iniquity. It’s as safe as they come. Besides, I can take care of myself.”

  “Not if you leave yourself vulnerable to any beach bum walking by your gate.” Tony glanced around and noticed lots of shadows in the pool area. “This place needs better lighting.” What if he had been an intruder? Tony didn’t want to think about what might have happened if some asshole had come through that gate instead of him.

  Carm put her hands on her hips, making her breasts even more prominent. “I didn’t invite you here to be my protector, T.G.”

  When she reverted to his initials, it usually meant she was ticked with or teasing him. Definitely ticked this time.

  Although he wasn’t being completely honest about why he’d come here, he wasn’t ready to confess the main reason yet.

  Carm took a deep, shaky breath. “Well, despite my initial fright, I’m glad you’re here.” When she smiled at him, his chest hurt. So beautiful. “I have a pitcher of drinks in the fridge. I can pour you one before I head upstairs to get dressed. Then I’ll show you where to put your luggage.”

  “Sounds good, but why don’t we take care of the luggage first? Then we can enjoy that drink together.”

  “Sure. Maybe we can take a stroll down the beach afterward to find a restaurant for dinner.”

  He nodded, although a cold shower sounded like a more urgent need. However, Tony welcomed whatever time she wanted to spend with him. He’d missed her. The rest of the week, he’d try to give her space and solitude to spend as she’d originally planned. He didn’t want to intrude on her vacation, although it might be a little late to worry about that.

  Tony picked up the duffel bag he’d dropped inside the gate and followed her into the enormous villa and up the winding staircase. They’d live like royalty this week, not that that was something Tony ever aspired to. But Carm was a principessa and deserved this kind of house and so much more than he could ever give her on a firefighter/EMT’s salary.

  Aren’t you being a little premature with thoughts like that?

  Normally, long-term commitments weren’t his thing, but something about Carm was different.

  His room overlooked Grace Bay. As much as he loved the mountains he’d lived in all his life, he could get used to frequent visits to the beach too.

  She’d mentioned walking to a restaurant on the beach, so he decided beach attire would be totally appropriate for the laid-back island of Providenciales. Tony shucked his jeans and got into something more comfortable.

  Downstairs again, he waited in the living room for her. At the sound of footsteps, he turned around to look up as she descended the staircase with her head held regally high while holding onto the wrought-iron railing. Definitely a princess.

  And way out of your league, man.

  Carm wore a tropical-flower-print sundress that accentuated her body in a way that made him want to wrap his arms around her waist and pull her closer.

  “Beautiful. You look like you’ve lived here all your life.”

  Her gaze slowly roamed the length of him from his blue wave-patterned shirt to his khaki Bermuda shorts. “Mmm. Not so bad yourself.”

  He wasn’t sure if she was referring to his clothes or his body but chose not to get too arrogant. “Found the island shirt at the airport shop and thought it would help me fit in better than wearing my fire department tees would.”

  “Oh, you’d fit right in wherever you go, T.G.” Before he could say anything, she breezed past him and he caught a citrusy scent. “Now, let’s have that drink.”

  Tony followed her to the kitchen. From the fridge, she pulled out a pitcher of an orange-colored drink. He didn’t plan on drinking much this week. For one thing, drinking and diving didn’t mix. But the main reason was that his days of using alcohol as a means to numb his pain were over. A social cocktail or two was fine, but Carm had made enough for a party. While he’d rather have a beer, he’d give her concoction a try.

  He pointed toward the pitcher. “Did you plan on getting soused tonight?” When she didn’t answer, he wondered if he had interrupted other plans. “Or were you expecting company?” Why had he simply assumed she’d be drinking them alone? A beautiful woman like Carm could be with anyone she wanted.

  Her throaty laugh went straight to his heart. Okay, maybe a little lower.

  “No, just me. I made enough to last me the week. I’m not planning on drinking too much with all the dives I want to get in. But the less time I spend in the kitchen during my vacation, the better.”

  Would she be satisfied eating here with him? He wasn’t sure he had the budget to dine out every night. Besides, he’d love to cook for her. But would she be impressed with his skills when she had a world-class culinary staff preparing meals for her at the resort?

  Time to feel her out. “You have to admit that this is an amazing kitchen. Sure beats the one at the station—or in my apartment.” Five-burner gas range, quartz countertops, shiny copper-bottomed pots and pans hanging above the cooking island, and a wall of windows that must bring a lot of light in during the daytime for whoever was on kitchen duty. “I should send a photo to Angelina. She’d be green with envy.”

  Only he wasn’t ready for his family to know where he was yet, other than that he was taking some time for himself. Tony turned to face Carm. “I’d love to cook for you, to make up for crashing your villa like this.”

  “Be careful what you offer, because I might take you up on that—but only because you find cooking enjoyable. I don’t want you in the kitchen all week, though. You’re on vacation too. And there are some amazing restaurants on the island.”

  She gave him a half-smile. “I’m sure we can find other ways for you to compensate me.” Carm waggled her eyebrows and her enigmatic smile left him wondering if she meant what he thought she was saying. No, most likely he was reading into it what he wanted to hear.

  There was one thing he needed to reiterate first. “I’m paying for half the rental cost, which is only fair.”

  “We can discuss it later.” She waved away his words and poured him a drink then sprinkled the surface with a couple shakes of nutmeg before handing him the glass.

  Tony took a seat at the bar and held up his glass to the light. “What are we drinking?”

  Carm took the stool nearest him. “Painkillers.”

  “I hope there isn’t anything serious you’re escaping from back home.” Like I am.

  “Oh, not at all!” Carm held her glass up for a toast, not elaborating any further. “To a week of calm seas and incredible dives.”

  He clinked his glass to hers and took a sip. The seemingly innocuous liquid packed quite a punch. “How much booze is in this thing?”

  She laughed. “Enough to kill the pain, I suppose, if it’s going to live up to its name.”

  Tony preferred that she remain sober and aware of her
surroundings for safety reasons, but also because, if any mutual sparks flew between them this week, he wanted her to be able to consent and to leave this island without regrets about whatever they might do together.

  After another long swallow, she set her glass on the countertop and became suddenly serious. Her moods were all over the place tonight.

  “I’m going to share something with you that only one other person knows about.”

  Whoa. Shit was getting deep, fast.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Tony wasn’t sure he was ready for a heavy conversation their first hours together on vacation, but he was the interloper here. Carm would call the shots for how they spent this week together.

  She drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly as she ran her index finger down the condensation on her glass. “The first time I came to the Caribbean, I was a sophomore in college. My roommate and I went to the Bahamas.” She drew a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Late that first night, while drinking Painkillers,” she pointed toward the pitcher, “I suddenly started to sob. I hadn’t dealt with Gino’s death years earlier. Not at all.” A shimmer lit her eyes.

  At a loss for words, Tony stroked the top of her forearm. “I can’t imagine losing a sibling.” In their chosen line of work, any of his blood brothers could be ripped away from him at any moment, as well as his brothers at the station. It wasn’t something Tony dwelled on actually happening. He wouldn’t be able to function if he did.

  But Carm had lost her oldest brother while he served in Afghanistan. “That had to have been devastating. How old were you when he was killed?”

  She met his gaze. “Just turned seventeen. And it was beyond devastating. Hardest for my parents and Marc, of course, but Sandro and I were gutted as well.” She broke contact with his hand when she lifted her glass to her lips and downed half of its contents before continuing. “Rather than deal with it, I forced all my anger and pain down and spent most of the time in the two-and-a-half years that followed comforting everyone else in the family. I suppose I wanted to prove how strong I was by not breaking down, especially around Mama who wasn’t coping well, but that just led to a lot of repressed emotions. And they came out with a vengeance that night in Nassau.”