Free Into the Fire (Bridge Book 2) by Meredith Wild

black horizon.
    He smiled like he knew I couldn’t and wouldn’t say no.
    “Okay.” I slipped the tiny black strap of the purse over my shoulder and let him take my hand and lead me out to the moonlit beach.
    “Talk to me, red. What’s going on?”
    “Just work. I made the mistake of checking my e-mail. Real life sucks.”
    He laughed and tightened his grasp around my hand. “I can’t imagine getting thrown back into reality right now. Why on earth would you check in when you’ve got days left here?”
    “I don’t know. I’m a glutton for pain, I guess. Catching up is going to be a mess. I figured maybe I could get ahead of it.”
    “Does your job have any redeeming qualities?”
    I stared down at the dark shadows our steps made dragging through the soft sand. “Probably not by your standards. I don’t get to save anyone’s life when I’m fetching my boss’s dry cleaning.”
    “Does he respect you?” His eyes were serious now.
    I shrugged. “I think deep down he probably appreciates all I do, but on the surface, he’s too busy to really take the time to show it. I get it. It’s part of the job. How about you? Is being a firefighter your dream job?”
    His lips curved into a boyish smile. “I love it. Even when it sucks. Sometimes it feels like it’s in my blood or something—what I was meant to do. Every once in a while I’ll have a few rough shifts in a row and start to second-guess things, but once I’m recharged I can’t wait to get back. I find myself missing it.”
    “Do you miss it now?”
    He stared down the coastline, a distant look in his eyes, before he turned back to me.
    “I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else than here with you right now. And that’s the honest to God truth.”
    The more time I spent with Darren, the more glimpses I got of the man beneath the handsome, charming exterior. Despite all the warnings, despite my mind shouting at me to be careful, I was hooked. I wanted to know more. I wanted to unravel him and see him the way he’d never let anyone else see him before.
    “Anyway. To hell with all that. We’re on vacation. Let’s do something crazy.”
    “Like what?”
    I laughed and stared as he pulled his shirt over his head.
    “Let’s go skinny-dipping,” he said in a hushed whisper.
    My jaw fell open a fraction as he went for the zipper on his shorts.
    “In the ocean? You’re insane.”
    “Yes, and yes. Come on, don’t be a prude,” he said.
    “It’s against the rules. No swimming after dark.” I pointed behind us to a sign I’d noticed when it was still daylight.
    “We’re on vacation. There are no rules.”
    He stripped his boxers off, leaving him naked in the moonlight. My jaw was gaping now, and I forced myself to look away. What I wouldn’t give for a few minutes just to look…
    “I’m not going in there naked,” I insisted.
    “Suit yourself.” His voice rang out from a few feet away. When I turned back, he was making strides across the sand, his taut ass my only thought until he dove into the water.
    “Water’s fine!” he called out, his smile bright in the darkness.
    I bounced in place, letting his infectious energy come over me.
    Am I doing this? Yes. No. Yes. No way. What the hell?
    I took a breath and stripped off the jersey sundress I wore.
    Darren hollered from the distance. I couldn’t believe I was doing this, but I couldn’t stop smiling. Darren was crazy, but I kind of loved it. The truth was, no one else could make me do this but him. A fresh wave of terror hit me when I contemplated my bra and panties. I couldn’t go in there stark naked. I had to draw the line somewhere.
    “Come on, red. I’m getting pruned out here. Hurry up.”
    Without thinking, I unsnapped my bra, covered my breasts with my arm, and ran out to join him.
    The water was warm, but still a shock against skin that wasn’t used to being bare there. I swam toward Darren, trying not to think about all of the unknowns in the dark water. When one of