A party, Brooke muttered to herself. Shed showered and was now standing in the center of the bedroom shed made hers, the first bedroom in her life that she loved without reason.
She had no idea if that was because her grandmother had put silly white-lace curtains over the window, which ruffled prettily in the wind, or if it was the dark cherry antique furniture. Or maybe it was because shed come here looking for an exterior change of pace and had found an interior change of pace instead.
Because deep inside, shed settled here. Her heart had engaged, for this town, this house.
For a man
She stared into the closet. She had only one thing appropriate for a party on the beach, and that was a pretty little halter sundress shed bought on a whim and had never worn.
With a sigh, she pulled it on, then didnt look at herself in the mirror. She did not want to change her mind. In that vein, she slipped into a pair of flip-flops and headed directly toward her car before she could come up with a million and one reasons not to go, starting with needing to work on the house and ending with because she was nervous.
Being nervous was not an option.
Not only was she going to go to this party, she was going to go and relax.
Let loose. She needed to remember the concept. She needed to live the concept. She was going to smile and laugh. She was going to let go. And maybe even manage to do so with one wildly sexy Zach Thomas.
If he was still interested.
Please let him still be interested. She drove to the beach, parked and got out of her car, the salty air brushing at her hair, the waves pounding the surf sounding all soft and romantic. Then she glanced over at the man getting out of the truck right next to her and her heart knocked hard into her ribs.
Zach wore board shorts and a T-shirt, his body looking at ease and beach ready. His eyes, thoughnot so relaxed. Nope. As she watched them lock on her, they were filled with the same hunger and frustration she felt, and she knew.
He was most definitely still interested.
Chapter 8
It had been a shitty day all around, Zach thought as he got out of his truck. Hed had another unpleasant phone call with Tommy, who refused to tell him what was happening with the arsons. Then hed covered for Cristina on three calls and as a result, hadnt been ready for their monthly inspection, and the chief had chewed him out.
Zach had almost not come tonight.
But now, looking into Brookes eyes, he was suddenly glad he had. Very glad. Just taking her in, he felt a visceral reaction clear to his toes. For the first time since hed met her, she wasnt dressed for the practicality of their work. No uniform trousers and matching shirt, no steel-toed work boots, no carefully controlled hairdo that said. Back off. The rest of me is wound as tight as my hair.
Not that that look didnt have some hotness to it.
But tonight she was in a pale blue sundress of some lightweight material that hugged toned limbs and a body that reminded him she was in shape.
Great shape.
Shed left her hair down, the strawberry blond strands falling in soft waves just past her shoulders, lit softly by the moonlight. A few long bangs were swept to one side, curving along her cheek and jaw, emphasizing her face.
A beautiful face.
Looking at him.
Smiling at him, with just a hint of nerves.
And he stood there, a little stunned, because when she smiled for real it lit up her face and her eyes, revealing humor and a sharp intelligence, andand a sexual awareness that sparked his.
Hell, his had been sparked from the moment hed first set eyes on her, but once hed realized she wasnt going to play, hed tried like hell to redirect.
She wasnt going to play. Playing wasnt her thing. He needed to remember that. He really did. Turning, he headed down the beach. Not to the party, not yet. He needed a moment-
Zach?
Alone. Hed needed a moment alone, away from her, to clear his head, where he couldnt see her looking at him, so sweet and sexy, smiling that smile-
A little breathless, she ran around to the front of him, one hand stopping her loose hair from sliding into her face, the other spread on her dress as if to keep it from blowing up in the wind.
Torn between hoping for a gale-force wind or running away, he stood there instead, rooted to the spot. You look
Silly, right? She smoothed down the fabric but the breeze continued to tease the flimsy material, lifting it, revealing her lovely thighs for one all-too-brief, tantalizing glimpse. I know. I should have stuck with something more practical-
Amazing, he managed. Even the sound of her voice lifted his spirits. Somehow she made him feel better by just being. I was going to say you look amazing.
Oh. She flashed another kill-him-slowly smile. Its just a dress.
I like it. I like the lip gloss, too. It smelled like peaches, and he wondered, if he leaned in right now, would she let him have another taste of her?
Just one.
Who was he kidding? One taste wouldnt cover it. Neither would two. Nope, nothing less than an entire night of tasting would be good enough.
Tipping back his head, he stared up at the star-littered sky, taking a moment to draw in the salty air, to listen to the waves.
But that moment didnt give him the peace he needed. Not when she was still looking at him, her gaze wordlessly telling him that she wanted him, too. You should head on over to the party. He gestured with a hitch of his chin to the bonfires already going about a hundred yards down the beach, and the growing crowd.
In spite of what Zach thought of him, the new chief was extremely popular.
Can we walk first? Brooke gestured in the opposite direction. Just us?
Walking alone with her on a moonlit night along the beach? A fantastically bad idea.
Please?
No. Absolutely not.
She held out her hand. Sure, his mouth said without permission from his brain, and taking her hand, he led her down the path to the water. There they kicked off their flip-flops and walked with the surf gently hitting the shore on their right, the cliffs on their left and the moonlight touching their faces.
Pretty damn romantic, which didnt help.
A wave splashed over their bare feet and legs, and the bottom of Brookes dress got wet, clinging like plastic wrap.
Perfect. Just what he needed. Brooke all wet.
Letting out a low laugh, she gathered the material in her hands, pulling it up above her knees as she backed farther up on the sand.
He thought shed turn and head toward the party, but she didnt. She kept going.
And like a puppy on a leash, he followed.
Its beautiful, isnt it? she asked.
He took in her profile, the small smile on her glossed lips, the few freckles across her upturned nose, her hair flying around her face. Yes, he agreed. Beautiful.
Her gaze flew to his. I was talking about the scenery.
I know.
But you werent looking at it.
No.
I She let out what sounded like a helpless sigh. You were saying that Im beautiful?
Yes.
See, thats the thing.
Theres a thing?
Well, you make me feel a thing. She looked away. A few things, actually.
Uh-huh. And that made two of them.
The breeze continued to toy with the wet hem of her dress and his mind at the same time. He took in the empty beach, the myriad alcoves and cliffs lining the shore, forming lots of private little spots where they could escape to without being seen.
Where he could slowly glide that dress up her legs and-
Ouch. She hopped on one foot, then bent to pick something up. A shell.
He traced his finger over it in the palm of her hand. I used to have jars and jars of these when I was little.
You grew up here?
Yep. Santa Rey born and bred. My parents were surfers. I think my first words were surfs up.
Ouch. She hopped on one foot, then bent to pick something up. A shell.
He traced his finger over it in the palm of her hand. I used to have jars and jars of these when I was little.
You grew up here?
Yep. Santa Rey born and bred. My parents were surfers. I think my first words were surfs up.
She laughed, but then the sound faded. You miss them. Your parents.
Lifting his eyes from the shell, his gaze collided with hers. It was a long time ago, but yeah. I miss them.
I lost my dad before I was even born, and I still miss him.
What happened?
He died in a car wreck. My momshe didnt really recover. She never settled in one place again, or with one man.
That must have been rough on you.
Not as rough as losing both parents. She squeezed his hand.
Yeah, itd been rough. He and his parents had lived in an old apartment building on the beach. Itd been rundown, but it had fed their surf habit. Hed remembered every second of the night their building had caught fire. Every second of hearing his mother scream in horror at being stuck in the kitchen, surrounded by flames. Every second of watching his father battle those flames to try to get to her. The fire department had been volunteer at the time. Theyd done the best they could, but their best hadnt been enough to save his parents. Their rescue effort had been a recovery effort pretty much from the start.
Your older brother raised you?
He did.
Does he live here, too?
No, Calebs a high-powered attorney in L.A. Driven and ambitiouswere very different. He smiled. Hes still after me to do something with my life.
Firefighting isnt doing something?
He shrugged. Well, its not going to get me fame and fortune, or into a cushy old-age home.
You dont care about any of that.
No.
She nodded, looked down at her fingers, then back into his eyes. Were very different, too. You and I.
I know.
Are you okay with that?
Zach felt a smile tug at his mouth. I happen to like the differences between a man and a woman.
She let out a soft laugh. I meant that youre laid-back and easygoing, and Imnot.
I dont judge my friends.
Yeah, about that. Her gaze dropped to his mouth. I have a question.
He hoped like hell it was something like, Can I kiss you again?
She hesitated, then shook her head. I need to walk some more.
Okay. But he was saying this to her back because shed already started walking, not along the water this time, but up the sand toward the bluffs, where they could move over rocks the size of houses. She did just that, climbing one, reminding him that she was a capable, strong woman who spent her days lifting heavy gurneys.