Let Me Burn (Angel Sands 1)

She glanced at Lucas from the corner of her eye, taking all of him in. He didn’t seem affected by the heat at all. In fact, he looked better than ever in a pair of tailored navy pants and a white button-down shirt, open at the collar where it revealed the faintest smattering of chest hair. The white of his shirt made his eyes look bluer, his jaw look sharper, and it contrasted perfectly with his closely-cropped dark hair.

He looked delicious, and she couldn’t help but feel proud that he was with her.

Ember hoped he felt the same way. She’d made a big effort to look good tonight. She’d bought a new dress – a dark navy shiny fabric that was tight on the bodice, then flared out to her knees, her hair flowing in waves down her back. Even her makeup was on point – thanks to Ally’s video tutorial earlier. She felt like a million dollars as Lucas led her up the street to her ex-fiancé’s parents’ house.

Maybe time really did heal everything, and what time didn’t heal, a hot date and an even hotter dress sure did.

They’d reached the Martins’ driveway when Lucas took her hands and swung her around, until they were behind the big palm tree at the corner of the lot. He curled his fingers into her shiny hair, his eyes hooded as he looked down at her.

“Before we go in, I want you to know how beautiful you look tonight,” he told her, his voice as gritty as the air around them. “I’m the luckiest guy in Angel Sands.”

“You look pretty good yourself,” she said, unable to keep a smile from rising up on her lips. She ran the palm of her hand down the back of his head, feeling his velvety-soft cropped hair against her skin before she curled her hand around his neck. He leaned into her and she could feel the warmth of his breath against her skin, the hardness of his muscles against her soft curves.

Then his lips were on hers, hard and demanding, it was a kiss that held a promise of more to come. His tongue slid against hers, soft and cool, and his hands moved down to the small of her back, his fingers dancing across her bare skin.

By the time they’d parted she was breathless. Any nerves or worries about the party had disappeared; replaced by a hunger she wasn’t sure she could shake off.

“Shall we make this a quick visit?” he asked her, his voice thick and low. “I’m not sure I can wait too long before we do that again.”

She nodded. “I was thinking the same thing.” She wanted to be laying naked on his bed, her hair fanning around her as she stared up at him. It was impossible to get bored of looking at his beautiful face, even more impossible not to be impressed by his chiseled body. She wasn’t sure she’d ever get enough of that.

She slid her hand into his, threading their fingers together. “Let’s go and get this over with, and then it’s back to my place.” She grinned wickedly at him. “I much prefer a party for two.”

As soon as they walked through the wrought iron gates that led to the Martins’ beautiful beachfront back yard, Ember could feel the warmth of interested stares landing on them both. She kept her shoulders square, her back straight, and managed to curl her lips into a smile. Okay, so this time last year she’d been at this exact party with Will, but a lot could happen in twelve months, couldn’t it?

She was a different person. Stronger, maybe a little sadder sometimes, but she felt real. And she wanted everybody at this party to know that she was doing just fine.

“Ember, how are you?” an elderly lady called out to her. Dressed smartly in a red organza cocktail dress and holding a cocktail glass filled with what could only be a dirty martini, Ember recognized Will’s Great Aunt Natalie right away. Ember always had a soft spot for Natalie, loved hearing stories of her escapades during the fifties, when according to family legend she’d had a fling with Frank Sinatra and hung around with the Rat Pack for a few years. Whether it was the truth or not, Will’s aunt would never say.

“Natalie, how lovely to see you.” Ember reached out for her hands, squeezing them gently in her own. “This is my friend, Lucas. Lucas, this is the infamous Natalie Van Meyer.”

Lucas reached for her hand, shaking it firmly. “It’s good to meet you, ma’am.”

Natalie smiled coquettishly at Lucas, then leaned in to speak to Ember. “I was going to say it was a shame about you and Will, but I’m not so sure that’s true. Are those muscles beneath his shirt real?” she asked, inclining her head at Lucas.

Ember bit down a grin. “I can tell you from first hand that they are,” she whispered in the old lady’s ear.

Natalie laughed. “I’m so glad you’re here. When I heard about your split from Will, I thought this would turn out to be one boring party. But now I’m not so sure.”

“I aim to please.”

“Oh, you don’t have a drink.” Natalie clucked her tongue. “How rude of me. Go and grab yourself something before you die of thirst. It’s too damn hot out here. Make sure you come say hi later – I’ll probably be in the house soaking up the air conditioning.”

Ember leaned forward to kiss the old lady’s cheek. “We definitely will.”

It took them twenty minutes to reach the bar the Martins had set up at the border of their land, right where the grass lawn ended and the sandy beach began. Big enough to comfortably fit a three bar staff – or more likely cocktail mixologists – the roof of the bar was lined with straw, tiki-style, adding a tropical feeling to an already overheated night.

“You know a lot of people here,” Lucas said as they lined up behind some other party guests, waiting for the bar staff to be free. “And they all seem pleased to see you.”

“I guess I’ve known them for a while,” Ember agreed, nodding to yet another of Will’s uncles as he carried three cocktail glasses away from the bar. “I thought it might be strange seeing them all again, but honestly it’s really nice. The Martins know how to throw a good party.”

They’d reached the front of the bar, and Lucas leaned over to give their order. A Cosmo for Ember and a non-alcoholic beer for him. They watched, smiling, as the mixologist poured the vodka, cranberry, triple sec, and lime juice into a shaker, then mixed them all together, throwing the chrome container around the bar in a theatrical performance, before he finally caught it and poured Ember’s cocktail into a martini glass and embellished it with a slice of lime.

When she sipped it, Ember closed her eyes, feeling as though she’d gone to heaven.

The Martins definitely knew how to throw a party, and she was beginning to feel glad they came.

“Ember, Lucas, here you are.” This time it was Janice Martin calling out their names. She walked toward them, throwing her arms around Ember before rolling onto her tiptoes to give Lucas a kiss on his cheek. “You both look gorgeous. Thank you so much for coming. Having you here makes me very happy.”