Burn for You (13 page)

“Someone from your fire house?” he asked, his tone appalled.

She shrugged. Odds were good it was someone from her firehouse. The other bystanders were unlikely to have heard her conversation with Flaherty as they’d been inside the ambulance.

Jason rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. “Listen, Victoria. Maybe it’s not a great idea for you to be poking around the firehouse. Maybe we should just scratch that idea. It was a long shot anyway.”

“What? Why?”

“I don’t want you asking questions of the wrong people and getting yourself in trouble. It’s not worth it.”

“I didn’t plan on being obvious. I’m not going to play detective and ask people to account for their whereabouts before these incidents. But if I hear anything I think is suspicious, I’m going to tell you. I want to help.”

“If you’re worried I’m going to back out on the wedding, I won’t. I’ll still go with you, but you don’t have to—”

“Jason, stop. It’s fine. I’m smart. I’m not going to piss anyone off.” He opened his mouth, but she cut him off. “Flaherty doesn’t count. He’s always pissed off.”

He nodded, but his brows remained drawn over those striking blue eyes.

“And about the wedding,” she said. “I just…I wanted to clarify something from yesterday. I’m not expecting you to put on a show.” This was the other reason she’d come here today. She needed boundaries. She needed Jason to know she wasn’t throwing herself in his path. Not like she’d done with Graham at every opportunity. “I’ll tell people the truth. That you’re a friend I met through work. You don’t need to feel like you’re there to make Graham jealous. I don’t care about that.” She smiled. “Although if you kept my mom off my back, I wouldn’t be upset.”

He nodded, a half smile curving his lips. “Got it. Run interference with meddling mother. Done.”

“Okay, well…I better get going.” She started toward the door. “Those pew bows aren’t going to tie themselves.”

“Yeah, have fun with that.” He moved to open the door for her at the same time she reached for the knob. His hand covered hers for a quick second as she struggled with the handle. Unable to pull it open, she released the doorknob. Slowly, he reached past her to unlock the bolt and his hard chest pressed up against her back. She closed her eyes.

“Sorry. Forgot I locked the bolt. It’s a bit of a habit with me.” She could hear the smile in his voice and feel his warm breath on her neck. “Not trying to lock you in or anything.”

Not sure she would mind if he did, she scooted out the door. “Thanks.”

He stood in the doorway as she headed out to her car. “Thanks for the tie.”

“You bet,” she said over her shoulder.

Sliding into the driver’s seat, she glanced at his townhouse and watched as he disappeared back inside. She sighed, recognizing the signs all too easily. Fluttering pulse? Check. Lightheadedness? Check. Feelings of exhilaration? Check.

Yeah. She was in trouble. And maybe more trouble than she’d ever been in with Graham.

Chapter 10

“Would you fucking hold still?” Preston stood in front of Jason with his arms crossed and a frown of disapproval.

“I’m trying,” Jason said through clenched teeth while Preston’s house-call-making tailor got up close and personal with Jason’s package. Clearing his throat to get Preston’s attention, Jason glanced pointedly at the tailor kneeling in front of him and measuring his inseam.

Preston showed no sympathy. “Well, what do you expect when you wait until the last possible minute? Paulo doesn’t have time for finesse. Now quit being a pussy.”

Paulo looked up, visibly annoyed with Jason. “You too short and too big at the same time,” he said in a thick Italian accent. “This not gonna be easy.” To alter one of Preston’s many expensive suits for Jason, Paulo would need to hem the pants and let out the shoulders quite a bit.

Jason grimaced apologetically at the old man. “Sorry, Paulo.” He couldn’t believe he’d waited until the day of the wedding to work this out. It’s not like he hadn’t been thinking about it. For four weeks he’d found himself bumping into Victoria every couple of days. He’d brought multiple items from the daycare bombing to the firehouse for chemical testing. And each time, by some cosmic twist of fate, she’d been working.

Well, if you could call asking Chief Bines which twenty-four on/forty-eight off schedule she worked and then showing up when he knew she’d be there a cosmic twist of fate.

It wasn’t that he wanted to pursue her romantically. He’d never been that guy. The women he sought out were women who knew exactly what they wanted out of life. Primarily, women who put their careers first like he did. That kept everyone’s expectations low. And when it came to its inevitable conclusion and fizzled, there was no muss, no fuss. Just the way he liked it.

Victoria was not the kind of woman he’d be involved with. Sure, he was attracted to her. What warm-blooded man wouldn’t be? But she was too likeable. She was everyone’s friend. And probably not a woman who was interested in a primarily physical fling.

But he liked her. She made him laugh. Like the other day when he’d stopped by the station for some test results and found them in his mailbox, right underneath a small stuffed lobster.

Or the time they responded to the same call—a college kid off his anti-psychotic meds who refused to cooperate by going to the hospital for evaluation. When Jason and Nick had tried to
help
him into the ambulance, he’d twisted and danced and jumped up and down until he’d worked his baggy pants down around his ankles. Evidently fond of going commando, he shook his dong for all to see and shouted, “You are but a puny blip in my universe.”

He’d almost lost his grip on the guy when he heard Victoria mumble behind him, “That’s what she said.”

So, of course he was looking forward to the wedding. She was becoming a friend. They were going to have a good time. And that’s all there was to it. End of story.

“With all the suits you have for court appearances, how is it that none of them would work for this wedding?” Preston narrowed his eyes at Jason a little too knowingly.

“None of my suits went with this tie.”

“And you had to wear this tie because…”

“Because she gave it to me.”

“I see,” Preston said, grinning.

At Paulo’s nudging, Jason raised his arms so the tailor could measure his wingspan. “It’s not what you think. It matches her bridesmaid’s dress.”

Preston laughed. “Be sure to send me a copy of your prom pictures.”

“Shut up, man.”

“I’ll hang it on the fridge—”

Jason risked the wrath of Paulo and moved just enough to punch Preston’s arm. Still laughing, Preston struck back and knocked Jason into the tailor.

“Boys, enough!”

At twenty-eight, they were far from boys, but Jason supposed it was all relative to Paulo, who looked to be about seventy-five at least.

“Sorry, Paulo,” both
boys
said at the same time.

Grumbling in Italian, Paulo gathered up the dark gray suit he would be spending the next few hours altering and left Preston’s bedroom.

Retreating to their individual corners after their mini boxing match, Jason leaned against the dresser and Preston sat on the edge of his bed. “A wedding’s not your style, Jase. It’s a little too familial for you, isn’t it?”

“For the fiftieth time, she’s a friend. I’m doing her a favor. That’s it. It’s not a date.”

“Uh-huh.” Preston nodded, a smug smile on his smug face. “If you say so, brother.” He leaned back on his hands and crossed his legs at the ankles. “Yeah, I always panic about my wardrobe the morning of, run to a well-dressed friend, and beg to have one of his best suits specially tailored for me before my non-dates too.”

He glared at Preston. “What’s that saying? He who does not leave his glass house should not throw stones?”

Preston chuckled. “Touché, Jason. Touché.”

* * *

Knowing that she would have ten million bridesmaid responsibilities the day of the wedding, Victoria suggested Jason meet her in the lobby of the hotel right before the reception. It seemed silly for him to sit by himself at the wedding of two people he’d never met while she stood at the front of the church, and Jason certainly hadn’t objected. But as she searched the lobby for any sign of him, she wondered if maybe he’d decided even attending just the reception with her was above and beyond the call of duty.

She checked the clock behind the check-in desk. Five fifteen. He was fifteen minutes late, and Victoria would be needed any minute when they announced the wedding party. She couldn’t wait around for him all evening.

In a nod to times past, the relatively modern hotel had a grand staircase that led up to one of the larger ballrooms—the one where Tony and Camille’s reception was being held.

She started up the stairs, figuring she could stand on the balcony and keep an eye out for Jason, and at the same time be accessible if she was called upon for wedding party detail.

Tapping the stems of her ribbon-wrapped bouquet on the balcony railing, Victoria fought a wave of disappointment. She’d really been looking forward to this. Silly because it wasn’t a real date, but still, she and Jason probably would’ve had a great time. Beginning to turn away from the railing, she stopped short when she caught a blur of motion at the hotel’s entrance. Jason jogged into the hotel, his gaze doing a quick scan of the lobby. Victoria’s breath caught at the sight of him in a dark gray suit with the periwinkle tie she’d given him. He pulled at one of the cuffs of his shirt until it peeked out from his suit jacket sleeve.

Snapping out of her momentary daze, she headed for the stairs. Thankful for the low-heeled, silver sandals that allowed her to walk quickly down the staircase without breaking her neck, she hurried to meet Jason.

Not seeing her, he ran a hand through his hair and appeared to curse under his breath before heading to the front desk. The words
Russo wedding
floated up to her and the front desk clerk pointed to the staircase that Victoria was already halfway down. Jason nodded his thanks and started toward the stairs but froze when he finally saw her.

Victoria knew she looked passably good. The bridesmaid dress was surprisingly flattering and showed off her best features—her legs—while at the same time deemphasizing her least pleasing feature—her flat chest. But seeing Jason’s eyes widen and his jaw go slack almost had Victoria believing she was truly something to behold.

The look in his eyes—it was like being seen, really seen as a woman, for the very first time.

“Victoria,” he said softly. “You look…amazing.”

“Thank you,” she said, her cheeks stretched from the wide smile she couldn’t hold back, even though she intended to reprimand him. “You’re late, Meadows.”

“I know. I’m sorry. Wardrobe malfunction.”

She stopped on the stairs as he started up toward her. “Couldn’t tie that tie, huh?”

He reached the step where she stood, and unable to resist touching him in some small way, she straightened his perfectly tied tie.

“Something like that,” he said with a grin. He offered her his arm and nodded toward the ballroom. “Shall we?”

She fit her hand into the crook of his elbow and felt the hard ripple of muscle beneath her fingertips. “I suppose we must.”

They started up the steps, Jason still looking at her. “Don’t sound so excited.”

“Just you wait. You’ll see how torturous a Russo family event can be.” She glanced at Jason, smiling. “My mother’s seated you next to my great aunt Sophie.”

They arrived at the top of the stairs and paused just outside the ballroom. “Aunt Sophie? She sounds perfectly harmless.”

Victoria laughed. “Of course she does. You haven’t met her yet.”

“Vic! There you are!” Tony and Graham, his best man, came around the corner with the rest of the wedding party trailing behind them. “Camille and I just finished our outdoor pictures, and the DJ’s going to announce the wedding party any second now.” Tony turned his attention to Jason. “You must be Vic’s friend, Jason. I’m her brother, Tony.”

Jason shook Tony’s extended hand. “Good to meet you. And congratulations.”

Tony glanced back at the bridal party, chattering and laughing as they waited to enter the reception, and he motioned to his new wife, urging her forward. Sliding his arm around her waist, he smiled down at Camille. “This is my wife, Camille Russo.”

Jason shook hands with Camille, and Victoria caught the approving grin the bride sent her way.

“Nice to meet you, Camille,” Jason said. “And congratulations to you too.”

“Thank you, Jason. It’s great to finally meet you in person. I almost feel like I’m meeting someone famous.”

Jason grinned, but it looked a bit forced. Victoria knew he was tired of the attention that picture had brought. “Everyone gets their fifteen minutes, I suppose,” he said, politely.

Camille began introducing Jason to the rest of the wedding party, and Victoria slipped her hand from his arm to allow him to meet everyone. It was ridiculous how much letting go of him felt like a loss. All this empty space next to her instead of his warm presence. But thoughts like those were exactly the kind of thoughts that would get her into trouble. Possessive thoughts. Yearning thoughts.
Obsessive
thoughts. The kind of thoughts she’d spent on Graham for years and years with no return on her investment.

“So, Vic…” Graham pulled her to the side. “What are we doing for this grand entrance? Best Man. Maid of Honor. No pressure, but we’re the couple just before the main event. It has to be good to get the guests all psyched up.”

Victoria smiled, her attention on Jason unsuccessfully trying to deflect the advances of three man-hungry, single bridesmaids. Barbie was gushing over his suit, and three champagnes—at Victoria’s last tally—into her evening, the plastic-looking blonde was bold enough to squeeze Jason’s bicep in admiration. “You look like you work out.”

Oh, please
. It was all Victoria could do not to laugh out loud. Particularly when Jason darted her a look that very clearly said,
Help!
She smiled and gave him a thumbs up. He answered by narrowing his eyes accusingly at her. At which point, she did laugh.