Into the Fire (Bridge Book 2) Read Online Free PDF Page A

back to Eli, noticed Darren on the other end of the barroom. He was with Ian and two other women. Ian had his hands all over a brunette nearly as tall as he was. Next to him, a petite blonde was hanging on Darren’s muscled arm, laughing as he spoke into her ear over the noisy crowd around them.
    As if sensing my presence, he looked up and our gazes clashed. Heat rushed to my cheeks and disappointment flooded me. I wasn’t sure how many seconds had passed when I realized how stupid I must have looked, standing in the middle of the bar fixed on Darren and his harem. I averted my eyes and carried on toward Eli as quickly as I could, cursing myself. Darren Bridge was definitely every bit of the player I’d been warned about, and I was stupid to believe anything different.
    As soon as I found Eli again, a loud voice came through the speakers mounted on the wall.
    “Ladies and gentlemen. It’s the hour you’ve all been waiting patiently for. We’re ready to hear your best karaoke jams. Grab a friend, pick a song. Step up. Don’t be shy.”
    Without ceremony, I grabbed the fresh drink out of Eli’s hand. A song I knew pumped out from the bar’s speakers following the announcement. Suddenly, the lyrics seemed to live under my skin. The need to sing bubbled up through my pores, replacing the unexpected feelings Darren had inspired in me over the course of the night. I welcomed the shift and chased it through half of my chilled martini glass.
    “Whoa, what’s up?” Eli stared at me wide-eyed.
    I pointed to his drink. “Drink up. That’s our cue.”
    DARREN
    My face hurt from fake-smiling at the blonde who kept eyeballing Ian’s advances on her friend. I wanted to get back to Vanessa, but I didn’t see that happening anytime soon. Then, as if the universe answered my silent request, she came into view again. Stepping up onto the small stage in the corner of the room, she radiated. Dark auburn hair and soft pink lips. I hadn’t been able to take my eyes off of her, and I still couldn’t.
    Somehow, she was the last person I expected to be on the stage. With a microphone in her hand, she stood there, twisting and untwisting the cord around her hand. Eli was bouncing beside her like he couldn’t fucking wait to get started.
    I stilled, anxious to see how she would perform. I wanted her to see me, but at the same time, I didn’t. I hadn’t fully recovered from the look on her face when I’d seen her moments ago. She wasn’t the first girl I’d had to put on the back burner for one reason or another. But I couldn’t remember feeling like such a jerk for it until tonight. No doubt she thought I’d ditched her for blondie.
    And I had.
    Thanks to Ian. I could have castrated him for pulling me away. Most nights I didn’t mind being his wingman, but I had blinders on tonight. All I could see was Vanessa. Fittingly, she was on stage, for everyone else to admire the way I was right now.
    “Do you know her?” the blonde shouted in my ear.
    I winced and nodded, never taking my eyes off of Vanessa. Had I really blown it with her so quickly?
    All for the brunette Ian had a hard-on for tonight. Pretty girl, body like a runway model, voice that would peel paint off the wall, but I didn’t figure he was interested in her conversational skills. He just needed me to keep her roommate occupied long enough to make a play.
    I shouldn’t have cared either way. Not like Vanessa was the first female who’d had a physical response when I was inches from her. I reveled in the way her cheeks caught color when I touched her. Those small subtle touches that were easy to brush off as casual, but in my world, were tactical as fuck. I knew Vanessa was off-limits, but the second I’d laid eyes on her across the bar, nothing could have kept me from going to talk to her. I’d shown incredible restraint last time we’d hung out. In fact, I couldn’t remember wanting to take a woman to bed so damn bad and denying myself. New York City was