Burn So Bright

Chapter 1-2

No. It didn’t matter. She and Logan would work it out. They had to.

She beckoned to Seth, one of the waiters, who hurried over to them with another tray of drinks. She took one and downed about half of it before even realizing it.

“How’s the champagne supply holding up?” Suzanne hiccupped. “Asking for a friend.”

Evie and Brianna exchanged glances of alarm. So silly. She could handle a little champagne. It took the edge off, that was all.

“We’re in good shape, boss.” Seth gave her a conspiratorial wink. “Enjoy yourself, you’ve earned it. The party came out great.”

She smiled at him, the fizzy effect of the champagne making it an extra-wide grin. “Dyn-o-mite.”

She giggled and swallowed more delicious fizziness. Had she really just said “dyn-o-mite”? God, champagne was the best thing ever invented. Logan didn’t know what he was missing. He could be at her side, watching the sun glide toward the Pacific, listening to the happy chatter of party guests, admiring the perfection of her meticulous planning.

“Oh wait!” Brianna said suddenly. “The kids don’t need me. They have hotshots.”

Suzanne jerked back to attention. Sure enough, three of the new Jupiter Point Hotshots—Sean Marcus, Josh Marshall, and Rollo Wareham—were pushing aside the balloons and striding into the kids’ area. In jeans and flannel shirts, they looked like wild men compared to the rest of the guests. Rugged good looks didn’t begin to describe it. Their physical fitness level was insane. They all looked like they could have run up the mountain to the observatory without breaking a sweat. For all she knew, they had.

“Oops, I forgot to tell them this was a formal party,” Evie whispered. “Sorry, Suzanne.” She raised the camera and took a few more shots. “Make that sorry not sorry. Good Lord, they’re photogenic. Every last one of them.”

Suzanne heaved a sigh, pretending to be annoyed. Better to look annoyed than fascinated, which was her usual response to the sight of Josh Marshall. Had he even combed his hair? Did he ever comb his hair? It always tumbled around his face as if he’d spent the day at the ocean. Or just gotten out of bed. Which, given the amount of flirting he did, was pretty likely. And did he always have to have that teasing sparkle in his eyes and that “I love trouble” grin?

Would he ever bother to grow up?

“It’s okay. I’ll handle it.” She took a fortifying sip of champagne, then beelined toward the hotshots, ignoring Evie’s and Brianna’s attempts to stop her. This was her event, damn it, and Josh Marshall had no business cruising in here as if it was some kind of block party.

She ducked past the balloons at the edge of the play area. One of them swung back and bumped her in the nose. She brushed it aside and blinked her eyes back into focus. Josh—of course it would be Josh—had caught the entire embarrassing moment. A wide grin took over his face. That smile would make the panties melt off any girl, Suzanne most definitely included.

Except she refused to fall for that carefree vibe of his. It was so not her thing, at least not anymore. Carefree was for kids.

“What are you guys doing back here?” she asked as she reached them.

“Checking out this rockin’ party you have going on.” Josh tucked his thumbs in his front pockets and c****d his head at her. “I’m all for outdoor education.” And he winked.

Winked.

As if outdoor education was something naughty. And of course now all sorts of images were hightailing it through her brain. Josh at the beach, in nothing but board shorts. Josh jogging shirtless up a mountain trail. Josh chopping wood, muscles flexing as he wielded the axe—and guess what? No shirt.

She shook her head to clear it of all those unwelcome Josh Marshall images.

“The outdoor education is for the kids,” she said stiffly.

“Yeah, I hear this whole event is about the kids.” He cast a glance at the group of young people who had finally put away their phones and were listening to the two of them. “Having fun, kids?”

Shrugs. A few “whatever” glances. Suzanne sighed and admitted defeat. “Suggestions are more than welcome. You’re more or less still a kid, right, Josh?”

Sean laughed, then hid the sound behind a cough when Josh glared at him. “I’m…uh…going to say hi to Evie.” Sean whisked himself away.

Josh dug into his pocket and came up with a small, well-worn leather sack that fit into the palm of his hand. He addressed the moody group of young people.

“You kids like hackeysack?”

Suzanne started to laugh in anticipation of the mockery that suggestion would receive from the kids. But that wasn’t what happened. Their faces lit up and they gathered into a loose circle. Josh flashed a grin at Suzanne.

“You can thank me later,” he whispered. “Actually, you can thank me now by bringing me a beer.”

“This isn’t a beer kind of party,” she snapped. “I budgeted five hundred dollars for kids’ entertainment and you’re telling me all I needed was that little sack?” She pointed at the item in his hand.

“Please don’t insult the hack,” Josh said solemnly. “Right, kids? The hack is a thing of beauty and a gift to all mankind.”

The kids, who had all clearly been brainwashed, laughed along with him. How did Josh do it? He had them all eating out of his hand.

Disgruntled, Suzanne watched as he dropped the little pouch onto his foot and flicked it into the air. The emo boy caught it on his knee, then kicked it across the circle to someone else.

“He’s like the Pied Piper,” Rollo murmured in her ear. “Just go with it.”

“I need more alcohol,” Suzanne muttered.

“Coming up.”

Rollo must have departed, because she didn’t hear him say anything else. Her attention was riveted on the sight of Josh playing with the kids. For such a physically tough guy, he moved with an amazing amount of grace. Apparently you weren’t allowed to touch the hack with your hands, so the players had to twist their bodies or fling their feet into the circle to snag it. This gave her an excellent opportunity to watch him in action. His reactions were so quick, his movements incredibly nimble. He was like a cat out there. A lean one, with lots of muscles, and a smile that made everything more fun.

Another flute of champagne appeared in her hand. “Oh, I shouldn’t,” she told Rollo. “I’m actually working.”

“And you’re doing an awesome job.” He clicked her flute with his and drained his glass. “Everyone’s raving about the party.” He indicated the sweeping view of the Pacific off in the distance. The setting sun spread liquid gold across the horizon. “Nice setting.”

“I can’t take credit for the sunset,” she pointed out. “Or for the kids having so much fun. They were bored out of their minds before. I guess I should thank you guys.”

“Thank him.” Rollo gestured toward Josh. “Handy guy to have at a party.”

Fine. She probably should thank Josh. He’d corrected the one big oversight in her party planning. And you really couldn’t stay annoyed with a guy who was doing a scissor kick in mid-air while his blond hair flew around his face. Feeling suddenly charitable, she raised her voice. “Thank you, Josh.”

Her gratitude seemed to trip him up. He got a foot on the hack but then whipped it in the wrong direction—right toward her. With perfect aim, it winged through the air and dinged her champagne flute.

Champagne splattered all over the front of her favorite cream silk dress. The best thing about the dress was the little mesh cutouts at the waist and neckline. With champagne drenching her, it was now the worst thing about the dress—the liquid went right through the mesh onto her skin.

She gasped in shock and stared down at the wreck of her dress. Then looked up and met Josh’s apologetic gray eyes.

How dare he show up here and ruin everything? Well, everything that hadn’t already been ruined by Logan.

Someone deserved to be yelled at. But Logan wasn’t here and Josh was.

She shoved her glass at Rollo and marched toward the gray-eyed hotshot.