Read Playing with Fire for Free Online

spotting one to the left, at the far end of the pool. As she walked toward it, she could feel their eyes on her. She reminded herself the guy at the store had sworn the bikini looked “delicious” on her and that she was tired of being the plain girl, but she tingled with self-consciousness.
    Keeping her eyes forward, which took some effort, she sat sideways on the lounger and unloaded her things, stalling, trying to summon her courage. Approaching guys like them wasn’t her usual MO but it’d be worth it to know someone in the local fire department. Such a hardship, she thought to herself, and stifled a grin.
    By the time she stood, their attention was elsewhere and they’d moved to the shallow end, which gave Macey the opportunity to inconspicuously sit on the near side of the pool and dangle her feet in the water.
    Suddenly the guys were both speeding toward her end in what appeared to be an all-out freestyle race. They touched the wall, one on each side of her.
    “I won,” the one on her right said as he surfaced noisily.
    “About time. I was starting to feel sorry for you.” The man on her left lifted himself effortlessly out of the pool and sat a couple of feet away from Macey. “Hello.”
    “Hi,” she said, deciding he was the type who likely got any girl he wanted. Besides the extreme self-confidence that spilled over into cockiness, and the already noted biceps, he had startlingly blue eyes and a smile full of confidence-inspiring charm.
    “He didn’t beat me by more than an inch, did he?” he asked.
    “Evan, let her be. I’m sure she has better things to do than massage your bruised elephant-size ego.” The guy on her right remained in the water. His hair was a few shades darker, almost black, and he had dreamy chocolate eyes and a square chin. His manner was plenty tinged with testosterone, but she determined instantly that he was more laid-back than his friend.
    “Evan Drake,” the one sitting next to her said, holding out a wet hand. “That’s Clay Marlow. You must be the new neighbor.”
    She shook his hand. “I’m Macey. Which apartment is yours?”
    “Opposite end of the second floor from you.”
    “How’d you know which one’s mine?”
    “He has a built-in single-woman radar,” Clay said. “You’ll have to forgive him for being so obvious.”
    “I just pay attention,” Evan said. The smile he gave her was openly flirtatious but it didn’t have the desired effect on Macey. Her type, if she had one, leaned toward more down-to-earth. His forwardness scared her off. She assumed, whether rightly or wrongly, he was only interested in one thing, and that wasn’t Macey’s scene at all.
    “Are you new to the island?” Evan asked.
    “Just visiting, actually. For a few weeks. What about you two?”
    “Permanent residents.”
    “Beach bums?” she asked, smiling, knowing full well they weren’t.
    “We work for the fire department.”
    Just the opening she was looking for.
    “A good friend of mine was a firefighter in Dallas. Now he runs a bar here.”
    “Dallas, huh? Cool. Does he want to get back into it?”
    “Maybe someday. He’s pretty busy right now. Is the station nearby?” She’d heard sirens a couple of times during the night, but hadn’t been able to tell where they’d originated.
    Evan nodded. “On the beach about half a mile south.” He pointed in that direction. “We like this place because it’s close and cheap.”
    “And furnished, too,” Macey said. “Plus the minuscule view of the ocean.”
    “Our view is the pool, which seems to suit his purposes,” Clay said, gesturing toward Evan.
    “You make it sound like keeping track of the local females is a sin,” Evan complained.
    “More like an art, in your case.”
    “Just a pastime.”
    “Everyone needs a hobby,” Macey said, surprised to find she was enjoying herself with these two.
    “What’s yours?” Evan asked, and she found herself momentarily stumped.
    “Good question. I need to find