WLUV Box Set: Ignited, Consumed, Burned (32 page)

“Fine.”

“I’ll come
knocking at 6:30, plenty of time to shower or unpack.”

Fawn did
both. The shower was glorious after the plane ride and the warm weather.  She
was excited to try out some of the clothes from her new travel wardrobe, not
just because they were spectacular clothes but also because they came from a
clothing allowance, something she’d never had before. She thanked god for Macy—
and Wes, too. They really had given her a new lease on life and her career at
WLUV.

Fawn and
Macy had chosen safari-chic for the second leg of the trip when she’d be in the
Jaguar Preserve, interviewing the zoologists, the handlers, and trekking
through a rainforest. Tomorrow when they toured the cane sugar refinery and met
the CEO she’d wear a smart business suit. The skirt was a little shorter than
she’d have picked, but Macy’s approval had emboldened her.

Macy had
also insisted on a few soft, simple, and filmy dresses, a black one, and a
cream-colored one. She had a wrap to go with each one and leather sandals. All
of the pieces could be switched with the others so as to make the best use of the
limited space in her suitcase.

 For tonight,
she chose the black sheath dress with black sandals and a black wrap. She had
no idea what dinner and touring Belmopan would entail but figured she could be
safe with a black dress. When in doubt, wear black, right? She let her hair dry
naturally so it waved a bit. It was nice to wear it different from her
pulled-together anchor look, where it was the same thing every single day.

By the
time she’d dressed and thrown a few things in the small shoulder bag she’d
packed it was six o’clock. She was just putting a bit of makeup on when Brick
came knocking. A half hour early? She really didn’t want him to come in; in
fact, she’d planned to be waiting for him outside just to eliminate any awkward
alone time in her room. So much for that…

Brick

God, she
was beautiful. Brick tried not to gasp when Fawn appeared at the door, but he
couldn’t help it. He also couldn’t help inhaling her. She was freshly showered
and the familiar lilac smell was unmistakable. Brick decided he did not want it
to be strained any longer between them, so he ambushed her early. Maybe if they
just had a few minutes together, he could start again. It was worth a try—it
wasn’t like he could be any further up on her shit list.       

“You look
beautiful. You smell beautiful.” Brick was not going to pretend he was anything
but enamored of her. He played politics all the time, but he wanted Fawn to
know who he was. It was important to him not to put on any act but to be
completely real with her.

“Thank
you. You’re early. If you want to wait in the courtyard, I’ll be out in a few
minutes.”

“How about
I sit here and wait? I want to talk to you a little bit.” Brick slowly inched
his way to the small sitting area. “It seems if we ironed things out maybe we
could have a more pleasant working relationship…” He was moving as slow as he
could with this conversation. Being honest was one thing, but Brick didn’t want
to spook her by overwhelming her.

“Yeah,
sure. Fine.  What do you want to talk about?” Fawn moved to the dresser mirror
and leaned in close to finish applying gloss to her lips. Brick stared at them.
They didn’t need the gloss, but with it, wow, he wondered if his tongue was
hanging out.

“Brick.
Mr. Mayor…?” Fawn addressed him and he realized he’d been completely distracted
by the lip gloss.

“Yes, I’m
sorry. I was looking at your lips. So, yes—the air, let’s clear it.” Brick
leaned back in the wicker chair and patted the matching one next to him.

“I don’t
know what you mean.” Fawn put in one gold hoop earring and then another. Her
long neck was graceful. He remembered what it felt like to feather kisses
across it. She was clearly not going to sit down with him, so he may as well
get on with it.

He laid it
right out. “Fawn. Why do you hate me?”

“You’re
kidding, right? Hate is pretty strong for someone I hardly even know.”

Brick felt
the temperature of the Western Caribbean drop a few degrees just from the gaze
she’d leveled at him. But he had punched through her ice wall with his boldness
once before, and he was going to do again dammit, this time for good.

He stood
up and covered the distance between them in half a second. She might be cold,
but he was not. He grabbed her upper arm and drew her forward. She was rigid as
he whispered in her ear.

“We know
each other. We know each other better than any two people can.” She melted just
a few degrees and Brick couldn’t stop himself. He ventured a kiss on her lovely
neck, very lightly because he wasn’t here for sex, he was here to make things
right. She leaned in for a moment before she pulled away. It was just enough to
convince him there was a little fissure in her layer of ice.

“I know
that you broke my heart. Are you happy about that? It was only a few hours
after you lured me to your bed that I heard what you said to your cop friends.”
Fawn’s eyes were hot with tears.

“What?”
Brick stepped back and tried to remember what she was talking about.

“You were
in uniform, yukking it up with the detectives and I happened to round the
corner at the perfect time.” Fawn’s back was to him, but her voice got louder
as she stalked the room. Her hands were balled into fists at her sides and then
she wheeled on him and let him have it.

“I heard
you. I think you were talking to that lovely man, Detective Deets. He said my
tits were too small. Oh, but that wasn’t enough. You had to let him know that
you nailed me, hard. I think the entire Detective Bureau heard you. Well, so
did I.”

Her words
raised a curtain on a long-forgotten scene, one he had hardly thought of in the
moment, much less any moment after.

“Oh Jesus,
Fawn…I remember now. I’m so sorry. It was just bullshit with the guys. You have
to give them a bone or else they don’t shut up. It was stupid of me to give
in.” Brick thought back to that day. It was the least powerful memory he had of
that eventful 24 hours, Fawn stood out over his heroics and his promotion.

He’d
forgotten the stupid exchange had even happened. Bullshit between cops is a
constant. None of it means a thing. Unless you overhear it like Fawn did.

“I swear
it was just the dumbass guys. I’m not one to brag like that.” He recalled the
crap Deets delivered on a regular basis. The guy was just a dick. “It was
immature, but what can I say? I was young, and obviously an idiot. I was just
trying to shut them up. I didn’t mean to hurt you, you have to believe that.”

“Well, it
didn’t work to shut them up, Mr. Mayor, oh no. It got all the way to the top.”
Fawn was trembling with rage as she spat her memories at Brick, “The Chief told
my boss and thanks to him, my boss, who’d been chasing me around the desk up to
that point, decided I was an easy lay. When I didn’t jump into his bed, scratch
that –
when I didn’t screw him there on the couch in his office
– he
fired me.”

Brick took
several steps back and landed in the wicker chair he’d vacated, “Oh my god.” 
He tried to process what she’d just told him and rubbed his forehead with both
his hands as if it might help. “No wonder you hate me. I deserved it.”

“Deserved,
past tense? Not really a statute of limitations, Mr. Mayor.” Fawn’s armor was
up again, and she’d composed herself. He was thankful that at last he’d gotten
something out of her, but his face flushed at the thought of her hearing his
crass comments. It was bad enough that she’d heard him speak of her that way,
but then to be fired over it? He wished he could take it all back.

“I’m so
sorry, Fawn. I can’t unsay what I said. Honestly, I had no idea you’d been
fired, that the Chief…” Brick searched for the right thing to say to repair
some of the damage he’d done. He stood up again and walked towards Fawn. “You
never returned one of my calls. I called dozens of times. I seriously thought
you had just used me for a one-night thing, and I was pissed.”

“Lovely.”
She was as closed off as she could be. Brick grabbed her arm and she leaned
away but didn’t move from the spot. He tried to look into her icy blue eyes,
but she glared at the wall.

“Please
look at me for one second.”

“I just
want to do a good job for my station. I don’t want to talk about this anymore.”

Brick came
in closer. “I haven’t stopped thinking about you. Not for one day since we were
together. Please forgive me.”

Fawn’s
hesitated, and blinked her eyes hard a few times before meeting his, and Brick
knew that underneath the decades of old hurt and the fresh anger of today there
was still a connection between them—one he’d ruined, inadvertently or not. Her
eyes gave in to what they both felt around each other. He saw them soften a
little. 

“Fine.
Yes, I accept your apology. Will you let me go?”

Brick did.
He had work to do with Fawn, but he knew it was worth it. At least now he knew
the hurt he was up against.

Fawn

Fawn had
not often envisioned a confrontation like that with Brick, but of all the
possible scenarios that had ever played out in her mind, she’d never expected
him to be so humble. She certainly didn’t expect him to care enough to say he
was sorry. In the newsreel of her memory he had been relegated to a villain, or
at the very best a one-night stand gone horribly, horribly wrong.

That was
not the man who cornered her in her hotel room. The old Brick would have
probably pushed his advantage when she didn’t instantly recoil at his kiss on
her neck. She was distinctly aware of that as he walked behind her now, on
their way into a small restaurant in downtown Belmopan.

At their
table for four, Fawn was sure her eyes were wide with the sensory overload that
was Belmopan at night. The air sizzled, alive with the sounds of music and
laughter, the smell of food.

 Al
Rustico, the restaurant Brick had selected, had a mix of International food and
local Belize fair. She ordered the chef’s special.

“When in
Belize,” she commented as Chud wondered what to order. Brick followed suit, but
the plate in front of the young photographer was filled with steak and seafood.
Poor Doug, however, was looking greener by the moment.

They’d
borrowed Paulo’s vehicle to come into to town and made quite the interesting
foursome, Fawn thought. For a while they’d discussed the next day’s agenda:
they would visit the CEO, tour the cane fields, and then hopefully obtain a
signed agreement. Fawn would interview the CEO and capture the Mayor’s sound as
he worked throughout the day. Their goal was to get enough to explain the
advantages of cane sugar ethanol and the basics of the deal being offered to
get the company to come to Grand City.

Chud had
his orders to shoot from the shoulder, get whatever footage Fawn needed, and to
stay out of the way. After shop talk was over, he certainly seemed more
interested in food and women than what was going on at the table. Fawn saw him
watching the little band play in the corner by the bar.

“Go on,
have some fun. We’re done with work talk. Just remember we’re up and ready to
go at 9 a.m. tomorrow.” Chud looked at Fawn and nodded, then downed the rest of
his Belikin Beer, the local brew of Belize. Several women were eyeing him and
soon he was up and shaking it for all it was worth. Fawn couldn’t help but
laugh. The kid was going to get the most out of the trip that much was for
sure.

Fawn felt
badly for Doug, who was staring off woozily, and she had no idea what Brick was
thinking about. He’d been preoccupied and mostly silent since his apology in
her room. Maybe he was mentally getting ready for tomorrow.

“I’m not
feeling so well. Will you excuse me?” Doug left the table without waiting for a
response, making his way to the restroom.

Fawn
worried that the Economic Development Director was going to have the worst trip
of his life if this kept up. “Should you go after him?”

“Yes,
excuse me please.” Brick got up and followed Doug.

Alone at
the table, Fawn had a moment to mull over the day. Did she forgive Brick? Yes,
she did. It was a lifetime ago. It wasn’t doing her any good to harbor a
grudge, especially when he’d clearly seemed sorry, surprised even, to learn
about the repercussions she faced from their night together.

She
decided he didn’t need to know the rest. For now it was enough that he was
sorry about that long-ago morning after. As far as their lingering chemistry,
that’s all it was, just a memory. After all this time, Fawn finally felt she
could make peace with the whole thing, and for that she was grateful to Brick.
He’d forced the issue and she was glad he did. She didn’t have to be angry
anymore. Being angry was exhausting.

Brick
returned to the table alone.

“Where’s
Doug?”

“I called
him a cab. He’s either got a bug of some sort or something he ate didn’t agree
with him. He’s going to try to sleep it off tonight. Where’s Chud?”

Fawn
looked around the room and then spotted him in the corner with two women on his
lap.

“Um, he
seems to be having dessert.” She gestured towards her wayward photographer.

“Let me
see if he has a plan.” Fawn took the opportunity to finish her drink as Brick
checked in with Chud. She was glad he did, as she wasn’t one-hundred percent
sure if it was safe to cat around in a foreign country like that.

Brick sat
down at the table. “Yep. He’s got cab fare, a condom, and plenty of
opportunity.”

“Does he
really want us to leave him here? Is it safe?” Fawn worried about the
photographer.

“Safe
enough. I checked in with the owner, old friend of mine, he says the biggest
risk to the kid is being pick-pocketed.”

“They’re
checking out his pockets alright, but I’m not so sure they’re looking for
money.” Fawn watched as one woman kissed Chud on the ear and the other held his
hand.

“Did you
want to save him?” Brick raised an eyebrow.

“No, I’m
not sure if he’d ever forgive me.”

“Are you
ready to call it a night? We do have a long day tomorrow.” Brick was right. In
this setting, it was easy to forget how much was riding on Brick’s meeting
tomorrow.

“Yes.”

Brick paid
the check and they drove back to the resort. Since he’d given the apology Fawn
had softened and she even offered an olive branch as they wound their way back
to the resort.

“Thank you
for the apology. I’m sorry too.”

“Why are
you sorry? You didn’t do anything. I was the first-class asshole.” Brick
glanced at her. Fawn couldn’t stop noticing the gray at his temples, and his
Adam’s apple, and his forearms… Why did he still have to be so attractive to
her?

“I acted
rashly back then as well. I believed the worst of you since that moment, but I
could have confronted you rather than letting it fester. I could have taken at
least one of your calls. I’m just saying I think we’re good.”

“Good,
” Brick said.

Fawn
turned her face to the car window. She didn’t want him to see the smile that
she couldn’t stifle. It felt so wonderful to have this sweet moment with
someone who, for so long, she’d only associated with pain and bad decision
making.

“Oh, and I
didn’t vote for you. Neither did my mother.” Brick laughed and despite herself
Fawn laughed along with him as they arrived at the resort.

Brick
walked her to her room. “I’m glad you’re going to be there tomorrow when I meet
Don Novelo.”

“Really?
Why’s that?” Fawn asked.

“I’m
feeling a little anxious. I think this could be a great thing for Grand City,
the whole region, but it could still fall apart.”

Fawn had
always assumed that Brick was motivated by ego, but she was beginning to see
that he sincerely wanted to do a good job, to make a difference in their little
corner of the world. It surprised her.

They
reached the doors of their adjacent rooms. Fawn got out her room key and tried
to concentrate on it instead of the growing tension between them.

“And I’m
going to help with this anxiousness in some way?” She tried to lighten the
mood, be flippant, anything to diffuse the intensity that Brick focused on her.
She found it hard to believe that he was nervous. Nerves and Brick were not
things that typically went together in her mind.

“Yes. I’ve
always wanted you near me, all this time. Even when you hate me, I find my life
is much better when you are close by.”

Fawn’s
breath caught. She needed out of this situation fast. Her hands began to shake
and she dropped her room key on the concrete. “Damn it.”

Before she
could bend down to get it, Brick scooped it up. He was at her feet looking up
at her. He put his hand on her calf and as he stood he slowly ran it up the
length of her leg to her thigh and then to her hip. Fawn was perfectly still,
feeling the heat of his hands through the fabric of her dress. She couldn’t get
in the room without the damn key, running away seemed ridiculous, and she
couldn’t say stop. Why couldn’t she say stop?

With Brick
face to face with her, she dared to look up. He put his hand on the wall behind
her head so that she was caged—his other hand was on her hip. And then Fawn
tilted her head up. He was going to kiss her and she wanted him to. For a moment,
it was fifteen years ago and not a second had passed since they were just like
this in his shitty apartment.

In an
instant Brick’s lips were on hers. God, she’d wanted to be kissed like this for
so long. He pulled her hip forward as his tongue probed her mouth. The sparks
between them rekindled so quickly that it frightened her, and yet she found her
hands up around Brick’s neck as the kiss intensified.

“God, you
taste so good.” Brick’s words went from his lips to hers. She felt the same,
like his body and hers just fit together.  Something about this was so right...

But she
had to put a stop to it. She was not a 25 year-old anymore. She was a grown
woman with grown-up responsibilities and this could only end one way, with them
in bed and her heart broken.

“Brick…
Brick
.”
Fawn dropped both her hands to his chest. They separated, but only by a
fraction of an inch.

“We’re not
doing this. I’m not. Let’s not ruin the good progress we made together today.”
Fawn’s reason had returned to her. She was in control, barely, but she had it
together.

Brick kept
a hand on her hip and the other on the back of her neck, both of them still
breathing heavily. Every time Fawn’s chest rose it grazed Brick’s. The little
control she had would not remain in place if they stayed like this for long.

“Let me
make something really clear, Fawn.” Brick’s eyes locked on hers, his voice was
low and determined.

“I am
sorry for hurting you before. My words were terrible and if I’d known you’d
heard them I’d have been on my knees begging forgiveness for it then. But I am
not sorry for any kiss I’ve ever given or taken from you.” Brick’s words were
aggressive, nearly angry.

Fawn
couldn’t help reacting to his tone. She wanted to step back from him, but the
door was still solid behind her. “What I want to know is, are you sorry you
said them or sorry you got caught?” Her anger was starting to overtake her
attraction. This was the same man who had ruined her life all those years ago,
whether or not he meant to, whether or not he’d even known it, whether or not
he was sorry.

Instead of
answering her question Brick pulled her forward and pressed his lips to hers.
It made her teeth clash against the soft flesh of her lip and she tasted blood.
He was possessive, demanding; this was not the sweet kiss of just seconds
before. A sigh escaped her lips, her needs and wants were overtaking the logic
and anger that she used as armor. She gave in. Fawn felt herself offering up
her body, her mouth, everything, to Brick’s touch.

He grabbed
the flesh of her hip. She pushed her pelvis forward and felt her hip bone
against his. She dropped all pretense of being detached and her leg wrapped
around his in a frantic attempt to get closer. What was happening to her?

Brick
nipped at her lips, he seemed intent on devouring her, and she was intent on
letting him.

Then from
somewhere around the corner she heard a voice, it was Chud’s. He was singing,
there was laughter. Apparently he’d found a friend to bring him home.

The sound
startled Fawn and she realized it was now or never, “Go.” She pushed Brick away
and turned toward the door, but he was still behind her, his breath hot on her
neck.

He stepped
back and gave her the space she needed. “Fine, Fawn. But soon. It is far from
over between us.” He turned his back and walked toward his own door. He was
letting her go, which to her surprise, and in her momentarily unguarded state,
she found to be an almost painful disappointment.

She got
her door open finally and quickly closed it behind her. She now had zero
confidence in her ability to keep Brick Cooper at a distance. She’d done it
brilliantly for fifteen years, but that, apparently, was her limit.