TONY: Slow Burn (Raging Fire Book 1) by Kallypso Masters (the false prince TXT) 📕

loud whoop went up from the party guests, and she turned to see a wide-eyed and confused Angelina enter the room. A quick glance at her phone showed Carm there’d been a text from the reception desk, but she’d been too caught up in this conversation to notice. Oh well. She’d have to find out what was going on with Tony after the party.

The next ninety minutes whizzed by in a blur of greetings, singing the birthday song, having dinner, and then cutting and sharing an Italian cream cake the pastry chef had made. Tony didn’t sit at the table where they’d enjoyed their beers earlier. Instead, he was with his brothers, all of whom seemed to be in a serious conversation and didn’t appear to be happy about whatever they were discussing.

What the hell was going on?

Vowing once again to find out before he headed back to Aspen Corners, she first needed to move on to the games portion of the party. Tony would have to drive her back to her condo. She’d be able to talk with him then.

Rafe continued to badger Tony to tell him what plans he’d made for his unexpected shifts off work. He supposed his big brother wanted to make sure Tony wouldn’t sit around moping—or self-medicating with alcohol. How long would it take for him to prove to Rafe that he’d started turning things around?

“You need to change your routine,” Rafe said. “Don’t waste this opportunity.”

“I’m not. I plan to go diving.”

“Good,” Rafe and Franco said simultaneously. “You seem to be enjoying that.”

Tony didn’t divulge that the dive center only had one opening for him all week. If Tony had checked before choosing to take this week off, he would have chosen a better time, but everyone must be trying to get in their last warm dives before the weather changed.

Cold temps wouldn’t deter Tony, because he planned to dive in what his dive instructor called a dry suit that would regulate his body temperature even in frigid weather. Colorado didn’t have a lot of warm days, and Tony didn’t plan to give up on diving eight or more months out of every year.

Tony also mentioned to his brothers, all of whom were riding his ass, that he had two appointments scheduled with Lisa.

“Good,” Rafe said. “She can help you sort this situation out and get you closer to being able to handle the next one after you return to the station.”

Tony resented Rafe’s bossy tone. “My head is on straight. What happened yesterday was a momentary lapse, that’s all. Everyone’s making too big a deal out of this. Nobody got hurt.”

“Seconds matter in our profession, Tony.” His big brother, like any good fire lieutenant, would have to say that. Of course, Tony knew he was right.

“What about the next call, Tony?” Matt chimed in.

Why was everyone ganging up on him? He didn’t need this shit. Maybe he’d leave the party and go for a walk until it was over and he had to come back to take Carm home.

“Okay, everyone!” Carm shouted above the chatter and laughter. “Time for some fun and games. Nobody’s allowed to sit these out.”

At least I’ll have a distraction.

Carm motioned the guests to get up and move to the end of the room. “Everybody form two even-numbered lines—whenever possible woman-man-woman-man—and then I’ll tell you the rules.” While they took their places, she retrieved from the corner the plastic bags filled with the balloons he and Carm had blown up earlier.

Tony still had no clue what game she’d described to him over the phone last month, but guessed he was about to find out. “How can I help?” he asked as he approached her.

She handed him one of the two bags and a box of safety pins. Angelina was first in that line, so she showed him how to attach the balloon to her dress at the lower back and sent him over to the other line to attach their balloons.

When all but her and Tony’s balloons were attached, he watched as Carm silently counted the people in each line. She turned to him. “Tony, looks like you’re going after me so we can even out the lines.” She held one of the balloons toward him. “Can you attach my balloon?”

He took out a safety pin and threaded it through the loose end of the tied-off balloon and pulled the fabric away from her back so as not to stick her. The swell of her ass in her tight-fitting dress turned him on. Might not be appropriate for the setting, but this game might be just what he needed to take his mind off his problems.

“Now, turn around, and I’ll attach yours.”

He turned around and while she attached the balloon, he checked out the others playing. She’d succeeded in getting everyone at the party into a line, including Carm’s parents as well as Mama and her date.

“Okay, the ladies at the front of each line, I want you to go to the chair at that end of the room, bend over slightly at the waist, and hold onto the back of the chair.” She looked adorable sporting a yellow balloon just above her ass. “The next person in each line, your job will be to run up to her and pop the balloon—without your hands or any sharp objects touching the balloons.”

Seriously? Tony tried to figure out who would be popping whose balloon between him and Carm.

Once Karla and Angelina were in position at the chairs, Carm yelled “Go!” Adam and Marc ran up to their respective wives and—holy shit! Shouts of laughter filled the room as the men kept jutting out their hips in an attempt to make contact with the balloons—not to mention the backsides of their wives—in incredibly lewd motions.

Adam popped Karla’s balloon first, and he let out a belly laugh before swatting her on the ass and taking his position behind the chair waiting for Savannah to come up next. Their height