Into the Blue is a fantastic addition to the Wild Aces series by Chanel Cleeton. The first book in the series absolutely knocked my socks off and I was absolutely salivating for this book. Into the Blue is a true second chance story. Thor and Becca fell in love as teenagers and he made the decision to go into the Air Force against Becca’s wishes. Hindsight being 20/20 and all it was the right decision to make at the time for Eric (Thor).
Ten years later, they come face to face and realize that they still have very real feelings for each other but are faced with how to deal with those feelings and the reality of their situation. This is something that Cleeton has done so well with this series, balance the romance with the reality of real life. He has a job that requires moving around, she has a job that she loves and has worked and sacrificed a great deal for that she cannot and will not leave. Thor has already made the decision once to choose the Air Force over Becca and she is understandably weary of entering into any kind of relationship with Eric. He’s only there for a wedding… it’s temporary.
Of course, things change and Eric decided to spend his extended time Becca, in their hometown, to make her understand how good they can be together. Into the Blue is about former lovers trying to make decisions about how to live their lives together-despite the professional and personal challenges they face and I appreciated how Cleeton slowly walked her characters through those decisions.
Into the Blue does not have the crazy flash bang love at first sight chemistry that Fly With Me had. This book is a different animal and is much more of a slow burn but an excellent read, nonetheless.
While we get Becca and Thor’s story, we also get more of Easy and Dani. Cue deep breathing here. I CANNOT WAIT FOR THIS BOOK. January cannot come fast enough. FOR REAL.
I walked into Liberty, my gaze peeled on the crowd, searching for Becca.
Easy had texted me two hours ago and mentioned that she was here, and I’d gone back and forth over whether I should come out at all. It hadn’t escaped my notice that she’d pretty much been avoiding me all week, whatever truce we’d reached in the cemetery on Wednesday apparently forgotten, and while part of me knew I should give her the space she needed, another part of me was afraid that she would use the space to keep a wedge between us.
I couldn’t apologize, couldn’t grovel at her feet, if she wouldn’t forgive me. And right now, she was a locked door I couldn’t break through. I’d thought I stood a chance, thought that the fact that she still talked to me like I meant something to her, like we were friends, meant we had a shot. But now it felt like that had just been wishful thinking, and I really had blown it with her.
So this was it. My Hail Mary, Hallelujah, final attempt at getting her to let me in. I’d caused her enough pain over the years; I didn’t want to keep doing it. If she truly wanted me out of her life, then I’d give her that.
I spotted Easy first, his arm wrapped around the same girl he’d been with the first night—a girl with hair eerily similar to Dani’s. Easy saw me across the crowd and waved me over, the girl—Rachel or something—tensing immediately at the sight of me and answering the question of whether she knew who I was to Becca.
I cut through the crowd, still searching for her, nerves rolling around in my stomach.
Easy jerked his head in greeting. “Hey, man.”
Rachel looked ready to bolt and warn Becca I was here.
“Hey, how’s it going?” I asked, glancing over his shoulder, trying to make out Becca’s features in the sea of people. Liberty was packed tonight.
His lips curved. “She’s by the bar with Bandit.”
Shit.
I didn’t know Bandit that well, but we’d been out together before, and if he was with Becca, it definitely wasn’t because he wanted to be friends.
Easy shot me a pointed look that irked the shit out of me. “Can you blame the guy?”
Fuck.
My gaze drifted to the bar, and then I froze.
Becca stood in a corner, the lights shining down on her like a fucking halo, the skirt of her dress brushing against Bandit.
She looked so beautiful that I felt it like a pang in my chest, the smile on her face one I’d seen so many times before, aimed at me. The one I’d lost. Thrown away. She looked like she was having fun, and then Bandit leaned in closer and said something that made her laugh, and her whole face transformed, her shoulders shaking, eyes sparkling.
I held my breath as her gaze drifted through the crowd; my heart hammered, waiting for the moment . . .
Our gazes locked, her body stiffening, the smile sliding off her face.
It knocked me back like a blow.
I’d envisioned finding a way to talk to her tonight, maybe dance with her, flirt with her; I hadn’t envisioned standing here with my heart in my hand, watching her flirt with Bandit of all fucking people, as what little hope I’d clung to died a bit inside.
I waited to see if she’d acknowledge me somehow, the plea that she’d throw me one of her smiles—something, anything—battering me inside. A wave, even. Just some sign that she saw me, that she still cared, that there might be a chance for us to put the past between us.
I’d missed her this week, missed seeing her face, hearing her laugh. We’d been apart for a decade, and somehow the glimpses I’d had of her had made everything harder, bringing back all those feelings we’d had for each other with a sharpness that pierced me.
Look at me. Please. Forgive me. Let me in.
I stood there like an idiot, the sound of Easy saying my name over and over again drowned out by the bar noise and the pounding of my heart.
And then she did turn, shifting her body away from me, tilting her face up to Bandit, her lips curving in a smile I knew all too well.
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