LOGINShare
25
Last Updated:
2024-10-29 19:42:56Related chapters
UP IN FLAMES 26
“Hell no. I’m already itching to get back to her, so I’m sure as hell not going to spend half the night away just in case she gets sicker.”“Then you should be home.”Paul glanced at him. “Like I said, she threatened to kick my ass. You know how she gets.”Alaric laughed. Emily was a tiny thing, but he wouldn’t put it past her to make good on her threat. “You should pick her up some ginger ale and crackers.”“Yes, Mom.”Alaric flipped him off as he kicked his leg off the coffee table and leaned back. His thoughts wandered to the phone call he’d made to Vanessa earlier and a small grin pulled at his lips. He’d flustered the unflusterable and didn’t that fill him with a ridiculous amount of smugness? He really shouldn’t be messing with her, considering the situation she was in, but he just couldn’t help himself.His own phone sat like a stone on the arm of the sofa. He hadn’t expected Vanessa to call him, even if she’d said that she would. It wasn’t like her, but damn if he wasn’t secon
UP IN FLAMES 27
Someone wanted to scare Vanessa badly enough to send her running, something he doubted she did often, and he’d succeeded. The woman looked like her legs would give out on her at any moment. The urge to take her into his arms hit him hard. He wanted to hold her. More than that, he wanted to protect her. That sudden need went beyond his job, but he resisted. Something told him that she would most likely react like a wild animal cornered if he did pull her into an embrace.“Come on,” he said quietly. Taking her arm in a gentle grasp, he led her into the living room so she could sit.His partner's brows nearly reached his hair as he watched Alaric guide a quiet Vanessa to the edge of the couch. She tucked her hands between her knees, but he could still see them trembling.A feeling of helplessness assaulted him, a sensation he wasn’t used to at all. Alaric knew how to protect people. He made a living doing it, but so far, he’d done a piss-poor job of doing so.Turning to Paul, he curled h
UP IN FLAMES 28
A wry grin appeared, barely reaching her eyes. “That’s what they say.”He slid closer, using his knee to slide between hers. The position was intimate, noted by her when her eyes flew back to his. She pulled her hands again and this time he let her go, but he didn’t move away. He knew he was crowding her.“I’m sorry.” She started to rise. “I shouldn’t be bothering you with this—any of this. You only agreed to look into the names I’d given you. You're just doing your job. I can go to a hotel until, well, this blows over. I should—”“No,” he said, his muscles tensing, prepared to tackle her if necessary.She froze and her eyes widened behind her glasses. The haunted look was still there. “No?”“Right now, it’s not safe for you to go back to that hotel.” He almost smiled when her eyes widened. “And this stalker also knows where you’re staying and took it out on your apartment.”Folding her arms over her chest, she lifted her chin a fraction of an inch. “Then what am I supposed to do if I
UP IN FLAMES 29
A sensual thrill sent chill bumps across her skin. He looked at her like he wanted to devour her. She tried not to like the feeling that brought forth in her—the crazy rush of excitement and anticipation—but it pooled low in her belly nonetheless.“You should wear your hair down more often,” he said.Vanessa blinked slowly. “What?”“Your hair,” he repeated as he leaned against the doorframe, crossing his arms as he spread his legs. With his eyes all hot and the small grin full of lazy arrogance, he really was quite stunning. The picture of masculine beauty. “You’re an attractive woman, but with your hair down and those glasses off, you really are quite beautiful.”As his words sank in, she snorted. She knew she didn’t look like she face-planted an ugly branch, but beautiful? Yeah, that was not the case. If anything, Vanessa was exceptionally plain with her dark hair and eyes. “Beautiful? Removing my glasses and letting my hair down isn’t a drastic makeover.”“If I say you’re beautiful
UP IN FLAMES 30
His lips swept over hers once more as she placed her hands on his chest, prepared to push him away, but then he nipped at her lower lip. A tiny bite that brought forth a wave of tight lust that seemed to come out of nowhere. He nibbled at the corner of her lip as he pulled her against him, trapping her hands between them.Good Lord, he kissed like a man starving for a taste. Working at the tight seam of her lips, he pressed forward, demanding that she open up to him.She couldn’t help her reaction to the kiss, no matter how badly she wished she wasn’t affected by it. She wanted to remain aloof to the sensual assault, to remain in complete control of herself, but a longing rose deep inside her, spreading like wildfire.Her lips parted on a sigh, and Alaric delved inside, slowly probing the recesses of her mouth. He tasted of whiskey and something richer, deeper. The kiss deepened, and instead of pushing him away, her hands fisted in the shirt he wore, holding him in place. He kissed he
UP IN FLAMES 31
“Though I hate to admit it, you never know. Christopher must have kept a lot of secrets. That’s probably the reason he had his own bank accounts and why I was surprised that he emptied our joint one. Clearly, he needed money for something. But what specifically, I have no idea.”“Even more reason to find out.”Since Alaric might be the only person she could trust right now, she decided to ask for his help. “I’d like to go through his papers in his home office. Once we’re finished doing that here, I’d like to check out his office downtown.”“I think that’s a great idea,” Alaric replied. “I wouldn’t mention this to Chloe Davis just yet. It might be better if you surprised her.”Since she hadn’t yet reached a decision about whether or not to trust Christopher's campaign manager and assistant, she nodded. “Agreed. Do you mind coming with me and helping me look? You might see something I miss.”“Of course not. When do you want to start?”“We can go now. I need something to keep me busy and
UP IN FLAMES 32
Alaric handed Vanessa the document, watching as she read it. She didn’t react, at least not in any outward fashion. She simply flipped to the second page and then the third, before starting over and reading the entire thing again.“It’s dated before I married him,” she finally said, as if the date explained everything. “Though I have no idea who Chris might be.”“You don’t know a Christine or maybe a Crystal?” he asked, figuring he might as well probe a bit deeper. “Did you know Christopher was seriously involved with someone right before your marriage?”Meeting his gaze, she slowly shook her head. “No. Christopher never mentioned anything about a Chris. At all. But then again, he and I never really discussed our previous relationships.” “Is it possible Christopher and Chris might have been married previously?”Vanessa appeared shell-shocked. “It’s possible, I guess. Anything is possible at this point.” She shook her head.“I’ll need to ask Chloe,” Vanessa continued. “She’s been with
UP IN FLAMES 33
She made a sound, a low moan like an animal in pain. Her gaze locked with his and held. Her lips parted and then she reached up and cupped both hands along-side his face. She pulled him to her, crushing her mouth to his. Instead of tenderness, she kissed him with raw need, her hunger for him electrifying.Fire ignited, zinging in his veins, short-circuiting everything but the seductive feel of this woman in his arms.Her mouth warm, her tongue mating with his. She pushed herself into him, moving them backward, until he stumbled and fell back into the overstuffed chair, pulling her down, almost on top of him. This didn’t faze her at all. Instead, her eyes gleaming, she straddled him. She gave a soft, sexy laugh, and his body responded instantly. She kissed him again, her mouth continuing to move over his in deep, drugging kisses full of passion, full of soul. He slipped his hands up her arms, her skin so silky soft, not sure if he meant to hold her in place or bring her closer. She dec
Latest chapter
UP IN FLAMES 80
He laughed, dropping his forehead to hers. “I was thinking you wanted to tell me something else.”She reached up, spreading her palm against his cheek. The words were surprisingly easier to say than she could’ve ever imagined. “I love you.”His eyes fell shut as he sucked in a deep breath. “I’m glad we don’t need to fight again for you to admit that.”“Me, too,” she whispered, stretching up and kissing him softly. “Don’t you have something you want to say?”“Remember my fantasy?” His lashes lifted. “The one I told you about?”Paul cleared his throat behind them, but it went largely ignored.That wasn’t what she was looking for, but she would go with this. “Yes. I remember.”“And look at you. Your hair pulled back, wearing one of those god-awful suits. I think you did that on purpose.”A smile teased her lips. “I might have.”“Hmm,” he murmured as he reached around, gently unwrapping the bun and letting her hair fall down her back. “And why did you do that?”“I thought it might help my
UP IN FLAMES 79
Stunned by what he said, all she could do was sit there, and when she didn’t say anything, Alaric cursed under his breath again. “I’ve told you that I don’t mind the chase, and I have no fucking problem chasing after you, but I refuse to run after a ghost. And that’s what you are if you can’t let go of your past with your mom. I won’t chase a ghost.”Then he spun, his long legs quickly eating up the distance between her and the door. And then…then he was gone, the door slamming shut behind him.The moment Alaric left, she knew, without a doubt, that she had made the biggest mistake of her life. It was right there, smacking her face. Everything he had said was right.She was a coward. And the best damn thing to ever happen to her had just walked out the door.……… Her heart was like a hummingbird in her chest by the time she climbed out of her newly returned car and stared up at Alaric's house.A thousand things could go wrong with this. He might not be home. He could be and he could h
UP IN FLAMES 78
Pressure clamped down on her chest and she quickly shook her head. She had been doing so well. Now wasn’t the time to break down. She placed her purse on the desk when someone knocked and the door to her office opened. It was her assistant, Ruby. "There's a Mr Harper here to see you, Mrs Spencer. Should I send him in?" Vanessa's heart skipped a beat, and she almost ran out the door to see him, but she stopped herself. What use would it be? She'd already left. There was no going back now, so she shook her head, "No," she replied, "Please tell him I'm not available," Ruby left, and Vanessa stood, staring at the door. She knew Alaric well enough to know that if he insisted on coming into her office, no one would be able to stop him. Fifteen minutes later, no one came in and she knew that he'd gone. She should be relieved, but she felt more miserable than ever. —-----Everything should be okay.Her apartment had been virtually restored. The rental insurance had kicked in and the new
UP IN FLAMES 77
“Vanessa,” he breathed, voice ragged. "Vanessa, please…. Please don't…" He stopped talking and she dropped her head to his warm shoulder, squeezing her eyes against the rush of hot tears. Her arms trembled, but it seemed to have very little to do with what they’d just done, and more with the fact that after today, it would be the last time. It had to be before it was too late.But an evil little voice whispered that it was already too late. —------Vanessa was running.Alaric was a lot of things, but he wasn’t fucking stupid. And he’d meant what he’d said. Kind of. He’d let her have the facade of running, because she wasn’t going to get far. He knew that the woman felt the same way he did. She may not be able to say the words, but it was everything else she did. Right now, she was like a cornered animal. There were only two options for her: fight it out or run.She was going to run.He’d kept her busy the rest of the day Sunday, not giving her much time to put whatever cockamamie pla
UP IN FLAMES 76
Looking over her shoulder at him, she drew in a shallow breath. “It is.”Alaric stared at her for what felt like forever and then he had his pants off in record time. His arousal jutted out proudly, hard and thick, and molten lava filled in her belly. He stepped into the shower, closing the door behind him. His hands landed on her hips and when he spoke, his voice whispered in her ear. “I know what you’re thinking.”Vanessa shuddered. “You do?”“Yes.” He kissed her shoulder, causing her heart to squeeze at the tender action. “You’re going to run.”She stiffened, her arms clamped close to her chest. “I don’t…don’t know what you’re talking about.”“You’re a shitty liar.” He turned her around and reached between them, wrapping his hands around her wrists. He backed her up until she was flush with the cold tile. “You have that look in your eyes. Never really seen it before—the whole deer-in-the-headlights look. But you have it. You’re going to run.”“You need to get your eyes checked, the
UP IN FLAMES 75
“That's bullshit and you know it.” Paul said, "Fuck you," Alaric replied, but there was no real heat in his words. "Look, I had to take a break, okay? After everything that happened, I felt like I needed some time for myself. Besides Bobby was fine with it," Paul didn't look convinced, "Does this have anything to do with a certain Mrs Spencer?" When Alaric didn't reply, Paul added, "Damn man, Did you let her go?" Vanessa felt like an interloper. Well, duh, she was, and she really needed to get her ass out of there. Paul looked like he was about to say something else when what sounded like a chair in the dining room deciding to mate with the table drew their attention. They turned at the same time.Vanessa stood a few feet back from the table, her face as red as a fire truck and her eyes wide. Alaric's gaze dropped, and he swallowed a groan. Damn if he didn’t love seeing her in his clothes. However, he did not like the idea of Paul seeing her practically naked. And he really wasn’t
UP IN FLAMES 74
Oh fuck, he needed to be in her again. “I like it, too.” Placing the tips of his fingers under her chin, he lifted her gaze to his. “And I love it when you lose control.”Her mouth opened, as if she was about to deny that, but he kissed her before she could deny what was so obvious. He wanted her upstairs and in his bed, but they got sidetracked on the stairs, and he ended up between her thighs, his arm along her back, taking the burn of the rocking motions. Later, much later, they made it to his bedroom. Both of them were exhausted, and he felt like he’d run a marathon. He lazily trailed a hand up and down her spine. Each time he reached the slight curve of her lower back, his fingers brushed the swell of her ass and she’d shiver. Of course, he kept doing it.She nuzzled her cheek against his chest, letting out a content sigh. “What you did downstairs, on the table people eat at, wasn’t very appropriate.”Alaric chuckled deeply. “What is it about you and appropriateness?”Her lips cu
UP IN FLAMES 73
Cupping her breasts, he rolled her nipples between his fingers as he dipped his head, pressing a kiss to the small puckered skin on her shoulder. “You like that?”“Yes,” she said, voice husky. “It feels so good.”“Hmm…” He kissed her shoulder once more and then placed another kiss over her wildly beating pulse. “I like you like this.”“What?” She arched her back, thrusting her breasts into his hand.He plucked her nipples, grinning when she gasped. “Standing naked in front of my sink.”A soft laugh lit up the kitchen. “Are your blinds closed?”“Of course.” He moved his hips against her rear, groaning in her ear. “If I saw you like this every fucking day, my life would be perfect.”“Every day?” Muscles tensed against him, and he cursed under his breath.Not wanting to give her time to dwell and obsess over that comment, he curved his hand around her throat, guiding her head back, and kissed her. As he licked his way into her mouth, he pulled out the tie.“Close your eyes.”She pulled b
UP IN FLAMES 72
He stared at her, and Vanessa averted her eyes. She couldn't look at him. He looked so hurt and she almost flung herself at him, but they didn't belong together and there was no point letting things go on longer than it should. They'd just be postponing the inevitable. "You don't have to stay in a hotel, Vanessa. You can stay with me…. And…. And then maybe we can get the chance to say goodbye to each other… Properly. Not standing here like strangers. We don't have to end it this way," That made sense, Vanessa told herself, or maybe it did because she wanted it to. She turned to look at his handsome face, "Alright," she said, "Let's go," —-----------It didn’t matter how many times Alaric tasted her or slid deep inside her, it was never enough. He was addicted to her—to the way she moved against him, how her mouth brought him pleasure and then riled him up seconds later when she mouthed off, or the way she cried out his name as she came. He couldn’t keep his hands off her, not whe
