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UP IN FLAMES 44
Vanessa looked down. When she raised her head, her expression was stubborn. “I’m not letting anyone keep chasing me out of my own home,” she said. “I'm tired of it. I’ve done nothing wrong or illegal, and if my husband stole money, I didn’t know anything about it.”Paul sighed. “I know. But even if you are totally innocent in all this, do you really think that makes a difference to the bad guys?”Vanessa's proud expression fell. For a moment, she appeared shattered, devastated by the horrible possibility Paul outlined. Alaric had to suppress a surge of anger at Paul. While he understood—and even respected—the man’s reasoning, he hated seeing Vanessa hurt. Even for her own good.“Nothing will happen to me,” she declared, her voice steady and strong. “Alaric will make sure of that.”Alaric felt like he’d been punched in the gut. Paul's gaze swung to him before landing back on Vanessa. “What if they kill Alaric?” Paul asked, the coldness in his voice giving the words extra impact. “Do yo
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“But these are for you.” He headed toward her, placing them on the desk. “Careful. They’re heavy.”Her eyes scanned the roses and tiny white flowers as she stood there in a stupor. She didn’t see a card, but she hadn’t realized that in time. The deliveryman was already gone.Sitting down slowly, she stared at the magnificent, beautiful display of roses. This…this had to cost a pretty penny and she couldn’t even fathom who’d sent them to her. Surely it could not be…She was still staring at the roses when she heard Anita's gasp from her open office door. “Holy crap, that’s a lot of roses,” she said, hurrying closer to the desk to inspect them."How are you always around when things like this happen?" Vanessa grumbled. Anita ignored her comment. She was still inspecting the flowers. Her wide eyes met Vanessa's. “Does this have anything to do with who’s on his way up the elevator?”Vanessa stiffened, half afraid. “Who’s coming up the elevator?”“One incredibly sexy Detective Alaric Harp
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Left panting and scattered, she watched him stalk toward her door. Was he leaving? Nope. He shut the door and locked it, then faced her. The hunger in the tight line of his full, expressive lips and the heavily hooded look to his eyes stole her breath.She stood, her legs weak. “Alaric, what are you doing?”“No talking,” he growled, prowling around the corner of her desk.Her eyes widened as he pulled her chair back. “Excuse me? No talking? Who in the fuck—?” she began. His mouth was on hers once more, but this kiss… Good God, she’d never been kissed like this before. Thoughts of random roses vanished in an instant. It was like he was staking a claim, marking her as his with his mouth and tongue. She had no idea how that was possible, but she felt claimed. Knew that she was. There was no fighting it, not when his tongue rolled over hers as he pulled her against him. She could feel his erection burning hot against her belly, pushing through layers of clothing.Alaric broke off the int
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For a moment, she considered not answering, but then, she was done hiding from reality. She’d face this head-on.“I hope you liked those flowers I sent,” the caller said. “See how easy it is for me to get you there? It doesn't matter if you have that boy toy following you around. Now, I want my money.”“I want my proof,” Vanessa replied, hoping that she sounded brave enough. “It seems like you might be having trouble coming up with that.”“Ask Christopher's assistant for the ledger. The other ledger, the one he keeps locked in the safe behind his desk. That’s where you’ll find your proof.”She took a deep breath. “Was Chloe in on this with him?”“She knew. Whether or not she received a cut, I have no idea. But it’s probably likely she did, as money to keep her mouth shut. If she knows where the three million is, I would be surprised if she doesn’t take it and try to run.”Wincing, Vanessa shook her head. It was bad enough to learn that the man she’d thought was an upstanding— if remot
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“Drug cartels? Money laundering?” Chloe shook her head, her voice full of simmering anger. “How could you possibly believe Christopher was capable of such awful, illegal things? He was an upstanding business leader with political aspirations. He would never have done anything that might jeopardize his chance of becoming governor! He believed in what he was doing and wanted to make a difference.”Vanessa couldn’t tell if the other woman truly believed her words or had become a damn fine actress. “Whether you like it or not, it would appear Christopher was involved in all this,” Vanessa began. Their catfish arrived just then, and she had to wait until the waitress left before continuing. “I have someone making threats and demanding this missing money. Christopher cleaned out our joint bank account before he was killed. Someone shot out my back window and ruined my car and apartment. So don’t sit there and try to make me believe you’re completely in the dark. You were Christopher's assis
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“Yikes.” Chloe raised her hands up in the classic gesture of defeat. “You win. I’ll show you where he kept all his private, top-secret files. I know where he kept the key.”Finally, they were getting somewhere. Chloe led the way into Christopher's office, opening his middle desk drawer and retrieving a full key ring. “It’s one of these,” she said, turning to the back wall and removing a large, framed picture that concealed a safe. Instead of a keypad, it had an inset lock.Chloe began trying keys. Her fourth attempt turned out to be the right one. “Here we are,” she said, opening it. Once she had, she stepped back, allowing Vanessa to see the inside.Instead of stacks of cash, there were several large envelopes and folders, stuffed with papers. Vanessa moved forward, half-afraid of what she’d find.“I’ll leave you to it,” Chloe told her, backing out and closing the door behind her.Vanessa transferred everything from the safe to the desktop, then she pulled up a chair. As she’d suspe
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“Apparently. Which explains a lot.” She didn’t elaborate, but he got the idea. “His parents are super religious, so I’m guessing that’s why he felt he had to keep it a secret.”“I get that,” he mused. “Plus, with his political aspirations…” They both fell silent. When Vanessa spoke again, a tinge of sadness colored her voice. “I had no idea he wasn’t living an authentic life. He always seemed so confident, so self-assured, as if he knew exactly what he wanted, where he was going, and how to get there. I wish he had told me the truth.”“Would knowing have made any difference in how you felt about him?” he asked, not sure he really wanted to know.“Yes, it would.” She took a deep breath. “I’m not sure if you realized this, but Christopher and I were never close. I would have understood his complete and utter rejection of me much better if I’d known he was in love with someone else.”His heart squeezed. He hated to think of Vanessa being rejected, especially by the man she’d married. “
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He let his gaze roam over her, unable to keep from wanting her as much as he wanted to breathe. He thought back to earlier, when he’d realized she wasn’t in the house and the awful, paralyzing fear he’d felt.“We need to talk,” he said, jamming his hands down into his pockets to keep from touching her. Raising her head, she eyed him. Absent-mindedly, she tucked a silky strand of her hair behind one ear. “About what?”“You taking off like that. It’s not safe. I know you’re aware.”Slowly, she nodded. “I just needed some space.”Though she likely hadn’t intended them to, her words wounded him. “Don’t do that again.” He kept his tone curt. “If you don’t want to be with me, then just say it.”Eyes wide, she stared. “What’s wrong with you?”He almost abandoned the idea then and there. After all, with the undercover assignment still hanging over him, he couldn’t come out and declare his undying love right now. There were so many intricate layers and he knew it could all come crashing down
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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
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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
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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
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“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
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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
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“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
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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
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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
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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
