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UP IN FLAMES 53
Spinning around, he stalked out of the bedroom and started toward the stairs, when he stopped. It was barely audible, the soft sound, but he heard it coming from the extra bedroom he’d put Vanessa in. A huge knot formed in his stomach as he stepped forward, pushing the bedroom door open.Vanessa was unaware of him. That much was certain. She was wearing pink lacy panties, and her hair fell forward in soft, dark waves as she got one arm through her white blouse. Did she think she was really going to work?“What are you doing?”Her chin rose as she turned to the door. A faint flush stained her cheeks, her eyes wide without the glasses. “Don’t you know how to knock on a door?”“It’s my house.”Her lips turned down at the corners. “You still should knock!”Walking into the room, he stopped a few feet from her and folded his arms. “Vanessa, you cannot be getting ready for work.”“Whatever,” she muttered, turning around and giving him an eyeful of that perfect ass. His sex responded, swelli
UP IN FLAMES 54
The moment he said those words, he knew how true they were. She had him.Her mouth opened, but he snaked an arm around her waist and carefully hauled her up against him and kissed her.He kissed her in a way he’d never really kissed a woman before.It was a sweet brush of lips and tender pressure, a kiss of reverence, and it shook him to the core. His hand shook as he smoothed his palm over her cheek, slowly deepening to the kiss. He expected her to fight him, but her lips parted and her tongue flicked over his first. His arousal surged hard and heavy, but he slowed it down, not wanting to hurt her or to send her running again.But she wasn’t running now.Vanessa looped her uninjured arm around his neck, her hand delving deep in his hair, holding her to him. The kiss turned fiercer, harder, and it was all her.“Stay here,” he coaxed, letting his hand slip down, over the curve of her breast, to her hip. “Stay here and I’ll make sure you don’t think about anything.”Vanessa shuddered ag
UP IN FLAMES 55
Her breaths came out in pants. “No.”Alaric froze between her thighs. “No?”“I don’t want that,” she said, eyes open and fixed on his face. “I want you.”“You have me.”A smile raced across her lips, full and absolutely dazzling. Luckiest man alive to be on the receiving end of something so fucking marvelous. “I want you in me.”Holy shit, had he heard her right? Like being handed a winning lottery ticket and not believing it. “Are you sure?”Fuck. Listen to him. Are you sure?She wet her lips, and he groaned. “Positive.”For a few seconds, he didn’t move, and then he was up and off that bed faster than any man had ever moved, shucking off his bottoms even quicker. He reached into the nightstand and grabbed a foil wrapper, tossing it on the bed beside her.A breathy laugh came from Vanessa. “Excited?” she asked, “You have no idea.”—-------Vanessa was beginning to get a good idea of how excited Alaric was as she eyed his thick, rigid erection as he rolled a condom on. Good God, he w
UP IN FLAMES 56
Her mouth watered as she rocked her body closer, feeling him slide through her wetness and then retreat.“Naughty,” he murmured, his grip tightening on her hip, adjusting her right above him. Just a thrust away. “Tell me.”She wanted to continue to push, but she was burning up on the inside. Then he shifted and his head pushed in. A spasm lashed through her and she tried to bear down, to take him fully, but he stilled her.Vanessa wanted to punch the guy, but she wanted him inside her more. “I want you.”“That’s all you ever have to say.”He thrust up, and Vanessa cried out as he entered her in one deep and long thrust of his hips. The pressure of him filling her was nearly overwhelming, and he held still as her body adjusted to his size.“I’ve never felt something so…” He shook his head, eyes opening and fixing on hers. One hand curled around the back of her head, urging her down to his mouth. He kissed her, drawing her in as he moved his hips again. “You’re fucking perfect.”Vanessa
UP IN FLAMES 57
They rode in silence. When they reached the funeral home, the sight of the black hearse and limos made her breath catch in her chest.“It’s going to be okay, sweetheart.” Alaric patted her hand. “I’m right here.”She nodded. There were already a few other cars in the parking lot, even though the memorial service wasn’t for another hour. She and Christopher's parents had been asked to come early.Once Alaric parked, the three of them walked into the somber but elegant lobby of the funeral home. A tall, gaunt man wearing a suit that clung to his bones greeted them and directed them to the proper area.Vanessa's heart sank when she saw that Steven and Lois Wesley had already arrived. They were deep in conversation with Jeremy Blackenstock, who hurried over the instant he caught sight of her. She could have sworn he appeared relieved to see her.“There you are,” he said, his dulcet tones conveying the right mix of sympathy and comfort. “How are you holding up?”Dragging her gaze away from
UP IN FLAMES 58
Shaking her head, she tried telling herself to snap out of it. While that hadn’t helped in the past and most likely wouldn’t now, she hated this perceived weakness inside herself.A plan of action. That’s what she needed. Except she had no idea what Christopher might have done with the money. If she couldn’t find it, she would be screwed.She decided to act as if the police or the FBI would catch the caller or find the money or whatever. Once they’d taken care of the threat, she could go on with figuring out a way to regain her life.When all this was behind her, the first thing she would do would be to sell the house she'd shared with Christopher. The place was too big and pretentious and had never truly felt like home. She’d move somewhere smaller. That way she’d be able to start over in her new life and finally figure out who she was meant to be. If Alaric crept into her thoughts here, she firmly pushed him away. As far as she knew, she and he had no future together. “Are you okay
UP IN FLAMES 59
The instant they stepped into the kitchen, Alaric could tell something was wrong. Vanessa stood at the kitchen counter, an open bottle of wine in front of her, a half-full wineglass in her hand. Her dark eyes seemed huge in her pale face.“What’s going on?” Paul asked. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”“The early news just ended,” Vanessa said, her voice wavering. “They said the FBI is investigating Christopher for campaign violations. Chloe is, according to the news story, cooperating fully. I tried to call her and she wouldn’t take my call.”Alaric cursed. This was the first he’d heard of that. Usually, his boss made sure he stayed on top of things and kept him fully briefed regarding Christopher's case.Though Paul didn’t speak, but judging from his steely glare, he didn’t like the news either. “I knew that lady was bad news," he said, "You know she was fully involved." Alaric said, "She’s selling out her dead boss to try and save her own skin. Though I can’t really blame her,
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It took every ounce of self-control Alaric possessed not to go to her. “Are you okay?” he asked, managing to keep his distance.She nodded but didn’t speak. He could tell by the wobbly set of her mouth that she was trying not to cry.“They’re awful people,” Paul said. “Don’t let them get to you.”“All of this is getting to me,” she said. “I miss how my life used to be. There’s three million dollars missing and I have no idea where it might be. Oh, and someone not only calls and threatens me, but they shoot out my window and mess up my properties. Now this…. I honestly don’t know how much more I can take. All I want to do after this is over is move away from everyone and everything and start over. It seems to be the only way my life is going to ever get normal again.” Alaric edged out of the room. He didn’t want to hear any more.—--------Vanessa watched Alaric withdraw into himself and fought back tears. She could take the Wesleys enmity and rancor, she could take the whole world kn
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