Hot Like Fire (Dafina Contemporary Romance)

by Niobia Bryant

  Since their move to America, and especially since Maria Santos's passing, the Santos family had gotten away from the tradition. It felt good to do some thing that put her in touch with her culture. It took a solid thirty minutes, but in the end, Garcelle knew she made a fabulous meal.

  Garcelle wiped her hands on a dish towel as she made her way to the den. She paused in the doorway. Zorrie was sitting on the edge of couch, beside Kade's legs, and Kadina was on the floor, on her knees, as they all looked at a photo album. Zorrie reached out and touched Kade's arm as they laughed together at something Kadina said about a photo of her mother.

  "Something smells delicious," Zorrie said.

  "I made a traditional Spanish lunch," Garcelle said, walking into the room.

  "Thanks, Garcelle. 'Cause I am starving," Kade said as he looked up at her.

  His eyes were the brightest and most alive she had ever seen them. Was it the photos or the presence of Zorrie?

  "Aunt Zorrie, you have to stay for lunch. Garcelle is the best cook ever," Kadina said as she rose to her feet.

  "Well, don't forget your mother could throw down in the kitchen, too," Zorrie said as she rose.

  "Kade, can you make it to the kitchen, or do you want me to bring you a tray?" Garcelle asked.

  Kade swung his legs to the floor and eased his way to the end of the couch. "You tightened these bandages real good for me this morning, so I'm going to the table."

  Garcelle stepped forward to offer Kade some assistance, but Zorrie got to him before her. Her instant reaction was to feel slighted, but she decided that that was being childish.

  "Bueno, Daddy," Kadina said, with her eyes on him as he rose gingerly to his feet.

  "Oh ... your nanny is teaching you Spanish?" Zorrie asked as they made their way to the kitchen.

  Garcelle thought she heard a hint of derision beneath Zorrie's sugary sweet tone.

  "Si," Kadina said, with a wink at Garcelle.

  Garcelle tugged Kadina's ponytail.

  "Garcelle is good for Kadina. I'm lucky she was able to help me out this summer," Kade said as he took a seat at the large island in the center of the brightly lit room.

  "Yes, of course," replied Zorrie.

  Garcelle moved to the stove to begin serving the first course of soup. She had to swallow her uneasiness at serving Zorrie. It made her feel like the maid she wasn't. When it was the three of them, everything was informal, like a favor between friends.

  "And I can't wait to spend some time with my godchild. Work has kept me from visiting South Carolina more often," Zorrie said, with a warm smile at Kadina. "I think it's been a year, and even then, I was just in town for a funeral, and I went right back that same weekend. We had fun that weekend, too. Remember we went to the museum in Charleston?"

  Garcelle served herself a bowl of soup and sat at the island, beside Kadina. Her spine stiffened when Zorrie reacted to her presence at the table with obvious surprise and disapproval.

  Garcelle just smiled around her spoonful of soup. She wished Kade would tell her she wasn't allowed to eat with the family. She wished he would.

  Kade reached for a piece of bread at the same time as Garcelle. They both pulled their hands back.

  "So how long are you in town for, Zorrie?" Kade asked as he broke off a piece of bread.

  Good question.

  "Two, maybe three, weeks," Zorrie said, with a long stare at Garcelle, which Garcelle met boldly.

  Kadina jumped up and down in her seat excitedly. "Aunt Zorrie, you have to spend a couple of nights with me. Please."

  "I would love to, but it's up to your daddy," said Zorrie.

  "Fine with me," he said, digging into his soup with gusto.

  Garcelle completely lost her appetite.

  Bianca was staring out her office window at the ranch hands working the Travises' new racehorse, Shogun. It was a slow day at the clinic, and she wished it were otherwise. She wanted nothing more than to have something on her mind besides her father and Mimi's relationship.

  What ... the ... hell?

  She was grinning and bearing it all, but deep down, she wanted to flip out and ask them both if they were crazy. It was building up inside of her with every passing moment. She was sick of the questions flying in and out of her head at any odd moment of the day. And her main question was, When did their love affair begin?

  Her office door opened, and Bianca turned away from the window to find her father and Mimi walking into her office, arm in arm. She rolled her eyes before she could catch herself.

  "You busy, Bunny?" her father asked as he looked down at her.

  Bianca cleared her throat and began to shuffle papers on her desk. "Actually, I'm swamped," she lied, looking at them briefly, with a stiff smile, before she focused her full attention on the papers.

  "Something wrong, sweetie?" Mimi asked as she stepped forward in a pink suit with enough fringes to offend a cowboy.

  Bianca looked up at her briefly. "No, not at all. What are you two up to today?"

  Mimi slid her petite frame on the corner of Bianca's desk and crossed her legs. Her gold heels were covered with the dust of the farm. "I was telling Big Daddy-"

  "Big ... Daddy?" Bianca asked, with a hint of derision.

  Mimi smiled like a cat before a bowl of cream. "He's your daddy, sweetie, but he's my, huh, what ... Big Daddy. That's right."

  Hank's smile was big enough to show every tooth in his head.

  "Anyway, I was telling Big Daddy that I want to experience a big old country barbeque with all the works," said Mimi. "I want to try all those things Big Daddy has been telling me about. Venison, coon, catfish stew, and ... and..."

  "Fro-maw stew," Hank offered.

  Mimi clapped her bejeweled hands. "Yes, that's it. Frogmaw stew that isn't made with frogs, right? A lady has to draw the line somewhere."

  Bianca laughed at her friend. In that moment she realized that she'd been so busy pouting over their relationship that she hadn't allowed herself to enjoy having Mimi around.

  "You and Kahron be sure to come Saturday, and tell the rest of that big ole Strong bunch," Hank said as he walked over to massage Mimi's shoulder as he kissed her forehead.

  Mimi wore enough make-up to make a man look like a woman, and Bianca was surprised her father's lips weren't covered with foundation.

  "Me and a couple of the hands are headed to Charleston," Hank added. "You two enjoy your day together."

  Bianca felt alarmed. She wasn't ready to be alone with Mimi. All her feelings about their relationship might explode out of her like confetti.

  "I told Big Daddy that I'd stay here with you. It's not good to crowd a man," Mimi said, patting her jet-black French roll in a bad Mae West imitation.

  Bianca genuinely smiled up at her.

  "I can help with those horses, honey," said Mimi.

  Bianca leaned back in her chair. "There aren't any ... ahem ... male horses to take a peek at," she teased.

  Mimi hopped off the desk and wrapped her arms around Hank's wide girth. "I have my own stallion to show me a big and hard-"

  "Ick alert! Ick alert!" Bianca yelled, not caring how childish it was for her to cover her ears with her hands.

  Hank picked Mimi up, bringing her face closer to his. They kissed long and firm, like they were in the room alone.

  "Daughter in the room," Bianca said, with emphasis.

  Mimi flung her head back as she lifted one hand and used her thumb to wipe her crimson red lipstick from Hank's thick lips. "I'm sorry, sweetie," she said in the caricature voice of hers as she stared dreamily into Hank's eyes. "When I'm around Big Daddy, he just makes me ... come alive."

  They laughed while Bianca dropped her head into her hands. "Good grief," she muttered.

  8

  By the time Friday rolled around, Garcelle was ready to kick her size eight feet at Zorrie's pictureperfect, phony behind. The woman was driving her muy loca, hanging around the house so much. With Kade having returned to work, he wasn't the
re to act as a buffer. Garcelle's nerves were seriously grated. Seriously.

  The woman had an opinion whether spoken or not-about everything. If she had to stand Zorrie hovering over her shoulder while she cooked a meal, she was going to tie her behind up like a turkey. And whenever Kadina showed Garcelle too much affection or attention, Zorrie was there to bring up Reema, as if Garcelle was trying to take her place.

  How ridiculous, considering Garcelle was probably one of the few single women in Holtsville respecting Kade's grief.

  The sun was on the rise, and the skies were becoming a deep shade of purple and lavender, as Garcelle parked her Cabrio in front of Kade's house. For the first time since she'd taken the job as Kadina's caregiver, Garcelle was dreading going to work. She uttered some less than friendly terms for Zorrie Kintrell as she eyed the woman's white Mercedes Benz, which was parked beside Kade's SUV.

  Zorrie must have spent the night. For one foolish moment, Garcelle wondered where she slept, and a jealousy like nothing she had ever known consumed her as she envisioned Kade making love to the woman. But Kade wouldn't sleep with his dead wife's best friend in the very house he'd shared with his wife. That Garcelle knew for sure.

  She climbed out of the car and grabbed the small bag of groceries. She'd brought the ingredients to make churros for breakfast. She knew that Kadina loved the sweet fried dough. That, plus some hot chocolate, would start their day off just right.

  Garcelle walked up to the front door just as it swung open. Kade came barreling out. They collided. Garcelle went flying backwards, landing on her back, with a grunt of pain. The groceries rolled out of the bag and scattered across the porch.

  "Garcelle? Are you okay?" Kade asked, his mintfresh breath lightly caressing her face as he knelt beside her. He pressed his palm to her cheek, and Garcelle gasped at the hot jolt of electricity that went through her from his simple touch.

  "I'm fine, even though you're a big wall of muscle to run into," she quipped as she sat up. "Are your ribs okay?"

  Kade nodded as he rose to his feet and offered her his hand. "Don't worry about me. I'm a grownass man.

  Yes, you are, she thought as she slipped her hand into his.

  He pulled her to her feet, and then Garcelle stumbled forward, causing their bodies to press together, with their clutched hands between them.

  Garcelle looked up at Kade. Kade looked down at Garcelle. She released a shaky breath as her heart pounded wildly. He licked his mouth as his intense eyes dropped down to her open mouth. She licked her own lips and then bit her bottom lip nervously.

  "Garcelle," he said huskily as he lifted his free hand to caress the side of her face.

  She leaned into his touch as she inhaled lightly.

  Pure electricity and fire crackled around them as they stood there, absorbing each other. Heat pressed between their bodies. Their hearts roared like thunder. The chemistry between them was explosive and hot ... like fire.

  "Damn, Garcelle," he said again, his voice and his eyes so obviously tortured.

  She saw that he struggled with his desire for her, and it tore at her heart. As badly as she wanted to feel his lips pressed on hers, Garcelle allowed herself one last look of longing at his mouth before she looked up in his eyes. "You're not ready for this, Kade," she told him huskily. "We both know you're not ready."

  He nodded as he caressed her bottom lip with his thumb.

  Garcelle turned her face and pressed her lips to his palm. "Podria enamorarme de ti muy, muyfacil- mente," she whispered before she stepped back from him and awkwardly put her groceries into the bag.

  Kade reached out and grabbed her arm. "Garcelle, I-"

  "Kade?"

  Garcelle looked past him and saw Zorrie standing in the doorway, in a knee-length satin robe. Kade released Garcelle with obvious regret as Zorrie stepped out onto the porch to stand beside him.

  Kade headed down the stairs. "Good-bye, ladies," he flung over his broad shoulder as he jogged down the stairs.

  "Garcelle, why are you here today?" Zorrie asked as if she was her employer and not Kade.

  Garcelle gazed at the other woman. "Excuse me?"

  Kade swore before he turned on the bottom step. "Garcelle, I meant to call you this morning before you left home. Zorrie's going to spend a couple of days here with Kadina, so you can have the weekend off ... with pay, of course."

  Garcelle hoisted her bag into her arms. "Thanks, Kade," she said as she gave Zorrie one last irritated look before she jogged down the steps as well.

  "No problem," he replied.

  As she passed Kade, who was climbing into his vehicle, they glanced at one another and then quickly glanced away.

  "Bye, Kade. Have a good day at work," Zorrie called from the porch, like a wife seeing her husband off for the day.

  He just waved before he reversed out of the yard ahead of Garcelle.

  As she drove away from the house, Garcelle frowned in thought. At first she'd thought Zorrie was hanging around to protect the interest of her deceased friend; now Garcelle thought the woman was nothing but another man hunter in disguise.

  Zorrie watched Garcelle reverse her beat-up little Volkswagen out of the yard. With each turn of the wheels carrying Garcelle farther from the house, Zorrie's face changed, losing its pleasantness. "Good riddance," she muttered, with a wave of her hand, as she walked into the house.

  Her future house.

  Ever since her first visit to this dream house, which her friend had put together for years of enjoyment with her husband, Zorrie had envisioned herself as the lady of the house, with Kade Strong as her man. She felt no shame about that.

  Zorrie and Reema had been friends since childhood, but Zorrie had always felt like she lived in Reema's shadow. Reema had been prettier, wealthier, and more popular. She had had more boyfriends, more dates, and more fun. Although Reema had always made sure to include her best friend, Zorrie had just lived with the jealousy for all those years.

  In fact, Reema and Zorrie had been together at a high school party when they both met the handsome Kade. From the beginning, he had only had eyes for Reema. He had barely spared Zorrie a second glance, but she had secretly longed for him. Craved him. Wanted him.

  Most of the time she was their third wheel, getting a firsthand view of all the wonderful things Kade did for her friend. She saw it all and wanted it all for herself. Even after she moved to North Carolina after college, she had thought of Kade and missed him something awful. She had wished things with him could've been different.

  Zorrie slowly climbed the stairs, her hand trailing up the banister. She went into Kadina's bedroom and stood by her bed, looking down at the girl as she slept peacefully. "You should've been my little girl," she said softly as she bent over and smoothed the hair on Kadina's forehead. "Stepmother will be just fine."