Into the Flames

by Multi-Author

  “Stop!” Lexi screamed. Everyone ignored her while fists flew. The altercation attracted attention from those still milling around after the game, and the next thing she knew, other guys came running to join the brawl.

  “Forget you,” she shouted at their backs. “All of you.” Someone was lying. Her anxiety spiked so high she could hardly breathe.

  Lexi grabbed Daniela by the hand and they took off for their cars without looking back.

  Chapter Nine

  Text message, 6 PM:

  Knox: Sorry things got out of control. Where did you go?

  Lexi: Home. Alone. Lost the mood for company.

  Knox: I get that.

  Lexi: I had no idea you had a temper.

  Knox: Those guys brought the worst out in me. Sorry.

  Lexi: Is it true what they said? About pictures?

  Knox: No way. There aren’t any. Never were.

  Lexi: That makes me feel better.

  Knox: You can trust me.

  Lexi: Lol. That’s what they all say.

  Knox: In my case, it’s true.

  Lexi: I know you were just trying to protect me.

  Knox: That’s because I care about you.

  Lexi: Me too.

  Knox: Can we talk about this inside?

  Lexi: Inside? What do you mean?

  Knox: I’m standing by your apple tree. With takeout.

  Lexi: Chinese?

  Knox: Yep.

  Lexi: Okay, you can come in.

  Lexi flung the door open and had to laugh. Knox stood on the other side of the doorway, dressed in full firefighter regalia from head to toe, minus the face mask and oxygen tank, holding out a big takeout bag from Mister Wok. “Egg rolls. Shrimp lo mein, sweet and sour pork, chicken and broccoli.”

  “How did you know those are my favorites?” she asked.

  Knox grinned. “Easy. I called Marcus. He asked Daniela.”

  “Asked her? Or called her?”

  “He turned to her and asked. At Kelly’s.”

  Lexi didn’t see that one coming. “She went without me?”

  “She met up with Marcus an hour ago. In her defense, she said she tried calling you, but your phone went to voice mail.”

  Damn. She’d turned off her phone to relax in the bath. She’d forgotten to turn it back on until right before Knox sent his text.

  She glanced down at her frumpy lounging pajamas and wished she’d worn something more flattering for Knox’s unexpected visit. Ginger hopped down from her play structure and circled her ankles, trailing cat hair against the hems. Great. Lexi lifted the cat and set her back inside the house.

  “So…why are you dressed in your gear?”

  Knox gave her a smile that sizzled. “Seeing you again was an emergency.”

  She laughed out loud at that, harder than she’d laughed in a long time. “Oh, I do love a man with a sense of humor.”

  “Love?” He cocked his handsome head at her when he repeated the word.

  “I was being figurative.” She took the takeout bag from his hand and moved aside to let him in.

  Knox leaned over to kiss her cheek. “Let’s see what we can do to change that.”

  Had he just said what she thought he said?

  He stayed close, his breath wafting over the hair at her temple, the gesture innocent yet achingly intimate at the same time. “I wanted to tell you that my temper isn’t something I’m proud of, and it’s something I’ve been working on…since our family tragedy. Maybe I should have played peacemaker after the game, but those idiots had whatever they got coming. I couldn’t let them talk about you that way.”

  “The threat of violence scared me,” she murmured. “But what I hated more was feeling marginalized.”

  He kissed the hollow above her cheekbone. “Those guys… They were probably firefighter wannabees with bad attitudes who couldn’t hack the training. We run into jerks like them all the time. But when they harassed you and Daniela…everything I’ve been holding back came to the surface. Still, I was able to control the worst of it. They got off easy, believe me. I feel like I’ve gotten better. You make me better.”

  Lexi relaxed into him. Men like Knox didn’t find it easy to walk away from trouble.

  “If it’s any consolation,” he said, “you witnessed the worst of the hostilities. The fight didn’t last more than another couple of minutes. Marcus and I finally broke it up, and the instigators left, like they should have from the beginning. End of story.”

  “What about Rodriguez? Will he really lose his candidacy?”

  Knox shrugged. “That’s up to the captain, but I wouldn’t be surprised. Rodriguez doesn’t know when to keep his mouth shut, especially when it comes to women, and that’s a serious problem for the department.” He gave her a squeeze. “None of this is anything for you to worry about, though. Not your problem.”

  He lowered his mouth to hers to kiss her again. Somehow, the takeout bag eased to the floor of her entryway, and her arms wrapped around Knox’s waist, and they were kissing like mad. The rightness of his lips against hers brought new clarity to their budding relationship. He kissed her with passionate yet familiar ease, as if their togetherness was the most natural thing in the world.

  When Knox rescued her from her apple tree, she’d sensed his goodness. His decency. So few of the men she’d met lived up to that standard. It was his nature to protect and defend. With him, she knew she was safe, and free to let go. She’d trust him, and everything would be all right.

  Lexi pressed her palms against the front of his turnout coat. “Wait right here. Don’t move.”

  Knox grinned. “Okay, but what’s going on?”

  “You’ll see. It’s a surprise.”

  His gorgeous blue eyes glistened. “I like surprises.”

  “Good. Stay put.”

  Lexi grabbed the bag of takeout, dropped it off in the kitchen, and bolted down the hallway to her bedroom. Inside, she lit candles, and then grabbed a few things from a drawer and went into her master bath.

  Several minutes later, she returned to the entryway where she’d left Knox, and stood inside her living room, only feet away. Ginger purred at his feet and he was leaning over to give the kitten a scratch.

  When Knox returned to standing, he turned in Lexi’s direction. His grin stretched from ear to ear at the sight of her. “Wow. Just wow.”

  She wore her lavender nightie and matching thong and made a slow pirouette in her bare feet. “Now we’re both dressed the way we were on the morning we met.”

  “You have no idea how many times I’ve pictured you like this in my mind.” He moved toward her as she moved forward. “The reality is so much better.”

  He ran a hand over the length of her hair, kissed her, and teased a breast beneath the wisps of fabric she wore. That first intimate touch sizzled over her skin and sent shockwaves to her core. Her body lit from the inside and the heat worked its way out until her flesh warmed beneath his hands. Knox removed his helmet, dropped it to the floor, and explored her body further with his lips and tongue. Hot chills swept over her.

  Before meeting Knox, she never would have imagined that a man’s touch could affect her in this deeply feminine way. She shivered again, and her limbs trembled while he explored. She gave herself over to the sensations, feeling desirable and unafraid. She tipped her head back to allow him complete access. Trust had erased her fears.

  Sex, it seemed, wasn’t just sex.

  He pressed a kiss to her navel, stood, and in one fluid motion lifted her into his arms. “Bedroom?”

  “Condoms?”

  “Coat pocket.”

  She pointed the way.

  Inside her room with the curtains drawn, candlelight flickered in the semi-darkness, adding intensity to Knox’s handsome face. He reached for the closures on his turnouts, but Lexi stopped him. “Let me do that.” She had fantasies of her own, and her favorite definitely included stripping th
is gorgeous firefighter of his gear.

  She got on her knees on the bed, and Knox moved to the edge of the mattress to accommodate her. Lexi started from the bottom of his coat, hoping for skin instead of another layer of clothing beneath.

  Pop. The first clip opened and she glimpsed the waistband of his fire-retardant pants.

  Pop. She undid the next. Lexi stuck her hand inside the flap.

  Ahh. Her palm brushed the tight flesh of his stomach and his muscles contracted at her touch. Knox hissed between his teeth.

  Pop. Lexi opened another closure and enjoyed the sensation of Knox shivering beneath her palm. Her little finger played over a taut nipple and a sprinkling of hair tickled her hand.

  Mmm. One closure to go.

  Pop. The final clip opened, and even in the candlelight and impending twilight, Lexi could see that Knox was magnificent. She pushed the coat off his broad shoulders and watched as it eased over his arms and fell to the floor. Every fantasy she’d ever had about undressing him couldn’t compare to this.

  The Maltese cross above his heart drew her mouth like a dusting of sugar. She traced it with the tip of her tongue, and then licked the center, before kissing the space where his heart beat. She rested her head against his chest, and ran her fingers over the tattoos on his biceps, before reading the words on the inside of his forearm aloud. “Help me be loyal and true, respectful and honorable, obedient and valiant. Thus fortified by virtue, I shall have no fear.”

  Lexi looked up at Knox and tears of happiness and pride filled her eyes. Hers. This incredible man was hers.

  She leaned back to take in the rest of him, though the sight of his naked torso took her breath away. Knox had toned his body beautifully, but without excessive vanity. A smattering of pale hair grew over his gorgeous pecs and taut stomach. Her gaze followed the darker line disappearing into his pants. Her fingers itched to discover what waited inside.

  Before she could unhook his turnouts, he lifted her to her feet next to the bed and pressed his face to the swell of her breasts. He kissed the skin above her nightie with a heady mix of reverence and lust. In an instant, he pulled the flimsy fabric over her head and tossed it away.

  He ravished her—that was the only way to explain what happened next. Lexi gave herself over to Knox without hesitation as he explored every inch of her body with fingers and tongue, bringing her to the brink and back a dozen times over.

  He licked her navel beneath the gold loop, looked up at her, and grinned before giving it another flick. “I’ve wanted to do that since I first laid eyes on you.”

  “I definitely liked it.” She kissed the top of his head, ran her fingers over the back of his neck, and then scooted onto her knees. Lexi pulled the waistband of his pants. “I want to see you.”

  Her lover stripped then, letting the coarse fabric of his turnouts run over his hips and down his long, sturdy legs until he stood in his boxers. He smirked when she yanked the elastic waistband of his underwear with more impatience than she intended. She wanted him naked.

  “The gear is scratchy,” he said, with a chuckle. He tugged the boxers off.

  Lexi sucked in an appreciative breath at the sight of him. “Nice.” No disappointments there.

  He moved to the bed, tossed away the quilt, and tumbled with her onto the sheets. His lips met hers for a passionate kiss, and then another, and another, until their limbs entwined and their bodies merged, and Lexi lost herself in sensations.

  The crackle of cellophane followed as Knox rolled on a condom.

  How could she have known they’d fit together seamlessly? Lexi sighed. Their bodies moved in perfect syncopation.

  Afterward, wrapped in each other’s arms in their afterglow, Ginger hopped up on the bed. Knox reached out to pet the kitten. “I have you to thank for this, little puss. Get used to me hanging around.”

  He kissed Lexi and stroked her cheek. His blue eyes darkened with intensity, yet were filled with gentleness as he stared down at her. “That’s if you’ll have me.”

  Lexi kissed him back. “Always.”

  She marveled at how lucky she’d been to get stuck in her apple tree.

  * * *

  “Oh, this is so good.” Lexi licked her fingers and groaned with her next mouthful of shrimp lo mein. “Pass the egg rolls, will you?” She looked sexy as hell at the kitchen table in her transparent nightie, with her feet tucked under her.

  He passed the waxed paper sack holding the egg rolls. She bit into one, added extra duck sauce, and then took another bite. “Mmm, you know the way to my heart,” she said. “I love Chinese takeout.”

  Knox popped a bite of sweet and sour pork into his mouth and watched Lexi lick her lips until things started happening south of his equator. They’d worked up quite an appetite in her bedroom, and he was ready for another go-round.

  Lexi swallowed her food and then looked over at him with a quirky smile he’d never seen on her before. If cute was an okay word to use for a grown woman, then Lexi was cute. And beautiful. Smart and exciting too. Being with her felt like home.

  Knox watched her eat with as much intensity as she made love, played pool, danced slow, and shared secrets. Without her defenses up, Lexi was a passionate woman. He reminded himself for the hundredth time how lucky he was to have met her. And now she was his.

  His. And whether Lexi knew it yet or not, he was exclusively hers.

  If they continued down this road, he hoped they’d be together forever.

  The End

  About the Author

  Adele Downs is the best-selling, award-winning author of more than 20 romance titles, including those written under another pen name, and is a former journalist with hundreds of articles to her credit. When not writing in her home office in rural Pennsylvania, she can be found reading a book on the nearest beach or riding in her convertible.

  Visit her:

  Website

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  Slow Burner

  by Sam Cheever

  A love that burns slowly burns longest, creating the greatest heat.

  Though they haven’t seen each other for fifteen years, Duncan Yves has never forgotten Hilda Bennet, or the feelings of love and protection she engendered in him when they were kids. So when she becomes the target of a madman who kills with fire and calls his deadly work Art, it seems perfectly natural for Duncan to try to protect her. Unfortunately, he soon learns that protecting Hilda just might bring the past crashing back down on both of them.

  Hilda was just a girl when she last saw Duncan, and her childish dreams of living with him behind a picket fence were squashed when he went away. But when they finally find each other again, the past that separated them all those years earlier still seems determined to keep them apart.

  Can they nurture the embers of a love that was forged in childhood into the full-fledged inferno it seems destined to be? Or will the destruction of yesterday’s fire finally smother that blossoming flame, and leave their love in ashes?

  ~ Acknowledgement ~

  Many heartfelt thanks to Bryan Fontenot, Fire and Arson Homicide Investigator for the State of Louisiana. Bryan’s expertise and creative advice were invaluable to me as I crafted Slow Burner. If there were any errors in interpretation or presentation, the errors were entirely mine and I take full responsibility for any creative license I might have taken in the effort to create a great story. Thanks so much, Bryan!

  Chapter One

  Flames growled and lurched, a living, breathing force that ravenously consumed everything within their reach. Yellow-gold death crawled over every flammable surface, sizzling and sending up clouds of silvery steam as it touched the streams of water raining over it.

  Fabric wilted beneath the firestorm, melting to gaping holes and black smoke beneath its touch. Wood shimmered and darkened, its fibers giving way more
slowly but settling into a lazy burn that fed and reinforced the raging conflagration moving through the once beautiful home.

  The boy huddled beneath a metal and plastic table, tears drying in salty tracks on his over-heated cheeks almost as quickly as they formed. His chest burned under the toxic fog. Coughing had become a constant thing, his twelve-year-old form convulsing helplessly under the relentless need to expel the invasive smoke. But the heat was the worst. The terrifying, uncompromising furnace that seemed to surround him, cutting him off from everything he’d ever known and loved.

  The sizzling, crackling, roaring enemy moved inexorably inward, converging on the tiny island of protection he’d found within the inferno.

  He sobbed, curling himself more tightly into a ball on the floor. Reaching for anything that might soothe, he pictured his mother’s beautiful face. In his mind her expression was filled with worry. He thought he might never see that face again. Or feel the warm bloom of happiness when her soft hand encompassed his.

  Over the angry growl of the flames, the boy thought he heard a scream. Or maybe it was a shout…a cry… No, it was someone calling his name!

  His head came up and he shouted out.

  He screamed over and over, praying someone would find him in time. Before it was too late. But even as he had the thought, the ravenous flame reached sizzling fingers toward his flesh. As a door across the room was flung wide, the heartless marauder bean to eat its way through the tender flesh beneath his clothes, ripping a scream of agony from his slender throat.

  Duncan Yves lurched upright in his bed, his eyes wide and his shirt soaked through with sweat. He scrubbed a hand over his face, the shrill screams still reverberating through his mind. Then he heard the ringing behind the screams and shoved the ghosts away, reaching for his cell phone on the night stand.

  His voice was rusty when he spoke into it and he had to clear his throat. “Yeah?”

  “Hey. It’s Ash. I hate to do this to you buddy, I know you’ve had a rough week, but we have another fire over on Jackson. The Battalion Chief asked me to call. Can you come out?”