Burning with Desire

by Patricia W. Fischer

  Grabbing handfuls of the sheets, she writhed under him. “Please, Kyle. I need you in me.”

  He stood and grabbed the wrapped condom. Within seconds, he’d pulled it from the packaging, but before he could get it on, she took it and put it on him, rolling it down his shaft.

  He groaned, “Gabby.”

  As she leaned back, he crawled onto the bed and hovered over her. Their eyes locked as he entered her in a slow, torturous move.

  Gabriella thought she’d unravel right there. His presence blissfully filled her.

  He growled as the tempo increased. “You feel so good, Gabby.”

  “Yes.” She nodded as he moved in and out of her. Her all-consuming want for him drove her crazy with desire. She wrapped her legs around him, encouraging him on. “Yes.”

  Kyle moaned as his hips rocked quicker, harder.

  She met him with each thrust, grabbing his ass, she pushing him deeper. Electricity surged through her as she came unglued. She kissed him hard and passionately rode his cock, her climax encouraging him to the finish line. “Yes, Kyle. Yes!”

  He arched his back, thrusting his hips and stiffening as the pulsation of his release filled her up.

  They lay in a tangled mass of arms and legs as each caught their breath.

  “That was fantastic,” she panted. “Truly, fan-tastic.”

  “Yep.”

  About that time, Cookie jumped on the bed and gave them a stink eye before a long meow erupted from her.

  “I think that means we’re supposed to move.” Kyle reached over and pet the cat.

  “Or she’s hungry.”

  The tap-tap of Belle’s nails on the hardwoods signaled that more company was on the way. They laughed at the normalcy.

  “I’ll take care of it.” Reluctantly, she unwrapped herself from his embrace, sitting on the side of the bed as she tried to locate something to cover herself.

  He groaned, rolled on his back, and stretched giving her another view of his beautifully sculpted body.

  Gabriella’s fingers itched to roam over every chiseled line of muscle, but Belle nudged Gabriella’s thigh with her cold nose. “Well, that’s a buzzkill. Wet dog nose. Can I get you anything from downstairs?”

  “Nope, I’m gonna clean up.”

  Cookie sat on something. Waving the cat away, she realized it was the shirt she’d stripped off him. Throwing it on, she ran downstairs, the animals in hot pursuit.

  After a quick feeding, she stopped in the downstairs bathroom before heading back.

  When she returned, she found him lying back in bed. His glorious body uncovered to the waist, but the concern on his face was a contradiction to the bliss he’d showed her not a few minutes before. “Gabby, what’s this?”

  She recognized it immediately. He had the letter from Riley she’d left out on her bedside table.

  Dammit.

  “It’s nothing. I meant to put that away.” She tried to grab it from him, but he held it at arm’s length.

  “Is this a non-disclosure agreement?”

  Chapter Twenty

  “Kyle, it’s fine. It’s done. It’s not a big deal.”

  “A non-disclosure agreement is always a big deal. What is this about?”

  She debated whether to tell him. What good would it do and would it violate the agreement of the contract?

  But he wasn’t associated with Winston Enterprises so what could it hurt? “My former boss stole my recipes and passed them off as his own.”

  He made a noise that sounded like a growl. “Gabby. What do you mean he stole from you?”

  Her lips thinned. “Kyle, we just had mind-blowing sex. I don’t want to talk about this right now.”

  “It was pretty mind-blowing, but come on. What’s this about?”

  Against her better judgment, she confessed, “He used my creations in several catering events and passed them off as his own. When the higher-ups would come down to give him an evaluation and he got rave reviews for the cuisine, he’d take full credit and shit on the rest of us.”

  The scowl on his face almost distracted her enough from the fact the sheets had fallen off his chiseled form and lay just below his belly button.

  Almost.

  She licked her lips at the gorgeous creature lying there, all hers. Mentally replaying what they’d just done, her eyes raked over him and hovered around where the sheets bunched up.

  “Gabby?” He wagged a finger at her. “Eyes up here.”

  Heat burned her skin. “Just taking in the sights.”

  He gave her a mischievous smirk and reached behind him, grabbing the headboard, giving her a beautiful view of his ripped body. “Take in all you want.”

  Her body purred. “You’re not playing fair.”

  “What? I’m being submissive.”

  His lustful gaze made her squeeze her legs together. “Submissive? You’re a lot of things, Kyle Cavasos, but submissive isn’t one of them.”

  “I like to mix things up.”

  Walking her fingers along the edge of the bed, she slowly made her way around his side. His shirt lay loosely around her body. “You sure you want me to talk about my last job?”

  “Why didn’t you talk to anyone about it?” He swallowed hard as she rounded the lower corner closest to him.

  Why does he want to talk about this? “Who was I going to call, Kyle? Someone I could trust and not get my family in trouble?”

  “What do you mean get your family in trouble?”

  Might as well tell him. “My former boss screwed me over and when he found out I tried to go above his head, he threatened to fire every single one of my family members.”

  “What?” That sent Kyle sitting straight up in bed. “Are you shitting me?”

  “I couldn’t make things complicated for them. I might have ways of making a living in other places, but my brothers, sisters, parents—they don’t or can’t. They want to stay in Lone Star Crossing. That’s where they’ve been all their lives. Where my nieces and nephews go to school. Where the grandchildren live. Where they’ve been for generations. If they lost their jobs, their benefits, they’d lose everything. I couldn’t let that happen to them.”

  “You gave everything up?”

  “What was I supposed to do, Kyle?” She traced the curve of his shoulder, across his collarbone, and down his chest.

  “Report it for one. I know for a fact the owner is very pro-employee. That feels good,” he moaned.

  “I thought of that, but the problem with your plan is Riley is friends with Preston Crowe who hung out at the property all the time. And his dad is a famous actor.”

  “Jason Crowe,” he snarled. “I know him. Of him.”

  “Whose word were they going to take? A famous friend of the manager who would bring them more business than I could make in a year or some little old Mexican cook they could replace in a heartbeat?” The words pricked her pride more than she wanted to admit. “I was nobody. I had no pull. I couldn’t sue; I had no proof that he’d taken anything. He could simply tweak a spice and say it was his own creation.”

  “That jerk shouldn’t have that kind of hold over all of you.”

  She drummed her fingers on her thigh before continuing. “The worst part of this is his stuck-up daughter terrorized Trinity. Made her life hell on a daily basis at school.”

  The muscles in his jaw clenched. “He sent his daughter after Trinity?”

  As much as she appreciated his chivalry, she couldn’t wrap her head around why it even mattered to him. Lone Star Crossing was thousands of miles away and, from what she could tell, he’d never set foot anywhere close. “I had no idea how evil his daughter could get, but seeing my child sobbing because of how horrible day after day had been broke my heart.”

  Tears welled in her eyes, but she quickly wiped them away. She’d cried enough. Now she needed to be strong for herself and her daughter. “When she came home saying she’d rather die than to go back to school, I had to protect her. She’s been through
enough and I’ll be damned if I was going to let something like a job or him taking my recipes hurt anyone I love.”

  He held out his hand and pulled her toward him.

  Instead of taking the seat beside him, she straddled him. Only the bunched-up sheets between them. Squeezing her thighs together, she raised an eyebrow. “What aren’t you telling me?”

  “What do you mean?” He cupped her butt.

  She reached around and grabbed his wrists, pinning them over his head. A useless attempt to subdue him since he could more than turn the physical tables, but he didn’t struggle. In fact, the lust-filled stare he gave her told her he more than enjoyed it. “Kyle. You always sexually distract me when it’s something you don’t want to discuss.”

  “Do I?” Playfully, he tried to kiss her, but she pulled away. “Gabby. Play fair.”

  “Kyle. Come on. Why are you asking me about Riley? Why did you get so upset about that piece of paper?”

  “I don’t like seeing people I care about get screwed over.” His body tensed. “Gabby, I’m sorry that happened to you, but I thought you told me Paige knew you made everything.”

  “She did. She and I were in the bathroom at the same time. When we were washing our hands, she noticed my uniform and commented on the food. I told her they were my recipes and she complimented me on them. Joked about me buying the diner.”

  “When did you find out about Riley stealing your ideas?”

  “There was another employee in the bathroom. She told him what I’d said; he confronted me. I bit back; he fired me—told me if I said anything to anyone about it, he would make sure no person in my family would be able to find a job in a one-hundred-mile radius.” Frustration took over and she began to move off him, but his hands held her in place.

  “Stay. Talk to me.” The calm in his voice was an eerie contradiction to the fury in his eyes.

  “What’s the point? It’s done and I’m here.”

  The sexy all but disappeared from his eyes as a quick wave of anger crossed his face. “Did he…hurt you?”

  Releasing him from her grasp, she sat back. “Are you asking if he tried to assault me?”

  “Yes.”

  “He made multiple passes at me and some crude comments, but he never forced himself.”

  His body tensed underneath her. “I see. Did he do this often?”

  Gabriella rolled her eyes. “He did it enough to be inappropriate.”

  “I’ll kill him.”

  “Get a grip, Kyle, why would you even bother?”

  “Because I love you, that’s why.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  He honestly hadn’t meant to say it.

  Ever.

  To anyone.

  But those three words slipped right out without a thought in his head.

  Her eyebrows hit her hairline. “What did you say?”

  Flipping her on her back, he hovered over her, taking in every feature of her face.

  The way her mouth curled up when she laughed.

  The mocha brown of her eyes.

  The smoothness of her skin.

  She’d bewitched him—body, heart, and soul.

  Her eyes were wide with worry. “Kyle?”

  “I love you.” Dammit, what are you doing? You said it again.

  “What?”

  Brushing his lips against hers, he whispered, “I love you, Gabriella Marcos.”

  “You…you love…me?”

  Now, after the third time, the words didn’t feel like glass sliding along his throat. They felt natural.

  Real.

  Perfect.

  Of course, his guts twisted tight since she hadn’t said anything in return. Time to up the stakes. “Te amo.”

  A nervous smile spread across her face as she placed her hands on his cheeks. “Kyle. You learned some Spanish for me?”

  “I know some. My grandmother and dad spoke Spanish.”

  “You cheater!” She squirmed playfully underneath him as she rattled off Spanish phrases he could only understand parts of.

  “I love you.” His words breathless kisses along the tender valley between her ear and collarbone.

  A moan escaped her as she ran her hands up his arms and dug her fingers into his back. “Show me how much you love me.”

  With one swift move, he was inside her again.

  Despite his desire to feel the bliss of release, he took his time, bringing her to orgasm before his own.

  As they basked in the afterglow, she rested her head on his chest, and whispered, “I love you, Kyle Cavasos.”

  His heart fluttered with angst. You have to tell her. You have to tell her everything.

  His fingers caressed her hair as his mind raced with fury about what that piece of shit Riley had put her through.

  She gave up everything to save her family.

  His heart ached for what she’d sacrificed. Even though the situation brought her to Marietta, to him and this moment, he wanted to make things right.

  Even if it meant she might leave.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  With Jonah finally posing for the calendar, Charlie had set up the wrap-up party at Grey’s later that afternoon.

  Gabriella, like a lot of other women in this town, couldn’t wait to see the photos.

  Seeing all those guys in one room would certainly boost sales and finish the fundraising for Harry’s House.

  Charlie had already mentioned the social media traffic was keeping her more than busy.

  Gabriella checked in on the website and social media accounts several times. She noticed that Kyle had the least amount of coverage. When Charlie came into the diner to get a takeout order, Gabriella asked her about it. She explained Kyle had asked his presence be minimal and if it had been up to him, he would have asked to not be on any public forums, but having a calendar with only eleven guys made no sense.

  According to Charlie, social media was already buzzing about the project and there had been several marriage proposals on his pictures, some with hashtag #JasonCroweLookalike in the comments.

  Cringing, Gabriella commented that there were far better people to compare her lover to than that full-time adulterer.

  But no matter. As far as she was concerned, even having one of those handsome men selling a calendar of himself would be sufficient to raise plenty of money.

  Like her favorite new month, October.

  And Mr. October sat right in front of her, having his morning coffee and reading while she finished up the morning rush.

  “What?” he asked before taking a drink of his coffee.

  “Nothing.” She rested her elbows on the counter as she stared at him. Gently taking the mug from his hands, she took a sip. “Just taking in the view.”

  Kyle gave her a sexy wink. “Take it in all you want. It’s all yours.”

  Mine. Those words couldn’t have sounded sweeter if she wanted them to. Somehow, someway, she’d managed to gain the attention of the hottest guy in town.

  How ironic that things are so amazing when our first introduction was me sitting on the pooper.

  The sun spilled into the room through the window blinds, highlighting some of the crumbs on the ground and tables that had been left by the morning rush.

  Annie Scott swept under one of the tables as Casey checked the napkin dispensers. Flo would be in later today to cover for Gabriella when she went to the wrap-up party.

  Merlin sang an old George Strait song as he worked in the kitchen.

  Other than the staff, Kyle, and Gabriella, the only other people in the place were Keely and Lucy, who sat in a corner booth, talking. Keely had finished a huge plate of pancakes, eggs, and bacon while Lucy ordered a small breakfast and drank coffee faster than a fish drank water.

  The smell of chocolate drifted out from the kitchen. Gabriella checked the time and handed his coffee back. “Oh, the brownies are done.”

  “Don’t run out of those. There’ll be a riot if you do.”

  Pride tickled her
throat as she removed the pans from the oven and placed them on the counter. Her Spicy Brownies were an overnight hit. Every day, she’d sell out. Dozens of them.

  Along with the orange-glazed cinnamon bread she’d added to the breakfast menu and now sold by the loaves, Gabriella’s first couple of weeks’ profits had slightly exceeded her expectations.

  Pulling out the ancho sprinkles and the powdered sugar mix, she began setting up for plating and topping the desserts.

  Annie and Casey waved her away from the brownie prep.

  “Go, get back out there to your hunka-hunka-burnin’ love.” Casey pointed. “We’ve got this.”

  Annie gave a thumbs-up.

  Giddy with excitement, she returned to the counter. Kyle continued to read a National Geographic magazine as she replaced half-full salt and pepper shakers with full ones before rolling more silverware.

  She marveled at the broadness of his shoulders. How his hair looked the same color as sand when the sun hit it just right.

  The green of his eyes. How lust-filled they became when he made love to her.

  In fact, she’d like nothing more than to crawl on top of his body right now and give him an early afternoon delight.

  “What time is the event at Grey’s?” Her finger traced along his wrist.

  His eyebrow cocked up. “Why?”

  “Because—”

  A low vibrating hum sounded. He pulled out his phone and glanced at the screen before sliding his thumb across it. “Let me check on something. Need to go outside. Be right back.”

  She watched him and his perfect backside move across the room. As he walked away from her, that familiar, delicious tingle danced across her body and settled between her thighs.

  Mine! All mine. Never in a million years would she have guessed she’d be heart-deep in love with a man from Montana, but here they were.

  In love.

  She was the boss of her own diner.

  Her daughter had found her niche.

  Life couldn’t have been any sweeter.

  Before he exited, Kyle walked over to Keely and Lucy.