Raised From the Flames

by Raina Wilde

  "Okay," Leah said. She looked at her phone; she barely had a signal. She hadn't even told Bea what had happened with that guy from the bar. While she was sleeping she saw that he had sent her a text message. "Missed you this morning. Out of town for a while, but see you when I get back? Xx" it said. She typed out "I'm out of town too. Xx" and left it at that. She wasn't sure she wanted to see him again, and kind of wished she hadn't even left her phone number. But she didn't really know the etiquette for things like this. She had never had a one-night stand before.

  Cara pulled the car into the parking lot of a sprawling old building right on the water. It was white with black shutters, and looked like it had 20 rooms or more. The lawn led right down to the ocean, and Leah could see the waves lapping at a sandy beach.

  "This is nice," Leah said.

  "Yeah, it is," Cara had a grin on her face like a teenage girl, and Leah smiled. She decided to give up the grudge she had for Lawrence this weekend. He was making her mom happy, and that's all that mattered right now.

  They walked inside and Cara checked them in. They were booked under Lawrence's name. Cara was staying in his room, the penthouse suite on the upper floors of the hotel, and Leah had a smaller room on the ground floor in a different wing. She didn't mind being far away; she thought a week more or less by herself would be rejuvenating.

  "I'm going to freshen up," Cara said, and she took the stairs to the right to the upper floors. Leah followed the signs for her room, number 04. Once inside she saw it was beautiful. There were sliding glass doors that opened on to a rustic patio, and beyond that was just a short walk down the lawn to the beach. She opened the doors wide and breathed in the fresh ocean air. She could hear music coming from the room next to hers. Something mellow and chilled out, but it wasn't anything she had heard before. Leah peeked her head out of her patio doors. On the neighbouring patio she saw a pair of men's flip-flops and an expensive looking pair of sunglasses on the table. There was a drink next to them with ice cubes crackling as they melted. When she heard footsteps walking toward the door she ducked her head back inside quickly. She didn't want her neighbour to see her being nosey.

  She showered and, after opening the closet door to find extra towels, saw that Lawrence had left her a dress to wear. She scowled at it, trying not to be angry at what it implied: that she didn't own anything nice enough for this place. She ripped the note off and read it. "Cara thought you might like this," he had scrawled his name and a smiley face underneath. So it was her mom's idea. She sighed and took the dress out of the plastic. It was beautiful, pale pink with thin straps. She decided to give it a try and slipped it on over her head. Looking at it in the mirror, shimmering as she moved, she had to admit that it looked pretty amazing. She left her dark wavy hair down and applied just a little pink blush and a fresh coat of mascara. When she twirled in the mirror for herself she couldn't help but smile; she looked pretty. A spray of perfume completed the ensemble, and she stepped out the door into the hallway.

  When she saw who was standing outside, she gasped and dropped her key.

  "Jack, what are you doing here?" she hissed. He was leaning against the wall across from her door looking down at his phone. He looked up, startled, and then broke out in a grin. He looked completely different to the other night. At the bar his clothes were a little rough around the edges, and he had a bad boy look about him. Tonight, he was wearing a perfectly pressed suit, his tattoos hidden under long sleeves and cufflinks. His hair was combed neatly into place, and he was wearing square frame designer glasses.

  "I might ask you the same thing," he said. Even his voice was different; he had a British accent! Suddenly a door to their left opened and a young girl stepped out.

  "Jackson, finish zipping me, will you?" the girl asked.

  Jack stepped toward his sister, trying to hold back a smile.

  "Leah," he said, "This is my sister, Imogen."

  "Nice to meet you," Leah said. Imogen forced a smile and when Jack had finished zipping her dress she walked away down the hall without another word.

  "Shall we? I expect our parents are waiting," Jack held out his arm for Leah to take. Her heart was pounding and she didn't know what to say. He had been intimidating last night, but like this it was almost unbearable. His posture was so perfect he seemed to tower over Leah. She looped her arm through his, and touching him like this brought back the memories from last night. How he had kissed her, how he had pressed her up against the windows of the apartment. In a dawning of understanding she realised it wasn't an apartment he broke in to after all. It was his. She felt like slapping him, but when she turned to him his eyes were devouring her with such intensity she felt her knees go weak.

  "I'm very pleased we'll be staying next to each other for the week," he whispered close to her ear as they entered the dining room. His breath on her skin made a shiver run down her body. She felt breathless and wondered how she was going to sit next to him during this entire meal! She felt like as soon as her mom saw her face, she would know something was up.

  When their table came into view, an elegant round dining table set in an alcove of windows overlooking the water, Leah knew there was going to be a big announcement. She could see the enormous engagement ring sparkling on her mother's hand from here. Her stomach did a flip.

  "Leah," her mother gushed as they approached the table. "Lawrence and I have an announcement to make." Leah didn't even hear what her mother said, because she knew already. She did, however, glance over at Jack, and he winked at her as he sat down.

  "Congratulations," Leah said, "I'm so happy you're happy, mom."

  "It's good to see you you've met Imogen and Jackson," Lawrence said to Leah as he filled her wine glass. "You guys will probably be spending a lot of time together." Leah was sitting across from Jack, and he was trying to hide a smug grin behind his wine glass.

  "Yeah, probably," Leah replied and forced a smile. Leah was aware of Jack's eyes on her throughout the whole dinner, and every time she glanced up at him she caught him unabashedly looking at her. She was both eager and excited to go back to her room for the night, and apprehensive. They were practically stepbrother and stepsister now; their parents were getting married! She couldn't let what had happened last night happen again.

  After a dinner where Leah's mom and Lawrence did most of the talking, Leah excused herself to get some fresh air. She left the dining room through a set of patio doors. The air smelled salty and fresh, and she breathed in deeply, trying to settle her nerves. After a few minutes she felt someone approaching her from behind. She turned and saw Jack smiling at her, his hands stuck casually in the pockets of his pants. He really did look incredible, she thought. There was a faint shadow of stubble on his chin where he obviously hadn't shaved this morning. He had a strong jaw, and the black frames of his glasses made his blue eyes pop.

  "So, sister," he said sarcastically.

  "Don't call me that," Leah said, turning back toward the ocean.

  "Do you think this means we'll have more family holidays together?" he asked, stepping up beside her.

  "Not if I have anything to do with it," Leah replied. She didn't know why she was being so cagey. They got along so well last night. She just felt unsettled knowing he had been deceiving her.

  "Oh, I think you might change your mind about that," he replied. His voice was a low seductive purr and he ran his fingers across Leah's cheek, brushing her hair aside. She shivered and raised her chin. The only thing she could think about was how much she wanted him to kiss her neck.

  "So what's up with the dual personality?" she asked finally. "Do you use it to pick up girls?"

  "Don't you think a charming Englishman would be more likely to pick up girls than just another scruffy American?" he quipped, but the smile on his face told Leah he wasn't being completely serious. She didn't say anything, just met his eyes.

  "Okay," he said after a minute, raising his hands. "I don't do it to pick up girls, I do it just to escape. Believe it or
not, this gets old sometimes," he held his hand up and gestured at the hotel inside. From the patio it was clear just how opulent it was. Rustic and coastal in style, but still very high-end. It was easily the most expensive hotel Leah had ever stayed in.

  "Having unlimited money and resources gets old?" she asked sarcastically.

  "It's not unlimited. And yeah, kind of," he sounded genuinely offended and when Leah looked at him, she saw he was staring out at the ocean.

  "Do you wanna go for a walk?" she asked. He turned to her and smiled.

  "Lead the way, love," he replied, and Leah's stomach twisted with excitement at his accent and the prospect of being alone with him again. She hopped over the railing, being careful not to tear her dress, and landed on the lawn below. Jack followed, swinging his legs over the rail with the grace of a gymnast.

  "You look like you've done that a lot," Leah said.

  "Hopping fences and outrunning the cops," he replied with a grin as they settled into a stride toward the beach.

  "Are you serious?" Leah asked; she could never tell. He just continued grinning at her, and then started to jog toward the water.

  "Hurry up," he said. Leah jogged after him. The night was warm, but the water was freezing on her feet. She threw her shoes into the sand and sat down, letting the surf lick at her feet. Jack was standing in front of her, facing the ocean. He had rolled up his pants to his knees and was letting the waves wash the sand over his feet.

  "It's beautiful here," he said.

  "Yeah. We used to come to Maine with my dad. Since he died my mom hasn't been back,"

  "I'm sorry about your dad," Jack said quietly. "But she's back now."

  "Yeah. She really loves Lawrence."

  "My dad is pretty crazy about her, too," Jack replied. He sat down beside her, and Leah could feel the warmth from his body through her dress. She shivered.

  "Are you cold?" he asked, taking off his suit jacket and slipping it over her shoulders before she could protest. It smelled like him, like cologne and warmth. She breathed the smell in deeply.

  When she looked over she saw Jack was staring at her. He had a playful smile on his lips.

  "What are you smirking at?" Leah asked.

  "Nothing," he lied. He wiggled his fingers through the sand until they found hers.

  They sat there for several minutes, taking in the sound of the waves, until they heard Cara calling them from the deck.

  "I think my dad is about to give a speech at this fundraiser," Jack said, helping Leah to her feet. He brushed the sand off her dress, his hands lingering at the small of her back. She wanted to push him into the sand and climb on top of him, but instead she handed his jacket back. There would be plenty of time for pushing tonight. Her stomach twisted into an excited knot as she thought about how close their rooms were.

  Lawrence's speech was long, and mostly boring, but Leah and Jack stood at the back of the room where there was less chance of anyone seeing their hands, still entwined. Jack slid his thumb across Leah's knuckles and then tickled the palm of her hand. His touch, and everything it implied, was tantalising.

  An hour later Jack and Leah had both had a few glasses of wine. Cara and Lawrence disappeared a short time later, and as soon as they were out of sight Jack grabbed Leah's hand and led her from the room. His bow tie was undone and hanging loosely, and the first few buttons of his shirt were undone. He grabbed a bottle of champagne and two glasses as they left, holding them skilfully in one hand.

  "My room, or yours?" he asked when they were standing in front of Leah's door.

  "Who says I'm going to invite you in?" she asked playfully. Jack made her weak in the knees, but a part of her felt that this must be wrong. Wasn’t it? He would soon be family; that surely made him strictly off limits. Her back was against the door and he was leaning on the frame, trapping her in.

  "Oh, I think you're going to invite me in," he replied quietly with his trademark grin. He bent his head low and brushed his lips against Leah's neck. She shivered, and fought the urge to moan. Momentarily forgetting her feelings of apprehension she pulled her key card out of her purse and unlocked the door. Jack followed behind her and before closing the door, slipped the DO NOT DISTURB sign over the outside handle.

  Jack set the two glasses of champagne down and then expertly popped the cork of the bottle. He caught the bubbling champagne with the flutes and handed one to Leah.

  "Cheers," he said, raising his glass. He never took his eyes off Leah, and she felt a warmth start growing between her thighs at his gaze. He set the glass down and stepped toward her, running his hands up her arms. She shivered at his touch.

  "Did you have fun with me last night?" Jack asked, lowering his head to run his lips along Leah's collarbone.

  "Yes," Leah whispered.

  "Are you disappointed I'm not that guy?" he asked. She remembered how he had looked at the bar, scuffed leather jacket, ripped jeans and sunglasses. It was miles away from the man standing in front of her now. His smooth British accent was honey to her ears, and his breath tickled her skin as he spoke.

  "You're definitely not a disappointment," she replied. He stepped back, slinging his grey suit jacket over a chair. His white shirt was still crisp and clean, but his bow tie was undone and hanging. He was pulling it off slowly, studying Leah.

  "I thought you might like the rough all-American rather than the dapper Englishman," he said with a grin.

  "The rough guy had his appeal..." she began, but lost her words as Jack started to unbutton his shirt. She was quivering with anticipation. This was so much different than he was the other night; she was a little intimidated by him now, and he knew it.

  "I bet there's still a little rough left," he replied quietly. He still had the tie in one hand, and he turned Leah around so she was facing the open patio doors. A gentle breeze was moving the curtains and she could hear the ocean as well as laughter from somewhere.

  Jack slowly unzipped her dress and let it pool to the floor. Leah shivered as the cool air touched her skin. He turned her around to face him, and she saw his eyes were dilated with passion. He was holding the tie between his teeth. He gently pulled her wrists together and raised them above her head. Her heart was racing as he tied them and pulled the knot tight.

  He held one loose end, trapping her arms above her head, and then pulled her close to his body. He kissed her, deep and hard, nibbling at her bottom lip. She gasped, and kissed him in return, suddenly wanting him more than anything.

  "If you want me to stop, just tell me," he said. This was her out. She could stop this madness right now and start thinking of him as the brother he was going to become. Instead, Leah nodded, unable to say anything. Jack led her toward the bed and gently pushed her over. She started trembling with anticipation as she heard him undressing behind her.

  "This is going to be so much better than last night," he said finally, his voice breaking the silence. It was husky and gloriously sexy. Leah was bent over the bed, her arms trapped above her head. She felt exposed, and a little helpless, but excited. Finally she felt Jack's hands travel up her legs, smooth over the pantyhose she had on under her dress.

  "I hope you're not too attached to these," he said as his fingers brushed the area between her thighs.

  She gasped, "To what?"

  She felt Jack's fingers entwine in the nylon fabric, then she felt him lean in closer, his lips brushing against the small of her back. She felt him tug and finally tear the fabric away from her body. His breath was quick and he moaned a little as he felt the nylon tear away from between Leah's legs.

  She gasped. She still had a thin pair of panties on but she had never felt so exposed.

  "I hope you're going to buy me another pair of those," she said playfully, but her voice was husky.

  Jack laughed throatily behind her. "I'll buy you anything you want," he said. His fingers pressed against the silky fabric of her panties and she moaned. He rubbed her, slowly at first, and then with more intensity. She moaned an
d started to move against his fingers, but he pressed her hips down against the bed.

  "It's all me tonight, love," he said behind her. Her heart raced with excitement. She was completely at his mercy, and it was thrilling.

  He pushed the fabric of her panties away and she moaned as she felt his fingers push inside of her. He teased her slowly, his fingers working in delicate circles until she moaned and tried to writhe underneath him. As soon as she moved he pulled his fingers away. Leah gasped in disappointment.

  "What did I tell you?" he said, leaning over to whisper in her ear. "I'm in charge," he said and nibbled her neck. He turned her over and untied her hands.

  "You're untying me?" she asked, and obviously couldn't hide the disappointment in her voice because he looked at her deeply, his eyes sparkling.

  "You like being tied up?" he asked. Leah nodded, shyly.

  Jack growled deep in his throat, "You're going to undo me," he said, then "turn over."

  Leah rolled onto her stomach and Jack tied her wrists together again, this time behind her back rather than above her head. She heard him unbuckle his belt and her pulse quickened. He knelt behind her and she felt him grab the thin silk of her panties between his hands and tear it away. His hand gripped the loose end of the tie at her wrists and pulled slightly. It forced her back to arch and with a twist of excitement in her stomach she realised why he had done it.

  Jack pushed inside of her and Leah moaned. He pulled on the tie, forcing her body up against his. His other hand slid around her hips and he used his fingers to toy with Leah as he thrust into her. Her body was being forced against his from almost every direction, and the pleasure was so intense she cried out, moaning his name. She was unable to move, and he was right, he was completely in control. Leah shook as she climaxed, gasping Jack's name.

  When they were finished Jack untied her and covered her gently with a sheet. He lay behind her, kissing the back of her neck where he swept her hair to the side.

  "So what happens now?" Leah asked.

  "What do you mean?" Jack asked. "We're at a beautiful hotel, we'll spend the week on the beach. Or in bed."