One Night Flame

by Beverly Evans

  “I don’t want to hurt you.”

  “I’m being pumped with drugs right now. It’s fine.” He pats the tiny space next to him on the bed. I sit.

  “I’m really sorry,” I repeat, sniffing.

  “I know. You said that.” He brushes his thumb against the inside of my forearm, tenderly. “You’re kind of going through an emotional whirlwind, though, so I forgive you. But if you still want to do this thing — to be serious — you have to trust me. You have to talk to me, okay? Because I can’t go through this worry again, babe.”

  I kiss the back of his hand, feeling relieved at knowing he forgives me.

  “I know. I promise.”

  He lets his hand fall and touches my stomach a little. A hint of a smile comes onto his face and mine.

  “Now that we have the most important shit out of the way, I need some fucking rest.” He closes his eyes and is dead asleep in five seconds flat.

  I slide off the bed, grinning, and lean in to give him a kiss. I know we’ll talk more about this — us, this baby, what our future will look like — when he’s fully recovered.

  I also know that I won’t hold anything back from him ever again. I can’t wait to finally let myself fully be. For myself. For Noah. And for whatever our family ends up being.

  Chapter Twenty

  Noah

  “Ow, ow… watch the bandages,” I grumble, wincing as Nadine adjusts the sleeves of my suit.

  “Sorry, baby,” she says, looking up at me.

  She has her makeup done, and it makes her already beautiful eyes almost hurt to look at. All of her is fucking hot too. Her maid of honor dress only emphasizes her breasts and falls gracefully over her hips, which she keeps insisting are now ‘huge’. She isn’t even three full months pregnant yet. I’m not sure how she’ll think of herself then, but I know I’ll find her beautiful.

  “It’s fine.” I wince again when the bandages around my ankles and the tops of my feet pull a little bit.

  I’ve been out of the hospital for a few days, just in time for the wedding. I got out lucky with only second degree burns on my legs and one of my hands, trying to get Mabel out of the house. Mabel got out unscathed, thank God. My house, on the other hand, didn’t survive. It’s going to be a few months for the investigation to conclude and the insurance company to assess the damage, but for now, I’ve been living with Dad.

  It’s only been a few days since the fire, but I’m itching to get back to work after this weekend. Harry’s already emailed me, telling me he’s uncovered all sorts of things about Henry after looking at the security footage. He’d been removing and replacing evidence for a while, and it looks like he really is connected to the fires I was researching. Not just those, but even the ones at Nadine’s house and mine. That was where he got sloppy. He was trying to take things out on me personally.

  Needless to say, he’s been fired, and charges have been filed against him for arson. Soon enough, he’ll be in prison where he belongs. Not that I care about revenge or anything. I just want to make sure he doesn’t hurt anyone ever again.

  Harry’s theory is that Henry worked with someone else — that person would set the fires, giving Henry an opportunity to make a save, and they would split whatever insurance money could be had. It makes sense to me, but I’m leaving my borderline obsessive researching off the clock behind. I could solve all the arsons in the world, but it wouldn’t ease the pain of not getting justice for Jack’s death. But moving on and trying to honor his memory can.

  “Yo, Deen! Noah!” Andy shouts. The ceremony ended ten minutes ago, and he and Angela are somehow already drunk. “Photos!”

  I take Nadine’s hand with my uninjured one and take her to where the wedding party’s getting their photos taken. It’s nice to hold her hand in front of everyone. We don’t have to sneak around, or not put a name on what we are. We love each other, and we’re having a baby. It’s not where I expected to end up, but I’m happy to be here. Settling down doesn’t sound so bad when I get to do it with Nadine.

  Once I got fully conscious for more than a half-hour at a time, we talked about what we want our relationship to be like, and what we want for the baby. After the stress of her thinking I cheated on her and me thinking that she abandoned me, we’ve both come to agree that a hard truth is better than an easy lie.

  We shuffle into position behind our parents and pose for photo after photo. So many photos. The photographers finally let us go, and Dad and Babs go to get their couples photos taken. Dad can’t take his eyes off of her, and she can’t stop touching him. They’re fucking great together, and I’m so glad Dad is finally getting the life he wants.

  I feel a little pang of sadness, watching them disappear outside with the photographer. I wish Uncle Jack were here, but we’re okay. I snag a whiskey from a waiter and do a mental toast to him, sliding an arm around Nadine’s waist. We sway to the music playing in the background, looking at all the guests at the reception. It’s a big party, and everyone’s already starting to drink heavily. I can’t imagine what things will be like after dinner.

  “You look delicious in that suit,” she murmurs to me, pressing her body up against my side. I recognize the look she’s giving me because she’s given it to me every time she does something that makes me want to bend her over and fuck her.

  “Seems like you want to get it off of me,” I reply with a grin, leaning down to kiss her forehead. I’ll never get enough of her sweet, coconut smell.

  “I do. Though it was hard to get you into it.” She frowns a little, looking at my wrist and left hand. “You’re feeling okay?”

  “I should be asking you that.” I want to touch her stomach, even though it’s still mostly flat, but we haven’t told anyone besides our parents, Andy, and Krissy.

  Even Ray doesn’t know. He and Krissy are here, talking animatedly in the corner. She’s so tiny compared to him, but they both seem fine with the size difference. I’m glad Ray managed to find some drop of game within himself because I can tell he’s already really into her.

  “I’m fine. Really. Things are getting a lot better.” She smooths a hand over my lapel. “I’m hardly puking anymore.”

  “Shit.” I’ve been reading books on pregnancy since I’ve been laid up, and it sounds fucking nightmarish. All I can do is look on and help her any way I can. I think it’s pretty badass that she’s just going about life even though I know she feels like shit most days.

  “Let’s not talk about me. Let’s talk about how there’s a room upstairs that no one’s using and how I have a key. I also have on really fancy underwear.” She reaches into the pocket of her dress that she’s told me about fifty times — apparently, it’s exciting for a dress to have pockets, which seems like it shouldn’t be uncommon — and pulls out a key card.

  “I like this idea.” I grin. “Lead the way.”

  She grins and pulls me along, taking us to an elevator. As soon as the doors close, she’s pulling me down into a kiss, and I’m pressing her against the wall. Her body is small and curvy under mine, and I can’t wait to touch every inch of her when we get up to the room.

  I feel her smile into the kiss before deepening it, and I can’t help but smile too.

  As soon as the elevator empties us into the hallway, we spill out of it, all tangled together in a mess of angles and elbows and shoulders and lips. Nadine is careful not to touch my hurt arm, but it doesn’t slow us down a bit.

  She breaks the kiss, giggling with glee as she whips out the keycard and opens the door into the hotel suite. I close the door behind us, barely containing myself, and start to try to unbutton my pants, but Nadine stops me with a mischievous grin on her face.

  “Let me,” she purrs and makes short work of them.

  I kick off my shoes and step out of my pants, following her beckoning finger back to the bed. She climbs up, tosses off her dress, and spreads her legs wide, touching herself with one hand and kneading her breast with the other. The soft strands of moonlight play thro
ugh the window, illuminating her skin. It takes my breath away.

  I lean forward to start to eat her out, but once again, she stops me. “Lie down on the bed,” she commands, and I do.

  She turns to straddle me now, still touching herself, working herself into a frenzy. My cock is rock hard, but she holds herself just out of my reach, teasing me with every motion.

  Nadine reaches down and grabs my stiff cock with one hand, jerking it up and down, and positioning it just so, and then in a quick motion, she slips down onto me. My eyes practically bug out of my head. She gasps with the sudden shock of pleasure. We lay like that, perfectly still and joined together, for a moment, but then she starts rocking her hips up and down, lowering herself onto me with increasing speed.

  “Fuck yes, baby,” I groan, reaching my good hand up to tweak her nipples as she continues to fuck me. “Just like that.”

  Nadine lets out a lusty grin and reaches one hand out to cover my mouth. Fuck, this is hot. “Shut up and fuck me,” she gasps, her breathing low and quick. She’s already getting close.

  I thrust my hips up in response, moving in perfect sync with hers, and soon we are both convulsing in pleasure, our bodies joined as one. Nadine starts to falter in her rhythm a bit, so I pick up the pace, thrusting up faster and faster. She screams, her whole body in motion, and rakes her nails against my chest. I can feel the seismic blow of her orgasm from here. The sensation is enough to send me over the edge, and I explode, filling her with my come.

  She lies her head down against my chest, listening to my heartbeat, as we both try to catch our breaths.

  “That was incredible,” I finally say.

  Nadine lifts her head and winks. “Think we’ve got time for another round before they wonder where we went?”

  I smile. “Only one way to find out.”

  Epilogue

  Nadine

  Two years later

  “Noah! Can you grab the stroller? And that baggy of snacks?” I shout across our apartment.

  It’s not very big, but it’s hard to hear through the walls. After the fires took both of our houses, we ended up moving in with our parents for a bit, and only recently moved in here while we look for a perfect home. We don’t want to crowd Mom and Joseph’s newlywed happiness with our baby madness, even if both of them are loving grandparents. I swear, they’re more like young people in love than we are.

  “Yeah, I’m here.” He has our son, Jackson, in his arms, and Mabel’s on his heels. “All of it’s in the bag already.”

  My whole soul lights up when I see my little family together. Noah’s got the Dad thing down (or as down as you can ever be as a parent), and Mabel’s become little Jack’s protector. It’s adorable. Half the photos on my phone are of all three of them napping or cuddling. I reach out to grab the baby, and he giggles. I lay kisses all over his face, then kisses onto Noah’s face.

  “C’mon, we have to get going,” he says, grabbing our bag and leading us outside.

  “Where are we going?” I ask.

  “You’ll see.” He gives me a mischievous grin that I’ve fallen in love with.

  We put Jackson into his car seat, buckle Mabel in next to him, and hop in. We hold hands while he drives — I like to touch him all the time — listening to some quiet, relaxing music. It’s a gorgeous day, one of the last warm days before fall, and I couldn’t be more content. I glance at Jackson in the rearview mirror, and he’s asleep. He’s been an easy baby, sleeping through the night and smiling all the time.

  We drive for a while until we’re out of town, into a more rural area. I look at Noah in confusion when he pulls onto a dirt road next to an empty plot.

  “Where are we?” I ask.

  “Get out of the car.” He hops out and goes to grab the baby and let Mabel loose. I take Jack and walk around the car to the same side he’s on.

  We just stand there in front of the grass for a moment, Jackson babbling and pulling at my hair while Mabel stares at birds off in the distance.

  “Look at it.” Noah looks down at me and smiles.

  “It’s grass…?” I’m truly confused.

  “But it could be our house.” He pulls out his phone and unlocks it. “I figured we could build our dream house since we can’t find one with the kitchen you want. Here are some blueprints I had my buddy from college, Braxton, draw up. We can change them, of course.”

  I tear up immediately, looking at the screen. The kitchen looks like the one in my dreams. Since Jack was born, I’ve been getting more and more into cooking. I want to go to culinary school once he’s a little older. Noah’s behind me all the way, especially since it means I’ll be cooking more.

  “Noah, you can’t… this is too much,” I say, even though I know it’s not, at least for him. Neither of us are fancy people, so the money that the original Jackson gave to him after his death gives us more than enough wiggle room to afford this and plenty more. Ever since we’ve gotten together in a real official relationship, I learned just how much money Noah really has. He doesn’t have to work another day in his life if he wants. But he wants to work. He wants to save the people who need saving. Just like he saved me.

  And the fact that he went out and got this to surprise me?

  I love him so much.

  “I can, and I did.” He kisses my forehead, and Jack reaches towards his face. Noah laughs and kisses Jack’s curly dark hair.

  “And that’s not the only thing, either,” he says, taking Jack from me and placing him on the ground. “Come on, buddy, why don’t you go play with Mabel?”

  Our baby’s perfect little face lights up with glee. ‘May-bahh!’ he giggles, toddling after the dog. The two of them collapse into a cuddling fit in the grass. Jack’s tiny laughter echoes out in the sky as Mabel licks his face and nuzzles against him. I look after them, my heart filling with more love than I’ve ever known I could even have.

  I turn back to look at Noah, but he’s not standing up anymore.

  He’s on one knee. Holding open a little black box. And in the box is the most gorgeous, sparkling diamond ring I’ve ever seen. It’s somehow classic and modern and vintage at the same time. My jaw drops.

  “Noah,” I whisper, tears already filling my eyes.

  “Nadine,” he starts, his own voice choking with emotion. “I know the start of our love story was a little rough, to say the least. Who knew that my soulmate was my best friend’s annoying, dorky little sister, all along?”

  I stifle out a sob-laugh at that.

  “But you have made me a better person. I had never even known what it was like to be in love until I had you. And I love you so much, Nadine. I couldn’t ask for a better life partner or a better mom for my son. I have run through fire for you. I would do it again if I had to. Every day for the rest of my life. So I’m asking you, please, will you marry me?”

  I’m speechless. My hands are clasped over my mouth, and I can barely even see through all the tears running down my cheeks.

  Before I can even answer, I feel a slight tug on the back of my dress. I look down. Jack is there, looking up at me with concern (and smeared dirt) on his tiny face.

  “Mama?” he asks.

  “I’m okay, baby,” I finally manage, half-sobbing and half-laughing at the inopportune distraction. “I’m so happy. I’m happier than I’ve ever been.”

  I lift my gaze to finally meet Noah’s. Just seeing his face sets my whole heart on fire.

  “Yes, I’ll marry you!” I practically shout, losing myself in sobs, and before I know it, both Noah and Jack have enveloped me into a big hug. My two boys.

  We stand there in the empty field for a long moment. The field of our future home. “I love you so much,” I whisper to Noah. “Thank you. This is amazing.”

  “I love you, too,” he says. “Now, let me put your ring on.”

  Oh, right. In the excitement, I’d forgotten.

  I reach out my left hand, and he slides it on. It fits perfectly. The ring looks so beautiful on my f
inger. I turn it this way and that, each motion catching new rays of the sun.

  “I love it,” I whisper. “And I love this. I can’t wait to build our home together.”

  Noah plants a kiss on my cheek. “I can’t wait either.”

  We look over the blueprints again on his phone. “You don’t think it’s too much?” I ask.

  “Well, I figured we’d have plenty of rooms for all those siblings we’re going to give Jack.”

  I laugh. “How many rooms are we talking?”

  “As many as you want.” His eyes smolder for a second. “We could start on them this afternoon. Drop him off at his grandparents’. Go out to dinner.”

  “You don’t have to wine and dine me to get me into bed, you know.” I feel heat rush down to my toes and between my legs.

  “I know, but I want to.” He threads his fingers through my hair and gives me a proper kiss on the lips. “Shall we?”

  “Let’s go.”

  THE END

  Not ready for your time to end in Briggs? Don't worry, come back to Briggs with Braxton and Chloe's story.

  Available on Amazon July 8th

  About the Author

  Beverly Evans likes novels that will transport her into another world and provide her with a happy escape. But she enjoys writing those types of novels even more!

  Beverly loves writing sexy, hunky, brooding, intense, and swoon worthy alpha billionaires. Her romance novels will leave you hooked to every page.

  Her favorite holiday is Christmas, and if she could she would live forever in a little cottage by the beach.

  Email her at Beverly.Evans@Evansromance.com to get in touch with her!

  Also by Beverly Evans

  A Briggs Town Series

  Book One - One Night Flame