Connelly's Flame (14 page)

52

CONNELLY’S FLAME

Aliyah Burke

A green Ford Explorer pulled into the driveway and parked. All four bay doors were open on the

shop that was under a new sign that read PHOENIX RESTORATIONS AND REBUILDS. On the

backdrop of it was the legendary bird itself, wings outspread as it rose from the flames. There were two

vehicles in the shop.

Eyes took in the house that looked like it had been added onto. Suddenly he was nervous. His hand

ran over his short hair and he put his hand on the door handle and froze.

Out from the shop ran a young teenager. She wore blue jeans and a white tee shirt. Following at her

heels was one huge, ugly-looking mutt. It was the face of the child that made him stop dead in his tracks. On

her face was one of the biggest smiles he had ever seen.

Following behind her was his dream woman. Dezarae Kerry. Inside the leather interior of his vehicle

he allowed his eyes to ogle her uninterrupted. She wore a pair of skintight jeans that made his body twitch in

response. Her shirt was a cutoff sweatshirt, gray in color. Her hair was free around her face and her dark skin

was flawless.

She was on the phone but as her dark chocolate eyes fell on the vehicle she hung up the phone,

clipped it back to her pants, and crossed her arms staring at him. Waiting. Eyes narrowed as she waited for

him to get out of the vehicle until a yell got her attention.

“Dezarae,” a masculine voice yelled to her from the house.

Her head jerked away from the vehicle in her driveway as she shouted back, “What is it, Tank?”

“Come here, will you?” the voice asked.

“Sure,” she looked back to the unmoving car in her drive. “Be right there.” Cocking her head, she

turned and walked to her house where a large man stepped out to greet her.

That was when the driver of the Explorer got out. The second that man touched Dezarae Kerry.

Dezarae didn’t know what to make of the vehicle that had parked in her driveway. No one was

leaving but she felt like she was being watched. Intensely. She had been on her way to see who it was when

Tank had yelled for her.

Deciding that they would get out if they wanted to, she walked to her house, which had grown

considerably since she had gone to California. Tank and his men had added fifteen hundred square feet onto

it. They had given her three more bedrooms and another bathroom along with a master bath for her. All they

were doing now was cleanup.

Charmane had been moved into her old bedroom which was fine until they figured out which one she

wanted for her office and all of that. So as she walked up the steps and Tank put his hand on her arm, she

heard the slamming of the car door. Charmane went running by with Haley, Tank’s mutt.

“Daddy! Daddy, you’re back,” the screech came.

Dezarae swallowed. Ross was back. Her knees were trembling and she felt faint.

“You okay, Phoenix?” Tank asked.

“Fine, Tank, I’m fine.” She took a deep breath.
Liar.
“I guess I should go explain why his daughter is

here instead of with her mother.”

Tank laughed, “I think I will go inside. Good luck.” He slipped away.

Dezarae cursed him under her breath as she turned and was met with a sight that brought tears to her

eyes.

Ross was holding his little girl in his arms, crying.

Ross couldn’t believe it when Charmane ran up to him. She was not the same girl he had last seen

with her mother. That girl had been skinny and reluctant to let him go. Her eyes had been dull with sadness.

This girl was healthy, full of life, and smiling as she jumped into his arms.

“I missed you so much, Charmane,” he said as he held his daughter close.

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CONNELLY’S FLAME

Aliyah Burke

“I missed you too, Daddy, I missed you too,” she cried as they hugged.

Pulling back, he looked down at his pride and joy, “Do you have any idea how scared I was when I

got the message you had run away? You can’t do that, Charmane,” he began to scold.

“I know, Daddy, Dez already told me that I could have put you in more danger because of it. I’m

sorry, please don’t be mad at me,” Charmane begged.

“Baby, I was so relieved when I got the message that you were okay. I will have your word that there

will be no more running away,” Ross said.

“Promise, Daddy.” Her arms tightened around him. “I can’t wait to tell you what I have been doing,”

she said once again excited.

“Let me go talk to Dezarae first, okay?” he said.

“Okay, Daddy, don’t be long.” She backed away from him and yelled, “Dez, Daddy wants to talk to

you. I’m going to be with Tank inside I want to show Daddy my room when you are done, okay?” Charmane

ran off into the house after taking one more hug from her father.

Ross turned those gray eyes onto the woman who had ruined him for all other women. She was the

only one for him now. Her movements were slow but sure as she moved back across the yard to where he

stood by his vehicle.

“Hello, Johnny Reb,” her quiet voice reached out and touched his soul.

“Hello, Firebird,” he drawled.

Their eyes moved up and down each other, each absorbing what they could see of one another. For a

minute, they could only stand there and look at one another.

“Glad to see you’re okay,” Dezarae said.
Dear God, he is even better looking than I remember.
Ross

wore a pair of tight blue jeans and a black button-down shirt, on which the top three buttons were undone.

On his feet were cowboy boots,

“Are you?” he asked.

Her eyes narrowed, “Of course I’m glad you’re okay.”

“I meant are you really glad to see me?” Ross clarified.

“I guess so,” she said. “I hadn’t really given it much thought.”
I’m going to hell for that lie.

“Liar,” he stepped closer to her and reached out to touch her cheek, smiling as her lids fluttered shut

at first contact. “You thought about me all the time.” He sounded so damn sure of himself.

“How do you figure that?” Dezarae asked, opening her eyes.

“Because, Firebird, I thought about you all the time, too,” he admitted.

“Shut up and kiss me,” she murmured.

“Call me by my name,” he ordered as his body stepped in closer to hers.

“Kiss me, Ross,” she said.

He did. His other hand moved up to capture her face as well and he held her immobile as he lowered

his mouth to hers. He nibbled around her lips before sliding his tongue inside her mouth to dance with hers.

Dezarae purred as she moved her hands up around his neck and pulled him in closer to deepen the

kiss. Her strokes matched his and soon there was nothing existing in the world except the two of them.

Passions rose as flames that they had not explored before exploded with new life. Drawing back,

Ross looked into her fathomless eyes and saw what he had prayed for so badly, her love for him. His

gunmetal eyes moved down to her swollen lips and he kissed them once more before pulling her into his

strong embrace and holding her.

“Thank you for taking care of my daughter,” Ross whispered into her hair.

“You’re welcome.” Dezarae moved her hands from around his neck to settle around his waist. This

was heaven, being in his arms again. Inhaling deeply, Dezarae felt as if suddenly her world was right as the

scent of this man filled her soul.

“I have to go see my daughter,” he said as his hands rubbed her back.

Splash! Like she had been hit with a bucket of cold water, Dezarae jerked away from him and pulled

on her clothes, trying to cover up her nervousness. “Of course,” she rushed to say. “Charmane is in my old

room. Go on in.”

He reached for her, frowning over her reaction. “What about you?”

“I…I…I have some things to do in the shop,” she stuttered before she bolted.

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CONNELLY’S FLAME

Aliyah Burke

Ross watched her hurry to her shop, look at him once more, and disappear into the building. His

eyes narrowed it was as if she was embarrassed for kissing him. For kissing him and enjoying it.

Knocking on the doorframe of the room he had stayed in, Ross saw his daughter sitting at a desk

writing. “Whatcha doing, Baby?” he asked stepping into the room.

It was definitely a teen room now. There were teen idol pictures on the wall but what surprised him

were the car pictures. Charmane had lots of old car photos up as well.

“Homework,” Charmane said with a smile for her favorite man in the world.

Homework?
“You’re in school out here?” Ross asked amazed.

His daughter laughed, a sound that brought tears to his eyes. “Of course, Daddy. I have straight A’s.

Dez called my tutor and had him send my stuff so I don’t fall behind. I’m caught up, but since you’re here

now I thought if I got some extra done we could do something fun together.

Dezarae did all of this?
Ross sat on the bed and patted the space next to him, “Come sit with me,

Charmane.”

Immediately she scampered over to him and cuddled up next to his body. “Did you come to take me

with you, Daddy? Are you staying here with us?” Charmane asked. “Tank built all this extra room when we

were in California so it won’t be crowded.”

Stay here with us? It sounds like Charmane likes it here.
“Why did you come here, Charmane?” Ross

questioned his daughter.

“I wanted to be around someone who didn’t say bad things about you,” his daughter said.

“Dezarae let you stay, just like that?” he asked.

“Sorta,” she hedged until he cleared his throat. “I was really rude to her and said I couldn’t stay here

so she left me on the porch and told me to have a nice walk back to town,” Charmane said as she picked up a

stuffed panda. “Then she told me about bears and cougars and left me alone out there for about three hours.”

She saw her father frown. “Dez made dinner and told me to come in and eat something. She said I

could go anytime since she wasn’t in charge of me but that I could stay if I wanted.” Charmane laid her head

on her daddy’s lap.

“She made me call Jamie and tell her I was okay. Then she said I was staying with her until you

came home.” Her voice got more excited as she relayed the details to her father, “I can eat more than half a

plate of food and Dez always treats me with respect…well, after threatening me with jail.”

Ross’s eyes narrowed.
Jail?
“Why would she do that?” he ground out.

“Because after she said I could stay, I said I might just leave. She said, no, not since she’d assumed

responsibility for me. So I made my choice.” Charmane’s voice softened, “I really like her, Daddy. A lot.”

Me, too, baby. Me, too.
“What’s this about California?” Ross asked his daughter as he twirled some

of her brown hair in his fingers. His eyes, however, had focused on something outside the window; Dezarae,

who stood close to a very large man.

“We went to a car show, she drove an eighteen-wheeler there.” The awe was evident in her voice.

“We took three cars, went sightseeing, her car won some award, and we drove back here in her Mustang. Oh,

yeah, and we had dinner on a yacht in the bay which belonged to an ex-boyfriend who is still in love with

her.”

Yacht? Boyfriend?
Ross wanted to get something straight with Ms. Kerry, she belonged to him.

Nobody else. “Sounds like you had fun. Tell me more about this yacht,” he said deceptively.

Unfortunately for Ross, his daughter had plans of her own. “Well, the guy who owns it is named

Jack MacKenzie. He is not as tall as you, but still tall. Handsome, black hair, green eyes, nice smile.”

“What do you know about his smile?” Ross demanded.

“I know he smiled a lot when he held Dezarae in his arms and kissed her on the yacht in the sunset.”

Charmane smiled as she felt her father tense beneath her.

“So you stayed how long on this yacht?” Ross prompted, not really sure he wanted to hear more.

“Only for dinner and dessert.” She paused as she looked up at her father’s clenched jaw line. “When

I came up from the galley with dessert they were standing together and he was kissing her. He seemed to do

that a lot,” Charmane said, continuing to fan the flames.

“I get it, Charmane,” he growled. “I think I need to talk to Dezarae again. You finish your homework

and we will go to dinner tonight. Just the two of us.”

55

CONNELLY’S FLAME

Aliyah Burke

“Okay, but what about Dezarae?” Charmane asked.

“Well, I guess we could ask her along,” Ross said. “Where is her room?”

Charmane walked him to the door and pointed. “At the end of the hall.”

Ross walked through the new addition, not really seeing it. Her bedroom was at the end and he

walked in and stopped. Her room was done in royal purple and silver. Large windows offered a magnificent

view; however, he walked over to the dresser and began looking at the numerous photos she had there.

Most of them were of her in various stages of childhood. Ross figured the man in them was her

father. Many of the photos had classic cars in them as well.

Ross picked up a silver tri-fold frame. All the pictures in there were of Dezarae and she was

stunningly beautiful, elegantly dressed up in each one. Ross realized his hand was shaking as he looked upon

her photo.

“You are so beautiful, Dezarae,” he spoke softly to the pictures he held.

Hearing footsteps coming his way, he set the frame back and stood nonchalantly with thumbs shoved