Connelly's Flame (15 page)

through the belt loops on his jeans. He tried to keep his expression bland but couldn’t stop the flare of heat

searing his eyes as she walked into view.

Dezarae walked to her sanctuary needing to find a moment to herself that didn’t involve Tank,

Charmane, or Ross. Especially Ross. Seeing him had brought back such deep emotions. And she was

mortified she had kissed him like she had where his daughter could have been witness to it.

Entering into her bedroom, she had her eyes closed and used her foot to shut the door behind her.

Dezarae sagged against the door and rested her head on the smooth wood.

“Something on your mind, Firebird?” The slow Southern drawl jerked her upright.

“What the hell are you doing in here?” Dezarae demanded as she prayed her heart would slow before

it jumped out of her chest.

“I needed to talk to you,” Ross answered pushing away from the wall he had been leaning on to

prowl closer to her.

“Now?” she asked as she moved cautiously away from the door.

Steel eyes narrowed. “Something more important to do this second?”

“I just don’t think you should be in my room, especially with your daughter here. It’s not proper.”

Dezarae attempted an explanation.

Ross arched his brows in disbelief, “As opposed to necking with some guy on a yacht in front of

her?”

Dark chocolate eyes grew large. Her mouth moved but nothing came out.

Strong arms crossed over a hard chest as he stared at her, “The only man you will be kissing is me,”

he vowed.

Her knees trembled at his forceful words. “Look,” Dezarae began. “Why don’t you go to the living

room and I’ll meet you there and we can talk.”
Because in here all I think about is you putting me on that

bed.

His gray eyes moved up and down her body, becoming smoldering coals as he looked at her. “I think

we will talk here.” Ross sat in a chair sending her a look that dared her to defy him.

With a groan, she ran her hand over her face and slid down the wall to sit on the floor. “All right, you

win,” she conceded. “What did you want to talk about?”

56

CONNELLY’S FLAME

Aliyah Burke

Ross wanted nothing more than to pick her up, toss her on the bed, and show her exactly what he

wanted to do to her. Show her what kind of a man she had turned him into. But for some reason she was still

trying to fight her attraction for him.

“Us,” he said, watching her waiting for her to look at him instead of the floor. “Charmane, and then,

us again.”

Dezarae picked her eyes up from the floor and put them on the man who lounged in her chair. “Us?”

she questioned. “There is no us.”

Not yet.
“Why are you so determined to keep me at a distance, Dez?” he honestly wondered.

“It’s better that way. If there are no feelings involved, then no one will get hurt,” she spoke.

Ross grumbled something unpleasant under his breath and then said to her. “Feelings are involved.

Charmane loves you, and I…” He fell silent; something in her posture made him believe now wasn’t the

time.

“You are grateful for what I did for you months ago. There are no real feelings between us. We don’t

know each other,” Dezarae insisted.

Swinging his legs to the floor, Ross put his elbows on his knees and laced his fingers. “So would you

object to us getting to know one another better?” he asked.

“No, I wouldn’t.” Dezarae said with a shrug.
I don’t see that happening.

“So you aren’t hesitating because of my skin color or my tattoo?” Ross got off the chair and

crouched down in front of her, demanding she meet his gaze.

“I…I…I don’t know Ross. I honestly don’t know,” she admitted.

“This Jack guy that you were kissing, is he white?” Ross had reached for her chin holding her head

up.
I will not be mad she was kissing another man. I will not be mad.

“Yes,” she said.

“So it can’t be that.”
I lied—I’m pissed.
He sounded like he was moving down a checklist.

“What difference does it make? You are here, you are going to take your daughter and go…hell, I

don’t even know where you are from!” Dezarae cried in frustration.

“I am from Virginia. My full name is Ross Murdock Connelly, I have a twelve-year-old daughter,

I’m a divorcee, and I am a thirty-year-old Navy SEAL.” He pulled her to her feet and walked them both over

to the large chair and sat her on his lap. “I’m on leave for the next ten days and I want nothing more than to

spend it with you and my daughter.” His hands teased her skin. “Can I stay?” Ross cleared his throat and

amended, “Can we stay?”

Dezarae felt his strength surround her.
Who would it hurt to let him stay? At least there won’t be any

surprises.
“Of course you can stay,” she said on a sigh.

I’m one step closer, Firebird.
“Wonderful,” he murmured into her ear.

Moving to get off his lap, Dezarae found his arms had locked around her, holding her immobile. “I

have to go,” she protested.

“We’re not done talking.” Ross didn’t want to let her go.

“What else is there to talk about?” Dezarae turned in his arms to look at him.

“This.” Fast as a striking rattler, his mouth was on hers. His large hands held fistfuls of her hair,

keeping her in place.

As his tongue slid between her full lips, she moaned deep in her throat. Dezarae fidgeted on his lap.

She wanted to be closer to him. Her skin felt like it was alive with flames.

Ripping his mouth off hers, Ross pulled back just enough so he could look into her molten eyes.

“There is something between us, Firebird. You know it and I know it. I am not going to let you ignore it.”

Heart pounding, Dezarae just stared into his gray orbs.
I could love you, Ross Connelly.

“Good,” he said, seconds before his lips dominated hers again.

57

CONNELLY’S FLAME

Aliyah Burke

“Daddy?” Charmane’s yell came from down the hall. “Where are you, Daddy?”

Dezarae jumped off his lap as if the hounds of hell were after her. “Jesus, you shouldn’t be in here,”

she said, panicked.

Eyes narrowed as he watched her movements. “Why not?” Ross stayed right where he had been

sitting.

“She is your daughter…we are in here…you shouldn’t be…” Dezarae was totally flustered.

Ross smiled as his eyes followed her. “My daughter loves you and would be thrilled to find us

together.”

“We aren’t together!” Dezarae hollered. Stomping over to the door, she flung it open, shoved past

Charmane who was about to knock, and stormed down the hall.

His daughter stuck her head in the open door and saw him sitting in a chair, looking as if he belonged

in the room. “What’s the matter with Dez, Daddy? Why is she so upset?” A frown crossed her face. “Does

this mean she isn’t going to dinner with us tonight?”

Dinner? I was thinking about putting my tongue down her throat, not asking her to dinner.
“I haven’t

asked her yet.”
I have a hunch what her answer is going to be.

“Well, I’ll go ask her,” Charmane said, seconds before she furrowed her brow and harrumphed.

“Later, I guess; she is with Tank.”

That got Ross’s attention. His head whipped around and he watched through narrowed lids as

Dezarae laughed easily with the giant of a man she stood beside. Forcing a smile, he stood and looked at his

child. “Let’s go get my bag, I have some down time and Dezarae said we could stay here. So I guess I will

take whichever room Tank isn’t using.”

With a smile that could rival the cosmos for brightness, Charmane squealed and hugged her father.

“She has a guest room but Tank isn’t staying here. He comes in the morning and leaves at night. Well, he

stayed when we were in California but he was watching the shop.”

Walking up the hall beside his child, Ross listened to her talk as if she really lived and belonged here

with Dezarae. Nothing was Dezarae’s; it was all “we” with Charmane and Dezarae.

Side by side they walked outside into the afternoon sun and over to his vehicle. Opening the back,

Ross pulled out his sea bag and another bag. Charmane took the small one and he swung the large green bag

over his shoulder with ease.

“The guestroom she has right now used to be her old office, since they are just finishing up cleanup

right now,” Charmane explained as they walked back in the house.

“I’m sure it will be fine,” he assured his daughter. As she opened the door to his temporary room, his

mind settled on her mother and he frowned. He had to deal with Joy sooner or later.

“What’s wrong, Daddy?” Charmane asked, fixing her big doe eyes on him.

“Just thinking I need to talk to your mother. Don’t worry about it.” He tried to play it off but couldn’t

miss the look of dejection that crossed her face.

“Oh, I guess I have to go back there now that you are home,” she said quietly.

“I don’t have anyone to watch you while I am gone, Baby; you know I want you there when I come

home. But—”

“But Mama won’t let me stay with you. She never says anything good about you. I hate it. I hate

her!” Charmane yelled as she ran from the room.

“Way to go, Ross,” he muttered to himself as he tossed his bags in a corner of the small room. “Way

to go.” His gray eyes took in the simple décor; it was a dark blue room. Simple, comfortable, and practical.

****

men from his crew who still remained.

“It was our pleasure, Phoenix, truly it was.” Tank responded as he pounded on the door of one of the

trucks in farewell as the man left.

“All of you are so wonderful to me.” She smiled at the men as they got in their vehicles.

“We all love you.” Tank picked her up and spun her around in a circle, causing her to squeal.

“Put me down, Tank,” Dezarae begged.

“Someday I’m just gonna toss you over my shoulder and carry you off somewhere.” Tank warned as

he set her back on her feet.

58

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Aliyah Burke

“Why would you want to do that? You know I’m ornery.” She winked.

“That’s true.” He opened the door of his 3500 Dodge Heavy Duty truck and climbed into the cab

after getting his dog inside. “Okay, Babe, I will be over tomorrow to check on you,” his eyes narrowed

briefly, “and your guest.”

“I know you will.” Dezarae wrinkled up her nose and stood on the running board of his truck to stick

her head through the window and kiss him. “See you then. Love you, Tank.”

“Love you too, Phoenix,” he said, returning her kiss and driving away as she jumped down and

waved to him until he was gone from sight.

“Dezarae!” The wail reached her moments before the child who had emitted it did.

Turning around, she saw Charmane running towards her, tears streaming down her face.

Automatically Dezarae opened her arms and let the child run into them. “What’s going on, Charmane?” she

asked as her arms closed around the trembling girl.

“Daddy doesn’t want me either,” she bawled.

Rolling her eyes, Dezarae reassured her that her father wanted her, “He came all this way to find you

and spend time with you. Why would you think he didn’t want you?”

“He said he had to call Mama.” Her tiny body shook with the force of her sobs.

“Of course he has to call your mother. She needs to know that he is with you and you are fine.”

Looking at her porch, Dezarae saw Ross step out from her house, stop, and watch them. She waved him

closer.

“Mama doesn’t care,” the child protested.

Dark chocolate met gunmetal as Ross moved closer. “I don’t know your mother, Sweetie, but I know

your father loves you very much. You were the one name that he could remember when he had his accident.

You, he remembered you.” Dezarae set Charmane back from her a bit and looked into the young teen’s face.

“You need to work this out with your father, not me.”

“He is inside; he doesn’t care,” Charmane sobbed.

“That’s not true, Baby,” Ross interjected. “I’m right here.” Dezarae turned the child toward her

father and gave her a little push. As Ross’s arms took the place her arms had been moments before, Dezarae

smiled sadly at the memory of her own father and she walked to the shop.

Two hours later, Dezarae stretched and rolled the stiff muscles in her neck. She had been cleaning up

two of the bays where the cars had been. When it came to her shop, Dezarae was fanatical about keeping it

clean.

“I’ll give you a massage if you think it will help,” Ross’s deep voice flowed over her like cognac.

Without turning to face him, Dezarae just gathered her hair in one hand, moved it off her neck, and

said, “Come on, then.”

Ross swallowed as he walked closer to her. His hands were gentle yet firm as they settled on her

shoulders and began to massage her tension away.
Her skin is like silk beneath mine.
“How does that feel?”

he asked as he inhaled her gentle floral scent.

“Wonderful,” she moaned. “Where’s Charmane?”

“Showering and getting ready to go to dinner.” His hands stilled on her body as he leaned over one

shoulder and whispered in her ear, “Want to come with us?”

And feel like part of the family?
“No, this is a good time for you and your daughter to spend together.

Besides, I have a ton of work that I have to catch up on.”

“She would like you to come,” he murmured into her ear.