Connelly's Flame (18 page)

Ross grudgingly left her sleeping there alone and snuck down the hall back to his room and climbed

into his bed, immediately missing the warmth of the woman who had shared her passion with him earlier.

Heaving a sigh he closed his eyes and tried to get some sleep before his daughter got up.

67

CONNELLY’S FLAME

Aliyah Burke

The beeping of her alarm clock intruded into the nicest dream she had ever had. Ross Connelly had

made sweet love to her.
Damn six o’clock hour ruining my dream.
Shutting off her alarm, Dezarae winced at

her sore muscles. “Why the hell am I sore?” she asked as she walked to the bathroom.

It hadn’t been a dream after all.
Dezarae found the hickey on her breast. “Sweet Jesus, what have I

done?” A smile crossed her face as she shrugged her shoulders. “Had one hell of a night making love.”

Shaking her head, she corrected her statement, “Having sex.”

Climbing into the shower, she grinned as her mind ran through all they had done last night. Dezarae

felt relaxed and ready to face her day. Ross had only been in her room for a few hours; her body trembled at

the thought of what all night would be like.

Twenty minutes later, she was clipping her phone to her belt and walking out the front door to meet

the truck that had pulled up in her driveway. She ruffled the head of the monster dog that jumped out the

second the door opened and said, “Morning, Haley.” Then she grinned up at the behemoth that got out of the

truck next, “Morning, Tank.”

The man plucked her up off the ground and kissed her. “Morning, Phoenix, ready for the day?”

Kissing him back as he put her down, she answered, “Sure am, Tank. Are your men coming up

also?”

“They will be here by seven; they want breakfast,” he said with a wink.

“It will be ready by then. Come on inside.” Together they walked into her house unknowingly

observed by a Navy SEAL who shook with fury at their easy camaraderie and the familiar and accepted way

Tank touched Dezarae.

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Ross was the last one into the living room. It took him a while to calm down after seeing Dezarae

and Tank together. But as he heard the laughter and his child’s delighted voice intermixed with the deep

barks of the dog, he gathered his emotions and walked into the room.

There was a large table covered with food and around it sat ten men, Dezarae, and Charmane. One

empty spot was left between Charmane and Dezarae. All the men looked at him when he entered and each

offered up a “good morning.”

“Morning, Daddy,” Charmane said as she accepted a plate of biscuits from the man beside her.

“Morning, Baby,” he said walking around the table to kiss her on the cheek before sliding into his

chair. “Morning, y’all.” Ross looked at each man present and nodded. Gray eyes slanted to the woman beside

him, “Morning, Dez.”

Although nothing in his tone was inappropriate Dezarae felt like he had stripped away all her clothes

and licked her body from top to bottom. “Morning, Ross,” she responded in kind as her insides trembled.

Introductions were made as breakfast resumed. The room was lighthearted and cheery. The men

were polite and included his daughter in the conversation. It was no wonder Ross noticed a change in her

demeanor; here his daughter was treated like family.

Ross stood with two of the men as he watched over his women. Charmane, without being asked or

told, helped Dezarae clear the table and put things away. “Y’all seem to be really fond of Dezarae,” he

observed. Dezarae wore another pair of her tight jeans and a loose blue shirt.

Mike and Joe smiled at each other before answering him. “Yes, we all love her. I hear you met her a

few months ago?” Mike asked.

“Yes, she saved my life.” Ross admitted as he saw two more men go help Dezarae clean up.

“What are your intentions with Phoenix?” Joe asked this question.

None of your damn business.
“I am just here to get my daughter and spend some time with her,”

Ross evaded.

The honking of a semi truck interrupted whatever the men were going to say. Dropping the rag she

held, Dezarae said something to the man next to her and shouted to the rest of them, “Thanks so much, guys.

You’re the best. I’ll chat with you before you go. You know where coffee and stuff is so help yourself.” Then

she bolted out of the kitchen, her hands brushing over Ross as she moved past him to go outside.

Jogging across the yard, Dezarae opened up the doors to her shop while the truck turned around. She

couldn’t wait to see the cars that were inside the semi. Her friend Lateef’s friend had sent the Lamborghini

and he also sent a Porsche and a Citroën. Then there was the newest car for her own personal collection, a

Lotus Elan.

“Hey, man,” she yelled as the driver jumped down from the cab. “How are you doing, Ben?”

“Good, Phoenix, I’m doing good. How about yourself?” he asked as he gave her a hug.

“Not too bad. Let’s see what you brought me.” She walked with him to the back of the truck.

“I brought you a bunch of junk. I love seeing the cars when you finish with them 'cause, Lord knows,

when I bring them, they need help.” He swung open the back doors and lowered the ramp.

Dezarae walked up the ramp and swore under her breath. It broke her heart to see beautiful cars in

less than stellar condition. “Well, let’s get them down.”

As they were working Ross and Charmane left the house to investigate what Dezarae was up to.

They walked up to the truck and Ross stopped Charmane from getting closer. A plume of black smoke

exploded out of the back of the truck.

Before he could run up and see what happened, a car rattled down the ramp, the engine coughing and

burping every step of the way. He made out Dezarae sitting behind the wheel maneuvering the car carefully

to sit outside of her shop.

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The engine died with a wheeze and blew another huge collection of smoke and as Dezarae walked

out of the cloud fanning her face, Ross noticed she was laughing. “Well,” she yelled as her body trotted back

up the ramp, “now I know why I got it so cheap.”

The man walked back to meet her at the top of the ramp and Ross got a good look at him.
Jesus,

didn’t she hang out with any ugly men?
This man was stocky, lots of muscles on his olive skin. His hair was

inky black and when he smiled he showed a set of perfect teeth. Ross hated him in a second.

“Hey Dez,” Charmane shouted.

Dezarae turned and looked down at the person who called her: Charmane and, next to her…Ross.

“Hey Charmane.” Looking at the man beside her, she made introductions. “Ben, this is Ross Connelly and

his daughter, Charmane; they are staying with me for a few days. Guys, this is Ben Embree.”

“Nice to meet you both,” Ben said with an easy smile as he picked up on the possessive stare that

was in the gray eyes of the man named Ross as he looked at Dezarae.

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Embree,” Ross said.

“Please call me Ben.” He winked at Dezarae and disappeared back into the truck.

“Anything I can do to help, Dez?” Ross offered.

“Sure, come on up. Charmane, you need to stay out of the way for us,” Dezarae said to the girl.

“Can I watch?” the child asked.

“Sure, just keep back,” Dezarae answered as Ross loped up to meet her.

“Are you sore?” Ross whispered to her as the next car was started from the inside of the truck.

“Shut up,” she hissed and moved to the side as Ben backed the car up past them. Then she

disappeared into the truck, Ross right on her heels.

“I just wanted to make sure you were okay this morning,” Ross said as he helped her free the next

car.

Dropping the strap that helped to anchor the car she looked across the dented and peeling hood of the

Porsche. “I’m fine. Thanks for your concern.”

“Thank you for last night,” he murmured as he walked around the car to her side.

“What are you doing? I thought you were here to help.”

“I want a good morning kiss first,” Ross said, gathering her in his arms.

“Let me go,” she demanded. “Charmane is right outside.”

“She’s outside. Kiss me, Firebird.” His command wound around her soul.

Unable to resist, she stretched to place her lips on his. Her tongue slipped into his mouth and touched

his, igniting more flames between them. Dezarae wrapped her arms around his neck and he lifted her straight

off the ground, his hands under her ass as he backed her against the side of the truck.

“Well, that explains the glare I got when you introduced me,” Ben’s voice broke into their little

world.

Tearing her mouth off his, Dezarae tried to get out of Ross’s arms to no avail. “Put me down,” she

insisted.

His hands flexed on her ass and he said, “One more kiss.”

Quickly she put her lips to his and gave him what he wanted. Ross immediately took control and the

fast kiss drug on until Ben cleared his throat. This time he did let her stand on her own.

“Not one word, Ben,” Dezarae warned as she opened the door to the Porsche only to hesitate. “Ross,

you take this one, put it in the next stall for me.”

“Sure.” He slid behind the wheel and started the car. It sounded better than the first one she had

driven off, but looked worse. Carefully, he backed the car down the ramp and into her shop.

“Well, now,” Ben said as he watched the car go down the ramp. “Tell me what this is all about.”

“It’s about you minding your own business,” Dezarae snapped, still embarrassed he had seen them

kissing.

A strong arm settled around her shoulders as they walked up to the Lamborghini, “Just looking out

for you.”

Her anger was gone in a second. “I know. I am just mad at myself. I don’t seem to have any control

when it comes to him.”

“Doesn’t seem like he has any, either,” Ben joked as he released her, walked to one side of the car,

and began to loosen the ties.

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“Yeah, but I am just a passing fancy for him, Ben. But my heart is already involved and it scares

me.”

“Are you sure about that? Him only viewing you like that?” He looked at his friend, doubt filling his

brown eyes.

“Of course,” Dezarae responded immediately.

“I wouldn’t be to sure if I were you.” He dropped the last tie. “Okay done on this side.”

Climbing into the car, she started it without answering her friend and backed slowly out of the truck

and into her shop. Ben was putting the ramp back and Ross was helping him when she reemerged from her

building.

“Want something to eat, Ben?” Dezarae offered.

“I would love something,” he answered as he shut the doors and secured them. “Thanks for the

help,” Ben said to Ross.

“No prob.” Ross said as Charmane came back over, followed closely by Haley.

“Well, go on inside. I will be right there I just have to put this in my garage,” Dezarae said as she

frowned.

“Why don’t we just push the damn thing? That way, you don’t die from the stuff it’s coughing up.”

Ben suggested.

“Sounds like a plan.” Reaching into her pocket Dezarae pulled her keys out of her pocket.

“Charmane, move my truck will you?” The keys were tossed at the girl.

“Okay,” she yelled happily as she ran to the garage.

“Are you insane?” Ross demanded.

Dezarae spoke before he could shout to his child. “She has driven my vehicle before. She learned

how one day, and while it is a bit jerky, she can do it.” She touched his arm, bringing his attention to her.

“My Shelby is in there. Do you really think I would let her in there if I thought she was a danger to herself or

my own baby? Have some faith in your child.”

Ross nodded as he watched the garage door open and her vehicle move out slowly. Dezarae was

right; his daughter could drive. They watched as she parked it to the side of the garage before shutting it off

and jumping out. “Here good, Dez?”

“Perfect,” Dezarae answered as she opened the door to her car and put it in neutral. Holding the

wheel, she braced herself to push as Ben took the back and Ross took the passenger side. “Ready?” she asked

the men.

“Ready.” Ross answered as he looked with even more admiration at the woman across from him.

“Let’s do it,” Ben said.

They pushed the car into the garage and Ben spent some time looking at her finished mustang.

Charmane was telling him all about the trip back from California in the car.

Dezarae had stepped away from the car and was looking over it. Putting things into perspective in

her head. Her poignant gaze bespoke making plans for her strategy to make this car once again impressive.

“What kind of car is this?” Ross asked softly beside her.

“This is a 1962 Lotus Elan. My new project, what do you think?” Her hands gestured to the car.

“I think you will return it to all its former glory,” he offered.
It looks like something the cat dragged

in.

“I know it’s not much to look at now and, Lord knows, it doesn’t seem to run very well, but imagine

it finished. I was thinking a ruby or blood red. A few coats of wax and an engine that purrs like—”

“Like you last night as I slid in and out of your body?”

“Just like that,” Dezarae said in a breathy voice. “You know how I like things with sticks.”