Connelly's Flame (23 page)

asked again.

“The Megalodon,
Carchardon megalodon,
is the ancestor of the Great White Shark. It was the

deadliest predator in the water. It attacked swiftly, precisely, and always…deadly,” Ross answered as his

hands moved the light to where she pointed.

“So you’re a fish?”

He chuckled. “Do I look like a fish?”

“Well,” she drawled.

86

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Aliyah Burke

“Dez,” he warned.

“Okay, fine. But why call your team that?” Dezarae paused and tsked herself. “Duh, because the

SEALs are fierce, dangerous, and deadly.” She nodded, “I get it. Cool.” Moving his hand away, she looked at

the headlight and said, “This one is good. Help me with the other one.”

Ross rolled over while Dezarae got off the car, walked around, and climbed back up. He held the

light like he did the first one.

“So is being a SEAL like they show in the movies? You know, where the man gets the woman of his

dreams and carries her off into the sunset.” Dezarae looked at him.

I plan on getting you and I will be happy to carry you off into the sunset.
“Not exactly like they show

in the movies. As far as the SEAL getting the woman of his dreams, I’ll let you know.” He winked at her.

Dezarae trembled. “You do that.” Her hands stopped moving and she put her dark eyes on him.

“Don’t take this the wrong way, Ross, but don’t you think you should be focusing on your daughter’s

situation with your ex-wife instead of me?”

Anger rippled through his body. “I did call her before I came out here. I am meeting her in two days.

Can I leave Charmane with you that day?”

“Of course, if you think that best.” Her touch on his hand was light as she positioned it where she

wanted.

“I don’t want her anywhere near my baby,” he growled.

“Hey, temper man, temper. I am not the enemy here,” Dezarae said, only half-joking. She finished

putting the light in and got off the car. “Thanks for the help.”

“I just get so pissed at the thought of her raising her hand to our daughter. You know, she may hate

me and that is fine. But to do that to your child…unforgivable.” His voice was full of disgust.

“I don’t think there is anything that I can say to make it better for you. I’m sorry.” She touched his

arm affectionately.

Tell me you love me. Tell me you will take care of Charmane while I am gone. Tell me you will be my

wife.
Ross smiled and touched the end of her nose gently. “It’s not your fault.”

Some of it is if she is being worse because you and I are friends.
“I can still feel bad for the situation,

can’t I?”

“Only if I get a kiss for it,” he responded, trying to joke that sad look off her face.

“One kiss.” Dezarae leaned in and kissed his cheek before stepping back and turning her attention

back to the car.

Shaking his head, Ross mumbled as he walked out the bay door, “I should be jealous but at least it is

a car and not another man that keeps her attention so intently.”

“Dez,” the feminine voice broke into the concentration of the woman who was dutifully working on

the car in her shop.

Looking up, Dezarae saw Charmane leaning across the workbench staring at her. “Hey, Charmane.

What can I do for you?”

The girl smiled as if sharing her own private joke. “Daddy sent me to get you. He said that I’m not to

take no for an answer. You have to come eat some dinner. Even though you missed breakfast and lunch, he

isn’t about to let you miss dinner. He cooked.”

“He cooked? Your father cooked. Tell me, Charmane, is he a good cook?”

The child shrugged. “I don’t know, when I would visit him he would order out.”

Oh, boy.
“Well, I guess we should go then. Just let me lock up. Will you close the big door for me,

please?”

“Sure,” Charmane ran off to do that while Dezarae stripped off her greasy coveralls.

Turning off the stereo, she kissed the portrait of her father goodnight and was waiting by the side

door when Charmane came running back up to her. “Ready?” she asked the child.

“Ready.” Charmane nodded.

Setting the alarm, Dezarae and Charmane walked out into the evening. The day had flown by for

Dezarae as she had worked on the car. There were a few things she had to order for the interior but it was

moving along much better than she had anticipated.

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A little unsure of what awaited her, Dezarae was almost hesitant to walk into her own house. The

smells that greeted her made her mouth water. A surprised look on her face, Dezarae opened the door and

went inside.

The sight that met her stopped her in her tracks.

In her living room, a table had been set for two. A pair of silver tapers sat in crystal holders, their

flames bouncing off the intricate cuts. The lights were down low and she heard soft romantic piano music in

the background.

“The wine’s been poured. The food is ready. All that is missing is the woman I want to take on this

date.” Ross’s seductive Southern voice poured over her. “Will you be that woman, Dezarae?”

She looked to her left and smiled as her gaze fell upon Ross, dressed in a white turtleneck and black

slacks. “Like this?” Dezarae gestured to her clothes.

“You look beautiful to me but go ahead and change. I’ll wait.”

Dezarae slipped down the hall and into her room. It didn’t take her long before she had put

something else one. Slipping her feet into a pair of heels, she headed back up to the living room.

Ross stood as she walked into the room and his breath caught in his throat. Dezarae had let her hair

down around her face, her curls softening her appearance. She wore a cream-colored dress. The dress was

simple in design; it had a deep v-neck and wide shoulder straps. It fell to just above her knees, showing off

her silken legs.

Her feet were in a pair of open-toed heels the same color as her dress. There was no makeup on her

face but the grease was gone. The smell of sweat peas reached him before she did.

With a shy smile, she shrugged her shoulders. “I hope this is okay.”

“It is better than okay.” Ross moved to her side and escorted her to the table. “You look beautiful,

Dez.”

“Thank you,” she whispered as he slid her chair in closer to the table.

With a quick kiss along her exposed neckline, he murmured, “No, thank
you
.”

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Ross noticed the change in Dezarae as he took his seat. Her demeanor was shy, a trait he found

totally endearing in the normally self-confident Dezarae Kerry.

Charmane walked in silently and set plates of food down, continuing until there were no more to be

moved to the table. Then, with a smile she walked away, leaving them alone with one another.

Dezarae took in the food before her. Crab-stuffed mushrooms, mandarin hazelnut salad, halibut with

mushroom and shrimp sauce, bow-knot dinner rolls and garlicky greens and beans. “This looks amazing,”

she said as her chocolate eyes met the handsome Navy SEAL across the table from her. “What’s the reason

for it?”

With a smile, Ross took a sip of wine and answered, “I thought you deserved it.”

“Thank you. If it is as good as it looks and smells…I’ve died and gone to heaven.”

Ross toasted her with his glass, “We also have ginger pudding for dessert.”

Her eyes closed as the first bite of crab-stuffed mushroom entered her mouth. It was wonderful. “Are

you sure you cooked this?” Dezarae questioned.

“What, don’t you think I can cook?”

“I must say I am surprised.” She raised her glass to him and said, “Pleasantly so, yet still surprised.”

“Oh, I’m a man of many talents, Firebird. Many,
many
talents,” Ross said smoothly.

With a roll of her eyes and a shake of her head, Dezarae returned to eating.
That ex of his must be

one dumb broad. Who would toss a man like him away?

The question was on the tip of his tongue but just wouldn’t come. He couldn’t ask her, not tonight.

Ross ate quietly while he watched the ebony beauty across the table from him.

“What are you so focused on over there, Ross? You seem serious.” Dezarae asked as she sipped her

wine, leaning back in the chair.

“Just thinking about how beautiful you are,” he said as his eyes roved freely over her face.

“And that brought a scowl to your face?” Her eyebrows rose. “You seem like whatever it is, you

aren’t happy with the thought.”

Damn, she is quick.
“I am very happy with my thoughts. I didn’t mean to scowl.”

“Right,” she nodded. “I won’t pry don’t worry. I can respect your privacy.”

“I didn’t mean to imply—”

“Hey,” she interrupted him and raised her hand. “Let’s not do this. I don’t want to ruin a perfect

evening.”

A flash of white crossed his face as he smiled at her. “Right you are. Let’s not ruin tonight. Are you

ready for dessert?”

Her eyes burned hotly as she remembered being his dessert last night. “I’m ready. Can I get it?”

“No,” he waved her back and stood instead. “This is your night to be pampered.”

“Be careful. I could get used to this,” Dezarae said with a grin.

“I surely hope so,” he muttered as he walked to the kitchen and got their dessert.

Elbows on the table, Dezarae watched the man who had supplied this wonderful dinner for her.

Every second she spent in his company, her feelings grew deeper and truer. And it scared her.

What did she really know about him? It didn’t matter, she realized. He made her feel safe and special

like no other man before.

The silence was broken solely by the romantic piano music. Ross drank his wine and kept his slate

eyes on the woman who had reignited the flames of passion in him. The woman who had saved his life in

more ways than one.

Brown met gray. Their gazes locked. A soft smile crossed Dezarae’s face as she spoke, “Thank you

for the best meal I have had in a long time.”

“It was entirely my pleasure.”

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“What about Charmane? Did she get to eat?” Dezarae asked as she stood and began to gather the

dishes.

Standing as well, Ross responded, “She ate before she came to get you.” He picked up his dishes and

leaned in to blow out the candles.

Walking into the kitchen, Dezarae set down the dishes and began running dishwater. “And dessert?”

“I’ll go get her,” Ross said, loving how concerned she was about his daughter.

“You do that,” she muttered as her hands plunged into soapy water.

“Gin!” Charmane said with a grin as she laid her cards on the table.

“Humph,” Dezarae shook her head. “Tell me again why I agreed to play this?” They were sitting

around the kitchen table playing cards.

Dezarae still wore her dress, although her shoes had long since been discarded. Ross had his sleeves

pushed up over muscled forearms and he had his shoes off as well. He was playing footsie with Dezarae as

his daughter soundly whipped them at gin.

“Come now, Dez,” Ross chided playfully as he winked at his daughter conspiratorially. “You don’t

expect to win at everything, do you?”

Pressing on his foot, she retorted, “Everything? No, but a game here and there would be nice.”

Charmane began shuffling the cards. “Can we play again, Daddy?”

Looking at his flesh and blood, Ross said, “It’s getting late, Baby. You need to go to bed.” He

glanced at Dezarae. “What do you think?”

Dezarae was speechless.
Why does he want my opinion on her bedtime?
When his eyebrows rose,

she answered. “Well, it’s your vacation. She finished her schoolwork so I don’t see the harm in her staying

up late.”

“Okay,” Ross gestured for the cards and began to deal.

Into the game, the phone rang. Dezarae looked at Ross briefly before answering it. It was almost

midnight. “Hello?” she said into the phone, “Oh, hang on a minute.” With an easy movement she handed the

receiver to Ross. “Here, it’s for you.”

“Hello?” His eyes narrowed. “Why are you calling, Joy? I said I would see you in two days.” Ross’s

jaw clenched as he tried to control his temper.

Moving silently, Dezarae gathered Charmane up to escort her out of the room to give Ross some

privacy. Ross grabbed hold of her and shook his head, his meaning clear.

Dezarae sat back down in her chair and began to deal cards to Charmane. Ross stood behind her and

began to play with her thick tresses. “I said two days, Joy,” he ground out. Dezarae’s presence acted like a

balm to his tortured soul.

“No, you can’t come here.” He paused. “What the hell do you mean, you’re concerned about her

living situation? You are the one she runs from.”

Shaking his head in disgust, Ross continued. “She is fine. Charmane has her own room here, is

happy and healthy.” His tone dropped to absolute zero. “And if you or that loser boyfriend of yours
EVER

lay a hand on her again, your bodies will never be found again. Don’t fuck with me.”

Dezarae turned to look at the man who sounded so dangerous. Like the day he had taken his

teammate hostage while defending her, his posture screamed warrior. Every muscle was tense and ready for

whatever was thrown at him. Eyes were as sharp as a samurai sword.

Touching his arm, Dezarae waited for him to look at her before her eyes cut towards Charmane, who