UP IN FLAMES

“That’s bullshit and you know it.” Paul said,

“Fuck you,” Alaric replied, but there was no real heat in his words. “Look, I had to take a break, okay? After everything that happened, I felt like I needed some time for myself. Besides Bobby was fine with it,”

Paul didn’t look convinced, “Does this have anything to do with a certain Mrs Spencer?” When Alaric didn’t reply, Paul added, “Damn man, Did you let her go?”

Vanessa felt like an interloper. Well, duh, she was, and she really needed to get her ass out of there. Paul looked like he was about to say something else when what sounded like a chair in the dining room deciding to mate with the table drew their attention. They turned at the same time.

Vanessa stood a few feet back from the table, her face as red as a fire truck and her eyes wide. Alaric’s gaze dropped, and he swallowed a groan. Damn if he didn’t love seeing her in his clothes. However, he did not like the idea of Paul seeing her practically naked. And he really wasn’t ready to talk to his partner about Vanessa, which was why he’d been spending the week pretending no one was home when he called.

Paul’s eyes grew as big as a kid’s on Christmas morning. He stared at Vanessa like he’d never seen her before. “What the hell is going on here?”

“What the fuck do you think is going on?” Alaric shot back.

“Oh, I have a damn good visual.”

Anger pricked at Alaric’s skin, and he had to tell himself that this was his partner, so it wouldn’t be appropriate to thump his ass. “Be careful what you say next,” he warned in a low voice. “I’m not fucking with you.”

An incredulous look crossed Paul’s expression as he pushed away from the table, glancing into the dining room. “That’s fucking Miss Spencer. Good for you, man.”Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

Alaric’s hands closed into fists. “Paul…” He was a half a second away from saying something else when Vanessa’s voice stopped him.

“Hi, Paul. Good morning,” she said, her voice tight as she leveled a cool stare at Paul, then her gaze moved to Alaric. “I’m sorry to intrude. Didn’t mean to.”

Alaric watched her turn and walk out of the room before he faced Paul again,”Thanks for checking on me but I’m fine. Can we talk some other time, please?”

“Fine “Paul nodded,”I’ll tell Emily you said hello.”

———-

For some reason, seeing Paul brought Vanessa back to reality. The reality she’d been too scared to face. She didn’t belong here with Alaric. She was close to sitting down on her bed and indulging in some really ugly crying, but she forced her legs to remain straight.

The scent of Alaric clung to her skin, even as she pulled the shirt off over her head and dropped it on the floor. Heading into the bathroom, she turned on the shower and cranked up the heat.

Her heart felt heavy as she stepped under the showerhead and the steady stream pelted her. For some reason, her skin felt raw and bruised, too sensitive. She shifted slowly, letting the spray hit her back.

She was in love.

She had gone and done it after swearing she’d never become her mother. Because wasn’t this how it had started for her? Vanessa really didn’t know, but what was between her and Alaric had gone beyond sex and a good time. It had morphed into a burning passion that knotted in her chest.

The truth was, no matter how she felt about Alaric, she didn’t belong with him. For some reason, Paul’s appearance served as a brutal, much-needed wakeup call. She needed to get out before she got even more invested, which seemed stupid, because how much more invested could she get?

Closing her eyes, she tipped her head back and let the water and steam do its thing, wishing it could wash away Alaric’s presence as well as it did his scent, but that was foolish, wasn’t it?

This was a good thing, though, she told herself. Tomorrow she would be going back home, back to reality. She still had her job. She still had that.

Vanessa wasn’t sure exactly how she knew she wasn’t alone. The door to the bathroom hadn’t creaked when it opened and she hadn’t been aware of the glass doors sliding, but she knew Alaric was there before she even opened her eyes.

He stood there, still shirtless, and his pants were hanging indecently low on his hips. His gaze traveled hungrily over her body, staying in some areas longer than others. The way her body responded ticked her off. Her nipples hardened under his greedy stare and liquid fire flooded her veins. Air sawed in and out of her lips slowly as his gaze finally settled back on hers.

Feeling incredibly vulnerable, which seemed kind of pointless at this moment, she folded her arms over her breasts. She had no idea what to say. Being naked in the shower did not make it easy for casual conversation.

“You shouldn’t hide yourself. You’re absolutely beautiful.”

His words created a nest of butterflies in her belly, but she kept her arms crossed. “Thanks,” she blurted out. “Did you want to tell me something?”

He leaned against the shower wall, seemingly oblivious to the spray. She wasn’t. Her eyes followed the trail of water down his chest, over his tight abs. “I didn’t come up here to talk.”

Her chest spasmed. “You didn’t?”

He shook his head.

Having no idea how to respond to that, she turned around slowly, letting the hot spray of water wash over her face. Her skin pricked with awareness. “I don’t want to talk either.”

“Is that an invitation?”

It shouldn’t be. God knew continuing to cross that line with him wasn’t smart. Her body and heart were at war with her head. She should tell him to leave, pack up herself, and get the hell out of here, but…But what was one more time? One more night? It wouldn’t change the outcome, staying wouldn’t harshen the blow that was sure to come. It just wasn’t smart. Then again, she hadn’t been smart about any of this and look where she was? There was already an ache deep in her chest.

“Vanessa…”

The sound of her name on his lips sealed the deal. It was truly that seductive. He rolled her name around his tongue like he was tasting it.