From The Inferno (Firemen Do It Better Book 3)

by Leah Sharelle

  Pushing back the kitchen chair, I rose awkwardly. “It doesn’t matter, Chase. I will just get out of your hair,” I choked out, trying in vain to hold back my sobs until I could make it back to my house.

  “Legs, baby, please don’t go.” Chase’s large hand reached out and grabbed mine. It was a gentle hold but unyielding at the same time.

  “Chase.” I sighed, my head down so he couldn’t see the relief I felt that he called me that silly name.

  “Sit down, baby. I’m sorry for growling at you. I didn’t mean it to come off as angry, but you seem so determined that I am going to throw you out,” Chase explained gently, pulling me back down into the chair, his hand staying in my mine.

  “What if you do, though? I don’t think I could recover from seeing your disappointment in me,” I told him, voicing my greatest fear.

  “Not gonna happen, baby, and you know why?”

  I shook my head slowly and waited for him to go on, hope springing through the fear.

  “Because no one can look at a baby like you did tonight and be a bad person,” he said simply.

  And just like that, I found the strength in me to do what I knew I had to. Chase’s belief in me and in us gave me the courage to open my mouth and tell him of my shame.

  “You know that I am or was a tennis player and that my coach was a mean and hard person. He is also my uncle, and over the years, he became abusive towards me. It started with small slaps to the side of my head and yelling at me for disobeying him or performing badly in training.” I kept my gaze off Chase’s face and instead focused over his shoulder at the fridge and the photos of Prue that Chase kept there. Just looking at the sweet little girl, who was a clone of her daddy, helped me push through the hateful memories of Colin and his abuse.

  “Then it slowly was more than just that. Soon, the slaps turned into fisted punches and using a weapon like a tennis racquet, and the yelling became screaming horrible insults and degrading slurs. By nature, I am a clumsy person, so that helped Colin disguise and explain the bruises his fists left on me. He was careful to aim his punches so the bruises were in places that could be caused by falls and bumping into things. His temper got out of control on a daily basis, and when my game started to slide because of the injuries he inflicted on me, things went from bad to worse.”

  I had a quick look at Chase and saw his jaw clench with the effort to let me go on and not interrupt me, something I was grateful for. This was going to be the last time I had to speak of Colin and the ordeal I suffered at his hands, or, at least, I hoped it was. I had no way of telling if I would have to recount it to the police or, God help me, in a court of law.

  I watched as Chase closed his eyes, squeezing them tight for a minute before opening them and nodding at me, giving me a silent signal to continue.

  “The tennis world is like a big family, but at the same time, we all have our own agendas—to be the best, to climb the ranks and make as much money as possible. For me, it was different. All I wanted to do was play tennis, travel, and see the world. I didn’t get to see much of the countries we travelled to as it turned out. Between training and media events, it didn’t leave much time for anything else. Once a tournament was finished or if I was bundled out in an early round, it was back on a plane for the next one.” I stroked my thumb over Chase’s, drawing my strength from him. “I went downhill fast, and the love of the game was replaced with resentment. Colin even told one interviewer I was a jinx, and if by luck I made it past the first round, my jinx would kick in for the next one, and I would lose. After that, I got the nickname Jinxed Jamie. I lost my doubles partners not long after that. They thought it would be better to find new partners than chance a big prize purse with me.

  “After more bullying from some of the players and absolutely no help from my parents, I sort of gave up. I lost more than ever, dropped in the WTA—the Women’s Tennis Association—rankings, and the prize money dwindled. The last grand slam I played in I was expected to win because I had made it to the semis the year before. I got knocked out in the first round by a practical nobody, and Colin was furious.” I shivered at the memory of the especially hard hit I got fromColinwith my racquet in the club rooms. The circuit doctor had to be called in to stitch up the side of my head just above my ear. Colin had told him that I slammed my head into an overhead cupboard in the hotel room. Of course, because of the media coverage, he believed every lie Colin fed him.

  “Why didn’t you just walk? Find a new coach and go to the authorities?” Chase asked with no judgement at all, just an observation.

  I thought for a second before replying because the reason wasn’t exactly a gold star for my character.

  “Because I was weak, I guess. My parents hated me, had done for years. All I was to them was a pay cheque. Colin had everyone eating out of the palm of his hand, coaches, tournament organisers, sponsors. Everyone loved Colin. He believed and had others believing that he and he alone created me. No one else would take me on, and Colin was too powerful to even think about taking him on. So I was stuck. Play tennis and hate it or walk away and have nothing or no one.”

  “But your money,” Chase argued.

  I choked out a bitter laugh. My money. What a joke that turned out to be.

  “There is no money. I found that out on my last day in Sydney. Colin took it all. He was not only my coach but my agent, as well. He handled everything for me, my sponsors, travel, and my money. It’s not unusual to hand over total control to our agents. Tennis is a hard game to stay in, so the less outside interference meant we kept our minds on our performance, you know?” I gave him a sardonic smirk. What a fool I had been, a blind, idiotic fool.

  “What happened that last day that made you so scared you felt you had to run and change your name?”

  I stared at my handsome man. His quiet encouragement warmed me.

  “I-I got mad at Colin. He had just told me there was no money left. He’d lost it playing the stock market, so I had to win the Florida tournament, or I would be broke, and he was going to get another player to coach. The thought that he might do what he did to me to another poor young girl pissed me off. He dragged me into a public toilet and attacked me. I knew he was going to really hurt me. He had hatred in his eyes as he pushed me hard against the sinks, the impact smashing the porcelain. Everything happened so fast, but fear and the desire to survive drove me. I grabbed a chunk of the sink and hit him as hard as I could across his head. He fell like a lump to the ground, blood pouring from his head, and he didn’t move. I had no idea if I killed him, and I wasn’t going to stay around to find out, so I ran.”

  My lips were dry, and the way the story poured out of me left my throat feeling hoarse.

  “You ran to me,” Chase said softly. His blue eyes sparkled so brightly with wetness, and my breath caught in my throat at the sight.

  Nodding my head, I didn’t see the point in lying anymore.

  “I think I did. Deep down, I knew there was someone waiting for me that wanted me. That I could make a life with… who I could love… and who loves me.”

  “You found him, baby. You’ve got me forever if you will have me that long.”

  Smiling through tears that I hadn’t felt fall, I took a leap.

  “Yes, I will.”

  14

  My heart nearly shattered as I listened to Jamie recount the terrible abuse and neglect she had to endure from people she had every right to feel safe with. When she told me of the hits and slaps that her arsehole prick of a coach inflicted on her, I wanted to get in my car and find him, then beat him to a pulp.

  A small part of my brain screamed at me to let Jamie run out of my life. Melly and my daughter flashed through my mind—them being lowered into their graves, watching the cold dirt being thrown onto the coffins, and my howls of outrage that my little bug would forever be locked under the ground, never to see sunlight again, ride her horse, or wrap her little arms around me ever again.

  After all the years of pain and the st
ruggle to get up every single day and go on with my life when I felt like I had nothing, I’d finally made it to a point where I could smile again, laugh and get up without the heavy burden of dread weighing me down.

  I finally found someone I wanted to love and share a life with.

  Mentally, I’d prepared myself for something much worse than the picture Jamie painted of what she was running from. In the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t something that couldn’t be fixed. Being a sporting celebrity, her name had not reached the papers or the news, not to my knowledge anyway, but it wouldn’t be hard for us to find out. Jason could most definitely help with that.

  Despite it all, the white lies, changing her name, and hiding, I wanted the woman sitting in front of me. The power she had over me was all-consuming as was the hold she had on my heart. Her strength to fight back and save herself so she could find me made me proud of her. The mere thought of our lives not entwining gutted me.

  The possibility of her leaving shredded me.

  That was not going to happen. Not now. Not ever.

  Slowly, I rose from my seat with my hand still in Jamie’s, and I gently pulled her to her feet.

  Her expression went from happy to guarded as she allowed me to bring her to her feet, her legs wobbling slightly, no doubt from the amount of emotion she had just gone through telling me her truth.

  “Chase, what—”

  I cut off whatever she was going to say by taking her mouth in a kiss to begin the kisses I would give her for the rest of my life.

  Her body was stiff at first, then melted right into me. Her soft moans were like music to my ears as her tongue, warm and wet, tangled erotically with mine.

  Releasing her hand, I wrapped my arms tightly around her waist, and my hands splayed on her lower back, pulling her closer against me. As Jamie’s arms came up and wrapped around my neck, her fingers tickled at the base, and the small amount of hair I had there meant I could feel each scrape of her nails on my skin. Pleasure shot through me, and it wasn’t long before my dick was rock hard and straining against my zipper.

  Pulling back, I left my lips millimetres away from her, not wanting to break our connection completely. “I don’t care about him, and I don’t care that he got hurt. All I care about is you and that you survived and found me. Be with me, baby. Stay with me.”

  I waited for the fog to lift from her eyes and for her to hear and see in my eyes what I was saying. I was a whisker away from declaring my love for her even though I sort of had already. That alone scared the shit out of me, putting myself in another situation where I could lose another person I loved. Only this time, we were going to do it right, which meant not letting her handle it on her own or waiting to see how things panned out. No, this time, I was going to be the one to make things right, protect her so she would always come home to me.

  I couldn’t do it for Prue or her mother.

  But I could and would for Jamie.

  For us.

  “Are you sure, Chase, really sure that I am worth it.”

  How in the hell could she think otherwise? Was she worth it? Fucking hell, yes, she was. From the first minute in the café, my heart knew I would do anything to make her mine. She had suffered too much, lost too much confidence in her own worth. I understood why, after all, her parents hated her, a failing only they should suffer. Not my beautiful leggy goddess.

  “There is nothing I want more than you. You are worth everything, baby. To me, you are worth it all,” I whispered vehemently against her lips.

  Moving my arms, I swung her up bridal style, and when I looked deep into her brown eyes, I saw passion.

  Passion for me.

  “And now I am going to prove that you are worth more than I have ever dared to dream for,” I promised her, walking out of the kitchen, hitting the light switch off with my elbow as I passed it.

  Ignoring the comfortable couch we had gotten very familiar with the last few nights, I carried her down the hall to my room. She had been sleeping in Prue’s old room while she stayed with me, but there was no way in hell I was going to make love to her in there.

  I used my shoulder to push the door open, and it was in darkness as was usual when I left for work before the arse crack of dawn. The heavy curtains were the special blackout kind that made sleeping easier when the sun was up and shining through my window, but now all I wished for was to see Jamie’s face. I wanted to mentally document every second of this, our first time, to see every expression, every reaction from her.

  “Can we have a small light on?” Jamie asked me shyly as I set her down on her feet beside the bed.

  I smiled into the darkness, pretending that she had read my inner thoughts, which she probably hadn’t. The room was incredibly dark, so it was more than likely just making her anxious.

  “Sure, baby. Stand still for a second.” Releasing one hand from her hips, I reached out and turned on the bedside lamp, and the room was immediately illuminated in a soft glow. Stepping back, I placed my hand onto her hip again. There was this beast inside of me that hated not having my hands on her, which was something I had never experienced before and couldn’t control. For the first time in my life, I had an urge to beat my chest and shout out my claim on a woman. To mark her as mine and protect her from anyone who wanted to harm her, kill them if they dared to.

  I worked my jaw, grinding my back teeth down hard. Her coach needed to be dealt with, but first, we had to find out what his condition was after my strong girl belted him with a chunk of the porcelain sink. I felt overwhelming pride when she admitted what she had done, and now I knew it was the reason for her running and nothing more sinister. The bastard deserved that and much more, and he would get worse if he had the stupid sense to come looking for Jamie. I had an axe, and if pressed, I might use the bloody thing on him.

  “Chase,” Jamie whispered, breaking me out of my dark thoughts. She was looking at me with trepidation, obviously not sure where my mind had gone.

  It would be best she never found that out.

  “You are so beautiful, baby. Your stunning beauty blows me away,” I said to her instead, meaning every word right down to my soul. That and her courage took my breath away. She had such a shitty childhood because of her parents and missed out on a normal teenage life, which most of us took for granted and mostly complained about. Instead, she spent hours and hours on a tennis court training and travelled to foreign places where she knew nobody or had a real friend to confide in or hang with.

  My hands itched to rip Jamie’s top off so I could get a good look at her perfect breasts. One night, she’d allowed me to lift her tee until it was bunched up under her chin. We left her bra on, but holy shit, her breasts were so ample they spilled over the cups of her rose pink satin bra, and her skin under my lips had been so soft and warm.

  My dick hardened at the memory. Hell, the bastard was in a constant state of arousal since I met Jamie.

  Taking in a deep cleansing breath, I reined in some control. Jamie needed me to be gentle, not throw her onto the bed and pound into her like a sex-starved, crazy person.

  She was a virgin, so my more dominant side had to take a back seat—for now.

  The bedside side lamp made the room dark enough so Jamie could feel more at ease but light enough so I could still see her reaction to my hands on her body. I already knew she liked me touching her, over her clothes. Now I was going to watch the pink blush cover more than just her face.

  “We are going to take this easy, baby. Slow and easy,” I murmured. I slid my hands down her bare arms, the muscle style T-shirt she wore for work showing off her incredibly toned arms.

  I felt the goosebumps on her skin as I trailed my hands down to her wrists, then back up, my hands going under the sleeve at her shoulders. My fingers tickled over the bone before moving down to the crease of skin under her arms. Her breath caught each time I got close to the side of her breasts.

  “Can I take off your shirt?” I whispered, smiling when her head bobbed u
p and down.

  With the backs of my hands, I made my way back down to her wrists then lower to the hem of her shirt. With achingly slow movements, I gently gathered the material in my hands and lifted it up her torso, making sure my knuckles grazed her skin as I went.

  “You are so stunning, legs.” I tossed the shirt to the floor beside us. “I knew you would have the same blush here as you do on your pretty cheeks,” I told her, gazing at the pink stain covering her neck and down to the tops of her ample breasts. With just one finger, I traced the cup of her bra, dipping it in just a small amount under the cup.

  Leaning forward, I licked a path along the swell of soft flesh, unable to stop myself from getting a taste of her. Her low moan of approval spurred me on to lick up the column of her slender throat. Her skin tasted like sweet sugar mixed with her own unique flavour. My inner beast growled with appreciation, but he also wanted me to go faster, but I tamped him down. Instead, I nibbled my way up her neck to her jaw, enjoying the way she arched her neck to give me better access to her.

  My girl likes this. Good to know. Since a woman’s pleasure was important to me, I stored that piece of information away. I enjoyed foreplay and spent a lot of time on it if the woman was the right one, and Jamie was definitely the right one, the only one from now on.

  Jamie’s tongue poked out to lick her lips, and I nearly lost it. All my intentions to go slow just about went out the window with that one innocent slip of her tongue.

  My hands had stayed busy, lightly tracing circles on her stomach and her ribs while my lips and tongue played. Touching Jamie was fast becoming my new obsession, but kissing her… that was my favourite thing.

  “I’m gonna kiss you now, legs,” I warned her a second before I took her mouth in a deep kiss. It was still slow, just like everything else I had done up to now, just deep and consuming. For long minutes, we duelled with our tongues and lips, air no longer necessary.