On Fire (Seduction Series Book 3)

by Emily Vincent

  The Art School was only three blocks away from where she lived. Finn walked briskly keeping a watchful eye for anything remotely suspicious. Everything looked the same.

  Single story houses stood side by side with apartment building. The park was filled with mommies and their babies in strollers. The sound of shrieking children riding a miniature carousel filtered to her ears. A storekeeper was busy sweeping the front porch of his store where a dog was chewing scrap bone. A group of joggers zigzagged their way in the busy sidewalk.

  The gate leading to the Art School lay just ahead. Finn hurried inside. Now that she was actually doing what she came for, she was assailed with an urgent need to return to the cottage. Nora was glad to see her and wondered why she hadn’t been attending classes. Finn concocted an excuse about working late nights. Nora was glad she brought her thesis and congratulated Finn in advance.

  Finn waited in a corner bus stop silently applauding for being able to deliver her thesis. She could rest easy knowing that it was now in Nora’s hand. Her confidence grew as a bus appeared headed for Albany. She entered, paid the fare, and the bus went on its way.

  As the minutes crept, Finn chided herself feeling silly at the thought the ride back to Albany seemed longer than the ride going to the big city.

  “I’m feeling guilty for disobeying Lennie,” she mused.

  She kept glancing at the digital clock in the front of the bus, sighing in frustration at every stop the bus made. She just wished it would go faster. Finn breathed a sigh of relief when they finally headed into the open highway where the bus picked up speed.

  As they entered the Albany, Finn kept an eye for the familiar landmark that led to the dirt road which would be her stop. She recognized it and signaled for the bus to stop. She wanted to do a victory run with arms aloft straight to the cottage. All her doubts earlier were for nothing. Today was a win for her, she believed.

  She passed the oak copse and added a notch to her victory. Lennie’s car was still not there. She could actually get away with today’s excursion, Finn smiled gleefully. The cottage was just a few feet away. The interior of the cabin was dark as she entered. She pulled the door shut behind her when a pair of arms grabbed her from behind and clamped a hand hard around her mouth.

  Chapter 7

  Finn clawed at the arm that had a viselike grip on her mouth. Her heart beat like a jackhammer. It dawned on her that Saldana’s henchman discovered where she had been hiding. She knew what was going to happen next. She was terrified even as she struggled to free herself. She wasn’t going down without a fight.

  “Stop squirming, it’s me,” said a familiar voice. She sagged with relief.

  “Lennie?” she said hoarsely as he removed his hand. “You scared the shit out of me.”

  He placed a finger to his mouth and moved furtively to the window. He craned his neck before moving on to another. Finn realized he was checking if there was someone outside the cottage.

  “I wasn’t followed,” she whispered.

  Lennie, satisfied that there was no one outside, approached her. “Where the fuck have you been?”

  His voice was deadly calm but his entire body was wound up like a coiled spring. It was then Finn realized Lennie was furious. He looked like a venomous snake ready to strike. His eyes were blazing fire pits and a vein throbbed on his temple.

  “I-I went to my apartment, “she confessed. “I realized today was the last day for my thesis submission.”

  He looked at her coldly, not saying a word. If looks could kill, she would have been dead by now.

  “I was really careful,” Finn added, hoping to lessen his anger.

  He snorted sarcastically. “Do you have any idea what you just did? You not only put yourself in danger but you almost threw away days of costly work. Are you so stupid as to think that someone like Victor Saldana will just sit on his goddamn ass and willingly submit himself? The man has eyes and ears everywhere. Half the police force is in his pocket.”

  “I-I’m sorry, I guess I wasn’t thinking,” Finn apologized. Her derring-do earlier suddenly felt juvenile. But it was Lennie’s fury that disturbed her. He paced like a caged lion mouthing invectives.

  Finn didn’t know what to feel. Between the lofty triumphs of the earlier expedition to the incensed Lennie, she probably made a bad decision. He was concerned about her safety after all. She wasn’t aware of everything he did, but he must have gone beyond what was normally required of him. She felt really bad…and guilty too. She wanted to restore the camaraderie between them to that moment in time before she decided on the foolish trip to the apartment.

  A strong impulse overcame her. She didn’t even think about the repercussions or even if it was the right thing to do. When he came near enough to her she suddenly jumped into his arms and kissed him.

  Lennie was taken by surprise and was rooted to the spot. His body tensed as the invectives died down.

  Finn really just wanted him to return to the normal Lennie, the funny Lennie who shared stories and laughed at her silly jokes. She was unprepared for the searing hotness that was his lips or the sudden leap of desire that engulfed her.

  “Fuck you, Lennie.” She whispered against his mouth.

  Everything escalated from there. He grabbed her waist and drew her close, so close she felt the hardness that blossomed between his legs. The anger that consumed him earlier was gone, replaced by something else. Finn recognized a yearning that matched her own.

  “Finn, I-we shouldn’t…”Lennie hesitated.

  “Shhh…” Finn shushed decisively, reaching for his pants as she began to unzip him.

  Lennie groaned against her neck, the sound tickling her skin. Then he pulled roughly at the front of her shirt, tearing her blouse in two. He reached around her back and unsnapped her bra before disposing of it completely. She stood half naked before him as he cupped her breasts and explored the unfamiliar slopes of her mounds. He bent down and took her pink nipples between his lips.

  Finn threw her head back as a spark traveled between her legs. The feel of his lips caressing and sucking her nipples started a spasm that threatened to come apart. It was as if all the angst and worries since the shooting, up until she arrived and found him so angry, all these pent-up emotions begged for release.

  Finn felt Lennie’s hand feverishly remove the rest of her clothing even as she did the same for him. Completely naked now, Lennie pulled her away from the living room and into the bedroom. He placed her on the bed as Finn stole a glance at him. His lids were hooded and his nostrils flared. His eyes burned with a brightness that wasn’t there before

  He spread her legs apart and straddled her. Finn was consumed by an urgency to be conquered even as another side of her wished him to explore everything there was to her. She grabbed hold of his cock and guided him to her opening. She was slick as he cautiously thrust into her, slowly at first. Then he thrust again, this time throwing all caution to the wind.

  Finn felt the heat in her belly start to grow and spread in all directions. Lennie grunted as he lurched, consumed by his own passion. The intensity of his thrusts grew increasingly until it was like a wildfire that devoured them both.

  Finn heard Lennie as his grunts turned more primal. She felt his back arch ready to explode. Then with a growl that resonated across the room, he jerked convulsively as his orgasm came. Finn felt the entire weight of his body on hers as he slumped and pinned her down to the bed.

  Finn was on her tummy hugging a pillow against her head. The ginger tresses formed a curtain around her face. The mattress bounced as Lennie joined her on the bed.

  “Are you asleep,” he whispered drawing her hair away and tucking them behind her ears.

  “No,” Finn replied, feeling a shyness engulf her.

  “Are you mad at me?” He asked.

  “No of course not,” Finn replied, wondering why he would think so.

  “I don’t normally come that fast,” he confessed with an embarrassed laughter. “It’s just that
I’ve been exercising control these past days and it’s been building inside me. I didn’t want you to think that I was taking advantage of your situation.”

  A secret smile curved on her lips. It wasn’t just her after all, she thought. She felt him drape his body on top of her as his arms snaked its way around her waist.

  “Me too,” Finn admitted.

  He kissed the side of her neck and playfully bit into her shoulder. Finn felt his hand move down from her waist and past her belly. It came to a stop just above her vagina. His other arm moved upward and cupped her breast. Finn arched her back and moaned softly as his fingers began to caress her hardened nipples. Her hips undulated softly as she felt his fingers below find her clit and slowly stroked her. His thumb rubbed her sweet spot until she felt her juices start to flow. His fingers caressed her sensitive nub until a sweet burn started in her belly.

  “Go down on me,” Finn moaned hoarsely.

  Lennie turned her around onto her back and shimmied his way between her thighs. He spread her legs wide as Finn closed her eyes. An unexpected longing to feel his touch at the very core of her being filled her. His fingers ceased their unrelenting torture as he allowed his tongue to take over. He pressed it softly against her clitoris before giving in to her erotic fantasies.

  He drove his tongue deep inside her as Finn’s body shuddered. Liquid fire blasted through her from the tip of her head down to the soles of her feet. Her toes stretched liked a ballerina’s in complete contrast to the guttural moans that escaped her lips.

  He thrust two fingers inside her searching for that pleasurable spot that turned her moans into a high-pitched wail of pure delight. Finn felt her body shudder, followed by a torpid weakness that made her feel disembodied. The sounds that emanated from her lips were intense, unrefined. She knew she was climbing the abyss of her orgasm.

  She grabbed his hair in an effort to make him stop his delicious torture. She wanted him inside her when she came. She knew she could hold on until his time was near.

  “I want you inside me when I come,” Finn moaned.

  Lennie pulled her close and entered her slowly. Then, with ever increasing speed, he thrust deeply, repeatedly, savoring every inch of muscle in her vagina. Finn offered no resistance as she lifted her hips to give him deeper access. She met his every thrust relishing the familiar sensation of Lennie filling her completely.

  “I’m almost there,” Lennie remarked.

  “Me too,” Finn retorted. The heat between her legs had reached its boiling point as she felt the first stirrings of her own orgasm.

  He leaned over pushing her down on the bed as his tortured breathing reached her ears. Then with a loud grunt followed by a giant shudder, he released his cum inside her. He twitched in a delicious way as he burrowed deeper inside her, emptying himself of all the pent-up sensations that had tortured him for days.

  With a contented sigh, Finn allowed her orgasm to find its own release. Her hair tumbled wildly around her head as her eyes glowed. She held Lennie tightly until his body stopped twitching, buried deep inside of her, before he flopped, exhausted and fulfilled, on top of her again.

  Chapter 8

  Finn never remembered being this contented in the past. The small hunting cottage in the woods was an idyllic world she shared with Lennie. He was everything she ever hoped for in a lover-kind, considerate, always in tun to her needs. She discovered facets to personality she never knew existed. Lennie taught her how to hold a gun, aim, and shoot. He taught her how to dismantle with the safety off and put it back together.

  He laughed at her futile attempts to cook, saying it was the best meal he ever tasted. Finn noticed though that he took over that chore completely since the meal. He praised her jewelry creations that now filled a small box. He understood why she wanted to set up her own shop. Her creations were unique and beautiful, he said.

  Finn spent her days watching reruns on TV and making her jewelry. She only lived for that moment when Lennie would announce his presence by knocking on the door. It was their nights together that compensated for her tedious days. She’d wake up wrapped in his arms. It thrilled her how hesitant he always appeared each time he had to leave for work each morning.

  Finn never held an ideal for a life partner until he came along. She kept it to herself because they never talked about the future. Finn was happy to accept whatever the present offered.

  Her reckless sojourn was never repeated. Lennie made her promise even as he informed her about the case they were preparing against Victor Saldana. Inside sources have noted an increase in the search for the “witness.” It appeared that Saldana was now panicking and therefore more dangerous.

  That was the reason Finn didn’t spot his car in the copse that day she went to the city. Lennie found another spot. He wanted to avoid feeling smug over a humdrum routine like where he parked his car.

  Thankfully that didn’t extend to their lovemaking. He was always eager to get it going. Finn wondered where he got the stamina. She was always left feeling so deliciously tired and slept through the night.

  Common sense dictated that what they shared wasn’t the norm. Hiding for the rest of her life wasn’t something she even considered. With Lennie, there were days that felt acceptable somehow.

  But that wasn’t always the case. Cabin fever would set in and she would long for the day to end so he would arrive and she would have some company. That was her particular situation today.

  The bracelet she was making just didn’t turn out the way she wanted it. She took it apart and started over. She hunched over it for what seemed like hours before she held it to the light to inspect her handiwork.

  “Nope,” she muttered with mounting frustration. She tossed it back to the table where it landed heavily and came apart. “No,” Finn wailed as she gathered the beads that began to roll away. She managed to gather some which she dumped it into the box. The container flipped and fell to floor scattering the bead all around.

  That was it. Her anger surfaced and she kicked the box and sent it flying across the room. Tears sprung to her eyes uninvited and she found herself bawling for no reason. She was still in that state when Lennie knocked at the door.

  “What happened,” he asked, noticing the mess in the living room.

  Finn wiped away her tears feeling a little foolish.

  “Nothing,” she replied, “I couldn’t get the bracelet the way I wanted it.”

  “So, you decided to teach it a lesson by kicking it halfway across the room?” Lennie teased.

  His teasing felt condescending bringing her frustration to the core.

  “Easy for you to say. You are with people the rest of the day and get to fuck me when you finally decide its time to come home.” Finn retorted crossly.

  Lennie was taken aback. “Hey, I didn’t mean…”

  “Of course, you did,” Finn insisted before bursting into tears. She knew she was being unreasonable.

  Lennie reached out but Finn avoided his touch and headed for the bedroom. She flopped onto the bed and resumed crying. She heard him enter the bedroom and sat down on the mattress, caressing her back as she heaved.

  After a few minutes, her sobs died down. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me,” she apologized.

  Lennie smiled and reached for her hand. “Come,” he said.

  Finn wondered where they were going as Lennie grabbed a blanket and a flashlight. They headed out the door and into the twilight. Lennie led her down a footpath that was carpeted with dried leaves. The path was tangled with thick tree roots.

  “Watch your step,” he warned, holding her hand for support.

  The dying sun sent golden rays that shined through the tree foliage. It was a gentle incline although It swerved back and forth leading them further into the woods. Twists of vibrant green ivy lined the narrow path. Huge trees arched over them providing a bower that led uphill.

  They must have walked a long way before the trees thinned out and revealed an open valley. The ragg
ed edges of the Adirondacks sprawled into the distance, verdant and mighty. Lennie spread out the blanket on the grass. Finn sat down with Lennie beside her.

  Suddenly, just as total darkness fell, she saw a sliver of moonlight peeping between the mountain edges. Its silvery glow shone like water bathing the mountains as it took command of the sky. Then it decided to hang there for Finn to admire its beauty.

  Finn looked at it speechless. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever witnessed.

  She looked at Lennie who was gazing at the scene before them. He remembered how much she loved the moon, she thought. “Thank you for showing me this,” she whispered.

  Lennie turned his gaze to her and smiled. “Give me another 24-hours Finn and I promise you can watch the moon the next time it rises.”

  Finn nodded. It didn’t matter anymore. She knew that he would keep her safe until that next time came around.

  He took her hand and brought it to his lips. It was the words that came tumbling out from his mouth that left her breathless.

  “I love you, Finn,” Lennie confessed.

  She was shocked because it was so unexpected. But everything around her-the moonlight, the silhouette of the trees in the distance, Lennie looking at her like she was precious-everything felt right and made for that moment.

  “I love you too, Lennie.” She whispered back.

  Lennie cradled her in his arms, her head resting on his shoulders, as they snuggled on the blanket. They spent the whole night entwined in each other’s arms, up there among the stars with the moon bearing witness to a script that was tailor-made for them alone.

  Chapter 9

  “Finn I’m going,” Lennie said as he grabbed his gun and tucked it behind his back pocket.

  Finn wanted to sulk, throw a tantrum, like a kid whose lollipop was taken away. They came down from the woods at the break of dawn after spending the whole night just gazing at the moon. It was the most unforgettable experience she ever had.