Caught In Flames

by Natalia Banks

  “I’ll pay for everything,” I say, unwilling to let it be a burden to her .

  “We’ll talk about it later,” she says, and something in the way she says it destroys me. I want her. I want her alone, and I want her now .

  “Should I go muck out Dreamer’s stall?” Olivia asks, but Emma shakes her head .

  “I took care of it. You’re welcome to ride her, so long as you’re careful.” Emma watches Olivia, but her eyes flick to me .

  Olivia seems unsure. “By myself ?”

  “I trust you,” Emma says, and Olivia positively swells with pride. “Make sure you wear your hard hat,” she says as Olivia races toward the barn .

  “I will,” Olivia shouts back before slipping into the barn .

  Words flood form Emma’s lips. “I’m sorry if that was --”

  But I pull her into a kiss. She melts, her whole body mine as I slowly enjoy her. My tongue explores her full lower lip and she moans a sound of pure joy. I want her. But not just for now. I want her for as long as she’ll put up with me. How could anyone be so perfect, so in tune with Olivia, so wonderful a human being to take something so valuable and give it to someone who needed it ?

  Hell, I hadn’t known she needed it, but now it seems natural for Olivia to have her own horse. A horse named Warrior for my little warrior. Perfect .

  How can I not love this woman ?

  “T his is perfect,” Emma says, looking around. For our date, I’d decided to have a throwback to our first encounter. A picnic. With wine, grapes, cheese, and some sweet and savory snacks. On the same blanket we’d slept under the stars on that night .

  I’d even made sure to use the same spot. In my dreams, I remember the sound of the wind in the trees and the water flowing that first time I’d tasted the perfection that is Emma .

  “You’re perfect,” I say, kissing the tip of her nose .

  “That’s just silly,” she murmurs as I place another kiss on her lips .

  As the sky begins to fade to a brilliant orange and pink, I kiss her again, deeper this time. She responds, and I pull back. There will be plenty of time for all of that. I pour her a glass of wine and she takes it with a smile .

  “Tell me about your dad,” I say, and she nods, her smile dimming, then shining brighter .

  “He always talked to the horses. Like Olivia does, now.” Her eyes focus on something beyond us, and I find myself ready to listen. Really listen. I want to know what made Emma such an amazing person. I want every detail. Every tidbit she’s willing to share. I want all of her, her heart, her body, her soul .

  But mostly, I want to know her .

  “He was such a good man. He stepped up and took care of me even after my mother died. I think he just wanted to be done after she passed,” She says, and I feel my heart ache for her. “But he held on for me .”

  She sips her wine and I follow suit, waiting for her to tell me more .

  Waiting for her to tell me everything .

  Epilogue

  Emma

  I ’m not trying to be the woman they lost. I don’t want to take Olivia’s mother’s place. I’m here as her step mom. A sweet step mom. One she can some to, one she knows loves her .

  And it’s hard sometimes .

  Kieran isn’t perfect. Sometimes, he’s a downright dick. But he’s getting better. Day by day, he seems to be relaxing. His walls are coming down, and he talks to me. Really talks to me .

  With a sigh, I hear him come in the door. Olivia is with Sandy at his house, and I’m here at mine, waiting for him. He said we had something important to talk about, and I’m hoping it’s not just a set up for him to ask me to marry him .

  I’m not ready .

  He’s not ready .

  Olivia is ready, but she’s a child; she doesn’t understand everything that goes into this .

  “I’m in here,” I call, but he’s behind me, his lips on my neck. And that familiar heat flares up in me, that excitement that only he can bring me .

  “Come sit down,” he says, and I turn to face him, seeing both the primal lust in his eyes and a worry I’m nervous about .

  We sit, side by side on the couch, and she takes some papers out of a bag he’d left. “I did something that might make you mad,” he says, studying me with those penetrating eyes. But I listen, not willing to jump to anger without hearing the reason .

  I’ve learned that Kieran doesn’t generally act without reason. So I’m willing to hear him out before losing my temper .

  “I hired a bodyguard and PI to watch your house,” he says, and I find myself warming up. It’ll take a damn good reason to keep this from getting ugly. “Have you seen a dark car on the driveway late at night?” he asks, and I startle .

  “I did once,” I say, the info coming back to me. I rattle off the plate number and I see genuine appreciation in his eyes .

  “Smart girl,” he says, before looking at the paper in his hands. “I’m sorry I brought this to your doorstep.” He hands me the paperwork .

  On the page is information about a woman, but the picture draws me in. She’s aging, but in a way that leaves me certain she was beautiful once. I glance at the name. Camila Knight .

  “Who is she?” I ask, looking at him form the facts on the page .

  “My ex.” He’s quiet, and the honesty is astounding .

  “Why is she here?” I ask, confused .

  “I think she’s trying to learn as much about me as she can. And that means learning about the people in my life.” He runs the back of his index finger down my cheek and I shiver .

  “So what do we do?” I ask, unsure of what to do now .

  “I’m talking with a lawyer. I understand if this makes you want to walk away from us,” he says, and my heart fractures. I grab his face in my hands, loving the dark stubble on my pale skin .

  “Never,” I whisper, and kiss his lips .

  He breathes a sigh of relief against my damp lips, and I shiver again. “I love you, Kieran Knight,” I say, and I feel him stiffen at the words .

  I love you too,” he says, giving me a quick kiss after the words as I release him. “You’re going to have to meet my family .”

  “You don’t have to worry about that,” I say it as a joke, but it’s flat. Joking about not having a family is still a bit too painful. But his smile is full of understanding. “Let’s fix it,” I say, and there’s a flash behind his eyes I can’t quite decode .

  “Let’s fix your relationship with your family. I never got a chance to tell dad I was sorry. You have that chance. They’re alive. Don’t waste it.” The words come from the heart, and I see him considering .

  “I love you, Emma Astor,” he says, kissing my lips again. “Olivia loves you. You’re our whole world .”

  “You were doing just fine before I came along,” I tease .

  “We were hanging on by a thread. You and this farm saved us.” He presses his forehead against mine and rubs the tip of our noses together .

  “It’s a ranch,” I say, my tone teasing .

  “God, I love you, woman,” he says, kissing me again. “But I’m serious. You brought us back from the brink of disaster. Thank you .”

  “No,” I tell him, thinking about how lost I’d been before Olivia came into my life, talking to the horses like dad had done. Having her around reminded me of him, but also made me realize I could go on without him. “You guys saved me. I was drowning without dad. Olivia told me it’s okay to cry, and you forced me to fight and realize what this place means to me .”

  Kieran lifts his fist and presses it to his chest. With a quick double tap, he gives me a quick kiss. “You’re a warrior,” he whispers, and I bring my fist to my chest .

  “Still beating,” I whisper, and his face lights up with his smile as he kisses me again .

  No matter what comes next, I’ll be okay. I made it through losing dad. I made it through almost losing my ranch. I made it through giving away my heart. I can only hope Kieran Knight will take good c
are of it, and will love me back as much as I love him .

  THE END

  Unbridled Pursuit: Knight Brothers Series

  Part 2

  Part II

  Copyright

  C opyright © 2017 by Natalia Banks

  All rights reserved .

  N o part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review .

  N OTE: This is a work of fiction, names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to real life is coincidental. All characters in the story are 18 years of age or older. Intended reading audience 18 +

  Chapter 1

  Victoria

  T oday can’t get any worse .

  Outside the grocery store in some town I didn’t even get the name of, I’ve sat down on the bench to catch my breath. I shouldn’t have left Sentinel in the truck, but I’m so sick and tired of all the whispers about my service dog .

  He’s so well behaved, but unless you look like death’s doorstep, people judge .

  From the bench I can see the truck. I’ve left the windows open about halfway for Sentinel, just so he can breathe, though the air here isn’t as warm as California was. It’s almost chilly. And so very green .

  Maybe I can get far enough away from everything to finally feel safe. Maybe the past won’t catch up to me here. Maybe I’ve finally made a clean break and I’ll be able to start over fresh. Just Sentinel and I .

  I glance over at the truck. Sentinel is watching me, his huge dark ears perked forward as he studies me. There was a time when I was sure that this little German Shepard puppy would grow into too big of a dog for me, but he’s such a gentle, loving creature I can’t imagine life without him .

  Okay. I’ve got this. I didn’t park far and I can handle this. After some lunch I should feel less faint. It’s a toss-up, though, sometimes eating makes me so tired I can’t keep my eyes open. Not a good thing when you’re driving .

  I stand up and feel the sensation of falling as my blood pressure fluctuates. Damn it. I am not going to faint right here outside this grocery store in an unfamiliar city in an unfamiliar state without my service dog at my side .

  I sit back down and put my head between my knees as panic settles into my bones like fire. The slow burn roars throughout my body as liquid fear courses through my veins. I can’t do this. Not here. Not alone .

  And I hear him. Sentinel is barking, crying out as the world blurs into patchy green moss overtaking the pale concrete under my feet .

  Breathe .

  I take a deep breath as my dog continues to bark and cry. I want to tell him I’m okay. That I’ll be back in a second. That everything will be okay .

  Except it won’t .

  Nothing is ever okay .

  Breathe .

  “Miss, are you okay ?”

  I shake my head at the stranger, who I can only see as the one wearing some leather loafers. I bet it’s an older man, some kindly old gentleman from another generation when it was okay to talk to people .

  Someone should let him know that this is the twenty first century and nobody cares about other people anymore .

  “Should I call an ambulance?” he asks, and I shake my head, struggling to lift it to actually look at this person. His watery blue eyes are kind, and the shock of white hair on his head give me the satisfaction that I was right .

  “I’m okay,” I gasp the words out, struggling to pull in a deep breath .

  Breathe .

  “Thank you,” I say, a bit more power behind the words .

  He nods, looking unconvinced, but he moves right along into the store. And I breathe a sigh of relief. And I catch sight of Sentinel. He’s dancing back and forth in the window, tossing his head back to howl at me like I can’t hear him .

  “I’m okay,” I whisper, feeling my lips tingle like I’ve had a ribbon wrapped too tight around my throat for too long. “I’m okay .”

  But he can’t hear me .

  And he sticks his head out the window as I watch on, worried about him. There’s no way he can fit through that narrow opening. He’s a huge dog. The window is open half way at most. And that fall will hurt him .

  I shake my head at him, as if that’ll be enough to stop him. “No, Sentinel,” I say, my voice little more than a sigh as I fight back a nauseating wave of panic. I feel like I’m teetering on the edge of some fishing boat as the ocean plays tsunami. Part of me wants to barf, part of me is afraid for my life, but most of me wants to be free of all of it .

  With a loud yelp, Sentinel manages to wiggle his whole body free of the window. He lands on his feet, the shock of impact coaxing another yelp from him .

  He races toward me .

  Out of the corner of my eyes, I see the little car. It’s a brilliant yellow, like a bee. And it feels like the whole world is slowing down. Sentinel races toward me, not seeing the danger bearing down on him. He’s focused on me .

  The car suddenly sees him and I hear the squeal of bad breaks .

  Sentinel suddenly seems to notice the danger, but he’s still focused on me as if he can save me with a look alone .

  The crack of the car slamming into him reverberates through my whole being as my blood runs cold with horror .

  “Sentinel!” I shriek as he hits the ground and the car whips off. I rush to him, feeling the agony of loss flooding my being. I’ve lost so much. I can’t lose him too .

  “I can’t live without you,” I whisper as he lifts his great head and perks his ears forward, listening to my voice. “Sentinel,” I say, holding onto him as my whole world crashes and burns .

  He whimpers, the little whine breaking my heart. He’s hurting. He’s in pain. And I have no way to help him .

  And my dad’s voice filters back into my mind. I’ll kill the fucking mutt .

  “I love you, Sentinel,” I tell him as his ears swivel. I’m vaguely aware of people, but it feels like they’re all standing and staring, or are merely going about their business as usual. I want to scream at them. How are they so calm and normal while my whole world is falling apart ?

  Chapter 2

  Kyle

  I t’s been a long day. The bright side was going out to Emma’s place to vaccinate my niece’s horse. My brother, Kieran, had been out. But Olivia, my niece, had been thrilled to see me. And it was good to see her and Emma getting along so well .

  While I’d had a soft spot for Emma since way back before her father passed away, I’d always thought I’d have more time to woo her. I thought I’d give her space while she dealt with her grief while also offering her a shoulder to cry on, a friend to talk to, a rock to keep her grounded .

  But I guess I’d had stronger feelings for her than she’d had for me .

  And once my bastard brother Kieran came on the scene, he’d managed to weasel, lie, cheat, and steal his way into her heart, home, and bed. But it’s good for Olivia. She’s got a good mom figure now, and it’s obvious the two get along like a house on fire .

  The way Olivia lights up when she talks about her horse, Warrior, is adorable. She’s going to train him herself, and I’m watching his temperament to decide when to geld him. The little lady doesn’t need some high-strung stallion jerking her around .

  I pull into the little locally owned market, noticing that the overflow from the farmer’s market found its way here. Perfect. My mother would be proud if she knew how much her words about eating right stuck in my mind .

  Thinking about her, I decide to call her later on tonight. All the thoughts of Kieran often leave me wanting to clutch family close. Getting out of my car, I head into the store, hearing the chirp of my car alarm setting .

  A few spaces down, I see a beautiful German Shepard watching something. He’s proud and tall, his ears perked as if intent on something I can’t see. His windows are down
about halfway and I suck in a breath at the owner’s daring. It rains on a whim here, so the thought that someone would let the inside of their car get drenched surprises me .

  That’s someone dedicated to their animal right there .

  “Good boy,” I murmur to him. He doesn’t so much look at me. He’s still as a statue, watching the store still and something nags at me. But I head into the store. Not my business. I don’t need some hot headed asshole yelling at me for fucking with their dog .

  At the doors of the market, I grab a basket .

  I move from spot to spot, gathering fresh vegetables – red cabbage, leeks, water chestnuts, and other fixings for a homemade stir fry. I can’t pass up some beautiful strawberries, and grab another bunch of bananas .

  I’m ready to leave in record time. As I round a corner, a pretty girl floats into my field of vision. Her medium skin is oddly pale, and there’s a sheen of sweat on her forehead. She bumps into me as if she hadn’t seen me standing there .

  “Sorry,” she mumbles as I grab her and keep her on her feet .

  “Watch where you’re going,” I say, and her shocked brown eyes meet mine. With my hands on her arms, I feel her trembling. Her wide brown eyes leave my face and she stares at the floor while I release her arms .

  In her hands she’s got some crappy store made sandwich and I want to tell her it’ll be dry and stale. Don’t people know how bad that crap is for them? We get one god damned body, fucking respect it, people .

  But she still stands close to me, which feels awkward. I notice the soft waves of her light brown hair. It’s almost blond, but not quite, and looks natural. And her scent, something slightly sweet, tickles my nose .

  “I, uh, don’t usually come in here without my service dog,” she says, her voice breaking over the words. I sense she’s feeling embarrassed, but it’s none of my damn business .