Rekindle The Flames (The Men of CLE-FD Book 4)

by Toye Lawson Brown

  “We’re not arguing; just having a difference of opinion. But, if you want to come with me, just say so. I’ll take excellent care of you, Megan. You’ll have people to wait on you hand and foot so you can relax and get better. Just say the word, Megan and I’ll take you with me.”

  His shifty eyes didn’t sit well with Megan. This wasn’t the same man she knew. He was different and that caused her to feel uneasy with him. She shook her head slowly. “Apparently, I’m married. I can’t go anywhere with you.”

  He whispered in her ear and out of earshot of James whose was on the phone. “Your father is lying to you in order to stop our plans to be together. You’re divorced, sweetheart and we’re supposed to get married. I’ll call you in a couple of days to see if you’ve changed your mind.”

  Left speechless, she let Emin’s stretched out arms envelope her in an embrace. Her body went limp but not with desire. Something wasn’t right. If Emin was supposed to be her man, where was the rush of flutters that she got when Ryan hugged her? She never had an emotional attachment to Emin that way. They were close, but brother-sister close; not ‘I want to see you naked’ close. That much she did remember.

  With the current heatwave and the sudden tension surrounding her, Megan felt dizzy and closed her eyes waiting for the wave to pass. She noticed with each dizzy spell a bit of her memory returned. She couldn’t wait to see what chapter of her life returned with this one. Most likely it would involve Emin. Squeezing her fist tight, she pounded on the arm of the rocking chair praying it wouldn’t be true that they were together. Ryan stayed on her mind too often. There had to be some truth to what he was saying about them being in love.

  “Dad,” Megan shouted.

  James snapped his head around and went to her. “What is it, Megan? Did you remember something?”

  Sweat beaded on her forehead. “Please call Ryan for me.”

  “Honey, I can’t, he’s at the firehouse working today, remember?”

  “I don’t care if he is working. I need to speak to him today…now!” She was shaking and couldn’t explain why.

  “Megan, I will call him first thing in the morning for you when he is off work. He’s a firefighter and can’t drop what he is doing to run over here.”

  Her heart dropped. “I need to hear his voice.”

  James removed a cell phone from his pocket. “I was going to give this to you later but here.”

  “Dad, you got me a new cell phone? Thank you.”

  “I put the numbers of the two women you work with at the hospital so that you can call them instead of waiting for me or Iona to call for you. I also put Ryan’s number in there for you. Just wait until his shift is over before you call him.” He patted her on the knee. “Since you don’t want to hang with me, I’ll take you to your room so you can rest. If you need anything make sure to ask your nurse.”

  “I will. Um, where did Mom go? Did you send her away after that little powwow was over? Emin left suddenly, and now Mom is gone…what was that about anyhow?”

  James frowned. “I didn’t send her anywhere; I assume she is in the house. Megan, did Emin say anything to you before he left?”

  She nodded. “He mumbled something I didn’t understand.”

  His voice deepened. “Tell me what he said.”

  “I have a headache. I think I will go lie down for a while,” she said avoiding her father’s question. It was getting hard to believe anything anyone was saying to her. Her father seemed to be the only person willing to tell her anything, but now she had to question his loyalty. Was there anyone she could turn to? There had to be one person that could shed light on her relationship with Ryan and Emin. She needed the help of someone not in her immediate family.

  James returned outside after he helped Megan get to bed. He heard Iona on the phone arguing. No doubt she was arguing with Emin. He waited for her to hang up and approached her. His voice was dark and uncaring. “You have really got yourself into deep shit this time. How are you going to get out of it, Iona?”

  “Emin will have me killed if he doesn’t get his money, James. I’m asking you for one last favor as the mother of your children.”

  “If that supposed to move me, it doesn’t.” He stuck a piece of gum in his mouth. He chewed a lot of gum since he gave up smoking. “I got what I wanted, you out of my life and I retained all my possessions. You were so sure that Megan would marry Emin that you didn’t bother to read what you were signing. How does it feel to be penniless, Iona.”

  She raised a perfectly arched eyebrow refusing to show fear. “We can both benefit, James. Megan doesn’t have to stay in the marriage. She’ll marry Emin and when her memory returns she can divorce him. I would have kept my word to him and in return I get to save my life.”

  “How does any of that benefit me?” He asked glaring at her.

  “I won’t reveal your side deals, James. I’m sure the FBI would be interested to know what goes on behind closed doors at your office.”

  He shook his head and laughed. “You’re worried about Emin—you should be worried about me taking you out.” He put his hand around her slender neck. “We’re only in this house together for Megan’s sake. Once this is over, baby, you better run. So far away that you don’t speak the language.” James released Iona and walked off the deck.

  Iona rubbed her neck watching him get in his car and drive off. She knew James didn’t make petty threats. He was a man that followed through with everything he said.

  Chapter Twenty

  Three Days Later

  It was a beautiful day in the park as Megan basked in the sun’s warm rays. She and Gabrielle sat near the water fountain to wait for Ryan’s arrival. She recalled sitting in the park for hours waiting for the man with the big dog to arrive just to get a glimpse of him. She still found it hard to believe she’d married that man and doesn’t remember it.

  “So are you nervous?” Gabrielle asked.

  Megan inched her sunglasses up on her nose. “My palms are sweating. What if he doesn’t go for the idea, Gabrielle?”

  “What makes you think he won’t? Look, Megan, I’m not trying to get in your business, but since you called me for help, I feel I’m entitled to offer a little advice.”

  “Please do. It’s not like I’m getting any useful advice from the people living in the house with me. I swear it’s like a game of tug-of-war to get answers from them.”

  Gabrielle crossed her legs and said, “I’m sure they’re doing it so you won’t get overwhelmed with too much at one time. Anyhow, my advice, however, is simple. Just be honest with Ryan. He talks to Jon and me, and he’s hurt that you’ve pushed him away. Geez, when he learned that Emin had been to visit you that did it for him. He is about ready to throw in the towel and give up on the marriage. If you aren’t sure that’s what you want, you’d better open your mouth and say so before it’s too late.”

  Megan played with the strap of her purse. “I know he’s getting annoyed with me. Lately, I’ve been able to hear it in his voice. Before I got another phone, I depended on Mom or Dad to call him for me. When my mother would call, he was either too busy to talk or didn’t want to be bothered. He flatly refused an invitation I’d asked her to extend to him to come over. Strangely, the next day when my dad made the call, we talked on the phone like nothing was wrong.”

  Gabrielle rolled her eyes. “Didn’t you find that odd considering what he’d told you in the hospital?”

  “I did at first. Then again, I had my mother talking in one ear and my father doing the same in the other ear; it left me confused on which one to believe. That’s why I called you. I figured you didn’t have any stakes in my marriage and would tell me the truth. You were the only person I had to turn to besides Pam. And based on her reactions to him, I somehow felt she would not have found any fault with him.”

  Gabrielle laughed. “Pam would be honest. Granted, you would’ve had to sit through all her colorful annotations, but she would not give you bad advice about Ryan.” />
  “Dad adores him and is pushing me in his direction while Mom talks down about him. She says we argued all the time, and I had left him once already. This stuff has my head swimming, Gabby.”

  “Alright, this has to stop.” Gabrielle turned sideways on the bench to face Megan. “I don’t mean to disrespect your mother, but she is lying to you. Megan, she is not going to help you and Ryan salvage your marriage. She has never liked him.”

  “Can you explain why? These are the answers I’m looking for and no one will tell me.”

  “It’s not my place to fill in those gaps, Megan, but there was a lot of stuff that happened in your marriage. However, Ryan has never laid a hand on you and has always respected you.”

  “Dad did say I put him through some stuff. Is that true?”

  “Yes, you’re stubborn but so is Ryan to an extent. But, that’s neither here nor there; it’s your mom causing the turmoil now. You need to listen to your father when it comes to Ryan. He is not lying to you. Iona has been plotting to ruin your marriage and is taking advantage of your memory loss to force that dirtbag Emin on you again.”

  Megan’s mouth dropped open. Her mind wandered to a conversation she and Emin had the other night. “That’s what he meant.”

  “What are you talking about? Do you remember something?”

  “Maybe. The other night Emin made a comment about my marriage was over, and we were in a relationship. I didn’t believe him. When he touched me, my skin actually crawled, Gabby.”

  Gabby placed a hand on Megan’s and spoke softly. “That’s because in your heart you know you love Ryan. Your mind might have misplaced him, but your heart hasn’t.”

  Megan took a deep breath. “There is truth in those words, Gabby; because I miss him. How can that be if I don’t remember him?”

  “The power of love is very persuasive. Follow your heart and everything else will fall into place.” Gabrielle looked in the distance. “Here comes Ryan. I’m going to leave you alone, but I won’t be far away in case you need me.”

  Megan’s nerves jumped when she saw Ryan approach from the distance. Her whole body tensed with every step he took. His sexual rawness made her horny. She had to slap down that idea since her body was not in any condition to handle sex. Anyhow, Ryan was a kind-hearted man that showed her pity and let her cry on his shoulder. Still she slobbered at the sight of him. He was tall, his skin tanned from the rays of the sun and his muscular body looked so delicious. She couldn’t help but stare as his frame paused in front of her.

  “I got word you wanted to see me.”

  His deep velvet voice melted into her center making contact with her core. The broad chest straining against the thin t-shirt didn’t help either. He had the sexy, make-your-panties-drop kind of body. Megan forced her head to stay up to meet his gaze. He grinned at her. Damn, that smile should be illegal. “Yes. Thank you for meeting me at the park. Where is your dog?”

  “My dog went missing years ago,” he said sitting next to her on the picnic bench. “So, what’s up? I was surprised when Gabby called to say you were ready to talk. I’m ready to listen whenever you want to start.”

  Words evaded her as her jaw flapped opened and shut but nothing came out.

  “Cat got your tongue or did you get shy all of a sudden?” he teased.

  “I-I—uh guess I don’t know how to say what is on my mind and not sound like I’m hitting on you.”

  “Are you hitting on me?” He flexed his eyebrows and laughed. “All kidding aside, I’m glad to hear from you. It’s been hell not seeing you these past few weeks.”

  “I invited you over and you refused.”

  “When did that happen?”

  “Come on, you remember perfectly. I had Mom invite you to a cookout. You refused to come.”

  “Megan, Iona did not invite me to anything. I only talked to you when Mr. Jones called, or you called yourself.”

  Her heart thumped hard against her chest. Gabby was right with her assessment about Iona. “Wow, she blatantly lied to me,” Megan grumbled.

  “What did you say?”

  She looked at him. His eyes held the same concern and affection she saw the day she woke up from her coma. “Never mind. Anyhow, what were we talking about?”

  “Talking on the phone…are you okay?” he asked taking hold of her hand.

  She smiled weakly. “Yes. And thank you for giving me the space to work things through, Ryan.”

  “I understand you needed the space. Except, I need to know where I stand with you now. You don’t remember me and I’m starting to think you don’t want to remember me. So, if this meeting is to tell me that and that you want a divorce, then I guess I have no choice but to give you what you want.”

  Okay, girly, put on your big-girl panties and do what you came to do—it is now or never. Once she figured out her life and what she wanted, her brain started to click—Gabrielle filled in the dark areas as best as she could. Facts showed she didn’t want Emin, and her father was not lying about Ryan loving her.

  Feeling exposed in her tank top and shorts, Megan wished she’d had put on something a little less see-through as Ryan stared at her. No matter how uncomfortable she felt, she resisted crossing her arms over her body to shield herself from his roaming eyes. His sexy smile remained as his gaze dipped to her chest. “Hello, is anybody home?” He asked brushing his hand against her thigh.

  As their fingertips brushed, Megan felt a spark of electricity. Every nerve ending in her body stood at attention, begging, screaming to be touched and caressed by this man. She moved her hand away.

  His face turned serious. “What did I do this time?”

  She crossed her legs to calm the tingling. She guessed even memory loss wasn’t strong enough to cancel out the sexual desires she had for the man she couldn’t remember. “You haven’t done anything, Ryan. I think I have it all figured out only it scares the crap out of me that I’m so intrigued by you, sexually.”

  He raised his brow. “Come again?”

  “I’m embarrassed to say that I have these urges burning inside of me for you but can’t remember a damn thing about you. I don’t remember what our life together as a married couple was like. Did we have a satisfying and healthy sex life?”

  “Baby, we weren’t perfect. We disagreed on things, but we would compromise to find a solution that worked for the both of us. But, when it came to the bedroom, we set the walls on fire. We’ve always had a sexual attraction for each other, and neither one of us ever went to sleep unsatisfied.”

  Megan looked over the rim of her sunglasses sighed inwardly. This might be where I’ll need Gabby to come rescue me. “So…um…do you think it’s possible we could try again? I know it will take a lot of effort on my part with all the gray areas still unanswered, but I’m willing to give it a go if you are?”

  Ryan folded his fingers together rolling his thumbs. “I’m curious what made you change your mind?”

  “I explained that?”

  “It can’t be because you’re horny, Megan. Sex will not cure your memory loss…although, it might,” he grinned changing his answer.

  “I knew this was a mistake. I’m sorry I wasted your time.” She started to stand up, and he stopped her.

  “I’m not against this, Megan. In fact, this is what I want. I miss having you with me. It’s not the same around the house when I come home from a long shift. I hate the quietness and not hearing you moving around.”

  The hard calluses on his hand felt rough on her skin. She wanted to pull her arm away but didn’t want to lose contact with his touch. “Really? Ryan, be sure you want this, and you’re not doing it because you feel sorry for me. I’m a big girl.”

  Ryan caressed her face with his finger. “You’re my wife, Megan. I’m more than sure I want you in my life.”

  Megan caught the drool before it fell from her mouth. Ryan did things to her, and she was thankful the dark glasses hid her eyes as they roamed over him. However, the way he was looking at her
made her feel he knew exactly what she was doing. Her mouth parted. “I need my memory to return now.”

  *****

  Ryan watched with bemusement as Megan delicately arched her brows. Her eyes did a sly flow over his body to rest on his crotch. He bit back a string of curses. “Maybe this will help bring back a memory or two.” He leaned forward, marveling at the way his body hummed when she swayed toward him. Before he could talk himself out of being cautious, he cupped her face with his hand and drew her to him. He knew there were a million reasons why he shouldn’t kiss her. Too bad he couldn't think of a single one to make him stop. His lips slid over hers, and he breathed in her scent. The remnants of her perfume made his blood simmer. When her tongue met his, he felt the jolts of electricity go straight to his groin. Groaning against her lips, he pulled her closer to him. She sighed and wound her arm around his neck cradling her arm in the sling between them. She molded her upper body against his.

  Ryan moved his hands to her waist, his thumbs traced a path at the hem of her tank top. She hitched in a breath. A voice in his head said to stop; she was hurt. His body wanted to shoot that voice. Groaning against her lips, he tried to bring his libido under control. He felt her draw back and lifted his head to look down at her. What the hell was wrong with him? This was not part of the plan. He had written it all out in his scheme to woo her back. He would wait for her to make the first move.

  He shook his head as he forced his hands into the back pockets of his jeans. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to do that.”

  “Don’t apologize. Isn’t that what you told me…never apologize for doing something I want just as badly as you? Look, Ryan, I know I don’t remember everything about us, but there is something in my heart that says we belong together.”

  “Yeah, we do, baby. What you and I have is special. Very intense and controlled, if I might add.” He threw that in hoping it would trigger the erotic nature of their lovemaking.

  She eyed him as she worked her bottom lip and let out a long sigh. “Why do I have a feeling I’m going to regret what I’m about to ask you?”