Smoke & Fire - Adult Paranormal Romance Series, Book #1

by Michele Wesley

  Mycale decided he wasn’t going to be a chicken when it came to his affections for Sori. In an attempt at manning up, he walked into the bathroom while she was in the shower. The scene stopped him in his tracks. The shower was completely see-through; except for a little fog on the glass, he saw nearly everything. She was such a wonderful wet and enticing vision he couldn’t move for a few seconds. If that wasn’t enough, she waved at him with a mischievous smile on her face.

  He felt weak-kneed, not because he was embarrassed, but he more than anything wanted to take off all of his clothes and hop in the shower with her. Rather than play Russian roulette with his life, he decided to take a rain check and walked back into the bedroom, where it was cooler.

  His confidence in his actions toward her had drastically improved, but everyone had their limits. There was also that nagging voice in his head that kept telling him, This isn’t real.

  Mycale had long ago lost his grip on what was true and pretend and could never read Sori well enough to figure out what she was truly thinking or feeling.

  It had been exhausting keeping up the charade that Sori didn’t ignite every part of him. Reaching a conclusion, he decided he was going to throw caution to the wind, go with the flow and deal with what was left of his heart later after the job was done. If there was one thing he was sure of, he had fallen head over heels the first night he had met Sori, and fighting it only seemed to increase his agony.

  * * *

  The following night, the Gonzaleses decided to have some friends over for a small get-together. The small get-together turned out to be a full-out fancy dress ball. Mycale and Sori had packed formal wear for the cruise event they hadn’t attended and were therefore prepared for the Gonzaleses’ get-together.

  Mycale lost his breath when Sori revealed herself to him. She wore a dress that was nothing short of breathtaking. The gown was a floor-length teal-green work of art with a corset seaming that accentuated the beautiful body she often hidden under tons of clothing. The gown seemed to take on a life of its own. It kissed, touched, accented, and clung to all the right places. Sori wore a pair of gold platform pumps that made her five-five frame look tall and exquisite. Her hair was just long enough to sweep up into an elegant and elaborate-looking series of twists and tucks that looked way too complicated for Mycale to understand.

  Sori noticed his approving eyes. She said, “You like my dress?”

  Mycale was definitely happy with what he saw and nodded his head in agreement, telling her she looked great when he wanted to say so much more. She complimented him on his appearance and attire and said exactly what she wanted to say. “You look good enough to eat.”

  Sori insisted Mycale walk out first so she could see if he looked as good from the back as he did from the front. She didn’t feel bad about objectifying him; he was eye candy to a woman like her, and she would be damned if she didn’t at least let her mind feast, since she wasn’t going to let her body feast on him.

  The Gonzaleses didn’t spare any expense. They had converted their large living room area and it rivaled any top-of-the-line, professionally decorated ballroom. There was a live band, a grand piano sat near the dance floor, and numerous servers in black suits ensuring the refreshments and drinks flowed freely. People were so drunk and full and having such a good time, some had to be helped to their seats. Someone lit the marijuana, and the overall laugh factor of the event intensified.

  Sori realized she was enjoying this assignment a lot more than she should have been, but given her circumstances and self-diagnosed condition, she had to siphon a little pleasure and happiness wherever she could get it. Spooning with death had a way of making a girl want to explore the perks in life.

  While they danced, Mycale’s hand rested low on her waist, and it took everything in her not to wiggle his hand down over her ass. He had a way of making her feel special, wanted, and even beautiful. It was all in the way he looked at her, watched her, and studied her when he thought she wasn’t looking.

  CHAPTER 17

  Emotional Outlets

  In the restroom preparing to shower, Sori was having a difficult time getting out of her dress. See, this is why I prefer not to wear this fancy shit. She finally gave up the struggle and called Mycale.

  His puzzled look entered the room before he did. “Yes, dear?”

  Faking a smile, she said, “I am embarrassed to ask this of you, but I need your help getting out of this damn thing. If it were mine, I would cut myself out of it, but it’s Laci’s. She wouldn’t let me leave unless I took something extravagant. I would hate to tell her I destroyed this dress that probably cost more than I make in a year.”

  The dress was designed so that the zipper was located under Sori right arm, along her side. The zipper was stuck, and she had twisted and pulled at it so that the zipper was now at her back. She turned, bending slightly so Mycale could get a look at it. “As much as she paid for this thing, it should have automatic, voice-activation zippers.”

  He replied, “You got a good point, but trust me, it’s worth every penny seeing you in it.” She didn’t know what to say and was glad she had her back to him. Lately, he seemed much more at ease and confident in his interactions with her. Quickly assessing the problem, he made several attempts at pulling the zipper down. He noted, “There’s a piece of what looks like nylon material caught in the zipper.”

  While he used one hand to try to unzip her, he inadvertently placed the other around her waist, then bent her further over the sink. The position was erotic, to say the least. She closed her eyes and took a quick breath, not at all prepared for his touch or the position he had so eloquently placed her in. His hands on her body had done something wicked to her mind, had her wide open. With just the right touch, he had unknowingly short circuited whatever power she used to switch off her emotions.

  She snapped back to reality, explaining, “I have to wear special material over my back because I have a lot of scar tissue back there.

  Peering closer, he said, “I don’t see any scars.”

  His warm breath dancing along her back jump-started her desire. She quickly reached for a pair of scissors and said, “Cut the material from the zipper.” She stared back at him. “When you cut the nylons, you’re going to see what I have been hiding. Some of it is scar tissue and some is a huge birth defect.”

  For the first time, Mycale could hear in her voice embarrassment about him seeing her imperfections.

  “I have scars too,” He reassured her.

  She turned away, her voice sounding as if she was slowly decreasing the volume. “I don’t let anyone see. My brothers, a few doctors, and now you.”

  Her letting him see something so obviously personal to her made him feel special.

  The material was so thin that the first cut literally made it shatter into hundreds of small rips that kept going like tiny dominos.

  Amazed, Mycale studied the material’s ability to camouflage itself like real human skin. “I’ve never seen material like this before. Where did you get this?”

  Turning slightly, she said, “Would you believe me if I told you I made it?”

  “You? Yes, I would definitely believe it,” He said without hesitation.

  She smiled at his confidence in her. “It’s a mixture of some things I pooled together and some things I pulled out of one of Dr. Willie’s and my brothers’ lab. It’s like makeup, but for damaged skin. You spray it on, it sticks to your skin, and once it’s dry, it adapts to your skin tone and turns into this super thin and sleek material that blends and molds like a layer of natural skin.”

  Completely amazed, he wondered what other science projects she’d conducted. “This is ingenious. Why is this not on the market?”

  She added, “It’s not entirely my invention, and it would murder the cosmetic industry. You know as well as I do there are many gadgets and improvements invented that will never h
it mass market—politics and economics.”

  The material continued to splinter. Once it stopped, he could now see some of the exposed scars not hidden by the dress. Slowly clearing the material away from the zipper, he slide the zipper down.

  Unzipping her slowly, he saw scars everywhere. She had a series of long gashes that looked like stenciled-on lash marks, a visible gunshot wound, and several areas where doctors had undoubtedly done surgical procedures. He probably should have been a gentleman, unzipped her, and left, but he was stuck staring at the mass of scars and unique marks along her back.

  Sori just stood there and let him get a good look. Grateful he didn’t react, she knew she was marked up worse than the bride of Frankenstein.

  He’s seen it. Wonder if he’s still attracted to me?

  Reaching to touch her back, he stopped himself mid-reach, balling up his fist. He couldn’t imagine the type of pain she had gone through.

  She spun, holding the unzipped dress across her chest. “Thanks.”

  He saw that it bothered her that he had seen, but he got the impression that she wanted him to see. He simply said, “You’re welcome.” His eyes held hers for a moment, saying what he couldn’t say out loud. It doesn’t matter to me.

  Mycale, in that short moment, had done his best to memorize every scar. It seemed her pains and struggles in life were all written out on her body like notes in a diary. He admired her more than he had before, appreciated her strength, and understood her reluctance to allow anyone into her world.

  She was, hands down, one of the bravest and strongest people he had ever met. There was one thing she had been wrong about though: what she saw as scars, he saw as uniqueness. She’d said she had a birth defect, but the long lash-looking marks didn’t look like any birth defect he’d ever seen. It looked more like the stenciling of a very large tattoo, with a uniqueness about it he didn’t understand.

  Later, once both had showered, the team talked strategy as they lay across the huge bed. They now had the ability to maneuver around the house undetected and took turns snooping for useful information.

  “Thanks for not overreacting at the sight of my back.”

  He said, “You’re welcome, but it’s not as bad as you think.”

  Surprised, she asked, “It’s not?”

  Looking into her eyes, he said, “No. I’ve seen much worse, and you carry yourself in a way that it doesn’t really matter. To me, it’s a part of what makes you special.”

  She wanted to wrap her arms around him but decided on a softly whispered thanks. He had a way with her that was engaging. As she thought about it, his ability to reach and reason with her might have also been the reason that only he had been able to emotionally reach into her. She had to figure out their connection because the last thing she needed was an emotional attachment to someone. Her brothers were plenty enough.

  Interrupting her thoughts, he asked, “What are you thinking about?”

  “Nothing,” She lied.

  He didn’t press. “Thanks for trusting me enough to let me see you.”

  She glanced up out of her thoughts and looked straight into his eyes, and what she saw both scared and excited her. “You’re welcome.”

  Mycale had to break eye contact lest she see right through him. He looked away quickly, fearing she’d see his true feelings. He hadn’t realized he’d touched her until his hand was sliding along the warmth of her back. Praying she wouldn’t reach down and slap him, he gently slid his hand up her back. Touching her calmed him like nothing else could.

  Sori found that in Mycale’s soft touch… That’s it! Not only can I absorb his rage, it overwhelms my ability to turn myself off to him. She believed she had finally figured it out. They were each other’s outlets. Where she soothed his rage, he kept her from shutting herself off. He kept her from becoming a mental mute. With him, she felt emotions like a normal person would. They were polar opposites in a way; his emotions were constantly on supercharge and hers could be turned completely off. The realization was another key to the mystery of their connection.

  Letting his touch soothe her like nothing else ever could, she closed her eyes as her body relaxed.

  Continuing to stroke her softly, he wanted to know how she had gotten every scar.

  She thought, this is crazy. Realizing with a shocking knowing, she found that he wasn’t just touching her; he gently traced along the lines of each of her scars, like he had committed them to memory.

  Slowly, he lifted the bottom of her T-shirt and slid his hand across her rough and tortured skin.

  Sori closed her eyes tighter as his touch sent indescribable sensations up her spine. There was a sensual vibe in the exchange that she had never experienced. When she felt his lips press lightly into her back, she took a deep breath. The soft press of his lips on her rough and damaged back burst her emotional control center wide open. His kisses stroked her, sending sensual aches of pleasure all over her body.

  When feelings tried to creep toward her heart, she froze, too scared to even breathe. His kisses felt so good she had to grip the sheets to keep from losing her carefully constructed control. It took every bit of self-control she had left to keep from turning over to return what she felt. The sobering realization of how desperately she wanted to react to Mycale, had Sori shaking.

  What is this man doing to me?

  Mycale slowly pulled her shirt back down and laid his head against her shoulder-blade. He kept his hand in the center of her back until he felt her fall asleep. He drifted to sleep accepting his feelings. I am so in love with her. I am in so much trouble.

  * * *

  The team put more of their plans into action the next day. What they found was nothing short of amazing. They found evidence that could have sent the Gonzaleses to jail for a very long time, but the team feared they needed a lot more to bring down the Truleta Cartel. They found indisputable evidence that linked the Gonzaleses to the infamous Cartel.

  The evidence had been well hidden. It was inside a safe that was locked inside a vault, which was hidden within a room that was hidden within the walls of the wine cellar.

  Mycale’s and Sori’s keen, investigative eyes and instincts helped them find the hidden room. The Gonzaleses’ workers probably didn’t have a clue the room existed. Sori found it odd that a small portion of the cellar’s back wall didn’t house some of the fine wines that were elegantly displayed throughout the rest of the area. She investigated the space and found that there was definitely a space behind the wall. It took her and Mycale two days to figure out how to get into the well-hidden room. It took an additional day to get into the vault.

  The team did most of their snooping at night, while everyone slept. They found the Gonzaleses had paperwork dating back more than eight years. It contained names, amounts, drop-off points and pickup locations; the amounts of money being cleaned and moved; and the types of product being moved. They had undoubtedly hit the jackpot, but the hardest part of the job hadn’t begun. They also found it odd that some of the trafficking was of people, but not for prostitution. The purpose, according to the paperwork, was research, which made the team wonder if the TC were using humans for some type of illegal research.

  Although the team had hit the information jackpot, they found that the organization was much larger than they anticipated. Taking down an organization of this magnitude would require several, if not all, law enforcement agencies. There were no other alternatives; this was too big an operation for one agency to handle.

  Sori and Mycale remained with the Gonzaleses for another week, gathering and sending information to MIA and her Top contact.

  She felt confident that her brothers would decipher more useful leads from the information, hopefully a lead that would send them straight to Padre.

  CHAPTER 18

  Body Buffet

  Sitting up in bed like they had been pulled up by strings
, they both jolted up with a start. They gave each other the look that said something wasn’t right. The fact that she had been lying atop his chest wasn’t lost among the other more pressing feelings riding her body. A chill so cold rode her body that it felt like the jagged edges of a thousand frozen blades slicing through her skin.

  Mycale whispered, “You feel that?”

  Sori inclined her head, got up, and started getting dressed. When a quick glance of her tempting looking ass in nothing but pink panties didn’t erase that iced-over chill he felt, Mycale knew something was seriously wrong.

  Warning bells were going off in their heads, trouble wasn’t coming, it had already arrived. The sound of something breaking inside the house and the distant pops of what could have been gunfire confirmed what they felt.

  Two things happened quickly; Sori turned off the lights in their room and in the hall, and Mycale handed her one of the two weapons they had borrowed from the Gonzaleses. He handed her the letter opener, but she reached for the corkscrew. “They are coming to screw me, but I figured I’d like to screw them first.” Mycale would have laughed if the situation hadn’t been so serious.

  Like two shadows kissing darkness good night, they both disappeared into the blackness. Darkness now their protector, their bedroom door was kicked open with a loud lingering blow.

  Mycale closed his eyes and accepted the darkness like a warm drink on a cold night. Enveloped in the quiet stillness, his senses seemed to intensify. The intruder stood within arm’s reach of him but hadn’t detected his presence.

  Sori crouched low as her body kissed the bend of the walls. She heard two loud thumps, like someone had taken a bat to someone’s head. A guttural grunt told her that Mycale had killed or injured one of the intruders.

  The second man called out quietly to his buddy, with no return answer. His voice seemed to set off some internal radar within her. Not only did she know how far away she had to move, she knew exactly where to send her corkscrew to disable the man.