by Renee Roman
Bonded Love
Synopsis
Master carpenter Blaze Carter has upheld her family legacy for honesty and excellence and honed a reputation to match. Her greatest desire is to pass her knowledge on to her children. All she has to do is find her perfect partner who wants the same things—a full life and a family of their own.
Trinity Greene grew up poor and has risen above the stigma of believing she’ll never amount to anything. She’s worked hard and is well on her way to becoming a head nurse in the ED. Her dream is within reach and the last thing she needs is an oh-so-attractive distraction.
When a devastating injury threatens to derail her future, Blaze struggles with the possibility of giving up on her dream. Trinity knows all too well the odds are against Blaze but isn’t willing to let her stop believing. Not when she’s beginning to care for Blaze’s heart as well as her recovery. Together, they must decide if love and a future is a possibility worth fighting for.
What Reviewers Say About Renee Roman’s Work
Where the Lies Hide
“I like the concept of the novel. The story idea is well thought out and well researched. I really connected with Cam’s character…”—Rainbow Reflections
“[T]his book is just what I needed. There’s plenty of romantic tension, intrigue, and mystery. I wanted Sarah to find her brother as much as she did, and I struggled right alongside Cam in her discoveries.”—Kissing Backwards
“Overall, a really great novel. Well written incredible characters, an interesting investigation storyline and the perfect amount of sexy times.”—Books, Life and Everything Nice
“This is a fire and ice romance wrapped up in an engaging crime plot that will keep you hooked.”—Istoria Lit
Epicurean Delights
“[Epicurean Delights] is captivating, with delightful humor and well-placed banter taking place between the two characters. …[T]he main characters are lovable and easily become friends we’d like to see succeed in life and in love.”—Lambda Literary Review
Hard Body
“[T]he tenderness and heat make it a great read.”—reviewer@large
“[A] short erotic story that has some beautiful emotional moments.”—Kitty Kat’s Book Review Blog
Bonded Love
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Bonded Love
© 2020 By Renee Roman. All Rights Reserved.
ISBN 13: 978-1-63555-531-8
This Trade Paperback Original Is Published By
Bold Strokes Books, Inc.
P.O. Box 249
Valley Falls, NY 12185
First Edition: June 2020
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission.
Credits
Editors: Victoria Villaseñor and Cindy Cresap
Production Design: Susan Ramundo
Cover Concept By Tina Michele
Cover Design By Tammy Seidick
eBook Design By Toni Whitaker
By the Author
Epicurean Delights
Stroke of Fate
Where the Lies Hide
Bonded Love
Acknowledgments
Many thanks to everyone who has read one of my previous books, and to those of you who are new to my works, thank you for spending time with me. Thank you all for sharing in my passion.
There aren’t enough words to convey my heartfelt gratitude to my two editors, Victoria Villasenor and Cindy Cresap. Your patience and guidance are a gift beyond comparison. I look forward to every interaction with you. Thank you.
And to those who share their love with me, be certain in the knowledge it does not go unnoticed or unappreciated. I couldn’t do this without you.
Dedication
To those who thought finding love was impossible…think again.
Chapter One
“Hi, Marcus. I’ll have everything set for delivery on Friday if you’re ready for installation.” Blaze Carter tuned out the background noise of hammers and a wet saw to hear her conversation, though they were both familiar and comforting. She circled the date on her calendar. “Great. See you then.”
One more thing off her checklist of pending projects. She hadn’t been this busy in a while, and she liked the constant demand to be working with her hands. It kept her mind from wandering in directions she didn’t want to think about. The holidays were only a couple of months away. One more year of no one special in her life to share them with. The idea of dating wasn’t all that appealing. She hadn’t had a great track record in that department. Sure, she could find someone for sex, but no one she’d recently slept with sent shivers up her spine or gave her any other indication perhaps she wanted more than a casual dalliance.
Blaze ran her hand over the freshly sanded wood, pleased with the silky-smooth surface. The live edge countertop, with its natural finish and beautiful grain, wasn’t the only modern touch she’d produced at the request of the interior designer her clients, Janice and Rich, had hired to turn their recent purchase into their dream home. She’d already built and whitewashed the oak cabinets, as well as the island that would be the focal point of the kitchen. The overhanging counter would accommodate four stools. With the open concept design of the main floor, entertaining would be easy. Everyone knew the kitchen was the most popular gathering place of any party, and Blaze believed it was the heart of a home. People who enjoyed cooking put their heart and soul on a plate, and nothing said home more than a family meal. Maybe that’s why she’d become melancholy lately. She hadn’t lived with her parents for years, and even though she saw them every now and again, she missed the warmth of those special times.
After vacuuming off the length and edges, she used a tack cloth to remove any remaining dust. The music playing in the background provided a steady rhythm as she brushed the first layer of varnish onto the contrasting surfaces in long, steady strokes. The motion was akin to how she made love to a woman. She paid attention to the details and the nuances of her lover’s response to her touch. Blaze cherished seeing those beautiful moments. She liked to take her time, liked watching the results climaxing had on a woman’s body. The flush of color, the moan deep in her throat, the arch of her back. Until they happened, the layers between them remained, but vanished during orgasm.
“Christ,” she mumbled. It had been months since she’d sought company for a night. Obviously, she was overdue, and her body tingled in agreement. She concentrated on the wood. There’d be time later to indulge, but until then she was going to do what she did best. She’d love the wood beneath her fingertips.
Three hours later and satisfied with her work, she called it quits. During the renovations on the small warehouse she’d purchased for her business located on the outskirts of Lake George, Blaze had the foresight to include a full bathroom, anticipating there’d be times she’d be working late and not have time to go home to shower and change. The small closet held a couple of outfits and a spare pair of broken in boots.
Once the shop was locked up, she put her helmet on and righted the Harley. The vibration of the motor added to her already heightened state of arousal. She was ready. More than ready, really, but she wasn’t sure what…or who…she was looking for tonight. There was only
one way to find out.
* * *
Trinity Greene hardly noticed the clamor around her. She scrolled through the screens of lab results on the three patients she’d been assigned. They were all in stable condition, and she was determined to make sure they stayed that way. The young man with the broken leg suffered trauma as a result of thinking he was a stunt double and was being prepped for surgery. Nothing in his pre-op bloods indicated a need to delay going to the OR. She made a note in his electronic chart, uploaded the labs, and signed off on the case. The older gentleman who’d come in complaining of chest pain would be headed to the radiology suite. With enzyme markers absent for a heart attack, the lead ED physician had decided on a preliminary diagnosis of either gallstones or an infected gall bladder. With an elevated white count, she tended to agree, though she wouldn’t sign off until they were sure.
Her last patient was the most disturbing. The little girl arrived with her mother after claiming she’d climbed on a counter and fallen. The child had a mild concussion and bruises along one side of her body, which didn’t contradict the explanation, but her behavior was suspicious. Whenever the mother was close, the child appeared afraid. Yet when the medical staff approached and the mother stood off to the side, the young girl seemed relieved.
A little while ago, she’d gone for X-rays and a CT scan, when the radiologist found evidence of old injuries, especially to her extremities. Trinity remained professional, but inside she seethed. She’d seen the same thing several times since she’d started working in the ED and it affected her the same way each time. She convinced the ED pediatrician to involve social services and the hospital social worker talked with the mother. Trinity hoped this time her gut was wrong. It rarely was.
Though her parents had never physically abused her or her siblings, she knew how stressed out a parent could become, especially under less than ideal circumstances. Yet another reason she’d never have children.
“Hey, what are you still doing here?” her roommate, Kelly, asked. She’d come on duty over an hour ago and was Trinity’s shift replacement. After she’d given updates on the patients she was handing over, Kelly had disappeared into one of the rooms.
“Just finishing up with labs.” She put a couple of comments in the system, then signed out.
“Don’t you ever have anywhere else to be?”
Kelly hadn’t meant to criticize, but that’s what it felt like. As though Trinity didn’t have a life outside of work. The sad part was, she was right. Maybe it was time she indulged in something just for her. Something that would take her away from the suffering of tonight’s patients.
“I think maybe I do.” She changed out of her scrubs and gathered her backpack from her locker before passing the nurses’ station on the way out. “Thanks, Kell. I owe you one.”
“Have some fun. Let those gorgeous red waves fly.”
Trinity inhaled deeply. The night air had a hint of the coming fall. The light jacket she’d grabbed would come in handy. She slid onto the seat of her white Jeep Cherokee and willed herself to relax. She was off duty and there was nothing more to do except kick back for a little while. A beer or two sounded good after the busy twelve-hour shift. She’d pick up something to eat on the way home. Maybe she’d even run into an acquaintance and could talk about something besides work. At the very least, there’d be music and she could lose herself on the dance floor with total strangers.
Chapter Two
Blaze hesitated. Now that she was there, the feeling of not wanting to settle for casual again assaulted her. Anxiety had never been an emotion to stop her, and she shook it off. What the hell. As long as she was there, she might as well go in. Moving through the small gathering of women talking outside the club, she smiled politely. Even though she knew a few by name, she didn’t feel like engaging.
She took her sunglasses off, allowing her eyes to adjust to the darker interior, then tucked them inside her jacket and handed it and her helmet to the coatroom clerk.
“Enjoy,” said the woman in the tight T-shirt with an EroZone logo on the front.
Blaze nodded and tucked the worn plastic number into her back pocket, then headed for the bar, ready to chase away whatever had her out of sorts.
The bartender, Jackie, leaned in her direction. “The usual?” They’d done away with formalities a long time ago, saving their energy for the women who wanted it.
“Sounds good. On ice.”
Jackie quirked her head.
“I’m pacing myself.”
She nodded. “Got the bike?”
Blaze laughed. “You know me too well.”
“Everybody does.” Jackie turned to fix her drink.
She tried not to be put off by the comment, convinced Jackie hadn’t meant anything by it. Nonetheless, it stung. Did everyone think she was a superficial person without depth? Sure, she was known as a no-strings-attached woman who enjoyed another’s company, but that didn’t mean she lacked character. Did it? As the glass was placed in front of her, she glanced at Jackie, trying to decide if she wanted to know the truth.
“Jackie, is that how you see me?” Blaze glanced around. “How others see me?”
She leaned back. “I don’t. It’s not unusual to show up alone and not leave that way. I can’t say how others see you.” Jackie put her tab slip in a glass and moved on to the next customer.
The revelation did nothing to make her feel better, but she wasn’t going to spend the night trying to pick it apart. It would keep for another day. She’d come here to unwind, let loose, and maybe hook up. Do exactly what was, apparently, expected of her. She leaned against a wall to watch the people dancing. The pounding rhythm traveled along her spine and settled in her pelvis, and she moved her legs to relieve the pressure that remained from earlier. Blaze sipped the smoky liquor, closed her eyes, and let the music take her away.
She took a deep breath, then another. Nothing felt right. Memories of previous encounters played in her mind. The last woman she’d been with had been on a bit of an alcohol buzz, and she questioned why she’d gone against her scruples when it came to sleeping with drunk women. The more she ruminated the more she considered maybe coming here had been a mistake. She could always take care of her own physical need. She willed her shoulders to relax and opened her eyes.
A tall blonde stood in front of her, one side of her mouth quirked into a smile. “Hi. You okay?”
“I will be.”
She took a step closer. “I’m Mindy.”
Mindy was a little older than Blaze, with small crow’s feet that called attention to her expressive blue eyes. Definitely attractive. Definitely looking to hook up. Her head screamed for her to politely walk away, but something in Mindy’s eyes begged for understanding. She held out her hand.
“It’s nice to meet you, Mindy. I’m Blaze.” The long, tapered fingers ending with blunt, manicured nails slid into her hand. Mindy’s grip was firm, and she held on long enough that Blaze couldn’t miss the inference. Mindy let go and she finished her drink.
“Do you want another?”
Their gazes held, and her breath froze in her chest. “I’m not sure what I want.” She spoke the truth. She’d never been hesitant about what she wanted, but from the moment she’d walked through the door, the evening hadn’t started out in the usual way, so why should her interaction with Mindy be any different?
Mindy looked out over the crowd before facing her again. “Neither do I.” Her smile wavered, appearing as tentative as Blaze felt. “But maybe I can give you what you need,” Mindy said.
What she needed was to get out of there. The walls felt like they were closing in on her. She almost abandoned Mindy, but her silent plea moved Blaze into action. She reached for Mindy’s hand. “Let’s get out of here.”
She didn’t want to think about anyone noticing her departure with another woman on her arm. What difference would it make? All the single women were there for the same thing—entertainment of one type or another.
&nb
sp; “I’d like nothing more,” Mindy said.
Blaze led the way through the crowd, and they gathered their belongings. Once outside, she breathed easier in the night air.
“My apartment is just over there.” Mindy pointed across the road.
She thought about her bike, but she’d be back before the bar closed. With Mindy on her right arm and her helmet hanging from her left hand, she walked toward the converted warehouse that bore a sign stating, “High-end, luxury apartments.” Mindy kept up with her long strides, though how she could maneuver uneven pavement in stilettos amazed Blaze, and she laughed inwardly while wondering if Mindy would wear them to bed. She tried to envision the last person she’d lost herself with and was sobered when she couldn’t remember her name. Maybe that was the reason she left without anyone most of the time over the last year. What had changed? Why was she finding it more and more difficult to enjoy the casual liaisons she once did? Mindy’s voice jolted her back.
“Here we are.” Mindy smiled as she unlocked the door, then led the way up to the third floor and keyed another door. Once they were inside, Mindy tossed her coat on a chair. “Can I get you anything to drink?”
“Water would be good.” Blaze set her helmet on the floor and draped her jacket next to Mindy’s. The fireplace was the focal point of the open floor plan, and she wished it was lit. There was a distinct chill in her bones she couldn’t remember feeling earlier. Mindy must have noticed.
“Would you like me to turn on the fireplace? I wish it were real, but all the apartment buildings have gas or electric these days.”