Burn: Book 3 (The Heat Series)

by MJ Masucci

  Ava settled into her seat, and he grasped her hand as the plane taxied down the runway. She hated flying, especially takeoffs and landings. Minutes later Xander was asleep, and she had to pry her hand from his. She watched him as he slept. He was gorgeous, but she knew something most people didn’t — he was vulnerable. He slept most of the flight while she perused wedding magazines that she had brought in her carry-on bag.

  She woke him when the plane was preparing to land. It was after 8:00 PM and she hoped that the rental place would have the car she requested. They had told her that it might not be possible. Since she had made the reservation, she went to the counter while Xander purchased a bottle of water for her.

  She was glad that Xander wasn’t with her because the young blond haired man at the counter was much too accommodating, even commenting on her lovely southern accent. She thanked him and took the keys before Xander returned. She turned back to see that he was watching her as she strode away and it made her feel uncomfortable.

  After the bus had dropped them in the car lot, she told Xander what number parking spot. His mouth dropped open when he saw the vehicle she had booked.

  “Are you sure this is for us?”

  “Yes, it’s one of your surprises.”

  His smile grew wide, a big toothy grin. He ran his hand over the fender as he looked at the car. Ava had rented a Corvette Stingray convertible, electric blue with the soft beige leather interior. Xander had talked about buying a Corvette recently. He had said his father had one when he was a child and he loved it. She had called several rental companies in Miami to see if they could accommodate her request.

  “Should I take the top down?”

  “It’s up to you. It’s very hot out here, and we have a long drive to Key West so I thought maybe you would want to keep it up and put on the air conditioner?”

  “I think that would be better. We have all week to drive this baby.”

  He popped open the trunk and put the bags into it. Then he went around to open the door for Ava, planting a passionate kiss on her lips before he did.

  “Happy birthday, baby,” she said. “I have a lot more planned.”

  Ava watched as he checked all the controls, the wipers, brakes, switch for the convertible top. Then he pressed the ignition button and turned to her as the engine idled.

  “Forgetting something?”

  “What? I have everything,” she said as she checked for her purse.

  “No, you don’t, and we talked about this.”

  He reached over and around her to grasp her seatbelt, buckling it at her side.

  “I’m sorry. I forgot.”

  “I don’t want to argue, but you promised.”

  She looked down at her hands and began to pick at her nails. He stilled her hands with one of his and used the other to tip her chin up.

  “I don’t want anything to happen to you. I love you.”

  She nuzzled his hand, and he leaned in to kiss her before he pulled out of the parking spot. The car was everything he imagined. He revved the engine as they pulled onto the Overseas Highway. They had at least a two-hour trip, especially if they hit traffic, which they might even at this hour.

  Ava settled into the soft leather seat and prepared for the drive. The moon was up, and she watched its bright sliver move with them as they drove through the night. She felt apprehensive but had no idea why. It wasn’t as if they had never spent a vacation alone, even if it had only been a few days. She looked at her phone, the bright screen illuminating her face. Xander reached over to stroke her cheek.

  “Tired?”

  “No, I feel awake even though I didn’t sleep on the plane. How are you? You didn’t sleep well last night; you had a nightmare.”

  “I know.”

  “You want to discuss it? We have time.”

  He sighed, “It was terrifying. It was the accident.”

  “I knew it. Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “It’s not something I want to relive though I do sometimes especially around this time of the year. I can’t stop myself from thinking about it. It seems to be worse now that we are together. I didn’t tell you, but when I was in California, I had a horrible two nights of sleep having nightmares. I finally took a sleeping pill so I could stay asleep. I don’t remember anything on those nights.”

  “Was that good or bad?”

  “It was bad because it was still in my conscious mind.”

  He pulled her hand to his mouth and kissed her knuckles, grazing his mouth over her engagement ring. She still felt electricity when he touched her.

  An hour and a half later they reached the house in Key West. Xander pulled up to a large gate and punched in code. The gate opened, and he drove into a paved circular drive with a large double tiered fountain. In the dark, she could not see the features of the home, but it looked huge. She helped Xander remove their bags from the trunk, and they proceeded to the front door. It was a thick wooden double door with planters of tropical flowers on either side.

  Again Xander punched a code into an electronic keypad, and the door clicked. He opened it, and they walked into an oversized foyer with limestone tiles. It was tastefully decorated with light colored furniture. The kitchen was located just beyond in the open floor plan; it rivaled the one at their lake house. He picked up the bags and ascended a semicircular stairway to the second floor.

  Several doors were closed, and he opened each one until he located the master bedroom. She noticed the look of delight on his face when he flicked the light switch and was greeted with a room long wall of windows facing the ocean. She knew why he was smiling. He placed the bags on the padded bench at the end of the bed and pulled her into her his arms.

  “I'm planning to fuck you against those windows many times this week.”

  “I guess I’m going to be sore by the time we go back to New York.”

  “You have no idea.”

  He picked her up and carried her to the bed, laying her on the comforter. Then he kissed her hungrily, his tongue pushing deep into her mouth which she stroked with her own. He pulled back and looked at her.

  “Do you want to explore the place or go to bed and do it in the morning?”

  “I’m not that sleepy if you want to check it out.”

  He helped her off the bed and took her hand, leading her downstairs. He went to the refrigerator which she was surprised to find was fully stocked. He selected a bottle of Belgian beer out for himself and handed her bottle of water.

  “How do you know I don’t want one of those?” She gestured toward the beer.

  “You don’t normally drink beer. Would you like a sip of mine to see if you like it first?”

  “Just give me my own bottle, please,” her annoyance was apparent.

  He said as he handed her his bottle and got another for himself. She took a sip of the beer and wrinkled her nose, but she was going to drink it if it killed her. This beer was too strong, but she wouldn’t give Xander the satisfaction of being right.

  He opened the slider to the pool area, and they stepped out into the darkness. The paved pool deck was emanating heat from the day, and she kicked off her shoes to sit on it and place her feet in the pool. Xander joined her as he took a deep pull of his beer.

  “You are feisty tonight. Are you angry at me?”

  The sexual tension crackled between them.

  “Not at all. I just want to have my own beer, is that alright?”

  Xander stood up and started to remove his clothing.

  “What are you doing?”

  “I’m not going to waste this beautiful night. It’s clear, hot and humid. I want to go swimming, and I don’t want to put on my bathing suit.”

  He stripped off his boxers, and he was gloriously naked. She could see the ripples of his muscles in the minimal moonlight. He walked to the deep end and dove into the cool water, swimming underneath the surface until he came up where her feet dangled.

  “Come in, sweetheart, the water is great,” he sa
id seductively.

  “I don’t feel like putting on my bikini.”

  “That’s not what I meant.”

  She put her beer down, and in one quick movement, he pulled her into the water. She yelped in surprise and came up sputtering.

  “Thanks, jerk, I got a mouthful of pool water.”

  She splashed him, and he swam away towards the deep end to escape. She pulled off her tank top, then unhooked her bra and divested herself of her shorts and panties, leaving them in a wet heap on the pool deck. Then she swam after him trying to grab at his foot as he dodged away from her. Finally, he stopped and pulled her against him.

  “Are you really angry at me?”

  “Don’t be silly. I expected that juvenile behavior from you anyway,” she said while feigning anger.

  “You’re sexy as hell when you are mad.” He ran his hands down her body, cupping her ass in his large hands. She lifted her legs and straddled his waist sandwiching his growing erection against her sex. He turned and pinned her against the pool wall in the shallow end, and he began to kiss her.

  “Not here,” she whispered.

  “Then where and how do you want me to make love to you?”

  “I want it fast and hard. I’ve been craving you all day.”

  She clung to him, and he walked up the pool steps, sitting down on a lounge chairs with her still wrapped around him. She didn’t wait for him to move but instead pushed him down, centering herself over his steely length, then sank onto him.

  She clenched around him, and he cried out as he felt her squeeze him. Then she began a face paced rhythm, placing her hands on his chest for support. He bucked his hips to meet her with each stroke, cupping her breasts then pinching her nipples, causing electricity to surge through her body.

  She threw her head back as she felt her climax start to tear through her, biting her lip as she silently came. Xander, on the other hand, wasn’t so quiet, grunting as she continued to move until he found his release, filling her. When they were finished, she lay upon his cool chest that smelled faintly of pool water and his cologne.

  When their breathing returned to normal, she ran her hand along the smooth stubble of his face. She shivered in the night air even though it was still hot even at the hour of 1:00 AM.

  “Are you cold? We can go in.”

  “I want to lay here for a little while longer.”

  He hugged her to his chest until she pushed against him and blurted out, “I have a crazy idea.”

  “Those are the best kind. What is it?”

  “Let’s get married. We can call this our honeymoon.”

  She could see his eyebrows knitting together. “What about all our wedding plans and your dress?”

  “This would be our secret. No one has to know we are married. I thought you wanted your Z. You are always asking me to marry you, why are you resistant?”

  “Because it would be deceptive to marry and not tell anyone. Can I at least think about it? How would we do it in this short a time? Can you even get a marriage license in Key West?”

  “Yes to all the above, I checked.”

  He pushed her up and sat up looking at her incredulously.

  “You checked? When?”

  “This past week on the internet. We can go to the courthouse and get our marriage license. There is an ordained minister that can marry us. I called him last week. He has an opening on Monday.”

  “So if you want to do this, what was all the fanfare about? The booking of the wedding venue, seeing Rachel about making you dress?”

  “We are still going to do that, but I want to be married already, don’t you? You always ask me to marry you, and now you are pulling back?”

  “It’s just so sudden.”

  “Please tell me you will at least think about it and let me know tomorrow or on your birthday. We could be Mr. and Mrs. Wilder by Monday. Then you won’t have to say, Mrs. Wilder-to-be.”

  “I’m tired, let’s go up to bed.”

  Ava rose off him and waited for him to get up. She felt sick because she expected him to jump at the chance and say yes immediately. How stupid she felt. She followed him into the house, and silently, they got changed for bed. He slipped under the sheets, and she decided to take a shower before she went to sleep. She thought about what had just happened and hoped that by morning, he would be more enthusiastic.

  As she got into bed, Xander instinctively reached out for her, and she shrugged away from his hands.

  “Sweetheart, don’t be like that. I love you, but marriage so quickly?”

  She reached up and turned on the bedside light.

  “Funny, but you were all gung ho to do it when you asked me to marry you. Remember?”

  “And your resistance made me realize we should wait to share our day with family and friends. Why now?”

  “I want to be married to you before…” She stopped talking and turned away from him as her eyes got teary.

  “Ava? Before what?”

  “Before Liam gets to me,” she said softly.

  Xander grew angry, “Before he gets to you? What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”

  “He’s going to kill me. I know my time is limited and I want to be married before I die.”

  “No, don’t ever say that. He isn’t going to get to you if I have anything to say about it.”

  “You didn’t see him at his sentencing. He stared at me and pointed. I thought he was going to jump over the railing and kill me. Now that he injured Jayne, almost killed her, I’m pretty sure he isn’t going to stop until he gets to me, too. I’ve accepted it.”

  “Why are you thinking that way? Is this the reason why you haven’t talked to your doctor concerning getting pregnant?”

  “It’s part of it. I don’t want to bring a child into the world if I can and not be here for them. Since I lost my mother at an early age, I know what it feels like to be without a mom. I don’t want my child to have to deal with that.”

  “I don’t want to think about losing you. It makes me upset that Liam is invading out lives and taking away our joys. I don’t want to live my life worrying about him. You don’t know if he is around anymore. In fact, he would be a fool to be when the police have doubled their efforts now that they know he attacked Jayne. Can we go to sleep now? I’m tired, and I want to be fresh when we continue this conversation.”

  She nodded without looking at him and buried her head in her pillow. He took his familiar place, curled around her with his arm wrapped and tucked under her breast. She placed her hand on his arm and slipped into sleep until a little after 4:45 AM. She spontaneously woke up, opening her eyes to the dawning light of a new day.

  Xander was no longer next to her, and she reached out to feel his warmth near his side of the bed. She turned on her back and closed her eyes, hoping that sleep would come to her again, but it didn’t. She gave up after a few minutes and went to the bathroom. She looked exhausted with large circles under her eyes that marked her skin like purple bruises. It wasn’t surprising since she had gotten about three hours of sleep.

  She quietly opened her suitcase and pulled out a silver string bikini to wear. Then she fished out her sunglasses and went downstairs. The sun was starting to come over the horizon as she stepped out the sliding glass doors onto the paved pool deck.

  In the light, she saw the massiveness of the house. The exterior was of stucco in a pinkish creamsicle color. Above her was a terrace with round stucco balusters of the same color. It ran the entire length of the home that faced the pool and ocean. Several palm trees adorned the backyard as well as a short lawn that led to the small private beach.

  She slipped on her flip flops that she had discarded poolside the previous night and walked through the gate leading to the beach. The sand was cool and damp not having been heated by the sun yet. She walked to the blue water and let the waves push around her feet. The beach was small and was flanked on either side by two long stone jetties. She laughed to herself because the last time she ha
d been to the ocean, it had been the Pacific. She hoped the visit to this ocean wouldn’t have the same result.

  Xander woke up with a start. Ava wasn’t in bed, and her suitcase was open. He planted his feet on the cool tile floor and rubbed his eyes.

  “Ava?” The only sound he got was the echoing of his own voice.

  Where was she? He wondered if she was still upset with him about getting married. The conversation they had before they went to bed disturbed him. A world without Ava in it was a world he didn’t want. She had hidden her true feelings about Liam, but now he knew. It kicked his protective instincts into overdrive, and he pulled on a pair of shorts and began to hunt the house for her.

  When he stepped out onto the patio, he heard voices in the gentle breeze. It was early, and he saw no movement on the beach. As he headed towards the gate, the voices grew louder until he saw where the people were talking. Ava was wearing a breathtaking silver bikini, talking to a young man with a fishing pole who was standing on the jetty.

  Xander called to her, and she turned. The once over of her body that the man gave her was not lost on him, and he felt a pang of jealousy. She was his fiancée, and if anyone were going to give her a once over, it would be him. She waved to the man and headed over towards him.

  “I got worried when I woke up, and you didn’t answer me. What are you doing out here?”

  “I couldn’t sleep, and I thought I would come out to look at the ocean.”

  He looked at her hungrily, “That’s quite a bikini. I’ve never seen it.”

  “I bought it when I went out with Sam. Do you like?”

  “I love it as I’m sure the young man with the fishing pole did, too.”

  “Are you jealous? You have no reason to be jealous. I only have eyes for you.”

  “I’m allowed to get upset when someone looks at my property.” The minute he said the word he knew he had made a mistake.