Burn: Book 3 (The Heat Series)

by MJ Masucci

  “Would you like to tie me up with this?”

  He looked at her and frowned, “What has gotten into you? No, I would not like to tie you up with this. I’d rather your hands are free to touch me while we make love.”

  He pulled the tie out of her hand and cast it onto the floor. She deftly worked the buttons of his shirt, yanking the tails out of his pants. Then, pushing his jacket to the floor, she began working on his belt.

  “My, you’re eager tonight.”

  “Eager is not the word I would use. My blood is boiling for you. If we could have found some free time, I would have begged you to make love to me at the reception.”

  “Well, then let’s get you out of those clothes.”

  He helped her step over her wedding dress, leaving it in a heap on the floor. Xander shed his open shirt on top of the dress and removed his pants. His boxers were tented, and Ava reached out to stroke him through the fabric. He moaned his satisfaction.

  “You know this week wasn’t easy for me, either,” he whispered.

  He cupped her breasts and bent his head to suck her nipples. She cried out at as he gently nibbled on her.

  “How do you want it?”

  She didn’t answer, just pushed him towards the bed, tugging at his boxers until they were at his knees. She knelt before him and took his erection in her mouth. He moaned and tangled his fingers in her hair as she worked his length with her mouth.

  “Ava, Ava, Ava.”

  His release came fast and hard, his legs shaking, and when he was finished, she grinned up at him.

  “I need to return the favor.”

  He brought her to the bed, pulling back the covers and pulling her panties off before he laid her down. Kneeling between her legs, he gently kissed down her body, stopping as he got to her womb. His kisses feathered along until he got to her sex. Spreading her legs with his hands, he kissed her inner thighs. She wiggled with want and need.

  “Patience, sweetheart.”

  He licked her with slow, deliberate movements, meant to stimulate but not make her come. She felt like he was torturing her and it was maddening. Each attempt she made to push his head harder into her, he thwarted by pulling away.

  When she could take it no more, he removed his face and slid into her, thrusting hard. She cried out at the intrusion and lack of warning. But she wrapped her legs around his waist, drawing his hips against hers. He reached between them to pet her, and her moans seemed endless until she began to climax. When she finished, he pulled out and lay next to her.

  “You didn’t come.”

  “It wasn’t for me; it was for you. You always come first.”

  She smiled, “I will until the babies.”

  “That’s true, but between the two of us, you will always come first. Never forget that, Ava Wilder.”

  After hours of lovemaking, they almost missed their flight to South Carolina for their honeymoon. Ava slept on the plane while Xander watched her slumber. He couldn’t take his eyes off her, just as he couldn’t through the entire time they were together on the sandy beach, and in the moonlight, and naked in bed together. He protested when she wanted to go out to eat. His intent was not to keep her from the world but to keep the world from her. He wanted her to himself.

  Epilogue

  Seven Months Later

  Xander woke up in an empty bed. The red numbers of the bedside clock illuminated the time of 2:42 AM. It was two days before Thanksgiving. He rose to look for Ava. Lately, it was normal for her to sleep on the sofa in the living room. She was uncomfortable and found the bed too soft for her back.

  He found her sleeping on the couch with the lights of their Christmas tree on. She had insisted they put it up early. She was softly moaning in her sleep and then she bolted upright letting out a yell which scared him.

  “Sweetheart, are you okay?”

  She bit her lip hard and wrapped her arms around her large belly.

  “I think it’s time.”

  “Time?”

  “Xander, I’m going into labor, my water just broke. Let’s get moving.”

  He looked as liquid dripped from under her nightgown.

  He ran to the bedroom looking for something to wear. She, on the other hand, was ready and followed behind him at a slow pace.

  “Hurry, hurry,” he directed, and she just chuckled.

  Xander grabbed the bag she had packed earlier and helped her out the door. An agonizing cab ride later and they walked into the emergency room. Once he told the nurses of her condition, they hustled her up to Labor and Delivery, leaving him to fill out paperwork.

  By the time he got up to her room, she was in a gown and hooked to all sorts of monitors. He held her hand, and each time a contraction hit, he knew as she dug her nails into his palm. But he couldn’t help smiling. In a few hours, he would be a father to two little ones. Dr. Emory had offered to tell the sex of the babies, but they declined. Xander had painted the nursery yellow.

  Though it was still early, he had called as many of their family members as possible. They milled about in the hallways and waiting areas during the intervening hours, taking turns visiting her until she became cranky.

  As her contractions got closer, the buzzing of activity by the medical staff become heavier until they decided it was time to take her to the birthing room. They began to wheel her bed out into the hallway, and Xander just stood there.

  “Mr. Wilder, would you like to join us?”

  “Uh, of course.”

  Forty-five minutes later he was walking around the hall with a huge smile on his face while they prepared Ava to come back to her room. She had given birth to a girl and a boy. Coincidentally, a few doors down, Samantha was getting ready to give birth to her first child, a boy. It was a joyous day for the Keene and Wilder families.

  A half hour after that, an exhausted Ava lay dozing in her hospital bed while Xander held their twins, Elaine Gabriella Wilder and Alexander Robert Wilder, Jr. The families came to visit being careful not to wake Ava. She had endured several hours of labor, and they wanted to let her sleep.

  The nurse came to check on them and helped Xander place the sleeping babies in their cribs. He went to Ava and smoothed her hair that was fanned over her pillow. Her eyes fluttered open, and she smiled at him.

  “Sweetheart, you did it.”

  “I’m so happy.” Tears of joy slipped down her face, and he wiped them away with his fingers, then leaned down to kiss her lips.

  “Elaine looks like you. I think they both do,” Xander said.

  “No, Alexander looks like you. We have one of each.”

  “Do you want to call him Alexander?”

  “What would you like to call him?”

  “How about Alex? Or AJ for Alexander Junior.”

  “I like AJ and Lani for Elaine.”

  “Then AJ and Lani it is.”

  He wheeled the cribs next to her bedside so she could see the twins. Everything had worked out in the end. They were married and now parents. As Ava drifted off to sleep, her last thoughts were of the wonderful life they now had, with more to come.

  The End

  Book 3

  I’d love to hear from you.

  If you enjoyed my story and would like to hear about my upcoming releases, giveaways and freebies, consider keeping in touch.

  You can join me at:

  Twitter: @mjmasucci16

  Facebook: www.facebook.com/MJMasucci16

  Website: www.mjmasucci.com

  Thanks for reading!

  We’re Not Done

  But we’re not done yet…

  See below for a peek into my new soon to be released series

  Beloved

  Beloved - Part 1

  Julian Gennaro was slowly becoming drunk. Stumbling to the rocking chair by the large stone fireplace, he sat down hard almost spilling his whiskey. Today was the four month anniversary of Nina’s disappearance and since that time, Julian had spiraled down into a deep depression.

 
; No one gave a shit about him except his best friend, Maureen Kelly. But she was pursuing her acting career in California. Any family that might have cared was dead. He was alone and miserable. Nina had been the light that beckoned him away from the darkness. When she disappeared, he sank back into the bowels of hell as he liked to call it.

  He rarely drank to this extent but the occurrences of earlier had set him on edge. The beatings he was used to but the stares and whispering were something that he never would. He replayed the entire day in his head.

  Bear, his almost year old husky had nudged him awake that morning, just before the sun made its appearance over the ridge. The dog had not really been his, he had been Nina’s. Julian wasn’t a dog person and preferred not to have pets at all. The dog probably needed to go and he opened the door, shivering at the frigid air against his shirtless torso.

  He had slammed the door to shut out the cold. Bear had the run of twenty eight acres of forest surrounding the small two room log cabin. Julian was sure the dog would take his time doing his business and nosing around the property for a rabbit to chase. He set the coffee maker and went to take a quick shower.

  By the time he came out, Bear was scratching at the door and the sun was peeking in the window. He threw on his flannel robe to let the dog in and was greeted by Tony and Joey, Nina’s older brothers. They often paid him a visit a few times a month and it wasn’t pleasant. Bear rushed through the open door and Tony pushed Julian by the chest into the cabin, stamping snow onto the hardwood of the cabin floor.

  “What can I do for you?” Julian said but he already knew.

  Tony rubbed at his gloved fist, “I think you know. It’s been awhile.”

  It had been awhile and Julian calculated the last time they had come to pay him a visit, enough time for his wounds to heal.

  He flexed his jaw, “Why do you keep doing this? It’s not going to bring Nina back.”

  “Because I think you know something you ain’t telling us. Someone just don’t disappear without a trace now do they?”

  Joey laughed and removed his gloves. Julian steeled himself. He much preferred that Tony deliver the blows. Joey had been a boxer in his teen years. He knew how to work the body, at least they didn’t touch his face. Joey approached and a low growl could be heard from Bear.

  “Put that fucking dog in the bedroom,” Joey yelled at Tony who grabbed the dog by the collar, avoiding his gnashing teeth.

  Bear had been six months old when Nina had disappeared. He was smaller then, less than his weight now of almost sixty pounds. With the first encounter, he knew that he must protect his master and he attacked Joey and Tony. They wrestled with the dog and had thrown him against the wall. He had scurried under the bed to lick his wounds while they beat the shit out of Julian.

  It had been this way for months, always a visit to try and pump information from him in the form of a beating. He had no information to give them and he wouldn’t, ever. One minute Nina was several paces behind him and the next she wasn’t. Frantically searching for her was no use in the snow. He barely got back to the cabin because the wind had created a total whiteout.

  His cell couldn’t get a signal and driving the six miles to town on the winding road would have been suicide. Julian should have attempted it because without her, he might as well be dead. She lit his world.

  Joey moved in, circling Julian who stood his ground. Fighting just made it worse as he had found out. He set himself in a stance and waited for the first blow, but it never came as buzzing could be heard from Joey’s pocket. He waited in nauseating anticipation as the man answered his cell phone.

  “We gotta go,” He called to Tony. “Don’t worry, we’ll be back,” He said as he slapped Julian in the face, hard enough to make his teeth rattle.

  “Why?”

  “You know why. Nina ain’t in front of us and you know something. The only reason you ain’t dead is because you’re sorta family.”

  They tramped through the heavy wooden door, slamming it as they left.

  Julian rubbed at his cheek where Joey had hit him. He was sure it was going to bruise but at least he escaped the usual. There was a snowstorm expected and he needed to get to his chores before it hit. Bear was howling at the bathroom door and he went to let the dog out who immediately nuzzled against his leg. He was glad he had decided to keep him after Nina disappeared. He was his only real companionship.

  Julian prepared himself for town. His thick black hair had dried in a tousled mess while he entertained his visitors. Now it would be impossible to comb. After he dressed his muscular body in jeans, a thick navy blue wool sweater and pulled on his coat and boots, he pulled on a ski cap. If he couldn’t straighten his hair, he would hide it.

  He said goodbye to Bear and walked the trampled path of snow to his oversized garage. His pickup truck stood waiting for him. On the way to town, snow flurries began to pelt the windows. It was earlier than the news had said but he was glad he got started when he did.

  Julian parked his truck and went into the local grocery store to the stares of several people. It had been this way ever since Nina disappeared. Rumors had started almost immediately, fueled by her father, Vito, and brothers. He was accused of murdering her and hiding her body on his property but no such claims could be substantiated.

  He intently stared back at the accusers with his smoke gray eyes. Screw them, I’ve done nothing and I’m just as much a victim as Nina. Most turned away from him but some met his eyes with their own intensity. He didn’t care. The sad thing was that these were people that had known his family for years. Some had worked for his father before his untimely death.

  He heard the murmurings. Death followed Julian Gennaro wherever he went. It was peculiar that he was always surviving while his loved ones died. Of course there was no evidence that Nina was dead.

  The police had scoured his property for days, subjected him to interrogation and he even submitted to a polygraph test. They found nothing but a broken man who had just lost his wife to mysterious circumstances.

  Maureen had flown from California to be with him. He was thankful at what a wonderful supportive friend she was. However, her presence only added gasoline to the fire. Some said he killed Nina to be with Maureen. It was simply not true. He had never had any type of interest in dating her, nor she, him.

  He went about the aisles picking up food and other necessities. The storm they were predicting was going to be bad and he wanted to be prepared. This could very well be a forty-eight hour dump of snow. The day before he had packed the small wood shed next to the house with logs. He primarily used the pot bellied stove and fireplace for heat even though he had a gas line connected.

  At the checkout, he was greeted with an accusatory glance by the cashier. She had been Nina’s best friend, Madison. He disliked the woman from the first time he met her. She was a loud and obnoxious with no off switch. It was a wonder that his wife chose this woman as her closest friend since she was the direct opposite. He tried to be civil for Nina’s sake. He thanked her for his purchases and left the store.

  The road home was already coated with a thin layer of snow and he had to be careful around the many winding areas of the mountain road. At the cabin, he unpacked his groceries and then settled in the rocking chair by the fireplace. It had been Nina’s favorite spot and he often occupied it for comfort.

  Julian had few creature comforts but he did have electronics and a satellite dish for internet. He needed these things since he worked as a graphic artist. He didn’t have many clients since his referrals dried up overnight with the false claim that he was a murderer. Money didn’t matter to him, he had plenty. But he needed to be kept busy.

  He logged onto his laptop and checked his business email. Several junk emails but one particular one with the subject line “Where is she?” Probably another kook trying to harass him. He was going to delete the email but for some reason, felt compelled to open it. Clicking on it, he read the contents, feeling his heart speed until h
e could feel the pounding in his ears.

  Mr. Gennaro,

  You don’t know me but I have proof that your wife is alive. Don’t reply to this email. I’ll contact you with further information in the near future.

  Julian read the words over and over. Who was this? The email was from a gmail account. They could easily be deleted. As much as his heart wanted his wife to be alive, he couldn’t be sure this was legitimate. Why not just call him? His business phone number was listed. Why torture him with an email and a promise? He rose from the chair and began to pace. Bear looked up from his spot next to the fireplace and watched him with his bright blue eyes.

  Julian stopped to look out the window. The snow was coming down harder now, it was barely noon. The forecast had said blizzard conditions and he could hear the wind whipping around the corners of the cabin. The flakes swirled violently, slapping against the windows.

  He went to settle down in the rocking chair again and glanced at the calendar that hung over the small table in the corner. His eyes fixed on the date and he began to calculate in his head, four months to the day. She had been gone that long. It was more than he could stand.

  The cupboard over the sink held two bottles of liquor, Whiskey and Amaretto. He needed a drink to calm his nerves. He removed a juice glass from the drain board and filled it half way with whiskey. The first sip burned as it went down but it dissipated when it got past his throat. The second and third were less and by the fourth, he barely noticed it.