Raised From the Flames

by Raina Wilde

  “I knew at exactly that moment what was missing. I knew that I couldn’t make things right with you after leaving without a word, after all of my terrible publicity with Smithson. I couldn’t hope that you would ever give me another chance. I convinced myself that I would have to settle for forgiveness. If I could right the wrongs that I had done to you, then maybe I could finally find some peace. I figured you had probably changed a lot too, moved on, maybe even become the kind of person I wouldn’t miss being around.

  Alex’s face changed from a tortured expression, to a sweet boyish smile, as Jenna watched his mind latch onto a memory.

  “That lasted for about two seconds. The minute I saw you at the airport, with your pain-in-the-butt sign, I knew you hadn’t changed. You stood there looking so beautiful, and even though you tried to hide it, your self-protective attitude gave me hope. Hope that some small part of you might still care. I thought, if I showed you that I was a better man than before, someone who wouldn’t just disappear one day, you might learn to trust me again.”

  Jenna realized that the tears were streaming freely now. She had expected the conversation about their past to raise painful memories that reminded her of how much she had come to hate that man sitting before her. Instead, her heart broke for the terrible journey that her love had endured.

  That was the truth of it. She loved him. Jenna realized that what she felt now, for the amazing man Alex had transitioned into, was much more powerful than anything she had ever felt before.

  “I thought, that this day together, had been great, a small step toward you allowing me back into your life. Then, when you pulled away… I could feel you shut yourself off from me and I knew I had hurt you much worse than I ever realized.

  “Jenna,” He placed his hands once again over his face and shook his head in shame, “I’m so sorry. I understand how much you hate me and I am truly sorry if my attempt to find forgiveness has made you uncomfortable.”

  Jenna exhaled sharply unable to believe how he was misinterpreting her response, if only he would look at her and see the love in her eyes…

  Alex groaned at the sound, clearly thinking that the noise she had made had been a sardonic laugh.

  “I’ve been really selfish, forcing you to spend all this time with me, putting your promotion on the line in order to make sure you wouldn’t turn me away as a client.”

  Jenna wasn’t surprised that Alex knew about her promotion, or that he had used it as a leverage point to gain entry to her services as an agent. She realized that if he had been the arrogant client she had been expecting to work with this fact would have angered her immensely. Instead, she found herself pleased to know that such a remarkable man would go to such lengths for her forgiveness.

  The room fell into a deep silence as Alex mentally berated himself for his behavior. Jenna stared in awe that such a large, masculine man who routinely pulverized other human beings in a metal cage fight, could sit at her feet as meekly as a chastised child.

  Jenna felt the sudden urge to embrace him when, before she had a moment to react, he was standing and heading for the door, not even bothering to collect his belongings from the kitchen.

  She allowed herself one calming breath before rising to place a halting hand on his forearm.

  Alex looked down at her sadly. Without the benefit of high heels Jenna’s face levelled directly with the wide expanse of his muscular chest. She craned her neck to look up at him and allowed only a moment of confusion to flicker across his features before she hooked a hand around his neck and pulled his mouth firmly to her own.

  His reaction was instantaneous. Both arms encircled her soft waist and he lifted her to the tips of her toes as his warm mouth wreaked havoc on her own. Once again she was surrounded by the exotic scent of him and Jenna found herself moaning with approval against his mouth.

  His hands roamed her body in a way that was both familiar and exploratory. Jenna broke that contact of their lips to brush her mouth along his jaw toward a spot on his neck that, she suddenly remembered. used to drive him crazy.

  He threw his head back and groaned with primal pleasure.

  “Jenna…” he breathed as she swirled her tongue on his sensitive neck. “Oh, god. If this is some kind of joke or revenge…” His words were swallowed when she brought her mouth over his with determination, her tongue easing his lips apart to stake its claim.

  He raised both hands to her neck as he deepened the kiss. The tips of his fingers tangled in the braid that had dried hours ago. He flipped the tie off the end of the plait and released the locks into his gentle hands. With the waves of auburn flowing, Alex plunged his hands into the thick mass of hair that spilled down Jenna’s back.

  Jenna’s hands found the hem of the striped sweater that Alex wore. She eased her fingers beneath the cotton undershirt to grasp the edges of both articles of clothing before thrusting the fabric upward toward his chest. She met serious resistance as the fabric bunched and tightened over the bulk of his frame. Jenna could not imagine how she was going to get the shirts over his shoulders.

  In one swift move Alex grabbed his collar and pulled the shirts over his head, depositing them unconsciously atop the single houseplant Jenna had managed to keep alive. With a similar, swift, motion he peeled Jenna’s sheer top up and over her head, followed shortly by the black tank top.

  Jenna experienced a moment of inhibition as she stood there with the top of her body covered in only the heavy-duty support bra that barely concealed her sizeable breasts. Alex gave her a look of pure adoration as he peeled away the hands she was attempting to use to mask her body.

  He looked deeply into her eyes as he unhooked her bra and let it fall to the floor. Jenna met his gaze and didn’t move. This time she did not cover herself. Alex laid his palms across her breasts, his thumbs making lazy circles that had Jenna leaning into his hands.

  “You are even more beautiful than I remembered.” Slowly, Alex bent down and laid claim to one breast with his mouth. It was Jenna’s turn to groan in ecstasy as Alex lovingly explored her body.

  Jenna did not know how long they would have remained in her foyer if Alex had not eventually straightened and moved to pick her up in his arms. She made a slight sound of protest against his mouth but only received a disapproving growl in return before he carried her with stubborn resolve to the bedroom.

  With smooth, efficient movements he released each of them from what remained of their clothing before pulling Jenna gently with him under the cool, satin, covers.

  As their bodies collided, the feeling of her soft, silken skin exhilarated Jenna as it rubbed against Alex’s firm skin, coarse from years of fighting.

  She brazenly ran her hands along the side of his body, while he held her firmly against him. It would have been impossible for Jenna to ignore the impressive erection that pressed against her thigh. She could tell that Alex, with extreme difficulty, was trying to prolong her enjoyment.

  Jenna glided her manicured nails, with nonexistent pressure, down the length of his back, eliciting a shudder that ran through Alex’s body. She wanted to tell him that there was no need to prolong the torture as Jenna had secretly been imagining this moment for nearly a month now.

  Alex’s hand dipped between them and came to rest at the joining of her legs. There, he rubbed gently, bringing Jenna to the peak of frustration as she gasped with pleasure before he removed his hand. Moving his fingers further toward her center Alex discovered the extent to which Jenna’s desire had truly grown.

  With a murmur of satisfaction he rolled her beneath him and placed the heat of his erection against her core.

  “You’re sure about this?” He asked. Clearly still in disbelief at the turn the night had taken.

  “I’m positive, Alex.” She shifted her hips enticingly against his flesh.

  With achingly slow pressure he eased inside of her and began the slow strokes that would bring them both to the peak of ecstasy.

  The next morning Jenna awoke in her usu
al tangle of lingerie. She stretched pleasantly and opened her eyes to witness Alex resting his head against his arm and watching her with a burning look of unadulterated desire. For a quick moment, she thought she might be dreaming. That was, until her brain replayed the memories of their lovemaking. She blushed as she remembered the numerous times that Alex had awoken her in the night to hold her tightly as they talked. Their conversations had flowed almost as if no time apart had passed between them. Each exchange inevitably ended in the passion of another round of lovemaking.

  Jenna smiled and rolled into Alex’s waiting embrace.

  “I’ll never get enough of this silk and lace that you are wearing.” He nuzzled her neck until she giggled.

  With a sigh Alex pulled his face back to stare at her seriously.

  “You know, Jen, I never stopped loving you.” He trailed his fingers through her hair with a small smile, as if he could not believe he was lying beside her at this very moment. “There was never anyone for me, but you. I know this is all very sudden, and unexpected, but I just want you to know that you are never getting rid of me this time.”

  Jenna’s heart soared at the profession of love and commitment.

  “I don’t care how busy your promotion may make you, or what my new agent might try to convince me to do, this, right here…” He pulled her close and pressed a soft kiss to her lips, “this is what is most important to me. I don’t know what took me so long to see that.”

  Jenna placed a soft hand along his cheek.

  “You know, Alex,” She modeled her speech after his own. “I may have stopped loving you at one point…” She trailed off as he smiled and nodded his acceptance of her statement. “but, I love this version of you, the true you, more than I ever did in the past.”

  That Friday morning, oblivious to the bustle of the city of Chicago below them, Jenna and Alex forged a new contract of love that would carry them confidently into their future.

  THE END

  Flip the page for Bonus 2, Forbidden Seduction!

  Leah is on the hunt for a little release. She's just finished her first year of pre-med and is desperate to let loose and finally have some fun again.

  After a wild night with the cocky, tattoo-covered, leather jacket-wearing Jack, she slips out into the morning, never expecting to see him again.

  The following day Leah agrees to join her mother and her mom's new CEO boyfriend for a week at the seaside, and when she's introduced to the CEO—and his sexy, designer suit-clad son—Leah almost drops dead on the spot.

  It can't be. That mind-blowing one-night stand is my mom's boyfriend's son?

  Now Leah's trapped in a hotel with the cleaned up version of last week's bad boy fling, and their parents have just announced their engagement! The thought of getting physical with her future stepbrother is shocking, but she's finding it harder and harder to resist his penetrating gaze and insistent advances.

  Will Leah be capable of erecting the appropriate boundaries? Or will she succumb to Jack's English charm?

  Forbidden Seduction

  Leah filled in the last bubble on the test sheet and sighed with relief. The last exam of her freshman year at Tufts was over. She stood up and slipped the sheet into its envelope and onto the professor’s desk before leaving the exam hall. When she got outside she sighed with relief and sat on the stairs to wait for her best friend, Bea.

  "That test was a bitch!" Bea said as she came up behind Leah a half hour later. "Oh, Leah. Put your notes away! The school year is officially over."

  Leah had taken out her notes and a pen and was shuffling through the pages covered with her neat cursive handwriting, some wrinkled by the amount of highlighting she had done. Sticky notes and photocopies of half-a-dozen textbooks were mixed in with the notebook pages.

  "I'm just checking. I don't want to be surprised when my grades are posted online," she said, putting the notebook away and whipping her long, naturally red hair up into a messy bun. She was petite and pale, and wore large square framed glasses. She stood up, shouldering her large tote bag, and looked up at Bea. Bea was the complete opposite to her, but they were best friends regardless. Bea's honey brown skin shone in the warm sun, the first genuinely hot day of the summer. Leah could practically feel the freckles on her shoulders coming out every minute she stayed in the sun.

  "What was your topic for the ethics paper?" Bea asked as they walked through the campus.

  "Big pharma," Leah replied.

  "Let me guess-against?" Bea asked, looking over and smiling.

  "Of course," Leah replied with a sunny, optimistic grin.

  "Ever the idealist. You'll make a great doctor," Bea said.

  "If I ever get that far," she replied.

  "Of course you will. You're the best student at this place," Bea answered.

  "Don't be silly," Leah said.

  They reached the gate that opened up into the streets of Cambridge.

  "Anyway," Bea said. "Do you want to go out for a drink tonight? To celebrate the end of our first year of pre-med," Bea raised her arms in the sky and turned in a circle.

  "Yeah, only about 15 more years to go," Leah laughed.

  "So, drinks?" Bea asked.

  "I dunno..." Leah replied reluctantly.

  "Oh Leah, let your hair down!" Bea cried.

  "Fine! Okay! I don't really want to go home anyway."

  "Still not getting along with your mom?" Bea asked as they walked toward her apartment.

  "Not really," Leah replied.

  "Want to talk about it?" Bea asked. She was always easy to talk to. She wanted to be a psychiatrist, and Leah thought it was a good fit. Bea always had a sympathetic ear.

  "Maybe later. Will you put some make-up on me?" Leah asked.

  "Ooh of course! Do you want to borrow one of my dresses?" She asked.

  "Yeah, maybe," Leah answered with a smile.

  Bea's apartment was on the upper floor of an old colonial style house. It was a single bedroom, a kitchen with a small dining table, and a living room big enough for a couch and TV stand. The bathroom was the size of a closet. Leah showered and put on one of Bea's dresses. It was a little big on her— Bea was curvy in all the right places—-but she completed it with a black studded belt that pulled the dress in at the waist.

  When Leah came out of the bathroom Bea whistled.

  "You look fantastic!" she gushed. "Now sit down," she slapped the seat of a kitchen chair. "I'm going to put some make-up on you."

  When Bea was finished Leah jumped up and looked in the mirror. Bea had curled her hair, which was naturally a little wavy, but now it had big bouncy curls that shimmered when she moved. Her cheeks were blushed with pink and her eyes were rimmed with black liner. Bea had even put on fake lashes. She was almost unrecognisable.

  "Wow Bea, I don't even look like me!"

  "Of course you look like you!" she cried.

  Leah flipped through a magazine on the table while Bea got ready. She emerged from the bathroom in a cloud of perfume and hairspray.

  "Where are we going?" Leah asked. "And why are we both wearing black?"

  "The Middle East," Bea replied.

  "Huh?" Leah grunted, confused.

  "It's a bar in Central Square," Bea stuck her own fake lashes on and then turned around.

  "Ready?" she asked.

  "I guess so," Leah said. She slipped on a pair of Bea's shoes and they went out the door.

  #

  It was still early when they got to the bar and they sat at one of the booths and ordered food.

  "Mmmm... I love baklava," Bea said, picking up one of the honey soaked pastry squares and popping it into her mouth.

  "You're not supposed to eat dessert first," Leah said laughing.

  "So, tell me about your parental woes," Bea said, licking the honey from her fingers.

  Leah sighed. "I feel bad, and self-righteous. I don't even want to say..."

  "Come on, you normally have a great relationship with your mom. What's the deal?"


  "It's the guy she's been dating recently," Leah said finally. "He's the CEO of Medtex, this pharmaceutical company that's been snapping up patents for new drugs left and right,"

  "And then selling the drugs for a profit, right?" Bea asked with a smirk.

  "Don't smile like that," Leah said, playfully slapping her hand. "You know how I feel about expensive prescriptions."

  "Our whole year knows how you feel about that," Bea said. Leah relented and smiled, taking a sip of her drink.

  "How did your mom meet this guy, anyway?" Bea asked.

  "On a flight. She's been working the 11 o'clock flight from Boston to Fort Worth a lot. There are offices down there so Lawrence travels to Texas and back a couple times a week."

  "Ooh, it's so romantic," Bea gushed.

  Leah rolled her eyes, "It's not romantic," she said ripping off a piece of pita bread and scooping up some hummus. "It's not the 50's anymore when being a flight attendant was glamorous. It's hard work..."

  "I know Leah," Bea replied, sticking her tongue out. "Speaking of romance, someone over there is giving you eyes," she winked.

  "Where?" Leah asked, half turning in her seat.

  "Don't turn around!" Bea exclaimed.

  "He must be looking at you," Leah said, turning back.

  "Nope. Definitely you. Get up and go to the bathroom," Bea said, gesturing Leah away with her hands.

  "What? Why?" Leah asked.

  "Because I want to see if he watches you," she winked. "Go!"

  Leah rolled her eyes and stood up. "Good thing I really have to go to the bathroom, or else I wouldn't be doing this," she turned and tripped a little from the two drinks on an empty stomach, and Bea's heels. She heard Bea laugh behind her and ignored it, walking with as much confidence as she could muster to the bathroom. Bea was right, though. From the corner of her eye she could see a guy leaning causally against the bar watching her as she approached. He was wearing a white shirt, a black leather jacket and had a pair of dark sunglasses hooked into one of the pockets. The jeans he was wearing were ripped in places, but the fit was perfect. His hair was a little long on top and pushed back into a messy quiff. He was perched on the edge of a bar stool, leaning casually toward the bar. On the seat next to him sat a motorcycle helmet. Leah's eyes met his, and her heart sped up a little. He half smiled at her, his eyes sparkling. She felt flushed and ducked into the bathroom quickly.