Primal Impulse (Xtreme Edition) (2 page)

S
teven poured the boiling water into his oversized cup. This was a three-tea bag morning. That’s what it would take to get him going. It wasn’t easy getting up at 4 a.m.

That’s the way it had been lately. Rising so early wasn’t exactly his preferred habit. But there really was no other option. He chose the path he was now treading. He was the one who decided to become a writer.

The fact that he also had a fulltime job was just that—a fact. There was no getting around it. If he wanted to get those words on paper he had to squeeze in the time. That’s why he was up at this ungodly hour every morning. That’s why he climbed out of bed at 4 a.m. Whether he liked it or not he had to plug away at his computer. There were no other options, at least none of which he was aware.

Yep, that was the only way he knew how to write a novel. They didn’t get written on their own. The old saying was all so true—writing was perspiration, not inspiration. That’s why he crawled from his cozy bed to his desk every morning.

But the high surpassed the sacrifice. The unleashing of his creative instincts was a feeling like none other. The overwhelming joy eclipsed the relatively minor deprivations. So he lost a little sleep—no big deal. Those two or three hours every morning were the highlight of his day. They captured his essence in a way that nothing else could, stealing the show with the magic of literature.

Yes, writing was the drug that took him to the edge. It was his savior who set him free. It let him run up the mountain and enter the light. It let him walk through the fire that seared his soul.

Yeah, it was that fine little line between reality and fantasy that people wanted. That’s the balancing act that they craved. Humanity walked a tightrope. They wanted to escape to a fantasyland where everything was perfect and climb inside a dream and live it out. They wanted to turn the pages of a novel and pretend it was them.

That’s what Steven tried to give them. When the words began to flow he fell into the zone. The real world faded with every stroke on the keyboard. It was replaced with the brilliant colors of fantasy. But it was fantasy that became real in his head and in the heads of his readers. It relayed the possibility that this could be
you
.
You
could be King.
You
could be the Queen of the Universe.

Six novels so far, three from one genre and three from another—that was the count. Steven had been a late starter as far as his writing career was concerned. It was only five years ago that he decided to put his thoughts on paper. That’s when he exposed his raw emotion to anyone who bothered to look. His heart lay spread open between the covers as it bled onto the pages that flowed from his fingertips.

Steven’s life experiences were the fuel behind the fire. They were the words that fell onto the pages. He had experienced his own journey and it hadn’t always been a smooth one. There were ups and downs that had lifted him and crushed him.

Steven had traveled much of the world and seen good and bad. He had stayed in a castle and slept in the streets. He had wallowed in money and all that it bought and he had been the penniless stranger that they whispered about. He had been drunk from love and sober with loneliness. He had experienced the pain of heartbreak and broken many hearts himself.

His was a tough education in the ways of the world. It was a harsh and brutal ride on the rainbow of life. There were times he just wanted to die and there were other times when he felt like a king. Joy and happiness had made him want to stand up and scream. Anything and everything that made up the world was all in his head just waiting to explode onto paper.

Steven couldn’t wait until that day when he would become a fulltime writer. He didn’t need a fortune. He just wanted enough money to buy his freedom and unlimited time to create, to rise every morning and type away his experiences, to share his passion and emotion with the world. He wanted to offer his personal take on what it was to be human. That’s all he wanted.

That didn’t mean Steven wasn’t appreciative of his job. He was very grateful because it helped him pay the bills. But that was exactly what it was—a job. In the long run it would never work, not for him. He was a free spirit entrepreneur who wasn’t meant to be caged by society. Throw the writing in the mix and it became explosive.

That’s right. No one would ever again tell him what to do. He would be his own boss. He would be in control of his life. He would find love and happiness and freedom. He would be free to be himself. His heart would find its other half and this time it would be real and honest and true.

Something had to happen. Somehow he had to blow down the doors and walk through the fire to exit victorious on the other side. He would emerge from the flames unscathed and cash in on his payday. He would discover the riches of absolute freedom. He would find true love. The world would be his.

Steven sat down in front of his computer. This morning would be a little different. There was something he had to do before he started writing. There was a certain girl on his mind—a very special girl. Her name was Jena.

In a few days his job would require him to travel to California. He would be staying in a town called Rancho Cucamonga. Fate had delivered him a piece of information about this town. Jena Berns lived there.

Maybe his stars were in alignment. It sure did come about in a natural flow. Steven had recently run into an old acquaintance from his hometown of Aurora, Illinois. Coincidently, she had mentioned that Jena lived in Rancho Cucamonga. He found it incredibly interesting that this happened just before his trip. It had to be an omen.

Jena was also from his hometown of Aurora. They had attended the same high school. She was the best friend of Shelly, Steven’s high school sweetheart. The three of them were rarely apart in those years.

That was twenty long years ago. Steven never let anyone know that he always had a major crush on Jena. But now….well, why not? Shelly was just a memory. He heard she was happily married. And Steven was traveling to Jena’s new hometown. All he needed was a phone number.

Steven plugged her into his search engine.
Jena Berns Rancho Cucamonga CA.

No results! Steven took a deep breath. He would enter a different search.
Jena Burns phone contact Rancho Cucamonga CA.

Payday! This one found something. Jena Berns Craven, 909-333-1957, 412 Twain Drive, Rancho Cucamonga, CA.

That was her! It had to be. Craven must have been her husband or ex-husband’s name. She had gotten married, but they had since separated. That matched the information he had received about her.

Ummm…Jena girl, that’s what he called her. Memories of Jena flooded into his brain. She was bright, funny and attractive in her own unique way. She didn’t need the fancy trimmings of makeup and fashionable clothes. She had a simplicity about her that was extremely appealing. Jena was open and honest and so damn sexy. Oh, yeah! Jena was incredible then and there was little doubt that she still was.

Steven looked at the clock. It was certainly too early to try to reach her now. He would write for a while and try later. At least he hoped he could write. Just the thought of Jena was getting him excited. He could feel himself getting harder by the second. Jena Berns was in his head—again. And this time they were both free.

Chapter 3

T
hree rings and Jena picked up the phone. It was from a 214 area code. Who could that be? It was six in the morning. What the heck, she might as well answer it.

“Jena speaking,” she muttered, still half asleep.

“Is this Jena Berns?” asked a male voice. “From Aurora?”

“Yes, it is,” answered Jena. “That was my maiden name. Who is this?”

“Steven,” came the reply from the other end. “Steven Walker from high school.”

Instantly Jena’s blood temp rose three degrees. Steven Walker had been the subject of her rawest fantasies for twenty years. He was the hottest man she had ever met—electric hot. He had dated her best friend throughout high school. Jena had always been their tagalong. She would accompany the couple everywhere. She sure as hell envied Shelly.

And there was more to Steven than just his sex appeal—a lot more. He was a natural charmer who everyone loved to be around. Women and men of all ages genuinely liked the guy. That was the effect he had on them. It all had to do with the fact that you just knew he was real. He was genuine.

Steven always had a unique sense of humor. He could make you laugh at the simplest things. That was a big part of his charm. He could somehow dig out a funny line when you least expected it. His somewhat twisted outlook on life was the source of it all.

There was also an unpredictable side. Steven was adventurous to the point of borderline crazy. He would do things that no one else had the nerve to do. He would take off and go places that had an element of danger. But he would always come back with a story that made him the center of attention. Everyone wanted to know what was on the other side of the fence. Steven was the only one who dared jump it.

And then there was the mysterious side. That was a big part of what made him so sexy. He was so open, yet simultaneously private. Certain areas of his life he kept to himself. The way he took risks, you knew anything was possible with Steven. He kept you guessing. You just never really knew what he’d do next.

Parties, football games, social events— they were always together. It was Steven and Shelly and Jena. They even shared hotel rooms with her. That had been pure, agonizing torture. Listening to her best friend being pleasured by the hottest man on the planet made her absolutely crazy. He would have Shelly moaning nonstop. And Jena knew exactly what Steven was doing with his fingers, tongue and everything else. Shelly had told her all the juicy details of his sensual talents. When she tried to describe his kisses she always went blank—speechless. She could only say they were out of this world. Steven was pure sex. And he was now on the other end of the phone!

“Steven Walker—Oh my,” said Jena, trying to keep her cool. She could already feel a wetness down below. That was the effect of the primal lust that had overtaken her.

“Jena, how are you? It’s been at least twenty years.”

“I’m good,” said Jena. “But I’m in shock at a wakeup call from you at this hour.”

“Oh god,” said Steven. “I completely forgot about the time difference. You’re in California and—oh my, it’s six o’clock there. It’s eight in the morning here in Dallas. Oh, Jena, I’m so sorry.”

“Forget about it,” said Jena. She was now wide awake and flushed with heat. “So what in the world is going on? Calling me after twenty years is quite a pleasant surprise.”

Steven laughed. He still had that charismatic coolness that always melted her. “Oh, Jena, you know I’ve always wondered about you. I ran into Rebecca Hager at the airport the other day and she said you lived there. So I tracked down your number on the internet and called!”

“I still can’t believe it,” said Jena. “What in the heck is going on in your life? The last I heard you moved to Texas and got married.”

“Well,” chuckled Steven. “I’m still in Texas, but I’m no longer married. We split after four years. You know how it goes nowadays.”

“I sure do,” said Jena. “My divorce was just finalized yesterday! And I couldn’t be happier. I’ve had a rough eleven years.”

“Yeah,” said Steven, his voice as sexy as ever, “Rebecca kind of clued me in on your marital status. So…are you seeing anyone?”

Steven had always said what was on his mind. You always knew what he wanted. That was part of his charm.

“Nope,” replied Jena. “I don’t have a thing going on right now.”

“Well, would you like to meet for a drink or dinner next Monday? I’m flying into your area for a few days.”

“Yes, that would be great,” answered Jena. She was trying to keep her cool as a jolt of sexual energy surged through her. Straight from her ears through her brain and instantly to her groin. Her hips quivered instinctively. The mental image of sexy, hot Steven set her on fire. Her insides throbbed at the thought of Steven working his sensual magic on her. That was the effect he had on her.

“I’m actually staying in Rancho Cucamonga. Isn’t that where you live?”

“Yes, it is,” replied Jena. “I’ve been here over ten years. It’s a nice town.”

“Okay, Jena girl,” said Steven. “I guess I’ll be seeing you next Monday. I’ll call you mid-afternoon and we’ll figure out where we’ll meet.”

“That sounds great,” said Jena. “I’m really looking forward to seeing you after all these years.”

Steven then breathed or sighed or whatever it was that sounded so sexy. “That’s mutual. I know you still look great. You’ve always taken care of yourself.”

“Oh, I don’t know,” replied Jena. “I try, but you gotta remember I’m not so young anymore.”

“I’m not worried. It’s going to be great. Listen, I’m on the run this morning so I’ve got to cut it short. I’ll be in touch on Monday.”

“Sure, goodbye Steven.”

“Goodbye, hot Jena,” said Steven, oozing sensuality with his sexy-from-anywhere drawl.