Stoking the Embers (New Adult Romantic Suspense): The Complete Series (14 page)

He retreats, backing off me and leaving the bed. “No,” I nearly sob. The loss of his warmth leaves me feeling desolate. I hear it, the rip of a foil wrapper and a minute later, he’s back between my legs.

He releases one foot and then another and settles an ankle on each shoulder. He leans forward, the backs of my legs stretching on his chest. He nudges my entrance, rubbing his cock up and down my wetness. Then he’s inside, he’s deep, the angle of my body giving him total access.

First he’s slow, then faster, then pounding. He reaches up and pushes the scarf from my eyes. We lock gazes and I witness wildness in his eyes as he thrusts and thrusts and thrusts into me over and over.

He lifts a hand, never breaking his stride and brings a palm down on my hip, the slap ringing in the air, the stings heightening my everything. He slaps me again and I buck beneath him, needing more, needing harder, faster. I’m so close, so close. A final slap tumbles me over the edge.

He’s right behind me. I watch his face contort, the wild thrusting of his hips, the muscles rippling in his chest. Once, twice and he stills, a growl growing into a roar. He pushes my legs from his shoulders and collapses onto my body, chest heaving, lifting onto his elbows to remove some of his weight.

He kisses me and soon we’re smiling against each other’s mouths. I long to hold him, to wrap my arms around him, to feel his weight pressing me down into the mattress. Our bodies are still joined when he finally reaches up to release my wrists and I get to do just that, hold him close to me before he decides to roll away.

He doesn’t. He stays there, in my arms, his breath warm against the side of my neck. Neither of us say a word, no words are needed. When he finally rolls to his side, he pulls me with him, only moving to grab a tissue to dispose of the well-used condom.

Draped over his chest, my head on his shoulder, our breaths synchronize. We lay there for the longest time in total silence, his thumb stroking my arm, his lips occasionally kissing the top of my head.

I keep waiting for him to panic, to find a reason for me to leave. Maybe I should just go, so he doesn’t feel he’s kicking me out. Just as I begin to move away, the soft snore drifts to me. I look up in surprise, he’s fallen asleep. I shift to leave, but his hands tighten around me.

“Don’t go,” he murmurs.

“Sure?”

“I’m sure.” His breathing slows again. My breating rate matches his and I fall asleep with him.

Chapter 13—Stephanie

The next two weeks float by in a blur of work, school and Ken. With our crazy schedules, we’re not able to see each other every day, but when we’re able, our time together is purely perfect.

He’s taken me for a ride on his Harley, out to the desert where we made love on a blanket as the sunset turned the skies to a thousand shades of red. I’d joined a couple more ride-alongs and gotten to know the rest of the crew a little better, although we’d agreed to keep our dating our little secret.

He met Beth, and the two of them got along fabulously as the three of us had take-out at my place. In the kitchen, Beth had done an ‘oh my god he’s gorgeous and hot and sexy’ whisper in my ear as she happy danced me around the little space.

Turns out, Beth had to pay the fine for the fire lane ticket, she couldn’t prove she was innocent. “Steph, they say I parked illegally, but I’m absolutely sure I didn’t. At least I think I’m sure. It was the day before we were supposed to fly to my aunt’s funeral and I’d gone to the mall to get a dress. I was in a hurry and couldn’t find any place to park and finally found one spot back in the corner. Would a fire lane be in a corner?”

I’d patted her hand, trying to be sympathetic, but secretly thinking she probably just made a mistake. Police don’t give tickets for no reason, after all. Plus, she’d just learned of her aunt’s death. Mourning does crazy things to people’s minds.

Pulling on my shoes, I glance at my watch, grateful that I have plenty of time to get to class. We get our exam grades back today and I’m anxious to know how I did. I’m nervous, I received a low C on the last test, surprising me into near shock. I’d studied like a maniac for this one and my instinct is that I did really well.

Of course, that’s what I thought about the last one.

Grabbing my backpack and purse, I make sure I have my keys and my phone. I open my front door and freeze. It’s Jerome, standing just beyond the threshold.

Before I can slam the door shut, he blocks it with a foot. He’s smiling when he says, “Hi babe, aren’t you glad to see me?” He pushes his way inside. “It’s okay, I just want to talk. Don’t look so scared, I’m harmless.” He holds up his hands as to indicate his innocence.

“I don’t have time to talk; I’ve got class and I can’t be late.” My voice is stronger out loud than it is in myself. He looks at his watch, making sure I notice it’s a Rolex, and shakes his head.

“You have a few minutes, surely, to hear what I have to say. I came by because I wanted to tell you I’m sorry and that I love you. I want us back together. Life has been miserable without you. I have all this,” he looks down at his expensive clothes “and no one to share it with.”

“So the contract went through,” I state, trying to divert the conversation. “Congratulations, I’m very happy for you. You worked hard and deserve it.”

He glows in my compliments, just as I knew he would. I go on, “You’re so handsome in your suit, I’m sure you’re having to run from all the women.”

Narrowing his eyes the tiniest of bits, he reaches into his pocket and I freeze. But he only pulls out a set of keys, BMW on the label. “Actually, I drive away from them in my new Beemer.”

“Convertible? You always said you wanted a convertible.” Keep him talking. Keep him talking.

“You know it, cherry red, leather seats. The best of everything. I’ll get you a matching one… his and hers.”

I swallow.

“It sounds beautiful.” Before I can repeat, ‘I’m so happy for you’, he lunges. I react too slowly. He pulls me to his chest and his lips are on mine before I can stop him. I push against him and manage to twist my head away. “Stop.”

I’m surprised when he lets me go. “Still a little cock-tease aren’t you? Playing hard to get, making me work for it. I like that. It turns me on.”

He’s fully hard, his dress pants tented out with his arousal.

“I’ve really got to go. I can’t be late. Please.” I keep my eyes down, afraid my hate of him will betray me through my eyes. I’ve got to stay calm. Calm. Low voice. Soft eyes. A hint of aggression and he’d escalate, I’m sure of it.

He steps back. “Okay, we can talk about this later. You don’t want to miss your last day of class.”

I nod. “Yeah, later is better.” I’d say anything to get him to leave.

He turns and walks toward the door, turns the knob, then looks back. “I know how important school is to you. Hope you did well on your finals.” Then he’s gone and I sag onto a chair in relief.

I made a D. I can’t believe it. I stare at the print out of my final grade.

I check the corner, to make sure it’s really my name on the paper. Stephanie Grace Vonnegut. I still can’t believe it. Even as my classmates file out, I sit there stunned. Professor Donovan looks up from her desk and asks, “Are you alright?”

I shake my head and burst into tears.

When I’m able to speak, my voice is barely above a whisper. “I don’t understand, I thought I did so well. Could you please grade it again?”

“Stephanie, the computer doesn’t lie,” Professor Donovan says gently. “There is no human error here. There’s 99.99 percent accuracy of the scans.”

“Maybe I’m the point one percent? Please, can you check it again? I’ll be on academic probation, I could lose my scholarship. I’m so close to graduating, I can’t let that happen.”

The professor looks at me with kind eyes and takes a deep breath. “I’m on my way to lunch, getting the 777 plate at Planet H. Come with me and we can chat while we eat. I’m starving and if I don’t eat now, I’ll miss my chance.”

Still in shock, I agree to meet her there. I stop by the restroom to splash cold water on my face. Then step out into the scorching Vegas sun to join her.

Sitting across the table from Professor Donovan at Planet Hollywood, I pick at a small side salad while she eats her prime rib special. I’m meeting Ken in a little while for a company BBQ and I don’t want to spoil my appetite for his ‘world famous ribs’ as he calls them.

The professor is working hard to assure me that my life’s not over as I first believed.

“I’ve never failed a class before. It’s not that I’m smart, I just always studied hard and tried hard.” I blink back tears again, trying desperately not to break down inside this restaurant filled with people.

“Stephanie, you’re being too hard on yourself,” she says. “Even with this grade, your overall GPA is still an A. Even if you’re placed on scholarship probation, which I don’t think you will considering the long-term quality of your work, it’s only probation. They will still pay for school fall semester. You’ll get past this bump and still graduate at Christmas.”

Hope. I grab it like a life-line. “You really think so?”

She nods and smiles at me. “I know so. Now stop worrying and eat. You look pale as a ghost still.”

I’m sure I do. “It’s been a rough day. First my ex-boyfriend shows up unexpectedly and now this.” I take a sip of my tea. “Thank you for talking with me. I really appreciate it.”

“I’m glad I could. The nursing profession needs committed, talented people like you. It’s my honor to help you along the best I can.”

Swallowing a bit of my salad, I tell her about my adventures of late. Of helping out with the car wreck, the birth of the baby and my ride-alongs as I consider the life of a paramedic. Her eyes are wide and her steak is forgotten by the time I finish.

“That is impressive. Would you mind if I contacted the school paper to interview you? The local paper might pick up the story. It would be wonderful to see you recognized and the nursing academy would be promoted at the same time. A real win-win.”

“Really? You think this is newsworthy?”

“Absolutely. Everyone loves a hero story and you were, without a doubt, a hero.”

I smile for the first time all day, reveling in her compliments. I open my mouth to say I’d love to when…

“Stephanie, my love. I found you!”

Holy hell. It’s Jerome, standing by our table, his face split open in a wide grin.

He looks from me to Professor Donovan. He sticks out his hand, “Hello, I’m Stephanie’s boyfriend. Stephanie, aren’t you going to introduce me to your lovely companion?”

I stutter, “Prof… Professor Donovan, this… this is my
ex
-boyfriend, Jerome Golsin.” Finally, I gain a bit of my senses and exclaim, “Jerome, what are you doing here? Did you follow me?”

“Of course I followed you. I wanted to make an already special day more perfect. We didn’t get to finish our conversation this morning, so I want to finish it now.”

He pulls a small box from his pocket and drops down on one knee. I gasp and push myself into the farthest corner of the booth, wishing I could break through the wall and run away.

The entire restaurant grows quiet as Jerome loudly professes, “Stephanie, I love you. I’ve loved you every day for the past three years and I want to love you every day for the rest of our lives. Please, my love, make me the happiest man in the world. Say you’ll be my wife.”

With that, he opens the box to expose a giant diamond ring nearly the size of my thumbnail. “Stephanie Grace, will you marry me?”

Lights explode in front of my eyes, even as my peripheral vision grows gray. I’m certain I’m about to pass out from the shock of Jerome’s proposal. I shake my head, because my tongue is too thick to speak and I hear a collective gasp from the dining patrons around me.

“Please, Stephanie, say yes.” He lifts the box higher, as if a closer look at the ring will make me change my mind. Finally, I find my voice…

“Jerome, I told you before. This isn’t going to work. Please leave.”

I stare down at the man kneeling on one knee, holding a diamond ring for half of Las Vegas to see. I’m horrified—how did he even know I was here? I’m mortified—lunch with the
associate professor
of the nursing school I’m attending. Finally, I’m simply sad—three years of my life wasted on this man.