Kissing Fire (8 page)

“Ouch! Stop!” I tried to scream over and over. I
couldn’t see him but I knew he was ugly.

Then someone was calling my name.

“Avery! Wake up! Avery!”

I opened my eyes and Just Miles was standing over
me. I was in bed in my room at Justin’s and all the covers were
messed up. A feeling of disorientation fell over me and I shook my
head.

“What’s going on?”

“You were screaming so loud I thought something had
happened to you. So I came in here to check on things.”

I rubbed my face as awareness crashed into me.
Embarrassment quickly followed. I put a pillow over my head. He
pulled it off.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes,” I groaned. “It was just a stupid dream.”

“It didn’t sound so stupid to me.”

“It’s fine. I’m sorry I disturbed you.” I pulled the
covers over my half naked body. I was really uncomfortable now. If
I wasn’t covered in that extra twenty five pounds (okay, it was
more like thirty), I might have been okay, but thunder thighs and
jelly belly were not very excited about being exposed here.

He scratched his head and nodded. Then he was gone,
leaving behind a whisper of his scent. I decided my best bet was to
try to avoid that man as best as I could.

********

The next day, Caroline dragged me all over that damn
town. Admittedly, Seattle had a lot to offer. It was beautiful,
clean and filled with all sorts of delectable food and
coffee...there was a coffee shop on every corner. I loved coffee,
especially lattes and cappuccinos. So we had plenty that day. But
my favorite place we visited was Pike Place Market. I had been
there before, as I had visited Seattle when Justin did his
residency here, but I was younger and less interested in this type
of shopping. I discovered it all over again and fell in love. It
had everything from fresh fish off the boat to arts and crafts and
hundreds of shops. We spent hours there and brought home fresh
halibut to cook for dinner.

Caroline and I were going to cook, but when we
walked in the door with the food, Just Miles took over so I went up
to my room and huddled there to stay clear of him. I was glad the
next day was a work day so I wouldn’t have to be around him all
day.

We all were wowed by his meal. He prepared the
halibut on the grill with lemons and herbs. Then he served it with
grilled vegetables, roasted potatoes and salad. I was impressed
with Just Miles’ cooking talents.

“So Just Miles, do you do desserts too?”

He laughed. “No, I’m not very good with sweets. I’m
only good on the main course.”

“Well, that’s okay, because you’ve done a fine job
on the main course. And anyone can pick up dessert.”

He raised his eyebrows at that and Justin
laughed.

“What?”

The two men just gave me a look and then I finally
got it.

“Oh! I didn’t mean that.”

“We know,” Justin said. “That’s was why it was
funny.”

It was so obvious to see how in love Justin was with
Caroline. When I watched the two of them, they would sometimes be
oblivious to everything but themselves. I was a bit surprised
because that’s how he’d felt about Terri, his fiancé that died. I
never thought he’d find someone else, but I was glad he did.

I sat back and observed the three of them and
sometimes I felt like the odd man out. It was hard to explain.
Well, maybe not. It was like they all shared an inside joke and I
wasn’t a part of it. It’s not that they were mean or rude, but
there were other things that would happen. Looks, innuendos, things
such as that. It would become quite uncomfortable and I often
wondered if I had been rash in agreeing to live here with them.
There was something odd here, but I couldn’t figure out exactly
what.

Strangely enough, I was happy that Monday was almost
here. It would take me away from here and perhaps I would make some
new friends.

“So tomorrow for work, can I just call a cab to pick
me up here?”

They all looked like deer in the head lights.

“I forgotten about that. I have to be at the
hospital at six thirty so I can’t take you,” Justin said.

“Oh, no that’s not what I was asking at all.” I
shook my head. I didn’t want them to think I was begging for rides
everywhere. “I just need to get a taxi to pick me up and was
wondering if I should order one tonight from a car service or
something.”

“Gee Avery, I would take you too, but I’ve got an
appointment in the morning. You can take one of the cars if you’d
like.”

“No, but thanks anyway. I’m supposed to be getting
my rental car tomorrow, so then I’d have to figure out how to get
yours back here. I can just call a taxi.”

“I can take you.” Just Miles looked at me and
smiled.

“Seriously, you all, I don’t want to be an
imposition. I can get a car service or something. Really.”

“I’m taking you.” Just Mike’s voice was firm.

“O-Okay. If you insist.”

“I do.”

“Well, since I’m supposed to get my car tomorrow I
won’t be a pain in your butts anymore.” I giggled.

“Stop saying that!” Justin said, his voice had edge
to it.

“Well, I’m sorry Justin. I barge in here after not
seeing you in over a year. I didn’t intend to move in here and now
I feel like, I don’t know. You all look at each other like...well,
oh never mind.” I stood and said in a quieter voice, “I think I’ll
just go to my room now.”

I started walking toward the main staircase and I
heard Justin’s voice behind me say, “Ava, wait. I’m sorry. I didn’t
mean to snap at you like that. I want you here. I do, but you keep
making those little comments. You’re not imposing at all.”

“Okay, and thanks Justin.” I didn’t want to look at
him because for some odd reason I didn’t really believe him.
Something wasn’t right here but I couldn’t put my finger on it. He
was happy. Caroline was happy. Whatever it was, Just Miles was in
on it. I could tell the way the three of the shared those secretive
looks. I marched up the stairs to my room.

Chapter 8

Just Miles

It was becoming rather clear to me that I needed to
get out of here. Avery was on to us. She knew something was up. I
dropped her off at work and her conversation with me was stilted at
best.

“Is everything okay?” I asked.

“Fine.”

She was always so talkative that I was truly
surprised at her lack of dialogue. When we arrived at SoftwarePlus,
she hopped out and said a quick, “Thanks for the lift.”

I sat there and stared after her as she scurried
into the office building. A traffic cop tapped on my window and
told me to move my car. That’s how long I sat there and stared
after her.

On the drive home, my decision was made. I would
leave on Wednesday and head back to Montana. It would be gorgeous
now since it was summer and the solitude would do me some good.

Caroline was pouring herself a cup of coffee when I
walked in the kitchen. I threw the keys on the counter and
announced, “I’m leaving on Wednesday.”

“Oh Preston. Do you have to?”

“You know I do. She suspects something’s up. She
barely spoke on the way to work and that’s not like her at
all.”

“I know. Justin said as much last night. I don’t
want you to leave though.”

“Well, one of us has to and it’s not gonna be her.
Something’s going on with her, Sis.”

“What do you mean?”

“The other night I heard all this screaming and it
was coming from her room. I woke her up from this nightmare she was
having. I know what PTSD is. I have it myself.”

“What are you talking about? What’s PTSD?”

“Post traumatic stress disorder.”

“Oh no! Not Ava.”

“And another thing. You know the other night when
she dumped her lasagna?”

“Yeah,” Caroline laughed.

“When I went to help her, I reached down, sort of
fast, and she cowered.”

“Oh hell. I wonder what happened.”

“I don’t know but my guess is it has to do with a
man and she won’t talk about it. Don’t bug her or ask her. If she
wants to talk, she’ll talk.”

“Okay.”

“But she sees us looking at each other. I’ve caught
her. She suspects something so that’s why I think I need to get out
of here. You two will be better off without me.”

“Damn. I was just getting used to having you
around.”

I hugged her. What a great sister I had. I did my
best to avoid Avery until my departure day.

Chapter 9

Avery

I couldn’t hide my disappointment when I heard that
Just Miles was leaving. Caroline didn’t tell me until that morning.
She said he was leaving on Wednesday. It was Tuesday night. Justin
was working and Caroline had gone to her yoga class and wouldn’t be
back until eight thirty. Just Miles and I were on our own for
dinner. I’d gotten home and took a long hot bath to get the tension
out of my body. Just Miles had gone out for a run and was in the
shower. I was in my room, wearing nothing but my cutesy red and
black polka dotted robe, when I heard the door bell ring.

Great! My hair was still wet from my bath and I
didn’t have time to put on any clothes. I tugged my little robe as
tight as it would go and went downstairs to the intercom.

“May I help you?”

“I have a letter for a Preston care of Justin
Middleton. I need a signature for it.”

“Okay, just a minute.”

I pressed the button to open the gate and waited for
the courier to get to the porch.

When he got there I opened the door, took the letter
and signed for it.

I noticed something strange about him. He was
wearing a navy blue suit. I’d never seen a courier wear a suit
before. I smiled and closed the door, keeping my eye on him until
he was off the property. Then I watched the gate close.

I looked at the letter and wondered who Preston was.
Maybe Just Miles would know, I wondered as I headed back to my
room. When I got to there, on the spur of the moment, I decided to
check with Just Miles about this letter. I knocked on his door but
didn’t get an answer. I knocked again and when I still didn’t get
an answer I opened the door and laid the letter on his bed. I was
turning to leave when Just Miles walked out of his bathroom wearing
nothing but a towel wrapped low around his hips.

My eyes did a quick scan from top to bottom and then
repeated the motion, only this time I took my sweet time and
enjoyed the hell out of the view.

His hair was spiked with water dripping off it. The
droplets were landing on his chest and, oh dear God help me, he had
pierced nipples. His luscious body was dotted with ink...simple
tats and intricate ones. They were scattered everywhere and they
were amazing. My eyes dipped lower to his hips and I could see
another beauty winking at me. Unfortunately, that damn towel was
covering most of it up. I was gonna have to do something about
that. I let my eyes drift back up to his face...his beautiful face
and I noticed that his lips were parted. His eyes were partly
closed and for a brief moment it looked as though he might be in
pain.

Something stirred in me then. My blood heated and
coursed through my veins. I tried to rein myself in, but I no
longer had any self control. It was gone. And then to my horror,
something foreign took over my body and mind. I started purring. I
think I even meowed. Not a quiet one, but a long, drawn out one. My
feet began to move of their own accord. Just Miles’ eyes widened
right before I pounced. Since I was quite large, that extra twenty
five or thirty pounds on top of my five foot ten inch frame, had us
both flying onto the floor. Just Miles tried to back away, but no,
not a chance that was going to happen. Every time he moved, I moved
right along with him, inch by inch, until I had him pressed up
against the wall.

By now, I was out of control with lust. I tugged off
my polka dotted robe that I was so proud of, tossed back my
tangled, wet hair and flexed my fingers. The anticipation of
touching Just Miles was almost more than I could bear.

I moved into a crouched position
and continued to purr. And then I began rubbing my body against
his...all over. Oh my God, I felt like I had rolled and OD’d in
catnip. I went batshit crazy on the man. I rubbed my face all over
his body, purring like Puss ‘N Boots. I don’t know what the hell
had gotten into me. I didn’t even
like
cats.

Well, if the rubbing wasn’t bad enough, you
should’ve seen the licking. Yep, you guessed it. Just like a kitty
cat. All over. I couldn’t stop. I was in a frenzy of pussy licking
only I was the one doing the licking. I’ve never made cat noises
like that in my life. I sounded like a tom cat going after a female
in heat. By the time I made it to poor Just Miles’ mouth, I think
he was in shock.

It didn’t last long because I dug my little kitty
claws into his back and started sinking my little kitty teeth into
his lips and, oh my God, the noises he was making in return. When I
moved my hands to those pierced nipples and started playing around
with them, I almost came on the spot.

Spontaneous combustion. Now I knew the true meaning
of that. I moved my mouth back down Just Miles’ abs and his towel
had parted. Good heavens, I now felt like Moses did at the Red Sea.
I started purring to the tune of “Hallelujah.” There had never been
a more awesome sight in my mind. Just Miles was well endowed
indeed. And Miss Kitty was going to get her little mouth on
him.

Right before my mouth could wrap itself around its
precious destination, I heard something that made me pause.

For a moment my purring ceased.

“Avery, stop.”

What? I thought he said stop. He didn’t like Miss
Kitty?