Hot Like Fire (10 page)

The hooves of the horse pounded the dirt as Kade rode
as if the fiery doors of hell were singeing his heels. The sun
was blazing down on his back as he rode the endless stretch
of emerald green grass. He rode effortlessly to the top of the
hill. The muscles in his arms tensed as he used the reins
to bring the horse to a halt.

Kade looked down at the valley below him. It was as
beautiful as the Garden of Eden. The sounds of nature
surrounded him. His eyes honed in on the crystal blue lake
just as a figure appeared from beneath the depths. Even
from a distance, he could tell the figure was that of a sultry
and seductive woman, whose curves defied reality as gravity pulled the water from her body. Droplets raced across
her caramel skin to pause at the tips of her nipples before
they fell from her body.

Here, in this picturesque setting, he was the Adam to her
Eve, and this was the perfect spot to give in to temptation.

He quickly stripped off his clothing, freeing his throbbing erection, before he kicked the horse's sides and went
racing down the hill at a thunderous pace. She looked up
as he neared her, but she barely had time to blink as he bent
over and scooped her body up with one strong arm. With
ease, he brought her up onto the saddle, facing him.

Her arms and legs surrounded him as she blessed him
with a dozen tiny kisses from one broad shoulder to the
next. As he focused his eyes ahead and controlled the horse's
gallop with one strong hand, Kade wrapped his free arm
around her waist and pulled her higher up on his lap until
the lips of her thick and moist core cupped his shaft. He
brought the horse to a stop in the middle of afield of colorful wildflowers. His Eve leaned backward, with her breasts
pushed forward, taunting him. With a low growl, he
buried his head in her sweet cleavage, leaving kisses on
each bronzed globe before he shifted to capture one throbbing
hard nipple in his mouth.

"Ali," she cried out as her fingernails began digging
into the strong muscles of his shoulders.

He circled the nipple with his moist tongue before he
blew cool air on it, causing her to shiver uncontrollably in
his arms. On to the next nipple. He repeated the delicious
move. She shivered again.

"Oh, Garcelle," he moaned against her flesh.

His head jerked up, and he looked down into her face.
That beautiful face, with wide, doe-like eyes that haunted
him. Teased him. Caressed him. Drew him in.

Garcelle was his Eve. His temptress. His temptation.

He locked his eyes with hers as she slowly sat up to face
him. "You want this as much as I do, don't you, Kade?"
she asked in Spanish.

"Yes," he submitted. "Yes."

The first taste of her lips made him harder. He felt his
thighs quivering from a need to be deeply buried inside of
her warmth. As she deepened the kiss with the hotness of
her tongue, Kade tightened his hold around her waist,
lifted her up with ease, and then guided her back down
onto his hardness.

Their mouths opened as they both gasped. Their chests
heaved, and their breathing was shaky. Their hearts
pounded.

He captured her lips for a quick kiss before he buried his
face against her chest as she began to move her hips
against him. Each move gripped and then released his
shaft with slick ease. He closed his eyes tightly and fought
for control as she lowered her head and whispered hotly in
his ear in Spanish as she rode him.

"&-Es bueno?"

"Yes, its damn good," he answered, with a moan,
against the plushness of her breast.

She licked his ear lobe as she moved her hips to the left.

Quisieras que parara ?"

He shook his head as his hand massaged her buttocks.
"No, I don't want you to stop."

She laughed huskily as she moved her wide hips to the
right.

"Dicen que soy la mejor,," she said.

Kade leaned back and looked in her sultry eyes. `Damn
right, you're the best. "

She kissed him as she swiveled her hips 360 delicious
degrees.

Kade felt a fine sheen of sweat coat his muscles as he
clenched his teeth, fighting so that he wouldn't explode
deep within her.

He kicked the horse's flanks, causing it to move forward
at a slow and easy trot through the field. The movement of
the horse caused their bodies to jostle, sending his shaft
deeper against her walls.

His hands tightly grasped her soft buttocks as she
clasped her hands behind his neck and leaned backward.
The horse's trot caused her full breasts to rise and fall
against her chest as her hair blew in the wind, mingling
with the horse's flying mane.

Never had he seen a more glorious sight.

His blood surged through him, hardening him until he
ached. "Make me come, Garcelle," he moaned as he watched
her with intense eyes.

"Make me come ... Make me come ... Make me
come . . . ," Kade murmured as his hands rose in
the darkness of night. His fingers were cupped as
his hips rose slightly off the bed, and he felt like his
seed was going to spill. "Make me come, Garcelle."

Kade's eyes shot open, and he sat up in bed. He
hollered out hoarsely at the pain that raced across
his ribs. Sweat coated his body. His heart raced. His
loins ached. His penis was as hard as stone between
his legs and tenting the sweat-soaked sheets.

He winced as he remembered every erotic detail
of his dream. What the hell was going on with him?

He wanted Garcelle ... badly. But it couldn't be.
It wouldn't be. He was not ready. He felt guilty
about dreaming of another woman in the bed he
had once shared with his wife.

Yes, Garcelle was beautiful. Garcelle was smart.
Garcelle had a body that could stop traffic on Highway 17 in both directions. He was a man. A man with
good vision and great blood flow.

Oh God, was she woman. All woman.

But this could not happen. It would not happen.

He would make sure of that.

"Go fish, Daddy," Kadina said, with a chuckle, as
she fell backwards on the floor.

Garcelle plucked a card from the deck and
handed it to him so that he didn't have to reach
from his spot on the couch, where he was lounging.
Their hands briefly touched, and the card drifted
to the floor as they both pulled away as if they'd
been shocked.

"Excuse me," Garcelle said.

"No, I'm sorry," Kade said.

Garcelle reached for the card and handed it to
him. She looked up at Kadina and found the little
girl looking at them, with a scrunched-up face.

"What's wrong with y'all?" Kadina asked, her
Southern accent sounding almost like a Texas twang.

Garcelle and Kade looked at each other and
then looked away. "Nothing," they quickly said in
unison before glancing at each other again.

"Okay," Kadina said simply, with a shrug, before
she focused on the cards in her hand. "Garcelle, do
you have a ... three?"

Garcelle folded her legs where she sat on the floor. She shook her head. "Kadina, go fish, sweetheart, and then let me have those deuces."

"Aw, man," Kadina whined as she handed the
card to Garcelle.

"Boy, I am so good at this game," Garcelle teased
them as she laid down her pair.

"You do learn card games fast," Kade said dryly
as he shifted his cards in his hand.

Garcelle winked at him as she playfully tossed her
hair over her shoulder. "No odies al jugador; odia el
juego."

Kade smiled at her. "Could you talk crap to me in
English, please?"

Kadina giggled. "It means, `Don't hate the player;
hate the game,' Daddy."

"Oh God, am I going to have both of you around
here speaking Spanish?"

"Si, Papi," Garcelle and Kadina both said. They
looked at each other and laughed before they gave
each other a high five.

"Lord, help me," Kade drawled as he watched
them.

They continued to play, and although Garcelle
had learned the child's card game quickly, Kadina
was the true master, and she beat them twice. As
they dealt a new hand, Garcelle bit her thumbnail
and glanced over at Kade as he lounged in old
Dickies pants and a T-shirt, with a pair of ratty slippers that had seen better days.

At that moment she was aware of her attraction
to Kade, but it wasn't her focus. She was just enjoying being in his and Kadina's company. They
were friends. That was it. She felt so much better
than she had last night around twelve, when she
woke up in a sweat, with thoughts of stallions and riding the two-legged variety atop the fourlegged one.

Don't even go there, Garcelle. No way. No how.

The doorbell rang, and Garcelle jumped to her
feet, more than glad for the diversion from her
thoughts. "I'll get it," she said over her shoulder as
she left the den.

She smoothed her hands over her I'M TOO HOT
FOR You T-shirt and sweatpants. The front door was
open, but the glass screen door was locked, so Garcelle was able to see the unfamiliar woman standing there. "Otro cazador de hombre. La Pena buena,"
she muttered under her breath, with a suck of her
teeth, thinking it was indeed another of the man
chasers wanting to put their hooks in Kade.

Although, Garcelle had to admit that this one
was trying another approach. Her hair was pulled
into a professional topknot, the make-up on her
face was minimal, and her jeans slacks and buttoned-up pinstripe shirt were a definite change
from the hotties who rolled through in clothes tight
enough to spark a fire from friction.

She noticed the woman's eyes widen and then
damn near close as she squinted at the sight of her.

Garcelle unlocked the door and put on a smile.
"Hello. Can I help you?" she said, with plenty of
pleasantness.

"Oh ... you're Spanish?" the woman said in a
whisper, her soft voice filled with surprise. "You
don't look it."

Garcelle's spine stiffened, and she had to swallow
her irritation, because this was not her house and
this woman was not her guest. Ignoring the woman's
rudeness, she said, "Can I help you?"

"Well, I thought this home was still owned by Kade Strong, but I guess I'm wrong," she said, looking up at Garcelle.

"This is Kade Strong's house. Can I help you?"

"I'm Zorrie ... Zorrie Kintrell. I'm a friend of
the family."

"Aunt Zorrie?" Kadina called from the den. Seconds later there were running footsteps. Kadina appeared at the door in no time and flung herself at
the woman, wrapping her long, skinny arms around
her waist.

Zorrie bent over a bit to hug her back. "Kadina?
Oh, you've gotten so big. Step back, and let me see
you, sweetheart."

Garcelle smiled at the obvious pleasure on Kadina's face. "Hello, Zorrie. I'm Kadina's nanny, Garcelle," she said, offering the woman her hand.

Zorrie took her offered hand warmly. "Nice to
meet you. I'm Reema's best friend."

"Come in, of course," said Garcelle. She stepped
back and watched as Kadina pulled the woman into
the den. Garcelle closed the door and moved into
the kitchen to leave them alone with their guest.

She glanced at the clock. It was a little after two
in the afternoon, and in the Spanish culture, it was
time for la comida, or lunch. Since it was Kade's first
full day at home recuperating from his injuries, she
decided to make the traditional heavy meal. As she
listened to the laughter floating from the den, Garcelle focused on preparing a multicourse meal of
vegetable soup, stuffed cod with fried potatoes and
sauteed green beans on the side, and for dessert, a
compota de peras, or pear compote.

Since their move to America, and especially since
Maria Santos's passing, the Santos family had gotten
away from the tradition. It felt good to do some thing that put her in touch with her culture. It took
a solid thirty minutes, but in the end, Garcelle knew
she made a fabulous meal.

Garcelle wiped her hands on a dish towel as she
made her way to the den. She paused in the doorway. Zorrie was sitting on the edge of couch, beside
Kade's legs, and Kadina was on the floor, on her
knees, as they all looked at a photo album. Zorrie
reached out and touched Kade's arm as they
laughed together at something Kadina said about a
photo of her mother.

"Something smells delicious," Zorrie said.

"I made a traditional Spanish lunch," Garcelle
said, walking into the room.

"Thanks, Garcelle. 'Cause I am starving," Kade
said as he looked up at her.

His eyes were the brightest and most alive she
had ever seen them. Was it the photos or the presence of Zorrie?

"Aunt Zorrie, you have to stay for lunch. Garcelle
is the best cook ever," Kadina said as she rose to her
feet.

"Well, don't forget your mother could throw
down in the kitchen, too," Zorrie said as she rose.

"Kade, can you make it to the kitchen, or do you
want me to bring you a tray?" Garcelle asked.

Kade swung his legs to the floor and eased his
way to the end of the couch. "You tightened these
bandages real good for me this morning, so I'm
going to the table."

Garcelle stepped forward to offer Kade some assistance, but Zorrie got to him before her. Her instant reaction was to feel slighted, but she decided
that that was being childish.

"Bueno, Daddy," Kadina said, with her eyes on
him as he rose gingerly to his feet.

"Oh ... your nanny is teaching you Spanish?"
Zorrie asked as they made their way to the kitchen.

Garcelle thought she heard a hint of derision beneath Zorrie's sugary sweet tone.

"Si," Kadina said, with a wink at Garcelle.

Garcelle tugged Kadina's ponytail.

"Garcelle is good for Kadina. I'm lucky she was
able to help me out this summer," Kade said as he
took a seat at the large island in the center of the
brightly lit room.

"Yes, of course," replied Zorrie.

Garcelle moved to the stove to begin serving the
first course of soup. She had to swallow her uneasiness at serving Zorrie. It made her feel like the maid
she wasn't. When it was the three of them, everything
was informal, like a favor between friends.