Flights Of Passion

Chapter 7

Selene released Brandon"s hand and rose to her feet. Outside of her luscious embrace, the growing cool slipped past his defenses. The early stages of a relationship have their downside. I"d much rather let this evening of cuddling lead to its natural conclusion, but that"s going to be a long, long while, I suppose.

The early stages of a relationship have their downside. I"d much rather let this evening of cuddling lead to its natural conclusion, but that"s going to be a long, long while, I suppose.She made her way through the kitchen to the connecting door of his garage, and then out to his truck. He followed, unabashedly admiring the roundness of her backside, the dip of her slender waist in her tight, faded jeans, and the line of her legs. Pretty, sexy, smart and special… and she doesn"t even know it.

Pretty, sexy, smart and special… and she doesn"t even know it.Brandon"s silver pickup looked like a newer, cleaner version of Maggie"s. He clicked the unlock button on the keychain. At the loud beep, Selene jumped, shook herself, and made an obvious effort to focus. She slid into the passenger side of the bench seat and fastened her seatbelt. Brandon climbed in beside her and started the motor. He pulled out of the driveway and turned left, his eyes on the road.

After a few minutes, Brandon glanced at Selene. Daydreaming, I see, but the shy smile on her face tells me about what. He couldn"t resist laying his hand on hers, where it rested on the seat. He knew his intense attraction would be transmitted directly to her psyche. While she might be uncomfortable with her gift, I"m glad of it. Instead of trying to express myself with words, which are often vague and open to interpretation, I can communicate my actual thoughts and feelings to her directly.

Daydreaming, I see, but the shy smile on her face tells me about whatWhile she might be uncomfortable with her gift, I"m glad of it. Instead of trying to express myself with words, which are often vague and open to interpretation, I can communicate my actual thoughts and feelings to her directly.Selene jumped at the sudden contact, and then relaxed, allowing his fingers to lace through hers. Holding hands is such a normal thing to do, but I never thought anyone would allow it. Not once they know what I can do. Who would have imagined, when I offered to help Maggie move, that my day would end like this? Finally, for the first time, I"m someone"s girlfriend. No, not just someone"s—Brandon"s. How could such a perfect moment come to someone like me?

Holding hands is such a normal thing to do, but I never thought anyone would allow it. Not once they know what I can do. Who would have imagined, when I offered to help Maggie move, that my day would end like this? Finally, for the first time, I"m someone"s girlfriend. No, not just someone"s—Brandon"s. How could such a perfect moment come to someone like meBrandon"s thoughts poured into her, filled with hope. Maybe this will work out. Maybe I won’t be alone all the time anymore. Maybe I can finally…

Maybe this will work out. Maybe I won’t be alone all the time anymore. Maybe I can finally…Maybe this will work out. Maybe I won’t be alone all the time anymore. Maybe I can finally…A fire engine shrieked behind them and Brandon thoughtfully pulled over, leaving room for the massive truck to slide past them. A few moments later another followed.

“Goodness,” Selene commented, “there must be quite a fire burning somewhere.”

Brandon nodded. He released her hand to grip the wheel.

As they approached Selene"s neighborhood, the screaming of sirens and shouting of male voices penetrated the cab of the truck. Selene"s heart began to beat faster. Fire engines blocked the street in front of her house. A hellish glow lit the tiny structure. Brandon pulled over a few houses down, and Selene scrambled out of the cab with shaking hands and trembling knees. Brandon followed.

She stopped dead and stared in dumb amazement at the scene of desolation before her. Through the bay window to the left of the door, she could see orange and yellow flames greedily devouring her flowered sofa. Her breath caught as the curtains flared and then fell. Smoke belched from the edges of her garage door.

Oh no! The cats! Suddenly able to move, she advanced in rapid, uneven steps.

Oh no! The cats!A uniformed police officer with a mop of curly brown hair blocked her path. “Stay back, ma"am,” he told her brusquely, his eyes on the scene.

“Tony…” her voice wavered, almost inaudible in the din.

The cop looked at her sharply. “Selene? What are you doing here?”

She tried to speak, but her tight, tear-clogged throat prevented sound from escaping. She whimpered and tried again. This time, the words, “…my house…” carried through the commotion.

“Shit.” The officer"s gruff expression twisted into one of nauseous sympathy.

She tried to rush past him, but he moved in front of her. “You can"t,” he told her gruffly, gripping her upper arm, careful to keep his hand on her sleeve. “It"s a total loss.”

“No!” she cried. “Sammy and Margot are in there!”

She tried to pass him again, but Brandon grabbed her from behind. She fought him, desperate to get into the house, but he held her tight.

“Did she say there are people inside?” Tony asked Brandon. She heard the words, but dimly, as though the smoke of the fire affected her ears, not just her eyes.

“No,” she heard Brandon tell the officer grimly as she turned in his arms and began to sob, “her cats.”

With her face hidden against Brandon"s chest, she could barely make out the crackle of a radio. “There are no people inside,” Tony shouted. “I repeat; the owner is not inside. Get your asses out of there.”

Selene clung to Brandon as she wept. My home, all my earthly possessions, clothing, car—even my pets—will soon be reduced to ashes, and there"s nothing anyone can do to stop it.

My home, all my earthly possessions, clothing, car—even my pets—will soon be reduced to ashes, and there"s nothing anyone can do to stop it.“Ma"am,” a hoarse voice broke through Selene"s misery. She looked up, unconcerned with the tears streaming down her face. A filthy, soot-covered man in a flame-retardant coat stood in front of her. “I"m real sorry about your home,” the firefighter said. Then he opened his coat and handed her an ashy bundle of gray fur. “Your big kitty didn"t make it,” he added in a gentle, gravelly voice, “but I think this little fella is going to be all right.”

“Sammy!” Selene exclaimed, burying her face in his filthy gray fur. The kitten stared at her, the manic spark he usually had in his blue-gray eyes had gone blank, as though in shock. Letting out a tremendous sneeze, he dug his tiny, needle-like claws furiously into her shirt.

Brandon"s arm remained around Selene, and he pressed gently against her shoulders, leading her away from the remains of her home. He lowered the tailgate of his truck and lifted her inside. She sat, dazed, cradling her cat against her shoulder with one arm as helpless tears streamed down her cheeks. Brandon sat beside her, his arm around her shoulders, stroking her cheek soothingly.

“Selene.” She looked up to see that Tony had walked over to her.

Brandon tightened his grip protectively. His hand remained firmly pressed against her cheek, sending a wordless but comforting sensation directly into her.

Tony stared at them, jaw sagging slightly. Then he shuddered and cleared his throat. “I need to ask you some questions.”

“Can"t you see she"s in shock?” Brandon scolded the officer. His voice, to her overwrought ears, sounded as though it came from inside a tunnel. “She"s in no condition to talk right now.”

“She should come down to the station,” the policeman said firmly. “We can take care of her there.”

“There"s no need,” Brandon replied. “She can stay with me until we straighten everything out.” He slipped his hand into hers and sent images of warm hugs and safety to her overwrought mind.

“Who are you?” Tony asked belligerently, gawking at their joined hands.

“Brandon Price,” he introduced himself inattentively. His attention remained on her, not the policemen.

Selene fought her way up out of the fog as best she could. I have to try and explain to Tony. I can"t let him be aggressive with Brandon. Her lips felt numb, but she reached out her hand. Tony flinched and dodged away. Then he frowned, steeled himself visibly, and went still. She laid her fingers on his shirtsleeve and forced herself to speak. “Brand is a friend,” she told him softly.

I have to try and explain to Tony. I can"t let him be aggressive with Brandon.“All right then,” he grumbled, but she could hear that his tone had softened. “We"ll need you to come down to the station as soon as possible and answer some questions. This fire was no accident.” He turned to Brandon. “There"s nothing the two of you can do but get in the way. Can you get her out of here?”

Brandon nodded. He helped Selene down from the bed of the truck and loaded her into the cab, fastening her seatbelt when her trembling fingers refused to perform the task. Silently, he drove her back to his house.

Once there, she sat forlornly on a kitchen chair, saying nothing, stroking Sammy with unsteady hands while Brandon dug a rusty cake pan from the back of his cupboard and filled it with kitty litter left over from last winter. He set it in the kitchen, along with a bowl of water. Lifting the grubby kitten from Selene"s weak grasp, Brandon introduced him to his temporary accommodations. As soon as he was released, Sammy took a long drink of water then streaked away into the living room.

One unexpected guest dealt with, Brandon returned to Selene, who was shivering harder than ever. He scooped her off the couch and hugged her gently. Her skin felt icy, and she smelled strongly of smoke. Smudges marred her face and clothing, and ash from Sammy"s fur stained her hands nearly black. She clung to him.

“Come on, sweetheart,” he said soothingly, his hand circling on her back. “Let"s get you into the shower.”

Selene allowed herself to be led, like a sleepwalker, into the bathroom. Brandon turned on the shower, filling the room with steam.

“Will you be all right?” he asked her, but Selene didn"t reply. She just stared at him blankly.

Brandon cursed. Striving to remain impersonal, he removed her clothing and loosened her braid. Then he quickly stripped off his clothes and escorted her into the shower. Praying she wouldn"t notice his unwanted erection and become alarmed, he dipped her into the water, wetting her hair and rinsing the soot from her face. He poured shampoo into his hand and massaged it, gently but thoroughly, into every inch of those extra-long corn silk colored strands.

Once Selene was clean, and her skin warm to the touch, Brandon dried her with one of the large purple bath towels Maggie had given him as a joke. It seemed to swallow her up, she was so tiny. He wrapped his usual green one around his hips.

Well, Price, what the hell are you going to do now? Selene had no clothes except the filthy ones she had been wearing. Now she stood before him, naked under the towel and completely vulnerable. He wrapped her in a protective arm and walked her into his room, where he dug a tee shirt out of his drawer. He rarely wore it because it was so big on him, so on Selene"s slight frame, it hung like a nightgown. That will work for the moment. Still she stood, frozen and unresponsive save for a slight trembling that set the tee-shirt fluttering. Reasoning that some sleep might help her, he led her to the bed and tucked her in.

Well, Price, what the hell are you going to do now?That will work for the momentBrandon had just turned to leave the room when he heard a soft, almost inaudible whisper.

“Don"t go. Please, Brandon, don"t leave.” Selene had snapped out of her stupor and was watching him with desperation in her eyes.

“Okay, sweetheart, I won"t go. Just give me a minute to put something on.” He grabbed the first pair of clean boxers he found in the drawer and slid into the bed behind her, drawing her back against his chest and laying his arm across the narrow dip of her waist. She cuddled against him, and within moments her breathing became slower and more regular. Soon she dozed off.

Now what? It"s only 9:20 and I"m not particularly tired, but I don"t want to disturb Selene. So, he stayed, watching over her. It would be a lie to suggest he had never imagined this, holding her while she slept, but he certainly wouldn"t have chosen these circumstances.

Now what? It"s only 9:20 and I"m not particularly tiredbut I don"t want to disturb Selene.In his fantasy, of course, this would be the culmination of a night of fiery lovemaking. Of course, if I"m not mistaken, Selene admitted earlier that she"s never been in a relationship before. I could very well be dealing with a virgin. I"ll have to take this slowly—which will be uncomfortable—but the potential reward is immense. Selene isn"t a one-night stand or even a hot affair. She"s the kind of woman a man wants to keep for life.

Of course, if I"m not mistaken, Selene admitted earlier that she"s never been in a relationship before. I could very well be dealing with a virgin. I"ll have to take this slowly—which will be uncomfortable—but the potential reward is immense. Selene isn"t a one-night stand or even a hot affair. She"s the kind of woman a man wants to keep for life.Reminding himself he was getting way too far ahead, he kissed her softly on the cheek and closed his eyes. She feels perfect in my arms. Warm and content, Brandon fell asleep a few minutes later.

She feels perfect in my arms