Page 24 of Chasing the Flame (The Sacred Flames Of Ruin #1)
“What are you doing, son?” My father’s disappointed voice filled the air. I almost groan, but at this rate, I’m just glad he waited until Averie was out of earshot.
She’s alone, Dad. New town, strange house…it just didn’t sit right with me.” I grumble, jerking my chin toward the barn. “I need to feed the chickens, the goats, and the horses before dinner.”
He sighs, “Come on, I’ll help you settle the animals.”
“Thanks,” I mutter, heading toward the barn.
We get busy, moving from stall to stall, working together silently.
In no time at all, we manage to feed and water all the animals.
I should feel relieved, but I find myself growing antsy.
An intense and burning desire to check on Averie crashes through me.
“I see that look in your eye, go on. I’ll finish up here,” my father says.
“No, I’ll help you finish. We’re almost done.”
I move to reach for the saddle in his hands, but he takes a step back and gives me the look.
“I said I got it. Now go, before I change my mind.” The twinkle in his eyes is pure orneriness.
I grin, holding up my hands as I back away slowly from him.
Dad just chuckles, shaking his head before turning and heading toward the tackle room.
I don’t waste another second, heading to the backyard where I know they’ll be.
Sure enough, the fire is already going, and the picnic tables have been set.
But all of that pales in comparison to her.
I quickly find Averie, enraptured as she flits to and fro, helping Lucy with the final touches.
She’s fucking glowing, completely and totally in her element.
Seeing her so at ease with Lucy is a beautiful sight, and I find myself stalling just to watch her.
Matt and Tony are down at the lake, setting up the rest of the surprise. It’s Dad’s birthday dinner, a fact I may have forgotten to mention to Averie. The surprise, though? That’s all for her.
After a few more minutes of watching, I move from the shadows and stride toward the party, smiling when Averie’s gaze briefly meets mine. “There you are!” Her voice is singsongy, like she’s already been drinking.
I spy a red solo cup on one of the picnic tables that looks suspiciously empty. She must’ve gotten into the whiskey. I grin, saying, “Here I am.”
“Lucy says it’s almost ready,” she replies, biting her bottom lip.
Damn, those lips. My cock twitches at the movement, and I have to force myself to focus on what she says next.
“Why didn’t you tell me it’s your father’s birthday ?
! I could’ve gotten him a card!” She smacks my arm playfully, frowning up at me with those perfect moss-colored eyes.
“Because he doesn’t like presents or a huge fuss. Dinner is about all I can get him to allow.” I shrug, nodding toward the picnic tables. “Why don’t we go ahead and grab a seat. Dad will help Lucy with the rest.”
“But it’s his birthday ,” she squeaks, hiccuping slightly. Her eyes widen, and she shakes her head like she’s about to return to the kitchen .
I grab her wrist, gently tugging her toward the picnic tables, narrowing my gaze at the lone cup. I have a sneaking suspicion that the cup wasn’t filled with beer. “You’re a guest,” I grumble, taking a seat and gently tugging her onto my lap.
She startles a little, and my arms slide around her waist protectively— instinctively, like they’ve belonged there all along. “I may be a guest, but—”
“No buts, you’re a guest. This is my home, and I say so.
” She shifts to look at me, rolling her eyes a little.
My palms twitch, practically begging to smack that peachy ass of hers.
My cock twitches again, hardening as I think of all the places I could fuck her in these woods.
She notices the shift and jerks a little, a pretty flush spreading across her cheeks.
Her gaze locks onto mine, heated and full of intense longing.
Then, she smirks, and before I have time to question why she’s grinding her ass against my erection.
I groan, resisting the urge to snatch her up and bend her over the picnic table. She rolls her hips again, slowly, torturously, and gives me a look that tells me she knows exactly what she’s doing.
It’s the fucking moonshine.
The thought steals my breath, reminding me that I need to empty that bottle of aphrodisiac shit. “Averie,” I moan. “We—”
“Well, you two kids look cozy!” Lucy calls from the deck, scaring the shit out of me. Averie jumps and climbs off me, her smile a little too forced, too bright. Her cheeks and neck are stained crimson, and she’s worrying that bottom lip again.
“Hey, just in time,” Lucy says, looking past me this time, and I glance over my shoulder, following her gaze. Matt and Tony chuckle as they cross the yard, each grinning like idiots. They look drunk as hell, and I have a feeling they’ve had a glass of the shit too.
Damn, that fucking moonshine .
I run a hand down my face in frustration, before sauntering off toward the deck. I’m trying to play it cool, knowing Lucy likely grabbed the wrong bottle from Dad’s cupboard. “Hey, Dad, where’s the whiskey?” I holler, giving him a pointed look.
He frowns, shrugging his shoulders. “You know, the red label?” I ask, giving him a second to process what I said. The moment realization strikes, I see it. His eyes widen, and he jerks his head toward Lucy.
“Where’d you put that bottle, love?” He asks her, wrapping his free arm around her waist.
“Oh! It’s in the kitchen, I’ll grab it—”
“I’ll go get it. You already have your hands full.” I interrupt her, striding toward the deck. She gratefully smiles, clearly not picking up on my panic.
I stalk to the kitchen, my eyes searching for that damnable bottle.
Seemingly, it’s nowhere to be found. My gaze scans the kitchen, passing across every likely spot.
Finally, I find it, perched on top of the fridge.
Before I can grab it, Averie’s voice chimes from the door, startling me senseless. “Whatcha doin’?”
I grab hold of my chest, the familiar panic clawing its way through my body.
Fuck, not now! The tremors wreck me, pulling me out of the moment and back to a scene I’ve tried to bury—the moment before I almost killed an innocent man.
I can smell the salt in the sea, feel the wind as it rushes past me, and hear the ship as it approaches ours.
I’m calling on the radio, asking someone to confirm the vessel approaching, but no one is answering me. Why aren’t they answering me ?!
“Jettson.” Averie’s voice cuts through the haze of panic I’m feeling.
Her palm rests against my heart, the warmth permeating my entire being.
Blinding white light scorches the edges of the memory, burning everything in its path.
My vision clears, and the panic recedes.
Averie stands before me, a frown creasing her brow.
“There you are,” she breathes, a smile lifting the corners of her mouth, her body relaxing just a fraction.
“Here I am.” The words are gruff, reverent, and hushed.
It’s a tone I’m unfamiliar with that has me shifting restlessly on the balls of my feet.
Embarrassment grips me in its claws, and I feel my skin heat with a flush.
I hate that she saw me like that. “I uh, I’m sorry you had to see me like that,” I say finally, the words feeling like ash on my tongue.
“Like you haven’t found me in several awkward and embarrassing situations already,” she huffs, rolling her eyes, before pinning me with a narrow-eyed glare. “You have nothing to apologize for, Jettson. You hear me?” She pokes me in the chest as if to emphasize her point.
I gulp, feeling properly chastised, and nod in agreement. “Good,” she says. “Now that we have that cleared up, whatcha waiting for? Christmas? Come on, the food’s getting cold.”
My eyes scan the top of the fridge again, and I notice the bottle of Jack Daniel’s that’s barely been touched.
“Yeah, let me grab our good friend Jack here,” I say.
Averie grins and shakes her head, practically skipping out the door.
I snatch both bottles off the top of the fridge and yank the cork out of the bottle of moonshine.
I grimace, eyeing the red homemade label dubiously christened ‘Lilith’s Ember’.
It’s not your average whiskey. It’s magically altered to heighten your partner’s mood and elevate their sexual experience.
It definitely can be a fun time, but it’s not the vibe I’m going for at a birthday gathering for my father.
I shiver and turn the bottle over, letting the moonshine spill out.
I watch as the liquid swirls down the drain, and listen to the sounds of laughter coming from my backyard. After a moment, I leave the bottle in the sink and grab the whiskey, leaving the past where it belongs.
Averie
It’s damn near midnight and the party’s still going strong. I’ve not felt this free in such a long time, and I honestly can’t remember laughing so much. Whatever was in that moonshine loosened me up, and I’ve been giving it just as good as I’ve got all night long.
Elliot is exactly like I thought he would be.
He’s charming, kind, and a total cut-up, with jokes that have kept me in stitches the entire night.
Throw in the fact he’s ridiculously good at pool, and you have one hell of a man on your hands.
Though my gaze has often strayed to a certain carpenter, wondering what he’s thinking about.
Jettson has been quiet for a long time, seemingly reflecting. I haven’t told him yet, but I saw everything. I felt his panic and pain like it was mine. It broke my heart for him, the pain he endures, the worry he feels over the what-ifs.
What if he had opened fire? What if they were just a second too late? What if the person he would’ve killed had a family? The questions have swirled around in my mind, just as I’m sure they’re running around in his.