Page 6 of Let it Ignite (Playing with Fire #2)

Byron

Smoke clings to my gear, muscles aching as I step through the front door. Exhaustion weighs me down, but the thought of seeing Cassie keeps my feet moving.

The silence hits me first. It’s thick, heavy, and instantly wrong.

“Cassie?” I call out, my voice echoing back at me. I shrug off my jacket, letting it drop onto the chair, my pulse spiking. She should be here. She’s always here. Where the hell is she?

I move quickly to the kitchen, my boots crunching on something. I glance down. Glass shards scattered across the floor, glittering like broken promises. My chest tightens, dread wrapping around my ribcage at the sight of dishes untouched in the sink. She never leaves dishes in the sink.

“Cassie?” My voice sharpens, a guttural edge creeping in. Still nothing. I swallow, my eyes sweeping over the mess, catching on a crumpled note lying on the counter. My heart lurches as I snatch it up, the paper smudged with faint tear stains.

Byron

I’m sorry. I have to leave. I need to do this. Please don’t look for me.

Cassie

Anger surges through me, hot and uncontrollable.

I crumple the note in my fist, teeth grinding.

"Dammit, Cassie!" The words echo off the empty walls, my shout splitting the suffocating silence. She left me. She fucking left me. She has no idea what she’s done, what she’s risking. Doesn’t she know she’s mine?

But beneath the rage, fear claws at me, cold and merciless. She’s out there, alone, vulnerable, with hardly any money and I can’t protect her if I don’t find her.

I rake a hand through my hair, pacing the small living room, my mind racing. Where would she go? She has no one. No family. No close friends. She wouldn’t risk going too far, not with the audition still looming in the city.

I yank my phone out, fingers trembling as I find my sister’s contact. It rings and rings, my jaw clenching tighter with each unanswered tone. “Pick up, pick up,” I mutter under my breath.

Finally, Serena’s voice crackles through the line, breathless. “Byron?”

“Yeah, I need your help.”

“This better be good, buddy. You’re interrupting my playtime.” I hear the chief’s low, unmistakable chuckle in the background. Not an image I needed. Fuck.

“Serena, it’s important. Listen, that one time you were desperate to get away from dad, with no real money, where did you think of going?”

She’s quiet for a moment.

“Did Cassie leave?” she asks, her voice soft, but tinged with understanding.

“Yes,” I grit out. “Tell me where you’d go.”

“If I didn’t have a lot of cash? I’d probably look for a cheap motel, maybe near a bus station or the highway. Somewhere off the grid.”

My mind latches onto the idea, a faint pulse of hope cutting through the panic. I can work with that.

“Oh, wait,” she says, a hint of urgency slipping into her tone. “There’s that little motel off the highway, just past the old gas station. She might’ve gone there.”

“Got it,” I snap. “Thanks.”

“Good luck, asshole,” Levi adds just as I end the call, the chief’s laughter echoing faintly through the line as it cuts off.

I shove my phone into my pocket, adrenaline spiking as I bolt for the door, my mind fixed on one thing—bringing Cassie home.

“Sorry Cassie, there’s no way I’m not looking for you” I growl, the words slipping out between clenched teeth as I slam the door behind me. “And I’m not letting you go.”

The engine of my truck roars to life as I peel out of the driveway, tires screeching against the pavement.

The highway lights blur past, a streak of neon and concrete.

I push the accelerator harder, every second ticking by making my pulse pound louder.

My jaw clenches, fingers gripping the wheel so tight my knuckles turn white.

I reach the motel, my boots splashing through the puddles in the cracked parking lot. It’s the kind of place that smells like stale coffee and despair. I push through the glass door, the bell above it jangling loudly.

“Can I help you?” the older woman behind the desk asks, her eyes narrowing as she takes in my fire-streaked gear and wild expression.

“Looking for a blonde woman. Blue eyes. Checked in alone. She’s about this tall,” I growl, gesturing roughly with my hand. “You see her?”

She frowns, tapping her long, chipped nails on the counter. “I’m sorry, I can’t tell you that. That would be a violation of privacy”

My pulse kicks up, a fierce, unrelenting heat spreading through my chest. I know she’s right; she has no idea what the situation is, and she probably wouldn’t believe me if I told her. I certainly wouldn’t if I was in her place.

“Of course. Yeah, sorry to bother you,” I reply, heading back to my car. I sit there and try to come up with a plan. After a few minutes, I see a familiar figure walk down the second floor walkway, open one of the doors, and step inside.

“I’m coming for you, Cassie.” I mutter.

I dash up the stairs and reach the door, my heart hammering against my ribs as I raise my fist, pounding on the thin, hollow wood. “Cassie! Open up. Now.”

Silence. Then, a muffled shuffling, a hesitant step on the other side.

“Cassie,” I growl, leaning in, my forehead almost touching the door. “Don’t make me break this fucking door down.”

The knob turns, the door creaking open an inch, her wide, tear-streaked eyes peeking out. My heart slams against my ribs at the sight of her, the relief hitting me like a gut punch.

I push the door open fully, stepping inside, my eyes locking onto hers as I kick it shut behind me.

“You’re not running from me,” I rasp, stepping closer, my rough hands cradling her face, my thumbs brushing away the tear-streaked curves of her cheeks. She’s trembling, her breaths coming in short, shaky gasps, and it cuts me deep. My strong, fierce Cassie looks so damn breakable in this moment.

“Cassie,” I murmur, leaning in, pressing my forehead against hers. “You don’t ever have to run from me. Did I do something wrong? Did I hurt you?”

She shakes her head, her eyes shimmering with tears, her lips parting, her breath hitching.

“No. Never, Byron.” She lifts her eyes to mine, wide and shimmering, her lips trembling. “You’re the kindest… the most gentle man I know.”

She laughs, but it’s hollow, broken at the edges, and a tear slips down her cheek. “And that’s what terrifies me.”

I reach for her, but she steps back, just enough to keep the space between us aching. Her arms wrap around her middle like she’s trying to hold herself together.

“I was so anxious after you left, worrying if you were going to be okay. I was scared I was going to lose you like my mom.”

My chest tightens. I step toward her, but don’t touch her yet. I wait.

“I can’t live without you, Byron.”

“We’ll figure this out, okay.” I say. “But fighting fires is what I do, what I always wanted to do. It’s just as much a part of me as you are, and I can’t give that up.”

She looks down, hands fidgeting with the hem of her sleeve.

“There’s more…” She drags in a breath, her chest rising and falling.

“I still want this dream. The one I’ve had since I was a kid.

The auditions. The lights, the cameras. I want to chase it—because if I don’t, I’ll always wonder what could’ve been.

It’s all I ever I wanted, even if it means moving to Los Angeles. ”

The thought of Cassie so far away makes it impossible to breathe.

Her eyes meet mine again, pleading. “I need you to understand that. Please.”

I close my eyes, a familiar, bitter fear curling around my heart.

I’ve seen what happens when someone gives up their dreams for another person.

I watched my father trap my mother in this small town, watched him clip her wings, smother her spirit, until there was nothing left of the woman she once was.

I watched my sisters grow up in the shadow of that, learning to shrink themselves, to settle, to accept less because that’s what they thought they deserved because we had a bitter, abusive father who couldn’t step up.

I swore I’d never be that man. If I ever found the right woman—the one who set my soul on fire, who made me feel like living was more than just surviving—I’d never hold her back. I’d never be the reason she felt trapped.

I tilt her face up, my fingers threading through her hair, my voice rough, raw.

“Cassie, I’d burn this whole damn town down before I let you feel caged.

If chasing your dreams means going to the city for that audition, then I’ll take you.

I’ll drive you there myself. I’ll be right beside you, cheering you on, every step of the way.

And if that means you moving away from me, I’ll still be there for you.

I’ll find a way for us, no matter what it takes. ”

Her breath catches, a tear slipping free, her eyes going wide. “Really? You’d do that for me?”

I brush my thumb over her trembling lips, my heart pounding so hard I can feel it in my throat. “I’d do anything for you, Cassie. I care about you more than I can even put into words.”

She makes a sound—something between a sob and a laugh—then she’s grabbing my face, pulling me down, her lips crashing into mine.

It’s not a gentle kiss. It’s fierce, desperate, teeth clashing, tongues tangling, her fingers fisting in my hair, her body pressing into mine like she wants to crawl inside me.

I break the kiss, my breaths coming in sharp, ragged gasps, my forehead resting against hers, my hands gripping her soft, trembling waist, my cock already throbbing, hard and desperate for her.

I can feel her pulse racing beneath my fingertips, her skin warm and flushed, her chest heaving against mine.

“Thank you, Byron. You make me feel like I can conquer the world with you.”

“Of course, baby you can.” She leans and kisses me. The kiss is soft and reverent and makes me want Cassie even more.

“Strip for me, Cassie,” I growl, my voice rough, my eyes locked on hers. “I need you naked. Now.”

She doesn’t hesitate. Her hands fumble for the hem of her shirt, pulling it over her head, her messy hair falling around her flushed face, her bare, perfect tits bouncing free, her nipples hard and begging for my mouth.

My hands slide down to the waistband of her shorts, and I yank them down, her panties going with them, my eyes raking over every perfect, trembling inch of her.

“Fuck, baby,” I rasp, my hands finding her hips, pulling her against me, my cock grinding against her wet, bare slit, her soft, desperate moans making my head spin.

“You’re perfect. You’re fucking perfect.

” I get rid of my shirt. And I kick off my pants, my cock springing free, thick and ready, pulsing with the same wild, desperate need I see in her eyes.

God, she’s perfect. All soft curves and bare skin, her breasts bouncing as she climbs into my lap, straddling me with that sweet, shy smile that doesn’t match the wild fire in her eyes.

“You want this, baby?” I rasp, hands tight on her hips. “You gonna ride me like you own me?”

She leans in, her breath hot against my ear. “I already do.”

And then she sinks down onto me, her tight little body taking me inch by inch, her nails digging into my shoulders, her mouth open in a silent gasp. She’s so small, so tight, it’s almost too much. Almost.

“Fuck—Cassie,” I choke, my hands fisting in the sheets as she starts to move, grinding down, rolling her hips like she was made to break me.

She plants her hands on my chest, riding me like she’s got something to prove, like she’s trying to ruin me for anyone else. And it’s working. Every bounce, every squeeze, every moan that spills from her lips has me right on the edge.

“You feel that?” she pants, dragging her fingers down my chest. “That’s what you do to me, Byron. I can’t stop thinking about you. About this.”

I grab her by the waist and slam her down hard, driving deeper, grinding into her like I’m trying to brand her from the inside.

“I’d do anything for you,” I growl, my voice raw.

“Take you to that audition. Go to the premiere. Cheer louder than anyone else. You hear me? I’d carry you straight to the damn city if I had to.

You're mine, Cassie. And I protect what's mine.”

She sobs out a moan, her rhythm stuttering as her orgasm hits, her whole body trembling on top of me, her pussy clenching down, dragging me over the edge with her.

I crush her to my chest, groaning into her mouth as I spill inside her, filling her, holding her tight while the aftershocks roll through us both.

She slumps against me, breathless, her body still trembling.

“Really?” she whispers, her voice soft and cracking. “You’d do all that for me?”

I kiss her forehead, still buried inside her. “I'd do anything for you, baby. You’re it for me.”