Total pages in book: 111
Estimated words: 102136 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 511(@200wpm)___ 409(@250wpm)___ 340(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 102136 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 511(@200wpm)___ 409(@250wpm)___ 340(@300wpm)
Turning my head, I kissed Flame’s palm, a kiss to give him strength. Flame’s breath hitched, but he continued. His eyes remained fixed on the fire. The rhythm of the dancing flames and crackling wood seemed to give Flame’s confession the fuel it needed to be set free. “He said that the flames lived inside and they would burn anyone who got close.” Flame looked straight at me. “That’s why no one can touch me. Why I hurt everyone whoever gets close.” Flame’s eyes strayed to my swollen stomach. “I will hurt you, Maddie. I have hurt you already.” His body jerked, his face morphing into agony as he remembered something. “The fire. You were already in the fire.”
The panic in his eyes was my undoing. I held on tightly to his hand when he tried to pull away. I would not let him go. I was never going to let him go. “And yet I did not burn.” Flame held his breath, lines of confusion around his eyes expressing to me his disbelief. Pressing my hand over his heart, I asserted, “You rescued me, Flame.” I smiled a small smile, pressing my hand to my stomach. “You saved us both.”
Flame’s eyes widened. “Next time…” He shook his head. “You might burn. I don’t want the flames to get you. I don’t want to be in the fire anymore. I don’t want to be in the fire.”
“Flame,” I placed my hand on the side of his cheek. “If you are in the fire, then I shall be in the fire beside you. I am holding your hand. I am sharing the flames that live in your blood, sharing your burden. And if you burn, we shall burn together.”
“I… I don’t wanna burn anymore.”
“Then we shall survive,” I added. “No, we will thrive.”
“I can feel them now,” he uttered, panic setting on his beautiful features. His muscles began to twitch. I knew he would next reach for his knife. His eyes glistened with fear. “I feel them, Maddie. I can feel them.”
Keeping my heartache hidden, I moved from the bed, my bare feet landing on the cold floor. “Come with me,” I said and steered Flame away from the bed. He was weak when he stood up. I knew he was exhausted, all fight drained from his limbs. But he followed me slowly, and without question. He followed me to the bathroom where I kept hold of his hand. I turned on the bath’s faucet and pressed in the plug. Water began to fill the tub. Flame’s feet began to move, his legs urging him to pace. The fingers on his free hand twitched. I knew he wanted to scratch his skin.
Turning to face him, I placed my hand on his cheek. “Do you trust me?” Flame nodded without delay. I smiled when I heard his quick inhale of breath. He squeezed me tighter. Flame was frightened and bruised and so out of his depth. The water was lukewarm, thankfully the room was warmed by the fire in the adjoining room.
Releasing Flame’s hand, my knees almost buckled when he tried to hold on. I stayed close, leaning in to kiss above his heart once again. Flame’s fingers threaded through my hair. And I would never forget how he looked at me—like I was his everything, his why. I began to untie the drawstring of his pants. Flame hissed as I gently pulled them down his waist. The pants fell to the floor. Flame’s dark stare was fixed on mine. I witnessed the fear he held inside, the belief that he would hurt me. With his hand still softly placed in my long black hair, I edged up my nightdress inch by inch until I moved his hand briefly to pull the garment over my head.
“Maddie,” Flame rasped when the nightdress fell to the floor. I stood naked before him. Flame’s eyes inspected me, but my heart broke a little when he averted his gaze from my baby bump. I understood everything in life was overwhelming him right now. I had to heal him first, then bring him back from his desolation. I would fight for Flame as a father, to show him he was capable of love and that he could embrace our baby. I turned off the water and linked my fingers through Flame’s. I climbed into the large tub and Flame followed. I guided him to sit down. He did so without question. Flame’s eyes were wide as he watched me intently. Taking a washcloth, I dipped it into the water and brought it to his chest.
“Maddie,” Flame warned as I wiped it down his chest, the lukewarm water trickling down his wounds. Flame’s eyes closed, obviously feeling the water soothe his skin. He had told me the pain of his flames began in his heart. Rider had sought out a friend, someone who worked with people like Flame. Rider told me that Flame cut his arms to draw the pain from somewhere else…