Wrapped in Flame Read Online Free Page B

possession that came with the words and the pressure of his lips on her own lingered. That was how she knew it wasn’t a product of her imagination. It had happened. So why did she have a hard time believing it?
    While the crew settled in for pizza and beer, she stayed within her own thoughts, barely registering the conversation around her. “Do you understand what I’m saying?” Erica wanted to. Wanted Mike to crave her as much as she did him. Too good to be true? Then there was Berto earlier, going on about her desirability. He was defending her as any friend would. Rather like, Am I too fat? No, absolutely not. But Mike was different. He was her best friend. Saying she was desirable wouldn’t be enough. He’d want to show her. Right? Why else would someone as hot as Mike want someone like her? If she let him pursue this course to spare her feelings, it would ruin everything.
    Oh, but she wanted him bad. The feel of him hard against her, arms locked tight, him taking what he wanted, and her giving it up. There had been no faking the hard-on trapped between them earlier. Impossible dream, or the real deal?
    Erica covered the hitch in her breath with a sip of beer. The cold bottle against her lips did nothing to quell the memory of Mike’s tongue diving into her mouth, taking possession.
    “Don’t let Keith get to you.” Gina nudged Erica’s foot from the other side of the long couch. They each had claimed the space. Bub and Berto had taken the recliners. So far, no one else had arrived. They would soon, though.
    “We’ll get your stuff first thing. No problem,” she added.
    Erica reached for a slice of pizza from where the boxes sat on the coffee table. “I’m sick and tired of him and his games. Now this suit. It’s ridiculous.” She wasn’t about to tell Gina that her thoughts had been nowhere near Keith but had been locked fully on Mike and what was going to happen once everyone left.
    Gina swung her feet to the floor and shifted her way. “Okay, I’m out of place here, but there’s something you need to know—”
    “There you are.” Bub raised his beer to Mike and CJ as they walked into the house.
    Neither looked happy. Thoroughly pissed was a better description. They each grabbed the beer bottles Berto held out, then aimed for the couch. Gina scooted back to her original spot. Erica slid her feet to the floor, making room for Mike.
    “What’s wrong?” Gina asked.
    CJ plopped down beside her, reaching for a slice. Mike twisted the cap from his bottle and slugged down half of it, took a breath, then drank the rest. Berto took the empty one and handed him another. The silence in the room was scary.
    “Was there an incident on-call?” Bub asked. “Is someone—”
    “Keith raped Sandy,” Mike spat out.
    “What,” “when,” and “I’m gonna kill that fucker” all came out at once. Erica wanted to throw up. She pressed her fingers tight against her lips to keep from doing so.
    “He caught her in the shower about six weeks ago. It was late. Everyone else had bedded down.” Mike opened his bottle, kept his gaze locked forward. “Held a knife to her throat.”
    “Why didn’t she tell anyone?” Gina’s voice was barely above a whisper. She’d gone pale.
    “Fear,” CJ said. “Of him, of what he might do if he caught her alone again, of what one of us would do to him if we found out.”
    “She went directly to the sheriff’s office once she got off shift.” Mike swiped his thumb over the growing moisture on the bottle.
    Erica wanted to touch him, ease his upset. Hell, she wanted to apologize to everyone, even though it wasn’t her fault.
    “Sandy said they didn’t take her seriously, that evidence was sparse. Accused her of an affair gone wrong. Apparently she wasn’t roughed up enough for the detective.”
    “Bastard.” Bub launched to his feet. “Is that why the chief called you in?” He paced behind the recliners, beer clutched in his beefy hand.
    “Nope.” Another