Ignite Me (A Burning Desire Novel) (12 page)

I cleared my throat, glancing at Jude, who was fixing me
with inquisitive eyes.

“Tell me baby, don’t you miss having me inside you,
filling you as if I completed you. Don’t you miss touching me, or making me
come into your mouth, while you raise those beautiful hazel and green eyes of
yours?”

I felt my body stiffen and my heart jumped in my throat.
It wasn’t long before my insides tightened.

“I know I do.” He finished.

I couldn’t say a word; he was the one insisting on
carrying along with my stupid idea in the first place, and I wanted to yell at
him for torturing me like that. I’ve been hot and bothered all week long, yet
he didn’t try to do anything.

I wasn’t bothered by it, as I loved that he respected me
enough to do it. We would be kissing and cuddling before going to sleep, and
he’d end up taking a cold shower, every damn night.

I cleared my throat again, “I’ll call you when we land.”

“Say hi to Jude for me.” The smirk transpired through his
voice.

“Will do, bye.”

I pressed the end button, and went straight to write him a
revenge message.

~ The
things I plan to do to you Mr. Davis. I can’t wait for you to be inside me,

while
I clench repeatedly around you, burying my nails into your back, and getting my
fill of you.

I
will never get enough of you.

You
are mine.

NB:
Too bad, I’ll be thousands of miles away. Love you. Xx ~

“What are you doing?” Jude snapped me out of my reverie.

I flushed, and hit send, “Nothing, just writing a text to
Landon.”

“You were just talking, are you sexting?”

I flushed again.

“Oh my god Clea, you’re such a naughty girl.” Jude joked,
poking me lightly.

“I’m not very good at it.” I shrugged helplessly.

“There’s no right way to do it, you just go with your
mood. You should take tips from Jenna, or better yet, Mia, she’s like the
‘Queen of Sexting’, very visual, and explicit.”

He explained, making me double over with his grimace, “I
can only imagine.”

A ringtone announced a text and I opened my inbox:

~
Fuck me. ~

 
Mission accomplished.

I beamed at my screen, and put my phone inside my purse.

“What the fuck.” Jude muttered, getting my attention.

“What?” I asked.

He pressed the intercom, “Calvin, where are we going?”

“To the airport.” Calvin’s voice echoed inside the car.

“We’re flying from Kennedy, not Newark.” Jude explained.

I looked outside the window to realize that we were headed
to the wrong airport.

Calvin slid down the window,

“I’m sorry, Mr. Davis asked me to drive you to his plane,
and it’s waiting for you in Newark.” He announced.

“Is he waiting for us?” I inquired curiously and somewhat
annoyed.

“No, I don’t think he is.”

I pulled out my phone to call him, but Jude urged me to
refrain.

“It’s okay boo, it’s his thing. These kinds of gestures
are his way to show attention.” He argued quietly.

My frustration simmered, “He should’ve told me.”

Jude nodded, “He wanted to surprise you, as per usual.”

I toned down my anger and poured myself another glass of
champagne.

Jude burst into fits of giggles, “Ryan is going to be
pissed.”

“Yes. Yes he is.” I stated as we enjoyed our five star
services, courtesy of Mr. Generosity.

I rushed outside to the backyard, running out of breath
while chasing Emilia, who was chasing an angry, and scared little German
shepherd. She suddenly threw herself at him, and ended up lain on the grass,
giggling and ready to run again.

“Come on Cléclé.” She squeaked, “He’s going to eat my
minion.”

Jude appeared in front of the little puppy and grabbed
him, pulling the little yellow thing out of his grasp.

He handed it to Emilia, and she took it with a wide grin,
“Yuck, it’s wet.” She sputtered in disgust.

“Come on Emilia, let’s make them build things.” Aurelia
screamed in excitement after her sister.

They have been waiting for me to get them those cute
little figurines for days, Jenna and I got them a bunch of them, and they have
been playing with them for hours.

“No more playing girls, it’s bed time.” Brandon put a halt
to their attempt of escaping his grab.

“No, No, No.” They screeched in unison.

“Yes, yes, yes.” He answered coolly, “I want you to brush
your teeth, and wait for your mom upstairs.”

They pouted, “We want to sleep next to Cléclé.”

They were two inches of cuteness.

Brandon turned to me, signaling for me to say no.

I couldn’t.

I held my arms open for them and they ran inside them, “Of
course you’ll sleep next to Cléclé, where else would you two cute little things
sleep.”

Brandon raised his arms in defeat, and walked back inside.

“Let’s go get your little teeth brushed, put your pajamas
on, and then you can play silently in my room, until I come back up to read
some fairy tales.”

“Yes!” They jumped up and grasped each leg forcefully.

“Ok, let’s do this!”

I strode down the stairs and joined the others on the beachfront
terrace. It didn’t take long for Emilia and Aurelia to drift off to sleep.
Emilia was half-asleep while I was helping her into her minion printed pajamas,
and as soon as I tucked them in, they were gone. I watched them sleeping for a
moment, then tiptoed my way out of the room.

“Thank you Clea. You’re the most patient person I know,
and the best sister in the world.” Brandon wrapped his arms around me.

“It’s nothing; you two are the ones who take care of them
on a daily basis. If you were to live in New York, I’d babysit every day.”

Corinne laughed, “You say that now, but you should talk
with the six babysitters who quit. It’s a daily remake of the parent trap,
without the separation part, two scheming little devils in sheep clothing.”

Brandon nodded in agreement.

“Enough about the girls, I want to hear about your job, grad
school, and this guy mom has been nagging about for the past month.”

Jude handed me a cool beer, I took a sip, and then sat
next to mom, who didn’t refrain from making a grimace when I drank from the
bottle.

“Well, I love my job. We’ve been working on this campaign
ad for a chain of restaurants that offers a different specialty menu every day;
it goes from Greek, to Indian, to Moroccan. It’s an exceptional concept, with
more than seven internationally renowned chefs, and the food, oh my god, the food.
The client had offered my team several invitations for tasting. I had a
couscous and moussaka that would make the Greeks and Tunisians weep.”

I explained cheerily.

“Oh yeah, I heard about those, it’s Amory Thomson’s chain,
isn’t it?” Brandon inquired.

“Yes, you know Mr. Thomson?” I queried.

“Not personally, no. But he’s my firm’s client at the
Manhattan branch.” He announced.

“Anyway, grad school has been good too. It’s mostly
evening classes, so we get individual attention. I have a class on Wednesday
morning; and my boss is very flexible with my schedule. I still haven’t figured
out what my thesis will be about, but I might go environmental.”

“Leave it to my sister to want to change the consumer
society.” Brandon exclaimed proudly.

I shrugged, “Not change, but I do believe that
advertisement should care more about the environment, it wouldn’t hurt if we
try and get involved in protecting our planet.”

Keith beamed at me, “My little Clea. I wish Danny could
see you, he would be so proud of you.”

He paused, and extended his hand for me to take it, “I
know I am, you and Jenna make me so proud.”

I smiled and him and squeezed his hand, “Thank you Keith, and
you know I’m happy for you, and that I love you as much as I love my father.”

He nodded slowly, his eyes filled with pride, and some
nostalgia, “I love you too, bunny.”

“You still haven’t told us about this boyfriend everyone
has been gushing about.” Corinne interrupted.

“Yeah little sis’, does he need a reality check from the
brother?” Brandon took on a serious tone.

“Leave the young man alone, and I’m pretty sure Jude has
got you covered.” Nana interjected.

“Yeah, but Jude is more of Mahatma Man, I’m more of a Mike
Tyson.” He argued, gesturing punches in the air.

“Oh trust, he’s everything but Mahatma when it comes to
me.” I winked to Jude and blew him an air kiss.

“Although, Jenna might qualify as Mike Tyson.” Jude joked,
making me laugh

“I’m sure she is.” Keith commented.

“I won’t be insignificant in your life, I’m punching the
guy.” Brandon stated, only half joking.

“You’re not insignificant, you are my brother you idiot.
You’ll meet him at the wedding, but no violence will be involved.”

He strode to me and kissed me, “I’m happy for you.”

“Thank you Dee.”

“So he’s the son of Uncle Robert?” Brandon pulled a chair
and sat between mom and me, “How come I’ve never met him?”

“Oh I believe you did.” Mom announced, “You two were at
the same boarding school in Lausanne.”

“We were?” Brandon exclaimed.

“They were?” I followed.

“They were?” Corinne and Jude mirrored, and my mom nodded
in acknowledgment.

“What’s his name again?” Corinne queried.

“Landon Davis.” I said.

“Seriously? You’re dating Landon Davis?” Corinne
exclaimed.

“Fuck, Landon is Uncle Robert’s son, how did I miss this?”
Brandon grumbled.

“Watch your language young man.” Nana admonished, “You’re
such an American.”

“I’m sorry Nana.” He chanted.

“So?” Jude stared at Brandon, “Do you know him.”

“Me?” Brandon shook his head no, “I’m older than him, I
just know off him, but Corinne does.”

We turned to Corinne; she was staring at me in total
bewilderment “I know Landon.” She said quietly, “I dated his brother.” She
announced, making me gasp.

“You dated Simon?” Jude inquired and she nodded.

“He was, and I quote, her first love. Did you know he was
at dad’s funeral?” Brandon addressed me.

I nodded, “Mom and Uncle Robert told me, and you went to
their mother’s, didn’t you?”

He nodded, “Yes, that was easily one of the most intense experiences
in my life, Landon had destroyed the house from the ground up, and it took
seven of us to calm him down. He got out of the house, and I didn’t get to see
him after that.”

I fell on my back, picturing a suffering Landon. I knew
that his mother’s death had affected him; I avoided the subject, I didn’t know
how she passed, but I figured she must’ve had some kind of illness, since
Landon seemed to be very bent on helping several charities from the children of
the night, to cancer. However, imagining what he’d been through and picturing
Landon having a psychotic break like the one Brandon had described, it was
unbearable to me.

“He was very close to his mother, both of them were.”
Corinne pulled me out of my trance. Simon used to tell me about their unique
relationship. After the accident, Simon had a severe depression, and I heard that
he got into drugs, the heavy stuff…”

“Wait,” I interrupted, “Accident?”

“You didn’t know?” Mom inquired.

I straightened my back, “She had an accident?”

Corinne nodded, “Yes, it was a terrible one. She was on
her way to the airport, when a drunken truck driver hit her car. She stayed in
a coma for two months, and Landon was the one who had to unplug her in the end.”

I stared at her in utter stupor, my heart was getting
heavy, and I couldn’t speak, nor breathe.

“Ever since that day, Landon has made it his life mission
to find that driver, who seemed to have disappeared into thin air. He posted a
five million dollars reward for whoever called his firm with information. People
started calling from all over the country, but it was a dead end. They were
fueled by greed. They had found three bottles of tequila under the driver seat,
and this guy has been known to be affiliated with some dangerous people, so he
had the means to disappear.”

I felt sick to my stomach; I pushed to my feet, and ran to
the bathroom with the urge to vomit.

“Boo, are you okay?” Jude yelled after me.

I poured my guts into the toilet, feeling sicker. I felt
my eyes popping out of my head, and fell back on my ass. I stared at the
ceiling, socked by what I had just learned. The picture of his mother flashed
in the back of my head, and my mind drifted off to the painting Simon and
Landon in the Lake House. I had no idea what Landon had been through. It’s been
two years since she passed, and he didn’t have his closure. That is why Landon
was so affected; he didn’t get to mourn his loss properly, and he will never
do, not until finds the driver.

I wanted to see him, I needed to hold him, and try to mend
his heart.

“Boo.” Jude’s worried voice came from behind the bathroom
door.

“Come in baby-boy.” I pushed to my feet, poured some water
in the sink, and washed my face.

“I thought you knew.” He brushed his palm against my arm.

I shook my head no.

“I’m so sorry boo.”

“You don’t have to be. I just wish he told me, I tell him
everything, he said no secrets.” I crouched against the sink.

“It’s no secret, it was one of the most mediatized events,
you just didn’t know of him.” He explained reassuringly.

“I know; it’s just unbearable to imagine what he’s been
through.” I picked up a towel and wiped my face.