Free Through the Fire by Serenity King

had.
    She could have packed a suitcase and
    gone to stay with Brandon in New York for a
    week or more. She needed a vacation. She
    hadn’t taken one in a while. Working hard was
    how she forgot her problems.
    Dominique hadn’t realized it until this
    weekend, but she’d also distanced herself from
    her family as well. After the loss of the baby and
    her relationship with Brandon fell apart, there
    was so much pain she couldn’t share with them.
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    That reminded her, she would be leaving
    for home in the morning, and she wanted more
    time with Brandon. She looked at her watch.
    She’d been here for three hours. That was
    enough. Besides, if she stayed any longer, she’d
    probably lose her temper and tell her dad
    where to get off.
    Okay, enough lollygagging, I need to get
    out of here and back to the hotel. First I need to
    get Brandon’s attention. I don’t have his room
    key and I am going to need it for what I’ve got
    planned.
    She was going to give him the night of his
    life.
    Grinning at her spur-of-the-moment
    decision, Dominique took out her blackberry
    and sent Brandon a text message: “ Hey baby!
    I’m ready to go back to the hotel. I need your
    room key .”
    Before she could think better of it, she hit
    the send button.
    She watched out of the corner of her eye
    as Brandon frowned slightly and took out his
    phone to look at the message. Then his face lit
    up. He locked gazes with her for a moment then
    he dropped his head and started texting back.
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    SERENITY KING
    Dominique felt a rush of excitement go
    through her at the dinging of her phone. She
    opened the text. “It’s like that is it?” the
    message said. He even included a smiley face.
    “Yes,” she texted back immediately .
    “I’ll call the front desk tell them to leave a
    room key for my wife. Is that okay?” Another
    smiley face .
    “That’s perfect. And I want the key to
    your real room, not the decoy.”
    She felt Brandon’s eyes on her and their
    gazes locked for another moment . Her cell
    phone dinged again.
    “Are you sure?”
    “Positive,” she typed. She was anything
    but positive, but now was not the time for
    doubts. She’d made her decision, dammit.
    “Are you leaving now?”
    “Yes. So don’t be long. I have something
    special planned for you.”
    “Stop playing.”
    “I’m not playing. Don’t keep me waiting.”
    “I’ll give you a ten minute head start
    before I’m right behind you,” he texted .
    “Twenty minutes.”
    “Fifteen. Final offer. Get your sexy ass up
    and move it, wife.”
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    “Bossy, bossy.” His eyes narrowed
    dangerously, so she sent him another message
    that she knew he would like better. “All right,
    I’m moving it now.”
    “Love you, baby.”
    “Love you too. See you. Fifteen minutes.”
    For no good reason, she felt tears begin to pool
    in her eyes and blinked them back before
    anyone could notice. Her phone dinged once
    again. Dominique read the text and the tears
    started to pool her eyes again.
    “Be careful, baby.”
    So like Brandon. “I will.”
    She stood up to prepare to leave. She had
    to say goodbye to her host, but that was it. If
    she dared let her parents know that she was
    leaving, she’d have a million and one questions
    to answer. And what if Felton tried to follow
    her? The man was seriously starting to become
    a nuisance.
    “Leaving already, sis?”
    Dominique started. “Xavier? When did
    you get back? Chad said you were flying out
    early.”
    “I never said I wasn’t coming back. So
    where are you off to again? You have something
    going on that I need to know about?”
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    “Please don’t start. I’m out of here, X. I’m
    tired and just want to relax. I do need a favor,
    though.” She made her eyes as pleading as
    possible.
    Xavier’s eyes narrowed. “Name it.”
    “Keep Daddy and that idiot Felton busy
    while I make my escape. If I say my goodbyes,
    Daddy will have a million