Free Connelly's Flame by Aliyah Burke

announced after dinner was over and they
    were sitting in the living room reading.
    “Okay,” Dezarae said, barely looking up from her book.
    “Be back soon,” he said as his tall body slipped out of her sight and out the back door.
    Seconds after she heard the door close, she shut her book. “What the hell is going on with him?” He
    was acting strange and it scared her. It was as if after coming back from her shop someone had flipped a
    switch, leaving her with a person who looked like the man she had picked up, but with an edge.
    She jumped when her phone rang. Picking it up, she said, “Hello?”
    “Hey, girl, how are you?” The deep voice reached her.
    “Lateef,” she said as she cuddled up on the couch, grabbing her stuffed Corvette, holding it close to
    her as she smiled. Lateef was a long-time friend and owner of the ’66 Toronado she had in her shop. “What’s
    going on, man?”
    “I missed you. I miss you.”
    “I miss you too, Lateef.” She closed her eyes as she pictured him. Tall like her guest and dipped in
    dark chocolate. He was everything she could ever want in a man, or so she would have thought before she
    met Jeb. Lateef was a man’s man and he knew how to treat a woman. But when her eyes closed at night it
    was a gray eyed, tanned, brown haired man that swam before her. “What are you calling for? What’s up?”
    “Well, I heard you were having one hell of a storm up there and wanted to make sure you were okay.
    Couldn’t get through the other day, they said the lines were down. How are you doing?” Lateef asked,
    concerned for her.
    “You know me,” she said.
    “Yes, which is why I am asking. How are you?”
    “I’m doing fine, Lateef. I’m fine. We got dumped on but with all those generators I hardly noticed.”
    I almost slept with a man that came from the storm but, hey. “How are you?”
    “I’m doing well. I have another car for you if you want, and if you have any room.”
    This perked her up. Another car. “Wow, what is it? Whose is it?”

    33
    CONNELLY’S FLAME
    Aliyah Burke

    He chuckled. “We’ll get to that. Tell me about you right now. Fill me in.”
    Covering herself with a blanket, she answered him. “Well, I just got finished with the hardtop Aston.
    David is coming to get it tomorrow. You should see it; it purrs like a kitten.”
    “I bet it does. Turn down any more marriage proposals?”
    She laughed. “Yes, Shawn asked me again. I don’t know why he keeps asking when my answer is
    never going to change.”
    “Because he is in love with you. Not that I blame him,” Lateef said.
    “I don’t think I will ever get married, not unless the right man just appears in front of me.” The
    clearing of a throat made her look up into the smoky gaze of her guest. Running her eyes up and down his
    fine body, she continued to talk to the man on the other end of the phone, “What are the chances of that
    happening to me?”
    “Up there? Slim to none. Which is why you need to come visit. Get away from that state, go to some
    civilization,” he said.
    “I don’t have time for a vacation, you know that. Come on, Lateef, you know me.” She closed her
    eyes on the disapproving stare from Jeb. “Now tell me about this car.”
    The sigh reached her easily. “Fine, I know when to stop beating a dead horse. It’s a 1966
    Lamborghini Miura.”
    Sitting up, she blinked a few times. “Are you serious?”
    “Dead. The man saw some of the pics you sent me of that last show you did and asked me to get in
    touch for him. I will give you his number and you can contact him. A word of warning, he is a bit…um
    rough around the edges.”
    “Meaning what…he is a rude man? An old curmudgeon?” she asked her friend.
    “Meaning he is different. Maybe eccentric would be a good word.”
    “But I can trust him?” Dezarae wondered.
    “Yes, I just don’t want you put off by his callous attitude. He will not be easy to talk to. You will
    have to watch your tongue,”