Free Burning Hunger by Tory Richards Page A

body. Sometimes with tender passion,
other times in a kind of lustful frenzy. Her pussy lips were
swollen from the pounding they’d taken, her clit still
oversensitive.
    Once Val left the shower, she quickly
brushed her teeth and used the blow dryer on her hair, then she
walked naked back to her bedroom. Her brows lifted with surprise
when she saw the opened suitcase on the bed. How did he find
that? There were some items in it all ready.
    Val stepped inside her closet and took
inventory of what she wanted to wear and bring with her. She yanked
a pretty sundress off a hanger, the perfect thing for the flight.
It still had the tags on it, and after pulling them off she slipped
it over her head.
    “Phone call.”
    She let out a small cry of surprise and
swung around. Chaz was standing in the doorway, holding her cell
phone out to her. I didn’t even hear it ring. “Who is it?” she
asked, reaching for it.
    “Craig,” he said simply.
    Oh crap! For him to be calling this
early her father must have told him what was happening. Val took
the phone from Chaz, startled at the zap of awareness when their
fingers touched.
    “Hello, Cra—”
    “Who the hell is answering your phone this
early in the morning?”
    Her gaze locked onto the interested look in
Chaz’s eyes. Didn’t Dad explain that he’d hired a bodyguard? “Calm down, Craig. Chaz is the bodyguard hired to babysit me. I
hope Dad told you what’s going on because I don’t have time to go
into it right now.”
    “Yeah, he called me late last night. You
know you’d be safe here at my place.”
    Val knew he was just trying to be helpful.
They’d been lovers for a long time, and friends even longer. All
ancient history now. “That might be an option when we get back from
the Keys.”
    Chaz scowled and shook his head vigorously,
but the damage was done. Val shrugged and mouthed the words to him
that it would be okay.
    “So you’re going down south. How long will
you be gone?”
    “Craig, I’m not really supposed to say
anything, and I trust that you won’t either.”
    “Of course not.” He sounded insulted that
she would even mention it. “I’m worried about you. I just wish
you’d stay closer to home.”
    Val smiled at the affection in his tone.
“You know I didn’t take a real vacation during our entire
engagement,” She saw Chaz’s brows lift when she said engagement,
and she turned around, not wanting him to see her amusement over
his reaction. “Well, Dad feels this is the perfect time to get away
without causing any undo speculation. What happens afterwards I
don’t know.”
    “Will you phone me when you get back?”
    “I promise. Now I have to go, Craig.”
    “Bye, sweetheart.”
    Smiling, Val flipped her phone closed and
faced Chaz again. She could see on his face-he was going to blast
her for slipping up and telling Craig where they were going. She
held up her hand. “Before you yell at me, I’m sorry I slipped up.
But Craig won’t say anything, he’s a good friend.”
    “With benefits, obviously. Is that what
they’re calling fiancé’s now?” He stepped forward and picked up her
left hand. “I didn’t think I’d seen a ring on your finger.” He
practically tossed Val’s hand back at her. “I would never have
touched you if I’d known you belonged to someone else.”
    His unexpected anger fed hers. “Oh, a
womanizer with scruples.” She ignored the blaze of warning that
flashed in his eyes. “That’s refreshing. And for your information,
I don’t belong to anyone.”
    “That’s obvious based on your
indiscretions.” He swung around and was gone before she could slap
his face or respond to his comment.
    Val couldn’t understand why she didn’t just
tell Chaz that she was no longer engaged to Craig, except that
she’d always enjoyed the challenge of a good fight, even a verbal
one and one, she would win. She supposed that was the trial lawyer
coming out in her. The fact Chaz was bothered by the thought of