Free Fire & Desire (Hero Series) by Yvette Hines, Monique Lamont

habit, she looked at
her diamond-encrusted watch. Her father had given the watch to her on her
seventeenth birthday, telling her, if she were going to attend social
engagements with him, she would need to keep him on schedule. He claimed it was
easier for her to look down at her watch without notice, but for him, it would seem
rude and impatient.
    The time was now nine P.M. In about thirty minutes, her father
would have to make his excuses and depart. He had an early meeting in Norfolk.
    Tiffany smiled and chatted briefly with the people as she made her
way back to her father. Most of the evening’s attendees were members of S.T.O.P
= Gun laws, which stood for Safety to Our People, a committee that lobbied for
more gun control laws. They were extremely active since the D.C. Sniper
incident a few summers ago.
    Her father usually attended banquets of both sides of an issue,
with the attempt to appear impartial until he had made his decision. He stood
firm on certain things he held strong beliefs about, but for most, he was
willing to look at different ways of doing things.
    His fair attitude was what most of the residents of the state
liked about him. But there were others, particularly some journalists who were
for the other party, who sat and waited in the wings, looking for any mistake
her father made so they could bring it to light.
    “…so I said to Wallace, call up my financial advisors for a
meeting tonight. I want money for more child development centers, recreational
centers, after school facilities and parks. Wallace said to me, but sir it’s
two o’clock in the morning; they’re all asleep.”
    Tiffany watched her father pause for effect and look around at his
captive audience circled around him.
    “And I said, wake them up…it’s for the children!”
    Everyone laughed as her father finished waving his arms in the air
enthusiastically, looking like a king prepared to lead his troops into battle.
    “What can I say, every now and then I feel like Kris Kringle,” her
father said jovially.
    When Tiffany reached his side, she took hold of his arm briefly
and firmly brushed her thumb down the underside, their signal that it was time
to leave.
    Her father covertly signaled to Wallace, who was standing by the
door, letting him know he was ready to go. Tiffany didn’t have to turn to see
if her father’s right-hand man got the signal—she knew from years of experience
Wallace missed nothing. She would be surprised if he hadn’t caught the signal
she had given her father.
    As people moved away from them, Tiffany’s father turned and
reached toward a man whose back was turned. Evidently, it was someone he had
been speaking with earlier. From her angle behind them, Tiffany didn’t
recognize the man.
    “Well, I must be going. I’m sure our paths will cross again.”
    “I’m sure they will,” the man said, his speech distinct.
    Confounded by the tingling sensation running down her spine,
Tiffany tried to place the voice. It seemed so familiar to her for some reason.
As she pondered, she could hear her father saying, “Before I go, I would like
you to meet my daughter.”
    She pasted on one of her social smiles as both men turned toward
her.
    “Tiffany, this is Trevor Wayne,” her father said.
    “It’s a…” Tiffany’s eyes made contact with her husband’s light
brown ones, eyes that sparkled with knowledge of her secret sins, “…pleasure to
meet you.”
    It took every ounce of her dignity to stand with her father in
front of the only other person who knew how wantonly and recklessly she’d
behaved over the summer months—Trevor.
    “My sentiments exactly.”
    She could see the subtle twinkle in his eyes.
    She prayed fervently he wouldn’t say anything.
    His hand moved out and grasped hers gently, consuming her by the
warmth of his touch.
    She had visions of hands that made her body sing, caused her to
beg for the pleasure they could give her. At that moment, she could feel heat
flood her sex,