It Burns Within Us | Wildfire Series Book 1

T W E N T Y - E I G H T

B R E N

It was late morning, and Madie continued to sleep peacefully. At least three feet of white, pristine sheets spanned between us. An entire ray of sun filled that gap. A pile of pillows separated our heads. But none of that mattered; I think I felt her heartbeat from here.

It was hard to believe any of this. Hope threatened to fill me, even though I knew it was a dangerous emotion. But right now, Madie and I were safe.

I didn't want her to wake up and notice me staring, so I slipped from beneath the heavy comforter and softly padded across the room, trying not to rouse the strawberry-blonde beauty.

I wanted to scope out the rest of his giant place.

I'd peeked into the other bedrooms last night, and they were pretty similar to the master suite, only smaller. The rooms were stark white and contemporary, any splashes of color provided by the ocean views. But I was curious what the rest of the house was like, and I wound my way down the stairs, trying to tread lightly. Every step seemed to echo through the house.

Another ocean scene greeted me as I emerged into the open-concept expanse of the main floor. This time I could also see the tan strip of sand just beyond the sliding back door. But the panoramic was a bit obstructed by a slab of black, glassy stone. It rose up to the high ceilings, filling the space between sets of enormous windows on the wall. A sleek, little fireplace sat at the base of the black stone, which was surrounded by a snow-white sectional couch.

I sighed—half in amazement and half in bewilderment that anyone had this kind of money for a second home.

Then I turned toward the kitchen, with its massive marble island and polished appliances, and I searched for one machine in particular. If there was one skill I'd learned in Oakland, it was how to make a mean cup of coffee. I couldn't create precisely what Madie liked since we didn't have any milk, but I could at least brew something hot for our first morning in Malibu.

After finding everything I was looking for, I sat back, watching as the stream of dark brown liquid pooled into the glass carafe.

The sound of quick footsteps brought me out of my meditative state. Spinning around, I saw Madie flying down the staircase. That big t-shirt of hers slid off one shoulder as she hurried, keeping her eyes down. But then she lifted her head and saw me.

Her steps slowed.

"Good morning," I said, smiling. Laughing a little at her speedy approach, I added, "Hungry or something?"

Madie didn't smile back. There was a little crease in her forehead as she bit her lip and continued to cross the distance between us. Without saying a word, she slipped her arms beneath mine and wrapped them around my waist.

Hugging her back, I frowned. "Hey, what's wrong?" She didn't reply, so I gave her a little shake. "Talk to me."

"You were gone again." She mumbled the words into my chest. I felt the vibration and her warm breath through my thin shirt. I closed my eyes for a minute, holding her tighter. God, I was such a dick. I should have stayed with her in bed. There was a reason she'd asked me to sleep in there, after all.