Hearts on Fire 4: Kisses Sweeter Than Pie(28)

“Just some precautions I want you to take.”

“Okay,” she said.

He couldn’t help but to worry about Nina. She’d been through enough, now some stupid arsonist might find joy in harassing her? Great, just what they needed in Treasure Town. Again.





Chapter 8




Nina was laughing as Michaela told them a story about her boyfriends Jake McCurran and his brothers, Hal and Billy, who were firefighters.

“So just imagine Billy ‘Bear’ McCurran standing there staring at this horse that looked more like a large dog with a saddle on it.” They were all laughing.

“The guy who owned the vineyard reprimanded the person who chose the horse for Bear. It was hysterical as Bear, who was trying to be a good sport, decided to climb onto the thing, and it sat down and then lay down completely. I nearly fell off my horse,” Michaela told them, laughing even now.

“That is classic. How could anyone look at Bear, who is over six feet three, and even think he could sit on something so small?” Tasha asked.

“Well, come to find out hours later, after Bear got a new horse for the tour, that it was Jake and Hal who set the entire thing up.”

“Oh my, I bet that caused a little bit of friction in the honeymoon suite,” Serefina said.

“Well, actually it led to some very interesting foreplay and a bit of cowboy role-playing as well.”

They hooted and hollered and Nina felt her cheeks blush as she giggled. “So you actually went to Tuscany? That is so amazing. I’ve never had the opportunity to travel,” Nina told them.

“Well, neither did I until I headed to New York to see my sister, and then headed here.”

“Can you tell her about that, Michaela? Nina is going through something pretty tough herself right now,” Cindy said, and Nina wondered what was up. They had all spent the afternoon doing a little shopping and hooking Nina up with some thrift shops that had new, with-tag clothing for dirt cheap. At first she was embarrassed that everyone figured out she had four outfits to her name, but now things were different. Now she had at least six new ones.

“Of course I can. You see, Nina, I had a sister who I hadn’t seen in many years because of the bad family life we had.” As Michaela told her story, Nina sat there in awe of all she went through. Having some hit man after Michaela was similar to having Rico and his crew after Nina. Then when Tasha talked about working undercover for the feds and having to push the men she truly loved away from her as well as Serefina so they wouldn’t get hurt or killed, Nina got the chills. She started thinking about the possibility that if Rico found her, she would do whatever it took to keep Trent, Buddy, and Johnny safe. Anything.

“Serefina had a serial arsonist after her. She nearly died in a fire, too,” Tasha said, and then Serefina started adding her story.

Nina was enthralled with all the information. “I don’t feel so out of sorts now and like some freak,” Nina said as she finished telling them about Rico.

“Of course you aren’t a freak. Men can be such assholes. It takes a lot to realize that they’re messing with your head,” Tasha told Nina.

“Yeah, and of course my boyfriends’ cousins, Buddy, Trent, and Johnny, seem to be changing your opinion of men in general,” Serefina teased and the others chuckled.

Nina looked down at her half-empty iced tea glass. “They’re great men. Compassionate and caring, and I’m not used to that at all,” she admitted.

Cindy placed her arm over her shoulder. “Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it. Something tells me those Landers men are never going to let you go. They adore you already.”

Nina smiled and her cheeks warmed.

“We should have picked out some lingerie. A girl can never have enough sexy outfits to get her men wrapped around her finger,” Tasha stated.

They giggled.

“So what are you going to do about the whole lack of ID, a cell phone, and business card thing?” Tasha asked.

“I don’t know. I actually just got another order from one of the other restaurants near Angel’s Wings. The owner saw my flier and then Fannie talked me up.”

“That’s great news. Before long you’ll need your own bakery and some employees,” Cindy stated.

“Let’s not get too nuts. I think it will take a lot more time and definitely a lot more money.”

“Well, if you need a backing, I can help you financially. Maybe even work it out so there’s no real interest like a bank loan would have?” Michaela offered.

Nina was shocked but the others smiled. “I couldn’t do that. You don’t even know me, Michaela.”

“Sure I do. Plus, us women need to stick together. Treasure Town is about making dreams come true, second chances, and opportunity to improve life and survive past indiscretions. Besides, I’m loaded. My sister somehow left me a lot of money. As you can tell by my stories, and from being in town for over a month, Jake is still the sheriff, and Billy and Hal are still firefighters. Everyone can do what it is that makes them happy. If need be, I could always help you with the books, organizing the business, or advertising, because that was what I used to do.”

“Incredible,” Nina said, feeling overwhelmed and so emotional about these people and their offers of help. A tear rolled down her cheek, and the women just stared at her, smiling. “I never even had a friend before, and you’re offering me—a perfect stranger—so much help. I can’t get over it.”

“You have more than a friend, Nina. You have four friends right here,” Cindy said and they all agreed.

Serefina brought up another topic and the conversation continued around Nina. She felt her spirits lift and her enthusiasm rise just thinking about the possibilities and potential opportunities she had here in Treasure Town. Maybe even three men she could spend the rest of her life with and love forever.



* * * *



Johnny was waiting for Nina as she pulled up in the SUV with Tasha and the girls. They said hello, dropped her off, and then Nina came out carrying a bag with her.

“Hey, baby, I missed you.” Johnny pulled her into his arms and kissed her. The women honked the horn and whistled and hollered out the window and Johnny chuckled as he shook his head.

Johnny followed Nina up the stairs to her apartment. “You had a good time I gather?”

“Oh yes, it was a lot of fun. Those women are so kind and very easy to talk to,” she said, tossing her bag onto the couch.

“What’s in the bag?”

“Just some clothes. I guess the fact that I only own four outfits stands out.”

“You look sexy in anything, although I love you in nothing at all.” He pulled her closer and began kissing her again. Nina wrapped her arms around his shoulders and kissed Johnny back. He lifted her up and she straddled his waist as he carried her over to the couch.

He placed her down next to it and began to lift her tank top.

“Buddy was concerned about the bruising on your hip.”

“Buddy was?” she whispered, sounding breathless.

He stared at her lips, moved closer, and kissed her quickly, pulling her lower lip between his teeth and giving it a tug. “I should really be sure that you’re okay.”

He turned her around and pressed her body over the arm of the sofa so that she was leaning on her forearms.

“I love your body, Nina. I thought of it all day at work.”

She looked over her shoulder at him in such a sexy seductive way. He licked his lips and she lifted her ass toward him. It seemed his Nina was just as aroused as he was.

Using his palms, Johnny smoothed them along her back, her waist, and over her short shorts, giving her ass a squeeze.

He slowly pulled them down, and the little vixen lifted her thighs and maneuvered out of them. Now she was naked, only wearing that black sexy bra that barely covered her breasts. He leaned over her and gave his hips a pump against her ass. She moaned.

Caressing along her hips, he slid his hands underneath her as he knelt on the couch behind her. “Fuck, these tits are big, baby.”

She shivered and smiled as he leaned lower to kiss her skin. The feel of her warm flesh against his lips brought on a surge of possessiveness.

“Did you miss me, Nina?”

“Yes,” she replied quickly. He smoothed his hands back to her hips and leaned down to explore the bruising from her fall. He pressed his lips over each marking and then trailed a finger down the crack of her ass, over her puckered hole, and straight to her wet cunt. He thrust a finger up into her and Nina moaned aloud.

“Oh God, Johnny, I can’t take it. Please do something.”

She pushed her ass back against him, and he moved a hand over her hip to hold her there while he finger-fucked her.

“I am doing something. I’m getting this wet, tight pussy ready for cock.” He pulled his finger out as she pushed her ass back at him. “Unless you want my cock someplace else, Nina?” He pressed his finger to her puckered hole and slipped it inside.

“Oh. My. God.” She moaned.

“Fuck, Nina, you make me crazy.”

He gently pulled his finger from her ass and tore off his clothing. He was back behind her adjusting his position over her as she gripped the arm of the coach, pushed her ass back toward him, and began to slowly rock up and down. He moved over her body, caressing a palm over her thigh to her belly and pressed two digits up into her cunt.