Hot Like Fire Read online

  Reviews of Previous Niobia Bryant Books

  “A well-crafted story with engaging secondary characters.”

  Affaire de Coeur, 4½ stars (Admission of Love)

  “. . . [T]his sneaky little romance heats up gradually, then sizzles until done . . .”

  Black Expressions Book Club (Three Times a Lady)

  “Heavenly Match is a wonderfully romantic story with an air of mystery and suspense that draws the reader in, encouraging them to put aside everything and everyone until they have read the book in its entirety.”

  RAWSISTAZ Reviewers, RAW Rating: 4 stars (Heavenly Match)

  “‘Sexy as sin’ describes this provocative novel to a T.”

  Romantic Times, 4½ stars, TOP PICK (Can’t Get Next To You)

  “Run to the bookstore and pick up this delightful read. This reunion story is touching, warm, sensuous and, at times, sad. But just try to put Bryant’s book down.”

  Romantic Times, 4½ stars, TOP PICK (Let’s Do It Again)

  “Niobia Bryant has penned an awe-inspiring tale of finding true love no matter the consequence. Thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommended, Heated is sure to please.”

  RAWSISTAZ Reviewers, RAW Rating: 4½ stars (Heated)

  “. . . sassy humor and sexy scenes . . .”

  Romantic Times, 3 stars (Count on This)

  “In Bryant’s first mainstream fiction offering, she does a great job of bringing forth characters that are feisty, diverse and interesting. . . Bryant establishes well-developed characters . . . Live and Learn is a pleasurable reading experience.”

  Romantic Times, 4 stars (Live and Learn)

  Also by NIOBIA BRYANT

  Romance

  Admission of Love* +

  Three Times a Lady

  Heavenly Match * +

  Can’t Get Next To You <>

  Let’s Do It Again

  Count on This <>

  Heated + §

  Hot Like Fire + §

  Women’s Fiction

  Live and Learn

  Show and Tell

  Anthologies

  Could it Be? in You Never Know

  KEY

  * Connected Books

  + Books set in Holtsville, SC (Hot Holtsville Series)

  <> Connected Books (The Dutton Sisters Series)

  § Connected Books (The Strong Family Series)

  HOT LIKE FIRE

  NIOBIA BRYANT

  Kensington Publishing Corp.

  http://www.kensingtonbooks.com

  All copyrighted material within is Attributor Protected.

  Table of Contents

  Reviews of Previous Niobia Bryant Books

  Also by NIOBIA BRYANT

  Title Page

  Dedication

  Prologue

  1

  2

  3

  4

  5

  6

  7

  8

  9

  10

  11

  12

  13

  14

  15

  16

  17

  18

  19

  Epilogue

  Copyright Page

  For my grandparents

  Sally and Clarence Johnson

  I bet they’re kissing in heaven.

  Prologue

  “¿Me das este baile?”

  Garcelle Santos looked over her bare shoulder at the tall and handsome dark-skinned man requesting a dance at the wedding reception of Kahron Strong and his new bride, Bianca. The man was Bianca Strong’s friend from Atlanta. Armand Touissant.

  There was no denying the interest in his eyes, but Garcelle was looking for nothing more than someone to dance and maybe laugh with. She smiled as she placed her hand in his and let him twirl her rather dramatically onto the center of the dance floor. She actually flung her head back and laughed as he pulled her body to his while Syleena Johnson’s “I Am Your Woman” played.

  “You are one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen in my life,” he whispered in her ear, with his hand at the small of her back.

  “Thank you,” was all that Garcelle said. She hoped that was the end of the talking.

  But he continued with his compliments, even trying to press Garcelle’s body closer to his. She stepped back from him, with a chastising smile. As they two-stepped, she looked over his broad shoulder with her beautiful, doe-shaped eyes. All of Holtsville was in attendance. Some faces she recognized, and others she didn’t.

  Kahron and Bianca were dancing together in a playful and sexy way. There was no denying the love and passion. The fire burns between them so strongly, Garcelle thought, wishing them well as Armand guided their bodies into a series of turns.

  Bianca’s father, Hank, was dancing with that whacky Mimi. They made an odd pair: he was so tall and broad, while she was so petite and crazy as hell. Garcelle just shook her head at that pairing.

  Kaeden and Kaleb, two of Kahron’s brothers, stood at the bar watching a pretty, dark-skinned beauty saunter by. Kaleb said something, and both men looked absolutely wolfish before they laughed. The Strong men really were strikingly handsome, particularly when all four of the brothers were together. Somehow each of them made having prematurely grey hair the sexiest thing ever.

  But one was missing. The mean and sullen one.

  Feeling mischievous, Garcelle swung her head to the left and then to the right. How like him not to enjoy the festivities. When Armand again sent their bodies into a series of turns that drew the attention of the crowd, Garcelle caught a glimpse of silver curls and broad shoulders over in the rear of the reception tent. Alone. She whipped her head around and looked at him, only to find that his intense stare was already locked on her. Her heart raced madly.

  He had once angered her when he accused her of stealing. That day they had insulted each other like children, and now they barely spoke to one another. But she couldn’t deny that of all the sexy Strong brothers, he was the most divine. And the thought of his eyes on her made her muy caliente.

  The music changed to an up-tempo song, and Garcelle broke free of Armand’s hold, grabbed the full skirts of her crimson dress, and began dancing the salsa all alone. Soon the dance floor cleared, and she was left alone to give in to the passion and electricity of the dance. But she noticed no one. No one but Kade.

  Her eyes were locked on him. Even when she spun, she would stop so that she was facing him, and their eyes would lock once more. With each of her spins, she found he was moving closer and closer to the edge of the dance floor.

  Garcelle enjoyed the warmth of his eyes as she handled the footwork with ease. The crowd applauded her. She moved her body like a snake when need be. She gyrated her hips like she was working a hoola hoop. She danced like her life was dependent on it.

  She danced for him, and even though he stood there, with his hands in his pants pocket, his face the same brooding and unchanging mask, she knew he had not missed one bit of it.

  When the music came to an end, Garcelle spun her body across the dance floor until she came to a dramatic stop before him, with her flared skirt floating in the air before it slowly drifted down around her shapely legs. Everyone applauded her, but Garcelle’s eyes were locked on Kade’s. Pure electricity ran through her body.

  Even as she moved away from him, casting one last look at him over her shoulder, Garcelle knew that in that one moment, everything between them had changed.

  1

  Two Months Later

  As soon as the alarm clock sounded and woke him from his sleep, Kade Strong rolled out of bed. No snoozing. No lounging. No adjusting to being awake. No sitting on the side of the bed until he got out of that half asleep–half awake zone. Just up and at ’e
m. It was time for a hard day’s work, and he didn’t mind it one bit.

  Five years ago, when his father decided to semi-retire from running the daily operation of the ranch, he turned it over to Kade, his oldest son. And Kade had been profoundly touched that his father had entrusted him with Strong Ranch. Kade had always worked the ranch along with his brothers, but now he initiated new ideas and made it his business to take the ranch into the future. So he went from paid manager of the farm to part owner. He never wanted to fail his father or ruin a highly successful business. So if continued success meant working right along with their forty ranch hands from dawn to dusk, then Kade was more than willing to do it. Besides, he always had been a hands-on type of man. Sitting in an office, making sure he didn’t get dirt under his nails, wasn’t his thing.

  Nude, he strode into the adjoining bath of his bedroom and relieved himself, with a long sigh. After flushing the commode, he stretched before he started the shower. He looked down at the sink. One washcloth. One towel. One toothbrush. One rinse cup. One of everything in his life. Constant reminders that he was alone now.

  It had been close to three years since his wife, Reema, had passed away. Years that seemed like forever without her.

  That’s why he hated to be in bed alone. A pillow to hold at night was a poor substitute for spooning his wife. Holding her. Smelling the scent of her hair and her neck. Teasing her nipples in the last moments before he dozed off. Her hand reaching back to lightly rest on his thigh. Their innocent embrace suddenly turning to hot caresses and the most passionate lovemaking ever. The unique scent of their sex. Intimacy. Affection. Love.

  Sighing, he stepped inside the shower, pulling the curtain closed as the steam surrounded his body. As he began to lather his washcloth, his elbow slammed against the tiled wall. He winced and swore. The dimensions of the bathtub left a lot to be desired for a man of his size. Six foot five and 225 pounds, Kade was solid and strong. Trying to shower—or God help him—bathe in a bathroom fit for someone under six feet was more injurious to his body than working the ranch.

  For a second, as he dragged the soapy cloth across his ridged abdomen, he thought of the master suite at his own house. Reema had made sure everything had been custom built to fit him. The high ceilings. The extra long bed. The oversized Jacuzzi tub. The tiled shower big enough for him to spin in.

  The night before Reema died had been his last night in that house. He hadn’t been back since. He hadn’t wanted to return.

  Kade finished his shower and rushed to get dressed in one of the nearly thirty Dickies uniforms in the closet. As soon as he pulled on his Tims, he left the room and walked across the hall to look in on his seven-year-old daughter, Kadina. Even though he knew she was sleeping, because of the predawn hour, every workday he liked to look in on her before he went out to work the ranch.

  She was the only thing that had kept him sane in the first few months after Reema’s death. He had had to at least pretend to be strong for his child. Strong. Humph, sometimes he had found it so hard to live up to his name.

  Kade shut her bedroom door and jogged down the stairs. The scent of coffee hit him before he even reached the bottom step. Ever since he was a little boy, his mother had gotten up with his father, made him a cup of coffee, and fixed his breakfast before he left to work the ranch every day. Thirty years later, the tradition lived on.

  At the sight of his parents, Kade came to a halt just before stepping into the kitchen. His father, Kael, was sliding his hand under his mother’s knee-length gown. It was not exactly the warm family scene Kade wanted to be a part of.

  Kade backtracked and headed down the hall to the front door. As badly as he craved his morning cup of coffee, he wanted to respect his parent’s privacy. He lived with them, and he didn’t want to be an intrusion.

  Kade jogged down the stairs and climbed into his Ford Expedition. Although he had every intention of heading toward the rear of the ranch, he followed an instinct and, instead, steered his vehicle down the winding road leading to the main highway, in the direction of Summerville, South Carolina. His heart raced a bit as he eventually made the turn off of Highway 17. His grip on the wheel tightened. His body jostled as he drove down the dirt road, swerving around crater-sized potholes.

  Set back in the center of three acres of land was the house. His house. He climbed out of the SUV, with his eyes fixed on the two-level brick structure of over three thousand square feet. With the Strong Ranch hands keeping up the maintenance of the land as he requested, it appeared to be a warm home awaiting the return of the family, but that house had not been a home for years.

  Kade slid his large hands into the pockets of his navy Dickies pants. The silver curls of his prematurely gray hair glistened in the rising sun. Memories unfolded before him like a movie, causing a soft smile to play at his supple lips.

  Kade climbed the steps, with his keys in hand, but the front door swung open before he reached the top step. He was surrounded by the sweet and subtle scent of his wife’s perfume just before she leaned her tall, full, and curvaceous figure against the door frame, with a welcoming smile filled with the love he knew she had for him.

  He paused for a second at the top step as his love—that deep, lasting, one-of-a-kind love—filled his chest. Reema was his wife, his friend, his lover, the mother of his child, the keeper of his secrets, and the believer in his dreams. He couldn’t imagine his life without her.

  “Hey, you,” he greeted her as his smile broadened and his bottomless dimples deepened. It was their first night in their new home. The first of many more to come.

  Reema flung her braids over her shoulders as she stepped forward to press her hands against his broad chest and her lips to his. “Welcome home, baby,” she said softly against his mouth.

  Their eyes locked as Kade pressed his hands against her hips and deepened the kiss.

  “Kadina’s upstairs napping. Dinner’s in the oven keeping warm. . . .”

  Kade grinned wolfishly as he bent slightly to swing her ample, curvaceous body up into his strong arms with well-practiced ease. He stepped inside the house and used his foot to kick the front door closed behind them.

  The image faded, and Kade swallowed a lump in his throat. He literally shook away the sadness as a tear raced down his cheek. He released a heavy breath and wiped his face.

  He leaned back against the SUV and looked up. Everything was calm and serene. He used to love this time of the day. Every morning, before he left their home, Reema would rise with him, just like his mother did for his father. She would fix breakfast, and they would sit on the patio outside the kitchen and watch the sun rise.

  It had been so long since he’d let himself enjoy something so simple yet so beautiful. He missed this. He missed a lot of things. His wife. His home. His bed. His privacy. His life.

  Kahron Strong sped up Highway 17, heading back from Charleston. He had just made a run to Lowe’s for supplies and was anxious to get back to his ranch. Cattle that he purchased at the livestock auction last week were being delivered today, and he was anxious not to miss it. His masculine hands drummed the steering wheel as he listened to “Don’t Matter” by Akon, playing on his satellite radio. He was singing along off-key as he looked out at the stretches of emerald green trees and grass lining the highway.

  He smiled as he thought of his wife, Bianca. She was a tall, fair-skinned beauty with luscious lips he could suckle forever. She was everything he never knew he wanted. Everything.

  The wide screen of his BlackBerry lit up where it sat on the passenger seat of his truck. He quickly turned down the volume of the radio and reached for it. His heart skipped a beat.

  “Hey, you,” he said, his voice filled with warmth, pleasure, and love.

  “Hey, you,” Bianca said in return, her voice husky with sleep and emotion. “I wanted to see you before you left the house this morning.”

  “I didn’t want to wake you, since you got in so late last night,” he said, placing his signature rim
less aviator shades atop his silver faded head as he steered the vehicle easily with one hand.

  “And because I came in so late, I had something I wanted to give you this morning.”

  Kahron’s smile broadened at the obvious sexy intent in his wife’s voice. He loved and adored the woman. His woman.

  When he first saw Bianca King driving her flashy convertible as her riot of curls blew in the wind, he never imagined the mysterious woman would later become the love of his life. She was the one person that knew him better than anyone else.

  His eyes shifted to the digital clock on the dash. “I’ll be home in ten minutes.”

  “I’ll be waiting.”

  Kahron felt anticipation fill him as he ended the call and propelled the vehicle forward. Bianca was not only an equine veterinarian servicing the local farms in the area, but also co-owner and operator of King Equine Services, and her time had been stretched thin lately. They had to make time for each other. Since they were used to making love once daily—if not more—they had some making up to do for the last few weeks of their marriage.

  Kahron’s head swung toward Kade’s house as he passed it. He did a double take before quickly pulling his SUV off the paved road and slamming on his brakes. Dirt and pebbles flew up around him. Quickly, he checked for traffic in his mirror before he did an illegal U-turn. He squinted his eyes as he turned left onto the unpaved road leading to Kade’s home.

  His heart literally ached to see his older brother obviously struggling to enter the house. It was well known that Kade had not been at the house since the night before his wife passed. Kahron wanted to go to him, help him through such an obvious big step in his life, but another part of him knew Kade wanted to do it alone.