Burning Love Read online

  Burning Love

  Fiona Davenport

  Copyright © 2022 by Fiona Davenport

  Cover designed by Elle Christensen

  Edited by Jenny Sims (Editing4Indies)

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Created with Vellum

  Contents

  Burning Love

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Epilogue

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  Burning Love

  All it took was one glance for billionaire Rush Baldwyne to experience a burning love unlike anything he’d thought possible. The hunky fireman had no doubt the pretty bridesmaid was meant to be his, but Rush had to wait eleven long months to claim Faith Carrington.

  Rush kept close tabs on the young beauty, counting down the days until he could claim her. But when a natural disaster struck, and he was forced to miss her birthday, he returned more determined than ever.

  Prologue

  Rush

  “Let’s go, boys!” I shouted to my team as I exited the church. Even though the fire alarm had been tripped intentionally, we still had to do a full sweep.

  The alarm had interrupted a wedding, so I approached the bride and groom, giving them a sympathetic smile. It was hot as fuck outside, and our gear wasn’t exactly breathable, so I pulled off my helmet and wiped my brow with my forearm. “It was a false alarm. You’re cleared to enter the building.”

  “Of course, there was a freaking false alarm right in the middle of the ceremony.” My eyes were immediately drawn to the person who’d made the comment.

  My body roared to life as I took in the sight of the petite woman with auburn hair and the most beautiful blue eyes I’d ever seen. It had been a long damn time since I’d even bothered to look at a woman, much less be sexually attracted to one. I was as stunned by my response as her beauty.

  Her gaze met mine, and I felt as though my world turned right side up—as if it had always been upside down, and I simply hadn’t realized it.

  She was the one. I knew it in my soul.

  Then my gaze dropped to see that she was holding a little girl, no more than one. My jaw hardened right along with my cock. The sight of her with a baby in her arms was enough to have my dick weeping come. But the knowledge that she belonged to another man slammed into me like a freight train. A muscle jumped in my cheek as I ground my teeth together, telling myself to walk the fuck away and forget all about her.

  It was really fucking hard—no pun intended—when she couldn’t seem to tear her eyes away from me, any more than I could from her.

  “Mommy! Mommy!” The little girl my beauty was holding started to reach wildly as she reached for another woman.

  Relief blew through me as I realized this wasn’t her child—not that she would be childless much longer—and I didn't see a ring when she handed the little girl over.

  Mine.

  “C’mon, Rush,” called Caffrey, the pipeman on the truck and a good friend, yanking me out of the fog this woman had me wrapped in. I glanced over at Caffrey, and he jerked his thumb over his shoulder toward the truck. “We can’t leave without you since you’re the one driving the rig today. Quit gawking at the pretty girl and get your butt over here.”

  I shot him a scowl that would have had anyone except Caffrey shaking in their boots. But one of the reasons we’d become such good friends was because I couldn’t intimidate him since he was unimpressed with my wealth.

  He waved at the bus again, and I realized that everyone was ready to go and waiting for me. With everything going on, now was not the time to delve into my new plans for the future.

  Gritting my teeth in frustration, I silently promised my girl I’d see her soon and jogged back to the rig.

  When I returned to the firehouse, I immediately pulled out my laptop and began to research until I finally found out who she was.

  Faith Carrington.

  She was the daughter of Jonah Carrington, which could prove to make things a little difficult. Jonah owned a world-renowned tech and security company, the one that everyone wished they could work with. He was also known for being one of, if not the best, hackers in the world. And he had a reputation for being extremely possessive of his wife—and overly protective of his daughters.

  Not that this information deterred me one bit. But the next detail I dug up put a slight wrinkle in my plans.

  Age: Seventeen.

  I was eighteen years older than her. Perhaps that should have made a difference, but the truth was, her age didn’t change the outcome, just the timeline.

  1

  Rush

  I ran an impatient hand through my short dark-brown hair and leaned back into my chair, setting one ankle on the opposite knee.

  “Where is she?” I growled into the phone.

  “Relax, Rush,” Noah said. My best friend was the only one who knew about my obsession with Faith.

  “Would you relax if this were Samantha?” I muttered.

  He was silent for a moment, then grunted, “You have a point.”

  Noah had some idea of what I was feeling because he had his own woman he was making plans for. Although, he’d been waiting a little longer since he’d met Samantha when she was still sixteen. It was an odd coincidence that our situations were so similar, but it turned out that the universe had an even fucking weirder sense of humor than we thought because Samantha and Faith were practically cousins.

  “The security company you hired is almost as good as your future father-in-law’s,” Noah reminded me.

  His attempt to reassure me only further annoyed me because I hated that I didn’t have the best to watch over Faith. But walking into Jonah Carrington’s office and asking him to help me keep tabs on his teenage daughter seemed like a great way to end up sinking to the bottom of the East River in concrete shoes.

  I certainly couldn't blame him, not when it was what I would do in his place. Nevertheless, he’d have to eventually come around to the idea of Faith being mine. I wasn’t going to give him a choice.

  “Then why haven’t I heard from them?” I grunted. It was just after twelve, and Faith had made plans to have lunch with her friends at this diner at noon. Sometimes, when I couldn’t stand to stay away any longer, I would arrange to “bump” into her somewhere.

  It had been four months since I first saw Faith at that wedding, and there were still another seven until she turned eighteen. At first, I’d tried to simply let her live her life and wait patiently, until one day when I walked by her school just as class let out. She exited the building in her uniform—a plaid skirt, white blouse, and blue tie. The only things missing were the knee socks. Thankfully, because I wasn’t sure I could have kept myself under control if she’d been wearing them.

  The skirt was too fucking short, and the little teenage shit walking right behind her had been ogling her ass, clearly hoping for a gust of wind to give him a view of what was mine.

  After that, standing back and observing was no longer an option. First, I had a talk with the punk who’d been eyeing my girl. I threatened to make him a soprano if he didn’t keep his hands and eyes to himself. And before I sent him back inside, sniffling like a pussy, I ordered him to warn all the other boys to do the same.

  One thing that helped keep me sa
ne—and out of jail—was Faith’s clear obliviousness to the boys around her. She was so clearly innocent…and I was craving a ripe cherry.

  Despite her imperviousness to the opposite gender, I called the next best security company out there and made sure I had eyes on Faith at all times. They reported all her movements each day and several other facts I’d asked them to keep tabs on. Like doctor’s appointments.

  If they thought my requests were unusual or spoke to an unhealthy level of obsession, they didn’t let on. But then, that was what they were paid for. And it wasn’t as if I didn’t know I was over the top when it came to Faith. I simply didn’t give a shit. I would do whatever was needed to make sure she belonged to me. I’d have her bred with my ring on her finger and using my last name before the candles on her birthday cake stopped smoking.

  And before she realized exactly how deep my obsession with her really went.

  There were a few places where I could see her myself—cameras that were easy to hack and things like that. She babysat for a couple with six-month-old twins, and the security on their nanny cam system had been a joke. Of course, I’d made it more secure to protect my girl while she was there, but obviously, I kept my own access.

  Her guards often sent me videos as well, and I’d set up a dedicated server in my house where I stored all the recordings. Not only did it give me peace of mind that they wouldn’t be lost or hacked, but it made it easy for me to watch them over and over, picking apart every little detail while learning as much as I could about the woman who belonged to me.

  It certainly hadn’t taken me long to notice how she lit up like the Fourth of July whenever she saw the twins. And the look of longing on her face when she had to say goodbye. Every time I saw it, my cock hardened with anticipation, ready to fill Faith with the babies she so clearly wanted.

  However, during our short conversations, I also learned that she wanted to be an interior designer and loved anything and all things Paris. I’d already guessed that because it was all over her life. She’d even had a birthday cake made of stacked macarons last year.

  I intended to make all of Faith’s dreams come true.

  Which was why I bought us a flat in Paris, so we could go anytime she wanted. When she wasn’t flat on her back with her legs in the air, making me a daddy, we could explore the city and visit all the places she loved together.

  My phone beeped, and I glanced at the screen to see I had a text from Val, the bodyguard currently shadowing Faith. “I’ll call you later, Noah,” I said to my friend and hung up without waiting for a response.

  Val: Her manicure appointment ran long.

  I was irritated she’d waited until now to tell me, but all I really cared about was how soon I would see my girl.

  Me: She’s on her way now?

  Val: Yes, sir. ETA 5 minutes.

  I put my foot down, sat up a little straighter in my seat, and picked up my iced coffee. She came around the corner just as I swallowed and set the cup back on the table.

  Faith skidded to a stop, causing her friend Olive to bump into her. The momentum propelled Faith forward, and she would have crashed right into me if I hadn’t jumped to my feet and hauled her into my arms.

  Holy fucking hell. She felt amazing pressed up against me. Her soft curves fit right into the hard grooves of my muscular body. Even though I towered over her, it felt as though we were a perfect match of two puzzle pieces.

  Faith might have been young, but her body was all woman. She was petite but had mouthwatering curves. A round face with striking blue eyes and a rosebud mouth, big tits that I couldn’t wait to suck on, a flat belly—I’d take care of that as soon as possible—wide hips that were perfect for breeding, and shapely legs that I just knew would feel amazing wrapped around me while I fucked her.

  I knew I had to let her go before I did something stupid, especially considering the sizeable bulge in my pants. But first, I dropped my face into her soft auburn waves and inhaled her coconut and lime scent.

  As I’d watched Faith, I’d also collected her receipts, looked up purchase histories, and anything else I felt would help me prepare for our life together. Our shower was already stocked with her favorite body wash. The lotion in the same scent was in the nightstand on her side of the bed and in several other rooms around the house.

  When I came across a room spray in the same scent, I couldn’t buy it fast enough. In fact, I’d cleared out every bottle the store had in stock. At night, I sprayed my pillow with it before I went to sleep, making my dreams of her seem even more real.

  “I’m so sorry, Rush,” Faith gasped, and I shored up my strength, setting her a good foot away from me.

  “You have nothing to be sorry for, blue eyes,” I told her, giving in to the urge to brush wayward strands of her auburn hair behind her ear. “I like being your knight in shining armor.”

  Her cheeks bloomed with pink, and I held back a groan. I had a bet with myself about how far down that blush would go when she was stuffed eleven inches full of me and screaming my name.

  I shook the images away and quickly returned to my seat, crossing my legs to hide the giant bulge in my jeans.

  “Well, um…enjoy your lunch,” Faith said softly, seeming reluctant to walk away.

  “You, too, blue eyes,” I murmured, keeping my voice low enough that it wouldn’t reach her ears.

  Times like this made it hard as fuck not to forget all about her age. She followed her friends into the diner, but her eyes remained on me until Olive grabbed her arm and quickly steered her over so she wouldn’t walk into the large picture window. Faith’s cheeks turned crimson, and I chuckled at the sweet, innocent picture she made.

  My girl often reminded me of a red-haired angel. She was also incredibly sensuous, and I couldn’t wait to draw out the seductress hidden inside her. I often pictured her riding me with wild abandon, her auburn hair swaying around her as she leaned back with her hands on my thighs, thrusting her tits in the air.

  I watched her wide hips and sexy ass sway through the window as she walked up to the counter. The situation in my pants was not improving, but I struggled to leave when she was so close.

  “Rush Baldwyne?”

  My attention was ripped away from my girl, and I frowned as my eyes swung around to take in the person who’d called my name.

  A tall, skinny woman with red hair as fake as the silicone balloons on her chest sauntered up to my table. Her overly plumped lips curved in what she probably thought was a seductive smile, but she’d had so much Botox it reminded me of the thin-lipped smile of the Grinch.

  “Rush. It’s so great to see you.”

  My brow lowered, and I studied her for another second, but nothing about her struck my recognition. “I don’t think we know each other.”

  Her mouth shifted into…some attempt at an expression, but I didn’t care enough to figure it out.

  “Of course we do! We met at the gala last month for…”

  She babbled on about an event I’d attended, but I still couldn’t place her. I’d only gone to support a foundation that Noah created. He was a heart surgeon and had developed several new tools and other equipment that had made a significant difference in the medical field. One of the most anticipated tools he’d invented was ground-breaking, and the research showed an astronomical drop in casualty rates for certain heart surgeries. It had been fully approved by the FDA last year and garnered him a Nobel Prize, and he’d used the award money to fund a research foundation.

  Though he hadn’t outright admitted it, I suspected that he’d been motivated by the opportunity to offer Samantha a job. It gave him the kind of access to her that I would have given every penny in my bank account to have with Faith.

  The situation being what it was, and with my desire to remain under the radar, I’d stayed long enough to hear Noah’s speech, listen to him grumble about Samantha’s dress, and keep him from murdering a teenage punk who kept trying to get her attention. Then I ducked out early.

&
nbsp; Which meant there was no way I’d met or spoken to this woman during that event or any other.

  “You said I danced—”

  “Stop,” I ordered, more irritated that she was taking my attention from Faith than the fact that she was clearly lying. “We’ve never met, I assure you. Now, I’m very busy—” My words cut off when she leaned over the table, showing off more of the plastic bubbles on her chest than anyone should have to see as she placed her hand on my arm.

  I was about to calmly tell her not to touch me when I felt eyes on me. My heart dropped into my stomach as I glanced back to the door and saw Faith watching us. Her expression was crestfallen, but the second she realized I’d noticed her, she’d hurried over to her friend, who was setting their food at one of the other outdoor tables. Faith said something, and Olive glanced in my direction. The second she spotted me, her eyes jumped to the redhead, and Olive’s mouth twisted in disgust. Then she glared at me briefly before turning back to mutter something to my girl.

  Fuck.

  2

  Rush

  Having been born with a trust fund worth over a billion dollars, I was used to women throwing themselves at me, but that didn’t mean I had to like it. My interest in entertaining shallow relationships and one-night stands had been a product of teenage hormones and lasted about as long as a breath mint.

  I knew what women saw when they looked at me…in addition to the dollar signs. My body was shredded because I liked being healthy, and it made me an effective firefighter. With my hazel eyes—framed with thick dark lashes—angular face, chiseled jaw, and straight nose, I wasn’t considered classically handsome, but I was attractive enough to end up on a list of the world’s sexiest bachelor philanthropists multiple times.