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

and
you’re probably right. Regardless of what my feelings may be about marriage,
this one started off in a way neither of us would have planned. You’re also
probably right; a divorce is most likely inevitable. However, we’ve been attracted
to one another since the moment we met.
    She snapped, “So what do you suggest, Trevor, that the two of us
get together for casual sex every now and then to relieve a little stress and
tension?” She rolled her eyes toward the ceiling of the car.
    This is just great , she thought. Men are all the same, no matter what their
social class or occupation. It is all about sex.
    Taking his eyes off the road, he briefly looked at her. “In spite
of what you may think about me, sex has not been casual for me since I was in
my early twenties.”
    “Then why even bring it up?”
    “Because it’s a fact that neither of us can honestly deny.”
    “I may not be able to deny it, but I plan to disregard it.” In an
abrupt motion, Tiffany crossed her legs and folded her arms over her chest.
    Trevor merged into the off ramp traffic, taking the exit back to
the college. “Tiffany, I’ll give you your divorce.”
    Shocked, she turned toward him. “Are you serious?”
    Trevor held up his hand, curbing her enthusiasm. “On one
condition.”
    She observed his profile through squinted eyes and asked
cautiously, “What’s that?”
    “The moment you begin living for yourself, I’ll let you go.”
    “What kind of garbage is that?”
    Trevor turned the corner to the college. “I know you’re not only
totally consumed by your father’s career, but your friends are sucking the rest
of the life out of you.”
    “You don’t know anything about me or my life.” Tiffany slid
her hips back, her posture ramrod straight in the seat.
    As he pulled into a parking spot, he turned toward her. “I know enough
to know you are suffocating. You’re stifling your own passion and life to
fulfill your father’s dreams.”
    Tiffany inhaled a sharp breath, then forced it out. “As you can
see, Mr. Trevor Wayne, I can breathe just fine. I don’t need your amateur
medical advice to tell me what’s best for me.”
    “Maybe not, but one thing I do know for sure is, you’re in dire
need of a good lay.”
    The silence in the car almost crackled with the tension ignited
between them.
    “Where do you get off—”
    Trevor cut her off, saying, “As you may have noticed, tonight, I
didn’t.”
    Mad enough to spit needles, she grabbed the door handle and
attempted to exit the car.
    Trevor grabbed her by the shoulders and turned her toward him.
“Look, Tiffany, you need to learn to live your own life before you get
smothered under the pile of people wanting a piece of you.” He looked into her
eyes, his gaze intent and strong. “You may be Governor Donald W. Selina’s
daughter, but you’re not his wife. It’s way past time for you to step out of his
lime light.”
    She pushed away from him, gripped the door handle, opened it and
faced him one last time. “Listen up, Trevor, and listen well. I never asked you
to be my guardian angel. I don’t know why you think you have a right to
dictate to me about my life.”
    “I’m your husband,” he said, his tone austere and quiet, like a
vault door sealing her fate.
    ~ML~
    He watched Tiffany walk to her car, get in, start it up and pull
off. The sound of spitting gravel assured him she was still very angry. He
pulled out of the parking spot and headed toward his apartment.
    He didn’t know why it was so important to him that Tiffany got a
life. Maybe it was because he’d noticed the minute signs of strain and fatigue
around her eyes. Even when they were at the party a few weeks ago and she
smiled her fake smile for the public, he could see how exhausted she appeared.
The hints were so subtle that, if someone weren’t paying close attention to
her, he would miss them.
    He steered his car down the deserted dark streets. “That woman’s
going to start living,