Flicker: An Ahmalee and Cain Update

By Tina Martin

His eyes warm me like the flame of a candle…

 

Ahmalee and Cain are beginning their new lives as a married couple, but it's taking Ahmalee more time to get adjusted to Cain's millionaire lifestyle. She's in love with her husband but struggles internally with her new identity.

 

*This is a look into the lives of Ahmalee and Cain after their whirlwind romance and marriage. For the best reading experience, you must read When I Needed You and When You Needed Me before reading this update story.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tina Martin
• Release date: Feb 18, 2021
• ISBN: 9781393145189

Tina Martin

TINA MARTIN is the author of over 80 romance, romantic suspense and women’s fiction titles and has been writing full-time since 2013. Readers praise Tina for her strong heroes, sweet heroines and beautifully crafted stories. When she’s not writing, Tina enjoys watching movies, traveling, cooking and spending time with her family. For more information, visit www.tinamartin.net

Book preview

Flicker

Chapter 1

Ahmalee

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I’m always hyper-aware of Cain’s presence. An all-encompassing feeling overtakes me whenever he’s near – my signal that he’s about to be somewhere super close to me. It’s a peculiar but welcome emotion that permeates the air of my personal space like a mist of fog on a damp morning before the sun shines. It’s an exciting feeling that reminds me of how fortunate I am to have crossed paths with such a brilliant, beautiful man. Cain and I – we share one of those everlasting, true loves. The kind that’s fleeting. The kind most people try to grab a hold of and latch on to, but can’t quite get a handle on it. It’s the kind of love my parents shared. Love most people dream about. I used to dream about it and to be honest, I never thought I’d find it. Now, I’m covered in an abundance of it because of him. Oh, what a feeling.

I’m standing at this fancy kitchen sink with a touchless faucet that’s located in front of a large, crystal-clear window that gives a splendid view of the backyard. After Cain and I married, I moved from Knightdale, North Carolina to Charlotte to live with Cain, so I’m still learning my way around his exquisite seven-bedroom mansion.

Today, we had our family and friends over for a barbecue – most of them have already left. Cain wanted them here to make me feel more comfortable in my new surroundings. He didn’t say that outright, but it’s the vibe I got. At any rate, I enjoyed every moment with them. My new life is going to be good, but I sometimes still find myself anxious. So, when our guests started leaving, I snuck away to rinse off empty food trays just to take a breather when I felt Cain’s nearness.

I don’t have to turn around to recognize he’s behind me. I know it. And then I feel his powerful arms envelop me in a tight squeeze.

Ahh...

The sensation swallows me. I melt into his mighty embrace. I was already warm all over, but when he touches me, I become a flame – a flicker of fire that’s ten times hotter than any heat my candles have ever produced. I’m as malleable as partially solidified candle wax. He can form me into anything he pleases.

What are you doing in here? he asks, taking the glass dish out of my hand. I feel his beard brush against my face, tickling and teasing me. His touch, his warmth, has seeped into my body and taken over atoms, cells – the very DNA of me. He’s that much a part of my life.

I tell him, I was rinsing out some of these dishes.

Why, baby?

Just to pitch in and help out.

He leans in close to me. His lips flutter against my neck when he says, You don’t have to do that. You don’t have to lift a finger to do anything, Ahmalee.

He’s correct. He has everything under control. He hired a catering company to cook all the food for the barbecue – and I mean the food was out of this world good. As a part of the company’s service, they do a clean-up as well, but Cain has an estate management team who takes care of everything he needs – cooking, cleaning, scheduling functions – he runs his home like he does Immersive Media Productions.

I say, "Yes, I know I don’t have to do anything, Cain, but what if I wanted to help because that’s just the kind of person I am?"

"What if I don’t want you to?" he asks.

I turn around to face him. A pocket of air catches in my throat. Gee, I don’t know if I could ever get used to his stellar looks. His dreads are hanging loose just the way I like them. Beard trimmed, outlining his face and emphasizing his full, firm lips. My eyes fuse with his vision. Cain’s eyes will forever be an aphrodisiac for me – their golden hue enticing me into submission. They make me remember certain things like how intense they are when he makes love to me. Or when he buys me gifts and searches my eyes for the truth about how I feel about them. Cain Wesley knows the power he has over me, hence his beautiful smile – the kind that causes fluttering sensations in my heart and butterflies in my stomach. I said it before and I’ll say it again – he’s my everything and he’s got a crush on me.

I say, "You know washing dishes is not above me."

I know, he says. "But skip all that. Right now, I’m trying to be above you." He kisses my lips with one of those sensual, teasing maneuvers when he teases me with his tongue by flicking that firm muscle across my lips.

I give him a quick kiss