Flash Burned

by Calista Fox

  Dane said, “Ari, you’re my wife now. Everything I have, everything I acquire in the future, is yours. Sign the papers.”

  “Jesus. Dane.” I couldn’t quite process what he was saying.

  I owned the Lux along with him?

  Whoa.

  I needed to sit down. Damn me for not setting out chairs.

  Even more unnerving was that it fully hit me why Dane was so massively paranoid about my safety. The reason for all the secrecy, most important as it related to our marriage.

  Now that I owned half of everything, I was an even greater bargaining chip for his axed investors. A much more invaluable pawn. If anything were to happen to Dane—

  I anxiously glanced about. Found Amano standing off to the side, rather than joining the others on the terrace.

  He watched me carefully. I realized he didn’t think of himself as a guest at mine and Dane’s wedding. He was on-duty. As always.

  Were we going to convert one of the spare bedrooms for him?

  I let out a borderline-hysterical half laugh. Knowing Amano, he’d prefer to stake out the house from his SUV, monitoring every square foot on his laptop, iPad, and phone.

  I suddenly felt a bit claustrophobic, imagining they insist I start wearing a suit of armor for added protection.

  Beyond all that, I couldn’t fathom the sudden and extreme hike in my monetary worth.

  I’d married a billionaire.

  “Ari.” Said billionaire nudged me gently. “Sign the papers,” he repeated. So calmly, so steadily. “Our guests are waiting.”

  I stole another glance at Amano. Clearly, he saw the struggle in my eyes. He gave me a shadow of a grin, then nodded slightly.

  I took the pen Mr. Conaway offered. He gave me the abbreviated version of what I had committed to on-paper. Dane signed as well. Then Amano, as our witness.

  My heart palpitations continued, but Dane wrapped an arm around my waist and dipped his head to mine. “If you ever need anything, and for some reason you can’t come to me, Jack will help you. Don’t ever forget that.”

  The grave expression on Dane’s face sent a chill down my spine. “Like … if something ever happened to you?”

  “Yes.”

  “Dane,” I gasped.

  “Shh.” He kissed me tenderly. Then said, “Just promise you’ll remember.”

  “I promise.”

  He led me to the terrace while I agonized over this aspect of marriage I’d obviously not put enough thought into. Any, really.

  I’d wanted to be Dane’s wife so that I’d never lose him. But I’d only been thinking in terms of him walking away from me—not being taken away.

  It dawned on me that he’d desperately wanted me to be his wife—to be his. So much so that he’d take the risk of marrying me during a volatile time. And cover his bases with people like Amano, Kyle, and Mr. Conaway close at hand to help me if anything ever happened to him.

  There was a somewhat selfish angle to us marrying this evening. Yet I couldn’t say it was all on Dane’s shoulders. I could have told him we needed to wait—I could have insisted and he would have allowed it, because he always gave me whatever I wanted. But I’d agreed to this because it was something I wanted just as badly.

  Did love justify being just a little bit reckless?

  In this case … yes.

  I just needed for all of the random variables to make up a smart conclusion.

  “Shake it off,” he whispered. “You’re much too tense.”

  “Right.” I tried to relax, loosen my bunched shoulders.

  He carefully maneuvered me through the grove and the light underbrush to the patio. Elegant, lively music played. Rosa graciously kept champagne in everyone’s glasses and food in their hands. I thanked her profusely.

  She said in her thick Hispanic accent, “I am so happy for you, chica. And you are so very beautiful.”

  “Shall I take photos?” Tamera offered.

  Dane and I exchanged a look. Neither of us was the sort to collect pictures. Pretty much a result of our broken-home upbringings and long-suffering loner existences. But tonight the idea was an appealing one.

  “I’d like that,” I said to him. “If you’re okay with it.”

  “Just a few,” he told Tamera as he handed over his phone. “They stay with us.”

  Dane had a thing about photos or information featuring him hitting the Internet. Part of the secret-society security he’d adopted.

  We all posed together and then Rosa took one that included Tamera. The others were just of me and Dane, and I was sure I wore a love-struck expression.

  My dad kissed my cheek and congratulated me again. Ethan followed suit.

  Kyle said, “Only you could pull all of this off in one day.”

  “Dane handled the reception.”

  I wasn’t surprised he’d added tons of candles to the gas lanterns and heaters we kept out back. He could be very romantic. Rosa and Tamera disappeared for a few moments, then brought the floral arrangements from the altar to the dinner setting. We enjoyed more bubbly until Rosa announced the first course was ready.

  My best guess was that Chef D’Angelo had prepped everything at the Lux, finished it here, then slipped out, since Dane didn’t want even him to know about the wedding.

  The chilled salads came out minutes later. Then the creamiest lobster bisque I’d ever tasted, with a huge chunk of succulent meat in the center and a sherry crème fraîche drizzle. It was a wonder my eyes didn’t roll into the back of my head.

  Our main course was Filet Oscar, accented with more decadent, buttery lobster and crab and paired with grilled asparagus.

  There was no wedding cake. How could there be, really? This was sort of the wedding that never happened.

  A tinge of disappointment crept in on me, but the trio of berry-topped, café au lait, and chocolate crème brûlée was sinfully delicious.

  “That was Chef all the way, wasn’t it?” Kyle asked as he unbuttoned his jacket, as though needing a little extra room. Not that the calories wouldn’t dissolve in a heartbeat. Kyle was nothing short of studly, and I caught Tamera shooting glances his way. I bit back a smile.

  “Poor guy,” I said of Chef D’Angelo. “Dane made him work on his day off.”

  With a hearty laugh—I suspected the cocktails had mellowed Kyle out as much as the sinfully delicious dinner—he commented, “You know he loved it. I heard his family isn’t allowed in his kitchen at home. If he hasn’t prepped meals between his work shifts, they have to order in or dine out.”

  “That’s probably a good rule. I’d need some salads or just plain vegetable broth to counter the decadence or I’d be the size of this house. He literally has hands that work culinary magic.”

  “And you really think he doesn’t have a clue about why he whipped up dinner for eight tonight?”

  I shrugged. “It’s a holiday weekend. He dealt with Rosa, not Dane. He doesn’t even know I live here. Probably just thought Dane had family or friends coming over.”

  “True. Still…” He leaned in and whispered, “Doesn’t it suck that you can’t tell anyone?”

  I smirked good-naturedly. “You can’t spoil this for me. It’s done, Kyle.”

  The fact that I was now of billionaire status myself, however, was still unsettling. Made me a little queasy, truth be told. But I didn’t mention that to my cynical friend.

  “I realize it’s not ideal,” I conceded, “but not everything that’s meant to be comes about in a neat and tidy package with a bow on top. Maybe having to work a bit harder at bringing it all together is what makes it so much more worthwhile.”

  He regarded me a few moments while everyone else was engaged in animated conversation. I knew my new husband had one eye on us. But Kyle wasn’t attempting to make any sort of move on me. He had something else in mind.

  “Does it keep him up at night?” he quietly challenged. “Knowing what happened to you? What could happen to you?”

  I sighed. “You can’t
even begin to imagine how anything that happens to me, no matter how minor, tears him up. I know the side you see of him is territorial and, yes, he’s had flashes of a violent temper. Never directed at me. He’s protective, Kyle. Just like you are.”

  “Only with me, there wouldn’t be anything out of the ordinary to protect you from. With him … it seems like every shadow holds a threat.”

  It did. But I couldn’t tell Kyle that. What purpose would it serve but to solidify in his mind I’d made the wrong choice—and to worry him more?

  Trying to lighten the mood, I suggested, “Why don’t you ask Tamera to dance? It’s a wedding, after all. Didn’t you once declare them to be the perfect places to meet new women?”

  He grinned. “I’d rather dance with you and piss your husband off.”

  “I think that unwise, my friend.”

  “Fine.” He sipped more champagne, draining the glass. Then he set it aside and shoved back his chair. “I’m only doing this to make you jealous,” he whispered in my ear.

  I laughed softly. “I’ll try to keep from ripping her hair out.”

  He shot a wry look my way, then rounded the table and interrupted the conversation to offer Tamera his hand for a dance.

  They looked quite striking together. Though as Tamera stared up at Kyle, appearing a bit awestruck by his handsome face and hulking build, he shot a glimpse my way, over the top of her blonde head.

  I cringed and diverted my gaze. He needed to accept the reality of the situation. Move on from it … from me.

  I slid a glance toward Dane, who lifted his flute, as though to say, Well played.

  It helped to cut some of the tension.

  As eleven o’clock approached, the party wound down. When Dane and I were alone on the patio—which Rosa had cleaned, though she’d left all the decorations as is—my new husband took me into his arms and held me tight as we swayed to a sexy jazz tune.

  “You always leave me momentarily speechless when I look at you,” he murmured. “But tonight, as soon as you came into the clearing … Jesus, Ari. I couldn’t see or think of anything but you.”

  “I felt the same.” Tugging on the end of his bow tie made it unravel. I worked the first three buttons of his shirt, brushing my fingertips over his warm skin. I inhaled deeply, drawing in that unique, scintillating scent of his.

  It’d been pure torture wanting to be alone and naked with him all evening but also enjoying the others’ company and not minding that we’d had a long dinner with everyone. But this was truly what I longed for—to be wrapped in his embrace, our bodies melded together.

  I said, “You got a little crazy with the bracelet.”

  He lifted my hand from his chest and swept his lips over my fingers. “Not at all. I wanted you to have something extraordinary. But I will buy you a ring,” he assured me with conviction in his eyes. “When the time’s right.”

  Meaning when the danger had passed.

  So as much as Dane wanted to contend there was a silent truce with the ousted Lux owners, he clearly wasn’t certain we were out of the woods.

  He flattened my palm against his pecs again and covered my hand with his. “I know this is all a bit overwhelming.” His lips grazed my temple as he spoke. “But you’re handling it beautifully.”

  “All I wanted was you. Everything else … the diamonds, the money … that’s just not my thing, and—”

  He kissed me. Likely to shut me up. I didn’t mind.

  His tongue slipped inside, gliding over mine. I eased the remaining buttons on his shirt through their holes and, in between his teasing kisses, said, “We’re wearing entirely too many clothes.”

  chapter 6

  Dane swept me into his arms and carried me through the patio doors and the great room, down the long hallway, and into our bedroom.

  He set me on my feet and said, “I’ll never forget how you look tonight.” His gaze slid over me, slowly, appreciatively. “You’re absolutely gorgeous. Heart-stopping.”

  “Dane.” The way his eyes glowed with love made my own heart swell. “You say the sweetest things.”

  His fingertips skimmed over my jaw. Brushed against my lips. “Thank you for marrying me.”

  I stared up at him. “You’re thanking me? I’m the one who won the lottery.”

  His head lowered and he kissed me. Softly, at first, but then passionately, until my body was pressed to his and I burned with desire.

  He eased the zipper down the back of my dress and carefully removed it, laying the garment along the sofa. A ribbon of warmth wound through me at the great care he took when it came to something that meant so much to me. My wedding dress.

  It didn’t even bother me that I couldn’t have a designer one-of-a-kind like most of my brides. I’d found something beautiful that had spoken to me. And Dane’s reaction when he’d seen me coming down the aisle had convinced me I’d made the right choice.

  Not just with the dress, but in agreeing to marry him. I still wanted a big wedding and always would. But our private ceremony had been wonderful, and the intimacy of it made our union even more special.

  I slipped out of my lingerie, then said, “I need to take all this makeup off.”

  I left him, dressed in my satin robe, and brushed my teeth before scrubbing my face. My heartbeats had yet to return to normal. Same with my breathing.

  Dane came in and wrapped his arms around me from behind.

  I smiled at him in the reflection we created. “Everything was so fantastic tonight. Dinner was amazing. I might have to start using your weight room if I keep this up.”

  His nose nuzzled the base of my neck, the crook of my shoulder seemingly distracting him. “With all the work you still have leading up to the pre-launch activities, I’ll be insisting you continue eating.”

  “You don’t mind a few extra pounds?”

  “Ari.” He groaned. “I’ve told you before and I’ll tell you again. You’re insanely beautiful. And I am hopelessly hooked on you.”

  “Let’s hope I’m more refreshed looking for you in a couple of months.”

  “You’re perfect.” His lips grazed my throat. “You’ve worked so hard, baby. You’ve put in so many hours. Immediately following the launch, I want you to relax. Sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labor. Put your toes in the sand and just … chill out.”

  “Like, a honeymoon?”

  “Yes,” he murmured against my throat. “We definitely need a honeymoon. In February. Over Valentine’s Day.”

  My heart melted. “Dane. That’s so romantic.”

  I caught his grin in the mirror. “I’ll take care of everything. Find a remote, private, beautiful location. Someplace where you’ll be waited on hand and foot. You won’t have to move a muscle if you don’t want to. Just soak up the sun, shop, swim … whatever you want.”

  Heat flashed through me. “You know what I want.”

  His grin turned seductive. “There’ll be plenty of that.” He kissed his way up to my ear, his tongue pressing to that sensitive spot just below and behind the lobe that always set me on fire.

  A soft moan escaped my parted lips. “You’re too good to me.”

  “All I want is for you to be happy.”

  “Mission accomplished,” I assured him. “I am deliriously happy. Ridiculously so. If Tamera weren’t all about happily ever afters, she would have been disgusted by my exuberance tonight.” I laughed softly. “Instead, she was beyond excited. So was I.”

  “We belong together. Always.”

  I squeezed my eyes shut for a moment. Then said, “Dane, you could have married any wo—”

  “You’re all I want, Ari. It hit me so hard, from the first second I saw you. I just knew you were the one. Nothing’s ever going to take me away from you. I am forever yours.”

  Tears prickled my eyes. “I just want to be perfect for you. Really and truly.”

  “You are.” His gaze in the mirror didn’t waver. “You’re everything to me. Every breath I take. So much more t
han I’d ever imagined I’d find. More than I’d ever dreamed of.”

  He gently clasped my elbow and led me into the bedroom. Pulling on the ends of the sash at my waist, he untied my robe and divested me of it. I watched with mounting desire as he discarded his own clothes. My pulse raced. His fingers twined with mine and he guided me to the bed. I sat on the ledge as he knelt before me. He lifted my leg and placed my foot on the mattress, spreading my legs wide.

  His head dipped and his lips skated along my inner thigh, making the flesh quiver. He kissed and nipped, eliciting anticipation that had me squirming on the bed.

  “Dane.” I threaded my fingers through his silken hair. “You’re teasing me.”

  “Just warming you up.”

  “I’m plenty warm. On-fire, actually.”

  His index and middle fingers glided along my outer folds, spreading them as he moved in, his head between my legs. With the lightest of touches, his tongue licked along my sensitive skin. Such a titillating feeling.

  “I crave your taste,” he whispered, his breath gentle against my skin, arousing me further. “I crave every inch of you.”

  His mouth pressed to me. My other hand curled around the bedding as nerve endings jumped.

  Then the soft licking started. Slow and sexy. My head fell back on my shoulders, the plump curls falling between my shoulder blades. My eyelids drifted closed.

  The tip of his tongue fluttered against my clit. Magma oozed through my body.

  “I love when you do this to me. I’d never considered how incredible it would feel, and now I can’t live without it.”

  His lips tugged on my slick folds, jolting me. Then his thumb rubbed my clit in stimulating circles as his tongue dipped into my opening.

  Excitement shot down my spine. I ached for him, deep in my core. Especially as he resumed the flicking of his tongue over that swollen knot of nerves between my legs. He slipped two fingers inside me, pumping vigorously.

  “Yes,” I murmured, the pressure and heat building. “God, that’s just … so good.”