by Anna Santos
“Yes,” she whispered, smiling and hiding her face against his neck. “Why didn’t you come to see me this afternoon?”
“I had contracts to sign. Sam kept me busy. But we have the whole night to be together.”
Jade nodded, raising her head to look at him.
“What’s wrong?” He tucked her hair behind her ear.
“I don’t feel like facing the cameras again. I like the idea of dining with you, but with the cameras, we can’t say everything we want to say.”
“What do you want to tell me that the others can’t know?” he asked her sweetly as he caressed her cheek with his thumb.
Jade scratched her nail on his coat. “You know what I mean.”
“I do. That’s why I wanted this moment alone with you.”
Her heart raced and her lips curled into a smile.
Daniel added, “There’s plenty of things we can do once the dinner is over and the cameras are off.”
“And the boat ride?”
“I made a few modifications to tonight’s plans. Don’t worry about it,” he whispered against her ear, making her giggle when he feather-kissed her neck. “Are you happy with a romantic dinner in the dining room’s balcony or do you wish for something else?”
“It’s fine like this.”
“In a few moments, they are going to take you to the balcony. The recording crew is there. I’m going to be there, too. Just smile and play along. After they record what they want, they will leave us alone until we go live in my brother’s reality show.”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s part of the plan to increase the ratings. Don’t worry about it.”
“Okay,” she agreed.
“I’ll be there with you, honey.” Daniel cupped her face and kissed her lips.
“Your hands feel cold,” Jade noticed. “Are you trembling?”
“I’m a bit nervous.”
“Why?”
“We don’t have enough time to talk now.” Before she could protest, Daniel kissed her deeply, making her lose her breath. “See you in a bit,” he said before exiting his bedroom.
A girl came in to fix Jade’s makeup, and another instructed her on how to make her grand entrance to the balcony. She schooled her on where to stand and which camera would be capturing her interview.
Jade nodded to everything. She was nervous and excited at the same time. She would gladly skip dinner if they could be left alone. She was happy the crew members weren’t around her twenty-four seven, recording and following her and Daniel everywhere.
Jade thought that she had an idea of what was waiting for her outside on the balcony, but she didn’t. The moon was huge in the black sky and the dinner table was breathtaking. There were candles and flowers, and the table was set for three. That intrigued her. Daniel was gorgeous in his tuxedo, looking like Prince Charming. Next to him was a violin player, who began playing the moment Daniel walked his way to get Jade and take her to the table.
“You look gorgeous,” Daniel said, grabbing her hand and kissing it. “Do you like my choice of restaurants?” he asked, grinning wide.
Jade laughed and nodded. “It’s perfect! But why three seats? Who is going to join us?”
“Well, I have another surprise for you,” he announced. “We have a guest.”
Jade narrowed her eyes. She wasn’t fond of surprises. “Who?”
“Him,” Daniel motioned to the balcony door.
Jade turned to look where he was pointing. “Oh!”
She couldn’t believe her eyes. Her little brother was there, dressed in a tuxedo like the one that Daniel wore, looking like a mini-adult and smiling cheekily at her.
“He looks so cute!”
“We’ll have our first family dinner,” Daniel said.
Jade didn’t respond to Daniel because she was too mesmerized by her brother coming her way. Her baby brother, walking proudly, trying to be an adult in his mannerisms. The thought brought tears to her eyes. The fact Daniel arranged this touched her deeply.
“You look so damn cute!” She squealed at her brother, kissing him on his cheeks and squeezing him tight.
“Come on, Sis, I know I’m adorable. Now, let me breathe,” Stevie said, making everybody laugh at his words.
“I’ve missed you,” she said sweetly and released her hold on him.
Stevie kissed her cheek and hugged her around the neck.
“I’ve missed you, too. I don’t like to eat alone.”
“It’s only for a few more days.”
Daniel cleared his throat, demanding attention. “Don’t I have the right to a kiss, too? I’m also quite adorable.”
Jade straightened up and stared at him, smiling. “I’ll have to think about that.”
“We have matching tuxedos,” Stevie said proudly.
Pleased, Jade admired them. “You both look gorgeous.”
“He’s going to break some hearts tonight,” Daniel claimed, looking at the cameras.
“You don’t mind having him with us tonight?” she asked.
Daniel shook his head. “He’s just dining with us. Afterwards, he will go to bed. Besides, this little fellow helped me with this romantic dinner and even chose the menu.”
“Yes, we are eating mac and cheese,” Steve said, jumping in the conversation and smiling proudly.
“Mac and cheese,” Jade repeated, incredulous about the choice of food. “Seriously?”
“He said it was your favorite,” Daniel explained. “Isn’t it?”
“Well…hmm, that’s our comfort food. But it’s Stevie’s favorite. It’s fine.”
“Jade says that it reminds her of Mom,” Stevie explained.
Jade nodded. “It’s true, little Taz. Mom would make me mac and cheese when I was sad. For a long time, it was the only thing I knew how to cook.”
“I can order something else if you want,” Daniel said.
“No, it’s fine. Let’s sit down and talk because this little fellow has a lot of explaining to do. I went to his bedroom to tuck him in, and he didn’t tell me a thing about this surprise. He kept this secret really tight,” Jade said, tickling Stevie’s belly.
Her brother giggled and tried to run away, hiding behind Daniel’s legs.
“He had orders not to tell anyone,” Daniel explained, protecting Stevie.
“I told you that she doesn’t like surprises,” Stevie said to Daniel.
“She liked this one,” Daniel argued.
“Yes, I did,” Jade confirmed. “Let’s sit down and eat.”
Stevie ran to the table and sat with a grin on his face.
“I guess he’s hungry,” Jade said.
“Let me accompany you to your seat and pull out your chair,” Daniel said, giving her his arm and escorting her to the table.
Chapter Twenty-Four: Family Dinner
The fact that Daniel was taking his time to get to know her and her brother made Jade extremely happy. Stevie seemed to get along with Daniel and that was crucial if Daniel was going to be in her life. Though, she shouldn’t be that surprised about their bonding since Daniel also acted like a kid. Not that she didn’t like the fact that he was playful and witty. She loved that about him. She loved how relaxed he was and how everything looked less stressful when she was around him.
Jade was having a great time. She had laughed and joked. She had even blushed intensely every time Daniel would tease Stevie by saying that his sister was now his. Stevie was territorial about her. She was territorial about him, too. However, she was letting Daniel become part of their family, their secrets, and private jokes.
She almost forgot that they were being harassed by cameras and, soon enough, it would be the time to do a special appearance on TV. Their private dinner would be broadcast across the nation to millions of people, mainly women, who would give an arm and a leg to be in her shoes.
Jade couldn’t find any more faults in her situation. She had complained and bitched about it, but she was glad that Daniel had chos
en her. Jade wouldn’t have gotten to know him if he didn’t bring her to his home. Instead, she would have run away and hidden from him.
She hated vampires. Maybe they weren’t all the same. Daniel was, without a doubt, special. He was also different from what she had to endure before. Having a vampire stalker was anything but fun. Her family paid a high price for it. But with Daniel, it was different. She liked him, she was completely enchanted by him and dying to be alone with him again.
“After dinner, we will play with Stevie in his new fortress of solitude,” Daniel said, waking Jade from her thoughts.
“What?” she asked, pausing the fork in the air to talk.
“Daniel and I made a fortress with sheets,” Stevie explained, clearly excited by it.
Jade blinked several times.
“Stevie doesn’t like the dark. So, I built him an enchanted fortress to keep the monsters away,” Daniel clarified.
Jade’s eyes shone as tears rushed to them. She knew why Stevie didn’t like the dark. Although he was just a baby, she was pretty sure that the nightmares he’d had about that awful night when their parents were killed were the reason for his fear of the dark. His mind must have kept the memories buried deep inside to torment him during the night.
“Daniel says that no one can harm me when I’m there. We even put some stars to keep me company and they’ll be my light in the dark. I can let you sleep there if you want, Sis,” Stevie whispered.
“That’s okay, little man, I’ll keep Jade safe,” Daniel assured and ruffled the little boy’s hair in a paternal way that made Jade smile at him. “No one will ever harm her. I promise you.”
“So, when will you ask her?” Stevie blurted out, jumping on the chair and making Daniel become pale and Jade curious.
“Ask me what?” She finished drinking from the glass and stared at their guilty expression.
“Two minutes to go live,” a voice shouted to warn them that the live broadcast was close.
“It’s a secret,” Daniel teased, smirking mischievously.
Jade knew that they were up to something.
“Makeup,” another voice shouted.
A wave of people came to interrupt their dinner and spread makeup powder on their faces.
Jade giggled when Stevie coughed and grimaced because of the makeup powder they were putting on him. She shouldn’t laugh because it wasn’t fun to have so many people around them, trying to make them look perfect for the cameras. But, it was hilarious to watch the makeup artists annoying her little brother.
She let the girls fix her eyeliner and put on more lipstick. Moments later, they all disappeared, and Daniel was staring at her passionately.
“What?” Jade asked, finding him weirder than usual.
“Nothing, you just look gorgeous,” he stated.
Staring at the waiter, he made a movement with his hand. The waiter left, and the director approached them as all the cameras pointed at them.
“Look happy, people! And you are on air,” the director warned.
“Are you happy for winning the game tonight?” Daniel asked on cue to add to the conversation between them.
Jade knew that it wouldn’t look good if they were silenced once the cameras were rolling.
“Yes, you know I am,” she answered with a sweet smile. “I am happy for spending time with Stevie and you.”
“Good because Stevie and I have something to ask you,” Daniel declared.
“Yes, we have,” Stevie confirmed.
Jade stared at him with suspicious eyes. They were definitely up to something.
“What do you want to ask?” she demanded, noticing the movements around them.
A couple of violinists were coming their way. They started to play and, by the look on everybody’s faces, she was the only one who had no clue about what was going to happen. People were smiling oddly around them.
“Jade, look at me,” Daniel requested, putting one hand over hers.
She obeyed.
“This contest is for us to find our perfect match. I must confess that I didn’t think it would happen to me. Even if I was tired of being alone.”
Jade curled back in her seat as her cheeks burned and her body trembled.
“I’ve always wanted to have a family. I didn’t have the opportunity to have one when I was a human. I know that there are so many things that we still need to work out and find out about each other. Still, I’m certain about something. You are my beloved. That means that we are meant to be…and…”
Daniel got up. Stevie took a box from his pocket and gave it to Daniel. Kneeling in front of Jade’s chair, Daniel cleared his throat before speaking again. “Will you marry me?”
The moment she saw the box, she knew he was going to propose. It was so cliché and romantic that she freaked out and panicked. Her breath was narrowed and heavy. Her hands started to shake. Her mind went totally blank and her eyes were frozen on the amazing diamond ring that was inside that little black box.
“What do you say? Do you want to spend the rest of your life with me?” he asked, caressing her hand.
“The rest of my life,” she repeated, unsure if she was hearing him correctly.
He nodded. “I love you and you love me, too. I want to marry you. I don’t want another week of searching for a soul-mate that I already know I’ve found. I don’t want to play any more games. We are meant to be, you just need to say yes. Please, say yes.”
His voice trembled when he spoke. Jade knew he was afraid she was going to say no. Why did he even ask then? He should have prepared her for it. He caught her off guard. It wasn’t nice of him to do that to her. She was on national television, with millions of women envying her right then. Millions of women wanting Daniel for themselves.
Jade focused on his eyes and face. Then she focused on what her heart wanted. Her heart wanted Daniel for herself. Saying yes would end that freak show, and it would send the competition away.
She stared at Stevie. He was quiet, waiting for her to give Daniel an answer.
“What do you say, little brother, do you approve of Daniel or not?” she asked him, trying to be cheerful about it.
“He’s okay for a vampire,” the kid replied.
Jade chuckled and placed her hand against her mouth to muffle the sound. Her brother was right. Daniel was nice for a vampire. If her brother approved of him, then she didn’t have anything to worry about. The most important person to her, before she found Daniel, was approving Daniel. If Stevie was happy, she was happy, too.
“We can be a family, Jade,” Daniel whispered as his eyes became darker.
“Okay,” she whispered almost inaudibly.
Daniel frowned. “Did you say okay?” he questioned as if making sure she was agreeing to marry him or not.
“Okay. I’ll marry you,” she said with a nod and a smile. “I’ll marry you,” she repeated, leaning closer to his face and kissing him. She almost fell on the floor when he grabbed her to kiss her deeper.
A wave of applauses echoed around them.
Daniel released her mouth, and Jade watched as he removed the ring from the box and his hands shook nervously. Placing the ring on her finger, it got stuck and she had to help him finish the job. After, she kissed him again.
Knowing that he was nervous only made her feel happier. It meant he cared for her as much as she wanted him to. She touched his face, trying to make him understand that everything was fine, and he didn’t need to be worried and anxious. She wanted him and was happy he wanted her, too. Her heart was beating fast and there were no words that could describe what she was feeling. She could almost cry from happiness. She was trying not to. Not while live on national television.
“I love you,” he whispered only for her to hear. He kissed her still on his knees in front of her.
“And we are off the air,” a voice shouted and the wave of applause stopped.
Daniel kept kissing her until he got up with her in his arms and broke their kiss.
&
nbsp; “I could swear you were going to say no,” he confessed.
Jade smirked, caressing the tension on his furrowed eyebrows. “So why did you ask me?”
“I love you. I want to marry you. And I’m tired of this freak show. I want them to leave us alone.”
“I want them to leave us alone, too.”
“Could you please stop the kissing? I’m trying to eat here,” Stevie complained.
Jade and Daniel laughed.
“Congratulations.” Some guy came to Daniel’s side and reached to shake his hand.
A lot more of the crew came to congratulate them on their engagement. Jade stood there, next to Daniel, thanking them and smiling like a fool. She was a happy fool, though.
Then, it was the director’s turn to approach them. The guy rubbed his neck and looked at Daniel uncomfortably.
“The audience ratings went through the roof with this marriage proposal,” the guy said. “It was a smart move. Now you have to keep your part of the deal. We are going to leave tonight. The other contestants will also leave.”
“Can Jenna stay?” Jade asked, jumping into the conversation. “She’s my best friend. I want her to be here with me.”
“She can,” Daniel said, holding her closer to him.
“Remember that you agreed to broadcast the wedding, and you’ve sold the rights to us. It’s a good publicity for vampires all over the world, a real fairytale. It’s been a year since the show first broadcast, and there weren’t any couples coming out of it. Your dad will be pleased,” the director added.
Jade noticed how Daniel’s face became dark.
“The details can be shared in private with me. Jade doesn’t need to listen to this,” Daniel said with an unfriendly tone. “I want you and your crew out of my home. Take Emma with you. Her bags are already packed. Next time you come to my house, it will be the last. I don’t want anyone else meddling in our private life.”
“It’s a shame that you didn’t pick Emma, but…well, I’m sure she’ll find a more suitable mate,” the guy said before leaving.
Jade was certain he was trying to provoke Daniel.
“I’m sure she will,” Daniel retorted as his lips curled into a smile and his hand tensed against her hip.
