Flash Burned (10 page)

After collecting all of the decorations and loading them into the back of the Escalade, Amano and I returned to the house and he helped me set up, along the bank of the creek.

It was near impossible not to check in on Dane and his dinner preparations. Occupational hazard and plain bride-to-be curiosity. I curbed my innate desire, though, instead taking a glass of champagne into the bathroom and soaking in a warm bubble bath, sprinkling the water with a bit of the frankincense oil from Oman that Dane had given me.

The aroma was rich and sensuous, and I drew it in with long, slow breaths. Conflicting emotions warred within me, but they didn't unnerve me. Getting married was the last thing I'd ever imagined I'd do. Yet here I was, about to tie the knot.

Following the bath, I did my hair, opting to pull the sides up and leave a mass of fat chocolate curls down my back, with a few loose tendrils at my temples. I turned my blue eyes smoky and applied smudge-proof crimson-colored lipstick. My stomach fluttered as the clock on the vanity ticked off the minutes.

Norah Jones's “Thinking About You” flowed from the surround sound. It was a sultry melody, soothing. Although my nerve endings tingled, warmth coursed through my veins. Exhilaration and anxiety were a strange mix, but they electrically charged me and it was all I could do to fight back the excitement bubbling in my throat.

I crossed the hall to the dressing room and pulled out the garment bag with my “wedding” gown. It was really just a ball gown. But the moment I'd seen it, I'd been convinced it fit the bill perfectly. I slipped into the dress. As I struggled with the long hidden zipper along my spine, Tamera's silky British voice filled the room.

“Good heavens, you were serious when you said you were getting married tonight.”

I laughed. “Thank God I've been through this numerous times. No need for a rehearsal.”

“Let me help you.” She finished zipping me and I turned toward her. She gaped. Took a few seconds to recover. “Good Lord, Ari. You look …
Oh…”
Her hand pressed to her heart as her tawny eyes grew wide. “Stunning.”

I swallowed down a lump of emotion. “Thank you. I had strictly off-the-rack options, given the short notice.”

Her arms spread as she took me in from head to toe. “Seriously, bridal magazine cover worthy. And then some.”

My eyes closed for a moment and I tried to breathe normally. Then I said, “You have seen the groom, right?”

“He directed me this way.” Fanning her cheek with a hand, she added, “Wherever did you find him, and does he have a brother?”

A smile tickled my lips. “He broke the mold—and it wasn't put back together thereafter.”

“No kidding,” Tamera said in a dreamy tone. “How, exactly, do you keep your hands off him?”

“Not easily,” I admitted.

“No wonder you've kept him all to yourself.” She winked. “Now, what else can I do for you?”

“Light the candles? On the patio and just beyond, along the creek.”

“Absolutely.” She leaned in and gave me air kisses to both cheeks so she didn't disturb my makeup. “I'll see you at the altar, love.”

“Oh, Christ.” This time, my stomach flipped. No gentle fluttering to keep me on an even keel. “I'm getting married.”

“Indeed.” She smiled radiantly. “Now would be a good time to tell yourself all those things you say to your brides and grooms at this crucial point of no return.”

“Right.” I tried to steady myself. “Inhale. Exhale. If you forget all else, remember those two simple words.
I do.
”

“Perfect.”

I employed the breathing exercises. Then said, “The thing is…” I embraced the calm suddenly seeping through me. “Despite the fear factor for a woman like me—” marriage and the foreboding surrounding Dane's world—“you won't have to prompt me when the
I do
part comes. In fact, you just might have to slow me down.”

“Oh, Ari.” She squeezed my hand. “Now
that's
romantic, darling. True love, really.”

She left me alone to collect my emotional self.

Luckily, it was a few minutes before my next visitor arrived.

“Dad.”

“Wow,” he said as he eyed the dress. It was full-length and sparkly silver. Sleeveless, cut-in at the shoulders, with the neckline sitting at my collarbone. The bodice was tight and clingy, the material dipping into my waist and hugging my hips. Mid-thigh a slit in the middle caused the skirt to cascade away into a slight train in the back.

I slipped on the four-inch silver satin and Swarovski crystal–accented shoes while my dad composed himself.

“Not too bad for last minute?” I asked.

“You're just … Uh…” He blew out a long breath. “So beautiful.” Emotion tinged his voice, touched his eyes, misting them a bit. The skin crinkled around the corners, as though he fought to keep himself in check.

It choked me up.

“Dad.” I reached for a tissue and dabbed at my own eyes. “Don't make me cry. I spent forever doing my makeup.”

“Sorry,” he mumbled. Then shook his head as though to clear it. But he still appeared deeply affected as he said, “I'll always think of you as my little girl, sweets, but you aren't. You're a very mature, very gorgeous woman. Guess I chose not to accept you were all grown-up, but … here you are. Absolutely breathtaking.”

I gave him a careful hug, though I really just wanted to throw my arms around him and hold on tight.

“I learned from you and Mother,” I told him. “From Grandma and Grandpa. Dane and I are different. I won't let the ugly part of marriage in, Dad.”

He gripped my hands in his and stared into my watery eyes. “You know that if it starts to creep in, you have to talk immediately. Don't let it fester. Don't let it destroy you.”

“Dad…” I pressed my lips together a moment, trying to compose myself as well. “Anything could come our way. One thing I know for sure is that we'd never betray each other. The rest … well, you're right. We have to deal with it every day.”

“All right, then.” He released my hands and stepped away. “No more lectures.”

I smiled through more tears. “Dad. I don't mind. Really.”

“You always were a good kid.”

“And now I'm a good adult. Who needs to fix her makeup.”

“You look fine. Absolutely perfect.” He gave me a smile before turning to go. Over his shoulder, he added, “All that matters to me ever, sweets, is that you're happy. And safe.”

I sucked in a breath. I was marrying a man who was part of a secret poli-econ society. A man who associated with the world's wealthiest, most influential people. And some of those people had already proven they'd go to any length to protect what was theirs—or what they wanted to be theirs. Including taking out little ol' me.

A shudder ran along my spine. But I lifted my chin and told another tiny white lie, for my father's sake. “You don't have to worry, okay?”

“Okay.”

He left me and I experienced a whole different level of wedding planning—the side of the bride. Myriad feelings coursed through me as I paced the dressing room, but I
was
grounded with this decision. I couldn't explain why, except that, with every second now sliding by, I wanted to see Dane. I wanted to meet him standing in front of Tamera and tell him how much I loved him and say those two sacred words.

So I bucked up and entered the hallway, where I found Kyle wandering about.

“Hey,” I said.

His jaw slacked.

“Nice reaction,” I added. “Apparently, the dress is a hit.”

“I … um—” He shook his head. “Fuck. You're … Fuck.”

I laughed. “Well. That pretty much covers it.”

“Sure. Except…” His gaze narrowed on me. “You said holiday attire. Formal, yes. But that dress is like…” He shook his head, looking thoroughly confused. And in awe. “Are we going to be on TV or something?”

He had a natural way of cutting the tension. I adored that. Yet I still had a very uncomfortable conversation with him ahead of me.

“Kyle, there's something I didn't tell you about this little get-together.”

I took his hand and dragged him into Dane's office, closing the door behind us.

“I know this is going to take you by surprise”—
hit him like a ton of bricks
was more like it—“but this evening is incredibly special to me.”

“Ari.” He eyed me skeptically. “What the hell is going on?”

“Don't freak, okay. I know what I'm doing. And I know this is going to throw you for a huge loop, but I needed you to be here tonight. As my best friend. As my best … man.”

I held my breath as he gaped.

Many,
many
seconds inched by. Before I passed out from lack of oxygen, I pulled in a gulp of air, then blurted, “Say something!”

He
seemed
to try to speak. He just wasn't successful at it.

I told him, “I understand this is a shock. But Dane proposed last night and so here we all are—”

“Last night?” he suddenly demanded, coming around quickly. “As in …
last night
?” He shook his head, started to do some pacing of his own.

I'd never seen so much tension from so many people over an impending marriage. Even the Delfinos hadn't worn out the rug when they'd learned twenty-year-old Meg was pregnant and her father, Anthony Delfino, had issued the shotgun-wedding scenario to Sean.

“Take a few deep breaths,” I said. “You'll feel better.”

He halted abruptly, spun around, and glared at me. “Are you out of your mind?”

“First … don't yell at me on my wedding day. Second … no, I am not.” I grabbed his hand again and said, “I invited you here for a reason. There are only a few people who will know about this, and I want you to be one of them. Dane approved—”

“Oh, he approved, did he? As if you need his permission—”

“He knows you will keep our secret,” I insisted.

Ripping his hand from mine, Kyle threw his arms up in the air and, in an exasperated voice, asked, “Aren't you tired yet of all the secrecy, Ari? What is it about him that makes you think it's okay to keep everything about your relationship under wraps?
Normal
people don't do that, you know?”

I remained calm, because he deserved to have this outburst. I'd done favors for Kyle, such as getting him the job at the Lux. He'd done favors for me, like staying with me after I'd been roughed up by Vale.

Kyle and I truly did banter like siblings, even though he took it in a different light—more of a flirtation. I'd always been clear on my intentions. He knew Dane was it for me. End of story.

And Kyle had chosen to stay friends, to stay my closest friend. As much as I'd suffer if he walked away, the choice had always been—and always would be—up to him.

“I want you here,” I said. “It means the world to me. If you don't want to be on my side with this, I'll totally understand. But I always fight for you, Kyle. Because that's what best friends do.”

He grunted. “Fuck it all, Ari. I swear, I will never figure out what the hell goes on inside your head.”

His pacing resumed. I knew this would be difficult for him to reconcile. And he'd never, ever get a real handle on it. Not as long as he held out hope that I might someday “come to my senses” and choose him instead.

That would never happen. I knew exactly what I wanted—
who
I wanted.

“Kyle, I'm getting married whether you stick around or not. Though I'd really prefer that you stay.”

He glowered at me.

I gave him a smile. Crooked a suggestive brow at him, and said, “There's food and champagne.…” Hoping to tempt him.

With a shake of his head, he said, “I noticed your dad's car out front. He's onboard with this … insanity?”

“Took some doing to get him there,” I confessed. “He worries incessantly, even though he pretends he doesn't. Still … Kyle, he likes Dane, despite not wanting to because he thinks he's too extravagant, too …
advanced
 … for me.” I rolled my eyes. I couldn't exactly dispute the logic and said, “I don't blame him. I don't blame you for thinking the same. It's just that—”

“Wait,” he interjected, holding up a hand. “That's not what I think. I'm concerned about what happened to you just a couple of months ago, Ari. You were kidnapped and got the shit beat out of you. How am I supposed to condone that?”

“You're not,” I said matter-of-factly. “And I appreciate that you were offended for me, upset, all that. But don't, for a second, believe that
Dane
condoned it or that he wasn't devastated by it. You saw him afterward, Kyle. You know he was as wrecked as I was. You can't deny it. You
saw
him!”

Kyle's teeth ground for a moment.

“Kyle. I'm not telling you anything you don't already know.”

He combed a hand through his hair, the short strands falling back into their tousled place.

“You're right,” he reluctantly said. “I just keep hoping you'll get a little smarter about this.”

“I swear I'm of sound mind.”

He took a bit more time to pull himself together, then sarcastically said, “Think he's worried I'm actually talking you out of this harebrained idea?”

I smiled again. “He anticipated the attempt on your part.”

“And still invited me.”

“He's that confident.”

“Arrogant,” Kyle corrected with a scowl.

“Yes. I'll give you that one. But I do love him. And I want to marry him. Sometime this evening would be preferable.”

Kyle gave me a long look. “Why can't I resist you—refuse you anything?”

“Because you want me to be happy.”