Flash Burned

by Calista Fox

  I was relieved that she was available to officiate. Shocked to the core of her being, if her bewildered tone was any indication, but available. And over-the-moon excited.

  “I didn’t even know you were dating someone!” she exclaimed in her lovely British accent.

  “It all happened quickly. The thing is, he’s my boss. So we’re under wraps about the whole thing, until the spring. After 10,000 Lux opens. Then we’ll do a formal wedding, which I’d like you to officiate as well.”

  “Ooh, so I get to be all top-secret, Jane Bond–like.”

  I laughed. “I didn’t think you’d be this thrilled.”

  “It’s sexy, Ari. You both can’t wait to be married. That’s exactly the sentiment I love to hear from the people I bring together in holy matrimony.”

  She had me on that one. I’d always felt the same, believing my brides and grooms were as happy every day after they’d shared vows as they were during those special moments.

  “So you’re cool with the hush-hush, on the QT thing?”

  “Absolutely. You know you can count on me. Honestly, Ari, I’m just so relieved you gave up that whole I’m never going to marry stance.”

  “You’re one to talk. Still single.”

  “That’s only because Mr. Right’s GPS is somewhat skewed at present. He’ll be on my doorstep as soon as he figures out all the correct turns.”

  “Yeah,” I said on a dreamy sigh. “Funny how that happens.”

  “God, you really are smitten.”

  I smiled. She was the only one who’d be this positive and optimistic for me. Good thing I’d spoken with her first. It gave me the extra surge of courage to call Kyle after we hung up.

  He answered on the first ring. “One day without me and you’re missing me already. See? I told you that you’d come around.”

  My spirits plummeted. “Uh, not exactly why I’m calling.” Needing a few seconds to regroup, I asked, “How was your Thanksgiving?”

  “I have no idea how it happened, but I managed to eat two servings of everything. I mean, I did spend a couple of hours in the gym this morning to work off yesterday’s overindulgence, but still. By some act of God, I was actually hungry today.”

  I laughed, albeit nervously. “I hear you. I spent the day on the golf course with my dad and then devoured dinner. I should have bypassed the cart and walked the fairways. I’m going to need a whole new wardrobe if I keep this up.”

  “Doubtful.”

  We both fell silent for a moment. Eventually, I worked up the gumption to ask, “Any plans for tomorrow night?”

  “Meghan and Sean invited me over for drinks at their new pad. Well, beer for Sean. Cranberry juice for Meg. Or whatever’s best for pregnant women. You wanna come along?”

  The young newlyweds’ wedding had been my last before I’d taken the job at the Lux. “I would, except … I sort of have my own shindig going on here. I was going to invite you over.”

  Yikes, Ari. You wuss.

  I couldn’t come even remotely close to telling him what I had in mind for the evening.

  In a hesitant tone, he asked, “You mean … at Dane’s house?”

  “I live here, too,” I said slightly irritably. “And we’d both like you to come. It’s a very small gathering.”

  “Huh. Color me surprised.”

  He didn’t know the half of it. I actually debated whether to tell him what I was really up to but didn’t quite have the wherewithal for the fallout. I’d contended with enough earlier when it came to Dane, and I still had to deal with my father.

  “So, can you reschedule with Meg and Sean?”

  “I’ll be there. What time?”

  “Seven. Wear a suit.”

  “What?” he demanded.

  I sighed. “It’s formal. A holiday thing.”

  Fuck. I should have phrased it special occasion, because he knew I didn’t do holidays. Though, really, what did it matter how I labeled the evening? He’d be incensed either way when he discovered I was getting married.

  Kyle had been there for me when I’d needed an extra bodyguard so Amano and Dane could work together on their strategy with the legit members of the poli-econ society to legally bring down the corrupt members. He’d been there after Vale had attacked me and during my lowest of low moments.

  Kyle was a tried-and-true friend and I adored him. Unfortunately, everything that occurred in my personal life with Dane cut him deep.

  “I’ll send a car for you,” I amended. “This isn’t an easy place to get to, especially at night. And that way you can have some cocktails and not worry about driving.” He was going to need a few stiff drinks, I suspected.

  “Listen to you, all queen bee–like. Lux royalty.”

  “Shut up. The car will come around six thirty.”

  I jotted down his address, since I’d never been to his apartment. Then said good-bye and hit the disconnect button.

  Several deep, deep, deep breaths later, I made the hardest call of all.

  “I’m insulted,” was the first thing my dad said, before I’d even uttered a word. “You thought I’d get lost on my way out of that maze to 89A.”

  A slightly crazed laugh slipped through my lips. “Not totally. But glad to know you didn’t have any trouble.”

  “Well, I did,” he lamented.

  “Dad … that’s kind of funny.” My laugh was a bit calmer this time.

  “You’re directionally challenged—how do you manage?”

  “Practice.” Not exactly a true statement. Dane or Amano always drove. But I did pay close attention. Gathering my nerve, I said, “So tonight was a lot of fun. I was wondering … would you mind coming back tomorrow evening? Small get-together. Dinner and drinks. Festive.”

  “Festive.” He seemed to try out that word like a new golf glove. “Hardly your style, sweets.”

  “I know.” I was a planner, not a hostess. “It’s just that we’re sort of … that is … Dane and I are kind of … um…” I blew out a breath. “Getting married.”

  “You’re what?!”

  Oh, crap. Had I really just said that out loud? To my father?

  My stomach twisted. “I should have told you today, in person, that he’d asked me. But I needed a little time to get used to the idea. You understand, right?” All things considered.

  “Aria Lynne DeMille,” he said in his old you’re about to be grounded tone. It was the only time he used my full name. That was Mother’s specialty. Though she was essentially the last person I wanted to think of at the moment. She absolutely could not find out about my impending nuptials. Or she’d be beating down my door with some new scheme to get her hands on Dane’s money and further destroy my father’s reputation. And break my heart all over again.

  My dad demanded, “What the hell is going on?”

  Geez, everyone was so testy. Not that I hadn’t expected that, but still.

  “Just come tomorrow night. I’ll explain everything.”

  “Are you kidding me?” he grumbled.

  “Not in the least.”

  “Ari. Shit.”

  I imagined him stalking about, shoving a hand through his russet hair and shaking his head. The way he had when I’d told him I was letting go of the townhome rental and moving in with my new boyfriend who also happened to be my boss. I’d dropped that bombshell at my father’s house. Damn it, I should have told him this news to his face.

  “Fuck,” he muttered.

  I cringed. My dad didn’t typically swear in front me—or at all, as a rule. But I could see where this revelation would blindside him. Send him over the edge.

  “Dad.” I struggled for the right words. “Calm down. I know it’s kind of a surprise—”

  “Kind of?” he blurted.

  “Well, in our defense, we are living together. So obviously, we’re serious about each other. Even you can’t ignore that fact. It’s sort of like a … a…” I wracked my mind, then said, “A natural progression.”

  Reasonable, right? />
  He fell silent. I could feel his tension through the airwaves.

  “Dad?” I tentatively prompted. “You will be here tomorrow, right?”

  “Jesus, Ari.” He let out a long breath. “Marriage is—”

  “I know, Dad. Of all people, you don’t have to tell me it’s difficult, not something to enter into lightly, et cetera. I know. Am I scared? Hell, yes. But I also can’t breathe without him. I love him enough to face my darkest fears with him.” Snakes, scorpions, and marriage.

  There you go.

  My worst nightmares.

  And yet … I’d survived the snake in the stairwell. The scorpions that had dropped from the terrace onto my plate and shoulder—and stung me.

  When it came to surviving wedded bliss … well, I couldn’t survive without Dane, so there was no point in putting this off. Like everything else about us, it was inevitable.

  “Am I calm?” I said into the phone. “No. But do I know what I’m doing?” The smile returned. “Dad, he makes me happy. Isn’t that good enough for you?”

  He merely grunted.

  “It’ll be fine. I promise.”

  “Why aren’t the two of you telling me this together? In person?”

  Touchy subject. “Yeah, I know.” I couldn’t say it’d come about so quickly we hadn’t had the chance. That would scream impulsive and he’d poke holes in my reasoning and lose a little more faith in us. So I said, “Dad, you can’t deny that Dane has been nothing but respectful. It’s just that … well, he doesn’t have family. Never knew his parents. And his aunt, who raised him, died years ago. He’s not exactly traditional. He makes up his mind about something and that’s all he really sees.”

  My father was quiet for a spell. Then, in a tone that contradicted his reluctance to concede, he said, “We’re not exactly traditional, either. I suppose it’s a tiny bit hypocritical to want him to be conventional.”

  I relaxed a little. “Maybe that’s just one more thing about us that works. He did have a more family values–type upbringing, but he still had to be independent and fend for himself. When you were on PGA tours … Mom wasn’t always around. And after the divorce. Well. I could have just gotten my own hotel room at thirteen for all the company and parental supervision I had on the rare occasions she let me visit her.”

  “You never told me it was that bad.”

  “Because we don’t talk about stuff like that, Dad.”

  He sighed.

  “We just get by,” I said. “Do what we have to do and not make a fuss out of it.” All of that had changed for me this year. “Now I want more. I have more. With Dane. Because of Dane.”

  “Ah, sweets.” His darker, agonized voice tore at me. “I’m so sorry your childhood was shit.”

  Tears stung my eyes. He wasn’t being martyrish. It really had been shit. But …

  “Dad, it was never, ever your fault.”

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

  I perked up. Swiped at the fat drops rolling down my flushed cheeks. “Then come here tomorrow night. Seven o’clock. And don’t scowl or skulk about, you know? Act like you’re thrilled for me. Because, Dad … I am happy.”

  chapter 5

  I’d really had no idea what was in store for me when I’d agreed to marry Dane so quickly. Thank God I had years of wedding planning experience. And tons of connections. I called on many of them, apologizing profusely since it was Thanksgiving weekend and lying through my teeth that I was consulting for a society couple who were marrying privately. This intrigued everyone and, along with my having such sound relationships with them, made it infinitely easier to order all the flowers, candles, and accents I wanted.

  Dane’s contact at the court allowed for us to apply under oath for our license first thing in the morning and have it expeditiously issued, though Dane’s lawyer, also present, assured us it wouldn’t currently become public record. I didn’t want to know how he could make that happen. Sometimes, ignorance truly was bliss.

  We parted ways outside of City Hall, and Amano drove me to Tlaquepaque, the upscale complex of boutiques, art galleries, and restaurants in a traditional Mexican village setting that I loved.

  I needed a dress.

  The temperature had dipped somewhat and the sky was overcast, but I knew we’d have the heaters on the patio to warm the night, so I didn’t limit my search for the perfect gown to something with long sleeves. I found precisely what I was looking for at the same shop where I’d picked up the one-off emerald mini Dane had always admired.

  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.