Conflagration

by Tessa Teevan

  Branson doesn’t just own my body. He owns my whole heart.

  As I try to come to terms with the realization, I barely notice that Branson has come to a stop. He taps a tall man on the shoulder, and as the man turns around, he looks taken aback, his eyes narrowing when he sees me, while mine widen with surprise.

  Branson doesn’t seem to notice as his arm tightens around my waist. “Shane, I want to introduce you to someone.” He looks down at me, pleasure in his eyes. “This is Ariana, my fiancée.”

  “Your what?” Shane asks incredulously.

  I look around, hoping no one heard his outburst. The last thing I need is for Branson and me to be outted at his brother’s wedding.

  Clearing my throat, I hold up my left hand, his eyes widening when he sees the ring. “You heard correctly. His fiancée. Hi, Shane. It’s nice to see you again.”

  Branson’s eyebrows knit together, and he looks confused. “Again? You’ve met before?” he asks, his gaze passing back and forth between us.

  Placing a hand on his chest, I look up at him and give him a warm smile. “Shane’s a friend of Alyssa’s. We don’t know each other well, but our circles in Atlanta cross paths from time to time. How do you two know each other?”

  Branson looks relieved, and it’s endearing. As if he thought there’d been more to the history between Shane and me. “Shane’s my cousin. Wow. What a small fucking world.”

  It dawns on me, and I have to laugh. “Shane Wellington. Of course. I’m not sure how I never put it together. That’s who you were visiting last winter when we met?” I ask, and Shane’s eyes narrow at that, knowing full well I was engaged back then.

  Branson nods and turns to Shane, whose look is a mixture of pure confusion and intrigue as Branson gives him shit for not coming to visit in the last month. “I thought I was your favorite cousin, Shane. What the hell? All I got was a measly get-well card from your secretary.”

  Shane raises an eyebrow. “Well, if I’d have known you were shacking up with your fiancée, maybe I would’ve found the time to get out of the office. Things have been crazy busy this summer and I couldn’t get away. But for this? I’d have made the trip. When exactly did this happen?” he asks, waving his hand between the two of us.

  I rack my brain, trying to come up with an answer that will appease him. Shane knows about Benjamin. In fact, he was supposed to be Alyssa’s date to the wedding, so I know he’s aware of the timeline. For once, I hope Alyssa wasn’t completely silent about what happened and that she filled him in on my breaking things off with my former fiancé. Before Branson can explain, Amelia comes over to steal him away, letting him know that it’s time for the wedding party to be formally introduced. He leans down and gives me an apologetic smile with a warm kiss.

  “See you in a bit, baby,” he whispers. Then he gives a nod to Shane before following his mother across the backyard.

  As soon as Branson’s a safe distance away, Shane turns back to me, a scowl on his face. “What the hell, Ariana? Alyssa said you were holed up somewhere and you were fine, but here with Branson? And engaged? What about Ben?”

  Looking around to make sure no one heard him, I take hold of his arm and pull him to the edge of the backyard, far enough away so we can have this conversation in private. “Alyssa’s been covering for me since I left Atlanta. I didn’t want anyone to know where I was. And as far as Ben goes, there’s nothing to tell. I called off the wedding. It’s over between us.”

  Shane scoffs, looking skeptical. “Does he know that? Because last I heard, the wedding was still a go.”

  I sigh, shaking my head. “Yes, he knows that. He’s just too stubborn to believe it. But trust me, Shane. It’s completely over between us. There is no us.”

  “Okay,” he says slowly, as if he’s trying to decide if he believes me or not. He runs his hands through his dark hair and looks down at me. “So you and Ben aren’t together anymore. What about Branson? How in the hell did you become engaged to him in such little time after leaving Atlanta? Is he why you left Atlanta? I know it’s none of my business, but if you met last winter, and then all of a sudden you’re here with him now after you called off your engagement… Were you fucking around behind Ben’s back with my cousin?”

  The blood drains from my face at his accusation. “No! No, nothing like that. I swear, Shane. It’s… It’s a long story, and it’s been a whirlwind. This isn’t the place to talk about it, but I promise you, nothing improper happened between us while I was still with Ben.”

  He eyes me warily then lets out a deep breath. “Look, I don’t mean to sound like a prick. It’s just… I want to see him happy, I really do. Branson’s been through a lot. Just do me a favor. Don’t fuck with him or his heart. He had enough of that before.”

  “Shane, you don’t have to worry about that from me. I know it’s been fast and it seems crazy, but I’ve never felt this way about anyone before. I couldn’t bear it if I ever hurt him. All I want is to make him as happy as me makes me.”

  “You really mean that, don’t you?” he asks, and I nod. His expression softens. “Then I guess congratulations are in order. And for the record, he looks happier than I’ve ever seen him. I was there on his first wedding day and he tried to fake it, but he couldn’t. Not with me. The smile on his face when he introduced you as his fiancée? It’s about ten times brighter than any I’ve ever seen.”

  I look across the yard to where the wedding party is standing by the back door. Branson’s joking around with Cohen, and I think back to when I first met him. The difference is striking, and part of me feels saddened that he missed out on so much time while being on the outs with his family. But seeing him now, full of laughter and love for his brothers, I couldn’t be happier for him.

  Turning back to Shane, I give him a warm smile. “I’ll do everything I can to keep him as happy as he is now.”

  AFTER THE run-in with Shane, I spend dinner sitting with Branson’s parents, Andi, and the Wellington grandparents. As Branson predicted, his grandma Kate is more than curious about me and my courtship with her eldest grandson, asking question after question. Fortunately, most questions are about the future.

  “When’s the wedding?”

  “We haven’t set a date yet.”

  “What are you waiting for?”

  “Well, the accident threw a wrench into our plans, and we decided to wait to do any planning until Branson was back on his feet.”

  “Where will you honeymoon?”

  A small smile forms on my lips as I answer her. “Branson and I are keeping that one a secret so we have absolutely no distractions then.”

  Amelia’s eyes light up as she leans in to conspiratorially whisper to her mother-in-law, “Hear that, Kate? Maybe they’ll be the first to make me a grandma.”

  Andi tries to mask her laugh with a cough, and I give her a glare, which causes her to laugh harder.

  Amelia then turns to me and pats my hand. “You don’t have to worry about us, dear. We wouldn’t dream of interrupting your honeymoon.”

  As I take a sip of wine, I raise my eyebrows at her over my glass. “Oh really? This coming from the woman who shows up unexpectedly at the most inopportune times?”

  Amelia’s cheeks turn pink with a small blush, and her husband laughs out loud.

  Grandma Kate beams. “I like this one. It’s nice to see Branson’s taste has improved.”

  “Mom,” Branson’s dad growls.

  Kate shrugs. “What? It’s the truth,” she says, a bit miffed at her son’s scolding. “Then again, it’s kind of the Wellington way. All you men are stubborn fools. It takes a strong woman to put up with you.”

  “Woman, I may have to wear a hearing aid, but dammit, I’m sitting right here,” the eldest Knox Wellington growls. “Stubborn my ass!”

  Andi and I exchange glances then burst out laughing. “Now I know where they get it,” I tease, causing Andi to nod in agreement.

  Kate glares at her husband, and he leans in to give her a smack
ing kiss on the lips, which pacifies her. She pats him on the cheek affectionately.

  I lean back in my chair, sneaking a peek at the wedding party table, and find Branson staring directly at me, a breathtaking smile on his face. He gives me a wink then turns to respond to something Cohen’s said.

  I turn my attention back to the two older Wellington couples and my heart warms. I’m officially in love with this family. They’re warm and welcoming and so far removed from anything I’ve ever known. As warm as my heart feels, it also hurts. I have no idea how I’m going to say goodbye.

  As the emcee announces that it’s time for the wedding toasts, I try to push the hurt away, but as Branson stands and toasts to his brother and Charlie, the tears form in my eyes. Excusing myself, I barely make it inside before they begin to spill onto my cheeks. Closing myself off in the bathroom, I press my hands against the counter and study myself in the mirror, thinking about how much my life has changed since the day I left Atlanta.

  I’m not just in love with his family. I’m in love with him.

  And I think he loves me, too.

  I just don’t know if that will be enough, and I’m not sure how much longer I can do this before I’m left completely broken.

  Taking a tissue, I wipe my eyes and fix my makeup, standing up and straightening my shoulders. As I look in the mirror, I muster up every ounce of strength I have and make a bold decision. Let’s face it. Whether I leave tomorrow or three months from now, I’m going to be left with a broken heart. But I’ll be a better woman having known, having loved, Branson. He’s helped me as much as I’ve seemed to have helped him. He doesn’t think he saved me, but he did. Not only from the wreckage, but from my life. Even if he doesn’t know it, he’s given me my life back, myself back, and I’ll never be able to repay him for that.

  So instead of running before I get in too deep, I’m going to stay. Dig as deep as I can. And if I get buried in the process, so be it. He doesn’t think he deserves forever? I’ll do whatever I can to prove otherwise. The forever he deserves is with me. If, in the end, I lose? I’ll still have won more than enough to last me a lifetime.

  I just hope I’ll be strong enough to deal with the fallout.

  THERE’S SOMETHING about the way a man walks up behind his woman, slides his arms around her waist, and nuzzles against her neck. That bare crook, the soft skin, that ticklish spot. It’s entirely too intimate—the way my eyes roll back in my head at the contact. Yet, as the stubble from his five-o’clock shadow scratches my skin, I tilt my neck to the side, giving him more access, not wanting him to ever stop. His lips press a soft kiss against my skin, his teeth nibbling gently, sending a shiver of pleasure down my spine. I have to stop myself from releasing the moan that’s threatening to bubble up. Instead, a contented sigh escapes my lips, and I feel him chuckle against my skin as his hands splay across my stomach, pulling me into him until my ass meets his erection. Even though he’s cornered me on the edge of the lawn after having just finished his best man speech, we’re still in view of many of the partygoers, so I have to force myself not to grind against him.

  “How about we get out of here?” he whispers suggestively in a low growl as he rains kisses up my neck and along the length of my jaw.

  My skin tingles and dizzying sensations nearly drive me to distraction as his lips continue their generous onslaught. Just as I’m about to agree, the microphone crackles, the emcee announces the first dance, and I’m brought back to reality.

  With a heavy sigh, I turn and link my arms around his neck. “As amazing as that sounds, I think your mom would hunt us down and kill us if we left before the happy couple.”

  His eyes twinkle as his lips tilt into a seductive smile. “I’m not scared of her,” he insists.

  “You might not be, but I’d prefer to be uninterrupted. You’ll just have to wait a little while longer,” I tell him, leaning up on my tiptoes to place a kiss on his lips. “I promise it’ll be worth the wait. Plus, you owe me a dance.”

  “You know, my knee’s starting to ache. I think I need to sit down,” he says, and I playfully shove him.

  “Nope. No way. You’re not getting out of it. I’ve been waiting all night to dance with you.” I take his hand, drag him across the lawn to his parents table, and push him down into a chair. “There. Rest your bum knee while they do the first dance and then the dances with Wade and your mom.”

  “Fine,” he huffs, but he cracks a smile as he pulls me into his lap, wrapping an arm around my waist. “Hey, what were you and Shane talking about so intensely earlier?”

  I wince, having hoped he hadn’t seen that. Deciding honesty is the best route, I shrug. “He knew about my previous engagement, and well, he was a little curious as to how I was engaged to you so soon after that.”

  “Shit,” he mutters, running his fingers along the small of my back.

  “It’s fine, Branson. I gave him just enough info to placate him. He doesn’t know this is fake—” I’m cut off when his fingers still, a scowl forming on his face. “Was fake,” I amend as I look around to make sure no one can hear us.

  His hand slides up until it reaches the base of my neck. He pulls me in close until our foreheads are nearly touching, his dark eyes boring into mine. “Never call this fake again. You hear me?”

  I love you.

  My heart’s beating wildly, and the words are on the tip of my tongue. Just say it, my brain is practically screaming, but I can’t. Not yet. I lean in, pressing my forehead to his, closing my eyes. I nod, and he pulls back from me, his hand coming around to cup my jaw.

  “Ariana, look at me,” he insists, and my eyes open slowly to see his watching me intently. “This is real.”

  I nod again, swallowing hard.

  “Say it. I need to hear you say it out loud. So I know you believe it.”

  “It’s never felt more real in my life,” I breathe, and his lips tilt up.

  “Baby, it never will be more real than this,” he responds before pulling me into a heart-wrenching, soul-crushing, passionate kiss, but I can’t stop replaying his words in my head.

  “Never more real than this.”

  And that’s what terrifies me the most. That this is as good as it gets.

  I know that will never be enough.

  I’M A liar. A goddamn liar and also a coward. When I tell Ariana that it’ll never be more real, I know it’s not true. It won’t be ultimately real until I lay it out for her. Until I admit that I love her. Until I can formulate the words to let her know just how crazy she makes me, how she’s tilted my world on its axis, how she’s changed my life completely. How she’s changed me. How, until now, I had no fucking clue what the word love even meant. Hell, I’m not sure I even understand it now. I just know how I feel.

  It’s something I’ve never experienced in my thirty-three years, but as I think back on the night I met her, the night I told her that I wanted what Knox has, I realize that I have that. I don’t need a mirror to know that my face lights up when she enters the room. My heart itself feels lighter just because she’s near. I feel lighter. And at the same time, I feel fulfilled. Like I’ve been this puzzle that’s been impossible to complete for the past decade because there was a missing piece.

  She’s my missing piece.

  She’s what makes me whole.

  As cliché as it sounds, Ariana Covington completes me.

  She’s everything I don’t think I deserve, but I’m selfish enough to want her anyway. To need her. And in her own way, I think she needs me. My edges may be frayed, and I may be flawed, but I think I could be the piece that completes her puzzle, too.

  So how do I tell her? How do I make her believe she’s it for me?

  Man the fuck up and just say it.

  Instead, I go for the next best thing and kiss her with the hunger that’s been burning in me since I saw her sitting in that front pew next to my mom, looking every bit a part of the family as I want her to be. In this kiss, I try to convey how I feel, pouring every
ounce of love and longing into it, until she pulls back, seemingly breathless.

  Her eyes are questioning as she looks down at me. The sight of her ravaged lips, swollen and pink, has me wanting to whisk her away as far as I can so I can worship her body. Just as I’m about to suggest leaving again, I hear a soft chuckle from behind me.

  “Branson, honey, if that’s how you kiss her in public, I can see why your mom’s so hopeful for grandchildren soon.”

  I groan as Grandma Kate sits down in the chair next to me. Ariana’s cheeks flush—whether from my kisses or Grandma’s implications, I’m not sure, but it makes me grin.

  Shrugging my shoulders, I give Grandma a wink. “I’m not getting any younger, you know.” Ariana stiffens, and I tighten my arm around her waist. “But I think Knox might beat us. He’s one step ahead.”

  She studies us both, a gleam in her eyes. “We’ll just see about that, now won’t we?”

  Before I can respond, the emcee opens up the dance floor, and Ariana stands up, a hand on her hip. “You owe me,” she says, and I know she doesn’t just mean a dance.

  Giving Grandma a smile, I stand up and let her lead me to the floor, more than ready to have her close in my arms.

  IT’S NEARLY midnight when we finally get home, and I’m exhausted. My knee hurts like hell, after standing for entirely too long without my brace on. Once Ariana got me on the dance floor, her moves were much better than they were the night of our first date, and we spent almost the whole night out on the floor. Which wasn’t good for my hard-on, but fortunately, she blocked me from any embarrassment.