TooDangeroustoLove

by AliyahBurke

  “It would be my pleasure, Mr. Fowler.” She took his arm and together they headed back inside the building. Seth followed behind.

  “I’m sorry about earlier. I thought you were someone else,” Brandt murmured to the ebony dream in his arms as they floated across the floor.

  “I gathered that when you called me Raven. She must have been special.”

  “She was that all right.” Brandt’s senses were swimming. He just wanted to take her to a room and learn her body all over again.

  “You dance very well. Thank you for dancing with me.”

  “It is my pleasure, Raven.”

  “My name’s Serenity.” She looked at him from under her lashes.

  * * * *

  Even though she’d faced away from the doorway, Serenity Chandi Walker knew exactly who it was the second he stepped out into the courtyard. The thrum her body only got in the presence around Brandt Fowler started. Every nerve ending in her body had begun to tingle.

  The moment grew tense as she heard his footsteps come closer. Her breaths came sharper and faster. Untold emotions swam within her. Still, she faced away from him, appearing lost in her thoughts and not as if she anticipated the second they would touch again.

  She gazed over the fountain in the middle of the garden. Struggled to control her heart rate and a pair of lungs that seemed pretty empty right now.

  The instant his hand landed on her bare shoulder Serenity knew she was in trouble. The mere touch of that callused skin on hers caused flames to erupt deep within her. When his lips met hers, she felt like she was floating. That man sure could kiss.

  In the back of her mind, the darkest recesses of it, Serenity knew she should act affronted, maybe slap him or at least struggle a bit. But she couldn’t, for the earth had shifted on its axis and she was lost to the magic of being in his touch again.

  Their hearts beat at the same rhythm and Serenity found herself wishing she could touch him. His arms were banded around her so she wasn’t getting out, unless she wanted to show off her skill, but then he would know who she was without any doubt.

  And now she was in his arms again as they twirled and spun around the dance floor. It was divine to be held by him. His light blue eyes stayed on her face for the whole dance. He made her feel like the only woman in the room.

  When the music ended they just flowed to a halt and stayed in each other’s arms. A perfect fit. Her body was made to suit his.

  “Thank you for the dance, Brandt Fowler,” Serenity said softly as she reluctantly removed herself from his embrace. She nodded at him and walked off, fighting the temptation to look over her shoulder at him. Fighting the siren’s call to never let him out of her life.

  With another dance over, Brandt headed back towards her. She was talking to the man that she had danced with. He approached the couple with assuredness and a determination that was lost on no one in the room. Especially Brandt’s father.

  They had been laughing together. “I must say, Serenity, I was surprised to see you here. You don’t usually like this kind of thing.”

  Her smile was soft and welcoming. “I know. Me too. I think I surprised myself, for this is not my usual scene. But Seth and Violet flew down to come and they secured me an invitation. It makes them happy, so I can put up with you rich folk for a while.”

  He chuckled and flashed a bright white smile at her, “Oh, so now I’m a rich folk. Is that how it is going to be?”

  “Well, you are a contractor and you are rich. So technically that makes you a rich folk.” She sent him a wide smile and a wink.

  “I, for one, am glad you came. Even if it took your parents to get you here. You never would come with me to one.”

  “I don’t like the glamour of it all. You know me, I’m a simple girl.”

  “Serenity, there is nothing simple about you. Now, what’s up with tomorrow, are we still on?”

  “Excuse me.” Brandt interrupted as he slid between them and pushed the other man farther away from Serenity. “Ms. Walker, I was wondering if I might have another dance.”

  “Mr. Fowler, this is Chris Lone. Chris, this is Brandt Fowler.”

  “Nice to meet you.” Chris said.

  “And you.”

  “Serenity? Tomorrow?” Chris totally blew off Brandt and focused back on her.

  “Eight o’clock?” she asked, ignoring the glare Brandt gave her.

  “Eight is fine. I will have the boards ready. If I don’t see you again tonight,” Chris reached for her hand and bent over it in a courtly bow and a kiss for the back of her hand, “you, my dear, are charming like usual, and I hope you don’t get too bored here with the people.” A pointed look was sent to Brandt with that statement. “Mr. Fowler, it was nice to meet you.” He walked off.

  “Mr. Fowler, you seem to have a scowl on your face. What is the problem?”

  “Nothing. What are you doing with him tomorrow?”

  “We are going surfing. Okay, more him than me. He is teaching me how to surf. I’m not that good. Now, I believe you said something about a dance?”

  “I believe I did.” He swept her into his arms and back out on the floor.

  The dance was almost over when it happened. Serenity could hardly stop the scream of pain that lanced her body as her left thigh began to cramp. She stumbled and would have hit the floor if not for him holding her up.

  “Are you all right?” he asked with concern.

  “No. Please, I have to sit down.” Her breaths were coming sharper and shorter as the agony grew by leaps and bounds.

  “Hang on.” Brandt spun them towards the doors to the garden, holding her so she barely touched the floor at all. Once they were out in the courtyard he scooped her up in his arms. He headed for a dark corner and set her down on the bench.

  Serenity shook with severe pain. Her leg still did this from time to time. It would seize up and virtually stop her in her tracks. Sometimes the pain would be so bad it would sink her into unconsciousness.

  She frantically clawed at her dress, pulling it up to get at her thigh, where she began to rub it, trying to relax the muscle. Downright oblivious to the stark and raw lust that filled his eyes before being masked by concern for her condition.

  “What happened?”

  “My leg feels like it is on fire. I’ll be fine in a bit.” I hope. “Sorry about that.” Her words were stuttered and hesitant because it took a lot for her to speak.

  “Here, allow me.” Strong fingers kneaded her firm thigh, easing away the pain little by little.

  Serenity didn’t argue, his hands were like magic. Long moments passed and he continued to kneel before her. But now the feeling was becoming more and more personal.

  Her mind relived the feel of his hands on her skin as they made love and her body began to tremble again, from something different this time. With the cramp gone she pushed at his hands “That’s much better. Thank you.”

  “My pleasure.” His voice was deep. “What happened? I felt your scar. What’s it from?”

  Maybe it was the pain in her leg or the thrill of having his hands touching her skin again, but she answered without thought. “A knife wound.”

  “I see.” He rose slowly and reached out his hand to her.

  Serenity took it and allowed him to pull her up. She inhaled the smell of his aftershave and soap; it was mixed with the faint smell of alcohol. He smelled so good.

  “You still smell like peaches,” he spoke softly to the night air.

  “Excuse me?” Well, that was a brilliant piece of conversation.

  “Nothing. So will you be able to surf tomorrow?” He guided her back to the party. Serenity was definitely favoring that leg.

  Chapter Seventeen

  “I should. I will have to take it easy for the rest of the night. No more dancing. I haven’t been wearing shoes like this for a while and I think it just put a little extra strain on it.”

  “Well, if you can’t dance would you like to sit and talk for a while?” He stopped wa
lking and looked at her.

  “Why would you possibly want to spend time with me instead of being with the rest of the beautiful women and all the free-flowing champagne?”

  Because I would go to the ends of the earth to spend time with you. “I have a feeling that you are much more interesting than anyone in there. Besides, I didn’t want to come to this tonight anyway. Now that I met you, I am glad I did.”

  “So what do you do?”

  He guided her to a bench by a small pond and smiled as she didn’t sit beside him, but chose to perch on the edge of the goldfish pond. Her hair fell over her eye, and she looked delectable.

  “Well, what do you do?” she prompted.

  Brandt didn’t want to play this game. He wanted to kiss her and make love to her, not do this. “I’m learning my father’s business.”

  She pursed her lips, a small furrow between her eyebrows. “You don’t sound very happy about that.”

  “Very perceptive. I’m not really into what he does, but I am his son and so I will do it to make him happy.”

  “What would you like to do?”

  “Get married and have some children. What about you?”

  “I’m not really sure what I want anymore. That was part of the reason I came down here. To find out what I did want.”

  Her fingers were trailing in the water, sending the fish scattering. At that moment she looked so innocent. Brandt felt like he had been given a second chance at having something pure.

  “I have been so lost for such a long time. Maybe I just needed a change. Well, no maybe about it. I did. So, for a while now, I have been down here. Playing on the beach and pretending that I don’t have to worry about a real job or anything like that anymore.”

  “What about your father? Does he live here?”

  “Seth? No. He and Violet live in Alaska. I only recently found out he was my father, up until a little over a year or so I just knew him as my foster parent and good friend. So that is a whole other set of issues I get to deal with. Listen to me, boring you with my things. Tell me about you.”

  “I’m not bored. I like listening to you. Funny, I feel like I have known you for a long time.” He kept his eyes on her face, searching for some kind of remorse or regret for her actions. He found none.

  “Well, I don’t feel like talking right now, so you talk for a bit.”

  “Very well. I’m thirty-six, for another two months that is. Right now, I am living in Kentucky while I learn more about my father’s business. I prefer to do construction but I have kind of become the manager, instead of working hands-on like I prefer, so I can spend more of my time working with my father.

  “I like animals, dogs especially, I’m kind to women and I would make you a very good husband. What do you think? Will you marry me?” He had started out sitting on the bench but now he was in front of her. He reached out and stroked her cheek as he cupped her face and turned it up to look at him.

  “What did you just say?”

  “I asked you if you would marry me.”

  “But you don’t know me.”

  Brandt didn’t answer her, just stared at her.

  “That was funny, Brandt Fowler. I needed a good laugh, thanks.”

  His expression didn’t change and his eyes never left hers.

  “I wasn’t joking. Will you marry me, Serenity?”

  * * * *

  Shattering their moment, a voice yelled for her. “Serenity! Serenity, where are you?”

  It was Violet. Brandt backed away as she ran up as fast as her dress would allow. There was true panic on the woman’s face and instantly Serenity knew it wasn’t because she was out here with Brandt Fowler.

  “What’s wrong, Violet?”

  “I need you. I need your help.” Violet flicked a glance between the two of them and added almost as an afterthought, “Please excuse the interruption, Mr. Fowler. Can you come, Serenity?”

  “Of course.” She stood straight away and found her leg still had a small twinge in it, but it was nothing she couldn’t handle. “Thank you for a lovely evening, Brandt Fowler. Both the dancing and your help after.”

  She flashed him a smile and walked off, a little stiff legged, with her stepmother, leaving Brandt alone by the goldfish.

  Once they were out of Brandt’s hearing range, Serenity looked at the woman she had come to consider a mother for so many years now. “Violet, what happened?”

  “It is one of the dogs. He needs to be taken back to the kennel but neither Seth nor I can go. Not that it would matter, for he won’t allow anyone near him. I was wondering…”

  “Of course I’ll go. Who is it and why won’t they let anyone touch them?”

  “Irk.”

  “Oh no. What happened?” She loved that dog, the grandparent of her two. He was an amazing dog and she had always had a soft spot for him.

  “He was out on patrol and just went down. No one else is going to be able to carry him. He isn’t letting us near him. He loved you more than anyone, so hopefully he will let you touch him.”

  “Where are they?” The two women were back inside moving quickly through the crowd.

  “By the end of the block. Where he went down. If he would just let one of us touch him, or near him for that matter…” Violet’s words halted as they headed out the front of the building.

  Serenity began to run. Her thigh burned but she kept going. Violet was left behind as she lengthened her stride.

  Pain shot up her leg and she was grateful to be where she needed to be. There was a man holding onto the end of the six-foot leather leash, but he stayed the full length allowed by the restraint away from the angry dog. There were about five men standing around and they all looked up as she came running up.

  They looked so worried. The dog, a large black and tan German Shepherd, still attempted to rise. Each time he did, he emitted a sharp yelp of pain. So the people around him knew he was really hurting, for these dogs did not complain. Any time someone got too close for Irk’s liking he began to snap and growl at them.

  Serenity slowed to a walk and approached Irk. He began to growl at her but she didn’t stop her advance. Her voice reached him, low, soothing and confident.

  “Easy, Irk. Easy, boy. It’s okay.”

  His growling continued, so did she. Her own body shook with pain from her leg and she sank next to him. “Easy, boy. Don’t make this harder than it has to be. Come on now.”

  Her slim hand reached for his head and she released a sigh of relief when Irk’s tongue snaked out to kiss her. He still whimpered but he calmed immediately under her touch.

  Serenity was immune to the pavement under her, all her energy was focused on the dog. “Hang in there, boy. I will get you back to the kennel.” She looked around at the people there. “Someone get me a knife.”

  Someone handed one to her, a butterfly knife. Flipping it open, she cut her dress off at the top of the slit on her leg. With the freed material, she immobilized his back and legs just in case there was an injury.

  “Open the tailgate.” She got to her knees and slid her arms carefully under his body. Although he whined and whimpered, his eyes stayed on her face, totally trusting that she would help him.

  Serenity rose with a ninety-pound dog in her arms. Her leg was on fire but she kept going. She slid him into the back of the truck. Someone had placed a blanket down for him and she put him on it before climbing up into the back with him.

  With his head in her lap, the truck drove off down the street and headed back to the kennel where the veterinarian waited for them. She spoke quietly to him the whole way.

  * * * *

  Brandt sat alone for a while after they left. What had he been thinking? He had thought that he didn’t want to lose her again, and so did the only thing he knew would keep her near to him.

  He must have been crazy. Deep in his heart and soul he knew that she was the woman that had protected him. As angry as he was that she pulled her deception and convinced people, himself include
d, that she was dead, he was still in love with her.

  Brandt didn’t understand it all yet, but there was a crystal-clear difference in the two women, although they were the one and the same. He would get to the bottom of it, for she had ruined him for all other women. She was all he saw, even after he had believed her dead.

  He rose and walked back to where the party was still going strong. His eyes immediately found Seth and Violet among the attendees. They still looked worried, and when Seth pulled a cell phone out of his pocket and walked out to the garden he followed.

  Once the phone was hung up Brandt approached him. “Mr. Larkin, may I have a moment of your time?”

  “Mr. Fowler. Of course, what can I do for you?”

  “I am looking for your daughter. I need to speak with her.”

  “She is at the veterinarian’s office in the kennel with one of our dogs. If you want I can call down there and have you let in.”

  “Please.” Well, at least it wasn’t a ploy that she and Violet played to get away from him. That bit of information made him feel a bit happier.

  “Don’t hurt my daughter, Brandt Fowler,” Seth warned as he walked back into the crowded room.

  She was the one who hurt me, making me fall in love with her and then disappearing and leaving me alone with a broken heart. “I don’t plan on it.”

  Brandt was given directions to the kennel, and so with a quick farewell to his father he drove down there. A short man let him into the big building. “Three doors down on the left.”

  He walked three doors down and through the open door on the left. The room was brightly lit and he saw a man in jeans and a cutoff tee shirt standing with a needle. He was injecting the dog that lay prone on the top of a shiny stainless-steel table.

  The man was tall and had sandy-brown hair. His arms were well-defined and tanned as they worked on the dog. His hair was thick and a lock of it fell forward over one eye. It gave him an even more suave appearance. Why was it that all the doctors she was around were so good looking? What happened to the old weathered man that was like a grandfather? When did every single doctor become a hunk?