One-Click Buy: September Harlequin Blaze

by Jo Leigh

  Her mother stroked her fingertips down Celeste’s cheeks, then she looked tearfully at Dax. “You brought our daughter back to us. I don’t know how we can ever repay you.”

  “Say you’ll give us your blessing,” Dax said. “And we’ll call it even.”

  “Our blessing?” her father asked.

  “Yes, sir, because, if she says yes, I plan to marry your daughter.”

  Celeste beamed, and Nelsa nodded approvingly. “Oh, you’re going to fit into this family perfectly,” she said. “We’re kind of big on romance and happily ever after. Dad asked Mom to marry him after their second date.”

  “Technically, it was the third, if you count that trip to the fair,” Marian clarified, smiling at the memory. “And we’ve always wanted our daughters to have that kind of love.” She looked at Celeste. “I suppose you’d like for us to move back out to the hall for a spell so you and Dax can talk about something in private.”

  Still smiling, Celeste nodded.

  “Let’s go, David,” she said to her husband, then kissed Celeste’s cheek.

  “Just so you know, if she says yes, then you’ve got our approval,” David Beauchamp said. He turned toward the bed, and though Dax didn’t see it, he felt certain that Celeste indicated what her answer would be because the man nodded before leaving with his family.

  Dax waited for the door to close, then lowered one of the bed rails and sat beside Celeste. “Celeste Beauchamp,” he said, his heart thudding loudly, “Will you marry me?”

  “Oh, Dax, yes.”

  Then he kissed her gently, while his hands tenderly caressed her face, then eased over her body, touching her the way he’d only touched her in his dreams.

  The heart monitor began to beat fiercely, her heart rate increasing in rapid proportions as they lengthened the kiss and she moaned her contentment.

  “Um, oh!”

  Dax broke the kiss and turned toward the nurse in the doorway.

  “I’m s-sorry,” she stuttered, “but her heart rate was going up so quickly that I thought something might be wrong.” She giggled. “But I see now that nothing’s wrong at all.” She turned and left.

  Celeste grinned. “How about a Christmas wedding?”

  Christmas was just four weeks away, and Dax loved the idea wholeheartedly. He finally had Celeste, the woman he wanted more than life, and he didn’t want to waste any time in sharing his name, sharing his life, sharing his heritage. “A Christmas wedding would be perfect,” he said.

  Her brows furrowed slightly, and she sighed regretfully. “You need to go help Ike now.”

  “Ike?”

  “A little-boy spirit, coming to see you. He said he’d wait, but he wants to see his parents,” she explained. “And he actually pushed me down the pathway to get me here,” she said with a smile. “Well, he and your grandmother.”

  “They pushed you?”

  She nodded. “The light was strong, and they knew I needed help.”

  “I’ll make sure to thank Ike then. And I will go help him cross, but then I’ll come back to take you home.”

  “Home,” she repeated. “To the plantation?”

  “If that’s what you want.” He added, “You know that if you marry a Vicknair, you’ll also be expected to help spirits.”

  Those beautiful moss green eyes were alive with excitement. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

  19

  CELESTE HAD BEEN in that hospital bed for four months, an extremely long time indeed. However, those four months seemed like nothing compared to the four weeks the two of them had to wait for their wedding.

  Typical for Louisiana, the week of Christmas was marked with unseasonably warm weather, perfect for an outdoor event. Celeste’s mother had been doubtful when they told her they were going to be married outdoors on Christmas Eve at the Vicknair plantation, but after arriving in the bayou, Marian Beauchamp had quickly learned that December in Louisiana was like April in Tennessee.

  The plantation was more breathtaking than Dax had ever seen, definitely the best that it’d been since the hurricane took its toll. Tiny white lights circled the eight porch columns and almost completely disguised the fact that they were still slightly leaning from Katrina’s damage. The same type of lights were also mingled through the poinsettia hedges to cast a red glow against the sides of the house.

  Nanette had borrowed several huge white tents, traditionally used during the Mardi Gras festivities in February, from the high school, and guests were currently enjoying champagne beneath their curved roofs, also lit with tiny white lights. The mingling conversations had the same basic theme-the bride was radiant, the ceremony was beautiful and the Vicknair plantation was the perfect setting for such an incredible festivity. Everyone was impressed to see how far the cousins had come toward restoring the place to its original magnificence-except for the parish president, Charles Roussel, of course.

  Although Dax tried to persuade Nanette to include John-Paul and Clara Vicknair’s letters with the nomination packet she sent to the state historic preservation officer, she’d refused, saying that if they absolutely had to bring the letters into the equation to save the house, then they would. But for now, they’d see what happened with the State Review Board, and they’d move on with the originally planned house renovations, which meant that, in a few weeks, they’d be starting on the structural problems. But Dax didn’t want to think about all the work ahead of them right now; this was his wedding day, after all.

  “Okay, let’s get one of the bride and her family before it gets too dark,” the photographer instructed, and Celeste, her parents and Nelsa posed in front of the bounty of twinkling red poinsettias beside the house.

  “Beautiful,” the photographer said and Dax agreed.

  “Yes, she is, isn’t she?” He slowly neared his bride, then kissed her softly.

  Every touch from Celeste made his insides sizzle with heat…and with need. It’d been her idea to wait until their wedding night to make love again, and Dax had been hard since he woke up this morning merely from thinking about finally having her.

  Four weeks had never seemed so long.

  As if knowing where his thoughts had headed, she leaned toward him and whispered in his ear, “I can’t wait to get out of this dress.”

  “What a coincidence. I can’t wait to get you out of that dress.”

  She smiled seductively, and Dax grew even harder.

  “I’m having a difficult time here, chère. Keep teasing me like that, and we might have to leave this party early, head into the house and-”

  “I know where I want our first time to be-our first time as husband and wife, that is. And it isn’t the plantation.”

  “Care to enlighten me? Because it better not be far from here. I’m not kidding about how badly I need you, Celeste.” He nuzzled her ear, then lowered his voice to a raspy whisper. “I need to feel your naked body against me, to press against your wetness, then slide inside…”

  Her gasp was audible, the pulse at her throat quickened and she arched her body against his.

  Dax smiled. He’d wanted to see if she was as eager as he was, and she almost seemed more.

  She turned her head to look directly at him, and Dax was momentarily spellbound by the green of her eyes. He was still getting used to the vibrant color.

  “Celeste, I have a wedding present for you,” Nanette said as she neared the two of them.

  “I’ve already got everything I need right here.” She rose on her toes and nibbled on Dax’s ear. “And I’ll have everything I want real soon, won’t I?” she whispered to him.

  “I won’t argue with you,” Nan said, not hearing the whispered addition, “but I do have something that I want to tell you about.”

  “What is it?” Celeste asked, sliding her arm around Dax and massaging his behind.

  Enjoying this game, he moved his hand to the small of her back, th
en dipped it inside her gown to finger the top of her thong.

  She giggled softly, but Nanette didn’t appear to notice, and plunged on. “I learned at my school’s staff meeting this week that Norco Elementary had one of their kindergarten teachers leave at the Christmas break. She’s not coming back for the remainder of the year, and they really need to hire someone who can begin as soon as school starts back in January.”

  “Norco Elementary?” Celeste asked. “Wasn’t that the school that Angelle attended? I think I remember her saying that name.”

  Nan nodded. “It isn’t far from here. I thought you might be interested, so I spoke with the principal.”

  “And?” Dax asked.

  “She wants to talk to you whenever it’s convenient.”

  Celeste wrapped her arms around Nanette and squeezed her. “Oh, Nanette, thank you so much. That’s the best wedding present! If I could get a job here, so close to the plantation…well, that’d be a dream come true.” She looked at Dax. “Another dream come true.”

  “Well, I didn’t get you the job, but I would say that you’ve got more than a foot in the door. The principal there is a friend of mine, and I think he’ll pay special attention to my recommendation.”

  Celeste’s eyes were glistening with tears when she turned to Dax. “Isn’t that wonderful?”

  He nodded, truly enjoying seeing her so happy.

  “No way,” Nanette mumbled, looking beyond them toward the plantation house.

  “What?” Dax asked.

  “Roussel. He walked into the house. I guarantee you he’s taking advantage of your wedding to snoop around.” She slapped her hands together. “Well, we’ll just see about that.” She stomped off as Dax chuckled.

  “The parish president hasn’t exactly earned any brownie points with Nan.”

  “So I see.” Celeste watched Nan grab handfuls of her red bridesmaid skirt to get it out of the way as she barreled up the front steps in hot pursuit of her sworn enemy.

  “Don’t tell her I told you this, but I think she actually enjoys sparring with him. So, I’d say she’s still having a good time at our wedding, Charles Roussel or not. In fact, I believe all of my family is having a good time.”

  His parents, living in a retirement community in Florida now, had driven in for the wedding, and they were currently visiting with his aunts and uncles who had also come back to the plantation for the big event. None of them had seen the place since Katrina, and while they were dismayed at the hit their beloved home had taken-and the fact that their children hadn’t called them for help-they’d been impressed that the six cousins currently serving medium duty had pulled together to make things right and were very pleased with all that they had accomplished so far.

  Naturally, they’d all pulled out their wallets and offered to foot the bill for repairs, but Nanette had informed them that it was only a matter of time until the historical society came through with funding. Dax knew that the actual amount of time until the money came-if the money came-was unpredictable. But he also knew that Nanette didn’t want to ask for help. Truthfully, he didn’t either. They would save the house, and they wouldn’t take from their parents’ retirement money to do it, not unless it was absolutely necessary. Right now, it wasn’t necessary.

  Dax scanned the yard and saw Gage and Kayla speaking with the caterers, probably scheduling them for their wedding on Valentine’s Day. Then he saw Jenee chatting with Monique and Ryan. They waved at him, and he grinned, knowing they were all thrilled that he’d managed to find the woman of his dreams.

  He continued scanning the areas under the tents, and then the backyard, but didn’t see the other Vicknair cousin.

  “Where’s Tristan? He didn’t get called to a fire, did he?”

  “Isn’t that him?” Celeste asked, pointing toward the farthest corner of the back tent, where Tristan’s tall frame leaned casually against one of the poles securing the tent, and a striking blonde held his attention. She was standing so close to him that Dax almost didn’t recognize her, and he wouldn’t have, if the woman hadn’t turned her head and smiled.

  “Chantelle,” Dax said.

  “They look pretty-intense,” Celeste said.

  Dax agreed. The two were definitely in a heated conversation about something…perhaps about each other? “She’s the sister of a ghost Gage helped a couple of months ago. Or, I guess I should say a ghost we all helped a couple of months ago, since helping Lillian Bedeau cross was undeniably a joint effort. I wondered back then if Chantelle and Tristan didn’t have something between them. They seemed to connect, in a weird kind of way, you know? But the timing wasn’t right, of course, with everything she was going through with her sister and all. And they did tend to fight a lot.”

  “I’ve seen people like that,” Celeste said. “They’re either fighting, or making up, and they put everything they’ve got into both.” She laughed. “Some people enjoy relationships like that.”

  “Not me,” Dax said.

  “Really, Mr. Vicknair? Well, what kind of relationship do you like? I mean, since I just married you and all, it seems I should probably know.”

  He moved his mouth back to her ear, kissed that sweet lobe, then whispered, “I like the kind where I know exactly what a woman wants, because she holds nothing back. I want to know what she’s thinking, what she’s feeling, what she’s needing, in every way. And then I want to fulfill those needs, those wants, those desires. I want to be her best friend, her confidant, but I also want to be the lover who fulfills her every fantasy, her every dream. So when she thinks of having a man, she can think of no other…but me.”

  “Dax.”

  He sucked her lobe, then kissed it and blew warm air against her ear. “What do you want, Celeste? You said you knew where you wanted our first time as husband and wife to be. Tell me what you want, and I’ll give it to you. Repeatedly.”

  “The levee.”

  He smiled against her ear. “Come with me.”

  They exchanged greetings with guests along their way to the porch, where Dax grabbed two thick quilts from the rockers, draped them over his arm, then helped Celeste gather the train of her gown to descend the stairs. Then they circled the large oak that centered the driveway. Cars were parked around the big tree and lined the entire driveway, and Dax guided his bride to the outer edge of them, along the magnolias that bordered the side.

  “We’re leaving the party early, aren’t we? We are the guests of honor, you know,” she reminded him with a slight giggle.

  “There are plenty of Vicknairs here to keep folks entertained, and tons of champagne,” he said, not concerned at all with his guests, and totally concerned with giving his new wife what she wanted.

  Once they were away from the lights of the house, Dax noted the full moon and the nice warm breeze blowing from the other side of the levee, where the Mississippi churned. He grinned. There wasn’t supposed to be a full moon tonight and he wondered…was this one visible to everyone, or was it placed here, for them, by the powers that be? The breeze was warm enough to keep them comfortable as they made love, and the moon was bright enough that he’d be able to see Celeste’s eyes when she came.

  “It’s perfect, isn’t it?” she said from beside him, and he saw that she was staring at the picture before them with awe as well. “Did they do this for us?” She indicated the sky.

  “I believe so. And it is close to perfect, but it isn’t perfect yet.”

  “How’s that?”

  He handed her the quilts and, looking at him questioningly, she held them against her chest. Then he scooped her into his arms. “I told you I’d carry you one day, Mrs. Vicknair.”

  Laughing, she gathered the flowing length of her dress and piled it on top of the quilts, while Dax carried her down the remaining length of the driveway, then across River Road and up the levee.

  He stood her beside him, then laid the quilts on the ground, while C
eleste stared out at the water.

  “Oh, Dax, look.”

  Moonlight reflected off of the water and provided a sparkling backdrop for their first time together as husband and wife.

  “I want you.” She unzipped her dress, let it fall to the ground and stood before him in a lacy white thong, white thigh-high stockings and heels. She wasn’t wearing a bra, and her nipples were taut and undeniably aroused.

  Dax pulled her against him, pressing her sweet center against the bulge in his pants. “Believe me, chère, I want you too.”

  Her hands trembled as she removed his tuxedo jacket, then unbuttoned his shirt. Then she paused. “Dax?”

  “Don’t tell me you’ve changed your mind.”

  She smiled. “No, definitely not. But I’m wondering…”

  “What, Celeste?” He waited, and when she didn’t say anything, he brought his knuckle beneath her chin and tipped her head so she looked at him directly. “Tell me, chère.”

  “Did you-well, did you bring protection?”

  He nodded. “I did.”

  Then she smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes, and Dax thought he knew why.

  “But…” he started.

  “But?”

  “But if you’d rather not use it, I can’t think of anything better than having nothing at all between us when we make love.”

  Even in the moonlight, Dax could see the green of her eyes intensify. “You mean, just this time? Our first time? Or do you mean…”

  “What do you want, Celeste?” he asked, believing he knew, but wanting to hear her say it.

  She smiled broadly. “I think a boy first, but a girl would be fine too. And if it’s a boy, I’d like to name him Ike.”

  Dax’s laugh rolled freely. “Ike it is.” He skimmed his hands down her hips and slid her panties down her legs.

  “Yes,” she whispered as his fingers slid between her folds to find her hot, wet and ready. “And, if-it’s a girl,” she continued, though her words were rasping and hoarse, “Adeline.”