“Landon?”
He removed his hand, cupping something in his fist. “Vivi?” Taking her completely off guard, he dropped down on one knee.
Her heart lodged in her throat.
“I know it’s soon but when you know, you know. And I am certain I don’t want to spend another minute without you by my side.” The sensitive microphone on stage picked up his words and a murmur of awws, filled the air. “I also know that I don’t want to be apart when you take off to fulfill your dreams. So.”
Eyes opened wide, tears brimming, she listened, happiness filling her with everything he said.
“I’m going with you on tour. You need someone besides Ellie who has your back, and the guys can handle the club while I travel. I’ll come back every so often to check and make sure they aren’t running this place into the ground, of course.”
“But your life…”
“Is with you. I’ll be your business manager. Your bodyguard. Your lover and your best friend. So, Vivi, will you marry me?”
“Say yes!” a familiar voice called from the back of the room. Tanner, she thought.
She blinked and tears fell as she nodded. “Yes.”
He slipped the ring onto her finger, and a chorus of applause broke out around them.
He stood and pulled her into his arms. “The business manager thing was a joke,” he said, whispering for her ears alone. “I’ll be anything you need me to be as long as we can be together.”
Looping her arms around his neck, she grinned. “I need a team around me I can trust. We will find an official role for you because there is no one I trust more. I love you, Landon Bennett.”
His lips brushed hers. “And I love you, Vivi Zane soon to be Bennett. Now come on. I have a surprise in the dressing room.”
He led her off the stage and into the back room. Inside, everyone she knew was there. Tanner and Scarlett, Jason and Faith, her mom, who was crying and beaming at the same time, Ellie with her big, happy grin, Amber and her son, and even Owen had made an appearance.
But when she turned toward her dressing table, the biggest surprise awaited. Landon’s parents stood to the side. Holding her hand, Landon walked toward them.
Samuel and Carrie met them halfway. “Welcome to the family,” Landon’s father, the last one to have come around to accept her, said, warmth in his tone. “I always wanted a daughter.”
She swallowed the lump in her throat. “But I… You…”
“Let’s go on from here, okay?” Samuel reached out and held her hand in his. “You make my son happy and that’s all I care about now.”
“I promise to always put him first. I can’t believe he’s going on tour with me.”
“You couldn’t keep me away.” Landon ran a hand down the back of her hair. “We’re a team.”
She grinned at his parents. “I think he learned that from the two of you.”
After sharing a glass of champagne and enjoying toasts, Landon excused them and dragged her upstairs. She was glad he hadn’t thrown her over his shoulder in front of friends and family, but she was grateful to finally be alone.
She looked down at the crazy glitzy ring he’d bought her and sighed with pleasure. “I wouldn’t have thought I was a girl who loved bling, but this ring is gorgeous.”
“When you’re out there performing for the world, I just want everyone to know you’re mine.”
She lifted herself to her toes and pressed a warm kiss on his lips. “Yours and only yours. Forever.”
* * *
The double wedding of Tanner and Scarlett and Landon and Vivi took place the weekend before Vivi was due to leave on tour. Knowing the dates ahead of time, Vivi and Landon had snuck off to Tahiti for a pre-wedding honeymoon alone, then returned in time to get married. The venue was Club TEN29, where, they all agreed, Levi’s presence would be felt the most.
When Vivi walked down the aisle to Landon, her mother on one side, his father on the other because she had no one else to give her away, she literally took his breath away.
Her hair fell in a tumble of dark waves around her shoulders, the shawl-like top of the dress draping around her forearms, her face shimmering with excitement and love. Love Landon reciprocated tenfold.
“Breathe,” Tanner muttered, much as Landon had said to him a few minutes ago when Scarlett had made her way toward him on her father’s arm. Her mother was still in the assisted living facility, where she was nonverbal and nonresponsive. But today was about celebrating.
As Scarlett faced Tanner and Vivi looked to Landon, holding hands, they said their vows, promising to love, honor, and cherish, in sickness and in health. Landon barely heard the words.
All he cared about was making Vivi his. And after he kissed the bride, dipping her low and covering her lips with his, he did just that, joining them together for the rest of their lives.
Considering the obstacles they’d had to overcome, he was pretty damned happy and satisfied as they strode back down the aisle, following Tanner and Scarlett out.
Next week they had a concert tour to begin. Tonight he’d make Vivi his in every way that mattered.
WHAT’S NEXT?
The DARES are back with hot new heroes and stories:
Order DARE TO RESIST out soon!
Read Dare to Resist Chapter One HERE!
Dare to Resist
Dare Nation Novel #1
Chapter One
Quinnlyn Stone sashayed out of Austin Prescott’s office, sweet curves encased in a tight black skirt with high fuck me heels completing the outfit.
“Stop staring at your assistant’s ass or at the very least don’t be obvious about it.”
Austin Prescott, sport agent to the stars, co-head of Dare Nation Sports Management, cupped the back of his neck in his hand and let out a groan.
“You’re right,” he said to Marcus Powers, an agent in his office and a close friend. “It’s not cool.” Quinn was the best executive assistant ever and Austin didn’t want to lose her.
She was extremely intelligent, could keep up with negotiations, handle the wise-ass players Austin represented, and on the times they went out for meals, make small talk with their fancy wives. Oh and she tasted like the sweetest treat he’d ever had.
He knew because they’d had one slip. He’d been a week post surgical procedure and she’d come to visit, bringing work with her. She’d reached for papers, her hand brushed his dick and nature had taken its course. He hadn’t been able to shift his body but their eyes met, giving her plenty of time to say no. Hell, knowing how badly he wanted her, he’d even told her she ought to move away. She’d remained and his mouth had sealed over hers and fireworks erupted. Though they’d both agreed it was a mistake and they’d never brought it up again, he hadn’t been able to forget.
Quinn was a different sort of woman than the groupies who used to chase him in his NFL days. Everything about her appealed to him but he did his best to treat her with the utmost respect. When he wasn’t inadvertently staring at her ass, that is. It was dicey to have an affair with a co-worker, someone for whom he was directly in charge of her career. And she didn’t strike him as a one and done kind of woman and that was his M.O. Not that he thought one time with Quinn would be enough.
“Are you going to Allstars tonight?” Marcus asked of the exclusive sports and cigar bar in South Beach that catered to the elite athlete.
It was a place players and industry people could frequent without groupies and hangers on bothering them. Which wasn’t to say Austin couldn’t find a woman to hook up with there. Just that there was a higher class of female to choose from than a run of the mill establishment.
He ran a hand over his face. Maybe hanging out with friends and possibly going home with a woman was just what he needed to take the edge off this gnawing desire for Quinn. Since he’d put his rampant playboy days behind him, he was more discriminating and discreet, yet it had still been too long since he’d gotten laid.
“Sure. I’ll be there.”
“Awesome.” Marcus pulled out his phone to check his email.
Just then, Austin’s desk phone buzzed and he picked up the receiver. “Yes?”
“You’re needed in the conference room. You and Marcus both,” Quinn said in her normal voice. But he even found her husky tone arousing. “Can I let your sister know you’re coming?” she asked.
“Tell her we’ll be right there.”
His sister was Dare Nation’s publicist and although she wasn’t a full partner, she had a definite say in how things ran around here. Brianne was the firm and family fixer as they affectionately called her. If something went wrong, she sorted out the issue. A fight between brothers and there were five Prescott siblings in total, spanning nine years? She put herself in the middle. She definitely provided a referee between them.
“We’re wanted in the conference room. Apparently Bri’s called a meeting.” Austin pushed up from his chair.
“Any idea what she wants?” Marcus asked.
He shook his head. “Not a clue but we might as well go find out.”
He headed for the conference room, Marcus right behind him, stepped inside and heard, “Surprise!”
Blinking into the bright room, he realized the entire staff was present, along with his family. In the corners, gold and white balloons decorated the room and a large cake sat on the rectangular gleaming wood table.
“What is all this?” he asked, confused. It wasn’t his birthday.
Bri sidled up beside him, her long blonde hair pulled into a bun at the back of her head. “Today is one year since the kidney transplant. A year since you saved Uncle Paul’s life.”
Paul Dare walked up to him, looking healthy, his skin tanned, his eyes clear and gleaming. “Thank you … son.”
Everyone in this room knew the word son meant so much more to both than a random term of endearment. Uncle was the name they’d given the man who’d been close to the family growing up. Son was still their new reality.
Paul Dare was the Prescott siblings’ biological father, something that had been revealed when Paul needed a kidney transplant last year. When Jesse Prescott, the man who’d raised them as his own, hadn’t been able to have children, Austin’s mother, Christine, had turned to her best friend since childhood to help her via sperm donation. Her gay best friend. The man she’d been in love with but couldn’t have. To say it had been a shock was an understatement.
“You’re welcome,” Austin said to Paul, who he still called uncle. Despite Jesse’s harsh parenting skills, he’d raised Austin and deserved respect. But Jesse had died when Austin was twenty-one, and there was no doubt that his absence made the discovery of his biological father easier to handle.
When Paul came to them with his need for a kidney, all the siblings had been tested to be donors. Austin had been the exact match and never once thought of denying the man who’d been more of a kind presence in their lives than their own father had been. His brothers and sister each had their own reaction to the news that Paul was their biological dad but since they all agreed Jesse had been a tough bastard and Uncle Paul had been there for them, the adjustment hadn’t been a bad one.
Austin pulled the older man into a brief hug before releasing him. “Any chance you and Ron will come to Allstars tonight? Marcus and I are going.”
“I’ll be there,” Bri chimed in.
“We’ll try. Ron’s been sick this week. I’ll see if he’s feeling up to it,” Paul said of his long-time partner, Ron Mayburn. Another Prescott family friend who’d been loyal to them for years.
“Give him my best and don’t push him if he’s not up to it. And let’s do dinner soon. The three of us,” Austin said.
“Sounds good.” Paul smiled. “So what about you? When are you going to settle down?”
Austin grimaced at the thought. “I like my life the way it is, thank you very much.”
“Really? You like going home alone at night to a house that echoes because it’s so big but empty? Ordering in dinner? Eating by yourself?” Paul lowered his voice so they wouldn’t be overheard.
“Whoah, what is with the third degree?” Austin asked, surprised.
“I just worry about all of you. Single. Alone. Even your mother seems open to a new relationship but you kids?” He shook his head. “I just want the best for you.”
One look into his serious indigo eyes and Austin knew they were related. It was a miracle none of them had caught on sooner but then no one ever had a reason to assume they weren’t Jesse Prescott’s children by blood.
“Well trust me, I’m not always lonely.” Austin winked at his uncle, unwilling to admit that just maybe the truth hit a little close to home. But not enough to consider settling down any time soon. If anything, he was now even more determined to get laid and get rid of this annoying desire for someone he couldn’t admit to clawing at him inside.
“I’m always here if you need me,” Paul said before turning to talk to one of the agents in the office.
Letting out a breath, Austin took a minute to just be, before he made the rounds as well, thanking everyone for showing up for this impromptu party.
Before he could begin, Quinn came up to him, a warm smile on her beautiful face. “I know I’ve said it before but you did a wonderful thing for Paul and for your family,” she said, her green eyes shining with admiration.
Her approval meant something to him he couldn’t quite name but her praise also made him uncomfortable. “I just did what anyone would do.” He shifted on his feet.
She shook her head, a wry smile lifting her lips. “That’s what makes what you did so special. You really believe it was no big deal.” She reached up and patted his cheek, obviously meaning it to be a friendly tap but their eyes met and her touch lingered.
With her soft hand against his face, he wanted nothing more than to grab her wrist, pull her close and kiss her … again. Since the yearning had been building for a year, and knowing he was no longer incapacitated by surgery, their union wouldn’t be soft and sweet, either.
A loud laugh broke the silence. Cheeks flushed, Quinn stepped back and turned away, walked to the table and began cutting the cake, head down, not meeting his gaze.
Not well done of him, he thought and groaned. Time to focus on the gathering around him and his workers. He clapped his hands. “Okay everyone, eat cake, be merry, and head home for the day. My way of showing my appreciation for the party.”
That pronouncement earned him a round of applause. Even if it was already four p.m. on a Friday, leaving early was leaving early and cutting his employees some slack was good for morale.
He waited until he’d spoken to and thanked everyone, and made certain he was the last to leave the office before heading out, locking up behind him.
Then Austin, Bri and Marcus met up for a steak dinner. Afterwards they settled in at Allstars for a drink and well deserved relaxation. The dark oak walls of the bar, the low sconce lighting and the comfortable club chairs settled him.
“Hello, Austin, long time no see.” Marnie, a cocktail waitress at the bar, sidled up close to him.
“Hi, yourself. How are you?” he asked.
She batted her lashes. “How do I look?” she asked flirtatiously.
He chuckled at the way she deliberately was fishing for compliments. They had history, he and Marnie, as in he’d fallen into bed with her once before.
With her auburn hair that hung long and wavy around her shoulders and a killer body, she was easy on the eyes. She didn’t do it for him like a certain green-eyed assistant but she was off limits. Marnie wasn’t.
He dragged his gaze up her long legs in black pants up to her silk camisole, also black. Her breasts were perky and her smile welcoming. “You look pretty damn fine from where I’m sitting,” he said.
Marnie grinned, gripping her round cocktail tray in her hands. “So what can I get for you?” she asked in a husky voice.
“The usual.” A Don Julio would sit well right now.
“A
nd maybe a little something later? My shift ends early tonight,” she offered, leaning down so he could see her lush cleavage.
Austin grinned because he’d just found his willing woman to take home for the night.
* * *
Quinnlyn Stone walked into Allstars with her brother, Matt, by her side. Although she’d wanted nothing more than to go home after work, he’d insisted they needed to meet and talk in person. Worried about him because she was the oldest of four siblings and that had always been her job to watch out for the others, she’d agreed but insisted on going someplace quiet. After the party at the office and being around people for an hour in a small room, she wanted some peace.
These days, crowds and loud noises made her a little anxious. She likened it to a mild form of PTSD, similar to her cousin who had had an extremely colicky baby. Even a decade later, she couldn’t listen to an infant crying without being transported back to the intense feelings of failure and frustration of those days.
Growing up, Quinn felt like she’d run a daycare. Her parents even thought, given her experience, she should become a nanny, but Quinn had put herself through college and business school on scholarship and loans instead. And that’s why she loved her job. She worked for one man, it was often quiet, and she was doing something for herself for a change.
Allstars was on the top level of an exclusive hotel, but she waited in the lobby for her brother because it was hot and humid in Miami in August. She hadn’t seen her brother in a while because he’d missed last month’s Sunday dinner at her parent’s house.
When he walked in, she grinned. “Matty!” She ran up and wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tight before releasing him and taking him in. His jet black hair was combed, his glasses with black frames sat on his face, and his sport jacket was perfectly pressed. “Look at my baby brother in his college professor attire.”
He chuckled but rolled his eyes. “You’re twenty-eight. I’m two years younger than you. Jeffrey’s the baby.”
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