Spark

by J Marie

  black blindfold from his pocket. I instantly groaned.

  “Oh, come on. Really?”

  “Turn around,” he ordered.

  I released a minor huff and turned around so he could tie the blindfold around

  my eyes.

  “I want to keep my surprise intact.”

  I rolled my eyes behind the blindfold. “I think you’re taking this surprise

  business too seriously.”

  Darren chuckled.

  30

  AGIFT

  A s soon as the door to the plane opened, cold air instantly blasted my body and

  face. I immediately stepped back, shrinking away from the cold only to press

  myself into Darren. He helped me down the stairs and into the backseat of a warm

  car. I could hear more people around us, men shuffling around before car doors

  slammed shut, and we were on our way.

  I could tell it was nighttime from the lack of light and warmth from the sun and I

  was busying myself in my mind with where the hell we could be that was seven

  hours away and cold as fuck. There were too many damn possibilities, but I had a

  lingering hope that it just might be exactly where I thought it was.

  I knew Scott was in the driver’s seat, and by the way the car rocked up and down,

  we were driving on a rough trail. It took us nearly an hour to get to wherever we

  were going, and as each minute went by, the incline steadily increased. I wondered

  if Darren would be really that mad if I sneaked a peek under the blindfold. I was

  beyond tempted.

  Eventually, we finally pulled onto another road, and a few minutes later, we

  stopped. I could hear Scott roll down the window, eliciting the sound of buttons

  being pushed, followed by the squeaky creak of metal on metal. Gates opening?

  We pulled forward, the car making a slow, wide turn before finally stopping, and

  doors suddenly opening.

  “Stay here, Jaden,” Darren said, so I sat back and waited, even more tempted to

  pull off my blindfold. Barely a minute later, I felt my door being opened and my

  hand gripped. “Come on,” came Darren’s voice.

  I followed his guidance out of the car, allowing him to take both of my hands and

  lead me off. “Just follow my footsteps,” he said.

  We walked for a few short minutes, my boots crunching into what was no doubt

  snow until it met pavement. Pavement turned into wood and wood turned into a

  metal railing where my hands were placed.

  “Ready?” asked Darren, his voice slightly smug.

  “Yes,” I nearly snapped.

  And then he lifted the blindfold.

  Eagerly blinking away the blurriness, my vision finally focused on the most

  amazing scene I had ever laid my eyes on. Mountains. Beautiful snow-covered

  gigantic mountains. It was as if we were in the heart of it all, surrounded by snow-

  covered pine trees, rocks, and hills. We were standing on a wooden deck leading out

  to something I thought I’d only ever see on the back of a postcard.

  A small lake glistened in the background bordered by mountains upon

  mountains, the sky an array of stars, like someone had blown silver glitter into the

  night while a full moon shaded the snow in a blanket of white light, making it

  sparkle and glisten.

  “Oh, my God,” I whispered. “Where are we?”

  “Alaska,” Darren replied.

  I turned around in shock. “Alaska?!”

  “Anchorage, to be more specific.”

  I turned back around to admire the view. “It’s beautiful.”

  It was everything I’d ever wanted to see, and I suddenly remembered revealing

  to Darren long ago that if I had ever wanted to travel, I’d want to see mountains.

  And here I was, surrounded by a dream come true.

  I released a long satisfied breath, unable to hide the small smile lingering in the

  corners of my mouth. Manipulation at its finest.

  “You remembered,” I said blankly, staring off into the night. He remembered

  during our little game of pool that I’d always wanted to see mountains. And here I

  was.

  “Of course, I did,” he said smoothly, almost triumphantly.

  Bastard.

  “I supposed you’ll want a medal.”

  A light chuckled rolled up Darren’s throat, igniting my skin in goose bumps.

  “Just a thank-you would be nice.”

  I dug my heel into the floor of the deck. I didn’t want to thank him, but it was

  just another bullet I needed to bite. My arms crossed over my chest, I turned around

  and looked him dead in the eyes, ignoring the smugness that lingered.

  “Thank you,” I said sincerely, and it left a sour aftertaste in my mouth.

  “You’re welcome,” he replied with a smirk. “But this isn’t the end of the

  surprise. There is still so much more to show you.”

  I lifted my brows. “There’s more?”

  “Much more”—he nodded—“come on.”

  Darren took my hand and led me back around to the front of the house, but I

  couldn’t keep my eyes off the beauty around us, even if it was dark out. But when

  we did reach the front of the house, the trees around me were forgotten. The house

  before me was like nothing I had ever seen before, and I couldn’t help but gasp at

  its architectural beauty. The house was a massive log cabin, with wide-open

  windows, cobblestone walls, and at least a foot of snow covering every inch of the

  roof.

  “Like it?” Darren asked as he watched me, that smug smile returning.

  “It’s … gorgeous,” I said. I couldn’t lie. It was definitely a dream home.

  Darren then put his leather gloved hands over my eyes and held me still. “Last

  time. Now, keep ‘em shut.”

  “Okay.” I groaned, my voice a little shaky. I didn’t like the vulnerability he was

  creating, but I went with it.

  “Follow my steps,” he ordered.

  Again, I followed every move he made, stepping where he told me, even up the

  steps to the door. I listened to it open, and a welcoming blast of warm air that

  smelled faintly of cinnamon immediately greeted me.

  We walked further, my boots connecting with stone floor until it transitioned to

  wood. With each step, the sound of Christmas carols playing in the background

  grew louder and louder until the unmistakable “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing”

  strung itself through my ears. Darren then finally stopped my advancement.

  “This was all for you, Jaden. Merry Christmas,” Darren said softly and pulled his

  hands from my eyes.

  It took a few blinks for my eyes to focus, but when they did, it was like Christmas

  had vomited itself all over the house. A massive Christmas tree decked out in

  lights, beads, and ornaments stood tall in the center of the room, surrounded by

  more Christmas decorations covering nearly every inch of the giant room I stood in.

  Christmas carols played over the speakers in the corners of the ceiling, and the

  bowl of Christmas potpourri companioned with red candles confirmed my

  suspicion of the scent of cinnamon.

  The room we were standing in was a grand foyer with a gray slate stone tile floor,

  the walls stacked with large wooden logs, the furniture consisting of antique yet

  comfy looking burgundy red couches facing each other in front of the biggest stone

  fireplace I had ever seen. A fire had been lit, giv
ing off a wave of soothingly warm

  air while a rustic chandelier glittered above me, together cascading the room in a

  soft, warm glow.

  The scene was nothing short of breathtaking, and it made me forget that Darren

  was even standing in the room while the guards busied themselves behind us. It

  suddenly dawned on me that he had done all this for me, to make me happy. I knew

  it was another form of manipulation, but … goddamn was it working.

  I turned around to find him standing a few feet behind me looking perfectly

  pleased with himself, his hands in the pockets of his black pea coat as his eyes

  devoured my reaction. I was smiling. I could feel the pull on my cheeks, and I

  couldn’t do a damn thing about it. Christmas was my favorite holiday, and Darren

  was going to exploit the shit out of that for his benefit. And I was totally content

  with letting him do it. I wouldn’t fall for his tricks, but he was welcome to try,

  especially if they resulted in this kind of effort.

  “You did all this for me?”

  “I did,” he admitted with a short nod. “I know how much you like Christmas,

  and I thought you might like this.”

  “It’s just …perfect,” I said, turning back around to admire it all. “How long are

  we staying?”

  “Until New Year’s Day.”

  That’s it?

  I dreaded the idea of going back to the estate, the place where my life felt like it

  was at a standstill, never moving forward from a place I had once escaped from.

  “Come on. I’ll show you to our room,” he said, reaching out for my hand.

  “We’re sharing a room now?”

  “You’ll always have your own space at the estate, but everywhere else will be

  conjoined.”

  “Everywhere else?” I asked as he led me up the staircase to the first floor.

  “Yes,” was all he said, and I took that as my hint that he wouldn’t be revealing

  any more information.

  Leading me down the hallway, I couldn’t help but admire the continued

  Christmas decorations and trimmings all along the log cabin walls. The lighting

  throughout the house was soft and not bright, giving it a nice warm touch. Darren

  stopped us at a door at the very end of the hallway and pulled out a key to unlock it.

  Opening it slowly, he ushered me inside, and my jaw dropped for the third time

  that day.

  The bedroom was gorgeous and even bigger than my own bedroom at the estate.

  Decked out in more decorations, the room held an endearing countryside

  wilderness theme to it. A large canopy bed rested at the back of the room, covered

  in burgundy red blankets and pillows, and I wondered how deep I’d fall into it if I

  jumped on it right now. It looked that comfortable. A set of comfy dark brown

  suede looking furniture sat in front of another massive stone fireplace with what

  looked like a bearskin rug laid out in front of it.

  But what caught my eye was the very bland, very naked looking pine tree

  standing off by the heavily curtained windows. Next to the tree were a bunch of red

  bins stacked on top of each other.

  Well, this was interesting…

  I took a few steps into the room; my mind was swimming with so much stimuli, I

  wasn’t sure how to cope with the change in scenery. I could feel Darren’s eyes on

  me, watching me intently as I took everything in. It only took him a few seconds of

  deliberation before he took me by my shoulders and led me over to the windows.

  Standing behind me, he reached out for the curtains and pulled them aside to

  reveal the view outside.

  I couldn’t help but gasp just a little at how unreal everything was. We seemed to

  be somehow in the heart of the mountain because that was all I could see out that

  window.

  “God, this is amazing,” I said.

  “I’m very glad to see that you’re happy.”

  I bit down on my tongue. I hated that he thought he was winning something

  here. I couldn’t lie and say that I wasn’t happy with the change of scenery and that

  he was making an effort to please me, but it made me sick to my stomach knowing I

  would have to reward him for his gift. If I didn’t, he would see me as ungrateful and

  probably punish me somehow, and if I did reward him, he would think he was one

  step closer to winning me over, and that I would eventually forgive him for

  everything if he kept up this kind act. I sighed in frustration.

  Damned if you do, damned if you don’t.

  “I have some work I need to take care of, so I’ve left a little task for you,” he said

  as he moved me over to the naked tree. “I expect this thing to be covered from top

  to bottom in decorations by the time I get back.”

  I looked up and down the tree, my lips forming into a grimace. The tree was

  easily an eight-footer. It could take me hours.

  “I’ll need a ladder,” I replied.

  “I’ll have someone bring one up,” he said. “And you are not to leave this room

  until I return, understand? If you need anything, someone will be standing

  outside.”

  “Of course,” I said with a nod.

  Darren stepped toward me, wrapping his hand around the back of my neck and

  pulling me toward him. He dipped down and met my lips with his, kissing me with

  a gentle passion I found endearing—the kind that took my breath away.

  “You should know … just because you escaped the perimeter once does not

  make it obsolete. It surrounds the entire property line, Jaden. Don’t disappoint

  me.”

  Fuck, I’d forgotten all about that.

  “I won’t,” I promised.

  Darren nodded. “I’ll be back soon,” he said, breaking the kiss and gazing down

  at me.

  And then he was gone.

  I turned around to face my new task, noticing how big the damn tree was. It

  would take me a while to decorate it all by myself, but I was still thankful to have

  something to do while Darren was gone.

  Unstacking the red bins, I rummaged through the contents. One bin contained

  all kinds of lights, one with beads and tinsel, and the other three with all kinds of

  ornaments and tree toppers. About five minutes later, the door opened, and a guard

  walked in with a large stepping stool.

  “Thank you,” I said as he placed it down near the tree.

  He gave me a short nod and then exited the room without a single word. It was

  still weird that people were actually afraid to talk to me because of Darren or maybe

  because they knew I could potentially get them killed. Ignoring it, I turned up the

  radio that was playing the Christmas carols and got to work.

  An hour later, I had successfully decorated the shit out of the tree. The warm

  glow of the white lights cascaded against the colorful glass bulbs that twinkled in

  the light. The silver tinsel was a nice complement to the silver accents on the red,

  gold, and silver tree skirt. The only thing that was missing was the damn tree

  topper. I couldn’t decide which one I wanted. There was either a classic star that lit

  up or an angel, and for some reason, I didn’t like either choice. I wanted something

  different, something fun.

  I looked among the decorations to see if anything else could be used, rummaging

  through the bins again until I came a
cross a red Santa hat. I laughed at the idea and

  immediately started to climb the ladder but slumped when I realized I still came up

  too short. I could barely reach the top of the tree. Standing on my tiptoes, I leaned

  forward, doing my best to watch my balance as my arm stretched as far as it could

  go to place the Santa hat on the top. And that was when I felt the ladder give out.

  31

  PLANS

  W hen I was finished making sure every security measure was in place, and every

  plan set for tomorrow, I headed back to the room to check on Jaden and her

  progress with the Christmas tree. I was impressed with the speediness of the staff,

  considering I’d only given them barely two days’ notice to ready the house. I

  surprised myself with how much money I was willing to spend on Jaden without

  even blinking an eye, but then again, the smile on her face when she first laid eyes

  on everything was fucking priceless. I’d give just about anything to see her smile

  like that again.

  I nodded at the guard who was standing watch by the room and opened the door

  to find Jaden standing at the top of the short stepladder, leaning over far too much

  to place whatever the fuck was in her hand on the top of the tree. Only slightly

  panicking, I quickly made my way over to her just in time to catch her when the

  ladder to gave out and her body fell forward. My arms instantly shot out, catching

  her before she fell face first into the nicely decorated tree she’d just finished.

  Jaden gasped in surprise in my arms as I pulled her securely to my chest. She

  turned her cheek around to look at me just in time to notice the glare I was sure I

  had plastered all over my face. I hated when she put herself in positions like this.

  “Nice catch,” she said. It was the closest I was going to get to a thank you.

  “What the hell were you trying to do?”

  She huffed, and I found it oddly cute. “I was trying to top the tree, but I can’t

  really reach it with just the ladder.”

  I looked at the top of the tree, realizing it was, in fact, too tall for her to reach,

  and laughed. She could kick most men in the head with her adorable little feet, but

  she couldn’t successfully top a tree without knocking over her stepladder.

  My throat still filled with laughter, I righted her in my arms before lifting her

  onto my shoulders, giving her the height she needed to reach the top of the tree.