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“Stop. Just accept the gift, okay? He atleast wants to marry her more than he wants to marry me.”
“He has shitty taste, but I won’t complain.”Dane kissed her temple, then sat on the edge of the bed to reachfor his briefs. “I guess we could go to Vegas and hope your dad’stoo tired to kill us after he’s done with Gia.”
“Daddy will be fine. He’ll still get the DeLucca accord, and he’ll be too busy picking up the mess theBratva’s been making to worry about anything else.” She grabbed herdress from the foot of the bed, then wrapped her arms around Danefrom behind, settling her cheek on his shoulder. “Or should I dothings really well and steal some of Cathy’s jewelry on my way outto finance our tickets?”
His hand covered hers, and he turned hisface to kiss her cheek. “We don’t need to do that,” he said. “Zara,just so you know, I’m happy to marry you tonight. But there areother ways to go about it. I don’t want you to feel like that’s theonly way for us to be together.”
Her expression shifted, wariness andconfusion, settling into a pout he’d probably seen more than onceand pulled away from him to drag her dress on and get to her feetwith as much dignity as possible. “Do you think I’m running offwith you as a prank, Dane Ryan?” she rounded on him. “I’ve beenwaiting for you since I was thirteen. And I’m not living with a manI’m not married to,” she added primly, crossing her arms. Sex wasone thing. Commitment was entirely different.
She heard him sigh, and though he turned hishead away, she couldfeelthe eye roll. Yet, when he turnedback, he wore a smile as he grabbed her again. Somehow, she endedup on her back again, arms still crossed, pinned between his armsas he settled over her. “I was just making sure,” he laughed. “But,really, Zara? Vegas? We’re not that cliché, are we?”
“I’m cliché at a genetic level.” The sullennote faded out of her voice despite the retort. It was hard to sulkwith Dane pressing her into the bed and his lips so close to hers,but she maintained a trace of wariness.
“No, you’re juststubbornat thatlevel.”
“Then where do you want to get married? Imean it, Dane. I’m not shacking up with you for a year in Bali orVenezuela or anywhere else. You’re the only man I want to be with,and I want it legal, so Dad won’t get any more greatideas.”
Dane’s smile didn’t fade. “Oh, don’t get mewrong, baby girl. We’re getting married, but I don’t have DeLucca’s clout, and he’s got too many uncles over there. We’ll needto bail for a bit. You were saying something about Nepalbefore?”
“Too cold. But it’s a big globe.” She rubbedher leg against his, her playful mood returning. “Spain is nicethis time of year. Hannah will let us borrow one of their yachtsthat’s moored there.”
“Hm,” he moaned, adjusting his weight andslipping an arm beneath her. “If we’re hopping planes tomorrowmorning, we’ve got a few minutes before we need to leave.” His lipstrailed along her jawline and down her throat again. “Because Idon’t think I can let you leave this bed before making love to youone more time.”
“I think that sounds like a very, very goodplan.” Her leg hooked around his hips as she spoke, and she tracedidle patterns along his sides, up his back. “Probably better toslip out later anyway. Less people wandering around to askquestions.” She giggled. “But if we keep this pattern up, we’ll bebreaking for orgasms five times between here and theairport.”
“So be it.” He reached back, his handsliding down her leg to her knee to tilt her hips higher. “Afterall, we only have a few more nights before we’re married. Betternot waste them.” She didn’t have the chance to respond before hethrust his cock inside her. Zara nearly cried out, but his lipswere there, catching the sound and many more that came after.
Chapter Seven
ZARA
Sardinia, Italy, October 22
The slight rocking—a constant of the lastnine days—lulled her mind to a quiet, half-dreaming state. Zarablinked at the sunlight dancing through the cabin curtains andcurled closer to Dane’s warm chest. She didn’t want to wake up yet,lest the champagne and dodgy local wines she’d downed the daybefore remind her what a stupid idea that was. But it had beentheir wedding, and she’d never planned on being a sober bride. Whatwas the fun in that? Besides, she’d needed the booze to take theedge off missing her twin, her friends, and even her othersiblings.
Zarah sighed and pressed her lips to Dane’sshoulder. His arm moved reflexively, sliding up her back andpulling her closer. She murmured her appreciation. So long as shestayed close to him, the rest didn’t matter. In fact, if she wokehim up with a proper kiss, nothing else would matter at all for anhour or three.
And then her new phone started singing somechirpy Euro-pop tune she couldn’t stand.
“Fuck!” Zara flung Dane’s arm off andscrambled to reach the nightstand. “Why are you… Google, stop?Google, shut up!” But it wasn’t her alarm, it was a goddamn call.Only one person had the number. “Fuck.” This time, the word cameout with more dread than annoyance.
“I swear to God, if this isn’t an actualemergency, I’m going to shoot that thing.” The bed shifted as Danesat up. Rubbing his shoulder, his eyes locked on the phone. “Shit.Isit an actual…? Damn it.” He tossed the comforter off hisnaked form and scooped his pants off the floor.
“Maybe not?” Zara shrugged helplessly,wishing she could admire him and maybe just throw herself acrossthe bed instead of doing what she really should. She tapped thescreen. “Hannah?”
“Hey! Finally. I was worried you were stillpassed out.” Her sister sounded as exhausted as Zara suddenlyfelt.
“I wish I was. Is there a reason you’recalling me at the wrong side of 7:00 AM the day after mywedding?”
“Of course. But how was the wedding? Didyou—”
“Hannah. I’m hungover and tired. I’ll goover the pics and details later.” She heard her sister huff, andimagined Hannah staring too hard at her manicure.
“Gia’s back home,” came the eventualexplanation. “With Joey.”
Zara blinked, her sleepy brain not keepingup. “I know. You texted yesterday.”
“And his grandfather’s given his blessingabout the whole thing.”
