Page 28 of Rekindling Desire

She shook her head. “I want to get home. Besides, you two are newlyweds. You don’t need a third wheel.”

Third.

I scoffed. “After tomorrow, it seems we’ll have five—wheels.”

Dani reached for my arm. “Your mission is to convince this overprotective oaf that the bodyguard thing is overreach.” She winked. “My money is on you, Ella.”

Looking up, I met Damien’s resolute stare and shook my head. “I think we should accept the inevitable and enjoy tonight as our last night of freedom.”

“For fuck’s sake,” Damien said as there was an audible pop from the opening door, and fresh warm air drifted into the cabin. “I’m not putting the two of you in prison.”

Dani smiled. “We could riot.”

The creases near Damien’s eyes and the tight muscles in his cheeks told me more than his words. I reached for his hand. “First, we should concentrate on tomorrow’s board meeting.”

He nodded. “I’d say our marriage is our ace in the hole, but it’s not. Darius and Amber know about it. I’m sure Gloria does too.”

We continued our conversation as we descended the steps and walked toward the two waiting cars. With the sun still high in the evening sky, the heat of the day radiated in waves over the blacktop tarmac. Yet as I lifted my chin to the summer breeze, the lack of humidity from Florida was refreshing.

“What do you think Darius and Amber have?” Dani asked. “To bring to the board.”

Damien’s jaw clenched. “I don’t know. I’ve been racking my brain. If their only play is Darius and Amber’s marriage, we already have them trumped. They know that. Why call an emergency meeting?”

“Because of Derek?” I offered.

“That doesn’t require a meeting,” Dani said. “An email of his status is sufficient.”

Damien inhaled. “I think we have to be prepared for anything.”

“I’m glad we have it narrowed down,” Dani said. “Try to get some sleep. I’ll see you both at the meeting.”

“I can’t attend,” I said. “I’m not a member of the executive board.”

“Of course you can,” Damien said. “You’re my wife and now a shareholder. You’re also our liaison with Beta Kappa Phi. You can explain the advantages of the campaign and how we anticipate that relationship increasing our consumer revenue.”

“Wait, you want me to talk and give a presentation? Tomorrow at nine in the morning?”

“I think you should be prepared.”

I shook my head. “Thanks for the advance warning.”

The driver opened the door to the back seat of the SUV.

“You’re welcome,” Damien self-contentedly replied as he helped me into the automobile.

I waited until the door was closed before turning to my husband. “Seriously, you could have said something earlier. I would have spent my time on the plane going over my notes from this past weekend.”

“I didn’t think of it until just now.”

“You are impossible to work for. This is why I thought being the campaign manager on this project was a bad idea.”

Instead of responding, Damien’s smile grew.

“What are you so smug about?” I asked.

His answer didn’t come in words as he reached for the back of my neck. Pulling me toward him, his lips took mine. Possessive and strong, he continued his advance. Our faces turned as we gasped for air. It was as the car began to move that I pushed against his hard chest. “That wasn’t an answer,” I managed to say, my lips still tingling from our encounter.

“It was.”

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