Dante's Ultimate Gamble (9 page)

She smiled. “I was hoping you’d say that.”

For some reason, her expression worried him. It had turned calculating, filled with the same drive and determination he’d noticed the night of Rafe’s birthday party.

“I’m almost afraid to ask, but… What do you want me to do?”

“It’s quite simple, really. I want you to marry me.”

Luc stared at Téa in disbelief. “Excuse me?”

To her credit, she was smart enough to show a trace of
nervousness. “You heard me.” She gulped champagne. “I want you to marry me. Temporarily, of course.”

“Oh, of course.”

She flinched at his sarcasm. “Luc—”

He cut her off without hesitation. “I believe we had this discussion already.” Anger ripped through him, accompanied by the first rumbling of the storm. “What part of ‘I’m never going to get married’ didn’t you understand? The ‘never’ part or the ‘married’?”

“Let me explain.” She approached, showing either an impressive amount of bravery or proving just how badly she’d misjudged his current mood. “There’s a clause in the will that says that if I marry I inherit Billings outright, so long as I’m over the age of twenty-one.”

“Outstanding. I wish you every success in finding someone to marry you.”

“I don’t think you understand.”

“I understand perfectly,” he snapped. “You’re the one who doesn’t understand. The answer, Ms. de Luca, is not just no, but
hell
no.”

“I’ll try not to be offended by that.” A matching anger flared to life in her eyes, while outside lightning flashed, causing the electricity to sputter. “Don’t you see that it’s the perfect solution? For both of us, Luc.”

He folded his arms across his chest. “Okay, this I have to hear. How is marrying you the perfect solution for me?”

“Your entire family believes we’ve been struck by The Inferno, right?”

“Unfortunately.”

“So, we give them what they want.” Thunder crashed overhead and she had to wait for it to die down before continuing. “We give them a wedding between Inferno soul mates. A couple months down the road…say six
or seven…we inform everyone that it didn’t work out. We divorce.”

“Dantes don’t divorce.”

“Rafe did,” she retorted, stung.

“Technically he’s a widower.”

That stopped her. “Oh. I didn’t realize. I’m sorry.”

“You don’t need to apologize to me.”

She waved that aside. “We’re getting off track here.”

“I understand where you’re going with this, Téa. I recommend you let it go.”

Luc turned his back on her and crossed to stare out into the stormy darkness. A bolt of lightning streaked overhead, the reflection forking across the surface of the lake, while thunder boomed, the echo from it bouncing off the surrounding mountains. He could see the logic of her suggestion, just as he could see all the dangerous pitfalls along the way.

Pitfalls like the itch of The Inferno that would only grow stronger and burrow deeper with each additional day in her company. Pitfalls like having her in his bed and discovering he couldn’t bring himself to let her go. Pitfalls like pregnancy. Or love.

He could see her reflection mirrored in the glass of the French door, picked up on her tension from the set of her shoulders and the way she fiddled with her empty flute. Despite his anger, he still wanted her, could feel the unwelcome connection pulsating between them.

With a sigh, he turned to face her. “You think that if we marry, wait a reasonable amount of time and then claim it didn’t work out, my family will leave me alone. Stop forcing this nonsense about The Inferno down my throat. Is that your plan?”

She nodded eagerly. “Exactly. Since they believe I’m your Inferno bride, they won’t keep nagging you about marrying again.”

“No.” He folded his arms across his chest. “They’ll just keep nagging me about getting back together with you.”

“Oh.” She sighed. “I hadn’t thought of that.”

He smiled dryly at the bitter disappointment in her voice. “That’s because you don’t know my family.”

She was quick to regroup. “Well, when I marry for real that will put an end to it, won’t it? They’ll leave both of us alone.”

He stilled. “Marry for real?”

“It’s possible.” She lifted her chin. “More than possible. Because unlike you I’m not afraid of love. Seeing your family, seeing how happy the various couples are, it’s made me think. Maybe once my family is safe and financially secure I can fall in love and get married, too. Start a family like Kiley and Francesca.”

For an endless moment he couldn’t think straight. Couldn’t breathe. Images filled his head of Téa, heavy with a baby.
His
baby. And then the image shifted. Twisted. And suddenly it wasn’t his baby any longer, but another man’s. Her husband’s. A man who had the right to put his hands on her. To take her to his bed. To share every intimacy with her.

To give her a baby.

He heard a low snarl fill the room, barely aware it had been ripped from his throat. One minute he stood silhouetted by the pounding storm and the next he was across the room. He reached for her, swept her into his arms.

“Luc,” she gasped. “What are you doing.”

“You’re the one with all the answers. You figure it out.”

Luc reached the bed in fewer than a dozen limping steps and dropped Téa to the mattress. He followed her down, his mouth closing over the questions trembling on her lips. He had no memory of stripping off her clothes, of stripping away his own. Thunder crashed around them while lightning bleached the ebony from the night. He had a quick flash of Téa, a stunning palate of ivory splayed across a canvas of black. Only her hair and eyes offered any color, a spill of vibrant, fiery red, and a blue-green as deep and mysterious as the ocean.

The elements tore across the night, setting flame to the explosive passions trapped within the room. They came together, a clash of masculine and feminine that somehow found a melding point, a place where they joined with undeniable perfection and became one. Their bodies mated, moving to the rhythm of the storm, echoing its power and ferocity, giving no quarter and expecting none. They followed each other into the very heart of the tempest, riding it, driven by it to an exquisite climax.

Luc felt Téa peak, heard her cry of pleasure. That was all it took. He followed her up and over. He heard his name on her lips. Answered the cry with one of his own, with her name, the sound of it a stamp of possession. It grounded him as nothing else could have. Slowly the tumult calmed. And when it was finished, he gathered her close. Gently. Tenderly. Safe within the harbor of his arms.

She pressed close, twining herself around him until
he couldn’t tell where she began and he ended. He simply held her, felt the steady beat of her heart filling his palm.

And he slept.

Téa woke the next morning feeling better than she had in her entire life. She had no idea what had gotten into Luc. He hadn’t given her much opportunity to ask. But she could only hope it happened again. And soon. She stretched, feeling the pull of well-worked muscles, along with the twinge of lingering bruises.

Luc stirred and groaned. “Is the hot tub still out there?”

She snuggled, finding his warmth, pleased when he dropped a powerful arm over her and tucked her in close. “It’s there unless it washed away in the storm.”

“Is it still raining?”

“I don’t hear anything. And I think that yellow stuff coming in through the drapes is sunshine.”

“Okay. Just this once I’ll let you carry me out to the hot tub. But only this once.”

“I’ll get right on that.” She paused. “Are we there, yet?”

He pulled back slightly and frowned down at her. “You’re not very good at this. Considering the number of times I’ve hauled you around, the least you could do is return the favor.”

“Very inconsiderate of me,” she said apologetically.

“I’ll say.” He escaped the bed and dragged her out, protesting all the way. “Come on. Let’s go soak before we pack up.”

“What about our robes?”

“Let them find their own hot tub.”

Moving quickly, they stripped off the cover and climbed into the tub, allowing the heat and swirling jets of water to ease sore muscles. Téa stirred, picking up on an odd noise coming from the interior of the cabin. “I think I hear something.” She sat up and craned her neck, thought better of it and ducked lower in the water. “What if it’s one of the staff members with our breakfast?” she whispered frantically.

Luc grinned. “Then someone’s going to be really embarrassed. And I’m willing to bet it won’t be me.”

She heard it then. Heard the voices coming closer. Voices that shouldn’t be here. She had a whole two seconds to stare wild-eyed at Luc before Madam stepped onto the deck, followed closely by Téa’s three stepsisters. Her grandmother’s distinctive voice cut across the peaceful serenity of the morning. “
Madre del Dio!
Girls, don’t look!”

But of course, they did.

L
uc opened the door of the rental car and waited until Téa slid in before closing it. Then he limped around to the driver’s side and climbed behind the wheel. He didn’t start the engine.

“How did Madam find us?” he asked abruptly.

Téa answered readily enough. “Apparently the claims adjuster at my insurance agency called the house with a few more questions about the wrecked car. Madam took the call and then tried to get hold of me. When she couldn’t—remember the service went out?—she assumed the worst. That we’d been injured in the accident.” She rolled her eyes. “Though how I was well enough to call the insurance company but too badly injured to speak to her, I have no idea. Madam’s not always the most logical person in the world.” She paused. Flinched. “Oh, dear. I’ll bet she was remembering the night my parents died.”

“That still doesn’t explain how she found us.”

Téa shrugged, preoccupied with settling her shoulder bag and fastening her seatbelt. “I guess from the insurance company. If you recall I had to provide the claims adjuster with the location of the car. He must have passed that information on to Madam. She probably called the nearest medical facility. I know I would have. From there it would be a short hop to this place.” She paused, studying him with a growing frown. “What’s with the third degree?”

“Let’s just say that her showing up and catching us naked in a hot tub is a bit too convenient for my taste,” he said in a detached voice.

“Convenient? Convenient!” Téa leaned in, enunciating carefully. “For your information, Luciano Dante, there was absolutely
nothing
convenient about what just went down in that cabin this morning.”

Time would tell. “How bad was it?” he asked.

She sat back, but he could see she was still simmering. “I’m guessing about as bad as your conversation with Primo.”

“Damn.”

“Oh, yeah.” She released a long sigh. “What did your grandfather have to say?”

He watched her closely, interested in her reaction. “He said we’re now officially engaged.”

Téa’s eyes widened in shock. “Tell me you’re joking.”

“I’d love to. Unfortunately I’m not. I’m open to any suggestions you might have for getting us out of this mess.”

“Okay, here’s one. Tell your grandfather no.”

“That’ll work.” He turned the key in the ignition and
the engine started with an extra roar, echoing his own irritation. “Not.”

“So, that’s it?” she asked. “Now we just get married?”

“Isn’t that what you wanted?”

“Well, yes, but not like this.” She folded her arms across her chest. “Be reasonable, Luc. It’s not like anyone can force you to marry me.”

“Oh, really? And what did Madam have to say after catching us naked in a hot tub after a night of raw passion?” He cupped a hand to his ear. “What’s that? I can’t hear you.”

Téa cleared her throat. “I said… She’s disappointed.”

“Me, too. I had plans for that hot tub.”

“She also said it was so unlike me. Selfish. Impulsive. And worst of all, I was setting a bad example for the girls.”

“I’d have said it was exactly like you. Generous. Inventive. And those three witches you call sisters don’t need any help riding their broomsticks to Badville. I’d say they invented the place. Especially Goth Girl.”

“That’s Katrina. It’s just a phase.”

“Scary.”

“She’s not scary. She’s wonderful. All my sisters are wonderful.”

“Particularly the one who would have stuck her tongue down my throat if you’d left us alone for a minute longer than you did.” He shot Téa a quelling look when she opened her mouth to argue. “Don’t tell me. I shouldn’t take it personally. She’s like that with all the men.”

“Davida’s naturally exuberant,” she retorted, stung.

“Exuberant. That’s a catchy name for it. Well, Vida’s
exuberance
came across loud and clear.”

Téa closed her mouth again and released a long, tired sigh. Luc winced. He felt like the worst kind of bully. It wasn’t her fault that her stepsisters were hellions. Or that they hadn’t received the right sort of discipline, though Téa had chosen to shoulder the blame for that, as well as the death of her parents.

“You know… There’s an easy way out of this mess,” he suggested.

“Which is?”

“We drop your sisters off at Primo and Nonna’s. My grandparents will have them straightened out within a week. Then we gag and tie Cousin Connie and hide him in a dusty closet somewhere so you can start running Bling the minute we return.”

She offered a reluctant smile. “And what about our impending nuptials? How do you propose we handle that small detail?”

“Huh.” He frowned. “Okay, you got me there. I don’t have a clue how to handle it.”

“I do.”

“Great. Why didn’t you say so.”

“I’ll speak to Primo when we get back to San Francisco. Explain how everyone leaped to the wrong conclusions.”

“Wrong conclusion,” he repeated. “Naked plus hot tub equals not much of a leap.”

Téa grimaced. “It also didn’t help that the owner told Madam we were in the honeymoon cottage. At first, she assumed we’d eloped. When she found out we hadn’t…”

“I gather the conversation went downhill from there.”

“Oh, yeah.”

Luc’s cell phone rang and he dug it out of his pocket and tossed it to Téa. “See who that is, will you?”

She flipped open the phone and checked the caller ID. “It’s Primo.”

“Perfect. Go ahead and answer it. You can explain to him why we’re not getting married.”

“Okay,” she agreed, though she didn’t sound quite as sure of herself as she had earlier. “Hi, Primo, it’s Téa. Yes, Luc is still with me. But he’s driving, so—” She listened at length, tossing in several, uh-huhs and oh, dears.

“Tell him!” Luc encouraged.

She waved him silent. “Uh-huh. Oh, dear.” She cleared her throat. “The thing is, Primo, Luc and I…Well, we don’t want to get married. Right. I understand. Okay. No, you’re right. Lake Tahoe isn’t all that far.”

“What the hell are you saying?” Luc bit out. “Just tell him no and hang up!”

“Excuse me a moment, Primo.” She covered up the phone. “Would you please try not to wreck another car? If you can’t drive straight, pull over. You’re making me very nervous.”

“
I’m
making
you
nervous? Give me that phone!”

“He doesn’t want to talk to you. He wants to talk to me. Yes, Primo, I’m still here.” Her eyes widened and she inhaled sharply. “Um. You’re sure they’re planning to print that? You do understand we don’t want to get married, right? I made that clear? No, no. That’s fine. I guess we’ll see you tomorrow. Yes, I’ll be sure to tell Luc. Bye.”

Jamming on the brakes, Luc swung onto a pull-off on the side of the road and cut the engine. “So?” he demanded. “Did you tell him?”

Téa’s head bobbed up and down. “Oh, I told him.
Didn’t you hear me tell him? I told him flat-out that we didn’t want to get married.”

“And he accepted that?”

She squirmed. “Sort of.”

“Are we still engaged?”

“Not for long.”

“Well, okay, then.” He started the engine again and continued down the road. It took two miles for him to fully process her words. “Just out of curiosity, what do you mean by ‘sort of’ and ‘not for long’?”

“It means we have to take a short detour on the way home.”

“Where?”

She swallowed. “Reno, Vegas or Lake Tahoe. Our choice.”

Swearing more virulently, Luc swerved into a dirt lane and killed the engine. “What. Did. You. Do?”

“You don’t understand.” The words escaped in a rush.

“Explain it to me so I will.”

“You remember that gossip magazine that caused so much trouble for your cousins?
The Snitch
?”

“Unfortunately. What’s that got to do with us?”

“Well, they somehow got hold of the story that we eloped. I have no idea how it happened,” she hastened to add.

“Let me take a wild guess here. Which of your sisters is the most broke?”

“Vida, but—”

“Then that’s my guess.”

“My sister wouldn’t…” She hesitated, her brows pulled together and she altered course. “That’s not really the point.
The Snitch
is going to print the story in the morning. Primo said that if we don’t marry
immediately, it will have a serious effect on my future at Bling. That I’ll lose the respect of both employees and customers.”

Luc grimaced. He wished he could refute his grandfather’s claim, but he couldn’t. He had a feeling his grandfather had it exactly right, and if their suspicions about Conway Billings were correct, Cousin Connie would be all over this news and use it to Téa’s disadvantage. With each new revelation, Luc could feel the trap tightening around him, edging him deeper and deeper into an inescapable corner.

“Plus,” she added in a rush. “There’s one other small problem.”

“What’s the other small problem? I think I can take it. Maybe.”

“Primo said that if you wish to remain a Dante, you’ll marry me. But I don’t think he was serious.” She turned to him. “Do you?”

“You did meet my grandfather, didn’t you?”

“You know I did.”

“I think that answers your question.” He started the car again and pulled onto the road.

“So what now?” Tea asked tentatively.

“Now, we drive to Lake Tahoe and get married.”

They arrived in Nevada by midday and made short work of obtaining the necessary license. Despite the rush and reluctance, Luc insisted they stop at a boutique for more appropriate clothing—a formal suit for Luc, while Téa chose an ivory calf-length skirt and tailored jacket accented with seed pearls. The shop owner suggested a simple Mantilla style veil with embroidered edges that suited her outfit perfectly. A short time later, Téa emerged from the boutique to discover Luc waiting for
her, holding a bridal bouquet of multicolored roses in one hand, and a jeweler’s box with two plain wedding bands in the other.

They made the short trip to the venue they’d selected and were given the choice of having the ceremony performed in the chapel, itself, or in a glorious flower-filled garden just behind the small stucco building. To Téa’s surprise, Luc didn’t hesitate, but selected the garden. She couldn’t help but wonder if it was because it reminded him of Primo’s backyard.

Both had large, sprawling shade trees and well-tended flower beds, bursting with a riot of colors. They took their vows beneath an arching arbor draped with deep red roses that filled the air with their lush scent. Twenty short minutes later they were pronounced husband and wife.

Téa didn’t recall much of the drive back to San Francisco. She knew they kept the conversation light and casual. But she had no idea what either of them said. Awareness returned when Luc bypassed the turn for Madam’s row house and continued on toward his apartment.

“Aren’t you going to drop me off at home?”

He glanced in her direction. “Why would I do that? We’re married, remember?” he asked with devastating logic. “I think your grandmother and stepsisters would find it extremely odd if you spent your wedding night under their roof instead of mine.”

She blushed, feeling like an utter fool. “Oh. Of course. I didn’t think.”

Luc parked the rental car, said something about returning it in the morning and grabbed their bags while she gathered up the rest of their paraphernalia. The elevator ride to his apartment was accomplished in
strained silence. The minute the doors parted, he carried his duffel through to his bedroom and then put her case just inside the doorway of the spare room.

Message received, loud and clear.

“Would you like a drink?” he offered politely.

She debated, then nodded. “I wouldn’t say no to a glass of wine.”

“Red?”

“Please.” He poured her a glass and then fixed himself a whiskey. “It’s almost identical to the last time I was here,” she observed. “Except for the marriage part.”

He eyed her broodingly. “That’s a big exception.”

She gently placed her bouquet on the table beside the couch. The flowers were already beginning to wilt, she realized with a sad pang. It seemed fitting, all things considered. Soon they’d have to return to reality, which meant putting her focus on work and family, while Luc went back to avoiding commitment at all costs. “I know you have something eating at you. Why don’t you just say what you need to so we can go to bed?”

“All this worked out to your advantage, didn’t it?”

She closed her eyes. She suspected that was what he thought. It hurt to have it confirmed. “You think I set it up, don’t you?”

He took a moment to swallow his drink. “The thought crossed my mind.”

“Let it uncross your mind,” she said sharply. “You said no to marriage. I accepted that. End of story.”

“And yet, within hours my ring ended up on your finger.”

“Because of your family, Luc. Yours. Not mine. Madam was merely disappointed in me. I could have lived with her disappointment. It was Primo who forced the issue.”

“You’re forgetting that Primo pushed because someone leaked the news to
The Snitch
. There are only a limited number of people who could have done that.”

She lifted an eyebrow. “All of whom are de Lucas?”

“Pretty much.”

She took a step in his direction. “You always claimed I was a lousy liar. Look at me, Luc. Hear me.” She spoke quietly. Forcefully. “I didn’t trick you into marrying me. I didn’t ask anyone in my family to get in touch with
The Snitch
. I would never do such a thing to you.”

He inclined his head. “Fair enough.”

“Do you believe me?” she pressed.

“I believe you.”

“But you still want someone to blame.”

“Yes. No.” He released his breath in a sigh. “I’m as much to blame as anyone.”

“Thank you for that much,” she said dryly.

“I want you to understand something, Téa.” His eyes glittered darkly, with just a hint of gold. “This doesn’t change anything.”

“What do you mean?”

“You know what I mean. This is temporary. In a few months I plan to walk away.”

“I know.” And she did. She’d just hoped… She set her glass down, exercising extreme care. “I don’t think I want a drink after all. I’m exhausted. If you don’t mind, I’ll turn in.”