Page 23 of Conflagration
“Maybe that was the problem before. I admire your dedication to Wellington Enterprises, but you needed an outside life to keep you satisfied and you didn’t have that with Megan. I sincerely hope that you can find that with Ari. She’s something special, son. Cherish that.” He stands and pulls something out of his pocket. After looking back at the hallway to see that we’re still alone, he turns back towards me and hands me a ring. I give him a confused look, and he laughs. “That rock on her finger is not her style. Hell, it’s practically bigger than her thumb. This was my mother’s ring, and as my firstborn son, I want you to have it. I want her to have it.”
Astonishment clouds my senses, and I find myself nodding. “Wow. Thanks, Dad. This really means a lot.”
He places a hand on my shoulder. “I meant what I said. I’m proud of you, Branson. And I love you.”
Pocketing the ring, I glance up at him. “I love you, too, old man,” I tell him, and he laughs just as Mom and Ari reenter the room.
Ariana must see the expression on my face. She looks at me quizzically before she mouths, “Everything good?”
I nod then pat the recliner next to me, wrapping my arm around her shoulders when she sits down. She curls up against my chest, and whether it’s because she wants the closeness or if it’s for my parents’ benefit, I don’t care. I pull her in close, knowing I’m going to have a hell of a time letting her go.
Because, in one week, she’s given me so much. She’s given me my parents back. She’s given me hope for the future. I feel like I have a new lease on life, like my luck is changing. And it’s all because of her.
IT TAKES Dad a little bit of time to get Mom out of the house, but once Ariana agrees to go on that shopping spree with her, she’s placated and they finally leave us alone. Ariana shifts next to me, trying to pull away, but I’m holding her close. Grabbing the remote, I turn on the television, mindlessly flipping through channels, ignoring the beautiful woman wrapped up in my arms. Her silence is deafening, and I have a feeling she’s just biding her time until I loosen my grip, but it’s not going to happen. If I have any chance of getting close to her, I need her close to me.
After I scroll through the guide twice, she sighs loudly. I stop what I’m doing and turn to her, biting my lip so I don’t let loose the smile that’s threatening to form on my lips.
“What?” I ask, and she glares at me.
“Your mother put my clothes in your room.”
“Yeah,” I say, and her scowl deepens. “I mean, we are engaged, baby. It’s 2014. I really hope you aren’t planning on waiting until the wedding night to consummate our marriage.”
She pushes against me, and I can’t help but laugh. “You’re such a smartass. We will be consummating no such thing! This engagement isn’t even real.” She buries her hands in her face and lets out a deep groan. “God, what I gotten myself into?”
What indeed.I guess it’s about time we figure that out. Maybe this little getaway for her could be mutually beneficial. “Ariana,” I growl, and it’s just enough to get her to peek through her fingers, her dark eyes gazing at me hesitantly.
Taking hold of her wrists, I pull her hands away from her eyes, and she reverts her gaze. I use my thumb and forefinger to lift her chin until she’s forced to look at me. She looks nervous, and I lean in and press a soft kiss to her lips, hoping to ease her anxiety.
“Look, now that we’re finally alone, I guess it’s time we talk about how we move forward. Are you ready to go back home? To end this charade?” I ask, anxiety now welling up inside me, hoping she doesn’t say yes. I feel instant relief when she slowly shakes her head. “Tell me.”
She swallows then gazes into my eyes, uncertainty flashing in hers. “I’m not ready to end this, Branson.”
A slow, satisfied grin forms on my lips. “Good. I’m not either.”
I take her left hand and slowly slide the monstrous rock off her finger. Her eyebrows narrow as she watches me toss the ring onto the coffee table. Once I pull my grandmother’s ring out of my pocket, I hold it up in front of her.
“Now, obviously I can’t get down on one knee or anything, but if you’re going to be mine, I need you wearing my ring. Not another man’s. So how about it, Ariana? Will you be my temporary fiancée?”
She shakes her head then looks from me, to the ring, then back at me again. “What?! Are you insane?! Did your dad give you fresh dose of pain medication while I was out of the room?”
I grin down at her then bring my hand to my heart. “Absolutely not. I’m asking this with complete clarity. I’m not asking you to marry me today, tomorrow, or even next month. Or hell, probably even ever. I’m simply asking you to be my fiancée for a while in exchange for free room and board as long as we both shall deem necessary.”
“Semantics, Branson. But I suppose it does feel a little less like a lie this way. And it does feel nice to have that awful ring off my finger.” She lets out a deep breath, and I know she’s wearing down. Not that it was hard to convince her, which causes me to wonder if she feels the chemistry between us, too. “Okay, fine. Yes, I’ll be your temporary fiancée, but I can pay own way.”
As I slide the ring on her finger, I’m surprised, and pleased, that it’s a perfect fit. I place a kiss on her finger before capturing her mouth with mine. Her lips part, her tongue darting out to mingle with mine as her hand slides up and around my neck. She shifts until she’s in my lap, and I wince as she grazes a few of the soft spots on my abdomen. Apparently noticing, she tries to pull back, but I hold her close, not letting her mouth leave mine as I devour her with more intensity than I’ve felt in so long.
As much as I was kidding about consummating this, my dick has a different idea as it hardens against her jeans. I want to own this woman. To take her completely, filling her until she can do nothing but scream my name, begging for me, wanting, and needing more.
My hand fists in her hair and I tug hard as I bite down on her lower lip. She groans, and rocks against me, but then she suddenly pulls back, panting and eyes wide.
“Wow,” she whispers, and I echo the sentiment before leaning in, wanting more. She pushes against my chest and scrambles off my lap. “We should probably cool off. You know, the heat of the moment, the excitement must be getting to us.”
“It’s not the heat of the moment, Ariana. It’s you,” I growl, trying to tug her back to me, but she resists.
“Me?” she asks as if it’s the craziest idea in the world.
“Yeah, you. You’re sexy as hell, sweet as can be, and I want you, Ariana. Is that really that much of a surprise?”
