FOR THE first time in longer than he could remember, Dom actually looked forward to meeting Lana for lunch. He loved her, but the constant worry and guilt he’d borne since the attack got in the way of their friendship. Now it was finally melting away. A weight off his shoulders. In fact, from suspecting Daniel of ulterior motives, Dom had swung around to the other side. He’d never seen Lana happier, and he might just need to thank Daniel for that.
When he walked into Henri’s café, Lana was already there waiting for him. Henri waved a greeting and came to their table.
After Henri had taken their order, Lana asked, “How’re things with Gilles?”
Dom leaned back in the booth and gave her a lascivious smirk. “Couldn’t be better, if you get my drift.” He waggled his eyebrows.
“So he got over suspecting you of having an affair with me, which was only reasonable on his part considering the amount of time you spent following me around?”
“He thought I was a bisexual cheating heel seeing you on the sly, until you agreed to meet him, which I thank you for.” Dom looked around, but none of the other customers seemed interested. “You didn’t have to tell him about, uh, you know.”
“I know you really love Gilles, and I didn’t want to cause problems between you. I didn’t mind telling him. He was very nice about it. Besides, once you’re married, he’ll have to know anyway, won’t he? If we’re all for one, we also have to be one for all.”
“Who said anything about getting married?”
“You’re a fraud, Dom. I know you think he’s the one.”
On the defense, Dom tried a parry. “And what about Daniel? Are you sure he’s the one for you?”
“I’m sure.”
“What’s he doing when you’re at work?”
“He’s painting again. He’s got two commissions for portraits.”
Dom had never seen Lana’s face like this. Before she’d always been tightly wound, vigilant for her safety, aside from when she was alone with him and the other Musketeers. Now she radiated newly found confidence. “Listen, I know I’m about to offend you, but if anything ever goes wrong between you and Daniel, you know we’ll always be there for you.”
“It’s probably just become a habit with you. You’ve been looking out for me for so long, Dom, and I appreciate that, but thank goodness you’ve turned it down a couple of notches.”
Dom nodded thoughtfully. “Terry told me I can’t be objective about you and to fucking give it a fucking rest for fuck’s sake, direct quote, but I just want to be certain. I worry about you.”
“People can change, and that includes you and me, as well as Daniel. Almost dying has a way of making you focus on what’s important in life. He regrets what he did.”
Aware that he did not share their experience, Dom could only nod. “You did nothing to deserve what happened to you. He should regret his actions, considering what he did. But neither of you deserved to almost die.”
“I’m not saying Daniel is a perfect man—”
Dom burst into laughter.
She grinned. “Shut up. Going through a traumatic experience and having that in common seems to help. We don’t have to talk about every detail, but we both get it.”
“I understand.”
“We both came out the other side different. I know how you found me and that was horrible for you, but it’s not the same as having it actually happen to you. Even if Daniel lied to everyone else, he could never lie to me. We’ve both stood on the knife’s edge, and that’s something that never goes away.”
Lana had never talked even this much about the assault before. Dom nodded to acknowledge what she said, all his words deserting him.
Lana leaned forward and lowered her voice. “Daniel loves me exactly the way I am. Can’t you understand how precious that is?”
Terry was right. He had to let this go. Dom pulled himself together and grinned. “Underwear and all?”
Laughing, Lana held up crossed fingers in the universal antivampire sign. “Not that my underwear is any of your business, but yes. He accepts me completely.”
Dom sighed. “I don’t get it,” he said, not for the first time.
Lana said, “I don’t get it either. I didn’t ask to be made this way, but I like wearing these clothes. I never thought I’d find a man who loved me just as I am and didn’t want to change me, but now that I have—”
“You decided to man up and reach for the stars.”
Lana giggled. “Well put.”
“Have you survived your first fight yet?”
“Have you?”
“I asked first.”
“You’re still a dick, Dom, but a nice dick.” Lana and Dom leaned closer and giggled. “Yes, we had our first fight and came through alive.”
“Tears?”
“And screaming and storming out. Two boxes of tissues later, he was rushing over to apologize and ran into me while I was rushing back to—”
“Let me guess. To apologize?” Dom grinned.
Lana nodded. “We worked it out. And it helped me to realize we can argue and he’s still going to love me when we get over our snit.”
“You never worried when we had a fight.”
“We have more history. And the fights weren’t exactly about the same thing.”
“Neither was the making up later. What did you argue about?”
Lana frowned at him. “None of your business.”
“That dumb, huh?”
“How did you know?” Lana giggled and shook her head.
“Ask me what Gilles and I argued about.”
“All right, I’m asking.”
“You don’t want to know, but it was that dumb also, and two boxes of tissues later….” Dom circled his hand in the air. “You know the drill. But once the apologies were out of the way, the make-up sex was pretty hot. So, seriously. How’s Daniel rate in the bedroom?”
“None of your business.” The smug smile on Lana’s face spoke volumes. Dom recognized how that same smirk felt on his own face.
“What does he have to say about your parents?”
“He said he wouldn’t condescend to take money from that bunch of intolerant dicks if they offered it.”
“Daniel’s got his heart in the right place when it comes to you,” Dom growled. “Even though dear old Dad deserves all the bad things coming to him.”
“Let’s not talk about them. I’m just happy I’ll never have to see them again.” The hurt look disappeared when Lana smiled. “I made my own family, and I’m much happier with my Musketeers and Daniel.”
“I’m really happy for you, Lana.”
“And I’m glad for you and Gilles.”
“No, I mean it. You look happier than I’ve ever seen you.” Dom realized that was the truth. In the past he’d seen Lana ecstatic over an outfit or a work assignment, but nothing else. “At peace.”
“I don’t have to hide with Daniel.”
“And that’s the best thing you could ever tell me. I always hoped you’d find your happy ending.”
Lana reached forward to touch Dom’s arm. “After the attack, I built a dam around my feelings, even though I knew it couldn’t hold everything in forever. With Daniel, I don’t have to. He knows I’m going to have bad days sometimes, because he has them too. And we’ll both be there to help one another when we need it.”
She didn’t mention nightmares, and Dom wondered if she or Daniel ever woke in the night with a scream, trembling and crying. Gilles had been there to hold him the last time, and he hoped it was the same for Lana, but he would never ask. The rest of what they shared was bad enough. He didn’t want to trigger a bad dream for her too. “So am I invited to the wedding?”
“If we ever decide there’ll be one, you can be maid of honor,” Lana promised him.
“Man of honor,” Dom stressed. “So are you seeing him tonight?”
“Yes, I am.” Lana’s face flushed pink.
“Care to tell me what you’re doing? Want to give me and Gilles any pointers, so to speak, if you get what I mean, wink, wink, nod, nod.” Dom winked as vigorously as if he had an eyelash in his eye.
“Don’t be such a dick.” Lana laughed and then assumed a haughty manner to announce grandly, “We are planning to moon the boats on the Seine this evening. I shall be wearing a chic, elegant frock with a fitted bodice and a full circle skirt, perfect for flinging up insouciantly to expose the buttocks to—”
“Oh, keep it a secret, then, don’t tell me.” Dom pouted.
“Don’t worry, I wasn’t going to.”
“Ring me if you guys end up in jail. I’ll bail you out. If I’m not too busy to answer the phone.” Dom winked at her again.
TONIGHT LANA was wearing a chic minidress, black with red accents on the armholes and pockets, geometric shapes traced out in thin leather lines, and with an asymmetrical wrap skirt. Her makeup was perfect, her hair back in a stylish chignon with some loose curls around her face, and she had on her usual four-inch heels. What didn’t show was a luxurious new set of lingerie, a gift from Daniel. He hadn’t seen her in them yet, but Lana knew he was going to like the new bra and thong. No stockings or garter belt because it was hot that fall.
Lana opened a window and leaned out to see if Daniel had arrived yet. He waved up at her with a smile, and she blew him a kiss. Then she locked the door to her flat and went down to meet him. Daniel had insisted for the sake of Lana’s reputation that he never stay overnight. Charmingly old-fashioned, although Lana had pointed out that it didn’t make much difference considering she had no reputation to speak of and stayed over at Daniel’s flat six nights out of seven, but he had held firm.
Daniel greeted her with a hug. He always took her in his arms as if she was something precious to be cared for and loved. After they kissed, they held hands as they walked.
“I still can’t get over how good you are in those heels.”
“Practice, honey.
“The taller they are—”
“Isn’t that the bigger they are?”
“We both know who’s bigger.” Daniel wore a huge shit-eating grin.
“You want to whip it out and compare right now?”
“Better wait until we get home and I will be happy to oblige.”
“Where are we going?”
“It’s a surprise.” Daniel walked her to a taxi stand and opened the door for her. “I thought we’d take a walk down memory lane on our anniversary.” He leaned forward to speak to the driver. “Quai des Grand Augustins, s’il vous plaît.”
Lana blinked in surprise. “What anniversary is that?”
Daniel looked at his watch. “It’s been five months, seventeen days, and almost fourteen hours since we started dating.”
“When are you counting from?” Touched, Lana held back a laugh.
“Our second date.” Daniel beamed at her. “When you trusted me with the truth. We’ll have another anniversary on the day I came clean to you.”
“Will that involve the dwarfs?”
“Preferably not, but if you want them to watch, I’ll do my best.”
Lana shuddered at the thought. “God forbid.”
“Good, because I do my best work with an audience of one.”
“Hey, I’m not exactly the audience. I’m doing my share.” Lana slapped at his shoulder.
He caught her hand and kept it. “And you do excellent work.”
She squeezed his hand. “Thank you for noticing. Back to the scene of the crime?”
“I prefer to think of it as one of the greatest love scenes in the history of man.”
Lana raised her brows. “And women.”
“And women.” Daniel bowed to her. “Perhaps I’m being a little grandiose—”
“No perhaps about it.”
“—but I can honestly say that was the best night of my entire life.”
“Including the night we—”
Daniel put a finger to her lips. “This is about love and finding it when you’d all but given up on it.”
Lana nipped at his finger. “I’m just a bit giddy because it was the best love scene I’ve ever been in. Not to mention the only.”
When they arrived at the Seine, Daniel led her across the Pont Neuf bridge. This time they descended with arms linked and Lana cuddled close against him. To her surprise, Daniel had arranged for the same table on the same boat.
Instead of rain, the sun was setting, and the menu was different, but Lana felt the same thrill as the trip began. When they raised their glasses to each other, Lana contrasted the intimacy of their conversation with last time, when they each clutched their secrets. And yet the comfort she felt tonight was shot through with the excitement of that night.
“So what do you think of my idea?”
“Very romantic.” Lana hadn’t stopped smiling since they got into the taxi. “We should have anniversaries more often.”
“I’m game. We can make them up as we go.” Daniel raised his glass again. “Happy new underwear day.”
“I have them on,” Lana whispered. Heat flooded her face, but she grinned.
Daniel waggled his eyebrows. “Dessert?”
“Definitely.”
The air was still warm when they disembarked from the boat. They strolled along the Quai de Conti to the Pont des Arts.
“I remember when the railings were covered with padlocks.” Daniel stopped at the center of the bridge under a streetlight.
“Locks of love.” Lana ran her hand along the smooth railing. After the overwhelming mass of locks were removed, the bare glass panels provided a better view of the river and the boats passing below. “You weren’t planning to add one for us and throw the key into the Seine, were you?”
“It’s a nice gesture, but I had something better in mind.” Daniel went down on one knee in front of Lana, still holding her hand and looking up at her. “Lana Renault, I am more serious than I’ve ever been in my entire life. I love you more than any words I can think up to tell you, and I will always love you. Loving you has made a better man of me, and I need you. I’m asking—I’m begging you, will you marry me?
“Yes, I’ll marry you!” She bent to kiss Daniel, holding his face in her hands.
“Bonsoir, madame et monsieur.”
Lana broke the kiss and Daniel scrambled to his feet.
The gendarme who’d spoken just nodded with an understanding smile and continued on his rounds.
Lana put her hand over her heart to still the pounding. “God, he surprised me.”
“He must be used to it. This is the bridge of love. Maybe he thought we were an old married couple, back to relive our glory days,” Daniel said.
“Old! Speak for yourself.”
“Well, what about it?”
“What about what?”
“Getting married.”
“You mean for real? Truly, legally married?” Tonight’s roller-coaster ride just took another exciting swoop.
“It would be sort of the ultimate con, don’t you think?” Daniel said. “When you think of it, we’re both in the same sort of sideline to our main gigs.”
Lana sighed. “It would be, wouldn’t it?”
“Or we could take a jaunt over to England, if you want to recite the words in your native tongue.”
“Hell no. If I marry you, it’ll only be for the sake of your bathtub.”
“Any reason will do.”
Lana threw herself into his arms.
Laughing, Daniel asked, “Don’t you even want to see the ring?”
“What ring?”
“It’s customary when a man asks another to be his lawful wedded wife—”
“Partner, you lunatic.”
“To offer a ring as a sign of good faith or promise or something.” Daniel struggled to get the box out of his tight jeans. “Have a look. If you hate it, we’ll go and pick out another.”
“Cartier?”
“Only the box. The ring is actually out of a crackerjack box, but I wanted to impress you with the name. Open it.”
Lana gasped in shock at the sight of the ring. A large emerald blazed green from the center of an ultramodern platinum setting. Two baguette diamonds glittered at either side. “It’s gorgeous! I’ll take it! And I’ll take you! Dom always told me I needed to get myself a rich husband.”
“I doubt he actually said that, but if he did, he was right and I’m your man.” Daniel slipped the ring onto Lana’s finger and put his arm around her. “We’ll make plans tomorrow. Who do you want to invite?”
“My friend Catharine and her husband. And the dwarfs, of course, and their mates. I promised Happy he could be maid of honor.”
“Dom must have been thrilled by that honor,” Daniel said with a chuckle.
“Not so you’d notice it,” Lana said. “I think he’s afraid I’ll pick out a dress he can only wear once.”
“With your fashion sense?”
“I know! What is he thinking? But he can be man of honor if he prefers.”
“As long as we’re together,” Daniel said.
“Forever,” Lana said.
“Let’s go home,” Daniel said.
Lana kissed him. “Let’s, my love.”