“No problem.”
After the minister presented the couple as Andrew and Antonia Logan, Drew swept Toni off her feet and into his arms. Everyone stood as he carried her out the church and was followed by the wedding party.
“What a beautiful wedding,” Amelia said, still sniffling a little.
“Yes, it was,” he agreed, as they waited for the church to empty. There had to be more than three hundred guests here today.
“I loved how both Toni’s grandfather and her father gave her away. I’ve never seen that before.”
“It was different, but in a good way,” he admitted.
“I think she made a beautiful bride, Dak.”
“No question about it.”
When it was time for them to leave, Dak offered her his arm. He knew he was making it appear as if the two of them were together. That was okay with him. And since she took it, she obviously didn’t mind anyone making that assumption.
Once they were outside the church, they mingled among the other guests while the sun beat down on them. The temperature had to be in the high eighties, and as he loosened his tie, he had to admit to himself that he missed Vermont weather. He glanced down at Amelia, to see if the heat was bothering her at all. She looked gorgeous. Absolutely. Totally. Completely. “You look nice,” he said.
She smiled. “So do you. Are you going to the reception?”
“Yes. Are you?
She nodded, and he warmed up even more at the sight of the dimples that appeared in both of her cheeks.
“Do you need a ride?” he asked, hoping she did.
“No. I have a rental.”
“If you’d like, I could always bring you back later to get your car.” He wasn’t ready for her to be out of his sight. Already he’d noticed several men’s eyes on her.
“Let me check with Granny Kay. She’s an official part of the wedding party, and they’ll probably hang back a while for pictures.”
“Sure.”
As he watched her walk off, he couldn’t help appreciating her gorgeous legs, made even more tempting by the stilettos she wore. And he saw that he wasn’t the only man looking. But it was more than just her legs—it was her walk, so elegant and graceful. The way she carried herself was absolutely irresistible. He could easily see how she’d won those beauty pageants. She was a natural beauty and had a radiant glow about her.
He tried to keep the frown out of his face when he saw several men turn to brazenly look at her as she walked back to him after talking to her grandmother. For all they knew, she could be his girl or his wife. He was certain they had seen the two of them walk out the church together, with her holding on to his arm. He was going to have to say something…
Suddenly, he wondered what the hell was wrong with him. He was not someone who got territorial when it came to women.
“Granny Kay will be riding to the reception with Stonewall and Joy in their limo,” Amelia said upon returning. “I was right. They have a ton of pictures to take.”
“My rental car is parked over there,” he said, offering her his arm again.
She took it and they walked seemingly in sync over to a Mercedes sports convertible. “Nice car,” she said, when he opened the door for her.
“Thanks. But like I said, it’s a rental.”
“Still, I understand you own quite an assortment of cars.”
He figured Stonewall had told her that. “Yes, I do. Collecting cars is a hobby of mine.”
“Sounds fascinating. Any favorite model?”
“Not really. I just go after whatever catches my eye.” The way she was doing. “If it gets too windy for you, just let me know. I can always put the top up,” he said, backing out of the parking space.
“Are you kidding? Considering this heat, any breeze will be welcome,” she said.
He nodded, noticing that several of the men who’d checked out Amelia earlier were watching her leave with him. He smiled…and just barely resisted the urge to pump his arm in triumph.
• • •
Mellie leaned back against the headrest and closed her eyes. She loved the feeling of having the wind on her face and blowing through her hair. But it wouldn’t last for long. The reception was being held nearby, in the ballroom of a hotel on Miami Beach. She let her thoughts drift back to the beautiful wedding. She’d especially loved the vows Drew and Toni had written and said to each other.
She opened her eyes and glanced over at Dak. The snap, crackle and pop of attraction were still there. Nothing had changed since the last time they’d seen each other two years ago. He could still push her buttons, make her heart race and do things—real serious things—to the area between her legs.
“I understand Drew and Toni are flying to Antigua for their honeymoon.”
“I know. He asked me about it.”
“You’ve been there before?” she asked him, knowing she wouldn’t be surprised if he had. Stonewall had told her and Granny Kay all about Dak’s technology company that specialized in creating high-tech security devices for government and private use. He had business interests world-wide, and was a successful and very wealthy businessman.
“Several times.”
“I bet it’s nice.”
“It is. Stonewall stayed with me there a few times, while he was my bodyguard.”
Mellie nodded. “The two of you traveled a lot of places together. He mentioned that you don’t care to stay in hotels,” she said.
They had come to a traffic light, and he glanced over at her. “That’s right, I don’t. They’re just so impersonal. I travel a lot, and I find it much more comfortable to stay in a place that’s mine. So, I tend to purchase a home in countries I visit often.” He laughed. “As a result, I own quite a few.”
That’s what she’d heard. And they were all beautiful and elegant and usually had staff at his disposal. “What is your favorite place to visit?” she asked him.
He smiled and the depth of that smile touched her all over, even in places it shouldn’t. “My home in Vermont. I’m rarely there, but whenever I return, I’m struck with the feeling that it’s where I belong.”
Stonewall had told Mellie all about Dak’s Winding Rivers Estate in Vermont. He’d said that it encompassed five hundred acres of the most beautiful land he’d ever seen. Sunny hillsides, lush valleys, huge lakes and scenic streams—the estate had it all…including a monstrosity of a house that sat right in the middle of it. That was the house Dak considered home.
“So—” Dak said, changing the subject, “—tell me about Amelia Courson.”
She glanced over at him. His eyes were on the road but he was obviously waiting for her to respond. “What do you want to know, that you probably don’t already? I’ve heard Stonewall in action. He likes to talk about me.”
He chuckled. “Your brother is proud of you.”
She smiled. “We are proud of each other. I’m sure you know we lost our parents when they were vacationing in this very city and a hurricane hit. I think of that every time I come to Miami.”
“I can imagine.”
“We were young, and Granny Kay and Grandpop became our legal guardians. Then a year later, Grandpop was gone. He never got over losing his only child—my father—who died of a heart attack. Granny Kay said it was actually the grief that killed him.”