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She tapped her nose. “Nice try, Quinlan.”
“God loves a trier.”
The softest smile graced her lips. “God isn’t the only one.”
“Christ, Lori.” He crooked his finger. “Come here.”
She did, and he captured her face in his hands, kissing her with reverence and adoration. “You enrich my life. You always did. I feel as if I’ve sleepwalked through the years we spent apart, and now, I feel alive again. You make me feel alive.” Another kiss. “I love you so damn much. Please don’t leave me again.”
She swallowed, her eyes briefly dipping to his lips. And then she nodded. “For as long as I live, I’m yours.”
CHAPTER 13
Nausea plagued her on the short walk to the street where the limousine driver waited to greet them. She’d staved off Zane’s plea never to leave him again with a response that, while truthful, didn’t tell the complete story. This wasn’t the right time for revelations, though. She’d promised her parents she’d tell Zane the truth. And she would. Soon. In the meantime, this night was theirs, and she refused to spoil it with talk of failing hearts and potential death. She felt good. Better than ever. The latest tests she’d undergone a few days ago all came back positive, and her cardiologist couldn’t be happier with her current state of health.
Besides, she anticipated that Zane’s anger would come at her fast and hard when she confessed how she’d lied to him all those years ago. His fury that she’d made such a momentous decision alone, one that had affected both their lives, would rain down on her, and she’d deserve every strike, every blow. She was being a coward in not telling him, but like she’d said to her father at dinner on Monday night, she just wanted to live the fairytale for a while longer before the brutality of real life crashed in and ruined everything.
“You’ve gone awfully quiet.” Zane pulled her closer and kissed her temple. “Too much?”
She shook her head. “You saying that you love me could never be too much. I’ll never tire of hearing it.”
“Then what is it?”
He always had read her with very little effort on his part. “I just want tonight to be perfect.”
“It will be. We’re together. What could be more perfect than that?”
“True.”
She smiled at the driver and slid into the back of the limo. Zane followed her, and seconds later, the car merged into the traffic.
“How far is it? This place we’re going.”
“Not far.” She peered into her purse to make sure she had the invitations, even though she’d already checked before Zane arrived. Dayton had assured her their names were on the list, but she’d need the invitations, too.
Dayton. Such a terrific guy. Kind and generous and thoughtful. At dinner last night he’d told her that he’d offered Necron an exclusivity deal on liquor supply for the hotels and had asked her to reach out to the company CEO to discuss strategy. The news had provided her with an opening to share her past with Zane. She’d kept the details scant, explaining to Dayton that they’d been sweethearts in high school who’d drifted apart after her father moved his family to India, and had recently reunited after meeting in his building.
Dayton, who she hadn’t realized was such a romantic, had swooped in with an offer of VIP tickets to a club that a friend of his owned. As soon as he’d mentioned the name of the club, Lori’s jaw had dropped to the floor.
Everyone who was anyone had heard of The Vortex, an exclusive invitation-only venue that most New Yorkers would never see the inside of. She’d offered to pay for the tickets, and he’d laughed, saying they were something money couldn’t buy, and to enjoy a night on him. When she’d argued, he’d grinned and told her she’d earned them, and more besides, with how much work he planned to send her way.
Friday night traffic meant it took them a half hour to travel from her apartment to the club, a journey that, without the gridlock, should take no more than fifteen minutes. The car stopped right out front. A red carpet snaked from the sidewalk to the entrance, and two uniformed doormen waited to greet the guests. Zane craned his head to look out the window, then whipped around to face Lori as soon as he realized where they were.
“Jesus, Lori. The Vortex? How did you swing this?”
“Dayton.” She grinned. “I’m not sure if he did this out of the goodness of his heart or to give him some leverage over the hours we work.”
“He’s going to make us work for it, regardless. Might as well enjoy a perk or two along the way.”
The driver stood back to allow Zane to exit the vehicle. He reached inside to help Lori out. Clutching the tickets in her right hand, she slipped her left into his and stepped onto the red carpet.
“I feel like a fairytale princess,” she whispered.
“You look like one.” He gazed down at her. “Except far more beautiful.”
Her chest filled with warmth, and she swiped her tongue along dry lips. The way Zane lifted her up, made her feel special, had always been his superpower, and its potency hadn’t waned one iota.
Lori showed the doorman the tickets. He scanned them, then opened the heavy tinted-glass door and waved them inside. Opulence hit her the second she entered, from the thick-pile carpet beneath her feet to the subtle yet expensive lighting, to the solid oak podium behind which an impeccably turned-out woman greeted them with a perfect smile.
