Page 36 of Defending Love

Dani

Late December the same year

A dusting of snow fell beyond the windows of the famous Indianapolis steakhouse as the waiter delivered the bottle of the restaurant’s finest cabernet sauvignon. The dancing flame from the candle in the middle of our table reflected in Eli’s emerald gaze.

“The lady is the wine expert,” Eli replied. “She can have the first taste.”

After pouring a small amount into the glass, the waiter handed it to me.

Holding the slender stem, I swirled the dark-red liquid. Legs formed inside the glass globe. I inhaled the fruity bouquet with hints of tobacco and mint. The back of my throat pinched as the rich flavor hit my taste buds. “Excellent.”

The waiter added more to my glass and added a pour to Eli’s glass.

As our waiter walked away, my lips curled. “Drinking alcohol on the job. You are a rule breaker.”

“I’m officially off the clock.” He lifted his glass. “To spending the rest of our lives breaking the rules.”

Our glasses clinked.

Tonight was the date Eli promised me months ago.

While we’d had the opportunity to have multiple dates, this one was special.

Over the last few months, Eli resigned from Guardian Security and took a job with a local Indianapolis pharmaceutical company, Sinclair.

Elijah Rhodes was now the director of security.

After we both took a sip, Eli met my gaze. “I’m serious, Dani. The rest of our lives .” He pulled a small velvet box from his magic suit coat pocket.

Tears prickled my eyes, threatening to ruin my makeup as he opened the lid, revealing a large round diamond on a platinum band. “Eli?”

I watched, as if in slow motion, as this giant of a man moved from the chair.

All around us, the diners quieted as whispers of oohs and aahs filled the air. As if covered in a frosted veil, the room disappeared when Eli fell to one knee.

“I hope you don’t think this is too soon.” His deep voice resonated. “I refuse to wait to live the life we’ve planned. I love you, Dani. I’ll protect you, love you, and defend you until my last breath. Will you do me the honor of marrying me?”

The dining room held a collective breath as I nodded and attempted to form words. “Yes, I’ll marry you.” As I reached for Eli’s smooth cheeks and pulled his lips to mine, the room erupted in applause.

“I love you, too,” I whispered.

Eli slid the ring on the fourth finger of my left hand. “I was going to drop it in your wine glass but thought better of that.”

Splaying my fingers, I looked down at the sparkling diamond. “I don’t think I’m allergic to diamonds.”

His lips quirked as he took the seat across the table and offered me his hand. Our fingers intertwined. “I wasn’t willing to take the chance, but I do have the EpiPen if needed.”

Throughout the evening, well-meaning patrons came by, offering us their congratulations. As we asked for our check, we were informed that our bill was already paid. When the waiter pointed out the benefactors, Eli and I shook our heads with a scoff.

Damien and Ella waved us toward them.

“There’s a speakeasy upstairs,” Damien said with a wink as Ella hugged me and whispered congratulations. “Drinks are on me.”

The four of us went up the stairs. The room was filled with groupings of soft sofas and cozy chairs. Chandeliers hung from the ceiling, and a large mahogany bar lined one side of the room. Soft jazz music played from unseen speakers. We went to a grouping marked reserved.

“How did you know where we’d be?” I asked.

My brother winked. “Eli’s not the only one who can learn secrets.”

When I looked at my fiancé, he grinned. “I may have asked Marsha’s permission to marry you. I also didn’t swear her to secrecy.”

“I hope you don’t mind us crashing your evening,” Damien said. “Ella and I couldn’t pass up the chance to hear your answer. After all, you were there for both of our weddings.”

“Both?” Eli asked with a quirk of his eyebrow.

“Both,” I replied as I squeezed Damien’s hand. “Mom must have said yes. What would you have said?”

Damien looked at Eli and back at me. “Anyone who makes my sister happy, really happy, when the world around her is crumbling, is okay by me.”

“How is Mom?” I asked.

“She’s a godsend,” Ella replied. “Being able to sneak out and be here would be more difficult if she wasn’t staying with Dylan. And he loves Hoosier. Duchess, not so much.”

I laughed. Duchess was their very spoiled cat.

“Mom wants to go back to Florida after the holidays,” Damien said.

“Have you discouraged her?” Eli asked.

Damien shook his head. “Mom’s not ready to lose her independence. She knows she has a place to live with us. It’s her choice.”

I looked at my sister-in-law. “You have done the impossible.”

She grinned. “What have I done?”

“You’ve made this narcissistic asshole actually take other people’s feelings into consideration—a feat I never thought was possible.”

Ella hugged Damien’s arm. “He has his moments.”

“Like when he nominated me for the board to take Dad’s place.”

My brother smiled. “Not nepotism, you’re the most qualified. And I was wrong about Mom. She wanted to stay on.”

After one round of drinks and a second round of waters, we called it a night.

Although the walk to our condo was only a few blocks, Damien offered to drive. Eli and I chose to walk the quiet city streets as the light snow continued to fall. The circle and streets were decorated with colorful lights, the strings blowing in the wintry wind.

With my hand in Eli’s we stood, looking up at the monument.

“I should have waited to propose here.”

Warmth filled my cheeks. “I couldn’t believe you did it in front of all those people—even Damien and Ella.”

“It was a risk.” He tugged me until we were facing one another. “You could have said no.”

A smile tugged at my lips. “I haven’t yet.”

Once back to our condo, Eli avoided the lights and turned on the fireplace. Our decorated tree filled with white lights near the windows and the flames were our only illumination.

“Mrs. Rhodes,” he said, removing my wool coat.

“Dr. Sinclair.”

His lips met mine. “You can be both.”

“I can.”

Passion radiated from his sexy gaze. “I have a request of my future wife.”

My eyebrows quirked. “What kind of request? Am I going to say no?”

“First, I have a question.”

Lifting my arms to his shoulders, I asked, “Is it as important as the one you asked earlier?” I wiggled my finger, the diamond sparkling with the fire’s glow.

“Secondary to that one. How do you feel about our vows?”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“Love, obey, cherish…”

I grinned. “Not a fan of obey. Definitely love and cherish.”

“Back to my request.” He kissed my nose. “If you were good with obey, I was going to word my request differently.”

“Now, you have my curiosity piqued.”

“I’d like a fashion show.”

Not what I was expecting.

Pressing my lips together, I furrowed my forehead. “What do you want me to wear?”

“Your new ring.”

Warmth flooded my circulation. “And?”

“No and ,” he said.

His timbre lowering an octave and reverberating through my circulation caused my nipples to harden. “That’s a very specific request.”

Eli spun me and lowered the zipper on the back of my dress. “Very specific.” His warm breath skirted over my sensitive skin as kisses lavished my neck and shoulders.

My dress slipped from my shoulders followed by the undoing of my bra. My panties were next to go, sliding down to my ankles. Eli dropped again to his knees as he pulled them over my high-heeled shoes.

He looked up with a sexy grin. “I’ve changed my mind. The shoes stay.”

His kisses moved upward from my ankles to my calves and thighs. He inhaled as he reached my core. “You’re wet. I smell how sweet you’re going to taste.”

My breathing shallowed as he continued his exploration, thoroughly tending to each of my breasts, my nipples now as hard as my new diamond.

“You’re stunning, Dani.”

I gasped when he lifted me and placed my behind on the breakfast bar. I leaned back on my arms, as Eli lifted one of my feet and then the other, placing the shoes on the edge. The fire in his green eyes was inviting and exciting. I’d never felt as vulnerable and as worshipped at the same time.

It was as he released his belt that I tugged on my lower lip. The sound of his zipper echoed through the condo. We’d come together many times since that second night of his assignment. This, however, felt different.

I was fully exposed, and he was fully dressed.

The power shift was erotic.

I called out as we came together.

Pressing myself forward with my arms, I watched as his cock disappeared inside me only to reappear covered in both of our essences. I reached for his shoulders as my feet slipped from the counter.

The friction was too much and not enough.

I wanted more as I pushed his suit coat away and tugged at his tie.

Once I had his shirt opened, I held tight to his warm shoulders as the volcano within me roared to life.

The shooting of sparks, the soaring of flames, the molten lava burst forth as I called out his name and we shattered together.

Eli carried me to the living room and laid me on the soft rug before the fire. When he joined me, he too was naked as he pulled a blanket over us. I laid my head on his shoulder as he wrapped me in his arms.

“Have you proposed before?” I asked. When his gaze met mine, I said, “to Amy?”

He’d shared his past with me, and I’d shared mine. Even though secrets were Eli’s specialty, we agreed to not have them between ourselves.

“No. You, Doctor, are my first proposal. Amy and I talked about forever.” He hugged me closer. “It’s why I didn’t want to wait with you. We should seize love when it comes.”

I looked again at the beautiful ring. “It would be okay if you had. You don’t have to defend love.”

Eli rolled me until his nose was millimeters from mine.

“Dani, you aren’t her. You’re not a replacement for her.

I wasn’t looking for a replacement. I wasn’t looking for love.

” He inhaled. “I wasn’t looking for anything except an assignment the afternoon when I walked into Damien’s office.

I shared my story with you to help you understand why I had my rules. ”

I nodded. A lump of emotion formed in my throat. It wasn’t only what Eli was saying, but that he was sharing such a personal part of himself. The sexy man with the gruff exterior was allowing me to see inside him, the way he’d been looking at my soul since his return.

Eli’s tenor lowered. “I will defend my love for you, Dani. Forever and always.”

Our lips met.

“Thank you for breaking your rules.”

“I love you.”

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