Burned by Passion(25)

Kira smiled and looked up to see who Terry was talking about. He was always one for dramatics. But when Kira spotted Blake and Brittany she almost choked on her salmon. Damn it! It was like everywhere she went, he showed up; first in the elevator and now here. She should never have agreed to meet with Terry when he insisted he wanted to bring her to this pricey restaurant for lunch.

Seeing Blake with that pompous bitch Brittany had been more hurtful than Kira would’ve expected, back there when she’d seen the blonde get into Blake’s Aston Martin. They’d seemed like the picture perfect couple and Kira remembered grinding her teeth in part fury, part despair. She could keep lying to herself that Blake didn’t matter, but she knew in her heart that something real was blossoming against her wishes and she wasn’t sure how to stop it. Now they were here together and things couldn’t be more awkward.


Terry was going on in his usual ironic tone, “Hmm...if they’re going to become an item it’s going to make gossip headlines. Maybe I should call a few contacts to keep me updated on who is screwing who where they’re concerned.”

“Hush!” Kira bit out. “That’s my boss’s son you’re talking about!”

“Hey, what?” Terry said with a laugh. “What’s got you all fired up?”

Well, nothing actually, she thought, nothing but that sexy bastard who tries to soften me up one minute and the next he’s got Little Ms. Perfect on his arm. Whatever regret she’d felt when he’d walked out of the elevator had dissipated seeing him looking all cozy with Brittany. The urge to kill him still raged within her and it was all she could do to breathe.

“Look, I apologize,” she said to Terry with a sigh. “I guess...I have been getting these funny twinges now and again. I feel a little off lately. Maybe I’m coming down with something.”

Which was the truth, actually. She’d been feeling under the weather for a few days and nothing she was taking for it seemed to be working.

“You look like you’re working yourself too hard,” Terry said soothingly. “You’ve lost weight and your color seems a bit dull. You need a break, baby. I can’t have my girl pushing herself beyond endurance. That boss of yours is one hell of a slave-driver.”

Kira shook her head, smiling. “The last thing I need right now is a break, trust me.” One thing she wanted to avoid was anything that could give her the chance to think about Blake. Work kept her busy and sane. And once she got home she was too tired to do anything but tumble exhausted into bed.

“But you’re right about me taking it easy at least,” she added. “I’ll tone things down a bit at work from now on.”

“Thank you,” Terry said feelingly, as if she’d just bestowed him a huge favor. And then he shocked her by adding, “Because I’d like you looking your delectable best when I take you down the aisle soon.”

“Aisle? What aisle?” Kira asked blankly, her mind refusing to understand what was being said.

Terry sighed dramatically, a wounded expression on his face. “Kira dear, do you not know a proposal when you hear one?” And to convince her he wasn’t playing, he actually slipped down on one knee, dipped his hand in his pocket and produced a beautiful diamond ring. Kira gasped in appreciation and shock.

“Maybe this will clarify things.” Terry murmured, for once looking serious. His dark brown eyes glimmered with depth as he told her softly, “I love you Kira. All these months with you have been the most special of my life. And I want to spend the rest of my lifetime with you. You’ll make me the happiest man alive if you agree to marry me.”

Kira’s mouth had fallen open and she didn’t know what to say. She felt the eyes of everyone around now trained on her and she almost laughed out loud in surprise. Terry, proposing? The idea was ridiculous though he looked really, really...sincere. She almost didn’t believe it and yet felt touched at the same time.

But could she do it? Could she really go through with it?

The more she gazed into his handsome face, the more the idea seemed like something she could warm up to. She liked him; he was nice to have around and he really cared about her. He wouldn’t have stuck around all these months if he didn’t. She was in her mid-twenties, more than ripe for marriage and it wasn’t like she had anyone else beating down her door.

But...Terry? She’d kept him mostly at arm’s length all this while, her heart never really sure about letting him closer. There’d been none of that raging fire in her body for him and yet now that she was wiser she knew life wasn’t all about the flames and the passion. She needed a man she could trust and who would treat her with respect. Truthfully, that’s all Terry had ever done; respected her as a person and a woman and she was incredibly grateful for that.

She could make this work, she thought once again. With a beaming smile, she held out her hand and said, “Yes. Yes, Terry. I will marry you.”

She could hear the happy hoots and applause from the other guests as Terry proudly slipped the beautiful ring on her finger. He told her with a happy grin that it had belonged to his grandmother, who’d given it to him for his future bride.

“I’m so honored you chose me, Terry,” Kira said, pushing all doubt from her mind. She stared down at the ring and hoped the glitter in the diamond would put stars in her eyes. It must have, because Terry beamed even wider and reached forward to kiss her on the lips.