Save the Date! (14 page)

The next morning, Gemma woke up earlier than normal. She couldn't exactly tell what time it was, but she knew it had to be close to seven, maybe a few minutes later. She felt something nice and warm against her waist and she yawned, not really paying attention to it. She snuggled her head deeper into her pillow, which exuded the same kind of warmth that the object on her waist was giving, and - Wait a moment, pillows couldn't
breathe
, could they? No, no, of course not.

Then what was she on? Suddenly, remnants of everything that had happened last night started popping into her mind. Gemma felt her body tense up, but then, without warning, she slowly began to relax. And now she finally remembered why.
Dixon had stayed with her last night. Actually, if one looked at it technically, she had stayed with Dixon in his room. They had fallen asleep together in his bed. Nothing had happened between them, of course, but Gemma needed someone, someone that wouldn't leave her after she had fallen asleep or wouldn't get up in the middle of the night or… Well, the list went on.

Dixon
exceeded her expectations, and he had stayed. For the entire night. And she had never felt safer than she did right now, in his arms, just like this. She didn't want to leave, and yet she felt like she needed to clear her mind, take a deep breath of cool air. Her mind was running a million miles a minute, analyzing everything from how Dixon's family treated her last night to how she felt about the man sleeping next to her to the gunfire that had erupted…

Though she had been in a daze last night, Gemma could distinctly remember her father and
Dixon talking, and though a couple of people had a few cuts and bruises and most all of the guests were in shock, no one was seriously injured. But they couldn't find a suspect, and no one had caught a glimpse of the shooter's face. So as of right now, the CIA was at a standstill.

Gemma cocked her head to the side and looked up at
Dixon, her eyes instantly relaying warmth. He was so beautiful when he was calm. Well, beautiful in general really, but there was something special about the way he looked right now, completely calm, completely vulnerable. His dark copper hair fell into his face now, littering his forehead. His midnight blue eyes, so piercing and intense, were shielded by his eyelids, his lips, so soft, -

Okay, Gemma needed to get out of there now. Not only was she checking him out, but she was checking him out in such a way that he could easily open his eyes and
tell what she had been doing. And if that happened, one of two things would happen as a result; either he would feel uncomfortable around her and therefore their relationship would turn awkward or he would not let her hear the end of it. Either way, she lost.

At first, it was difficult for Gemma to squirm out of
Dixon's grip, but after a few times and careful consideration that she didn't wake him up, she was out. Currently, she was wearing light pajamas and if she wanted to go out back for a moment, she would need… Ah ha! One of Dixon's sweaters was sprawled across an arm chair and without a second thought, slipped it on. Immediately, her senses were swarmed with his scent, and as she walked out of the room, she inhaled selfishly.

The house was still dark and quiet; her parents must still be asleep. Gemma was certain they had walked in on Gemma and
Dixon sleeping together. Normally, Brent would have said something (despite the fact that Gemma was twenty years old and clearly an adult), but both he and his wife must have known how important it was that their daughter have some sort of physical contact with someone she trusted.

Not that she had had sex of course. Even the thought of engaging in such an act with
Dixon caused her to blush and it just pushed her to quietly head out the sliding glass door and into her backyard. She glanced around, a serene smile touching her face. She always loved the outdoors, and knew she was lucky to have an amazing backyard as hers. She often wondered why her parents wouldn't get her a dog; surely there was enough room.

Gemma wasn't exactly sure how long she was standing in the middle of the yard, her toes immersed in the cool grass. She had come outside in order to forgo thinking about anything, and surprisingly enough, she had been successful at it. It must have been a while because the screen door opened and out stepped
Dixon with what appeared to be two cups of coffee.

"You're up early," he told her, his voice still laced with slumber. He shot her a cryptic smile as he raised the coffee cup to his lips.
"Surprisingly."

She returned his smile with one of her own and took a sip of the warm liquid from her own cup. She let a content moan slip past her lips as the coffee touched her tongue and as she swallowed it, the trail of warmth descended down her throat. If
Dixon could do one thing, besides save her life, of course, he could definitely make an amazing cup of coffee.

"How is your brother
?" Gemma asked him in a quiet voice, staring at the amber liquid. Apparently, Dixon knew that she liked her coffee with lots of cream and sugar in order to drown out the bitter taste.

"He’
s fine," Dixon said, glancing across at the backyard. Gemma studied him, her eyes tracing the lines of his broad shoulders, muscles that encompassed his torso; he was only wearing a white wife beater and pajama pants. "He always manages to weasel out of trouble." His voice was crisp and dry and he rolled his eyes.

“Thanks to you, I’m sure,” she murmured.

Gemma glanced back down at her coffee, trying to get closer to it so she could envelope herself in its warmth. She bit her bottom lip, wanting nothing more than to ask Dixon a pointed question, but unsure if she should. He must have known her dilemma because he didn't speak for a long while. Instead, he waited until she was ready, until she asked him whatever it was she needed to ask him.

"Do you think," she began before stopping and forcing her eyes up to lock with
Dixon's. "Do you think what we're doing is right?" She paused, sighing through her nose and glancing around. It had been bothering her a lot lately… "I mean, lying. Lying to everyone? Lying to people we care about, who care about us?"

"Your life is what's important,"
Dixon told her seriously, pressing his brows up. "Yes, we're lying to these people, but I'm sure that if they knew what you're going through – hell, they've already experienced a fraction of it last night – I'm sure they'd understand."

"But what if the guy or whoever is after me, what if he doesn't get caught for while?" Gemma asked, furrowing her brow before taking another sip of coffee. "I mean, let's face it,
Dixon. We have no leads from last night. We have no leads in general. What if it takes months, years to catch this person? That means we'll have to go through with the wedding, have a honeymoon, and stay married."

"I'm not going to worry about any of that until it's absolutely necessary,"
Dixon said, taking a step towards her and making sure that his eyes were staring into hers. "If I have to stay married to you for two years, five years, ten years, I'll do it."

"Yeah, but," Gemma murmured, her voice softer but just as firm. "I need to tell you something…"

So was she going to do it? Tell the man standing before her that she loved him? Because, with each day that passed and after everything that had happened last night, she realized that she did love him. She loved him very much, despite the fact that the odds were stacked up high against them. She loved him even though his brother was a black sheep, an addict, and kind of a skeeze, she loved him even though he was somewhat older than she was, and she loved him even though he seemed to give her a hard time quite frequently. That was why Gemma was so worried about actually going through with this whole marriage thing. It wasn't just pretend to her anymore. Feelings, at least her feelings, were now added to the mix, and she wasn't sure if she could take a separation…

"Thank you," she finally managed to say, forcing a smile and hoping beyond a reasonable doubt that he couldn't see the mist that had clouded up her eyes. "Thank you for last night and this morning. Thank you for everything."

Dixon looked slightly confused at her words only because he didn't think that such a thing was terribly important, but he nodded nonetheless. "You're welcome," he assured her. "Gemma, you shouldn't worry about this, about me doing this for you. Despite how I act sometimes, you’re important to me.” It was hard for him to say that, she knew. “Very important. And I'll do anything to keep you safe. Anything."

The next couple of weeks progressed quite nicely. During the week, Gemma Harrison was a regular college third year majoring in Communications with the biggest crush not on Troy, the quarterback of the football team, but on her faux fiancé and personal bodyguard. On the weekends, she had to act like a fiancée in return; the two started getting things down when it came to the wedding. Gemma and her mother would pore over bridal magazines long into the night, while Brent and Dixon talked about security, suspects, and CIA-related confidential things.

Carlene truly believed that Gemma was finally getting excited about this fake wedding because Gemma seemed to be volunteering more to help pick out the colors, designs, bridesmaid dresses, and the like. In all honesty, Gemma was just intent to distract her over-analytical mind with something that had nothing (and, ironically enough, everything) to do with
Dixon. As long as she focused on something that could hold her attention, she didn't have to think about the feelings for him that only seemed to grow and were persistent enough to resist Gemma's rationalization.

Dixon
and Gemma continued to interact, but now that Gemma knew about her feelings for the man, she had no idea just how to act around him. She felt like Cher from
Clueless
after realizing she liked Josh; unsure of what to wear, unsure of how to act, wanting to seem smarter and do good things for people because that was what Josh liked. Of course, Gemma was past the ridiculous high school stage of changing for a guy, whether it was appearance, likes and dislikes, and opinions. In fact, during her senior year of high school after she broke up with her boyfriend, she vowed never to straighten her hair for a guy again.

But
Dixon… Dixon was different. She had never felt the way she did about him for anyone else. Maybe she was naïve, but Dixon made her realize she wanted to be a better person, not for him, but for herself. Gemma wasn't sure if she had ever experienced love before, but everyone had told her that when she was in love, she would know. And right now, she would be willing to bet everything she held dear that she was completely and irrevocably in love with Dixon Black.

"Gemma!"
Carlene snapped, looking at her daughter from across the circular dining table. Gemma blinked and looked at her mother, suddenly realizing Carlene had probably been trying to get her attention for a while. Oh well. As usual, Gemma had been lost in the thoughts she had tried to avoid. "You remember you have an appointment at
David's Bridal
today for your wedding dress, right?" Her mother pushed her brows up, hoping Gemma had, indeed, remembered.

A wave of excitement coursed through Gemma's body, and before she could stop it, a bright smile littered her face. No, she hadn't remembered, but upon being reminded, she realized just how excited she was for this particular appointment. She wasn't exactly sure as to why; she still felt uncomfortable lying to her friends and family,
Dixon's friends and family, but shopping for a wedding dress was like shopping for a prom dress, and even though it wasn't exactly logical, Gemma was still looking forward to it.

"Of course, Mom," Gemma said, nodding her head a couple of times.

"Good." Carlene's eyes filled with excitement as well. "I want you to pick the one
you
want, all right? Whatever makes
you
comfortable."

"Aren't you coming with me?" Gemma asked, pushing up his brow. "I mean, Gillian's meeting me at the place, but I thought you would be joining us?"

"I can't darling," Carlene said, and she really did sound as though she regretted not being able to be there for her daughter. "Your father and I have to go to the church, make sure everything's situated, but I'm positive you and Dixon will have an amazing time!"

"
Dixon?" Gemma asked sharply. "Mom, Dixon cannot go with me. You should know this! Dixon can't see the wedding dress! It's bad luck."

Carlene chuckled. "I know," she said, flicking her wrist dismissively. "I just wanted to see your reaction. No, of course
Dixon isn't going with you. Actually, your father assigned Dixon's partner, Harvey Stevens, to watch over you and Gillian today. That way, you'll be protected, and you'll be able to pick out a wedding dress without dooming your wedding." She laughed at her last statement, as though it was some kind of joke. When she finished, she smiled at her daughter. "Now go get ready. Harvey should be here soon."

In fact, 'soon' was five minutes later, but Harvey didn't seem to mind while Gemma changed out of her pajamas and into another set of comfortable clothes before kissing her mother goodbye and heading into Harvey's big, black SUV.

"
David's Bridal
, right?" Harvey asked once he had pulled out of the driveway.

"Yes, please," Gemma said, nodding before glancing out the window. Her eyes began to take in the scenery, and soon, the car was on the road. Gemma expected the drive to take another twenty minutes, so she felt her body relax. Luckily for her, Harvey didn't seem to be the talkative type, so she didn't have to force any sort of conversation. Instead, she simply let her mind wander…

---

Dixon
walked into the Harrison's house about forty minutes after Gemma had left, his eyes searching for something or someone. He checked every room, the backyard, even the garage. Oddly enough, even though Gemma's car was in the garage, she did not seem to be anywhere.

"Are you looking for something,
Dixon?" Carlene asked, coming from the kitchen with a decaffeinated cup of coffee. Her eyes looked slightly concerned as she stirred the liquid in the cup with a tiny metal spoon.

Dixon
wasn't sure whether or not to admit the fact that he was looking for Gemma in hopes that they could take a walk together. The past couple of weeks went by so quickly, he felt he hadn't gotten a chance to be with Gemma alone. Of course, he had good intentions, and he didn't want to make Gemma feel uncomfortable, but… But he had to be near her, even if it was for a short amount of time.

"I just wanted to check in with Gemma about a couple of things," he finally decided to say. For whatever reason, his body was still tense, as though he was preparing for Carlene Harrison to tell him something that wouldn't quite sit well with him.

"Gemma is gone," Carlene murmured before taking a nice, long sip of her drink. Dixon's whole face dropped; he clearly remembered the last time Gemma had left without telling him. She had nearly gotten slobbered on by that ass of a football player. Luckily, he had shown up and gotten her out of there, but… Where was she now, and why wasn't he informed? "Oh, don't worry. She's well protected."

"Where
is
she?" Dixon asked, trying to maintain any semblance of patience he had left.

"Keeping an appointment to pick out a wedding dress, silly," Carlene said. "We can't have a wedding without a wedding dress, you know."

"Why wasn't I told?" Dixon asked, shoving his hands in his pockets in order to put them somewhere or else he might wave them around like some sort of madman in order to alleviate his frustrations.

"I'm sure you were," Carlene said, nodding once. "You probably forgot. Gemma did too, actually. But I remembered. And again,
Dixon, she is protected. She's with your partner, Harvey. They're on their way –"

At that moment,
Dixon's cell phone went off. He pulled it out, apologizing lowly to Carlene before checking the number. The number that flashed on the screen was one he didn't recognize, but something told him to pick it up anyways. It could be the person trying to harm Gemma; it could be anyone, really…

"
Dixon?" a familiar voice on the other line called after he answered it. Dixon released a breath he didn't realize he had been holding upon hearing Gillian's voice. "It's Gillian. Um, I'm at
David's Bridal
and Gemma hasn't shown up yet. Do you know where she is?"

"I've just spoken to her mother,"
Dixon said, feeling his body slowly start to relax. "She said that Gemma left with my partner, Harvey Stevens, a while ago. They should be there any moment."

There was silence on the other line, and
Dixon felt dread slowly start to prick at his skin.

"Yeah," Gillian finally
said, her voice unsure and slow. "The thing is Dixon, she was supposed to be here forty-five minutes ago. I've been trying to call her on her cell phone, but she hasn't been answering. Then I double checked with the receptionist that we have an appointment today, and she told me that we did, that no one canceled it." She sighed, a shaky sound, through her nose. "I'm really worried. I don't know, maybe I'm paranoid. You said she's with your partner. That means she's safe… right?"

All the blood in
Dixon's body ran cold and for a moment, he stood there, frozen.

"No," he said finally. "No, it doesn't."