Tell Me What Is Priceless (Siren Publishing Classic) (20 page)

“I’m glad you think so.” Zar tugged off his shirt and pitched it at her. Blaze grinned as he took off his sleeping sweats and twirled them in the air before dropping them. He pulled a pair of leather pants out of the bag and put them on. They laced up the sides and were very becoming to his shape.

“I like those. They look really good on you. Are we doing something medieval?”

“Maybe,” he said in a sassy tone as he pulled a black silk shirt on.

Blaze couldn’t help but think that it looked like something straight out of one of her books. “That is very sexy on you. So, where are we going?”

“That is for me to know and you to wonder about, my lady. Shall we go?” he asked, stuffing his clothing and her long tee in the bag.

Blaze grabbed her crutch. “What about my hair? It’s a mess.”

“All part of the plan. Sit in your chariot and let me drive.”

His driving took her first through the hospital and then into the car. When they drove up to a salon, she grimaced, wrinkling her nose. “I don’t know if I’m ready for this, Zar.”

“You will be fine. They are expecting you, and it’s nothing dramatic. We are just going to have your hair washed and highlighted. If you want, they will cut the front. It’s really unruly, and you can’t do it yourself.”

“You are right, but I got to go pee.”

“They have a bathroom, Blaze. Why are you so nervous?”

“Because. I’m skinny as hell. I look like shit, and I haven’t been out in public. I went from the house to the hospital. I was in a coma forever, and I feel weird.”

He got out, helping her into the chair. “Blaze, you will be fine. You don’t look like shit. Give me a little credit. I know these people. They will treat you like a queen.”

Blaze groaned as Zar pushed her inside. A woman at the front desk smiled at Blaze and then at Zar. “We were wondering if you were coming. You must be Blaze. I’m Zar’s Aunt Heather. This is my salon, and he called to say he was bringing you in. You are set up to receive the works. Do you need anything first?”

“A bathroom?” she said with a shrug.

“Zar knows where it is. When you are done, bring her up front. That dress is absolutely delicate. I adore it.”

“Tell Zar. He picked it out.”

“It’s lovely, Zar. Now get her to the bathroom. Her facial is getting cold.”

Within a short while she was sitting in a high-backed salon chair. Heather examined her and said, “I think we will start with a wash and then trim both the front and back of her hair. From there, we will set her up with some soft highlights and then begin on her facial. Is that all right with you, Blaze?”

“As long as you don’t cut too much off the back.”

“I would never do that. What a tragedy it would be to take away your long hair. I would love to cut Zar’s, though. Tell him he needs something more stylish.”

“No. I love his long hair. It could use a trim, though.”

Heather chuckled and leaned the chair back, wetting Blaze’s hair and washing it. She put her upright and swung a large white cloth over her to protect her dress. Blaze sat nervously as her hair was trimmed and then highlighted. Another woman came in with a rolling tray and set it next to Blaze. Heather said, “This is my sister, Angie. She studied cosmetology and nonsurgical facial improvement.”

Angie leaned closer, examining the scar on Blaze’s face. “This is not that bad. Your pores need exfoliating, and you need to be buffed. I’ve a natural tanning solution that would fade that scar to almost unnoticeable. Sound interesting?”

“I guess,” Blaze replied.

Angie smiled. “Well then, lie back, close your eyes, and relax.”

She did so, and Angie turned to Zar, handing him a tube of gel. Zar took up a place at the bottom of the chair and began to massage her legs and feet. Angie worked on her face, and Blaze reveled in the gentleness of the dual sensations. She moaned as the air around her filled with the flowery, natural scent of the scrub. Heather rinsed out her hair and wrapped it in a towel as Angie began to lightly scrub her skin.

Zar leaned over and kissed her softly. “Hey, wake up. All they need to do is dry your hair and we are out of here.”

“I fell asleep?”

“That you did. Felt good, huh?”

“Yeah, it felt great. My face feels weird and kind of tight.”

“It will wear off in a short while. Let Heather dry your hair and then you can see how magnificent you look. Adding some color to your skin really helped. The stuff lasts for a few weeks, just like a tan.”

Heather sat her up and took a hair dryer to her hair. When she was done, she stepped back alongside Zar. “Go squat down next to her. I want to see the two of you together.”

He took a place beside her and put his arm around her shoulder. Heather pulled out a camera and snapped a picture of them. She pulled it and then took another, handing Zar the first one. He turned it to Blaze so they could watch it develop. “We look good together, don’t we?”

“Yeah, we do. Wow, I look almost normal, minus twenty or so pounds. I used to complain because I was fat, but now I’m too skinny.”

He turned to her and kissed her, then got up to help her back into the chair. “Heather, I love you, and thank you. You did wonders. She looks great.”

“Anything for you, baby boy. Come in next week and we will do you. You need it. You look a tad stressed. Now get out of here and have a good time.”

Blaze turned a suspicious eye on him as they drove away. “What did she mean, have a good time?”

“You will see. Finish your nap,” he said, pushing the button to lower her seat into a reclined position. Blaze leaned back, inhaling the fresh scent of her skin and hair.

When the car stopped and Zar shut off the engine, she opened her eyes, feeling startled. The sun had shifted, and she looked at the clock on the dash, seeing that an hour had passed. “Where are we?”

“Someplace magical. Are you ready to get up?”

“I guess. I didn’t really mean to fall asleep. I’m not very good company lately, am I?”

“You took a pain pill last night, remember?”

“Oh, yeah. That seems like ages ago.”

“It wasn’t,” he said, getting out of the car to get her. Once she was settled in the chair, Zar turned to walk her up a long path.

Blaze looked around expectantly. “What is this place? We are out in the woods.”

“This is part of an estate that we have use of for the weekend,” he replied as he slowly pushed her around a bend in the path.

Blaze laughed. “Oh, shit. A real live castle. Zar, this is beautiful.”

“I’ve always thought so. I’ve been up here on a few occasions.”

He stopped at a back door, inserting the key and opening it. He pushed her inside and then turned to shut the door. Blaze let her eyes float over the multicolored stones in the walls, her smile growing wide. Zar leaned around to look at her face as he pushed her into a dimly lit hall. Before she could get a good look, he turned on the lights. Blaze was instantly struck by a huge banner hanging across the center of the hall. Nan caught her attention and gave her a little wave. Zar walked around in front of her and took her hand, offering her a stunning diamond-and-sapphire ring. “Well?”

She looked up at the banner again and laughed. “I suppose I don’t have any choice, do I? You ask me with a twenty-foot banner, and I’m going to say no. This is memorable, and I’m very impressed. Of course, I will marry you.”

Zar slipped the ring on her finger and pulled her into a kiss. A round of applause filled the hall, and Zar ignored them, continuing to kiss her.

When he released her, Kale was standing behind him. He leaned down to Blaze and kissed her. “You made this poor boy nuts by saying maybe. He is not used to such hard negotiators.”

“I deserve this,” Blaze said with a saucy grin. “I also wanted a memorable night to keep in my thoughts. How did you get all this done, Zar?”

“I spent a lot of time on the phone during the drive up to New York. Nan helped, and so did Kale. The castle is mine. I bought it a while back as an investment. It needed a lot of restoration. The problem is that it takes close to an hour to get up here, and it’s so far away from everything. I figured we would stay up here for the weekend and then drive back. Nan said she would take care of the dogs.”

Nan came up to greet them, and as Zar turned to a friend, she asked, “Are you sure? Before the coma, you swore you didn’t want to get married again. You can’t imagine how shocked I was when Zar called me. You look great, by the way.”

“Thanks. I think this is what I want. Everything has happened so fast. It would have been very hard to say no to him under these circumstances.”

“I suppose you are right. Oh, Blaze, he loves you so much. Don’t turn him down.”

“I didn’t. Nan, I’m just scared that I’m falling into the same trap I had with David. I’ll get better, but Zar won’t. He will get worse over the years, and it will be a repeat of what I had before. How can I face that? You know what I went through.” Life with David had been difficult. She had felt bad for him because he was in so much pain, but at the same time, she resented a life where she was forced to do everything. David didn’t help with the housework or walk the dogs. If she said anything, he always repeated the same litany.
“I’m in pain, what do you want from me?”
It was the same excuse that he used when he was snappy and irritable. He often said things that hurt her feelings, and she was supposed to understand. Blaze did understand because she was in pain herself. The difference was that she never took her frustration out on her husband David. She ignored the pain and continued to live her life, because she had no other choice. Maybe in reality, Zar was more like her than David.

Nan gently touched her arm. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, just thinking about David.”

“Zar will be different.”

“I hope you’re right.”

“Right about what?” Zar asked.

“Girl talk. Nothing special.”

“Good, because you have people to meet,” he said as he winked at Nan and pushed her across the room. Blaze was introduced to friends and associates of Zar’s until she couldn’t remember anyone’s name.

They made it to the other side of the room only to have a photographer approach them.

“Can I get some pictures of the event, Zar? You will need a good one for the paper and the magazines. I’m sure this will cause a stir in social circles.”

“I’m sure it will. Are you up to photos, Blaze? Greg is the greatest at getting good shots.”

“I guess, but I look anorexic.”

“You look beautiful, Blaze,” said Greg. “Do you want to get out of the wheelchair? Maybe over on the entry stairs. The two of you could sit on the marble ledge with the flowering trees in the background. It would be a stunning shot.”

Zar wheeled her out the front doors, and Blaze gawked at the manicured grounds. “This is all part of the castle?”

“Yeah, it is,” Zar replied. “I let schools take tours of it, and it gives me a tax break. The kids love to have picnics on the lawn. A few have gotten lost in the maze, and I had to put up corner spotting posts.”

Greg watched as Zar helped her out of the chair and pointed. “I think right there on that high ledge would be good. Blaze, sit on an angle so you won’t appear so thin. I think that your dress can be flared out to give the right effect. Zar, sit beside and behind her sort of, and have her lean back against you. Yeah, perfect. Smile.”

Greg walked around them, taking pictures from different angles and then stepping forward to move Blaze’s hair. She took advantage of the moment to lean back and kiss Zar. Greg snapped it and then chuckled. “That was a great shot. I will have it framed for you.”

A bell sounded from the open doors of the hall. “Take a few more. Dinner is being called,” Zar said.

Blaze’s smile faded. “Dinner? You are going to make me eat baby food in front of all these people. Are you going to feed me so it doesn’t end up all over my dress?”

“No, you are going to feed yourself. You are also getting a treat, so don’t bitch. Carla, the nutritionist from Ralph’s office, got together with the cook, and you have a full-course meal coming. Hopefully it won’t upset your stomach. Now smile, so we can go inside.”

When she didn’t, he tickled her, and Blaze started to laugh. Greg got three rapid shots. “I think that those last few will be the best ones.” He hung his camera back around his neck, and they headed inside.

Zar got Blaze situated next to him at the side of the table and then stood up. “I thank all of you for coming on such short notice. This is a special event for us. My lady here insisted on something spectacular before she would say yes. She has now agreed to marry me. Of course, with this kind of pressure, what woman would say no?”

A round of chuckles went through the hall, and Zar raised his glass to Blaze. “You are the strongest and most loving woman I’ve ever met. Our lives have started out on rocky ground, but I have great hopes that they will soon smooth out. I love you, Blaze.”

The room went silent, and Blaze felt all eyes on her. “I love you also, Zar. You have been incredibly supportive, and I literally don’t know what I would have done without you. I would love now to stand up and make a toast to you, but I’m not at that point yet. I also think that the doctor would have a nervous breakdown if he found out I was drinking champagne. Thank you for honoring my wish and making your proposal memorable. I will never forget this night.”