Page 46 of Ablaze
Chapter Fourteen
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, Mr. and Mrs. Malloy invite all of their friends and family to join them on the dance floor,” the DJ announced after Jax and Skye had finished their first dance as husband and wife.
“That’s means everyone need to get their booties on the dance floor and start shaking them!” Skye announced with a laugh as the music began to play again.
Around Lexi and Dane, guests got up from the tables that been neatly arranged around the backyard of their ranch. Dane grabbed her hand and tugged her to her feet.
“Come on,” he said. “Let’s celebrate.”
Lexi was all for that. After yesterday, she was more than ready to have a little fun.
Dane pulled her in and slowly moved her around the dance floor—probably a little slower than necessary. But she understood that he was still worried about her. They’d both spent half the night in the ER—with Melinda tending to them personally—and were still technically in the recovery stage. Her throat was still raw from sucking down all the nasty smoke from the fire, and her wrist and ankles were probably going to be sore for at least another week. In all honestly, she was fine, but Dane had risked his life to save her, running into a burning building knowing there was a madman inside and carrying her out through the flames. The way she looked at it, if he wanted to coddle her a bit, he’d earned the right.
As of this morning, Lambert’s body still hadn’t been recovered, but the story of what he’d tried to do was all over the news and the Internet. While everyone was saying the standard lines about Dr. Lambert seeming so nice and normal, at the same time, grim-faced reporters were busy recounting the horrible story of Lambert’s childhood and his family’s deaths, with special guest psychologists giving their opinions on what had made the man snap. Lexi refused to listen to any of it. She and Dane had lived through the ordeal. That was all she cared about.
Lexi smiled as she took in the other couples moving across the floor around her and Dane. There were a ton of firefighters and paramedics in attendance, not only from Station 58, but from several other stations as well. The way every station on the northeast side of Dallas had come together last night to help had been amazing. DF&R really was one big family.
“Do you need to take a break?” Dane asked as the song came to an end.
The worried look on his face was so precious, it nearly brought tears to her eyes. It was crazy to think she was so in love with a man she’d just started dating. But when it was right, it was right.
She shook her head. “I’m fine.”
He nodded. “Okay. But the moment you start feeling tired, I’m taking you straight back to my place and putting you in bed.”
She wrapped both arms his neck and gave him a wicked smile. “I won’t complain about that, though I doubt either of us will get any rest if you do.”
His mouth twitched. “You are so bad.”
“Maybe,” she agreed. “But you like me that way.”
He grinned. “I won’t argue with that.”
Lexi laughed. She was damn lucky to have found a guy like Dane, and she promised herself that she wasn’t going forget it.
“So, do you prefer outdoor receptions like this one, or inside?” Dane asked out of the blue, his question pulling her attention firmly back to the present.
Her pulse skipped a beat at the question. “Why do you ask?”
He shrugged and tried to look nonchalant as he guided her around the floor. “No reason. Just curious.”
She smiled. “Well, in that case, if it’s winter, I prefer indoors, but if it’s summer, outside definitely works for me. Although there should be a back-up plan in the event of rain.”
Dane considered that then nodded. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
Lexi told herself not to get too excited. He was simply asking. But then a little voice in the back of her head reminded her that he’d said he loved her after only a week. She got the idea that once Dane had made up his mind about something, he didn’t wait around too long before he took action.
Still, she shouldn’t get ahead of herself. He still had to propose. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t start looking for a wedding dress.
