Writes of Submission (33 page)

“I’m glad we weren’t in her way,” Dante murmured. “She’d have knocked us flat.”

Nikki opened her mouth to agree, but then Allie was back, gesturing for them to follow her to the entrance. “Come on guys. No time to waste. Chop, chop.”

Shaking her head at the other woman’s bizarre behavior, Nikki got to her feet and with Dante’s unnecessary help walked slowly to the front room. The door was open and a man in a dark suit and chauffeur’s hat was taking two small overnight bags from Allie.

He turned toward Nikki and Dante with a formal nod. “With Mr. Harris’s compliments. If you’d come with me, please.”

“What? What’s going on and who the hell is Mr. Harris?” Nikki felt her eyebrows draw together. Allie handed Nikki’s purse to Dante and grabbed Nikki in a hug.

“Mr. Harris is Kane, remember?” Allie supplied when she let go of Nikki and gave Dante his turn, a sly grin quirking her mouth at the edges.

“Kane? What? I’m confused,” Nikki said.

Allie grinned, shooing them both out the front door and toward the car, where the chauffeur was loading the two bags into the trunk. “I’m sure Kane will explain everything when you meet him in Boston, but you need to get moving or you’ll miss your flight. He called ahead and had me pack your essentials but said everything else would be waiting for you there. Now move it. This nice man needs to get you to the airport.”

Nikki stared at her openmouthed for a few seconds before Dante took her shoulders and urged her to get into the black stretch limo. They waved at Allie as the car started down the driveway and turned toward Grandpointe.

When Clifftop was out of sight, Nikki looked around in wonder. “I’ve never been in a limo before.”

Settling himself into the seat next to her, Dante pulled her into the crook of his arm. “I have a few times, but nothing this nice. If Kane sent this for us, he dropped a pretty penny on it. This is really something.”

“What’s going on?” Nikki twisted herself around to get a better view of his face. “Kane had obviously moved on without us, hadn’t he? I don’t get this at all.”

“I don’t think anything here is obvious.” Dante grinned. “I say until the man can defend himself we give him the benefit of the doubt and see what happens. Okay?”

He bent over and kissed her before settling himself to look out the window.

Nikki watched him for a minute. Even though his eyes were open she didn’t think he was seeing the passing scenery. He had an unfocused look on his face and she decided not to bother him anymore. She contented herself looking around the limo and exploring the various cabinets lining the interior.

* * * *

Half an hour later, Nikki tapped Dante on the arm. “What the hell is going on? That sign we just passed said this was the Northern California Regional Airport. It looks like a small one, not the main airport. This is getting stranger and stranger. Can’t you try calling Kane?”

“You know that Allie would never give us his phone number, babe.” He patted her knee reassuringly. “There’s nothing we can do right now. Settle down and let’s see what happens.”

The tone of his voice sent a shiver straight through her that settled between her legs. She still found her reactions to Kane and Dante odd. If anyone else talked to her like that, it would only make her angry. When Kane or Dante did it, though, she melted inside and just wanted to sit at their feet and worship them any way they would let her. Feeling the car coast to a smooth stop, she was surprised that she had lost herself in her thoughts and looked out the window in time to see the driver opening the door in front of her. The man helped her out of the car and directed them to the short ladder leading up into the interior of a sleek-looking Beechcraft Baron G58. From the size of the plane it couldn’t hold more than a few people plus the pilot, but as the limo driver ushered them inside, she saw that it only held two other people with empty seats for two more.

“Hello,” she said tentatively to the couple there, who were sitting in some of the cushiest looking chairs she’d ever seen on an airplane. The couple consisted of a smiling petite dark-haired woman and a large jovial man who appeared engrossed in a book. Nikki gave the book a glance, then did a double take. The cover depicted two bare-chested men in cowboy hats with a delicate, scantily-clad woman between them.

She couldn’t make out the title before he closed it and extended his hand without rising. “Welcome aboard. I guess we can get underway now.”

“I’m sorry.” Nikki shook his hand, feeling a little guilty and embarrassed, even though she still had no idea what was happening. “Were we holding up your trip?”

He gave her a smile that somehow instantly calmed her nerves and she discovered that she was smiling herself, for the first time since they’d left Clifftop. If he was some kind of kidnapper, she thought, he was a very good one. He emanated a sense that everything was going to be fine. “Not at all. We have several other stops to make before we get to Boston, though, so you might want to sit down. This thing doesn’t have the fuel range of commercial planes, so we’ll have to stop a couple of times for fuel and the pilot seems anxious to get rolling.”

She and Dante took their seats, facing the other couple with a small table between them. They buckled themselves in as the exterior door was closed and the pilot took his position in the front cabin. As the plane started to move, Dante leaned forward and shook hands with them. “I’m Dante Hunter and this beautiful lady is Nikki Sutherland.”

The other man shook hands with Dante. “Nice to meet you. I’m Roger and this is my wife, Dani—although you probably know her better as Sandi Woods.”

“No way! Really?” Nikki nearly jumped out of her seat, remembering just in time that she was strapped in. At Dani’s alarmed expression, she forced herself to calm down. “I’m sorry, but I’m a huge fan. After Candee you’re my all-time favorite author. I have all of your books.”

The other woman relaxed with a good-natured smile. “Kane said you were a breath of fresh air. I’m glad you like them.” She simultaneously snagged the book that Roger had been reading and plucked a pen from his shirt pocket. “Does your name end in an
i
or a
y
?”

Nikki exchanged a glance with Dante. “Uh, an
i
. Why?”

Instead of getting an answer she saw that the other woman wrote something on the inside of the cover of the book, finishing with a flourish before passing it over.

Nikki stared at the cover. The title of the book was
Texas Bad Boys for Cindy
and in smaller print under that was
Texas Doms #5
and along the bottom edge on the cover was
Sandi Woods
in bright red script. Opening the cover, she saw that Dani had autographed the book to her and included a short message that read, “To the start of a wonderful friendship.”

Engrossed in her new possession, Nikki was startled when Dani started speaking again. “It just came out in print a couple of days ago. I hope you don’t have it already.”

Nikki shook her head. “No, I haven’t even had a chance to get the ebook version yet. I’m afraid I’ve been so busy I forgot it was coming out. I’m sorry. I’ve just been so caught up with…” She trailed off, looking sheepishly down at the table.

Dani chuckled and patted her hand. “That’s okay. Kane has that effect on people. He can be very intense.”

Kane’s face was suddenly before her mind’s eye and she flushed at the memories it brought with it—of him standing naked before her, him fucking her better than anyone ever had before in her life as she sucked on Dante’s cock, both of the men kissing her and making her feel like a princess. Feeling the heat in her face starting to match that of the inferno now raging between her thighs, she gasped and started to sputter out another apology.

Her face began to burn and she knew she was blushing bright red. Dani nodded. “Yep, that’s the effect. That’s why he’s so good at what he does, because he makes us all feel like we are the characters in his stories and that we are the only girl in the world for those hunks he has as heroes.”

Dante slid his hand into hers and gave it a reassuring squeeze as he leaned forward to address Dani. “So have you known Kane long?”

“Oh hell, yes. We actually started out together in the same critique group before either of us were published and we have all been friends ever since. So when he asked if we would swing by and pick you up on our way, we were only too happy to do so. Besides, it’s all on the publisher’s dime, so who are we to complain, right?”

Nikki blinked at her in astonishment. “The publisher is doing all of this? Why? We aren’t anybody.”

Before Dante could even begin to admonish her for the comment, Dani beat him to it. “I wouldn’t let Kane hear you say that—or, from the look on his face, that bit of beefcake sitting there next to you, either. You have no idea the hell he’s been bringing down on them for pulling him away from you two so abruptly and for not bringing you with him. I was in on one of the conference calls when they were setting things up for us to fly out, and let me just tell you, he moved heaven and earth to make sure you were included.”

“Really? We thought he’d forgotten us.” Nikki glanced at Dante, who looked just as confused as she felt.

Dani hooted with laughter. “Then you’re a very silly girl. Trust me. I’ve known Kane a long time, but I’ve never seen him like he is now. All he talks about is you two and the big plans he has for you all. By the sounds of things, you’d best get used to being given the star treatment, because to hear him tell it, the book you two are working on will be a chart buster.”

“See?” Dante said, squeezing Nikki’s shoulder. “I told you to relax and give the guy the benefit of the doubt. He’s going to take you to the top kicking and screaming if necessary.”

“Oh, you’re not getting out of it that easy, mister.” Dani pointed a finger at him with a mischievous grin. “If you were listening, I said he had big plans for ALL of you.”

Dante was silent, obviously not quite sure how to take Dani’s statement. Then he seemed to decide to try changing the subject. He turned to Roger. “So do you write as well?”

Roger chuckled good-naturedly. “No, I leave the tall tale telling to Dani. I just help with the marketing a little.”

“Don’t let him fool you.” His wife smiled and rubbed his arm affectionately. “Without his ‘little marketing’ I wouldn’t have sales in the six figures year after year.”

Looking embarrassed, Roger hugged her and leaned back in his seat. “Do you two play cards? It’s going to be a long flight.”

* * * *

Nikki stepped off the plane and blinked into the late afternoon sun. She used her free hand to shade her eyes as she looked around the private hangar of the small airfield in Boston. “Looks like we made it.”

“Yep, but now what?” Dante joined her on the pavement.

“They’re supposed to have a car to take us to the conference,” Dani said, emerging from the plane followed by Roger.

As they were pulling their bags out of the cargo compartment toward the rear of the fuselage, Nikki saw a man dressed in what she was coming to think of as the professional chauffeur’s uniform come through the hangar’s side door and start toward them. Reaching their position he said, “If you’ll all follow me, I will get you to your event.”

As he led the way to another stretch limo, Nikki looked questioningly at Dante but only received a shrug in return. One by one they filed into the car and once she was settled into her seat she turned to Dani and asked, “What event is this again?”

“Really? You don’t know?” Dani grinned at her. “It’s the North American Romance Writers’ Conference, the biggest and most prestigious writing conference for the romance publishing industry in the country. It moves around to different cities each year and is attended by five thousand authors, readers, bloggers, and fans.”

At a loss for words, Nikki quietly sank back into the cushion and stared out the window, lost in thought.

When they pulled up in front of the Hyatt Harborside Hotel, Nikki could only stare up in wonder. It was an imposing tower of a building, but what was most amazing were the banners that covered the main entrance welcoming attendees of the conference. Before she could turn to ask where to go, a bouncing young woman of about twenty-five came bursting out of the front door and headed straight for them. Nikki stared at her, wondering where she’d seen this woman before.

As she neared the group she breathlessly exclaimed, “There you are, finally. Come on, we don’t have much time. Mr. Harris goes on in about fifteen minutes and I need to have you ready by then.”

“Wait a minute,” Nikki said, snapping her fingers. “You’re Candee—I mean, your picture—”

The young woman smiled at her. “My name is Ellen. I’m Mr. Harris’s assistant and yes, it’s my picture on the back of his books. We have outfits for you both, but we need to get going or we’ll be late. Please come with me. The hotel will get your bags.” She grabbed Nikki’s arm and began hustling her through the front doors with Dante following closely behind.

Chapter 28

Kane twisted around in his seat for the thousandth time, scanning the filling room and ringing his hands in frustration. “Where are they?” he muttered to himself. “They should be here by now.”