Thorian left the resort and walked back to his tent with a smile on his lips and a song in his heart. He was thrilled that he’d taken the chance to kiss Cici. He could smell the excitement rolling off her body, and he knew that she was as attracted to him as he was to her. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen in his entire life. The sight and the smell of her was making his inner grizzly growl with infinite desire. He couldn't wait a moment longer to be with her, but he had the fireworks celebration to put on.

He went back to the tent and continued setting up his fireworks, sliding the explosives into the shells and wiring each one to the next. He took the case of fireworks and put them onto a rolling cart that he took out to the dock and set in place. Everything was wired together and was meant to go off to the beat of the music that would accompany the display.

Speakers were set up around the resort so that the guests could hear the music while they watched the fireworks go off. He had done events like this more than once, and truth be told, it was his favorite thing to do. Unfortunately, there weren't enough fireworks events throughout the year to support his livelihood, so he made his living as an electrician.

He went back into the tent and continued preparing the display that he'd been working on all day. When the last firework was complete, he made sure that everything was wired correctly and set up to go off at just the right time. He checked his watch and saw that it was 11:32.

The people from the resort were filing out onto the porch. The fireworks display was meant to start at 11:40 for the grand finale to go off at midnight. He would run the sound and monitor the fireworks from a booth at the end of the dock.

He saw Cici up on the porch with her friends and then spotted Mrs. Talbot with her husband and son. The same friend from the party stood beside the family, staring at Mrs. Talbot and her husband with a dark look in her eyes. He’d even seen the stablehand walking past with a shovel about an hour before, wearing a Fate Valley Resort workcrew jacket. The resort always needed more help this time of year.

Thorian got to the queue from the owner of the resort at 11:39. He slowly turned up the music on the speakers and hit the button to set off the first burst of fireworks. They shot into the air and exploded right on cue with the beat of the music. His heart leapt and sang and danced along with the the song.

The crowd oohed and awed from the deck. Thorian watched Cici as watched his work. Her eyes sparkled with the light of the fireworks. He smiled as he continued the show. The music and the fireworks went together perfectly.

He’d started his display with ‘A Wonderful World’ by Louis Armstrong. Thorian felt right now, more than ever, that it really was a wonderful world. The words to the song made him think of Cici and how grateful he was that he had found her.

The next song to play was Firework, by Katy Perry. Everyone cheered and clapped as the music pulsed and the fireworks blazed across the sky and over the lake waters. The last song was the thrilling orchestral number, Ride of the Valkyries. As the minutes ticked down toward midnight, he saw Cici trotting down the stairs toward him. They met each other as the end of the display continued to pop and burst overhead in blue, yellow, green, pink and gold. Their breaths blew out into the cold winter air as they faced each other. The people on the patio began to chant, counting backwards from ten as the seconds to midnight drew closer.

"Five-four-three-two-one."

Cici smiled up at him. He threw his arms around her, pulling her close and kissing her mouth at the stroke of midnight. The fireworks finale exploded overhead in a burst of color and light. He kissed her deep and long, wet and hot. His body hardened with profound yearning. The desire had been building for so long and deep in his belly. He hadn’t realized how lonely he'd been, or how sad he had felt at the death of his grandfather.

And now, with her beautiful sweet curvy body pressed against him, her hot luscious lips tangling with his mouth. Her sweet velvety tongue dancing with his, her bubbly adorable personality that seemed so open and willing to mingle with his own. It was a burst of pure delight.

The song Auld Lang Syne began to play as the last bursts of fireworks popped into the air. The crowd sang along as couples kissed on the patio overlooking the lake. He drew back and gazed into her eyes as he cupped her cheeks in his hands.

"You are the most beautiful woman I've ever seen in my life," he said.

"And you're the best kisser I've ever met in my life," she giggled.

He was about to tell her she was the best kisser he'd ever met too when a loud, violent explosion erupted from the tent behind him. The tent burst into flames as his leftover fireworks erupted in one gigantic burst.

"What the hell?" he said, grabbing his fire extinguisher from the booth. "Stay here," he said to Cici as he ran toward the flames.

He pointed his fire extinguisher at the inferno, but it was too hot and too violent to get very close. He had to back up and let it burn. The fire department arrived moments later, and put out the flames. Thorian gazed into his tent, profoundly confused that his fireworks had gone off. He was a professional. There was no reason for this to happen. He’d adhered to all standard safety protocol, and had never had an issue like this before. As he peered inside, he noticed what seemed to be a human body, strapped to a chair. The head was nearly eviscerated from flames.

"What the hell is that?" he asked one of the firefighters.

"That looks like a body," the firefighter said.

"A body?"

"Yes, a dead body. A woman’s dead body."

"Who is it?" he asked, trying to get a better look.

Something about the figure seemed familiar even though she had been burnt to a crisp. The police officers herded everyone back into the resort and began asking a whole host of questions. One of the officers pinned him in a corner and asked him what had happened, and a million other questions he couldn't answer. This went on for some time. The night was utterly ruined.

"The coroner has already identified the body as one Victoria Talbot," the officer said to him later. “Did you know the victim?"

"Not really. I did a job out at the Talbots’ house the other day, but that was the only time I'd ever met her.”

"Well, Jake Martin seems to think that she was having an affair with you," he said.

"She wasn't having an affair with me. She was having an affair with him," Thorian exclaimed. He was growing more irritated by the moment. His date with Cici and his New Year's Eve celebration had been ruined. Thorian was becoming more incensed by the moment. Two hours later, police finally let him go with a warning not to leave town. He met Cici with her friends. They were all worried and fretful.

"What were they asking you?" Cici asked.

"They were asking me about the victim. They've identified her as Victoria Talbot.”

"Who would want to kill her?" Cici asked, bringing her delicate fingertips to her lips.

"I don't know, but I intend to get to the bottom of it. No one ruins my celebration or my first date with my mate," he said.

"I'm with you on that, Thorian," Cici said.

Thorian walked Cici out to her car as her friends went off to their own vehicles. Thorian held her hands under the moonlight, their breaths puffing out in the cold.

"I still feel really scared," she said, opening her car door.

"Would you like me to take you home?" he asked. “It’s going to be madness out there.”

"You would do that?"

"Of course I would."

"Come on and get in my truck," he said.

Cici shut and locked her car and followed Thorian to his truck. They drove out of the crowded parking lot, through the chaos of the guests escaping the scene. People were beside themselves, pulling out in front of Thorian without looking. The crowd was an emotional mess at two in the morning. He avoided three near accidents just on the way out of the Fate Valley Resort parking lot.

When they finally made it out onto the street, she breathed a sigh of relief, her fingers gripping the edge of the seat so hard her knuckles turned white. They continued down the road as she gave him directions to her house. He turned off onto her street and pulled in front of a tidy house a tidy yard and front porch. At the front door, she nervously stabbed her key at the lock, her hand still shaking. She missed several times.

"Why don't I sit with you inside until you feel less shaken up," he said.

"I'm usually not this nervous," she said. He steadied her hand and she was finally able to get the key into the lock.

"It's understandable, Cici," he said. “You don't need to explain yourself.”

They walked inside, and she flipped on the light. Her little house was tidy and nicely furnished. Everything had its proper place, from the flowers on the table to the curtains that matched the rug.

"You have a nice home," he said.

"I like it. It's just a rental, but I've made it a home."

He thought of what her touch could do to his grandfather's house and let out a long sigh. They had only just met, and his mind was already racing forward to when he could bring her home and let her loose on decorating his house.

"I have some beers in the fridge if you'd like one," she said.

She went to the fridge and pulled out two bottles of beer, and they sat together on the couch. She flipped on the TV and set it to some chattering talking heads on the news. There was a breaking report about the murder at the celebration, and she quickly turned it off. Cici took a long swig of her beer. Thorian could tell that she was still agitated and upset from the day’s events. She set the bottle on the table, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

"I don't know what's gotten into me," she said.

He reached out and enveloped her hand in his, looking deeply into her eyes.

"You had a shock. I saw it plenty of times while in the military. You'll be okay. You just need to rest and give yourself a break."

"My blood is pumping through my veins like a freight train," she said.

"That's the adrenaline. Would it help if I stayed here while you slept?"

She looked at him skeptically for a moment and then nodded her head.

"I can sleep on the couch, so I'm here for you while you rest.”

"Would you really do that?" she said.

"I want to be here for you when you need me."

"The couch pulls out. I can grab you a pillow and some blankets.”

Cici disappeared into the hallway and brought the blankets and pillows out for him while he pulled back the coffee table and arranged the pull-out couch. The mattress was already fitted with a sheet and she slung the comforter over the bed and plopped a pillow on it for him. She stood there, blinking her eyes and looking confused for a moment. He placed his hand on her shoulder, and she looked up at him.

"You go on to bed now," he said.

"Are you sure you'll be comfortable?"

"This is a more comfortable bed than I've spent many a night in, don't you worry about me. Let me worry about you.”

Her shoulders relaxed, and she let out a long sigh. She reached up on her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek.

"Thank you so much for this, Thorian. I really am shaken up," she said.

She turned down the hall and disappeared behind the door in her bedroom. Thorian drank his beer, feeling nervous and agitated himself. He couldn't believe that Mrs. Talbot was dead, especially the way it had happened. He’d gotten a good look at the body. Cici had only had a glimpse, but he had looked at it dead on in the face.

Firecrackers had been shoved in her mouth and in her ears. It had been a gruesome, horrible sight. Who would do such a thing? The list of suspects rolled through his mind as he climbed under the comforter and lay down on the pull-out couch. He didn't want to believe that it had really happened. But it had, and he was determined to get to the bottom of it.