The limo came to a stop in front of the huge building where the holiday ball for Second Chances was being held. Celine glanced over at Desha and smiled. “Thanks for being my date tonight.”
Desha chuckled. “That’s what friends are for. Besides, I support you and your causes.”
“Thanks.” Celine glanced out the window. “Malcolm was right. It seems the paparazzi have doubled in size tonight.”
“We’ll get through them—don’t worry. It will probably be safe just to stick with ‘no comment’ and keep moving.”
“Maybe not. Those two men have been in the news a lot lately, slandering my name. My ‘no comment’ makes me look guilty.”
“Well, unless you’re going to tell them about Zion, I would stick to not saying anything. The less information, the better. And speaking of Zion, it’s been nearly three and a half weeks. Have you heard anything at all from him?”
A pain pierced Celine’s heart. “No.”
Desha nodded. “Do you still love him?”
Celine nodded in turn. “I will always love him.”
At that moment the chauffeur came around to open the door and Celine whispered to Desha, “Let’s hope I get through this.”
* * *
Zion, decked out in a black-tie ensemble, stood in the shadows and watched as Celine and another woman got out of the limo. The media were everywhere, flashing their cameras and shoving their mikes in Celine’s face. And she looked beautiful. The woman he loved looked absolutely gorgeous and at that moment he fell in love with her even more.
He recognized the look in the eyes staring at those reporters. It was her annoyed look. They had begun firing questions at her and she wasn’t having it. And frankly, he wasn’t, either. Moving forward, he decided it was time to put an end to this madness. And just in time, apparently, when it seemed that one particular reporter was getting on Celine’s last nerve.
“If those men are lying,” the reporter shouted, his voice rising above the others, “why not tell us where you were? Not doing so makes you appear as guilty in all this as your father and fiancé.”
Celine frowned at the man. “What I told all of you was the truth. There was a kidnapping but I got away. And as I’ve stated a number of times, Nikon and I were never engaged.”
“Then where were you for a week? Those guys who you claim kidnapped you are saying you were hiding out with them.”
Celine opened her mouth to again refute that, but before she could get her words out, a deep, loud voice boomed from the crowd. “Those men are lying, because Ms. Michaels was with me.”
Celine drew in a sharp breath, and heard Desha gasp beside her. Shock took over Celine’s entire body. She recognized that voice and stretched her neck to scan the crowd to see where it had come from. Zion was here?
The reporters all turned, as well, searching the crowd to see who had made the comment. Then suddenly, Celine saw him. Everybody saw him when a well-dressed Zion strolled out of the crowd, through the numerous flashing cameras and throng of reporters. And he looked dashing, sexier than she’d ever seen him, dressed in a classic black-and-white tux. But nothing looked classic on him. He stood out, and at that moment was the epitome of everything male. As he walked toward her, his dreadlocks seemed to flow around his shoulders in sync with every sensual step he took.
“Hey, wait a minute,” one reporter said to the others. “Isn’t that Zion Blackstone? The Zion Blackstone, who shuns crowds and publicity of any kind?”
“It looks like him,” another reporter said, and others among the crowd began whispering his name. “His home is in Rome. Is he claiming that Ms. Michaels was with him those seven days?”
Zion came to a stop in front of Celine amid a storm of flashing lights. “Hello, sweetheart,” he said in greeting, before leaning in and placing an extended kiss on her lips. One that seemed to leave no doubt in anyone’s mind the nature of their relationship. It also gave the reporters time to snap several pictures of the kiss.
“Zion?” she said, clearly surprised to see him.
He smiled before taking a place at her side. A place Celine noted that Desha gladly gave up to him. Zion took her hand in his and then turned to face the mass of reporters and the cameras. “Since Celine was with me for those seven days, you are free to ask me anything.”
With that invitation, the reporters began firing their questions. Zion grinned and held up a finger. “One at a time, please.” He nodded at the man directly in front of him.
That reporter asked, “Are you substantiating Ms. Michaels’s claim that she was kidnapped?”
“I am. She escaped them and came straight to me, where she remained in my care and under my protection for seven days.”
“You have proof of that?” another reporter questioned.
Zion nodded. “I most certainly do. As you all probably know, I live in a very secured condo. Records are kept and videos are made. If needed I could verify the time she arrived and the fact that she did arrive. I can also verify that she was with me when we left for my home in the country the next day.”
Voices buzzed through the crowd. Celine stood there, amazed at how aptly Zion was handling the media. He might prefer not dealing with them, but he definitely knew how to control the narrative. Not only did he look dashing, he also exuded an air of sophistication and charm.
“Do you have proof of any of this? It will be your and Ms. Michaels’s words against the kidnappers.”
“No problem. Once I discovered what happened to Celine, I immediately hired a top-notch security company to find those men. That wasn’t hard to do since they were parked outside her hotel, hoping she would return. The security detail I hired kept those men within view until the time they were arrested. Their comings and goings were captured on video and at no time was Celine with them. Like I said, she was with me.”
“Then why didn’t she just say that?” one reporter asked, as if in frustration.
Zion switched his gaze from the reporters to Celine. “Celine knows how much I abhor the limelight and did it to protect me. But what she didn’t know, and what I evidently didn’t make clear to her, is that she means more to me than avoiding any limelight.”
“Are you saying you’re in love with Ms. Michaels, Mr. Blackstone?”
Zion recognized the voice. It was his friend from college whom he’d arranged to be in the crowd to ask that very question. He looked out into the sea of reporters. “Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying.” He then turned his attention back to Celine. “I love you.”
Tears were streaming down her face and Desha shoved a napkin in her hand to dab her eyes before ruining her makeup. “And I love you, too, Zion.”
Zion, surprised yet pleased with her words, pulled her into his arms and kissed her, not caring that the cameras flashed again.
When he finally released her mouth he heard a reporter ask, “Does this mean she’ll be getting a ring by Zion?”
Zion turned to the crowd with a huge smile on his face. “Yes, Celine will definitely be getting a ring by Zion when I ask for her hand in marriage in a more private setting. Now if you all will excuse us, we have a party to attend and, hopefully soon, an engagement to celebrate.”
Taking Celine’s hand in his, Zion led her inside the building.
* * *
It was after midnight when Celine led Zion into her apartment. The night had been wonderful and Zion had remained by her side the entire time. Word had quickly spread that Zion had been the person she’d spent her week in Italy with, and that they had declared their love for each other in front of the paparazzi. No doubt it would make tomorrow’s headlines.
To Celine’s surprise, her father had attended the event. He’d thanked Zion for protecting his daughter while she’d been in Rome and told him he was glad Zion had come forward with proof that she hadn’t been involved in the kidnapping. And once again he’d apologized to Celine, saying it was never his intent to put her in harm’s way.
In all, it had been a good party. And now she was looking forward to an even better night.
“Nice place,” Zion commented as he entered her apartment.
Celine removed her wrap as he looked around. “Thanks. Would you like something to drink?”
He nodded. “Coffee would be nice and then we need to talk, Celine.”
Yes, they did. “I’ll be back in a minute.”
When Celine returned, Zion had removed his jacket and was standing by the window, looking out as if he belonged there. He turned when she entered the living room, and nothing had changed. They still shared a potent sexual chemistry.
“Here you are,” she said, setting the tray she held down on the table before handing a cup to him.
“Thanks.”
“You said we needed to talk,” she said, picking up her own cup and heading to the sofa. He took the chair across from her.
“Yes. I took your advice about ridding myself of all that negative wasted energy. When I did, I discovered a lot of things about myself.”
“Such as?”
“I could finally let go of something that has plagued me for years. Something that drove me to live in Rome and kept me there.”
He then shared everything with her. His mother’s deathbed confession and, more recently, his conversation with his father. “I found closure, Celine.”
“I am so happy for you, Zion. I am glad you know the truth and that you are your father’s son.”
“I’m glad, too. Now I wish I had gone to Dad in the beginning, but I don’t regret the year I spent traveling abroad with York, and the eight years I’ve lived in Rome. What I do regret is the times I could have come home and didn’t.”
Celine nodded. “I want to thank you for standing up for me tonight. I’m glad you felt comfortable in letting everyone know I was with you. And I didn’t know York had someone tailing those guys.”
“I didn’t feel the need to tell you until I discovered those men were trying to make you into a coconspirator instead of a victim. York will be turning his report over to the Italian authorities. Trust me, he’s very thorough and the footage he obtained will discount their story. And you don’t have to thank me for anything. As long as there is life within me, I will always be ready to protect the woman I love.”
Celine’s heart began pumping. “The woman you love?” He’d said it before, in front of everyone. Now she wanted to hear him say it again, just for her.
“Yes, I said it and I meant it. I love you.” He placed his cup on the table next to his chair, stood and came over to her. Taking her cup from her, as well, he placed it on the coffee table by the sofa. Then he got down on a bended knee and took her hand.
“I’ll settle for a long engagement if that’s what you want. But what I want, what I need, is to have you in my life. Forever. Celine, will you marry me?”
Love and excitement spread through Celine. She was so blinded by her tears that she didn’t see the ring box he’d pulled out of his pocket until she wiped her eyes. Then it was there in his hand, the diamond’s brilliance almost blinding her. She caught her breath at the ring’s beauty. OMG! She was so taken by the striking design of the ring that she could barely get out the words. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”
Zion smiled broadly. “I designed this ring especially for you,” he said, sliding it on her finger. “That’s what I’ve been up to for the past few weeks.”
Celine glanced down at her hand. This ring by Zion was absolutely stunning. As stunning as the man who’d slipped it on her finger. “Oh, Zion. It’s absolutely beautiful. I love it and I love you.”
Pulling her up from the sofa, he wrapped her in his arms. “And I love you.”
He lowered his mouth to hers for a kiss—one that would be the first of many, she knew. And she was more than ready for the kisses and anything else he had in mind.
Tonight and always.