Sealed With a Kiss (32 page)

When they got to the parking space where
their chauffeur was waiting for them, Tank nodded at John. “Is plan
A still in place, boss?”

John nodded and a look of understanding
passed between the two men.

Tank opened the door of the Hummer for Bella.
“Your chariot awaits, Dorothy.”

She clicked her heels together three times
and grinned at Tank. “There’s no place like home.”

He closed Bella’s door and turned to John.
“Good luck. I’ll see you in the morning.”

Rachel looked between the two men. “We’re not
going back to the hotel together?”

Tank smiled and opened his door. “Enjoy the
rest of your evening.”

Rachel turned to John after Tank and Bella
had left. “Why haven’t we gone with them?”

“It’s a surprise.” John put his hand in his
pocket and pulled out a set of car keys. “Are you ready to see more
of Denver?”

Rachel looked at the car that had been parked
behind the Hummer. “That doesn’t look like a standard family
sedan.”

John watched her closely. “It’s not.”

“It’s a pretty shade of red.” She looked
helplessly at John. She had no idea what sort of car it was. It was
low to the ground, sporty, and expensive looking. She looked at the
emblem on the front grill and frowned. It looked like a
three-pronged spear that Neptune might have carried around with
him.

She walked closer to the car and peered in
the windows. “Leather seats?”

John pushed a button and the car lit up like
a Christmas tree. Rachel stepped backward and smiled. “Wow. Do that
again.”

John locked the car, then unlocked it.

Rachel smiled. “Can I sit inside it?”

John opened the passenger door and she slid
into the seat. The interior was every bit as luxurious as the
outside. The sporty two-door model oozed sophistication. From the
curved leather console, to the neon blue lights on the dashboard,
it was the type of vehicle that no one forgot.

John walked around to the driver’s side and
got inside. “You’re sitting in one of the first production models
of the Maserati Alfieri.”

Rachel had vaguely heard the name Maserati
before, but she’d never seen one. “It looks nicer than my truck.”
She laughed at the pained expression on John’s face. “I’m no good
with cars. As long as it gets me to where I want to go, I don’t
care what sort of vehicle I drive.”

John patted the dashboard. “Don’t listen to
Rachel. She hasn’t driven in anything like you before.”

Rachel waited for a computer generated voice
to answer him. “Does the car talk back?” she whispered.

His deep laugh filled the interior. “Not yet.
Maybe when the next model is released. Are you ready for your
surprise?”

Rachel pulled her seatbelt across her chest.
“You mean this isn’t it?”

“Not even close.”

She grinned at her partner in crime. “I feel
like I’m about to do something amazing.”

John’s smile disappeared. “I hope so.” He
looked in the rearview mirror and pulled away from the curb.

If she didn’t know better, Rachel would have
sworn he was nervous. “You don’t have to impress me with fancy
gadgets and expensive things. I’m happy just spending time with
you.”

“I know. Do you know how unusual that
is?”

“Finding someone who likes spending time with
you?”

A smile replaced John’s frown. “What would my
life be like if we hadn’t met?”

Rachel laughed. “Quiet.”

John’s smile grew wider. The Maserati’s
engine purred as they accelerated along the street. It felt as
though they were driving on a cloud. A very expensive, super-comfy
cloud.

Rachel might not know where they were going,
but she did know one thing. She’d found her second favorite car,
after her truck.

***

John drove slowly past the State Capitol
building on their night tour of Denver. Rachel peered through the
window, trying to see as much as she could. The lights surrounding
the building made the entrance look majestic, but it was the dome
on top that made her gasp.

“Is the dome covered in gold?”

John looked at where she was pointing. “It
is. We’ll have time to come back tomorrow, if you want to?”

“That would be great.” Rachel already wanted
to go back to the City Park and the Denver Art Museum. Then there
was Larimer Square, with plenty of colorful boutiques, restaurants
and cafés. She’d need to visit Denver again just to see those few
things, let alone all of the other wonderful places she’d heard
about.

She smiled at John as he slowed down for a
set of traffic lights. “Thank you for bringing me here.”

“You’re welcome. I’m glad you’re enjoying
yourself.”

“And thank your interior designer. The list
of furniture stores she gave us is great. I didn’t think it would
be so much fun choosing sofas and tables.”

John glanced in his rearview mirror. “There’s
more to visit tomorrow. By the end of the weekend we’re going to
have an impressive list of furniture for her to look at.”

Rachel thought about the stores they’d
already visited. Bella had been so excited when they’d found a
chair with pink flowers on it. It would be perfect in her new room
and give her a lovely piece of furniture to enjoy for many
years.

John slowed down for another set of traffic
lights and she smiled. The first time they’d stopped for a red
light, people had pointed at their car. Rachel had been
embarrassed, but after realizing that they were genuinely
interested in the Maserati, she’d started to enjoy herself.

At another set of lights, she’d pushed a
button and her window had rolled silently down. John had wondered
what she was doing, until she started talking to the man in the car
next to them. By the end of the thirty-second conversation, she’d
found out that the Maserati was the man’s dream car.

John had pulled away from the intersection
fast, muttering about carjackings and personal safety. Rachel had
grinned and told him not to worry so much. He had replied by
locking her window from the control panel beside him.

Even with her window permanently closed,
Rachel was still enjoying herself.

They drove for a few more minutes before John
turned into a parking lot and stopped the car.

“Where are we?”

“Skyline Park. It covers three blocks in the
center of town.” He got out of the car and walked around to
Rachel’s side of the Maserati. He held the door open, and she tried
to get elegantly out of the seat. It wasn’t as easy as she
thought.

Rachel looked left, then right. No one except
John was around. “Close your eyes.”

“Why?”

“I’m going to scramble out of here.”

“I can help you scramble.”

“Okay, but you aren’t allowed to laugh. It’s
not easy wearing a straight skirt and high-heels in a low sports
car.”

John held his hand out. “No laughing
allowed.” He hoisted her out of the car and Rachel almost fell into
his arms.

“My truck is gaining points in the practical
department,” she muttered. “How do other women get out of a
Maserati?”

“Very carefully,” John said with a straight
face.

Rachel buttoned her coat and looked around
the parking lot. “There aren’t many vehicles here. Are you sure the
stores are open?”

He locked the car and held her hand. “At this
time of night, it’s mostly the restaurants that are open. Come with
me.”

“But we’ve already had dinner. Are we going
to have coffee or are you still hungry?”

John walked quickly across the snow covered
asphalt. “I’m not hungry.”

Rachel jogged to keep up with him. “Because
if you are, I don’t mind. You’re a big guy and you probably need to
refuel on carbs a lot more than I do. The average male needs 2,500
calories each day to maintain their energy levels. But you’re not
average, so another meal could always come in handy.”

“Nice to know I’m not average.”

Rachel squeezed John’s hand. “You could never
be average. You’re super amazing.”

John stopped quickly and Rachel nearly
slipped on the icy ground. She held onto his hand and smiled.
“Oops. That was…”

She didn’t finish her sentence. John’s mouth
connected with hers and didn’t move. When they finally came up for
air, Rachel smiled. “Your kisses are super amazing, too.”

He gently touched her face before leaving
another kiss on the end of her nose. “So are yours. Are you ready
for your surprise?”

Rachel nodded. “It doesn’t involve hot dogs
or donuts, does it? I’m still full from dinner.”

John held her hand and walked around the
corner of a building. “No hot dogs or donuts, I promise.”

Rachel stopped and stared at one of the
prettiest sights she’d ever seen. An ice rink, as big as a football
field, was sitting in front of a whole lot of buildings. Twinkling
fairy lights had been strung across area above it, and soft music
played from the speakers.

Rachel looked at the seats on either side of
the rink. No one was there. It was completely deserted, apart from
a lady standing at a booth not far from them.

John pulled Rachel’s hand toward the ticket
booth. “Have you ever been ice skating?”

“A couple of times. But we can’t go on the
rink. It’s closed.”

“No it’s not.” John walked straight up to the
lady. She smiled as she handed him two pairs of skates. He thanked
her and handed Rachel the smallest of the two pairs. “These are for
you.”

Rachel looked down at the skates and then at
John. He led her across to one of the bench seats and sat down.
“How did the lady know we were coming? Did you pre-book our
tickets?”

“You could say that.”

Rachel sat down beside him and frowned. “Why
is no one else here? It’s such a lovely night and it looks like a
great place to visit. There must be something wrong with their
advertising.”

“You’d better get your skates on before they
really do close.”

While Rachel had been wondering about the ice
rink’s promotions plan, John had put his skates on and was waiting
impatiently beside her. She quickly slipped her shoes off and put
her skates on.

“How do your boots feel?”

Rachel stood on the special mat in front of
them and wiggled her toes. “Perfect. How did you know what size I’d
be?”

“Bella looked inside your shoes when you
visited our place earlier in the week.”

Rachel glanced quickly at him. “How long have
you been planning this visit to Denver?”

John cleared his throat. “A few days. Are you
ready to skate?”

Rachel was getting a little suspicious about
John’s motives for bringing her here. “You haven’t got hidden
cameras planted around the rink have you?”

He looked nervous. So nervous that Rachel
started to get really worried. She looked at the buildings around
them and took a step closer to him. “You haven’t been sent another
death threat, have you? We don’t have to go skating if it’s too
dangerous.”

John took a deep breath and pulled her onto
the ice. “No death threats.”

“What are you so worried about? You’re
frowning worse than when I first met you. Your palms are all
sweaty. You don’t think you’re coming down with a virus, do
you?”

John wiped his hands on the side of his
jacket, then grabbed hold of both of her hands. He skated backward,
pulling Rachel across the ice until her legs stopped wobbling.

He let go of one of her hands and skated
beside her. “Are you okay?”

Rachel looked up and smiled. “I think I’ve
got it. I still can’t believe no one else is here. It’s got so much
potential.”

“Maybe someone booked the whole rink?”

Rachel laughed. “No one would do that. It
would cost a fortune…” She stumbled on the ice. John’s grip on her
hand tightened, but it wasn’t enough. She lunged for his arm with
her other hand and landed bottom first on the ice.

“
Oww.”

John kneeled beside her. “Are you all
right?”

Rachel rolled onto her side and rubbed her
bottom. “I think so, unless you count wounded pride as an injury?
Tell me you didn’t rent the whole rink for the two of us?”

“I didn’t rent the whole rink for the two of
us.”

Rachel breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank
goodness for that.”

“I…umm…booked it for the four of us.”

“Four?”

John pointed to somewhere behind Rachel. She
turned around and scrambled to her feet. Tank and Bella were
skating toward them. She looked at John and frowned. “I thought
Bella and Tank were going back to the hotel?”

“They did. Bella needed to get changed.”

Rachel looked more closely at what Bella was
wearing. She’d changed out of her pink coat and into a pretty
powder blue jacket. With her hair in braids and glittery red boots
on her feet, she looked like Dorothy from
The Wizard of
Oz
.

Bella stopped in front of Rachel. “Are you
okay?”

“I’m fine. I slipped on the ice, that’s all.
You look lovely.”

Bella grinned and spun in a circle. “I’m
Dorothy.”

Rachel looked at Tank.

“I’m not Toto.”

“You’d look cute with pointy ears,” Rachel
teased.

John cleared his throat and lifted his arm.
“Can everyone remember what we talked about?”

Rachel watched Bella put on her serious face.
The music that had been playing in the background rose louder
around them, filling the rink with a soft romantic feeling.

Rachel watched Bella and Tank turn around and
skate away from them. “Are we pretending to do a scene from The
Wizard of Oz?” she asked John. “It could be like Disney on Ice. Did
you know that…”

John shook his head. “I know your mind is
buzzing with facts, but I don’t need to know how many ice skaters
Disney has employed in the last year.”

“Good. Because I don’t know. But I do know
how many Disney princesses have featured in their productions in
the last ten years.”