Read Online Burned Deep by Calista Fox - Free Book Online

bundle of nerves—not all of them emotionally jumping. Most of them were sizzling and snapping at the hint of his cologne wafting under my nose and the fact that Dane Bax had the most spellbinding presence I’d ever encountered.
    He stepped aside and said, “Shall we?”
    I finally noted that he’d kept a respectable distance when he’d joined me. Not crowding me at all. And he didn’t take my hand or offer his arm.
    He’d seen my reaction to Kyle Jenns when he’d reached for me—not to mention everyone else who’d laid a hand on me the day of the Delfino-Aldridge wedding. He’d come to my rescue because of it all.
    Clearly, he’d picked up on my minimal-touching stance. A thought that really should have pleased me. So why didn’t it?
    Because you want him to touch you.
    All. Over.
    Good point.
    Regardless, I maintained a few feet between us and started walking.
    â€œUp the stairs to the mezzanine,” he instructed, following along with a slow, measured gait.
    I eyed the elegant sweeping staircases on either side of the main portion of the lobby and asked, “Does it matter which one?”
    â€œNo. We’re heading straight out to the veranda.”
    I ascended the marble steps, holding on to the fancy black wrought-iron banister because my legs shook a little from nervous anxiety—or were my knees weak from Dane?
    â€œDid you design this place yourself?” I asked.
    â€œYes. Over the course of several years and with help from engineers and architects, naturally.”
    I wanted to ask him how someone so young could afford to finance such extravagance but that seemed rude. And I wasn’t sure I wanted to know the answer. I was already sufficiently overwhelmed and intimidated by everything about him.
    Except that his disconcertion over the money comment he’d made while we’d waited for our cars at the resort still ate at me. There was something there, something to latch on to. I just didn’t know what it was and that perplexed me greatly.
    I tried to stay on safe ground. “What about the name?” I inquired. “I suspect it’s not Lux as in luxury, though this is certainly the very definition of posh. The pinnacle of it, really.”
    He kept a span of two steps between us. Not that I could breathe any easier because of it, but at least I could speak now.
    His eyes held a roguish shimmer. “What do you think it means, then?”
    I smiled. “ Lux is an industry term. Well, in audio-visual, that is. It’s the luminance of light boxes or projectors. Ten-thousand lux is the equivalent of full daylight on a surface. Brilliant light.”
    He grinned again. An appreciative one. “You catch on quick. Very few others get it—just my A-V guys.”
    â€œHmm.” I figured that was one more exclusionary element to this breathtaking venue. “Clever.”
    He winked. My pulse shot through the roof.
    We reached the mezzanine and he directed me through more intricately trimmed doors to a long terrace with the same railing as the stairway and outer fencing, rounded where a portion of the veranda jutted out in a semicircle over the magnificent courtyard.
    This particular spot was just the one to show off the vast grounds and striking outbuildings. I couldn’t even fathom how many acres the resort sat on. It was like we’d entered another world. A glittery, astounding one that boggled the mind. Disneyland wasn’t this magical. And, wouldn’t you know it? The clouds had thinned out for the remainder of the sunset and it was as awe inspiring as everything else surrounding us.
    â€œWhat do you think?” Dane asked in a quiet voice.
    â€œI think you’re a genius.”
    He chuckled. I stared at him over my shoulder.
    â€œI was hoping you’d like it.”
    â€œWhat’s not to like?” I asked.
    â€œIndeed.” His gaze turned smoldering and I knew he wasn’t