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glow. She only scowls. ‘Course she puts on a nice little show for everyone at first but my father

had her pegged from the get go. He told me he had to keep a close eye on her for the well being

of everyone.”

“Despite her shortcomings, she did save your crew.”

“Not without your help. I think she only pitched in because she couldn’t let you go at it

alone. She couldn’t let you upstage her.”

“Yeah, that’s just me. I am an angel.”

A stampede of footsteps sounded outside of the bedroom door.

“I guess my loyal audience has arrived. In a few minutes, I’ll become someone I kept

fighting from becoming—Devlin’s wife.”

MAXIMUM VELOCITY Marly Mathews 191

Chapter Thirty-Five

Devlin paced back and forth through the living area of their quarters. The contracts just

needed to be signed and the vows said and then, Samantha would be his forever.

Veronica and her juggernaut of a husband Ross sat on his sofa each looking as if they

were waiting for the entertainment to start.

Johanna kept glancing at the contracts in stunned disbelief while biting her lip as if her

life depended on it.

Quinn sat playing with a deck of cards in his favorite armchair. Devlin couldn’t help but

feel as if he needed to wait for the other shoe to drop. He was going to rush Samantha through

the ceremony before she could decide to pull out of it.

“Devlin,” Johanna muttered, flipping through the papers again. “How ever are you going

to convince her to sign the anti-divorce contract?”

“She already knows about it, and as far as I know, she’s willing to sign it.”

“Her divorce to Tyler isn’t even a day old, Devlin. I am going to ask you again to let her

return to the
Excalibur
with us and get on with her life without a man in it to muddle it up.”

“You haven’t asked me to leave her be before. You seemed supportive of it when we

talked on the com line.”

Johanna furrowed her brow, wringing her hands together. “I seemed supportive of it

because I was thinking under a gullible influence. Quinn kept whispering in my ear that it was

the best thing for us, that you had all of the power and the answers and that you would make

certain we got Rory back. I just can’t believe it, that’s all. Samantha was never fond of you and

let’s face it she should be back with Tyler. They might be able to get over this hurdle….”

“I won’t listen to your drivel, Johanna. I have the utmost respect for you but I realize

now that your husband is tainting your viewpoint.”

“Leave Dylan out of this!”

“Why should I? He and his brother are the cabers between all of us. They should just go

and blow up.”

“Don’t say that about Dylan. He’s sweet, he’s loving and he....”

“He trusts his arse of a brother and he shouldn’t. His brother just blew a chunk right out

of Samantha’s life. If she doesn’t do something drastic like marry me, she’ll lose herself, mark

my words.”

“I wouldn’t want to mark anything you say. I should have listened to her all of those

times when she called you Lord Dumbo and....”

The door to the bedroom opened. Johanna dropped the papers back on the desk and

quickly drew in her breath.

Devlin was enraptured with the stunning vision Samantha created. Her hair looked like

gold spilling down around her shoulders. Her cheeks were pink with excitement, her eyes were

wide and bright, and her body well, she was sexy as hell. Their gazes met and he held it while

she winked at him.

Johanna stood stock still, and he would have been able to freeze the moment a moment

longer had Veronica not broken the silence.

MAXIMUM VELOCITY Marly Mathews 192

“Holy crap! It’s the Queen of Danger looking like the bloody Queen of Sheba! I’ll be

damned, you almost look like a lady!” Veronica crowed, standing so she could and Ross could

surround Samantha. “Ross, don’t touch her, I am afraid you’ll break the illusion. The brass and

bold ass kicker must be somewhere in there under that entire getup. Okay what did you do with

the Samantha I know?” Veronica asked.

“Nice to see you again, Big V. You look almost human.”

“Touché,” Veronica said, clapping her hands together. “I am glad I pulled my ass out of

the bed to come to this shiny shindig.”

“Me too, Veronica. It wouldn’t be quite the same without your cackling in the

background as mood music,” Samantha said, smiling playfully.

Veronica smirked and walked away back toward the platter of food Jewel’s ship’s chefs

had brought in.

Jewel walked toward him and caught his eye. “Come with me,” she muttered walking

toward the door. They left the quarters with Jewel calling out, “We’ll be right back!”

Jewel stood in front of a man that carried a large case that looked like it was fortified.

“Mr. Goodman here is a jeweler from New India. I am giving him free passage to the

New Mayfair Ball. He has jewels for the ladies there.”

“Yes, and what would you like Jewel? I own New Mayfair and New India, and....”

Jewel rolled her eyes. “Dad, you own just about everything that I can bloody well think

of, what you don’t have is wedding bands. Mr. Goodman here has several that might be suitable.

We took the security scans of Samantha’s hand and he’s extrapolated her ring size.”

“Okay, I will take an engagement ring as well,” Devlin said.

“Don’t lay it on too thick yet, Dad. Get the engagement ring if you want but give her the

band tonight. Right now, she’s skittish. You don’t want her bolting before you place that ring

on her finger.”

“I don’t want her to ever leave me.”

Jewel gave him a sympathetic look. “You won’t lose her…she can fight like a hellcat.

She is a match for anything the universe throws at her. Don’t worry so much.”

He sighed, and turned his attention to Mr. Goodman. “I am quite certain you have two

bands already in mind.”

“You are quite right, My Liege. I have two in mind that say lovebirds like no other rings.

They will enchant your bride and they will last for a life of love.”

“Excellent. Give the rings to Jewel, as she’ll be serving as my best woman. We’ll get

this all wrapped up and in the bag in no time at all.”

“You’re getting married not closing a business deal, Father.”

“I know, Jewel. You get the rings and bring them in right away.”

“Yes, father.” Jewel curtsied to him and smirked.

“Did you get those galaxy wide bounties sent out on Tyler and the rest of the Triad?”

“I did…that’s a sneaky little plan putting out those large bounties on the lot of their

heads. We’ll have bounty hunters coming out of every corner and crevice of the Universe to take

them all down!”

“I trust that you blocked those transmissions from reaching everyone on the
Excalibur
?”

“Yes, I am as ever, your dutiful, sweet and loving daughter.”

“Yes, you are.” He looked fondly at her. “Love our time together chatting, Jewel, it

seems however that my lovely bride wants my attention.”

At his words, the door to Devlin’s suites opened.

MAXIMUM VELOCITY Marly Mathews 193

“What are you doing?” Samantha asked. He returned her suspicious glance with an

innocent one. Tugging on his suit jacket, he extended his arm to her. “I had hoped that you

would allow Johanna or someone to bring you down the hallway to me, but I will walk you back

into our rooms myself. I don’t care too much for tradition anyway.”

“Who’s thinking about tradition?” Samantha snorted. “Here I stand garbed to the hilt in

jewels and a dress I could never begin to afford and I am marrying a man that I used to loathe, on

a ship I wish I had.” She slapped her hand over her mouth. “I never should have said that.”

“Yes, darling, but at least you said you used to loathe me.”

She shot him daggers. Giving him her hand, she shivered when the electricity that

existed between them arced up her arm. Her eyes glowed. “And this,” she whispered, dropping

her voice while Jewel tried to look inconspicuous “Is why I am marrying you. You have gotten

under my skin, and into my soul. The other option would be to run from you as far as I could.”

He pulled her close. She slammed against him. He could feel her nipples hardening

beneath the bustier of the gown.

“You are mine,” he growled, “Do not think of running from me, not after what we just

shared.”

He could feel Samantha’s body thrilling at his words; her mind was almost shielded from

him.

She drew in a sharp breath. “I felt so heady when I was in there and you were out here.

Almost as if the separation gave me anxiety.”

“You don’t have to worry about being separated from me in the future, I will not let you

out of my sight.”

“You’re going to have to once in a while,” she smiled softly, her eyes darting over to

Jewel. “What have you got up your sleeve?”

“That man, Samantha is a jeweler. We do need wedding bands,” Devlin stated.

“Ah, I was just not going to wear one this time around.”

He scowled. “I do not like that idea. You’ll wear one and brand yourself as my wife and I

will wear one and brand myself as your husband.”

“Fine,” she said tight-lipped. “I know that you are planning something else, Devlin, and if

it involves anyone I love,” she murmured. He placed his fingers over her lips. She kissed them

startling him and her. “See, there I go again. You come near me, you touch me and I lose all of

my senses. I am worse with you than any other man. I can’t stop wanting to feel your touch,

your kiss....” she stammered.

“I think we should begin the ceremony before you lose it,” he murmured.

Her eyes transformed from a light shade of violet to a darker hue. “I thought that maybe

just maybe, Dylan would come and witness our nuptials. I know he loves Tyler and would do

anything for him but I rather thought Dylan loved me as a sister as well. I guess I can’t have

everything.”

“Johanna tried to get me to dump you.”

“I know,” she admitted. “They are only doing what I would have asked them to do a few

days ago. I would have told Johanna that I had lost my mind if I ever slept with you.”

“We haven’t done much sleeping,” he muttered, watching, as her cheeks flamed red.

“I know,” she said, her voice cracking with emotion. “The bloody part is that I can’t get

you out of my head. I want to make love to you morning noon and night. I do not want to go

back to the real world even though concerns of the real world demand our attention!”

“I tell you what, after we rescue Rory and settle our score with the Triad, we will go on a

MAXIMUM VELOCITY Marly Mathews 194

long honeymoon, somewhere where no one can bother us. I’ll do some pretty wicked things to

you and you can do some wicked things to me!”

She sighed. “That sounds like heaven.”

“So,” Johanna asked when the door whirred open. “Are you calling this whole thing off?

Because if you are I’ll go and fetch the confetti.”

“Johanna, a word please,” Samantha said, pulling her sister out into the hallway.

* * * *

Samantha tugged Johanna three feet away from Devlin. “What the hell do you think

you’re doing?” Samantha demanded.

“I am trying to save you from making a colossal mistake. Don’t you see that Devlin is

playing you like a violin? He’ll probably marry you and then cast you aside once he gets to gloat

about it to Tyler.”

“No, Johanna,” Samantha said through clenched teeth. “You have that wrong. Tyler was

the one who betrayed me and cast me aside like a wet dishrag. He took my life and turned it

inside out, and you can’t even see that. Well, I’ll let you in on a secret that was revealed to me

by Devlin. Tyler was not only screwing with Charlotte but he was also running other women on

the side, and he has proof. No wonder he wanted to see Tyler go for a swing.”

“Get out of here,” Johanna breathed. “Did Devlin give you a drug of some kind? You

sound like you’re tripping right around the rings of Saturn!”

“I am not on anything. I am seeing clearer than I have in years! Being with Devlin is the

only thing keeping me from rushing back to the
Excalibur
, kicking Charlotte’s prissy little ass

and tracking Tyler down to rip his life apart the way he’s screwed mine up! Didn’t you hear

what I said? Not only did he have Charlotte but he was traipsing around with several other

whores, the last Lady Devlin being one of them!”

Johanna’s facial muscles relaxed. “Okay, Samantha, calm down. You’re giving yourself

a bad case of the hives,” she murmured.

“You don’t believe me!” Samantha accused.

Johanna widened her eyes. “I do believe you, Sam. I always believe you. The two of us,

well, we don’t lie to each other, do we?”

“No,” Samantha grumbled.

“There, you see? Just promise me one thing.”

“What?” Samantha asked.

“When we do catch up with Tyler, allow me the honor of kicking him right in his balls. I

want to see him double over and be to the point where he thinks he’s going to lose his lunch! As

for my husband, when I get back to the
Excalibur
I’ll give him a good piece of my mind. To