Holy mother of God.
She’s wearing a blue silk dress, the back open and laced with thin straps that trace against her spine. Her heels click softly against the wood with every careful step as she makes her way down. Her soft blonde hair is curled and pinned into a low bun, a few loose strands framing her face. The dress fits her perfectly—soft at the waist, skimming her hips, revealing her bare skin.
She looks so sexy that for a second my knees actually feel unsteady. A rush of very unholy thoughts flashes through my brain.
She walks down slowly, carefully, and I realize I’m standing there like an idiot when she reaches the last step. I step forward quickly and hold out my hand. She smiles at me.
Damn those dimples.
Her fingers slip into mine, gentle and soft, and I help her down the last step.
Noah exhales somewhere behind me. “Okay. Wow.”
I’d honestly forgotten anyone else was even in the room. And if Noah had even the faintest idea what just went through my head, he’d probably strangle me with his bare hands.
Luke steps forward then, his expression soft as he looks at her. “You look beautiful, sweetheart.”
Maddy’s smile wobbles just a little before she nods. “Thanks, Dad.”
The room fills with movement, voices overlapping, Luke grabbing jackets, Mel fixing Liam’s collar, Kiara making Noah hold her purse. And somewhere in the middle of it all, Maddy turns slightly toward me. Just enough that it feels like the two of us slip into our own quiet pocket of air.
“Mads,” I say, my voice lower than I mean it to be. “You look… breathtaking.”
She laughs softly, a little flustered, her eyes scanning around the room.
“You don’t have to say that,” she murmurs. “No one can hear you.”
“I know.”
Her gaze lifts and our eyes lock, a hint of surprise flickering across her face. One of her earrings swings slightly as she tilts her head, catching the light.
For a moment, our eyes just stay locked. Then she barely looks up and lets out a quiet snort.
“Well,” she says, eyeing me up and down. “You look… almost perfect.”
I blink. “Almost?”
She grins and shrugs her shoulders, innocently and I put a hand to my chest. “Wow. I get dressed up, I even wear the blazer—”
She steps closer and reaches up, ruffling my hair, undoing at least half of whatever Kiara had cemented into place. Her fingers run through my curls. My heart immediately stops beating and my knees go even weaker.
“There,” she says. “That’s better. I like you with your own hair.”
Does she want me to fall to my knees?
I laugh, meeting her eyes again. “Good to know.”
Her smile lingers. Honestly, mine probably does too.
“Alright!” Luke’s voice cuts through the room. “Picture time, people.”
We join the others as Luke holds his camera, waving us into position like a director on a movie set. It takes a solid minute of shuffling and repositioning before he’s satisfied.
“Okay, hold it right there,” he says, lifting the camera. “Saydance.”
“DANCE!” everyone yells at once—chaotic, loud, not in sync at all. The flash goes off. Luke lowers the camera and checks the screen, a pleased smile spreading across his face. “Perfect.”
Everyone starts moving toward the door in a loose wave of chatter and laughter, but Luke steps toward me before I can follow. “Alright,” he says. “I’m saying this as your girlfriend’s father.”
