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“It’s beautiful. But I feel bad that we ruined the last night of her festivities.”
“You have to admit that we did try our best to keep a lid on the news. And we almost pulled it off. Don’t worry. She’s really happy for us.”
“I’m glad.”
“Then why aren’t you smiling?”
A smile blossomed on Elena’s very kissable lips, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. Something was bothering her, but this wasn’t the time to delve into it.
When the dance concluded, they were about to leave the dance floor when his sister started to chant, “Kiss. Kiss. Kiss.”
It didn’t take long until everyone joined in, cheering them on.
His gaze moved to Elena’s. “Shall we?”
Elena’s cheeks took on a rosy hue. Her gaze met and held his. She looked so beautiful, and she was his wife—a concept he was still getting used to. And then she nodded.
He pulled her close and claimed her lips. They were sweet like the berries they’d enjoyed at dinner. And though her kiss was reserved at first, it didn’t take long until her arms slipped up around his neck and her lips met his move for move.
Oh, yeah, there are definitely some amazing perks to this fake marriage.
The whistles and applause brought him back to earth. With great reluctance, he released her. Elena’s gaze met his once more, and he could see that the kiss had gotten to her as much as it had him. But where did that leave them?
Her life was in Paris. She’d made that abundantly clear. And he had nothing to offer her—he was about to lose his legacy to creditors. The future looked dismal at best.
At that point, they moved off the dance area to make room for the other couples to take a spin around the floor. Elena’s mother came over to speak with her daughter at the same time as his cousins, the twin princes, came over to congratulate him.
Soon the conversation turned to sports. Their group expanded with more men, all giving their thoughts about the upcoming European football season. As usual with this group, opinions were plenty and the conversation was heated. Some things hadn’t changed, no matter how much time Luca had been away.
He had no idea how much time passed before he broke away to find his beautiful bride. He’d looked everywhere for Elena. He even asked his sister to check in the ladies’ room, but there was no sign of her. Was it possible she’d left her own reception?
He was just about to give up when he noticed that the door to the bal
cony was slightly ajar. He moved to close it when he noticed a figure in the moonlight standing at the far end that overlooked the gardens.
He stepped outside to get a better look and then realized it was indeed his bride. She hadn’t left him after all. A smile pulled at his lips.
He started across the balcony. When he got closer, he noticed that she was frowning again. It was the same look he’d caught on her face earlier when she didn’t think anyone was looking. Something serious was on her mind, and he needed to know what it was so he could fix it. It just wasn’t right that the bride wasn’t having a good time at her own reception.
Even for tonight, he’d set aside his massive problems with the lemon grove and dealing with his father. There was no point in letting them ruin this evening, since there was nothing he could do tonight to change their situation. He just had to hope that tomorrow would bring him the answers he needed.
He made his way across the balcony to Elena’s side. “What are you thinking?”
“Nothing.”
He didn’t believe her for one moment. “It is definitely something.”
She turned to him. “Do you really want to know?”
He nodded, because he didn’t have a clue why she was upset. Everything had gone so well tonight. Everyone was happy for them. They should be celebrating that their plan was working out.
“You. Me. Us. This phony marriage.”
“What about it?” When she didn’t immediately respond, he said, “If you don’t talk to me, there’s no way I can help.”
She licked her lips. “I...I’ve been an outcast my whole life—”
“What are you talking about?”
