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But he didn’t answer; he simply kept moving forward. On their way to the door, Kelsey scanned the store for Brynn, but she was nowhere to be found. Reality finally clicked into place. Her sister—normally the world’s worst liar—had duped her? “Brynn knew about this?”
“That sister of yours is like a barracuda when it comes to protecting you, but you were right—she’s also a hopeless romantic.”
Holy shit. It’d all been a ruse? She shook her head, stunned. “But I told you I wasn’t.”
“You used to be. Maybe I can change your mind again. And if not . . .” Wyatt grabbed her hand and laced his fingers with hers, then pulled his expression into a fiercely serious one. “Come with me if you want to live.”
She stared at him for a second, then let out an embarrassing snort laugh. “Okay, you’re right, Terminator 2 won’t exactly work here.”
“Guess you’ll have to settle for my way, then.” He smiled and she thought he might kiss her, but then he seemed to think better of it and led her outside. At the curb, a horse-drawn carriage awaited them.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” she blurted, unable to hold back her reaction.
Wyatt patted the horse’s brown mane, the corner of his mouth lifting. “Okay, so he’s not white, but I promise, he’s very noble.”
She put her hand to her forehead, almost giddy with how wonderfully bizarre this man was. “He’s perfect.”
You’re perfect.
Wyatt helped her into the carriage and then climbed in next to her. “Ready?”
“Yes.” And she was. Finally.
* * *
The moonlight gilded the grass in Wyatt’s backyard, mixing with the glow from the white sparkle lights that had been hung from all the trees, and retro pop music drifted across the wide expanse of property. A temporary dance floor had been assembled in the middle of the yard and tables lined the edges of it, each with candles flickering in their centers. And Kelsey and Wyatt weren’t alone.
Familiar faces, all glammed out in prom dresses and tuxes, filled the tables: Jace, Andre, and Evan; Charli and Grant; her sister and Reid; and Kade and Janessa, another domme from The Ranch. It was the school dance she never had, only more lovely and filled with people she actually cared about. Kelsey turned to Wyatt, and he offered a ghost of a smile, a shimmer of vulnerability in his eyes like he was still scared she was going to bail.
“I can’t believe you did all this.”
He pushed an escaped lock of hair behind her ear. “I wanted to give you something you never had. I know this is over the top and that I told you I would give you space. But I’ve spent my career knowing how to spot a good bet. And we’re a good bet, Kelsey. I don’t want to walk away from that. I don’t want to walk away from you.”
Her eyes closed, and she breathed in his words, absorbing them, feeling the truth behind them. When she opened her eyes again, all the confusion and fear that always tried to shroud her happy moments fell away like dead leaves. She stepped into his space, sliding her arms around his waist. This was Wyatt. Running faster. Like he promised. And finally, she wanted nothing more than to be caught. “Take me to prom. Sir.”
He let out a long breath as if he’d been holding it for weeks and looked down at her, cradling her face in his hands and brushing away tears she hadn’t realized she’d shed. “I want to give you the world, Kelsey.”
She pressed her cheek into his palm, smiling, feeling as if she was exactly where she was supposed to be. “I don’t need the world. Just you. I love you.”
The pleasure that broke across his face nearly had her crying again, but he cut off that reaction by leaning down and capturing her mouth in a long, lingering kiss. Sweet and tender, the taste of him was like water after a trip through the desert. God, how had she ever thought she could live without this, without him? All the times in her life she’d thought she’d been in love seemed like ridiculous playacting now. This soaring happiness inside, this trust that they could work through whatever came their way—that was what love felt like.
Wyatt reached down and lifted her up, never breaking the kiss as he wrapped her legs around him. She looped her arms around his neck and kissed him back hard, letting all the ugly stuff that had pushed its way between them fade to the back of her mind. She was strong enough for this. She deserved a chance at happy.
She deserved him.
Applause and a lewd whistle came from their left. She and Wyatt broke away from the kiss and turned their heads to find everyone on their feet. Her cheeks went hot. “Sorta forgot we had an audience.”
Wyatt grinned and set her on her feet to face everyone.
“Aren’t y’all supposed to break out into a synchronized dance number now?” Kelsey called out. “I’ve watched those movies. That’s what happens at prom, right?”
Jace grinned from the center of the crowd. “I tried to get these bastards to pull off that number from Footloose, but Andre kept stepping on my feet.”
Kelsey tipped her head back, laughing, and Wyatt picked her up again, spinning her toward the dance floor. “Let’s get this started. Because there’s only one thing better than prom.”
Her feet touched the ground, and he tugged her against him as a new song began. “What’s that?”
His grin turned wicked. “Losing your virginity afterward.”
