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His thoughts filtered back to the day he’d met her. She and Molly had been brought up to the house by their father, the Gages’ new bodyguard. Molly had been a little bitty thing, toddling over to give her lollipop to Julian. Kate had been just a tad older, but she’d been as open and chatty as a teenager, immediately warming up to his mother, asking why this? Why that?
She’d made him scowl, and when she’d turned to talk to Julian and warn him not to take Molly’s lollipop, Garrett had immediately wanted her to pay attention to him, too. It had been the story of his life. Wanting her attention, her eyes on him, wanting everything from her and hating that he wanted it. He’d wanted to be the apple of her eye, and instead, he’d been the idiot who took away her father.
He’d promised himself he’d be her hero, and he’d tried like hell to protect her from everything he could—especially himself. When all he’d wanted was her. He’d withdrawn with ruthless self-discipline, telling himself that he’d never deserve Kate like Julian deserved Molly.
Today Garrett’s eyes were wide open. True, the past was loaded with regrets, but when he thought of the future, one without Kate at the center of it was unfathomable. No man on this earth would ever love and care for Kate and fight for her happiness more than Garrett would. Chest bursting with emotion, he watched the woman he loved walk behind her sister. He saw how her soft smile trembled with emotion, and God, he wanted to hug her and kiss those tears away, telling her whatever changed in her life, he’d always be her constant.
He couldn’t take his eyes off her as she came up the aisle. He imagined her walking up to him and his heart stuttered in his chest, he loved her so much.
Now she took her place across from Garrett as her sister tied the knot with the love of her life, and all Garrett knew was that he wanted to do this with Kate. He’d have Kate. Or he’d have no one.
“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today...” The priest began the ceremony, and for several minutes, Garrett waited for Kate’s gaze to turn to him. Finally, her eyes flicked over to his, and his gut seized with need. She looked so beautiful. Her lips shone in a coral color, her blue eyes highlighted by the sapphire fabric of her dress. A silent plea brimmed in the depths of those eyes, and whatever it was she wanted, Garrett wanted to give it to her.
Not because he’d promised her father that he would. But because he was selfish and he got high on her smiles, got completely drugged and deliciously drunk with her happiness.
“I, Molly, take you, Julian John, to be my husband...”
As soon as he heard Molly speak, Garrett imagined Kate speaking that same vow to him. His chest squeezed as their gazes held across the altar, Kate’s blue eyes continuing to tear him to pieces.
She still wanted to leave, didn’t she?
But he wouldn’t let her.
Not after he’d had her trembling in his arms and whispering his name and giving him everything he’d always wanted.
He’d told himself every night for the past thirty nights that she might have felt pity for him, or that they were just a man and a woman in bed together, getting caught in the moment. It was bull. What they’d been caught up in had been years and years of denied attraction. Burning chemistry. Heated glances. And he was sick and tired of denying himself her.
The day she’d made love to him had been the best day of his existence. And he wanted to have her in his arms, where she belonged, every day and night in his future.
“You may now kiss the bride!”
Kate blinked and tore her eyes from his, looking startled as Julian grabbed Molly and twirled her around.
“Oh, crap!”
They ended up tangled in the train, and Kate came instantly to the rescue. Kate. Always taking care of Molly.
“I got it,” she said, laughing as she detached the train and Julian proceeded to carry a laughing Molly away, the blaring sound of the “Wedding March” following them.
Watching Kate struggle, Garrett stalked down the aisle, grabbed the other end of the tulle fabric and brought it over, watching her duck her head to avoid his gaze.
“Thanks,” she said, and he wanted to kiss her. God, why was this so difficult? They’d grown up together. She was the only woman who knew him, truly knew him. What he liked and loathed. That he would never truly feel like he deserved a life of his own.
If he was going to open up with someone, it should be easy to do it with her.
But the way she was acting
skittish and defensive filled him with dread. And he knew that this was going to be one of the hardest things he’d ever done.
She struggled with the tulle. When he reached out and captured her small hands, she sucked in an audible breath. His heart pounded as she looked up at him, those blue eyes wide and concerned.
“Tell me if I’m mistaken—” his voice was low “—but did my brother just marry your sister?”
She didn’t smile, but looked intently into his eyes as if she was as entranced as he was. “It only took a full hour, Garrett. You couldn’t have missed it,” she said.
Her mouth, the way it moved, drove him insane. “Apparently I did.”
“You were standing right there. Where were you? Mars?” She straightened and rolled her eyes as she started walking away, the tulle clutched against her chest, and he had to raise his voice a bit to be heard.
