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‘It’s fine.’ She gave him a tight smile. ‘You know, there are advantages to a whirlwind wedding. I always dreaded having them in the same room.’
It was, Merida thought, the loneliest wedding in the world. Aside from the fact that the groom didn’t love her, her parents were too busy with their lives to be here.
‘Why don’t you call them now?’ he suggested, but she shook her head.
‘They might hear that I’m upset, and I have no desire to let them know how hurt I am that they didn’t try to get here.’ She looked over. ‘It’s just as well this marriage isn’t—’
‘Eduard!’ He stopped her from saying the words out loud. ‘How about you take a photo of us here?’
It was no doubt completely illegal, but Eduard asked the driver to pull over and they got out.
‘I’m sorry about that,’ Merida said, appalled that less than an hour in she had already messed up.
‘Just know that every time you break our cover I will silence you with a kiss...’
Another kiss, another tease...another moment she would have to erase when she attempted to put her heart back together.
She would get through today, Merida decided as they got back in the car. And then she would get through tonight...
‘When do you go back to work?’ Merida asked.
‘The day after tomorrow,’ Ethan answered. ‘Why?’
Because then she would be able to breathe...then she would be able to think. It was impossible to do that with him near.
‘We’re here,’ he told her.
‘Here’ was an extremely elegant riverboat, and as they entered they were greeted with smiles and led straight through.
Nothing could have prepared her for the view. The whole of Manhattan glittered before them, and the bridge they had just been on stretched over and ahead like a golden rainbow.
Their table was by the window, cordoned off, but as they walked through the boar there were smiles from all the other patrons, delighted to find themselves inadvertently at such an exclusive event.
Their table was dressed with candles and gardenias, and the invited guests stood with glasses raised as the very new couple approached.
‘Merida,’ Ethan said, ‘this is my father, Jobe...’
‘Meredith,’ he said.
‘Merida,’ Ethan corrected, with a slight roll of his eyes, but Merida just smiled. She was used to people getting her name wrong.
‘You’re a brave woman,’ Jobe said, ‘taking us lot on.’
‘Apparently so,’ Merida replied.
‘This is my brother, Abe...’ Ethan almost needlessly introduced them, because the brothers were both as dark and good-looking as each other, and neither readily smiled.
‘Merida,’ said Abe, and gave her a kiss on the cheek. ‘This is my partner, Candice.’
Candice was tiny and shockingly beautiful, with caramel blonde hair and diamonds at her ears and throat, but the smile on her lips did not meet her china-blue eyes.
‘Merida!’ Another air-kiss, and then the sting of words only Merida could hear. ‘We’ve heard solittleabout you.’
Candice made Abe seem welcoming! But Merida didn’t have time to find out what Candice’s problem was because there were more people to meet.
‘This is the Sheikh Prince of Al-Zahan,’ Ethan said. ‘Or Khalid.’
Merida swallowed. Though he was in a suit, still he had the presence of a royal sheikh prince—and Merida knew that name...
