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12
Sadie and Matthew’s ceremony was long, beautiful, and fit for film. It was no surprise with Matthew’s talent and his parents paying for their adult son’s wedding. I had to stop judging them, and I told myself I’d try eventually, but they were making it too easy.
Rhys and I were too close for all of it; walking down the aisle together, standing next to each other, and doing everything I could to not look at him because his smile destroyed me each time his gaze caught mine.
It was when we stood next to each other for pictures after the ceremony that weakened me the most, when it felt like it was just us in the room as he fixed my bouquet or gently moved stray hair that fell from its hairspray lockdown after Sadie hugged me one thousand times.
Between the mob of guests, it was difficult to find anyone, even when we were sitting in one area. Everyone was eager to talk with Sadie, Matthew, and Rhys, swallowing them with their social demands and inebriation. Sadie ate it up, and she did so beautifully.
Suffocated by the attention, I excused myself from the table and didn’t think anyone would notice. The three of them were deep in whatever it was their type discussed, and their mom was approaching with mine in tow, so I had to escape. When a man dressed almost more dapper than the groom approached me with a tray of champagne, I fit four narrow flutes between my fingers on my way out of the bubble surrounding my sister.
Music and chatter filled the enormous hall, making it too easy to drown my thoughts while I swallowed half of my drinks. The place was like an old maze, and probably a movie set for some haunted or epic romance. Turning around a darkened hallway, I passed a spattering of people staring out the massive windows or lost in the murmurs of their affection. I quietly placed two of my empty glasses on a table near an embracing couple and lifted my dress to help me step away faster.
Warm fingertips brushed my elbow and spun me around, the champagne in my final two glasses sloshing into my hand.
“You told me to find you after the ceremony,” Rhys declared, his dark eyes flashing.
“I was trying to get away from everyone and catch my breath.” My confession caught him off guard, as he slowly took his hand from my elbow and knotted his fingers behind his back.
“Let me show you something.” Rhys nodded in the direction behind me, the corner of his mouth twitching with a smile. He took both glasses from me and offered his bent elbow for me to lock my hand around as he guided us further down the hallway, the wedding becoming a muffled hum in the distance.
“We came here a few times when we were children,” he recalled while turning the knob on a glass door. Holding it open, Rhys ushered me out before him onto the marble patio. In the fading sun, the courtyard sparkled with the glow of incoming twilight catching on drops left from the drizzling rain.
“I thought we could both use the fresh air,” Rhys continued, reaching for my hand once the door closed behind us, “and the quiet.”
“It’s beautiful.” I admired what I could of the garden as the blanket of evening covered the grounds with the lights of London glowing in its periphery.
“Not as beautiful as you.” Rhys sipped from one glass, smiling at me over its rim.
With the wedding behind us and city opposite the courtyard, it felt like Rhys and I were alone out there. I nuzzled against him while he wrapped his right arm around me. Mindlessly taking his hand that dangled over my shoulder, I listened to his heartbeat.
In the crisp air, with the mist thickening, Rhys held me together. Thinking about what he told me in the dressing room didn’t cause me to panic. In fact, it made me never want to leave my spot on that wet marble outside with him.
“We had a bet,” I murmured, turning around in his hold to face him. Rhys eyed me with a smile, wrapping both arms around me, his hands tight against the small of my back. “And I think I’m winning.” The way his eyes lit up as his low chuckle hummed into my chest sped my heart, his grin enough response for me to continue. “But I don’t want to.”
Rain dampened our clothes, but it was the beaming sparkle of promise in Rhys’s eyes that told me it wouldn’t be a problem because he’d win the bet and our clothes wouldn’t be of concern for much longer.
Releasing me, Rhys took our empty glasses and placed them on the patio railing before gently kissing my forehead and taking my hand in his once more. His determined footsteps were hard to keep up with in heels and champagne, but my desire for him kept me at his side.
We were back in the hallway, other guests having returned to the celebration. Rhys knocked on a few doors, finding one unlocked before ushering us inside. Our hearts pounded, breath heavy, and our fingers were desperate with need as Rhys spun me around and pressed my back against the door while we fumbled with our clothes. With my lips locked in his, I unknotted his tie and slipped it from around his neck before unbuttoning his shirt. Spreading my palms against his chest, I followed the trail of his muscles to his waistband as he unzipped my dress, letting the fabric pool at our feet.
His fingers kneaded my skin as they scoured every inch of my body before Rhys’s palms cupped around my backside, and he carried me to an empty table next to the door. The pain of the hard wood against my back was nothing compared to the pleasure of Rhys climbing on top of me, devouring me with the trail of kisses he left from my throat to my navel. When my hips lifted to meet his, Rhys wrapped his arm around me, holding me against him with each thrust, undoing everything I’d ever known.
Rhys whispered something in my ear before he quickly jerked away, leaving me vulnerable and wanting on the table as he tried to kick at the door behind him. It wasn’t until my eyes cleared of Rhys and I saw the blur of white lace behind him that I knew what was going on.
“Mommy!” Sadie shrieked, covering her face.
We scrambled for our clothes, turning as soon as we could to address Sadie’s sobs. I wasn’t even sure where my underwear was when I approached her, inebriated on more than the expensive French champagne.
“Sadie,” I held my hands out to her, “let me explain.”
I knew if she looked in the mirror, Sadie would be thankful for her waterproof mascara, because appearance was always her priority.
“You’ve ruined my wedding,” she growled. “How could you do this to me, Mia?”
“Whoa!” Rhys interjected, moving to stand between us, his palms covering Sadie’s quivering shoulders. “Your sister’s done no wrong here, Deedee. Do you think we’re the only people in this entire place making love, fooling around, or leaving early to go to their hotel room? Have you even seen your brother and his wife since dinner, love?” Sadie slowly shook her head back and forth, her sobs slowing. “And you really want us to believe there was another reason it took you and Matthew that long after I finished your pictures to get to the reception? We all know what you were doing, and it’s great.”
“But we’re married,” she hissed, pointing around Rhys at me, “and you’re screwing my brother-in-law because you just couldn’t be happy for me.”
