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A kiss she didn’t dare trust.
The hourleading up to her wedding passed with frightening speed. After checking to be sure her father didn’t mind watching Toni, she prepared for the ceremony. Pinning her hair in a sophisticated plait, she applied cosmetics and perfume with a light hand. Finally, she pulled the dress Luc had requested she wear from the closet.
It was a deceptively simple design, a mere slip of a dress, short-sleeved with a scooped neckline, made special by a matching pearl-encrusted bolero jacket. She lingered in front of the mirror, undecided whether or not to wear her pearl necklace and earrings with it.
A light knock sounded on the door. “Grace?” Luc called, stepping into the room. He stopped short at the sight of her. “Grace.” He whispered her name in a rough, deep voice. “You’re beautiful,amorata mia.”
She slowly turned from the mirror and faced him, struggling to hide her nervousness. He looked rather fine, himself, she conceded. He’d dressed in a black suit and snow-white dress shirt. Gold cuff links glittered at his wrists and a gold tie tack anchored his red silk tie in place.
“Is Matteo here?” she asked.
“Yes. It’s almost time to start the ceremony.” He approached, a jeweler’s box in hand. “But first I have something I’d like you to wear. It belonged to my mother, a gift to her from my father, also on their wedding day.”
“Luc—”
He shook his head, holding out the long, narrow box. “You can’t refuse. I won’t allow it.”
Reluctantly, she took the gift and opened it. She gasped. A dainty opal choker lay on a bed of black velvet. Vivid green and blue sparks mingled with almost every color in the rainbow and blazed outward from the center of each gem. “Fire opals?” she whispered.
“Yes. They were my mother’s birthstone. Let me help you put it on.” He lifted the choker from the box and slipped it around her neck. Then he bent down and pressed his lips to the sloping curve of her shoulder.
“Thank you,” she said in a muffled voice. “You shouldn’t have.”
“I have something else.” With a wicked grin, he reached in his pocket and pulled out a ruffled blue garter, dangling the scrap of silk and lace from his finger. “The opals are something old. This is both new and blue. Would you like me to put this on, as well?”
She couldn’t help smiling. “I can manage, thanks.”
“Which just leaves something borrowed.” His hand dipped into his pocket once again. “I didn’t know if these would suit your taste, so they’re on loan until you decide whether or not you want them.” In his palm nestled a pair of opal earrings, fire opals that perfectly matched the choker.
She shook her head, taking an unthinking step backward. “Oh, Luc. It’s too much.”
He shrugged. “Then, we can return them after the ceremony.”
“Why are you doing this?” she asked anxiously, clasping her hands in front of her. “It isn’t like this will be a real marriage.”
She instantly realized she’d said the wrong thing. His expression closed over, growing cool and remote. “Put the earrings on,” he requested in a clipped voice. “And the garter, too.”
Not wanting to argue with him after all the trouble he’d gone to, she accepted his gifts. The earrings took only a moment to put on. But when it came time for the garter, Luc approached and took it from her hands. She sat on the edge of the bed and he went down on one knee in front of her and removed her shoe. Next, he slipped the garter over her foot and eased it, inch by torturous inch, from ankle to calf to knee. There he paused and looked directly at her. Without a word, he slid it ever higher, caressing her thigh the entire way. He paused, his fingers skating along the edge of her panties, driving her insane with want. She trembled, unable to conceal her desire.
“That’s how I feel, too,” he told her quietly. “Remember that when we take our vows.”
“But will it last?”
He drew back and stood. “Salvatore marriages are forever, Grace.” He took her hand in his and helped her to her feet, supporting her while she slipped her shoe back on. “Trust me, our marriage will last.”
She stared at their joined fingers. Was he afraid she’d cut and run if he didn’t hang on to her? Given half the chance, she just might. She looked up at him, searching his face for a hint of his innermost thoughts. He returned her look, his golden eyes glittering with determination. But love? If he felt it, it wasn’t apparent. Defeated, she dropped her gaze and walked with him into the living room.
Chapter 11
The Great Lie
Day 346 and it’s time for the happily-ever-after . . . Right?
Grace’sfather waited in front of the picture windows. When he saw her, pride and tenderness filled his expression. He crossed to her side and Luc released her arm, stepping back.
“You look beautiful,” Reverend Barnes murmured. Gathering her close, he whispered, “Are you absolutely sure, my dear? This is what you truly want?”
Was it? She searched her heart, aware that only a single doubt troubled her—whether or not Luc loved her as much as she loved him. Because she did love him, with every fiber of her being. Would it be enough? Would his desire blossom into something more? Something permanent and lasting and solid? He’d told her their marriage would last a lifetime. She could either believe and trust in him, as well as believe and trust in their future together. Or she could walk away. She closed her eyes, a peaceful certainty settling over her.
