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Waiting for a signal I didn’t know to wait for, I stayed put, wanting nothing more than to be back in my room, hidden away from the world.
Aleksándrappeared next to me, his face pinched in displeasure, as usual. I didn’t know what I could have possibly done wrong now, but there was no use agonizing over it. Slipping my arm through his, I stood up straight and took a deep breath in.
A push to my back made me teeter on my heels. “Move,” Louisa hissed.
Gripping the flowers someone had placed in my hands, I took small steps, my gaze fixed on the floor. The walk seemed endless, each foot I placed in front of the other harder to take, myotetsa gloomy presence next to me.
I finally passed the front pew, then walked up the three steps to the altar where my future husband waited.
Lifting my head, I blinked, wondering if this was a joke. The man standing in front of me was my every fantasy come to life. His clean-shaven face with its sharp angles and high cheekbones was something you would see in a magazine. His full lips looked like they were made for kissing, and his broad shoulders and narrow hips made the suit look as if the designer had created it just for him.
My breath stalled, this time having nothing to do with my tight corset. I’d been prepared for someone a lot older than me. Someone I wasn’t attracted to. But Gabriel was about ten years older than my twenty. And I doubted there was a woman alive who’d kick him out of her bed.
Aleksándrshook Gabriel’s hand and said something to him that I couldn’t hear. After shooting me a warning glare, he took his seat.
My future husband took my hands in his, the contact sending shivers down my spine.What in the fresh hell is this? I expected someone to jump out from behind the priest, yelling, “Got you.”
But the priest started the ceremony. After what must have been almost an hour, he finally arrived at the vows. Gabriel didn’t respond when the priest asked him to repeat after him.
After already having stood up for hours, since I couldn’t comfortably sit down in my dress, I was out of patience. My feet hurt, my back ached, and the corset was doing its best to keep me on the edge of passing out.
Wanting this ordeal to be over, I dug my nails in his hand. He startled but finally seemed to pay attention.
“This is the part where you need to say something,” I prompted when he looked at me with a questioning expression.
He finally said his part, and then I did mine. There was no use in delaying the inevitable. We’d be married today, whether or not I agreed.
“You may kiss the bride,” the priest announced, and my body stilled, all my aches forgotten.
Lifting trembling fingers to my veil, I pulled it back. My husband didn’t move; instead, he stared at me as if he’d never seen a woman.
I knew I wasn’t ugly. I might not have been an exotic beauty, but there was nothing wrong with my face.
Embarrassed by his continued silence, I took a shuddering breath in. “Are you just going to stand there? This is the part where you kiss me,” I whispered to him, immediately regretting my outburst. I didn’t usually speak up. But if Aleksándr thought Gabriel didn’t like what he saw, there’d be hell to pay later.
And I had no intention of pissing Aleksándroff because my husband didn’t want to kiss me.
Taking his hand in mine again, I squeezed to get his attention that was currently on my lips.
Instead of looking up, he crushed his mouth to mine, taking away what little air I’d had left. His tongue demanded entry, and since I needed to breathe, I opened my mouth in a gasp, unwittingly allowing him inside.
I sank into him, my arms automatically going around his body, holding on. His muscles moved under my hands, and I wondered how they would feel without his suit on.
The kiss ended as forcefully as it started, leaving me swaying on my heels.
Taking my hand, Gabriel turned us to face the guests, then lifted our joined hands to the cheering strangers.
Aleksándrwould never do something as common as cheering, but he stood up, fixing me with one of his icy stares. Louisa stood next to him, clapping and smiling.
A squeeze of my hand tore my attention away from my family and to my husband.
But what I hadn’t been prepared for was the hungry look that greeted me when looking at him.
“Let’s get this over with,” he said, nodding to the crowd of people.
Following him outside, dodging petals thrown our way, I was grateful to see our car already waiting. Gabriel didn’t delay in walking me to the classic Rolls Royce, even opening the door for me.
After pushing all the tulle of my dress inside, he slid in behind me, closing the door and shutting out most of the noise. We’d be meeting everyone at the reception venue, only a ten-minute drive away. Since I couldn’t sit down properly, I was leaning on my side. For the first time today, I was grateful for all the tulle since it mostly hid my awkward position.
