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She was off her schedule not working out this morning, but she didn’t even care. She was walking on clouds. Derek loved her. Her. Ellery Monson. A nobody from the wrong side of Boston whose own father didn’t even love her.
Her ninja prince loved her so much he’d stayed in Boston and taken rejection after rejection when he’d wanted to come home. He loved her so much he was willing to stay in Boston, even though he wanted to be here with his family. What kind of man loved a woman that deeply? Hers, apparently.
She smiled at herself in the mirror as she got ready and put on the most exquisite dress she’d ever seen in her life. It had been delivered for her this morning. It was pale blue silk and draped perfectly with a scalloped neck and sleeves and folds of silky fabric that fell to the ground. The shoes were sparkly and silver and she felt like Cinderella, minus the evil stepmother. Well, her stepmother might be evil; she’d never met her. All she knew was her prince was better than Prince Charming, and he and his family were real and kind and they loved her.
A soft rap came at the door. She almost tripped over her heels racing to get there. Derek was wearing a black suit with a white shirt and red tie. They would look absolutely perfect together. Hopefully Macey would send her some pictures.
She flung her arms around his neck as he breathed out, “Elle,” in that incredible way he did.
She kissed him. He kissed her back.
Laughter pulled them apart, at least an inch.
“Come on,” Tristan said, shaking his head. “We’ll be late for the wedding.”
Derek released his tight hold on her but kept one arm around her waist. “Do you need anything from your room?”
“All I need is you, love.”
He grinned while Tristan moaned. “That was cheesy. I didn’t see that one coming out of you, Ellery.”
She smiled as they sauntered down the hall together. “When you’re in love with someone as incredible as Prince Derek, you can say all the gushy things you want.”
Tristan only smiled and shook his head.
They walked down the stairs and into the ballroom. It was decked out beautifully in white satin with red, pale blue, and white flowers everywhere. There were only about fifteen people in the huge room. Ellery was honored to be part of this group.
General Raymond was up front next to none other than Sutton Smith. Wow. Ellery looked around and spotted the famous billionaire philanthropist and security expert’s wife, Liz. Double wow. She had a camera in her hands, and Sutton looked to be the officiator.
“Sutton and Liz Smith are here,” she gasped out to Derek.
“Macey worked for Sutton. He’s like a father to her.”
“Oh … wow.”
He smiled.
“And his famous wife is the photographer?”
“Macey and Ray wanted to keep the wedding and dinner very intimate.”
“Who’s serving hors d’oeuvres? Gordon Ramsey? You got Martha Stewart back there doing dishes? What is this fantasy world I’ve landed in?”
“No, we settled on Bobbie Flay.”
She laughed and settled a bit.
King Nolan, Kiera, Malik, and Tristan stood with three men and a woman she didn’t recognize. Wait. She did recognize the woman. The press used to call her the ‘Ice Queen.’ She was the well-known billionaire heiress from Texas, Cassandria Mickelson. She’d married a good-looking former military guy. She couldn’t remember his name.
“Who are the three men with your family?” she whispered to Derek as they walked toward them.
They were too close for him to answer. Derek shook the first two men’s hands. One of them was in a black suit and red tie like Derek, the other in a military uniform like the general.
“Ellery Monson, this is Major Chad Prescott and Chief Jensen Allendale.”
“We know who this beauty is,” Major Chad, the handsome blond guy in the military uniform, said with the thickest Augustine accent she’d heard. “The question is, why is she on your arm instead of mine?”
“Because no man in the world is as incredible and impressive as my Derek,” Ellery threw back at him.
