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Chad waltzed her around the dance floor. Everyone else fell away as she focused on his green eyes, darker in the subdued lighting. Hope was mesmerized by him—his gaze, his strong body surrounding hers, the charm that oozed from him.
“If dancing with you feels this incredible, do you predict I will survive when you kiss me?” he asked.
Hope was swept away by the magic of this moment, this castle, the royal wedding, but mostly by him. “I don’t know. Why don’t you try it out and see what happens?”
Chad’s eyes widened. He stopped dancing and stared at her. “Did you … do you … Are you in earnest?”
Hope couldn’t help but laugh. She’d never seen Chad unable to complete a thought. This was the first time she’d responded to his often-dropped tease about dying if they kissed with an invitation.
Tonight, she felt nothing like her cautious, practical self. As other dancers streamed around them, she tugged his head down toward hers. “I am.”
Chad wasted no time. He slid both arms around her lower back, lifted her toward him, and captured her mouth with his.
Sparks seemed to shoot around them. The kiss was more magical than even the royal wedding and setting.
Hope arched onto her tiptoes, returning the kiss she’d been craving for three long, lonely years.
The warmth, tingles, and joy were overwhelming. Despite their tease about not being able to survive a kiss, she felt like she’d died and gone to heaven. Or maybe heaven was right here on earth. Heaven for her was Chad’s arms, lips, and love.
Loud clapping drew her back to the present. Chad slowly released her from the kiss, but he stayed a hundred percent focused on her and kept her in the circle of his strong arms.
“They’re clapping for us,” he said huskily.
Hope laughed unsteadily. She leaned into him and glanced around. The crowd was in fact clapping for Livvy, the pianist, but many of them were darting interested glances at her and Chad. A few of the women looked annoyed. Jealous of her? She wouldn’t blame them. Even the kiss she and Chad had shared three years ago paled in comparison to the exquisite matching of their lips tonight. It might be the magic of the castle, the royal wedding, and the mystical setting, but she didn’t believe so. It was Chad and their slowly built friendship and the love she felt for him and from him that made the kiss perfect.
Was she ready to let Chad claim her heart? It didn’t matter—he already had. Now she simply had to admit it to him.
Hope sighed happily and cuddled into him. She was already his, and she wanted him to be completely hers.
Chapter Eight
Chad knew Faith and even Hope were enamored with the royal wedding. He’d been to enough royal weddings and his friends were as down to earth as they were loyal. He personally didn’t care about dancing or the wedding or anything else. All he wanted was to keep Hope in his arms and kiss her for much, much longer. He’d been right all the times he’d teased her—he had barely survived that kiss. He could hardly believe Hope had let down her guard and allowed him to kiss her.
The music started again, and he and Hope were still entwined, inches away from another kiss. He lost himself in her eyes as they swayed together. His friends were likely dancing past and laughing at him, but they’d be happy for him.
Over the past three years, as his and Hope’s friendship had slowly deepened and he’d dated woman after woman who could never capture his heart as Hope had, he’d learned that Hope was the only one for him. Waiting and praying for her to return his feelings had only strengthened his conviction.
Now he’d convinced her to let down her walls and love him back. Happiness swirled around them.
“Chad,” Hope breathed out. She seemed as breathless as he felt. “That was … I mean you … Your kiss …”
Chad smiled, grateful he wasn’t the only one blown away by their kiss and their connection. He gently kissed her forehead, her temple, her cheek, and then whispered close to her mouth, “Incredible. Me and the kiss? You’re certain you’ve died and gone to heaven. Hmm?”
She laughed and hugged him fiercely around the neck. “Your confidence knows no bounds.”
He grinned and prepared to move in for another kiss. “Should it now?”
“Your kissing abilities are definitely worth being cocky about.”
Chad figured he’d better prove that to her again, but first he had to say, “I am overconfident in my kissing abilities, but I’ve never experienced a kiss like yours. It’s you, love. You’re the ingredient that makes each touch and kiss fire and joy combined. You’re the only one for me, Hope.”
He paused, hoping she’d agree. Her face pulled into a worried little frown. “I want to believe that, Chad, I do. But …”
“This we must agree on, love. Believe that you are everything to me. Every interaction with you, I’ve fallen deeper in love. Life would not be worth living without you by my side.”
She arched up and kissed him. He loved that response, and he prayed she would believe he was wholeheartedly committed to her through his kiss.
“Okay.” Tristan and Jennifer bumped into them from the side. “Keep this up and you’ll be married before we are.”
