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“Speaking of kissing.” Brad walked into the room, spun Mak around, and deeply kissed her. “I didn’t hear you come in.”
“You were showering.” She smiled at him.
Shane felt a sting of jealousy. He didn’t have feelings toward Mak. Nah, she was like a little sister to him. He was jealous of the way they looked at each other, the natural banter between them, and the chemistry anyone with two eyes could see when they were together.
“I was showering because we have a wedding to attend. Why don’t we go get ready to be these two’s witnesses?”
“Does she know I—” Frankie started.
“That’s not important,” Shane interrupted.
“It’s very important!” Frankie’s face turned red with anger.
“And with that…” Brad took Mak’s hand and dragged her from the room, but not before Shane caught the sympathetic look she shot Frankie.
Once they were out of the room, Shane turned back to Frankie.
“We have about thirty minutes until Father Thomas arrives, and I expect you to be on your best behavior, Francesca.”
“If you think for one minute, I will just go along with your plan and marry you—”
Raising a hand in the air, he stopped her.
“We are going to be married today, with or without your cooperation. Would it be so terrible to cooperate for five minutes and make this easier on all of us?”
“Cooperate with you? Yes.”
“I don’t know when you decided I was the enemy, Francesca, but I’m not. The people who slaughtered our families in cold blood are our enemy. I am your protector now, sweetheart, and I’d like to be your friend. Look, I won’t keep threatening to spank your ass every time you disobey me.”
“Why stop now?”
“I’m going to stop threatening and just do it,” he growled. “Although there are many other ways to punish naughty little girls who don’t do what they are told.”
“I’m not a little girl. If you want a submissive wife, maybe you should pick someone else.”
“For fuck’s sake.” The frustration was clear in Shane’s tone. “I am not marrying anyone else. Before you get any ideas in that beautiful head of yours, Father Thomas is aware of the situation and that you are less than happy to be marrying me.”
“Less than happy? Really, Shane?”
“Frankie, please. Neither of us picked these circumstances.”
“Yet you can change them.”
“I am doing what my parents wanted and what my brother asked. Their last words, their last thoughts, were to take care of you, Francesca. Don’t you get that? They were being murdered, and they wanted me to take care of you. They were dying…dying…in a fiery tomb, and they thought aboutyou. You aren’t their blood, but their thoughts went to you. They asked me to protect you. I can’t just ignore their last wishes, Frankie.”
He searched her face, watching her emotions dance across. Recognition flashed in her eyes, and the tension in hershoulders, her rigid stance, relaxed. She smiled before she spoke.
“I can’t get married in this.” Frankie waved her hand at the baggy shorts and oversized t-shirt she had on.
“I’m sorry. I know this isn’t ideal and not the wedding you’ve probably dreamed of your entire life. No expensive white gown, no pretty flowers, no fancy ring.”
“Not to mention a groom I don’t love,” she muttered.
“That either.” He couldn’t blame her for being disappointed in the situation. Hell, he wasn’t thrilled by the turn of events. “I don’t have a beautiful, expensive gown for you today, but maybe someday in the future, when everything settles down, if you want a redo, we can arrange it.”
“Don’t hold your breath.”
“Frankie, this doesn’t have to be a fight. Please, can’t we work together?” He wasn’t used to pleading with people, but nothing else was working.
