My heart fell into my stomach when my eyes met Cian’s. He stood across from the room, like he was waiting. He looked so fine in his black suit.
Keenan broke the connection when he walked past with Ruairi Merrick, his hand jabbed into his back. It had to be a gun.
“He didn’t…” I breathed.
“Oh, it appears hecould, and hedid.”
It wasn’t funny, but Delaney and I looked at each other and laughed quietly. It was the same when someone tripped or fell. We had to tame our reaction.
I was almost positive Cian wouldn’t hurt Ruairi. Since he was going to sing at our wedding, it felt normal to call him by his first name, even though I’d never met him. Cian must have taken him for me. I couldn’t come up with any other reason.
The thought sent a warm surge through my veins, and I stepped out of the room in a rush, Delaney a step behind.
Cian’s eyes fell on mine, and we stared at each other for a second before I took his hand. His eyes softened and he led me to the empty ballroom—the one I was allowed in.
Candles were lit, and red roses graced the entire space. Keenan had Ruairi on the stage, the blindfold still over his eyes. A band, none of the member’s eyes covered, was set up behind the two men. It seemed like most of them were older.
I let go of Cian’s hand, and he followed behind me to the stage. I motioned to Kennan that I wanted to talk to Ruairi. Keenan had to help him down the stairs. I whispered something in the singer’s ear, and he shrugged. Keenan helped him back up the stairs, and it seemed Ruairi told Keenan what I’d told him.
A grin came to Keenan’s face before he told the band. I turned to Cian and held out my hand. He took it as the band started to play the song.
We swayed to the music, but our eyes locked in place.
My chest felt hollow. My heart raced.
I’d never known attraction like this before. Just our hands touching was consuming me. It was like the kiss broke the barrier to more, and I almost…needed it.
After our dance, and Keenan led Ruairi out, guests with unfamiliar faces started to trickle in. They looked a little uneasy, like they were unsure about being inside the castle but couldn’t resist checking it out. I hadn’t seen any of these people before. I was pretty sure Delaney was right. They lived in the village.
Keenan came back, and as the band discussed something, Keenan took the microphone. He thanked the crowd for coming to witness the marriage of Cian and Maeve O'Callaghan.
He lifted his glass and asked everyone to toast to us.
“To true love!”
A stir in the back had me straining my neck to see what was going on. A bunch of people were almost booing, and when Cian raised his glass to them, they stormed out, knocking people out of the way. I wasn’t sure what was going on, but it seemed like they were either mad or insulted about the wedding.
So odd.
I wondered if Cian was going to be mad, but his eyes told a different story.
They were almost…pleased with the reaction.
Something was for sure going on around here. It was like Keenan, Fiona, Beatrice, and Henry were almost glowing from the negative reaction, like they wanted it.
Cian lifted my hand and kissed it, then set it over his and took us around the room, like we were royalty or something.
It was even odder not to acknowledge any of these people, so I either smiled at them or thanked them for coming. I wasn’t sure what else to do.
My dad and Beatrice seemed to make the situation better. My dad was asking endless questions, it seemed, about everything Irish, and Beatrice was encouraging the crowd to eat and drink.
This a celebration! Plenty for everyone!
Even though Ruairi had left, the music continued, and guests started to relax and have a grand time, as Keenan had said.
Delaney had never met a party she didn’t dance at, and she was flushed with a megawatt smile as she pulled Robert over and kissed me on the cheek. She took my hand and looked at Cian, raising her chin.
“You’ll take good—no, better than good—care of my beautiful turtle. I won’t accept anything less than her being treated like the queen she is.”
