“I wouldstronglyrecommend not speaking ill of her,” Addie warned. “I’m not unlike a rose, Lady Dove. I might look sweet, but I have thorns aplenty. Ialsohave enough influence to make you extremely unhappy, which I will do if you insult Dr. Darbyshire.”
Lady Dove looked stunned. “Well, excuse me for calling you an innocent.”
“Not that part. Don’t ever insult Darbyshire, and we’ll get alongbeautifully.” Addie smiled sweetly. “I’m simply a vicious sort when someone I care about is insulted.”
“So you knew her before the show?” Lady Dove gave her a sly look. “Were you friends or dating her then? I’d think you’d need to be if you’re wanting to share her room.”
Silently, Addie straightened the fall of her skirt, weighing the questions.What are we?Addie wasn’t even sure. “Dating” was the wrong label, but so was “just friends.” She was increasingly hopeful about what was growing between them; she couldn’t imagine it possible to fall in love after a few brief conversations and a few orgasms.
Although the conversations were so personal.
And the intimacy felt like everything.
And we spoke for a year over email. We aren’treallystrangers.
And in all my life, she is the only person to touch me.
What they already had might eventually blossom into love. Perhaps itwasblossoming already.
If so, this wedding is a dress rehearsal!
Addie decided to ignore the questions. She smiled at Lady Dove. “Let’s go out there. She’s waiting.”
“That she is, Miss Stewart. That she is.” Lady Dove pulled back the curtain separating them from the rest of the ballroom, and Addie saw Toni standing at the front of the room.
She’d stared at Toni as she’d dressed earlier in the suite. This brilliant, beautiful woman in her custom-tailored suit washersright now. Addie felt like this was a lot closer to real than she could admit, even to Toni.
And seeing the vulnerability in Toni’s eyes only highlighted that.
Addie had seen Toni mostlyundressed before that. She’d felt Toni under her skirts, and then on her knees again but this time to slip a ring on Addie’s hand. Somehow, though, seeing her waiting in front of a minister with all the guests watching was different. There was a tightness in Addie’s chest that she was unprepared for.
I want this. Her. Us. For real. I want her looking at me with that sort of wonder, and I want this wedding to be real.
Music began, and Addie faintly realized that there was a cello, a harp, and a piano in the corner to the left of her.
“Go on then,” Lady Dove urged.
An adorable young girl, no more than eight, skipped forward spreading rose petals everywhere. She tossed handfuls of them toward guests, and Lady Dove sighed and muttered. “My granddaughter is a menace.”
Addie said nothing. Her gaze—unlike those of the guests, who were now watching the rose-flinging child—was fixed solely on Toni.
The fact that the gorgeous woman in front of her wanted to even fake-marry her felt outstanding in ways Addie couldn’t,shouldn’t,admit.
“Goon,girl.” Lady Dove again motioned her forward. “She’s waiting.”
Addie took as much of a breath as the corset allowed, and then she started walking toward Toni—who now watched her walk forward like this was real. The anticipation was raw and evident on her face, and whether or not Toni admitted anything, there was no way Addie could believe that she was the only one moved by what was happening here.
This is a fake wedding,Addie reminded herself.It’s a ploy to share a room.
Then Toni smiled, and Addie felt like she had to blink away tears.
I’d have said yes for real.
Veilless, Addie walked toward Toni as slowly as she could. She half expected that the roses twined together as a crown atop her loose hair would fall, that the whole moment seemed silly to the audience, but the look on Toni’s face made the rest of it all matter very little.
She looks like someone just gave her a gift.
Like I’m the gift.
