“Oh, you love playing dress-up, and you know it.” Arden reached up to pull the sunglasses off his face, folding them, then slipping the arm into the neck of his shirt. “Wow. You look like hell. And I know hell.”
“Gee, thanks. I really needed a pep talk today.”
“You look fine,” Finn assured her.
Fine.
What a leg-quivering compliment.
“Can you do something about … all that?” Henry asked, waving toward Iris as a whole.
“Charming as ever, Hens,” Arden said, shooting the other man an eye roll.
“Well, can you?”
“I’m still in the room,” Iris grumbled.
“She needs nothing to be absolutely stunning. But I will have her done up and dressed for the town hall.”
“On time,” Henry insisted.
To that, Arden snorted.
“As much as I can control Iris being on time, sure.”
“Good. Come on, Finn. We have to go over talking points.”
Finn moved to follow his campaign manager but paused. “Don’t slap a ton of makeup on her,” he said. His gaze cut to Iris. “She doesn’t need it.”
“Oh, baby,” Arden said after tugging her into the bathroom. “I am about to combust from that secondhand longing.”
“What are you talking about?” she asked. She watched as Arden hung up a garment bag on the back of the door, then pulled about half a dozen items out of his bag, spreading them across the counter.
“That look, my sweet sea goddess. That look.”
“What look?”
“The one your fiancé shot in your direction before walking away.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about. What is all of that?” she asked, waving.
“Wait,” Arden said, mouth falling open. His hand shot out, grabbing hers. “Is this the ring?Thering?”
“Oh, yeah. Finn just gave it to me.”
“Oh, Iris,” he said. He pulled it up for a closer look. “It’s stunning.”
“Yeah. I really love the stone.”
“Of course you do. Kudos to Finn for being a great jewelry shopper. That’s an important trait for a husband.”
Was it, though?
Sure, she liked pretty and shiny.
But she wanted more than superficial things. She wanted someone to ask her about her feelings, to inquire about her hopes and dreams, to give her their own depths and vulnerability.
And that man would never be Finn.
