"You're, um. Yes. You'll do. Wow. Oh. Could you zip me?" She turned her back toward him, and heard him toss the jacket on the bed and cross the room before movement in the mirror caught the corner of her eye. She glanced at the mirror, seeing his reflection hovering its fingers over her spine, and then with careful delicacy, lower to finish zipping her up. His fingers just barely brushed her skin, and an absolutely electric thrill went through her. She gasped, straightening, almost arching.
Luke yanked his hands back. "Shoot! Are you okay? Did I shock you?"
"No, sorry, no, not static electricity, just a shiver." One that was still buzzing through her, making her exquisitely aware of the man standing behind her. She stood, still shivering, and turned to face him.
His eyes widened and he took a few steps back, eyes widening further. "Wow.Wow.You look fabulous."
She glanced at herself in the mirror like she didn't know what she was wearing, then covered her stomach with one nervous hand. "Yeah?"
"Yeah. You. Wow.Wow, Sabrina. If I'd known you were wearing blue?—"
"No, no, the pink isgreaton you." Her own dress was short and sparkly blue, fitting her curves and fluffing out to a lacy skirt that she loved. She had strappy blue high heels on already, and a little bolero jacket to match. She usually wore the jacket, because it helped keep her from feeling like she was entirely made of boobs in this dress, but she hadn't put it on yet and Luke was gazing at her with such stunned-ox admiration that she thought maybe being made entirely of boobs wasn't such a bad thing. "We look pretty good, huh?"
"You're going to outshine the bride," Luke breathed, which made Sabrina grimace.
"She did approve the dress, but Iwaswearing the jacket in the pictures I sent." She reached for her bolero after all.
Luke yelped, "No, wait!" and she froze, wondering what she'd done wrong. "Selfies," Luke said. "We need selfies before you put that jacket on. No one would ever believe I didn't want photographic evidence of you looking this hot."
An absolutely delighted blush heated Sabrina's face. She beamed up at Luke and gave a shy nod. "Okay. I wouldn't have thought of it, but okay."
"Whynot? I'd think you would want evidence of you being this hot."
"I'm not great at selfies," Sabrina admitted. "I take great pictures of architecture, but I'm not so good at taking pictures of myself."
"Let me, then." Luke grabbed his phone and took a bunch of pictures, both of herself alone and them together, and then, with a faked hair-toss of vanity, snapped a couple of himself flexing lightly in his pink shirt and forwarded those on to her. Sabrina laughed as he got her phone and took similar pictures of themboth, and as she flipped through them, smiling, she said, "Oh yeah, you're a lot better at these than I am. Longer arms?"
"I do have longer arms," he agreed solemnly. "God, you're beautiful."
"Oh." She blushed again, feeling like she could fly. "Thank you. So are you."
She expectedhimto blush, but he only grinned down at her. "Thankyou. Now, c'mon. Let's go outshine the bridal couple."
CHAPTER 12
It was faintly possible that Sabrina didnot, in fact,actuallyoutshine the bride at the rehearsal dinner. Luke wouldn't know: he could barely take his eyes off his fated mate. She looked absolutely gorgeous, and every time she caught him looking at her—which was basically always—she seemed to glow that little extra bit more, until it was like a supernova had gone off right in front of him. Everybody else was eclipsed, and no one else mattered.
He wasvaguelyaware there were other people at the dinner. Parents. Siblings. A handful of very cute kids who were probably the flower girls and ring bearers. They could all have been invisible as far as Luke was concerned, although he was pretty sure he talked to several of them and even had some pleasant conversations. But all he really wanted was to get through the dinner, get back to the room, and explain to Sabrina that he loved and adored her and would like to spend the rest of his life with her.
Yeah! Go Luke go! That's the stuff! Tell her how you feel! Show her your rabbit!
There was no excuse for suddenly bursting into giggles at the dinner table, but Luke did anyway. There was something slightlywrongabout 'show her your rabbit,' even if the rabbit had meant it entirely literally. Several people, including Sabrina, looked at him, and he picked up his champagne glass and waved it as explanation for his sudden laughter.
"Wow," Derek said from a couple seats down the table. "Cut him off, man. No wonder you weren't drinking last night, you lightweight."
Everybody in earshot examined Luke critically, because 'lightweight' was not a word that anybody could reasonably apply to him. He tried very hard to look solemn as he said, "No body fat. Champagne goes right to my head."
"That is the exact opposite of how it works," Cole, also a big man, said dryly, and Luke laughed.
"It was worth a shot! I'll cut myself off," he promised. Sabrina eyed him with obvious amusement, and he tried to look innocent. She rolled her eyes, so it clearly didn't work, but then she went back to paying attention to the speech being given at the head of the table, which let him go back to gazing starry-eyed at her without interruption.
You should tell her everything,his rabbit whispered, and Luke barely kept himself from hiding his face in one hand. So much for 'gazing without interruption.'
I will,he promised.As soon as it seems appropriate.
Now is good!
Now isnotgood. What do you think I should do, turn into a rabbit in front of everybody?
