He waves. “Good luck at the ceremony. I can’t wait to hear how it goes.”
Turns out,I don’t get a chance to make my mother do anything.
People are already filling the lawn by the time I’m outside. Some faces I recognize from the last ceremony, but my family hasn’t arrived yet.
“You look gorgeous, same as last time.” Zandra, wearing ared mermaid-style dress that flares at the knees, slinks up to me. She tosses her hair over a bare shoulder and grins. “Ready for today?”
My stomach somersaults. “Of course.”
She tugs me toward the champagne. “You don’t have to lie. I know you feel terrible about last time.”
“You do?”
She tips her face toward mine and lifts a brow. “Of course. Feylin told me.”
“I didn’t realize y’all talk a lot.”
“Y’all. You’re so Southern. It’s adorable.” She grabs a flute from a silver tray and hands it to me. “Yes, we talk every once in a while. I called to make sure he was okay. The way people overreacted”—she scoffs—“you’d think it was Feylin’s first wedding all over again.”
The earth falls out from under me. “First wedding?”
She rips her gaze from where it’s latched onto the lawn to look at me. “Yeah, first one. You know about Tess, right?”
Since I’m supposed to be marrying thekingof my dreams, the only appropriate answer is, “Yes, of course. He’s told me all about her.”
“You’re very different from her.” Zandra shakes her head and laughs. “But then again, you’re not fae. So of course you’re not like her. Between you and me, a witch is a better match for Feylin anyway.”
She continues talking, eyeing a wizard in a dark three-piece suit. Zandra says something about seeing what he’s up to later, but my mind’s spinning.
Feylin was married to a fae named Tess. What happened to her? Did they divorce?Dofae divorce?
What a silly question. Of course they do. But why hasn’t he mentioned it? Maybe he’s got her hidden in a closet allJane Eyrestyle.
No, even Feylin wouldn’t do that.
As Zandra continues to eye the wizard, it’s all I can do to keep the world from toppling over. The shock vibrates in my bones. I don’t know why. There’s no reason for Feylin to tell me important things like he has a cousin in his castle or he was once married.
But for some reason this knowledge stings. I don’t know him at all. And as much as I’d like to deny it, the fact that he’s kept this from me makes my heart crumble.
“I hope you’re taking good care of my fiancée, Zandra.”
It’s the first time I’ve heard his voice in days, and the dark, sexy timbre of it—like smoke rolling over rocks—makes my stomach clench. If any man’s voice could immediately impregnate a woman, it would be Feylin’s.
My mouth dries as I slowly take him in. He’s wearing a dark green tweed vest with brass buttons and a tie the same color. He doesn’t even bother with a jacket, and he doesn’t need one. He slips his hands into his pockets, forcing the white shirt to strain against his powerful biceps. His face is cleanly shaven, and his hair’s still damp from the shower.
The shower.
I can’t allow my mind to go there.
His wavy hair’s combed to one side, but that one curl bobs in front of his forehead.
Zandra bows with a flourish. “Your Majesty. I’ll have you know I’m taking excellent care of Addison. I was just telling her about that wizard who I plan to jump on after this.”
He smirks, which is obviously intended for her, but his gaze never leaves me. My heart slams against my chest as magic unleashes between us. I’m sucked into Feylin’s gravitational pull. Zandra’s saying something, but it’s all jumbled because only he exists.
He offers his hand. My first instinct is to lunge for it. It’s been too long since I’ve seen him. It feels like my body’s been starved of water and now a geyser stands before me, and I’mready to devour it. I want to press myself against him and drink up every bit.
It takes a steel wall of restraint, but I don’t launch myself at him. Yet as soon as my hand slips over his, a tsunami of desire sweeps to my toes. Suddenly I’m back in his office and I want to climb atop that desk and let him do…things to me. Many, many things.
