“No.” Charlotte shakes her head. “We, um, didn’t do that.”
“Just the standard vows will be fine,” I tell Miranda.
I listen to the wedding planner as she talks of honor and love, sickness and health. They’re powerful words, punching me right in the gut and I wonder how I’m going to be able to go through with this tomorrow and actually look like I mean it.
“There will also be a ring ceremony, but the minister will instruct you both on what to do and you just repeat everything he says, so it’s fairly easy.” The wedding planner hesitates, her gaze shifting to me. “Are you wearing a wedding ring?”
I glance over at Charlotte, who nods. “Yes.”
“And you have another wedding ring for your wife? Or shall she take off the engagement ring and you’ll slip that on her finger during the ceremony?”
“I have another ring for her,” I answer. A thin diamond band that actually does come from the Constantine vault, it used to belong to my mother.
“Perfect. Charlotte, make sure you wear your engagement ring on your right hand tomorrow so your groom can slip the wedding band on your finger easily,” Miranda instructs before she turns to face everyone. She claps her hands twice, getting their attention. “Let’s run through this again!”
Before Charlotte can leave, I snag her arm, keeping her by my side. “How many times are we going to have to go through this?”
“I’m not sure, but we’re almost finished—we have to be. The dinner is supposed to start soon.” She bites her lower lip, watching me with those big blue eyes. “I’m so glad you showed up.”
The relief in her voice is obvious. “You actually believed I wouldn’t?”
“I didn’t know what to believe. You were so late, and when you didn’t answer my texts or your brother’s calls, I became worried. I know you haven’t been…happy with this situation since it started.”
God, I feel like absolute shit for not actually talking to her during the drive. I did try and text, but she was probably busy. I hate that I tortured her when that was never my intention. She has enough to worry about.
“You haven’t been happy either,” I remind her as I stare into her eyes, wanting to see her reaction.
Those pretty blue eyes go a little wider. “I thought we’d come to a mutual understanding.”
“What do you mean?”
“That we were going through with it—and we were okay.” She does one of those nonchalant shrugs again, and damn, I hate those. “But it’s fine. Maybe I was wrong.”
“You weren’t.” I give her arm a squeeze, wanting to reassure her. I feel protective over this woman. She needs someone on her side. I feel like she has no one who’s team Charlotte, and I’m willing to do that for her. “I’m in this.”
The emotion shining in her eyes as she looks at me is a struggle for me to witness. She just looks so damn grateful, and I’ve barely given her anything. “Okay. I’m in this too.”
“It’s all going to work out.” I have no idea if I’m speaking the truth, but it feels like the right thing to say.
She nods, glancing over at Miranda. “We need to do another run-through. I should go to my father.”
I tug her in closer, lowering my voice so no one can hear me. “I didn’t like how he spoke to you earlier.”
Charlotte shakes her head. “It was nothing. He’s just…like that sometimes.”
I’m tired of her making excuses for his shitty behavior just because he is her father. That’s no excuse.
“He will never speak to you like that again once you become my wife,” I say, my voice firm. She stares at me, her lips parted. “What? I won’t let him, Charlotte. If he so much as lays one finger on you, I’ll break it. I’ll break all of them if I have to.”
“But I’m his daughter,” she reminds me.
“And you’ll be my wife. You’ll belong to me.” I pull her to me, slipping my other arm around her waist, my mouth at her temple as I whisper, “I don’t care if he’s your father. No one hurts what’s mine. Do you understand?”
She keeps her head bent for a moment, her shoulders rising as she inhales deeply. Finally she looks up at me, her eyes shining with gratitude. “Thank you,” she breathes before she stretches up and gently presses her mouth to my cheek.
Fire lights where her lips touch my skin, scorching me everywhere, and I turn my head, my lips finding hers, making her gasp. I swallow the sound, kissing her like I mean it, and when her lips part, allowing my tongue entry, it’s on.
My hand shifts, dropping to the curve of her ass, those little pink flowers rubbing against my palm and my dick does that thing it always does when I get too close to Charlotte—it twitches with awareness.