Kissing my neck, he unties my robe, and his fingers graze my stomach, causing goose bumps to rise on my skin. With him fully dressed in front of me, I feel more naked than before.
When he kisses behind my ear, my phone pings in my hand. I look down and see it’s a text message from Kristy.
Sis: Idea of round 2 was a joke.
Fish! She’s good.
Before my carnal needs make me change my decision, I get out of Zander’s arms. “Kristy and Mom will be here soon. I need to get ready.” I rush to the bathroom without looking at his gorgeous face, which will tempt me to do something stupid, like jump back into bed with him.
Once freshly showered and dressed, I walk down the stairs of our new house and find Zander in the kitchen drinking coffee and reading something, most likely business news, on his tablet.
“Is it wrong that I find you hot in the kitchen?” I whisper after placing my keys and cell phone on the breakfast bar.
He looks up and gives me his wide, sexy dimpled smile, which makes my heart race.
“No. I love that you find me hot.” Pulling me closer, he kisses my forehead and then my lips. Releasing a heavy breath close to my ear, making me shiver, Zander whispers, “Eat your breakfast before I get distracted.”
“I like you distracted.”
“I know, my bewitching Rose.”
Wow! Today, I’m bewitching.
24
ROSE
“Time to go.” Kristy enters the bedroom where I’ve been waiting since the makeup artist left after she was done dolling me up. The bouquet of pink and white roses that my hair stylist gave me—a nice lady with rainbow hair—feels heavy in my hands.
“Kris, thank God you’re here.” I get up and turn around. “There’s something wrong with my dress. It’s itchy.” I put the bouquet on the chair and show her my red palms. “Who made this bouquet? It weighs too much! And this veil is so tight.” I’m about to rip the pinned veil out of my overly tight bun when Kristy grabs my hands.
“Rosie!” Bringing my arms to my sides, she says, “You look lovely.”
Hearing her words, my tense shoulders drop slightly.
“Just breathe.” She squeezes my lace-covered forearms, and I close my eyes before releasing a heavy breath, taking comfort in her familiar touch.
“Nothing is wrong with the dress and veil.” She turns me around to look in the floor-length mirror. The pink roses embroidered on the skirt of my dress shuffle as I shift on my feet. “You’re getting married, Rose.” Her teary eyes meet mine in the mirror as she rests her chin on my shoulder. “Zander is a lucky bastard to have you.”
My eyes meet her watery gaze in the mirror. “You look so pretty.” Dressed in a blush gown with her heavily pregnant belly sticking out, she looks amazing.
“Thank you. But today, no one holds a candle to you.” She adjusts my sapphire earrings, which are a gift from her—also my something blue and something new. Opening her clutch, she takes out Zander’s cherry-red tie.
Any remaining anxiety in my heart ebbs at the sight of it. It’s a tie Zander wore when we first met in the closet, when he declared to a room full of people that I was his girlfriend, and even that morning when he proposed to me.
Wow! How far we’ve come.
“I have your final something—something borrowed. Your fiancé gave it to me.”
A smile breaks on my face, my mood already better. “As much as I love it, I think Clem will kill me if I wear a tie with this dress.”
“She sure will. You and me both.” Kris laughs as she picks up my bouquet and wraps the tie around the stems. She hands it to me and whispers, “The flowers won’t feel heavy anymore.”
We walk down the stairs to find Mom and Dad waiting. Mom has been teary all day. It’s like all her emotions that were bottled up over the years are finally finding an escape.
“You look lovely, my Rose girl.” Dad kisses my cheek and then Kristy’s. “You both do.”
“I’m so happy. I never thought I’d see this day.” Mom removes some invisible lint from the lace covering my shoulder, trying hard to hide her wet eyes.