What was he trying to tell her? Was he saying he wanted to change his life? Impossible. He was one of the world’s most successful people. When they made those lists of the richest people, he was at the top of it, year after year. And she knew he enjoyed his work. So what was he trying to say?
“Any chance I can convince you to skip it?”
She sent him a look that said “Are you serious?”. “No.”
“I didn’t think so.” There was a noticeable pause before he asked, “How about I tag along with you?”
“You want to crash a wedding?” She didn’t think it could be possible but things were getting even stranger.
He smiled. “I confess—it’s something I’ve never done.”
“And you plan to get all dressed up?”
“My suit from when I first arrived was sent to the dry cleaners and is now hanging in my closet, all set to go.”
She was running out of ideas to reject this as a bad idea. And it would be fun to show Xander why she cared so much about the island. The happiness, the joy and the hope found at these celebrations was inspiring. It kept her wanting to do better and help more people have a smooth trip down the aisle.
“Let’s do it.” She smiled before setting off side by side with him on their wedding date.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
WHAT IN THE world had come over him?
Xander couldn’t believe he was willingly attending a wedding and reception—and it wasn’t even for anyone he knew. These days he made a point of not attending weddings. In his experience, women had a way of turning the occasion into much more than a nice evening out. He’d always told himself that romantic commitments weren’t for him.
But to have a date with Lea, to hold her in his arms—he would agree to most anything just to spend time with her, even walking over hot coals. Thankfully that was not a part of the evening’s festivities. And it wasn’t like Lea expected anything from him. She’d made that perfectly clear the other night.
And boy, was she a knockout tonight with that little black dress on. A silver satin sash around her waist accentuated her curves, including her baby bump. The black lace bodice teased him with glimpses of her cleavage. He definitely had the most beautiful woman at the wedding on his arm—too bad for the prince.
Not having to worry about meeting any romantic expectations, Xander found himself relaxing and enjoying Lea’s company. And when she’d finally coerced him onto the dance floor, he was envisioning a slow dance where he could pull her into his arms nice and close.
Instead, after they were already on the dance floor, an upbeat song started to play. It was something he’d never heard before, but seeing as the bride was American, it didn’t surprise him. Lea’s face beamed with happiness. She was most definitely in her element here. And then people formed a big circle. The next thing he knew, they were all flapping their arms and wiggling their backsides.
He stood perfectly still, having no clue what was going on. Lea had nudged him and told him it was called the Chicken Dance. Whatever that is. Lea encouraged him to join in. He did so reluctantly.
He might be on a vacation of sorts, but he was still a businessman. He inwardly cringed, thinking of a video of this going viral. He had to watch out for his reputation and this...this dance was not the least bit sensical. But it did cause Lea to smile and laugh. That was worth his bit of discomfort.
But his efforts to make Lea happy were soon rewarded with a slow song. At last, he’d wrapped his arms around her. The soft hint of floral perfume teased his senses. As they moved around the floor, it was as if no one else existed. All he had eyes for was her. And then somewhere along the way, their gazes had locked. His heart pounded against his ribs.
There was something special about Lea. It went deeper than her carrying his baby. He’d dated many women in his life—beautiful, famous, rich women. None of them had made him reconsider the set of rules by which he lived his life. None made him want to open up and share not only his accomplishments but also his hopes, failures and deepest regrets.
But did Lea feel the same way toward him?
The memory of his rejected marriage proposal lingered in the back of his mouth with a sour taste. Maybe he’d had too much wine that evening. That had to be why he was rehashing the failed proposal. Otherwise he wouldn’t even be considering further pursuit of this woman, who’d snuck past his elaborate walls, who filled his thoughts both day and night.