Total pages in book: 43
Estimated words: 40814 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 204(@200wpm)___ 163(@250wpm)___ 136(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 40814 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 204(@200wpm)___ 163(@250wpm)___ 136(@300wpm)
But just then, I feel a whoosh and then the breeze on my face as Logan opens a door.
I pull my face out of his neck and look up right as a group of people start cheering and whistling.
What the hell—?
I can’t look enough places at once. The backyard has been transformed. There are lines of chairs and all of them are filled with people. Glittering, beautiful people, dressed to the nines. It’s like a redo of the garden party, everyone who is anyone is here, including the Ubelis and a grinning Armand, and there’s an— There’s an—
An AISLE down the center of the chairs, covered in rose petals, and at the front—
I swing my head up to Logan, who’s still holding me in his freaking arms like I’m a damsel in distress, my hair still damp from my bath earlier—
But he’s grinning as wide as anyone I’ve ever seen.
“Surprise, gorgeous. Welcome to your wedding.”
Nine
Daphne
“Take. Me. Back. Inside,” I hiss up at Logan, turning my head to look away from everyone gathered in front of the garden.
Was I not sick enough? Now he’s trying to make me die of humiliation?
Logan, smart man that he is, promptly turns around and carries me back inside. I don’t take a full breath until I hear the door close behind us, but not before I register the chatter start up in the garden beyond.
I would so kill Logan right now if I had the energy.
“Put me down.” It’s taking everything I have in me not to lose my shit on him. What was he thinki—?
He lays me tenderly on the couch and watches me with an unreadable expression. But he certainly doesn’t look contrite.
Does he actually think this is okay?
“You can’t just order me to marry you!” I toss my hands up. After all this time, does he still not get it? “You’re my master in the bedroom, not my life.”
But all he says is, “You don’t want to marry me?” He watches me with seductive, dangerous eyes.
A pain twists my guts. I look away. That’s not fair. I don’t know what else to say but, “Not like this.”
He nods and turns away, walking to a window that looks out on the back garden. “You told me this was what you always wanted.”
I can feel my face scrunch in confusion.
He waves to the window and the labyrinth garden beyond. “A wedding like your mother’s. A garden. All your friends.” Then he comes over and crouches in front of me. “And I promised to make all your dreams come true.”
He’s trying to be sweet but he’s only making it worse.
He didn’t say anything about love.
This is just another way he’s trying to take care of me. It’s like that Cancer Wish foundation for little kids, except for grown-ups. He thinks this is what I always wanted, so he’s trying to give it to me before I… Before I…
I can’t help the little cry of anguish at the thought of the pity wedding everyone’s thrown together for me.
And I’m sorry, but no matter how much I love them all, I can’t go through with the farce. I can’t be the good little bride like my mother was.
I can’t pretend that someday Logan’s devotion won’t turn sour. Those flowers out back will wilt, and all that’s beautiful about our love will turn ugly and destructive.
“No.”
I look up in confusion at Logan’s declarative statement.
“What?”
“No to whatever is going on in that head of yours.”
“You don’t know what I’m—”
“You don’t want to get married today, fine. But I’m done with this bullshit between us.” He makes a decisive swiping motion with his hand.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about—”
He pulls his cell out of his pocket and hits a button. “Hey Armand. Yeah, the wedding’s off. No, no, Daphne is just not feeling up to it today. She’s fine. I promise. We just need to postpone for a few weeks.”
Logan ignores my indignant scoff and the daggers I’m shooting his way. He smiles and chuckles and says, “Yep.” And then a few seconds later, “Yep.” And then. “Will do. Talk soon.” Then he hangs up the phone and turns back to me like he hasn’t been secretly collaborating with one of my friends behind my back.
I open my mouth to confront him but he’s already talking. “Now,” he puts a fist to his chin. “What are we going to do with you?”
I can’t help the outraged noise that escaped my throat. “Nothing. You aren’t going to do anything about me because you aren’t the boss of me.”
A dark light enters his eyes and burns with intensity. “Aren’t I? In the bedroom at least? Even you admitted I was Master there.”
My mouth drops open. “I— That was— You’re taking everything out of context!”
“Am I? Or am I just finally starting to make a helluva lot of sense?” Logan grins at me.