Total pages in book: 33
Estimated words: 32223 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 161(@200wpm)___ 129(@250wpm)___ 107(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 32223 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 161(@200wpm)___ 129(@250wpm)___ 107(@300wpm)
“Pardon, my lady. I mean Lady Bruce. She’s just arrived for the wedding, my lady.”
Lachlan takes a step back from me, his mouth tight as the floor drops out beneath me.
Cat is here. My best friend. And I just came on her dad’s tongue.
Chapter 7
Iona
I pause outside the library, where I’ve been told Cat is unwinding after her journey from Bruce Castle. My pulse races, and there’s a knot in my stomach that twists like a knife. On the one hand, what’s just happened is… well, amazing, and unlike anything I’ve ever felt or imagined in my life. On the one hand, the man of quite literally my dreams has just put his mouth on me—there.
But on the other hand? On the other hand, that man happens to be my best friend’s father. And five minutes after he made me come on his tongue, I’m about to go say hi to her with a smile on my face and a knife twisting in my stomach.
I take a final breath, trying to clear my head, and then I step into the room.
“Hey!”
Cat whirls and beams at me, dropping the book she was paging through and running over to me. She collides into me, making me giggle as she throws her arms around me, and for a moment, I forget the horrible tinge of betrayal that’s burning through my heart. She pulls back, beaming at me before she sighs and raises a sharp eyebrow.
“So.”
I cringe. Even without her knowing about what just happened, I am still marrying her father. In one damn day.
“Cat—”
“So, it’s really happening, huh?”
I cringe harder, my lip twisting in my teeth as I look at the floor. “Look, Cat—”
My best friend sighs, smiling as she shakes her head and reaches out to take my hands in hers.
“Look, I know it’s all politics, okay? I mean, it’s weird, yeah, but I get it. And honestly, I should be thanking you.”
“No, you shouldn’t,” I mumble quietly. “Trust me.”
Cat laughs. “No, I should. Iona, you’re doing our family a huge favor. What, you thought I’d be mad that you were helping my father keep his lands and avoid war with Darcy’s crazy family?”
I smile wryly. “Cat, I am marrying your father. That’s… I know that’s weird for you.”
She shrugs. “Yeah, a little, but…” Cat waves her hand. “It’s all for show.” She laughs, grinning at me. “It’s not like you’re actually going to be sharing his bed. Gross.”
I force a dry laugh through my lips. “Hah, yeah…”
Cat, mercifully, seems to not pick up on the awkward stumble of my words or the blush on my face, or the horribly guilty look in my eyes. She winks at me instead.
“I’ll talk to my dad. I’m sure once things are established; you can have discreet…” she grins mischievously. “You know, affairs.”
My brows knit.
“Cat, I don’t think—”
“Some of those boys from France, maybe?” She says with wink.
I force another laugh, shaking my head.
“Yeah, maybe…”
Or maybe once things are “established,” you’d be hard pressed to find me not sharing Lachlan’s bed…
“Anyways,” Cat shrugs, squeezing my hands with hers. “This is going to be fun, fake or not. I get to help my best friend get married!”
Another nervous laugh titters from my mouth. “Yeah, yeah. Yeah, it’ll be fun.”
Cat grins as she arches a brow at me. “Hey, are you okay?”
“Hmm?” I swallow the lump in my throat. “Yeah, I’m… I’m good.”
Cat gives me a sympathetic look and pulls me into a hug.
“I know this isn’t what we ever dreamed about when we were kids imagining our weddings, Cat.”
Except, it is.
Because back then, as blushing girls giggling about our future husbands, who would of course be dashingly handsome roguish men living in castles and riding big horses with charming, winning smiles and beautiful eyes, there was only one man who was ever in my head. Our dream husbands were make-believe, or at least, they were supposed to be. And so, I kept who mine really was a secret. Now, we’ve grown up, and Cat really has married her fantasy man. Callum is all the things we used to dream about—tall, handsome, kind, strong, and fiercely loyal and protective. Plus, he’s got a great smile, rides a gorgeous and huge horse, and lives in a gorgeous and huge castle. She did it. She actually married her fantasy man.
But the thing is… I’m about to, too. Because Callum Bruce might fit Cat’s fantasy man from those daydreams when we were young. But it’s Lachlan who checks every single box of mine.
…Because he quite literally is the man from those daydream sessions.
“You’re doing us such a huge favor, Iona,” Cat says sincerely, hugging me tight once more before she pulls away, grinning as she takes my hands. “Now come on. Una is almost here, and Rhona’s coming later tonight. Weird or not, we’re going to make this a great wedding. This is going to be fun!”