I swallow hard at the vision I make, the pale pink perfection of the strapless gown hugging my bodice and tapering down my hips until it flares at the bottom in a swoosh of silk. Even my hair has cooperated, lying in that sleek, shiny veil around my bare shoulders, a look I always hope for but never manage to achieve. But somehow, on this very special evening, I have.
“Thank you,” I whisper. “I can’t believe we’re doing this. I really can’t believe you and Chad are here for it.”
“It’s pretty darn amazing that we are,” she says, touching my arm. “He loves you so much, Amy. He needed to be here for you as much as you needed him to be here.” There’s a knock on the door. “That’s probably him now. Are you ready?”
“Yes. I’m ready.”
“Then I’ll see you downstairs.” She hugs me and says, “Oh. I need your ring.”
I slip it off my finger and hand it to her. “You can have it back soon!” she declares, darting away.
I linger a moment, staring at my reflection, remembering that moment in the airport that Dr. Murphy reminded me of earlier, when I’d first met Liam. Suddenly, I am transported back in time. I remember standing at that ticket counter, hearing the news that I might be bumped from a flight that was my only escape from danger.
Definitely flustered, I turn away from the counter. Ignoring the few vacant seats, I head to the window and settle my bags on the floor beside me. Leaning against the steel handrail on the glass, I position myself so I can see everyone around me to be sure I’m prepared for any problem before it’s on me. And that’s when the room falls away, when my gaze collides with his. He is sitting in a seat that faces me, one row between us, his features handsomely carved, his dark hair a thick, rumpled temptation for my fingers. He’s dressed in faded jeans and a dark blue T-shirt, but he could just as easily be wearing a finely fitted suit and tie. He is older than me, maybe thirty, but there is a worldliness, a sense of control and confidence, about him that reaches beyond his years. He is money, power, and sex, and while I cannot make out the color of his eyes, I don’t need to. All that matters is that he is one hundred percent focused on me, and me on him. A moment ago I was alone in a crowd and suddenly, I’m with him. As if the space between us is nothing. I tell myself to look away, that everyone is a potential threat, but I just . . . can’t.
His eyes narrow the tiniest bit, and then his lips curve ever so slightly and I am certain I see satisfaction slide over his face. He knows I cannot look away. I’ve become his newest conquest, of which I am certain he has many, and I’ve embarrassingly done so without one single moan of pleasure in the process.
“Inviting our first-class guests to board now,” a female voice says over the intercom.
I blink and my new, hmmm, whatever he is pushes to his feet and slides a duffel onto his shoulder. His eyes hold mine, a hint of something in them I can’t quite make out. Challenge, I think. Challenge? What kind of challenge? I don’t have time to figure it out. He turns away, and just like that I’m alone again.
I snap back to the moment and whisper, “Only I wasn’t alone. Not from that moment forward.” Smiling with that thought, I walk into the bathroom and just as I’m about to enter the bedroom, Chad appears in the doorway, looking amazing in one of Liam’s black suits with a white shirt and tie.
He gives me a once-over and grins. “For a couple of people who like to dig in the dirt, we clean up pretty good.”
I laugh. “Yes, we do.”
“You look gorgeous, Amy.” His voice softens. “Lara.”
“Amy,” I say quickly against the pinch in my chest. “I’m Amy.”
“Amy,” he amends. “I’m glad I’m here.”
I point at him. “Don’t make me cry and mess up my makeup.” I face the mirror. “I’m nervous. Is Liam ready?”
“He’s ready, and he’s pretty nervous, too.”
“Liam’s nervous?” I ask, surprised.
“Hell yeah, he’s nervous. The man can’t stand still.”
Knowing that he’s as affected as I am charms me. But then, everything Liam does charms me. “Then we should go down now.”
“Not quite yet. Shut your eyes.”
“What?”
“Liam sent you a Christmas present.”
I look at him curiously. “Why wouldn’t he give it to me himself?”
“Don’t argue about a gift. Close your eyes.”
I do as he orders as he steps behind me, my curiosity growing by the instant. I feel the touch of a chain on my neck and he warns, “Don’t look yet.” I wait impatiently until he says, “Now you can look.”
My lashes lift and I stare at the pink diamond at my neck that matches my ring. “He thinks of everything. It’s incredible.”
Chad steps beside me and looks at me in the mirror. “Like you, Amy. You’re brave and strong, and he’s lucky to have you.”
“Chad,” I whisper.
He offers me his arm, our gazes meeting in the mirror. “Shall we?”
I accept his arm and my eyes start to water. “You’re making me cry again.”
He laughs and covers my hand with his. “Well, then you’re just going to have to cry. Let’s go marry you off to a billionaire.”
“Don’t call him that,” I say, as we exit the bedroom.
He chuckles. “You make it sound like I just called him an asshole.”
“He is not defined by his money,” I retort and we argue all the way down the stairs, just like old times. We reach the final step and Tellar steps in front of us, looking sharp in one of his best suits. He backs up beyond the wall blocking us from the living area and motions to someone. Music begins and the instant I hear the soft violin lift in the air, I know it’s a recording of David Garrett. I smile at this piece of Liam that is not a piece of me.
“Ready?” Chad asks, squeezing my arm.
“Yes,” I say, my voice raw with emotion, “I am ready.”
We start walking and Liam moves with us, stepping directly into our path, the full impact of his attention the same as the first time I saw him. His attention is still just as fierce, just as forceful, and he is still money, power, and sex, a man waiting to claim me. A man who makes me want to be claimed, and yet he is so much more. He is love, laughter, and happiness, the other part of my soul; the rest of the room fades, the music disappears, and every inch I travel feels like years instead of seconds.
Finally, we stop in front of him. Chad leans down, kissing my temple, but when he starts to move away, I’m not ready for him to escape. I hold his arm and step to him, hugging him as hard as I can. “I’m so glad you’re here,” I murmur.
He holds me for several seconds, whispering, “I love you, sis,” before slowly releasing me with a smile. He goes to stand next to Gia and gives me a nod. Liam’s hand comes down on my back, the warmth of his love spreading through me, over me.
Inhaling, I face Liam, and he offers me his hand. I press my palm to his, a tingling sensation spreading up my arm, and he gently urges me to him. Our legs align, his hand settling on my waist, a branding I welcome, and when our eyes meet for a few seconds, there is no one else here. Just the two of us. “You look beautiful, baby, and I’m a very lucky man.”
“You look very sexy, Liam Stone. And I love the necklace.”
Dr. Murphy clears her throat, and Liam’s lips curve. “I think she’s telling us we have a wedding to attend,” he says, and we turn to stand in front of her.
Only a few months ago I was alone, so very alone, and now I’m standing next to the man I love, with the people I consider family and friends. Everything has changed. I have changed.
Dr. Murphy’s gaze meets mine, and I see understanding there. She knows what I’ve been through. She knows where I’ve been, and how profound it makes where I am now.
“We’re here tonight to join Liam and Amy in marriage,” she begins. “There is nothing conventional about this night, but then, there is nothing conventional about their relationship or their love. It’s unique and special. It’s a night I could fill with words, but it’s their words that matter. Amy. Liam. This is your time.”