As always, he’s right. I’ve been putting it off out of fear that seeing my face will scare her into running.
Soo catches my arm before I can head back toward the stairs. “Are you sure you want to do this?”
I grab the railing and meet his eyes. “I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.”
He offers a smile. “I’m here for you, man, and I’m happy for you.”
Before things can get out of hand in the emotion department, I sprint upstairs to our room and dig a long garment bag from the back of the closet. It takes me another two seconds to reach the room, and I knock softly.
“Go away,” she shouts.
I smile, thinking about how much yelling at the staff I’ve been doing today, too. Does she have the same fears? That I’ll change my mind and leave her standing at the altar alone? The idea soothes me. Easing the ache in the pit of my gut for the first time all day.
“I have a gift for you.”
“Just leave it!”
Instead of waiting for permission, I grip the handle and shove the door open. She’s sitting in her white lace lingerie on the edge of the bed, a glass of wine clutched in her hand. “What are you doing here? You’re not supposed to be in here.”
I lay the dress on the bed and cup her cheeks. “Are you okay? What’s wrong?”
She shakes her head. “Nothing is wrong. For the first time in a long time, I feel like I’m making the best choice.” Her eyes snag on the bag, and she waves her glass toward it. “What’s that?”
“A gift,” I say, and carefully lower the zipper to reveal the dress inside. While she thought she would wear something else, I’d ensured she has a dress fit for the princess she is.
“Wow,” she breathes, running her fingers over the exposed lace. “I guess I better put it on since we’re supposed to go downstairs soon.”
She carefully peels the dress from the bag and heads into the bathroom, where her makeup artist is still packing up her kit. When she closes the door behind her, I smile. If she hadn’t, and I’d caught sight of her in her lingerie, we’d both be late for our own wedding.
When she exits the bathroom, I think my heart stops. She is stunning. Of course, she is beautiful no matter what she’s wearing, but right now, her body wrapped in white lace that hugs every inch of her, I can’t even think about how lovely she looks.
“It’s beautiful, thank you.”
It takes me two tries to clear my throat. “There’s jewelry to match. Let me help you put it on.”
I open the blue velvet box and lift out an intricate diamond wreath necklace. She gasps as the cold metal fits around her neck. Once it’s secure, I fish out the earrings and bracelet to give her.
She faces me again and smiles, wide and warm, and it’s enough to melt the ice I’ve kept my heart encased in since my parents died. Fuck, she is worth it, though.
“Are you having second thoughts?” I blurt out.
Her eyes dash to mine. “What? No. Do I look like I am? I promise. We made a deal, and I intend to honor it. Besides…” She steps into me and runs her hands up my lapels. “You look so fucking good in a tuxedo. I can’t wait to strip it off you later.”
“Watch it, princess, or we’ll never make it downstairs, and all this work will have been for nothing.”
The makeup artist and hair stylists that were set up in the bathroom slip out the door quietly. But she only has eyes for me. “How about you? Any regrets?”
I lift her chin with my fingers, tilting her head so I can capture her mouth, but instead of kissing her, I nibble on her bottom lip. When I release her lip, I say, “No. I have none. However, I have to admit, I’m not a big enough man to let you go now, even if you asked me, even if you begged.”
Her breathing is uneven, and I know she has to be wet underneath all that lace for me. It takes all the control I’ve learned over the years not to find out. “Well, it looks like we are both on the same page. Although, every time I turn around, it seems you’ve outdone yourself with the staff or the decorations. Everything is lovely. It’s exactly what I would have chosen for my wedding myself. And I’ll be honest, not at all what I expected.”
“What did you expect?”
She shrugs, the lace parting around the lush curve of her breasts to entice me with a glimpse. “I don’t know. An empty room, you in a suit, Soo officiating the wedding maybe. I wasn’t expecting you to want to make it beautiful for me.”