The slam of emotions hit her hard, and Paisley’s hands stilled on the zipper. She drew in a deep breath and swallowed the lump in her throat.
“I’ve always had a dream about my wedding,” she replied, going back to the task and not turning to face him. “My mother would’ve agreed to anything I wanted. She only wanted to see me happy.”
If her mother could only see her now.
“She’d be proud of you,” he told her. “She’d admire you for what you’re doing to find the truth.”
“If she’d told me the truth years ago, I wouldn’t be in this position.”
She realized how her words sounded the second they came out. Paisley spun around. “I didn’t mean that.”
Lucas shrugged. “You did, but it’s okay.”
“Fine, I did.” No need in lying. “But I’m still grateful for all you’ve done so far. I know you’ll get to the truth.”
“I appreciate the faith.” Lucas stepped in and glanced at the gowns. “Are these all worth thirty-thousand as well?”
Paisley groaned. “No. These are all under ten.”
“Still sounds absurd for a dress,” he muttered.
She turned back around and zipped the final dress in the protective bag. “Spoken like a true man.”
A man who could buy every single dress in her shop and still not feel a dent in his bank account.
“I like that one,” he said, pointing to the strapless fitted gown with intricate beading around the waist.
Paisley ran her hand over the bag. “That was my favorite out of the ones she tried on, but I can’t tell my customers that. I can only guide them.”
“Maybe you should’ve worn this.”
Paisley glared at him. “Are you always going to bring up my wedding attire?”
He chuckled and took a step closer. “Not always. But when we renew our vows, you can get this one.”
Paisley nearly choked on her breath. “Renew our vows? Are you insane?”
Lucas shoved his hands in his pockets as one corner of his mouth quirked up in a naughty grin. “Is our one-year anniversary too soon?”
“We’re not renewing our vows. Ever.”
Would they even be married in a year? She honestly didn’t know if her sanity could hold out that long...or her heart. Yes, she was falling for him, but that didn’t mean he felt the same. As much as she wanted this to turn to something real, she couldn’t stay married if their union was loveless.
She still had some traditional values, even if she went about things in a nontraditional way.
“You don’t want to have a chance to wear the gown of your dreams?” he asked, inching closer.
“Who says I won’t have that chance?” she countered. “If this marriage ends, I want to find love.”
Something akin to pain flashed in his eyes, but was just as quickly replaced by desire.
“You keep saying there’s an expiration.” Lucas reached up and tucked her hair behind her ears, trailing his fingers along her jawline. “I’m starting to think you don’t like me around.”
On the contrary, she liked having him around too much. And each day that passed only reminded her of what they could’ve had, what they could’ve been, had his father not intervened.
But she had nobody else to blame but herself. She should’ve stood her ground, fought for the life she and Lucas had dreamed of.
Perhaps this was her penance, being in a loveless marriage based on blackmail and revenge. She had to assume that was part of his angle. Revenge on her for leaving him the way she did.
Paisley reached up and eased his hands away from her face.
“Last night changed things,” she told him. “I’m not sure where you stand, but you need to know that when you do things for me, and I’m not talking sex, it makes me remember how we were. It makes me remember the dreams we shared and how we never thought anything could come between us.”
Lucas remained silent and she had no clue what he was thinking, so she used this momentum bursting through her to continue her honesty.
“When I left you that note before,” she started, then swallowed as emotions clogged her throat. “Um...”