Payton’s own heart tightened in happiness and joy and, admittedly, a little envy.
How would it be to be able to express that love for someone you cared deeply about, without worry, without restraint? Kate had asked her how she felt about Cruz, and she’d managed to sidestep the question then.
Then there’d been the moment on the elevator, when their eyes met and she’d seen such yearning, such naked desire on his face, she’d been stunned. It seemed to echo what surely was reflected on her own face. He’d been about to kiss her, she was almost certain, and had anticipated the touch of his lips, the rush of blood flushing through her body, and her belly had fluttered—or perhaps it had been the motion from the elevator dropping. But then the moment was over and she was left breathless and frustrated.
She couldn’t deny that somehow, in the past few days, she’d dropped
whatever defenses she’d put up where Cruz Sorensen was concerned and begun to possibly, just possibly, fall in love with the big brute. Just a little.
A man who hours before had said the moment that had culminated in their saying I do before God and the church full of people had all been a mistake.
“How you feeling?” Cruz asked, hazarding a look to his right, where the man of the hour was standing.
“Never better,” Dominic said with a surprising amount of calmness.
Cruz studied his brother’s face for any signs of distress or nervousness, even though both emotions weren’t anywhere near his more laidback brother’s usual MO. But the only emotion he could see was something akin to excitement, happiness, and a sort of…peace. As if he knew everything he’d ever wanted was about to be his. Which from what Cruz could tell from seeing the couple together over the past few months, was likely true. Other than his own parents, Cruz didn’t know if he’d ever seen two people more in love and right for each other. “Yeah. I can see that. You’re a lucky man.”
“Don’t I know it. I just hope that someday you’ll be standing where I am. Having found the one woman who you know will make you the happiest man on the face of the planet.”
Cruz could imagine standing in that same place. Had done it, in fact, just a few hours ago. Not that he was about to tell Dominic that, Cruz only nodded, and turned his attention back to scanning the familiar faces of the guests, seated in eight rows evenly placed on each side of the aisle. He paused when he saw Emily Vaughn’s surly expression.
Seated in the second row on the bride’s side—which technically was filled with most of Cruz’s abundant family—the woman was doing a great job of pretending that no one else sat on either side of her, keeping her gaze glued ahead in the distance. Fortunately, everyone around her was just as keen on avoiding Payton’s mother and were laughing among themselves. He heard more than a few joking references to the sour-faced woman—all in Spanish, of course, and he smothered a smile and turned away, taking in the rest of the view outside on the patio.
Normally Cruz didn’t give much thought to things like fading light and scenic views, but he had to give Kate and Dominic credit for finding such a gorgeous vista for this moment. It was glorious that fine evening, the clouds hanging over the ocean in the background that, with the waning sun reflecting off of them, had become deep shades of pinks and purples. The large private patio where the ceremony was being held offered an incomparable view of the ocean in all its blues and teals set against such a gorgeous sky.
His cellphone vibrated from his breast pocket, telling him he had an email, but he forced himself to ignore it. Having already chatted briefly with Dick earlier, confirming that Payton was safely delivered to the hotel, he was expecting a copy of their contract emailed any minute now, with Dick’s signature on the bottom line. Leaving only Cruz’s signature to finalize the document. His chest puffed slightly at the thought of the headlines reporting the massive deal and the buzz that would surround the company. He would be deemed worthy of Payton Vaughn by anyone’s standards at that point.
His finger itched to check the phone, just once. To be sure. But this was his brother’s wedding, and Dominic would kill him if he knew the phone was with him, let alone if he actually checked his messages.
Instead, he turned back to the front where the guests were anxiously awaiting the arrival of the most illustrious of attendees—the bride. As the music began to his left, announcing the beginning of the big event, there was another person Cruz was looking forward to seeing almost as much as, if not more. Enough that the lure of the message waiting on his cellphone was completely forgotten as he waited in anticipation.
But it looked like the order was his sisters, Daisy and Benny, first, smiling widely at their family as they took agonizingly slow steps to the front, pink roses grasped in their hands. Daisy’s steps looked effortless in her heels and pretty, flowing dress in a shade of turquoise almost like the ocean behind her. Benny’s were a little more precarious as his sister was more used to high tops and sneakers than heels. But she looked beautiful, and he was stunned for a moment at how well his youngest sister cleaned up when she wasn’t hiding behind baggy clothes.
His nieces came next, dropping flowers and looking adorable. His nephew threatened to steal the show, however. At six, Paul strutted down the aisle with the proudest grin bursting on his sweet little face. When he reached the end of the aisle, Dominic and Cruz each took a moment to ruffle his hair before positioning him in place.
Cruz caught his mother and father in the front row giving each other smiles, tears in his mother’s eyes before his dad pulled her in and kissed her. He wrapped his arm over her shoulder and they turned to look upon their family.
Then the familiar sound of the wedding march started and people were coming to their feet. An overwhelming sense of need to see…her—Payton—filled him, and he wondered how Dominic was bearing under the same pressure. Heads were tilting this way and that to try and get the first glimpse and in another moment, the vision Cruz was waiting for almost breathlessly turned the corner and came into view.
Lovely didn’t even begin to describe her.
His heart burgeoned in his chest as he took in Payton’s almost ethereal beauty. Dressed in the same pretty dress as his sisters, she somehow managed to make it all her own as it clung to her graceful figure—a figure that had fit so well against his own—the hemline ending just above her knees. Her strawberry blond hair shone in the diminishing light, and he admired the way it was swept up and off her shoulders, leaving that creamy pale neck exposed. He waited, as she drew nearer, to see the two moles just below her ear.
She met his gaze, and he was confounded by the deep green depths, so alive and bright and luminous. Eyes that promised forever last night; he was near crazy enough right now to believe that she was looking at him in that same way now.
Like she was his.
Then she glanced away and passed Dominic to find her place in the line. Cruz’s heart was pounding so loud he thought his brother was going to look over at him in alarm but he didn’t. Cruz was relieved to see that everyone’s eyes were now trained at the start of the aisle, waiting for Kate.
Save for one.
Emily Vaughn’s gaze was on him, her eyes narrowed almost to slits, and he knew without any doubt that whatever emotions he felt for the woman’s daughter had been naked and exposed not just to Payton’s gaze—but to her mother’s. Heaven help him.
A bright and beaming Kate appeared next and the crowd came to their feet, eager for a better glimpse at the beautiful bride. He patted Dominic’s shoulder, but his brother barely noticed, his eyes only for one woman.
On notice from the glaring woman in the audience to keep his attention where it should be—on the bride and groom—Cruz turned to the justice of the peace who was officiating over the ceremony.
But it was hard. So hard. Because now on opposite sides of the row, both facing the couple in the center, he was hard-pressed not to stare into Payton’s pretty face. To take in his fill of the soft contours of her jawline, the curve of those deep red lips that he ached to taste again. Stare into those eyes that were staring back at him just as ferociously.