Total pages in book: 115
Estimated words: 108173 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 541(@200wpm)___ 433(@250wpm)___ 361(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 108173 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 541(@200wpm)___ 433(@250wpm)___ 361(@300wpm)
At the mention of their life and their future together, of the children he wanted to have with her, Lilah’s reservations melted away like butter sizzling beneath the scalding summer sun.
Her eyes flooded and she wriggled a hand free to cup his jaw, loving the scratchiness of his afternoon stubble as it abraded the sensitive skin of her palm.
“Yes. Of course, yes, Ben. I lo—” The rest of her words were smothered beneath his hot and demanding mouth and she sighed and leaned into the kiss. She opened her mouth, hungry for the sweep of his tongue, but he withdrew a second later. Before she knew it, he was back in his seat and she was staring down at the massive rock he had placed on her ring finger.
Still a little disoriented by how fast it had all happened, she was vaguely aware of her grandfather calling for champagne. She was still staring fixedly at the ring, while only hazily aware of the two men discussing possible wedding dates.
By the time the champagne arrived, and Lilah was finally emerging from her befuddled fog, Gramps and Ben had already chosen a wedding date.
Stunned, she stared at the two men, feeling utterly railroaded, but not at all sure how to apply brakes to the speeding, out-of-control train her life had just become.
She now had a fiancé. And it seemed that she was getting married.
In two months’ time.
SEVEN
At Last…
It was hard to smile when your heart was breaking and your world was crumbling beneath your feet. And yet, that was what Lilah valiantly attempted to do all evening.
She laughed at the appropriate times through the endless speeches, choked down the dinner which tasted like sawdust, smiled brightly when they cut into the elegant five tier wedding cake with its cascade of pale pink peonies and roses. She feigned joviality at the bouquet toss, aiming the sweet posy of peonies and roses at Blake who caught it with a triumphant squawk.
But she was running out of steam now and just wanted this torture to end. She longingly thought of the garden cottage suite to which she and Ben would be retreating after this, even though her mind scurried away from the fact that it would be set up for newlyweds.
“Could you at least try to look happy,” Ben muttered on a growl when he gathered her into his arms for their first dance.
The criticism in his voice—when she’d been trying so damned hard—was the last straw. Lilah’s eyes flooded and her lips quivered as her feet froze. She stopped swaying in time to the slow beat of the heartbreakingly beautiful At Last by Etta Jones. A song which she’d been certain reflected the deep and abiding love that she and Ben felt for each other. The love that she’d always felt for Ben.
Now the song rang hollow and she was cringing on the inside that she had chosen the timeless ode to the eventual fulfillment of true love as their wedding song.
At the sight of her tears, Ben cursed beneath his breath and gathered her close, pushing her head into his shoulder.
“People are watching. Keep it together for fuck’s sake,” he whispered harshly into her hair, his hands sweeping up and down the column of her back as he urged her to dance again. They were barely moving, and the relatively short song felt interminable.
Lilah knew how they must look to their guests. Wrapped up in each other’s arms, swaying slowing, his face buried in her neck while her cheek rested on his shoulder. They looked like lovers who were absolutely enthralled in each other even though it was nothing other than a face-saving lie. Yet when the song ended and they stepped apart—Lilah’s emotions firmly under control again—the expression on her grandfather’s face made the deception worth it.
Gramps claimed her for the father/daughter dance immediately after that. An old-fashioned waltz that Lilah had chosen because she knew how much her grandfather loved the dance.
But all she could think of during was how fragile his arm felt beneath her palm, the skin of his hand was parchment thin. She was only now realizing how truly frail her grandfather was getting. She was propping him up more than he was leading and it was a relief when Ben cut in less than halfway through the dance. Gramps made a show of protesting the move, but Lilah could see the fatigue on his face and in the sag of his stooped shoulders.
It strengthened Lilah’s resolve to try and keep up this crazy pretense with Ben for a little while longer. For Gramps’ sake. He needed a stress-free transition at the company. And he truly was so happy for them.
An hour later, while everyone was dancing and having a wonderful time, Lilah turned to Ben, her eyes pleading, “Do you think we can go now?”