Total pages in book: 65
Estimated words: 65429 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 327(@200wpm)___ 262(@250wpm)___ 218(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 65429 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 327(@200wpm)___ 262(@250wpm)___ 218(@300wpm)
“Touché.”
“I’m taking the men golfing for most of the morning, but I’ll be back in the afternoon to fuck you before lunch.”
“Beau.” I snickered, shaking my head.
“What? You’re lucky I don’t take you right now as you’re looking at us in the mirror.”
“Don’t you dare,” I warned. “This dress costs a fortune, and you can’t be ruining it.”
“I can buy you another one. I can buy you whatever you want.”
“I can buy myself whatever I want to.”
“I know, sweetheart. It’s one of the things I love the most about you. Your independence, your strength, your determination to succeed when you could just be a trust fund baby to your daddy.”
“Bite your tongue.”
“How about you bite it for me?”
“And mess up my lipstick? We can’t have that now.”
He smirked, kissing his way down my neck before bringing up my hair. “I think you should have the stylist put your hair up to show off your sexy as sin, naked back.”
A glam squad was paid around the clock to be there for me and our mothers, which probably cost a small fortune, along with a videographer and photographer. For the next week, we’d have a whole team of people following us to ensure we had everything we needed.
“You think?” I asked, still staring at him through the mirror. “I thought you loved my hair down?”
“I do, but for this occasion and this dress.” He nodded to it. “Your hair should be up to show off these diamond earrings.” With that, he slid what appeared to be new jewelry on my ears.
I lightly gasped, looking at the dangling diamonds that must have been three or four carats on their own.
“Matches your ring,” he added, kissing my hand.
There, shining prominently on my ring finger, was my five-carat oval diamond engagement ring,
“Oh my God, Beau. This is too much.”
“Nothing is too much for my wife-to-be, Mrs. Hunter.”
Before I could argue, he placed a diamond pendant necklace around my neck and a diamond-encrusted tennis bracelet on my wrist.
“Beau…”
“They belonged to my mother,” he murmured in my ear. “She wore them for her wedding day and passed them down to me to give to my future bride when I turned twenty-one. They’re yours now, darling.”
“You can’t be serious. This is millions of dollars in jewelry.”
“Get used to it, Mrs. Hunter. They’re many more years of diamonds to come.”
My eyes widened. “How did I get so lucky?”
He spun me to face him. “I’m the lucky one.”
He kissed me deeply, passionately, not caring about my red lipstick. All of a sudden, this physical ache surrounded me, consuming me for a moment. Our gravitational pull toward each other was alive and present, taking control of me.
I felt him from across the bridal suite in this castle built for a king and queen. There in the arms of my fiancé, I locked stares with the boy I’d known since I was six years old. Twenty-two years later, my boy had become a man, wearing his own black tuxedo suit.
He’d forever own a huge piece of my heart.
A big part of my soul.
With one look, with no words, he was able to remind me of how much I loved him for always being there for me, and this was no exception.
I swallowed hard, taking in for the first time in what felt like an eternity…
My best friend.
My man of honor.
My first love.
Ethan Carter.
Chapter
Twenty
Livvy
Beau excused himself to answer a call. Not noticing Ethan stood under the doorframe of my bridal suite as he left out the other door. I grabbed my mouth, turning to see if my lips were a mess, and to my surprise, they weren’t one bit. The makeup artist did say they were kiss-proof, and we proved that theory.
Once I spun around to look at Ethan, he had already closed the distance between us. Quickly catching me off guard, I stumbled back and lost my footing. One second, I stood in the arms of my fiancé, and the next, I stood in the embrace of my best friend.
Placing my hand on his firm chest, I rasped, “These stiletto heels will take some getting used to.”
“Don’t worry. I’m here to catch you if you fall.”
I nervously chuckled, clearing my throat before gaining my composure to stand on my own. After I stepped away, he caressed the side of my face.
“You look stunning, Livvy. White has always been my favorite color on you for a reason.”
“Thank you.” I blushed, bowing my head for a moment before grabbing the lapels of his jacket. “I think the last time I saw you in a tux was prom night.”
With only one sentence out of my mouth, I threw us back to another place and time where I was once only his.
Shaking off the memories, I added, “How was your flight?”
He realized my sudden discomfort, and I knew he also remembered that night.