Lethal Wedding (Wedlocked Trilogy Book 2) - Charlotte Byrd Page 0,46

me much. But everyone just seems happy that the charges were dropped because Franklin pulled a few strings.”

“Why are you telling me this now?” I ask. "Did something happen?”

She gets up and paces around the room, nervously cracking her knuckles.

“I thought that I could make it work,” she says after a moment. “I thought that maybe this could be a real marriage. But then this morning, I walked in on him with another woman. After I left last night –”

“You didn’t stay there last night?” I ask. A pang of guilt overcomes me as I think back to my own evening with Chelsea.

“No, nothing has ever happened between us yet. Nothing significant, anyway.”

I find that hard to believe, but I don’t say anything.

“Why not?” I ask.

“It just never felt right. Every time that we’ve been together it just felt like I had to be there. I never wanted to be with him. You have to believe me.”

She looks up at me with big wide eyes.

“Of course, I believe you,” I say, draping my arm around her shoulders and pulling her close to me.

I inhale the sweet aroma of her hair and bury my face in it. She holds onto me tightly before letting herself go. Her sobs are quiet at first but they grow bigger and louder.

“I don’t know why I am crying,” she says, pulling away from me occasionally but continuing to cry. “It’s so stupid, I feel so dumb."

"No, please don’t. I’m here for you. No matter what.”

I hold her for a long time that evening. I hold her as she tells me that she never lost any bet that day, but he forced her to make dinner for all of us. I hold her as she tells me how stupid she felt seeing a woman in bed with him.

“Will you stay with me tonight?” Aurora asks, brushing the tears off her cheeks and pulling her hair into a bun. “I just need someone to be here. I just really don’t wanna be alone.”

“Yes," I whisper, “of course.”

29

Aurora

I ask him to stay here because he’s the person that I always think of when I need someone to be there for me. He’s the only one that ever mattered and he’s the only one that will ever matter.

I don’t know what I’m gonna do about Franklin or my impending wedding. I don’t know how I can save my father, the company, everyone’s pension, and my own sanity at the same time.

All I know is that I want to spend the night with Henry.

He agrees to stay, but we decide that it’s best if he sleeps in the guest room. When I get the blankets out of the linen closet, he follows behind me and helps me reach the ones at the top.

“Here you go,” he says, handing me a bundle of gray tweed.

He stands a little too close and suddenly the casual moment morphs into something a lot more significant.

He looks into my eyes and I look into his.

I reach up and run my fingers along his jawline and he reaches over and brushes a hair off my neck.

“I love you," he whispers.

His voice is soft and effervescent.

When I take a step closer to him, our bodies collide.

His mouth finds mine and my tongue searches for his. He runs his fingers down my neck. I press my body against him and push him into the wall.

Henry runs his tongue down my neck and over my collarbone. His hands cup my breasts. One of them makes its way up my shirt.

I toss my hair back and lose myself in the moment. He pulls off my shirt and I unbutton his.

I run my fingers down his perfect six pack and can’t help but lick my lips. He puts his finger under my chin and tilts my head up, kissing me again.

Suddenly, I don’t know where my body ends and where his begins. The rest of our clothes fall to the floor effortlessly.

A few moments later we are naked, standing in front of each other. I pull away, but only for a second to get a good look at him.

The light is low and alluring. I look down at my body, a little bit embarrassed, but when I look back up at him, I see nothing but desire in his eyes.

He runs his fingers over my breasts and down my stomach. I wonder if he has been alone with Chelsea yet and how my body compares to hers but push those thoughts