Nailed - Opal Carew Page 0,33

of the beautiful stained-glass windows in the chapel with the setting sun glowing through. It was an ethereal sight. Organ music started and Will guided her down the aisle.

It felt almost like a real wedding.

As they walked past the wooden pews, her heart pumped faster. She couldn’t believe this was happening. At the front of the chapel, there was a minister and the woman who had ushered them in. And Kane stood there watching her, looking incredibly handsome in his tuxedo.

When they reached him, Will took her hand and put it in Kane’s then stepped to Kane’s side. Her stomach tightened at the thought that there was no one here for her, but she pushed it aside. That’s the way it was. No point stressing over it.

The minister started the ceremony and for some reason, tears welled in her eyes. She blinked them back, but too soon, they were saying their vows and her voice was strained, rasping from her closed throat as she said, “I do.”

Kane rolled down the long glove on her left arm and drew it off. Then he slipped a ring on her finger. A sparkling band of diamonds. Her eyesight blurred a little as she stared at the glittering ring. He was so generous and kind and she knew he would treat her well, but—God, what was she doing? This whole thing was happening so fast her head was spinning.

She’d always dreamed of this day—standing at the front of a church, wearing a beautiful white gown … marrying the man of her dreams. One who loved and cherished her and wanted to be with her forever.

But that wasn’t Kane. He didn’t love her.

“You may kiss the bride.”

Kane’s arms came around her and their lips met. The kiss was persuasive and tender and when she opened her eyes as he drew away, she saw what she could almost believe was glowing happiness in his eyes. As if he were in love. But that was just her imagination, because it’s what she wanted to see in her groom’s eyes.

If only it were true.

* * *

Kane and Will walked her back to the room where she’d changed. She felt numb as she sat on the couch, waiting for them to leave so she could change back into her jeans.

“I thought we’d go for a celebratory drink,” Kane said as he sat beside her.

Will sat in the chair angled toward the sofa.

A drink. Thank God. She certainly wasn’t ready for what would come after that.

Her wedding night.

“Oh, but all I have to wear are jeans,” she said.

Kane nodded. “They won’t be appropriate for where we’re going, so I had some dresses sent over. They should be here any time now.”

Within moments, someone knocked on the door and Will answered it, then returned with a garment bag. He hung it on the open door of the bathroom.

“Pick whichever one you like,” Kane said as he stood up. “Will and I will go change and meet you back here.”

“Wait. First, I want to get a picture,” Will said.

He pulled his cell phone from his pocket and snapped a couple of pictures. Then Kane took a couple of pictures of Will with River, insisting on having photos of his bride and his best friend.

“Congratulations, Mrs. Winters,” Will said.

He took her hand to shake it warmly. She turned her head to smile at him, at the same time as he leaned in to kiss her cheek, so his lips accidentally brushed hers. The crackle of awareness that shot through her startled her.

She drew back.

“Thank you,” she said quietly, barely able to speak, dismayed by both the reminder that she was now Kane’s wife, and her surprising reaction to Will.

“We should get going,” Kane said.

Once the two men left the room, she unzipped the bag and pulled out the dresses. There were three, but the purple wrap dress caught her eye. She loved the color, and it was almost the same color as the purple nail polish on her nails.

She slipped out of the wedding dress and pulled on the cocktail-length dress. It fit her perfectly, the wrap style accentuating her figure. She checked the bottom of the bag and found two pairs of shoes. One pair was black and the other pair was a perfect match for the purple. The latter were part suede and part smooth leather, with rhinestones edging the change in texture.

They had stiletto heels and when she stepped into them, she felt taller … and sexier.

There was even an