he drinks me in. With determined strides, he walks toward me. Heat fills his gaze. But I also see appreciation.
Taking my hand in his, he twirls me around to get a better look at my dress before yanking me into his embrace.
“You’re stunning, Londyn,” he croons.
“You’re not so bad yourself.” I reach for his bowtie and adjust it, lifting myself onto my toes. “And I have plans for this later on.”
“Oh really?” He waggles his brows.
I slowly nod. “Sure do.” I brush my lips against his. “And it involves you keeping this mask on.”
“I think that can be arranged.” His mouth covers mine, our tongues swiping before he pulls back. “Speaking of masks, I hope you don’t mind, but I took the liberty of getting you a different one. One that may be more appropriate than this one.” He walks behind me and carefully unties my current mask, taking care not to mess up my hair.
“More appropriate?”
“Yes.” His eyes dance with delight as he strides toward the coffee table, a black, shirt-sized box sitting on it. Lifting it, he returns to me, holding it out.
I take the box from him, carefully lifting the lid. When I pull back the tissue, I gasp as I peer at a striking gold mask with intricate detailing throughout, the shade a perfect accent to the gold flecks in my gown. But that’s not what makes it so perfect. As I take a closer look, I notice tiny snakes framing the mask, like the hair of Medusa.
“May I?” Wes asks smoothly.
I nod, still speechless.
With a smile, he takes the box from me, removing the mask. Shifting me toward the mirror over the couch, I watch our reflection as he stands behind me and secures the mask to my face.
“Do you know the story of Medusa?”
“More or less,” I answer, not wanting to tell Wes that he spoke of Medusa often. Jay has no place here tonight. He has no place anywhere at anytime.
“She was the only mortal among the Gorgon sisters, who were all monsters,” he explains, his fingers careful and deft as they tie the dark ribbon into a knot behind my head. “While Medusa was stunning, her greatest charm and what attracted all men to her was her golden hair. One such man was Poseidon.” Content with his work, he lowers his lips to my neck, feathering it with soft kisses.
“I know that part of the story. How Poseidon couldn’t resist the temptation and forced himself on her in Athena’s temple.”
“True.” He pulls back, stepping in front of me. “I won’t deny what happened to her is a tragedy. How instead of punishing Poseidon, Goddess Athena blamed Medusa and turned her into a monster, snakes taking the place of her once beautiful hair, eyes so petrifying the mere sight of her turned men to stone.” He takes my hands in his, brushing my knuckles in a reassuring manner.
“That’s why I felt this mask was fitting. Not because your story may have similarities to Medusa’s, but to remind you just how powerful you are. That you have the ability to turn all men to stone.” Bringing a hand to my chin, he tilts my head back, forcing my eyes to his. “You turned me to stone. I’d rather be crushed to dust than go another minute without you by my side.”
My heart expanding in my chest, I clutch his cheeks and drag his lips toward mine, coaxing his mouth open. It’s not a lust-filled exchange that leaves me panting and gasping for air. But it still makes me feel more desired than any other man’s kiss ever has.
After my mother died, several of the ladies at the church took me under their wing to help raise me, especially when I was a teenager and dealing with all the unique struggles teenage girls face that my father was grossly unprepared to address. One of them, Miss Tania, always told me never to settle for just good enough. To hold on to my heart until I met someone who could see my darkness and not only chooses to stay, but helps show me the light within. That’s exactly what Wes has done. He’s shown me the light within.
“What do you say, honeybee?” Wes says once our kiss comes to an end. “Shall we go ring in the new year?” He holds his elbow out for me.
I hook my arm through his. “We shall.”
Crystal chandeliers sparkle overhead as white-gloved waitstaff circle the large ballroom, trays of champagne