seemed different since I got home. Is something wrong?”
I shake my head, as much to clear it as to answer him. “I think my nap threw me off. I’ll be fine once my head clears. Let’s get going before we’re late.”
“Or before I decide to keep you home and take that dress off you.” He winks and then offers his arm as we make our way outside.
My stomach churns at his innuendo, and I’m more confused than anything else. Since when do I find the idea of intimacy with Corbin so repulsive?
Our driver—Alex—is waiting for us and we slip into the back of the limo and sip on champagne as Alex navigates the Los Angeles traffic.
The gala is in full effect when we arrive, and though my mood hasn’t improved, I’m inexplicably relieved to no longer be alone with Corbin.
Is this what cold feet means for brides, I wonder? I thought it would happen closer to the wedding if it was going to happen at all.
A live orchestra fills the ballroom with music and servers in matching black and white outfits carry trays laden with drinks and hors d’oeuvres. I clutch Corbin’s arm as he charms everyone who comes to greet us. I smile and make small talk, sipping wine and eating the occasional pastry puff. But I feel disconnected from it all. Untethered by my own life.
And then, out of the corner of my eye, I see something that sends ice cold shivers up my spine. I freeze, my breath hitching, my heart racing. “Please excuse me,” I say. “I need to find the lady’s room.”
Before Corbin can offer to escort me, or chastise me for leaving when we have very important people to meet, I slip through the crowds and disappear from his view, turning a corner into a long, empty hallway.
Why do I suddenly feel so nervous?
I know I can’t have seen what I thought I saw, and I’ve half convinced myself to return to the party when a flicker of light turns into a girl, her face pained, her arm outstretched.
“Estelle?” I cry, and run toward her, nearly tripping on my dress.
Strong arms catch me, and I turn, startled, to find a tall, beautiful man holding me up. His rich sepia-toned skin contrasts brilliantly with cobalt eyes that hold the depth of the ocean itself. His jaw is squared and chiseled and his dark hair is short and stylishly messy. He fills out his tuxedo with muscle that looks earned from more than just time in a gym. And everything about him feels painfully familiar. And achingly mine.
The sight of him here, now, touching me, fills part of the hole in my heart.
I clutch him, riveted by his expression, unable to pull my gaze from his. After a moment, I speak, my voice hoarse. “Thank you,” I whisper.
He nods. “Are you well?” he asks, his British accent polished and melodic.
I nod. “I think so.”
He cocks his head. “You look pale. Frightened.”
“I’m always pale,” I say. As to the frightened part, I don’t know how to respond to that. I certainly don’t feel frightened now. My body’s reaction to this man is entirely independent of my mind, and I’m stunned by the instant attraction, the need, the deep longing.
“Celeste?” he says, his gaze penetrating.
“How… how do you know my name?” I ask, reluctantly pulling away.
He hesitates, his eyes shifting before he answers. “I heard you introduced, and you reminded me of someone I once knew.” His voice has a melancholic undertone that makes me wonder about this other woman, even as a flare of jealousy consumes me. Which is… inappropriate and ridiculous, obviously.
“You seemed to be in a hurry,” he says.
My gaze darts to the place I saw Estelle but there’s no one there now.
“I thought I saw someone, but it must have been my mind playing tricks on me,” I say, confused by everything happening.
He looks up and past me, to where I was sure I saw Estelle, then he glances back down at me before pulling out a business card. “If you ever need to talk, call me.”
I take it. “Dr. Logan Livingstone. What kind of doctor?” I ask.
“The kind that’s a good listener,” he says with a small smile.
“Celeste!” This time the voice comes from behind us, and I resist the urge to groan when Corbin walks up to us, but I put on my game face and smile.
“Honey, this is Dr. Livingstone. He helped me avoid a near fatal fall. Dr. Livingstone, this