Page 147 of Mr. Wicked

This was a lot for him, I understood that. It was a lot for me as well. Whenever I’d thought about getting married and my wedding, I had never pictured pulling it off in only a few short months.

Or marrying a man whose name was on a contract I’d signed that kept us together for a year.

That I’d be lying to everyone, including my friends and family, over the premise of our whole relationship.

Regardless, I cared about this man.

I wanted him.

And I loved that he was going to be my husband.

Because there was zero doubt in my mind about how much I loved him.

But even though he was going to spend a fortune on this wedding, and I had several carats of diamonds on my finger, there was something still looming in my mind.

A happily ever after that had the potential of not lasting forever.

After the twelve months were up, Grayson could end us in divorce.

Maybe he would realize I wasn’t enough.

Or maybe he’d think I was too much.

That we just weren’t meant to be.

That love—or my love—wasn’t what he wanted.

Breakups were a possibility in every relationship, but ours was different.

His opinion was different.

His stand on marriage was different.

We didn’t start this on equal ground.

The scale had been tipped and my feelings had weighed me to the ground.

I felt Jade’s stare on me, and just as I glanced toward her, pulling out of my thoughts, trying to escape them, I felt something.

His hand.

It was under the table, on my lap, squeezing my thigh.

I set my fingers on top of his, the warmth of his skin instantly taking hold of me.

Could he hear my thoughts?

Read them?

Did he know I needed this?

Whatever his reasoning was, it meant everything to me.

A smile pulled at my lips as I said, “I don’t see that being a problem. Grayson and I will review the mock-ups and immediately let you know if we have any changes. We won’t be the ones to hold you up.”

Jade nodded. “One last question.” She looked at me as she spoke. “I know you want a white-and-cream color scheme. You’ve described the mood as romantic and intimate, sunset meets sunrise. There’s going to be an emphasis on food and drinks, flowers, and lighting. You want your guests to leave with a lasting impression of love in their minds. But something I ask all my clients at the end of our initial meeting is this: If you could summarize your ideal wedding in one word, what would that word be?”

As I clutched his fingers, he held me back just as tightly.

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