Page 125 of Playing Flirty

“Shh!” My face flamed. “Not so loud. The wedding guests will hear you.”

“When?” Claire eyed me, her jaw dropping wide. She whacked me on the knee. “And why didn’t you tell me?”

I laughed.

The makeup artist huffed.

Neema snorted.

“I’ll tell you everything another time.” I widened my eyes in a way I hoped said,Not now!I was already on the makeup artist’s last nerve.

Neema took my hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “I’m so happy for you—and for me. This definitely means we’ll see you all the time.”

Claire and Neema went behind one of the dressing screens, and as soon as my hair and makeup were complete, I took the other. I slipped on my coral dress and ran my hands over the fabric as I glanced at my reflection in the mirror. To my surprise, I loved the way the color highlighted my black hair and how the high neckline covered enough skin while accentuating my generous curves, leaving me not at all self-conscious. I extended my leg and admired the slit traveling all the way to my thigh. It showed off my best assets while hiding areas I was less comfortable exposing. It was perfect, but my best friend chose it for me. I should have known.

I stepped out from behind the screen, and my breath hitched upon seeing Neema in her wedding gown. She was stunning and radiated so much joy that I understood why she’d wanted none of us to see her dress before this day. The white-beaded lace decorated her dark brown skin, contrasting beautifully against her complexion as though it belonged there. The entire effect was too gorgeous for words.

At that same moment, a light knock sounded at the door, and William entered. My heart spiraled into joy as though dancing for his attention.

“Hey, gorgeous.” He smiled at me, and I suffered under his compliment, trying to keep my face still, but it was impossible.

He turned his attention to Neema. “You look lovely, sis. And uhm… Shaun’s ready whenever you are.”

“I’m ready,” she replied with a sureness I now fully understood.

As if reading my mind, William winked at me. “See you in a minute.”

My heart went into a full-on flutter as he left the room. I grinned, remembering that flutter would be dealt with later.

Round 42

We readied ourselves at the back of the aisle in preparation for the wedding ceremony. William stood at my side and offered me his arm. I took it, and using every piece of concentration in my brain, managed to walk down the aisle without tripping, without looking up at those dark eyes, and without melting at the thought of the last couple days and the rest of forever.

We reached the front, where Shaun stood ready to receive his bride, his expression soft and nervous but full of love. He beamed at William as he took his position beside him.

The music stopped, and the classic piano piece Neema had chosen played the opening chords. The guests twisted in their seats, each hoping to catch the first glimpse of the bride. Seconds later, she stepped into view. A collective gasp echoed through the room as she walked down the aisle, her ivory gown shimmering in the sunlight, and it was clear that her happiness captured the hearts of everyone, leaving us all awed at her beauty and grace.

Watching my two best friends declare their love for each other was something I would never forget.

Following the ceremony, we sat down for dinner, and I couldn’t stop myself from searching the crowd for the man who supposedly looked like an older Shaun. I found him—staring at me. Or not directly at me, but in my direction at the person beside me. William.

William followed my gaze, and his eyes met his father’s. His breath hitched, and his body stiffened. When the older man gave him a pained expression, I stood and pulled William away and out of the line of fire.

While I avoided conflict, a heat in my chest sprung to defend the man I loved.

“I’m a big boy,” William said, his tone bitter as he gently released my hand, which was clutching onto his jacket sleeve. “I can handle myself.”

“No doubt you can. But you’re going to have to get used to me loving you, which means you’ll never have to handle yourself.”

William shot me a provocative look, pulling his bottom lip between his teeth. “Oh yeah?”

My hands shot up to my warm face. “That sounded a lot more suggestive than I had planned.”

He smiled at me, but there was a sadness lingering in the soft lines on his face.

“It’s not fair.” I ground my teeth in frustration. “You didn’t choose to be conceived. There were two consenting parties, and you weren’t one of them.”

“He used to say, when he looked at me, all he saw was his mistake; and his wife only saw his infidelity. As did everyone else, including his patients, their family, and their friends.” A shadow moved behind his eyes, weighing down his features. “When my mom died and my gran couldn’t take care of meanymore, she sent me to him. I nearly ruined his life, his reputation, and his marriage.”

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