Page 48 of Covert

His heart clenched at the sight of the woman in a beautiful wedding dress, though the sunlight streaming through the stained glass window blinded him for a moment.

“Sam, we need to talk.” He strode into the room, determined to make her see sense and stop this farcical wedding.

“Well, you won’t find her here. She’s taking a walk by the river.”

Dylan’s jaw dropped as the woman by the window turned and walked toward him.

“Ebony? What the hell are you doing, dressed up like that?”

Ebony rolled her eyes. “I’m getting married, stupid. And this is what brides wear.”

“You’regetting married too?” Dylan stared at her as if she’d lost her mind. “But what about Sam? And Max?”

“What about them?”

The corner’s of Ebony’s mouth twitched, leaving Dylan flummoxed. What the hell was going on here?

“Peter led me to believe Sam was getting married today…” he trailed off, wondering if he’d jumped to conclusions yet again.

He’d acted like a madman when confronting Peter, and now that he thought about it, at no stage did Sam’s brother say the bride was his sister. Dylan had assumed, and been crazy at thethought of losing the woman he loved that he hadn’t stopped to rationalise.

“I’m an idiot,” he muttered, shaking his head.

Ebony’s smirk softened to a smile as she led him to the door and gave him a none-too-gentle shove.

“Why don’t you go find Sam? I think you two need to talk.”

He nodded, filled with a wild, unrestrained hope that maybe he could salvage their relationship.

Following a winding path to the river, he spotted Sam sitting on a bench. His eyes drank in the sight of her like a thirst-starved man; she looked incredible, wearing a soft-flowing pink halter gown that accentuated her delicate blonde colouring, her curls loose around her shoulders and blowing gently in the breeze.

His reaction, instantaneous and visceral, left him winded. He wanted this woman—heneededthis woman—more than he’d ever needed anyone before.

He wouldn’t leave here without her.

37

Sam glanced at her watch, knowing she should head back to the chapel, yet reluctant to leave the tranquillity of the river.

She took a deep breath, filled with a sense of calm she rarely found anywhere else. The outback had a similar effect on her, though she quickly pushed that thought from her mind. It reminded her of Budgeree and dredged up a host of memories best forgotten.

As she stood and brushed down her skirt, a shadow fell across her.

“Hello, Sam.”

Her head snapped up at the sound of Dylan’s voice and she almost collapsed back onto the bench.

“What are you doing here?”

“I came to see you.”

She stared at him in disbelief, hardly recognising the dishevelled man before her. What had happened to the suave, sophisticated Dylan Harmon she’d been stupid enough to fall in love with?

This man bore little resemblance to the confident billionaire, with dark circles under his eyes indicating a lack of sleep, his suitcrumpled, the top button of his shirt undone, and his tie awry. She’d never seen Dylan like this and for a brief moment she hoped he’d missed her as she much as she’d missed him over the last week.

“Please, Sam, I need to talk—”

“You’ve wasted your time.” She shook her head, steeling her nerve not to give in like her inner voice, the one who wanted to wrap her arms him, urged her to do.

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