Page 50 of Always a Bridesmaid

Henry had never seen so many candelabras and so much caviar in his life. He’d been to enough swanky parties in his career to know that his sister had outdone herself. This French Riviera–themed rehearsal dinner was elegant and sophisticated.

The black-tie event was on a luxury yacht, which was slowly cruising down the Thames. Aboard was everyone from the wedding rehearsal earlier that afternoon and any of the out-of-town guests. Some were sipping Dom Perignon and nibbling on hors d’oeuvres from silver trays, while others spun around the underlit dance floor at the front of the boat.

In the near distance was Tower Bridge, lit up like a beacon with its blue and golden lights, a sight that never got old. Henry tugged his tuxedo jacket closed to ward off the chilled wind kicking up off the water. Even with the heat lamps the night air was cool.

“I’ve always wanted to see it at night,” Wayne said, coming to stand next to Henry at the rail of the yacht. “Sarah has described it and I’ve seen photos, but it’s nothing like the real thing.”

“It’s pretty amazing.”

“This entire week has been amazing. It’s been everything Sarah has dreamed of. And that’s thanks to you.”

Sarah was one of those women who’d had their wedding planned since they were in high school. From the kind of dress down to the flowers, she knew what she wanted. Granted, it had been done on a much more elaborate scale, because their means had changed significantly, but the heart of the wedding had stayed the same.

“I’d do anything to see my sister happy.”

A meaningful silence fell between them, and Henry could tell that the American was choosing his next words carefully.

“I give you my word as a man that I will spend the rest of my life making her happy,” Wayne said. “Her laugh and smile are what get me going every day. I understand why you have your reservations, this was quick, but know that I love her.”

“I wasn’t sure before, but I can see that now,” Henry said. “But as her brother it’s hard for me to trust her heart to someone else. She’s been hurt, and that was my fault. I’ll be damned if she’ll go through something like that again on my watch.”

To his credit, Wayne didn’t shy away from Henry’s carefully veiled threat. Instead, he met Henry’s gaze, man to man, and said, “I don’t have sisters. There was just me, so I didn’t get it at first. But now, after seeing just how close you and Sarah are, how protective and loving you are with her, I do. Which is why, instead of going to Will for permission to marry her, I should have come to you.”

Henry choked on air. “You went to my father?”

His tone must have been harsher than anticipated because Wayne grimaced. “I’m pretty traditional and I wanted permission from Sarah’s family. But after watching you two interact, it is clear that you are the closest man in her world. She adores and respects you, which is why she wants you to walk her down the aisle.”

Even though Sarah had asked him the day she’d become engaged, he still got choked up at the thought of being so lucky as to be the one to give his sister away. Not that he was ready to give her away, but that she wanted him to be that person for her tugged at something deep in his chest that he reserved for only his family.

You felt that tug earlier today,he heard himself think, remembering how his heart had rolled over when Elle had told him about her father and the accident.

Of their own accord, his eyes quickly scanned the area, locking on her instantly. She was on the dance floor with his two sisters. Her hands were in the air as she swayed her hips to each side. Her head was tossed back and there was a smile of pure delight on her beautiful face.

She was wearing a gold gown that hugged her body and fell all the way to the ground. It was held up by two tiny straps and showed just enough cleavage to make things exciting. But where things got interesting was when she spun around, showing off the back. Her back was completely exposed since the dress dipped down to right above the gentle slope of her ass, showing off the two dimples on her lower back, making him wonder if she had on any panties or was forced to go commando.

All if would take was a single tug of the strap and the entire number would pool at her feet. Even though she looked sexy as hell, it was the woman on the inside he was beginning to catch feelings for.

As if she felt his focus, Elle looked over and caught him staring. She missed a beat of the music and he could tell, even from this distance, that her breath had caught. Licking her lips, she held his gaze for a second too long because Wayne said, “She’s pretty special.”

“Sarah?”

Wayne chuckled. “Well, yes. But I meant Elle. If it weren’t for her, I don’t think this wedding would have happened. Or at least not the way Sarah imagined it. Elle really stepped in and wrangled the wedding party together. Camilla is a sweet kid, but she is a mess when it comes to being the maid of honor. Between her studies and all the drama that comes with being twenty, she was driving Sarah crazy. And don’t even get me started on the other bridesmaids.”

Henry knew that Elle had helped out in a pinch, just look how she’d stepped in when his aunt and uncle had missed their flight. Or when they’d had the wine crisis. But he’d never really thought about how much support Elle had provided for his sister. Then again, she was a problem-solver and a nurturer. It was in her nature to help people, he’d come to learn. And he admired that about her. Was drawn to it even.

She was so different than the way his sister had described. He couldn’t imagine her being the kind of kid to haze someone, let alone put bleach in their shampoo.

“I’ll have to thank her for everything she’s done for my sister,” he said, thinking up all the ways he could do just that. And it wasn’t just in the bedroom. He found himself wanting to spoil her, care for her, be the kind of person for her that she was for everyone else.

“Which brings me to the honeymoon,” Wayne said. “I wanted to thank you for the offer to pay, but I can’t accept.”

“What?” Henry asked, a little thrown by the change of subject and someone rejecting his generosity. “Why not?”

“Because I want to be the one to spoil my wife. You’ve done so much for us already. I want to do this.”

Knowing how much the guy made, Henry opened his mouth to argue, but then thought about how he’d feel if he were in the guy’s shoes. Would he want his wife’s family fronting the bill foreverything? No. He’d want to start off his new chapter spoiling his partner.

“Are you sure? I don’t mind. You can think of it as a wedding present.”

---