Page 1 of Forbidden Lord
Chapter 1
One day Sheena Marceau wanted a wedding as divine as the one she’d poured her heart and soul into creating today.
The monochrome color scheme, including all the guests in white, had been her idea.
She hadn’t missed a detail of her fantasy, if money was no object in creating a dream. For the aisle, inside, she’d had white cherry trees wrapped in Spanish moss, and in front, white hydrangeas with pops of palest pink peonies gave the aisle a magical feel as flowers surrounded the blue runner, like the bride would walk into a mystical garden for her big day.
Weddings were not her usual artistic venues, but she’d been pressed into it by her best friend Chelsea, who had helped coordinate the affair. Since she had no plans to marry, this was as close as she’d come to ever planning her own wedding.
In her real life, she’d have a much smaller budget. And no one would import cherry blossom trees about to bloom for her.
Andifthat day ever arrived, she hoped to find a groom hotter than Matteo Korbel, today’s groom, and a friend of a friend.
Sure Matteo Korbel, the Count of Golchin, was attractive, and more so now that he was older. In school, he’d been both a jerk and one of the nicest guys she’d ever known. She wanted her own true love to be sexier than him.
That might be a tall order.
She’d settle for a guy who made her laugh.
Matteo was gettingmarriedtoday, and then she’d move on. Finally. He’d never noticed her like that anyhow, so she should have stopped hoping before now. Until he’d shown up in Paris last month she’d thought she had.
Her gift to him on his wedding day was to make it beautiful. Tomorrow she would return to her art studio and work like none of this had happened. She’d create the fairy tale and then move on. For now, she glanced at the clock.
Hmm. The wedding was already late, and Matteo hated delays.
Sheena headed to the bridal suite. Patrice, the bride, had been absentminded when it came to planning the wedding.
Sheena had stopped asking why. She knocked on the door to get the nuptials started.
No one answered. She popped her head in and found Patrice staring out the window toward the street with her phone in hand. Sheena was about to say hello, but Patrice turned, lifted her chin and said, “I can’t do this.”
Wait. Was she leaving? Matteo? Who would do that? Sheena’s heart raced. What was she going to do? She entered completely and closed the door behind her. “Your wedding is right now, Patrice.”
Patrice wiped her eyes but then her phonebeeped as a car stopped on the street outside the window. Patrice fisted her hands and faced Sheena. “The flowers are amazing. Everything is beautiful, but I can’t do this.”
Sheena’s mind buzzed. This didn’t make sense at all. Patrice was supposed to marry Matteo and save his fortune while securing her own. “Why not?”
Patrice walked past her and headed toward the door. “Because I love Gaston.”
“Who?” Sheena asked. No one she knew had that name.
Patrice smiled and glanced up at the ceiling in the bridal suite. “Gaston. I can’t marry Matteo.”
Sheena felt a bolt of adrenaline and jumped in between Patrice and the door. “You have to tell Matteo. He’s already at the altar.”
Again Patrice’s phonebeeped. “I can’t, Sheena. You’ve done a magnificent job of fixing everything. So, fix this.”
Matteo needed to get married or he lost his inheritance. Sheena put her hand out to stop Patrice, who twisted the knob on the door. “Wait. What?”
Patrice held up her phone in her free hand like that explained everything. “That’s my car.”
“People will see you leaving.” Sheena followed her out.
“Not if I take the back door.” Patrice raised her hand in the air and waved. “Goodbye.”
Sheena stood in the hotel’s elaborate hall and listened to the clip-clap of the bride’s high heels until Patrice was truly gone.
Her heart thrummed faster. No one knew—everyone, even Chelsea, was waiting for Patrice. Matteo awaited his bride at the altar.
