Page 55 of Prince of Her Heart
John grinned.“Seriously, thank you.”
Tabitha smiled, then turned to go.
Ramzi felt the reluctance in her step before she even moved.Her fingers lingered on his arm for a heartbeat longer than necessary.And then she was gone.
He watched her cross the grass, the silk of her dress swaying around her legs.Her back was straight, her gait confident, her ankles slim and elegant.Everyone else saw grace and poise.
He saw past it.
He knew how that perfect posture gave way to desperation in bed.He knew the sound she made when he pressed his mouth to her skin, the way she whispered his name when she shattered.She was wild and generous and utterly addictive—and he wasn’t about to lose her.
A soft chuckle to his right pulled him from his thoughts.He glanced down and found the bride beaming up at him, eyes twinkling with mischief.
“What’s so funny?”he asked warily.
“I’m about to betray my best friend’s trust,” Stacy said, completely unrepentant.“But I’m doing it anyway because I’m hoping she’ll forgive meeventually.”
Ramzi followed her gaze.Across the yard, Tabitha leaned in to whisper something into someone’s ear, her smile sweet and easy.His entire body tightened at the sight.
“She’s madly in love with you,” Stacy said, voice pitched low.“And she thinks you’re only here this weekend to help her dodge the town gossip about still being hung up on Martin.”
The second part barely registered.
She’s madly in love with you.
His gaze zeroed in on Tabitha.Her soft rose-colored dress fluttered around her legs like a secret only he got to know.And hedidknow—how those legs felt wrapped around his waist, pulling him closer, pulling him under.
“She told you that?”he asked, not daring to take his eyes off her.
“Yep,” Stacy confirmed, her smile now softer.“And you’re in love with her too, aren’t you?”
Ramzi didn’t answer.Not here.Not now.He hadn’t toldTabithayet, and that mattered more than anyone else knowing.
“You don’t strike me as the type who gives a damn about town gossip,” Stacy added, shifting back against John, who had wandered up and now stood behind her with his arms comfortably circling her waist.“So… when did it happen?”
Ramzi finally allowed himself a smile, watching as Tabitha linked arms with her mother, laughing at something only the two of them shared.
“Three years ago,” he said, his voice quiet with memory.“We were working late.Negotiating a ridiculous deal.She cracked some joke and then—bam—she had this idea that completely shifted the conversation.She was brilliant, fierce, and laughing so hard she nearly fell off her chair.”His lips curved.“And I knew.Right then.”
Stacy nodded like she’d suspected as much.“I think that’s around the same time she fell for you.”
He tore his gaze from Tabitha and looked down at Stacy.“Why do you say that?”
Stacy’s smile widened.“Because suddenly, it was all ‘Ramzi said this’ and ‘Ramzi did that’ and ‘you’ll never believe what Ramzi told me today.’I couldn’t get a word in edgewise for months.”
“What about Martin?”he asked.
Stacy snorted.“Tabitha wasneverin love with Martin.She was doing what was expected—working at her dad’s firm, dating a decent enough guy, checking off boxes.When Martin was caught with Leandra, it was a blessing in disguise.It gave her an excuse to break free.”
She turned, surveying the crowd, her voice going softer.
“Working for your firm gave her the space to breathe.To figure out who she was.She’s built a life she actually wants now.And somewhere along the way, she fell in love with you.”Stacy looked back at him, tilting her head.“So… what are you going to do about it?”
Ramzi didn’t respond right away.Everything she’d just said was falling into place with terrifying clarity.
She loved him.
Shelovedhim.
