Page 56 of The Billionaire's Fake Fiancée (French Conquests 1)

A chuckle burst from her lips, and then she looked annoyed at herself for having let it slip past her defenses.

He lowered his face to hers, drawn by her influence and her sheer power over him. “The stupidest thing I have ever done in my life was let you walk out of the château that night. Watching you go, knowing that I loved you, knowing that I was losing you… fighting with everything inside myself not to run out and stop that car. Drag the limo driver out of his seat if I had to, just to make sure he took you not one step farther. Every day for three weeks I woke up hating myself because I had too much pride to beg you to stay. To answer your ‘I love you’ with one of my own. And I will regret that bitterly to the end of my days.”

“And Sofia?”

He shrugged. “She’s gone.” He told her about the pregnancy, Sophia’s new Greek lover and of his father’s letter.

Jacyn gasped, “What–”

“She’s gone from my heart, too. I promise you. She’d been gone a long time; I just didn’t realize it. That’s what made answering that question you asked the last night complicated. I brought you to France to serve as a distraction for myself, but when I saw her again, I knew immediately that I didn’t need one. She is my brother’s wife, and I wasn’t the least bit tempted to seduce her. The woman she is now is a stranger to the woman she was. I should have let you go back to the States as soon as I realized this, but I couldn’t. I was selfish and wanted to get to know you.” He touched her chin. He longed to press his lips against her cheek, but first she needed to know if she would welcome him. “I promise you, my love, that my heart is full, fuller than it has ever been, but it is filled by you, and only you. So if anything that you said to me that day still holds, if you still love me—”

She threw herself at him, so suddenly he almost lost his footing, wrapping her arms around him and pressing her mouth to his. He kissed her back, relishing the taste and feel of her. Her smooth, warm skin, softly scented with a fragrance he suspected was her own concoction.

He heard his name being whispered into his ear, and the sound of it was musical. Her tears flowed afresh, hot against his cheeks, salty against his lips. “My heart is strong, but it’s fragile. It’s yours, and it has been for a while now. But will you be careful with it?”

“I will treasure it and care for it with my life,” he promised. “As you shall have custody of mine.”

“Don’t say any of this if you don’t mean it, Alex,” she pleaded.

He reached into his pocket and withdrew a small box, then opened it for her to see. In it was his great grandmother’s ring, the black pearl glowing as if it was happy to see its owner again. His question was unspoken, but so connected were they that it didn’t need to be. She held out her left hand, her face and eyes glowing.

“For real this time, Jacyn,” he said as he slipped it onto her finger.

“Yes.”

“Forever this time.”

“Yes,” she vowed. “Forever.”

***

It didn’t get any better than a garden wedding, the bride thought. From the moment Jacyn took in the scene before her, she knew that this day would be everything she could have imagined and more.

She peeped out the window from the room where she and her bridesmaids were being fussed over by a bevy of hairdressers, makeup artists, and maids, tugging aside the lace curtains and hoping that she couldn’t be seen. She, on the other hand, wanted to see everything.

The grounds of the château had been transformed into a fairyland dreamscape. There were flowers everywhere: massive bouquets and planters that had required two men to shift into position. An arbor was decorated with twisted garlands of all her favorite flowers: lavender, jasmine, geraniums, and tea roses. Many of them had come from cousin Jean-Louis’s sprawling fields. He’d gleefully delivered them, showered Jacyn and Alex with delighted hugs, and making her promise to save a dance for him. “Welcome to our family! Welcome, welcome!” he kept saying.

The flowers were a contradiction of chaos and careful styling, great armloads of them tied up with ribbon and placed everywhere. They were a riot of color among the ocean of white linens and white-liveried serving staff. A live band, a string ensemble, and a DJ, along with a literal fountain of champagne, would certainly encourage guests to party from early morning to well into the night. It was another hot French summer, and she knew the day would be glorious.

For days wedding guests had come streaming in, on private flights by rail, car, or by helicopter, all of which the family owned and were happy to provide. They had all been put up in a luxurious hotel Alex had bought in Provence. He’d insisted that it was mainly an investment, but wryly had to admit that it was the only building in the vicinity of the château that could have held all the guests.

Jacyn watched as the first guests began to arrive, feeling excitement swell inside her. Everything was going to be perfect. Everything was going to be beautiful. But more importantly, today was going to be about her, Alex, and their new beginning. She felt as if the future was opening up before her. Beforethem.And she was so excited to be a part of it.

She felt a sharp smack on her butt and spun around. Naturally, it was Sienna, who was resplendent in her bridesmaid’s gown. Her black hair was twisted on top of her head and decorated with silver pins, and at her throat, she wore a necklace of diamonds and rubies, part of a set Jacyn and Alex had had commissioned for each of her bridesmaids. Each set was made with diamonds and another stone. Nathanael’s wife Shaundra, with whom she’d formed a friendship over the past few months, had received emeralds, and Willa, who refused to be a flower girl on the grounds that she was way too old for that stuff, wore sapphires. Madeline, of course, who had accepted the role of matron of honor, was presented with pearls.

Sienna grasped Jacyn by the elbow and pulled her away from the window. “What if Alex sees you! It’s bad luck to see the groom before the wedding!”

She smiled at that. She wouldn’t admit that the groom hadalreadyseen her, since they’d crept outside at four the morning. Sneaking away from the castle like mischievous children, they’d made love at the heart of the maze. But she said, with a great display of reluctance, “Fine!He’ll see me when he comes down the aisle, then.”

And what an entrance it was! When all the guests were gathered, and the band began to play, Jacyn proceeded slowly down the wide green pathway that was strewn with petals. Orage wore a special side saddle that accommodated her flowing gown, and her father held the bridle as she rode with confidence and grace.

He looked up and smiled at her. Over the past year, she’d had the chance to make peace with him. She knew that, moving forward, he’d be a greater presence in her life.

She cantered towards the man she was to marry. Alex was splendid in a deep gray suit, with Liam and Nathanael at his side. It filled her with emotion to know that she’d played a part in bringing the brothers back together, as they were meant to be. The bond between them had been completely re-knitted. The Dubois family was whole again.

Jacyn’s own mom, her second husband and daughter had flown in from Germany, and to her delight she was able to meet her new sister.

As for Teresa and Delia, they’d arrived two days before and done nothing but wander around the grounds with their mouths hanging open, trying and failing to wipe the expression of sheer envy off their faces. Her planned arrival on a horse had been kept a secret, so when Teresa spotted her for the first time, she went green at the gills and almost fell into a dead faint.

---