Page 30 of Captive Bride

Isobel

I remember the way his lips pressed against mine.

I remember his hot breath and the smell of his skin, so masculine.

My first kiss.

And it was fucking amazing.

And in my heart, I just have this feeling that this man I met—this mystery man—he’s the elusive one I’ve been waiting for.

Is it true? Can fantasies become reality?

I can only hope.

And then the reality that I’ll never see him again comes down on me hard. I shouldn’t have run away from him.

But what else was I gonna do? Kiss a stranger in the hallway forever? Bring him to meet my dad?

I don’t think so. That life is not for me.

I’m not allowed to be happy. My father sees to that.

What I am allowed is to be locked into an arranged marriage with the Governor.

I walk into my huge closet and remove the straps of my dress. It falls to the floor in a puddle. Stepping out of it, I sink down to the plush carpeting of my closet.

This is my favorite place to be.

I have the dream closet, the dream apartment, the dream wardrobe, and what looks like the dream life…from the outside.

Thelma walks in and finds me sitting on the floor.

“That sad, huh?” she says, and I look up at her.

A huge smile spreads across my face, and I say, “Actually, I’m not so sad anymore. I may or may not have had my first kiss tonight.”

Just the thought of him sends thrills through my body. What I wouldn’t give to see him again? My whole body’s on high alert, as though he’s still touching me.

She comes and sits down next to me, taking care to keep her couture intact.

“Are you serious? Who is it?” she asks.

I can tell my face is beaming as I say the words. “Actually, it was that mystery guy you pointed out. The hot stranger.”

“Really? I can’t believe that happened—and right under the nose of the Governor and your father.”

She hugs me, and I sink into her embrace. She knows I’ve been waiting for this moment my entire life.

“Yeah,” I say. “Now I know what all the fuss is about. He made me feel…warm.” I close my eyes to remember the hot rush of feelings. “What I felt while he kissed me was like nothing I’ve ever known before.”

“I’m so happy for you, Baby. You deserve the best. You deserve to feel what it’s like to be with a good man.”

She’s right. I do deserve it.

And right now, I’m relishing the feeling between my legs and the memory of his lips pressing down on my own. I swear it’s enough to sustain me for my entire life.

What I don’t tell Thelma is that in my heart, I feel like he’s the perfect guy, the one I’ve been waiting for.

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