Page 163 of Rags to Royals

“So that’s…”

“Not at all what our wedding will be like,” I tell her.

She looks up at me quickly. “Our wedding?”

“Yes. Our wedding. I love you, Scarlett. And I intend to marry you. When it’s time,” I add. I cup her face and stroke my thumb over her jaw. “I promise I’m not going to rush you. There’s no pressure now. We have all the time we need. I won’t let anyone else pressure you either. In anything. You can be whoever you want to be, and you can show that to the world however you want to.”

She swallows. “I love you, Cian. So much. And I’m done hiding. I’m done being quiet aboutanythingI love and believe in. I want the world to know me, to know who I am and what I believe in and what, and who, I love.”

“Well, that works out really well,” I tell her, my heart feeling like it’s going to explode. “Because now that you’ve shown up in Caraat the palace,there’s about a ninety-five percent chance that you’re going to be a main topic of conversation on a pretty popular podcast.”

Chapter 36

Scarlett

Oh my God, I made it in time.

Cian didn’t marry Astrid. I finally told him I love him. We can be together.

Okay, I didn’tactuallybreak up his wedding at the last second, so my podcast episode won’t be as dramatic as it could have been, but this is still really great.

Cian cups my face with both hands, his smile and his eyes full of love and wonder.

"What are youthinking?" I ask.

"You chased me down this time."

My heart melts a little at that. "It was my turn."

His smile grows. "I fucking like that."

I grasp his wrists. "Iloveyou," I tell him, needing to say it again. "I’ve known it for a while but I was afraid to say it. But, Cian, it’s the thing that’s made me braver than I’ve ever been. I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you before you left."

His eyes darken. "I love you so damned much." He takes a deep breath. "But this could possibly be one of the worst times to tell me that you love me too."

"What? Why?"

"Because we are surrounded by some of the most dramatic people you’re ever going to meet. And they’re all going to want to meet and talk to you. Which means I’m not going to get you alone for hours." He leans closer. "And I want to hear youscreamingI love you."

How can he do that? Say just a few words and make heat wash through me like I just took a shot of whiskey? When I’m standing in the middle of a room full of people?

I cast a glance around. His whole family is here—even his brother Declan who never comes home to Cara according to everything I’ve read—and everyone is talking, but I can see them all glancing in our direction. "Surely they would let me go change clothes and freshen up before I meet everyone for the first time?"

"You’re a genius." He kisses me quickly, then takes my hand and starts up the aisle toward Mariah.

It’s also toward the door and his grandmother seems to notice. She raises her voice. "Brunch will be starting in ten minutes."

"We’ll be back. The girls need a few minutes. It’s been a long trip."

I look over at his grandmother as Cian stops in front of my daughter.

The queen looks annoyed but resigned. This maybe isn’t thebestfirst impression to make on the royal family but I’m serious about changing clothes and at least brushing my hair. And I need a minute to breathe after charging in here to break up a wedding. That was a true test for my newhey world look at me!attitude. Now I really would like even five minutes alone with my prince.

"Hey," Cian says to Mariah.

"Hey." My daughter is clearly overwhelmed by everything.

He reads her easily. "You’ll get used to it." Just that simple phrase, insinuating that there’s a future here finally makes her smile.

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