Page 40 of Claiming Genevieve

“He won’t,” I insist firmly. “What happened at the apartment was an argument spiraling out of control. And now he’s just talking, just trying to scare me, make me feel bad that things didn’t turn out the way he wanted them to. It’s all just…just hot air. It’s all fresh. He’ll cool off and lose interest and none of this will matter anymore.”

Rowan is still frowning. “I don’t feel good about this, lass,” he says quietly, and I shake my head.

“I warned him away from bothering me anymore. I told him that the men in my life aren’t going to stand for him talking to me that way, or showing up where he isn’t wanted. You won’t, Alek won’t, Dimitri won’t. And I think he understood. He left, and I’m pretty sure that will be the end of it.”

Rowan runs a hand through his hair. “Genevieve?—”

“Just let it go,” I plead. “I don’t want to think about him anymore. He’s already caused so much grief for me. This has spun so far out of control. Just…let it go, and it’ll all go away on its own.”

There’s a moment of silence. Rowan draws in a slow breath, and then lets it out, before finally nodding reluctantly. “If that’s how you feel, lass. I’ll let it go.”

I think I hear the unspokenfor nowin his words, but I let it go too…for now. We steer away from heavy topics for the rest of the evening, enjoying our meal and the wine and the beautiful night. Rowan drives me back to Dahlia’s house with a minimum of hairpin turns, and when he comes around to open my door and help me out, he doesn’t immediately back away.

For a brief moment, I’m caught between him and the car, surrounded by his woodsy scent in the warm, early summer air and the sounds of the night all around us. His eyes meet mine, and he leans in slowly, his fingers brushing against my jaw.

I shouldn’t let him kiss me. I should pull away, pushhimaway, tell him no. But I feel momentarily frozen as his mouth brushes against mine, the soft warmth of it sending a rush of sensation through me all the way down to my toes.

I don’twantto push him away. I want to reach up and run my hand through the softness of his copper hair, press my fingers into the nape of his neck, and draw him in. I want to kiss him endlessly under this starry sky, let his heat envelop me and give in to a desire that feels like nothing I’ve ever experienced before.

And if I do, I know, it will pull me under like a tide.

I have nothing to hold onto any longer. Nothing to ground myself with and give myself purpose. I’m vulnerable now, more than I ever have been in my life.

If I’m not careful, Rowan will sweep me away. And when he’s gotten what he wants, all that will be left is the corpse of my heart.

His tongue brushes against my lower lip, but I don’t allow my mouth to open for him. Instead, I pull back, looking up at his heated eyes.

“Good night,” I say softly, moving away from him.

And then, without a backward glance, I hobble up the driveway toward the house, and away from Rowan Gallagher.

—

Two days later,it’s the morning of my wedding.

Evelyn and Dahlia are both in my room with me, fussing over me the way they have been for the past hour. Outside, it’s a beautiful day—the sun is high and the sky is clear, the birds chirping, and the weather is nottoohot. It’s the kind of day all brides dream of, and I can’t help but feel that it’s a little wasted on me. After all, this marriage isn’t the kind any bride actually dreams of.

Dahlia is helping with my makeup as Evelyn rolls my hair up into large rollers, my wedding dress hanging on the closet door across from us. I sit still as Dahlia pats on foundation and concealer and creamy blush, sweeping a soft champagne hue over my eyelids and handing me a rosy lip color to finish it all off. When my curls have heated up, Evelyn unrolls them and brushes them out, adding the scent of hairspray to the room as she wafts it over the finished product.

Together, they help me get into my dress, Evelyn doing up the back of it as Dahlia goes to get me my jewelry. I have a pair of drop diamond earrings that I chose to go with the dress, and Evelyn brought a vintage Art Deco diamond bracelet for me to wear as my something old. I’m just about to look around the room for anything to count as my something blue, when a knock comes at the door.

“Can I come in?” Alek calls from the other side, and Dahlia gives me a quick glance before calling out in the affirmative. Alek steps in a moment later, a package in his hand, already dressed in his suit for the wedding.

“Someone brought this over,” he says, extending it toward me. “For the bride.”

I blink, taking the small package. It takes me a moment to realize that it’s from Kian, and I frown as I unwrap it.

Inside is a flat black velvet box. When I open it, I gasp, staring down at the gorgeous piece of jewelry lying inside of it.

It’s a white gold necklace with a pendant hanging from it in the shape of a feather. It’s crusted with white diamonds, and at the top of it, in the shape of a water droplet, is a dark blue sapphire. There’s a note inside the package as well, and when I open it, my heart trips in my chest.

For the beautiful swan.Your something blue.

—Rowan

“Canyou help me put it on?” I hand it to Evelyn, who drapes it over my head and clasps the necklace for me. The pendant hangs perfectly just below my collarbones, settling in the center of my chest, and I touch it gently.

“Maybe he’s not so bad,” Evelyn murmurs. “Although I’m sure giving out jewelry is par for the course for a charmer like him.”

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