Page 91 of The Player + The Pact = I Do

Just then, Margaret Taylor comes through the door. I smile and go to greet her—and freeze in my tracks as I see Leo behind her. Did he even know we were having the launch today, or was he coming for another reason and just happened to stumble into this event?

His eyes slice to mine, and he smiles.

“Jules Moore,” Margaret says. “So nice to see you.”

We exchange air kisses. This is not the firsttime we’ve met. I’ve dealt with her for a wedding she booked in our ballroom this spring—one of only four in the first quarter of next year.

“Thank you for coming,” I say. “I understand you’ve booked on behalf of one of your clients already.”

“Yes, very excited to be able to support you with the wonderful things you’re doing with this hotel. Aren’t we, Leo?”

It’s like a metal claw has grabbed my heart right out of my chest.

He grins. “Yes, very excited,” he says.

Leo? My Leo? The Leo standing right in front of me is getting married?

“I must see that video of the gazebo you promised,” she says.

Joan takes over and guides Margaret to the table and laptop. And thank god, because I know if I move, I’ll crack in two. Leo doesn’t move with her. Instead, he puts his hand at the small of my back. Somehow I manage to shuffle to the side of the roof terrace, right by the railings.

“Congratulations,” I manage to eke out, although I can’t muster a smile.

I glance up to find him looking right at me. I want to disappear through thirty-five floors to the basement. I feel like I’m turning to dust right before his eyes, like my insides are drying up and will blow away in the wind any minute now.

“I booked it for us,” he says.

I hold my breath. What did he just say?

“I wanted to make sure we got the first booking. It seemed fitting.”

“I don’t understand,” I choke out. “You’re getting married and…”

“Oh god!” It’s the first time I’ve ever heard Leo sound panicked. “No, I’m not getting married. Not to someone else, anyway. We’re getting married. I hope. In two years.”

I figure I might be hallucinating. Or just plain asleep and dreaming. What is he talking about?

“You ran out on me because you were scared I was going to run out on you. Just like your father did, over and over. I didn’t get it at first. I didn’t understand that I lost you when I told you about your dad not showing up for our meeting. Eventually, it made perfect sense. I thought you didn’t want me. But that’s not it. You don’t wanthim.”

My heart stutters in my chest. I have to pull in a slow breath to settle my pulse.

“I know you love me just as much as I love you,” he says.

And from somewhere, I find the strength to put my hand on his chest to stop him galloping further ahead when I’m still so far behind.

“You love me?” I ask him, staring into his eyes.

“So much.” He smooths his hands over my shoulders. “And you love me too.” I smile at him, and he grins back, sure enough for both of us. “You don’t have to say it. I know it. I feel it. We both feel it. You just don’t trust it. And I don’t think I did either for a minute back there. It took me a beat to catch up. Now that I have, now that I’msure, there’s no going back. So I booked our wedding. Maybe we want to do it earlier and cancel. Maybe we want to do it later and just use the date for a big party. Either way, I didn’t want to miss out on being the first ones to benefit from the incredible job you’re going to do here.”

“Have you actually lost your mind?” It’s the only thing I can think of to say.

He chuckles. “No. The exact opposite. Take all the timeyou need to catch up. I’m here forever, so there’s no rush. I’m not going anywhere.”

“I thought you were getting married to someone else.”

“There’ll never be anyone else for me. From our very first meeting, something in me shifted.”

“What? When I was blue and rocking a skull belt?”

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