Page 55 of Sadistic

"We should probably get you out of that dress," Greer says eventually, noticing the way I'm starting to sway slightly. "Before?—"

Rhiannon's phone buzzes.

She checks it and grins. "Incoming. Brother bear is in the elevator."

"What?" I jump up, champagne making me wobble.

Dalla keeps me from falling over and making a fool of myself.

"Doran's here," she clarifies. "Probably checking that we haven't corrupted you or convinced you to run."

Run? Like I have the option to anyways.

"The dress!" Greer's already moving, professional again. "Come on Revna, we’d best get you out of it before he comes rushing in!"

What follows is the world's fastest dress removal.

Dalla practically throws my regular clothes at me while Greer carefully hangs the dress, and Rhiannon laughs at how panicked we all are.

Mom tries to help, but mostly gets in the way, champagne making her as clumsy as me.

"You know he's seen women in wedding dresses before," Rhiannon points out, filming our chaos on her phone.

"Not this woman," Greer says firmly. "Bad luck."

"Since when are we superstitious?"

"Since I spent so much time making the dress, and I'm not risking anything."

I'm buttoning my jeans when the door opens.

No knock—of course he doesn't knock in his mother's suite.

Ownership is in his DNA.

Doran looks tired.

His suit is still perfect, but there's a tension in his shoulders, a tightness around his eyes that speaks of whatever dark business he's been handling while we played dress-up.

The contrast between our evening and his is stark—we've been drinking champagne and laughing while he's been doing God knows what.

His gaze finds me immediately, something flickering in those icy eyes of his.

Relief? Surprise?

It's gone before I can identify it, replaced by that careful control he wears like armor.

"Ladies," he says formally.

"Doran," Rhiannon mimics his tone. "Come to check we haven't stolen your bride?"

"The thought crossed my mind." But he's looking at me as he says it, taking in my flushed cheeks, the slight dishevelment from our quick change. "How was the fitting?"

"Your mother is a genius," I say honestly, the champagne making me more open than usual.

"So I've been told." He kisses Greer's cheek, and she whispers something in his ear that makes his jaw tighten slightly.

I wonder what it's about.

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