Page 169 of The Billionaire's Baby
"Of course, it is," I growl. "She's in there getting married, and you're asking me to calm down?"
I twist my torso to get away, and the Father tightens his grip. Anger flares at my nerve-endings and my vision narrows. "Let go of me, Edward."
"Will you listen to me?"
"Back the hell away from me."
"I will, if you calm down and listen to me first.
"Why the hell should I?" I snap. "When everything I want is in there and you're preventing me from going in."
"For once in your fucking life, will you stop to think before rushing into yet another storm?" Edward's voice thunders around the place.
Silence descends. A beat. Another. I firm my lips, glare at Edward, who glares right back. And that cuts through the noise in my head. The Father, angry, on the verge of losing his temper. Whoa, okay. I've never seen that happen before. At least, not since Edward returned from his stint to wherever he'd gone, and declared that he was going to become a priest.
Then, Edward jerks his chin, "Breathe, Arpad."
He releases me and I stumble back. "Why the hell should I?" I swallow. "When my heart, my love..." A ball of emotion blocks my throat. "My life..." Something hot stabs at my chest. Jesus, what the hell is wrong with me? Am I actually going to lose my composure, here in front of everyone?
"She's...everything to me," I whisper, "you understand that, don’t you?"
He nods, "I do, but does she? Have you told her what you just told me?"
"It's too late... Too late now."
"It isn't." A ghost of a smile kicks up his lips.
"What the hell do you mean?"
That's when the door to the side flies open. A vision in red stands silhouetted against the light. I blink. She takes a step forward and out of the light. Her dark hair flows about her shoulders, her color is high on her cheeks, and her eyes are bright with emotion—with unshed tears? She stands there, chest heaving.
My beauty, my heart, my love.
"Karina?" I whisper, as Edward steps aside.
She stares at me as if she can't believe what she's seeing. In truth, neither can I. "Aren't you supposed to be—" I stab my thumb over my shoulder, at the closed double doors behind me, "in there."
"And you're supposed to have been here by nine am."
Warmth flushes my face. Shit. What, now I'm embarrassed? The next thing you know, I'll be saying please and thank you in every sentence.
"I'm... I'm sorry?" My neck heats. Did I just say that? I said that.
"About time," she murmurs, then walks forward and links her hand through mine.
I glance down at our joined hands, then at her face.
She tilts her head. "They're waiting for us."
"Who's waiting for us?" My heart begins to hammer; my pulse rate ratchets up.
She jerks her chin toward the double doors. I turn as they open. Inside, I see chairs set up on either side of an aisle, at the end of which, a man in a suit stands beaming at us, with his hands folded in front of him.
"Huh?" I blink. "Is that the registrar who is going to conduct the marriage ceremony? Are we..." I turn to her, "but weren't you...?"
"Going to marry someone else?"
I nod.
