Page 62 of Crown of Thorns
The car service takes us to the private entrance and Leo opens the door for us.
Rhys steps out first before reaching back for me like he did at the restaurant. But this time, instead of properly holding my hand, he wraps his arm around me again, holding me close like he did when we left the party.
I like it.
I don’t know what’s true or not but in my heart, I feel safe and cared for when he holds me like this.
“I like this,” I whisper.
“What?”
“When you hold me like this,” I say.
The wine lets me share more than I normally would.
“I like it too, hen,” he says as we walk up the stone steps. “You know we can’t always behave this way in public…”
“I know.”
“But I swear I’ll do my best to show you how important you are to me when we’re in private,” he says. And while it’s something, it’s still not a love declaration.
Either way, he walks me through the residential area and pushes open the door to oursuite. He lets the heavy door fall closed behind us as he moves us through the bedroom and into the dressing room where he gently strips me out of my dress and heels and pulls on my comfy pajamas.
Afterward, he gently cleanses the makeup from my skin and plucks the pins from my hair, dropping them one by one on the bathroom counter. He grabs the paddle brush from the counter where I left it and starts brushing the tangles from my hair. It feels so good I want to purr like a cat and when he’s done, he guides me into the bedroom where he pulls back the covers and tucks me in.
I sleepily watch while he strips off his clothes, down to his boxer briefs, and climbs into the bed on the other side. Rhys pulls me into his arms, my back to his front, and sweeps my hair off my neck, placing a sweet kiss there.
“Sleep, love,” he whispers in my ear. “Tomorrow, we get married.”
The door to our bedroom crashes open and a giggling Dahlia says, “The bride and groom can’t sleep together on the eve of their wedding. You have to sleep somewhere else, Rhys.”
“No’ on your fucking life little sister,” he says.
“That’s why I brought back up,” she replies as Taylor drags him from the bed and throws him over his shoulder. Rhys throws his head back and laughs as he’s carried from our suite to sleep elsewhere, and Dahlia claims his spot. “Let’s get some sleep. We’ve got a bigday tomorrow to make you my sister.”
Then she gives me a big hug and snuggles in to go to sleep.
The last thought I have before sleep claims me is having her for a sister is not going to be a hardship.
Chapter 19
The Bride
The sun is shining through the windows when Dahlia shakes me awake with a smile, and my cat meows as he jumps from the bed to go find his breakfast.
“It’s wedding day,” she cries with glee just as there’s a knock on the door.
“There’s our bride,” Maeve sings as she comes through the door in her dove gray sheath dress, the matching cardigan over her shoulders. “We’ve got a special breakfast this morning. Something to tide you over until later because it’s going to be a long day.”
She gestures for one of the maids to roll in a breakfast cart with both coffee and tea service and silver domed covered plates as Dahlia and I scramble out of bed like little girls and rush to the small table in the window of the sitting room. When the domes are liftedoff our plates I see my childhood favorite, pancakes and bacon with strawberries and chocolate chips. My mom used to make the best and even though my eyes tear at the memories, I can’t help the smile that breaks out across my face.
“Thank you.”
“My pleasure,” Maeve says with a genuine smile.
Dahlia and I tuck into our breakfasts while she peppers me with her happy chatter. After a childhood alone, it’s nice to have someone my age to talk to, someone who understands. It’s a nice break from the silence.
After the table is cleared, we take turns in the bathroom, brush our teeth and washing our faces, before Maeve ushers us into the sitting room that has been completely transformed into a glam squad setup. There are two director’s chairs positioned next to traveling hair and makeup setups. Each has a pair of stylists standing next to their chair.
