Chapter Thirty-Three
Lia and Rachel skidded around opposite ends of the room as they rushed forward just as Ari was standing on the balcony looking out over the audience. Her eyebrows rose and she sent a questioning look the girls’ way before turning around.
They were both a bit shamefaced at having left during Ari’s reception. Rachel, because she wanted to think, and Lia because she’d wanted to… Well, she wasn’t even going to justify her reasons to herself.
When the bride launched the wedding bouquet into the air, Rachel and Lia’s eyes met, and then both girls took a step back as the other women in the room rushed forward, everyone trying to catch the bouquet, hoping for luck in capturing their future husband.
To Ari’s delight, when the crowd cleared, it was her mother, Sandra, who was holding the beautiful bunch of flowers, her cheeks blushing pink as the other women grudgingly congratulated her.
She thanked them before slipping away to help her daughter change for her ride to the airport. Lia stood by with a smile on her face. With the great-looking man Sandra had come to the wedding with sporting a mysterious smile on his face, Lia had a feeling the magical powers of catching the bridal bouquet might just have some meaning this time.
The party moved outside, and the guests formed a double line for the newly married couple to walk through. Everyone was armed with rice to throw over the heads of the happy pair as a symbol of fertility and prosperity, though with Rafe’s billions, they didn’t need any luck in the latter department.
When Ari reappeared with Rafe at her side on the other side of the rice throwing wall of people, the newlyweds made sure to give Rachel a parting “gift”: yet another firm lecture, letting her know she was to call them the moment she wanted to leave Corythia.
Though Ari hoped that Rachel and Adriane could work through their differences, she wasn’t taking any chances. The king had already held her dear friend captive once. He wouldn’t be allowed to do it again.
The women shed goodbye tears; the men stood by somewhat uncomfortably and shook hands. Rafe certainly didn’t trust Adriane, but he was going to respect his sister’s wishes.
As Rafe and Ari left, a silence descended on the other two couples. Rachel wasn’t even looking at Adriane, and then in a flash, she disappeared once again, feeling that her room was the safest place to hide for the moment.
Shane and Lia were left alone when Adriane stomped off. The rest of the crowd began to leave the palace, their stomachs full and their smiles genuine. It had been a lovely wedding and reception.
“Does this mean we are together now, Lia?” Shane asked as he grasped her hand and led her to a more private area in the palace. As exciting as their earlier lovemaking had been, he was eager to be where he could slow things down and make love to her the way a woman deserved.
“It means that I’m tired of fighting how I feel. I don’t know what the future has in store, but I just know I want to be with you right now,” she admitted.
Shane was surprised when a blush stole over her cheeks. Lia hadn’t been the blushing type in more than a decade. Her years of shyness had been pushed away, and Lia had never looked back, liking the woman she was now so much better than the shy teenager she’d been. Now she was confident, brave and ready for any new challenge thrown her way.
“Marry me, Lia.”
Shane was shocked when the words popped out of his mouth, but when he had no desire to take them back, he knew it was the right thing to say, the right time to ask her to be his wife.
She turned and looked at him, her expression dazed, but not horrified. That was a start.
“You’re just carried away by the moment, Shane. We haven’t solved any of our problems yet, just masked them in a flurry of lovemaking,” she warned.
“I don’t care. We can get through the problems, work them out as we go along. I don’t care if we fight or don’t agree on everything. I don’t care what tomorrow holds. As long as I know I’m coming home to you, I can face anything,” he said.
She was silent as she looked into his eyes, just the two of them standing together in a large palace ballroom as the lights were dimmed and the music from the joyous party played back in Lia’s head.
“Shane…” She seemed to not know what to say.
“Don’t give me all the reasons it can’t work. I’ve known you half your life. I love you, Lia — more than any other soul on this earth, past or future. You have admitted you love me too, so why can’t we just stop playing games and be together? The two of us can jet off to Las Vegas and get married right now, then tell our families about it later. I just want you by my side for the rest of our lives.”
She looked at him with wide eyes before a beautiful smile overtook her features. “I do want to marry you,” she said before throwing her arms around his neck, pulling him down to her and kissing him with an unquenchable and fathomless need.
Shane reluctantly pulled back from her. “That wasn’t a yes, Lia. Are you saying yes?” His eyes gleamed.
Did she want to say yes? Of course she did! Was she going to let her fears stop her? Lia thought about it.
“Yes, Shane. That’s a yes. I may change my mind, think this is a bad idea, but right now, all I can think about is marrying you,” she said, beaming up at him.
“Then I had best hurry,” he said, abandoning the idea of going back to his hotel as he called a driver to pick them up.
Before Lia had time to think, he had her in the car and was driving to the helipad, where they could immediately be transported to his jet.
“What about our bags?” she asked with a laugh as she stepped from the helicopter and it flew away, zipping across the dark sea.
“We can have them shipped to us. I’m not taking any chances that you’ll change your mind again,” he said, pulling her close to shield her from the sharp wind picking up around them.
Lia snuggled close in his arms, drunk on what she was feeling in these moments. She did love him. All of the worries she had were still there, but they were tucked away. She wanted to be this man’s wife. She might end up losing him tomorrow, but at least she’d have him now.
Their travels went quickly, and soon she was in a jet, lifting into the air — destination, Las Vegas. She felt only a twinge of regret that she was sneaking off to elope. Her family would forgive her — she hoped.
As the jet flew smoothly across the dark, starlit skies, Lia nestled into Shane’s arms, falling asleep with her head resting comfortably against his steadily beating heart.
This was where she belonged, and nothing the two of them could do from this moment on would be wrong.
How could it be anything less than perfect when it felt so right?
Shane knew their problems would still be there when they woke up after this act of impulse, but he didn’t care.
When they faced tomorrow, they’d be man and wife.
Sure, Rafe might try to throttle him, but it would be well worth it.
Holding Lia close, he relaxed, feeling good for the first time since he’d lost his friend. Maybe it was time to turn in his resignation to the military.
He’d loved his time of service, felt he’d done a lot of good over the years, but now he had a new life to forge, a new life that would include his very beautiful wife.
First, he’d marry her, then take her to buy the biggest diamond he could find. He wanted the world to know she belonged to him — forever.
Shane fell asleep with his head against the seat of the jet’s superbly comfortable couch and with a very content and warm Lia held securely to him.
