Page 88 of Broken Hearted
Thank the stars.
Sera and I collided in a giant hug. I wasn’t sure who squeezed who the hardest, but my ribs were sore when we finally broke apart. Sera wanted to know everything that happened with Elisana, down to the last detail, and so it took more time than I would have liked to relay the entire story.
Finally, I got to the part where I’d basically proposed to Adrien and then our hasty wedding.
Her brows shot straight up her forehead. “You’re married?” she asked with something akin to awe.
I nodded.
“I’m …” she said.
I bit my lip, bracing myself for her reaction.
“… glad,” she finished with a soft smile, and then it was my turn to be surprised.
“You are?” I asked. I’d expected her to be at least a little upset that I’d married an Ethereum lord, our supposed enemy, but the look on her face only conveyed sincerity. She truly seemed happy for me.
Reaching forward, she took my hand in between both of hers, her face turning serious. “Yes, I am. I know that what happened between Mother and Father hit us all hard, but I think in some ways as the eldest, you the most. I’ve been concerned that you would never open yourself up. That you would only ever push love out of your life, but I can clearly see that you’ve let it in. When you talk about Lord Adrien, joy shines from your eyes. It’s apparent to me that what you have with him is special.”
I blinked back at my sister, wondering when she’d gotten so wise. “Thank you for understanding,” I said with unexpected tears prickling the back of my eyes.
“Of course,” she told me. “It makes me happy to see you happy.” She grinned. “Now go on. You’ve already wasted enough time with me. I appreciate you humoring your sister, but you have a handsome lord waiting for you. If our situations were reversed, I certainly wouldn’t still be here with you.”
* * *
Much to my disappointment, I couldn’t find Adrien right away. I searched a whole floor of Zane’s castle for him, but he was nowhere to be found. When I finally questioned one of Zane’s staff about where the Southern lord was, she directed me to what was supposed to be our shared bed chambers, but he wasn’t there either. There was, however, a steaming bath already waiting for me. The woman who showed me to the room said it was filled for me at Lord Adrien’s request and then with a wink, she left me.
The bath felt amazing, but I couldn’t fully enjoy it because I missed my new husband. At some point, Zane had had all the clothes he purchased for me in Soleum moved to this room, and so after I’d thoroughly washed my body and hair, I changed into a pretty deep purple dress that hugged my ribs and flared at the hips. It was a little lower cut than I was used to, but I felt beautiful in it.
I chuckled to myself when I realized that Adrien had never even seen me dressed as a princess before. The dress wasn’t as extravagant as what I might have worn in the Winter Court, but it was a far cry from the torn and dirty pant and shirt combinations I’d mostly been in around him.
I was sitting in front of the mirror vanity, combing out my mostly dry hair when the door to the chamber opened behind me. Adrien appeared in the mirror’s reflection, his gaze connecting with mine immediately. The look on his face was one I knew I’d never tire of seeing. It was part awe, part desire. He gazed at me like he was a starving man, and I was his meal. And I loved it.
Warmth gathered inside me, growing in heat and intensity thelonger we stayed locked in our stare. He looked like he had bathed as well, hair wet and slicked back with fresh clothes on.
Finally, Adrien moved toward me, practically prowling, his intent clear. I stayed perfectly still, keeping my gaze connected with his in the mirror’s reflection as my heart pounded furiously in my chest.
He took his time reaching me, drawing out the moment. It was an exquisite kind of torture to wait for him to make a move.
When he stood right behind me he finally broke our stare. Glancing down at me he reached forward and pulled the length of my long raven hair over one shoulder, exposing my neck to him. My breath caught in my throat when he ran his fingers gently over the base of my neck, and I tilted to give him more access.
“You are the most beautiful creature I’ve ever laid eyes on,” Adrien said.
His reflection was no longer enough for me, and I twisted in my seat so I could look up into his true face. His eyes shone with love, overwhelming me.
“I don’t deserve you or your love,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper.
A touch of sadness infiltrated my haze of desire. Adrien was the most amazing man I’d ever met. Brave. Honorable. Kind. Not to mention irresistible. He was more than deserving of me and my love.
“Don’t say that,” I said, reaching up to place my fingertips on his lips. “I love you.”
He softly kissed my fingertips and then took my hand. “I loveyou too, and I will spend a lifetime making sure you never regret the decision to marry me, starting now.”
With speed I wasn’t aware he was capable of, Adrien reached down and gently ringed my waist with his free arm, pulling me to my feet. I blinked and then was standing with my back to the thick bedpost and my front crushed against Adrien’s chest.
My heartbeat started to race like the flapping of a hummingbird’s wings as anticipation bubbled inside me.
“I can’t wait to give you the wedding night you deserve,” he said, his mouth mere inches from mine.
