Page 175 of Two-Step
As I move Iris easily through our first turn and hold her gaze with mine, I know nothing and no one could ruin this day.
Moira isn’t going away. She can’t approach Iris. She can’t contact her. But she can post virtually anything she wants online. She can make statements to the press. She can send the paparazzi into a feeding frenzy.
And, let’s face it, she’ll probably continue to do that as long as she draws breath. The woman wants nothing but control, and if she can impact Iris’s life in any way, she has some.
But like my wife said, the vampires can suck it.
Iris’s star only continues to rise. We’re here, in each other’s arms, surrounded by friends and family—the kind made of blood and the kind made of bonds. We’re claiming the life we want.
I lead Iris through the second turn, and we fall back into perfect rhythm. She smiles up at me. A real Iris Adams smile.
“Thank you,” she says, just loud enough for my ears.
“For what,chère?”
Her smile grows. “For always knowing how to get me out of my head.”
My smile is wicked. “And into your body?”
“That too,” she says, eyes glinting.
I pull her tighter against me, relishing the feel of her as we move. Her inhale at the touch ignites me, and I don’t give a thought to who’s watching or who notices that I am gone for this woman.
Time seems to slow as I step back and raise my right arm, sending her into a turn that twirls the layers of her skirt, flaring it out like a trumpet flower. The softoohsandahhsof our guests followed by the smattering of applause make Iris giggle with glee.
I catch her at the end of the spin, laughing at her joy.
“I’m so glad I didn’t chicken out,” she says over the applause.
“You never do.”
It’s so true. She stares down any obstacle in her path—even when she’s afraid.
“You amaze me,” I say, letting the feeling overcome me. “I love you.”
“I loveyou,”she says, looking at me with nothing but joy. But just then, our song winds down, and she gives me a startled frown. “It’s over already?”
I chuckle through a nod. “Not terrible, right? You survived.”
“Survived?”she challenges. “I nailed it!”
“You did.” Laughing, I pull her in and kiss her hard. The applause rallies again as the song ends.
I don’t want to let her go.
This is the part of the evening when the father of the bride dances with his daughter. Neither of our fathers are here. Even if my father and I were on better terms, I think seeing him would have been too confusing for Mom. That made my decision not to include him easy.
For Iris, this part has been harder.
She has a lot of questions and few answers. I don’t know if that will ever change.
But when I pull back, she’s still smiling her happy, innocent smile. As if no one in the world has ever done her wrong.
From here on out, I’ll make sure she stays that way.
Ramon approaches just as the band strikes up their version of “Count on Me” by Bruno Mars.
“That was awesome,” he says, congratulating Iris before claiming her hand. “Now it’s my turn.”
