A sweeping intake of breath rings out through the room as the assembled guests behold the bride. Sudden tears take me by surprise as she walks toward us, her eyes fixed firmly on her husband-to-be. The look on Charlie’s face is one I’ll never forget. Gone and long forgotten are his nerves. In their place, only awe and admiration remain. Bex and her father draw up before us and hug, briefly but fiercely. There’s no talk of anyone giving her away—she’s always been her own woman to give.
Charlie offers his hand to Bex, who entwines her fingers with his. They turn to face Gus, eyes wide and joyful. Charlie’s father begins.
“We are gathered here today to join Bex and Charlie in marriage,” he starts, “You’ll have to forgive me if I seem a bit shaky. I’ve never officiated a wedding before. Did you know you can just get a certificate online and wham—officiate away? It’s crazy—”
Charlie clears his throat softly, snapping Gus back to attention.
“Yes, right,” he says, “As Charlie’s father, I’ve seen him go through every phase of his life. Some of those phases were great—playing catch, studying at university. And some of them—all of the teenage years, the terrible two’s—not so much. But what I can say now, is that never before in my son’s life have I seen him as happy, as confident, and as at peace with himself as he’s been since meeting Bex.”
The moms sniffle in unison as Bex and Charlie trade a luminous look.
“The love that you two have for each other is so apparent, so contagious, that you make the world a better place just by being together. And I couldn’t have dreamt up a better daughter than Bex if I tried. The bride and groom have requested, in so many words, that I skip all the boring ceremony stuff and get right to the good part.”
That’s my cue. I hand over the rings I’ve been carrying, one to each. Bex and Charlie slip the simple gold bands onto each other’s ring fingers, grinning like mad.
“And so, Charlie,” Gus goes on, “Do you take Bex to be your wife?”
“I do,” Charlie says, looking intently into Bex’s eyes.
“Bex, do you take Charlie to be your hus—”
“I do,” Bex says, cutting him off in her excitement.
“Then by the power vested in my by...the two of you,” Gus says, “I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss—
But by the time the words have left his mouth, Charlie and Bex are deep in the first kiss of their married lives. The moms weep happily onto Enzo and Harrison’s shoulders as the boys clap and holler for the newlyweds. The happy couple comes up for air, looking around at their dearly beloved. Who knew that such a tiny room could hold so much boundless love and excitement as this?
As they hurry out of the library to snap a few pictures in the golden light of the afternoon, Harrison and I lock eyes across the room. Everyone else rushes out ahead, leaving us alone in the stately study. I hope that my eyes weren’t too wistful as I watched the ceremony. Though, would it be so terrible if Harrison knew just how badly I want to marry him?
“You look incredible, Siena,” he says, planting a kiss on my forehead.
“That was quite the service, right?” I reply, “Short and sweet.”
“It was perfect for them,” Harrison agrees, “And they’re perfect for each other.”
To think that less than a year ago, Harrison and Charlie were glaring at each other in a Barcelona bar, fighting over who got to buy me drinks. Quite a lot can happen in a year, I suppose. And even more to come.
“I guess we should get out there,” I say, moving to go.
“Siena, wait,” Harrison says, catching my arm, “I wanted to—”
I’m distracted from his intent eyes as the door to the library creaks open once more. I look up and find myself staring into some very familiar, very unexpected eyes. My mother, Camilla, sidles into the room, a lovely smile on her face.
“Mom?” I exclaim, rushing to hug her, “What are you doing here?”
“I hope I’m not interrupting anything,” she says, glancing at Harrison, “The Spano’s invited me for the reception, I was just coming to say hello.”
“No, we were just—”
My words cut off as I spot the harried look on Harrison’s face. Is he blushing? I look back and forth between him and my mother. Some unspoken communication seems to have passed between them. Why am I not in the loop, here?
“We’d better report for photos, right?” Harrison says shortly, giving my mother a quick hug, “Then we can get to the good part—cocktail hour.”
I let myself be led from the library, wondering what’s come over Harrison. What did my mother interrupt a moment ago? What was it that Harrison was so eager to discuss? Well, whatever it is, it’ll have to wait. We have a wedding reception to attend, after all.
The after party spills out through the Bishop’s townhouse, bubbling like the champagne we raise in honor of the new couple. An elegant, delicious spread has been set out for the small gathering, and a fine selection of wine and whiskey is at the ready. We’re not even a dozen—even after my mom and then Shelby arrive for the reception—but we manage to fill the entire house with our energy. If three’s a party, then this eleven is a damned rager.
I clink my fork against my glass of untouched champagne, commanding the attention of the room as best I can.
“Excuse me,” I say, moving to the center of the room, “I believe that a speech is in order, here. Yeah?”
“Speech! Speech!” Enzo chants tipsily. Shelby gives him a playful shove to stop his tongue as the others gather around me. Bex and Charlie stand hand-in-hand, beaming around at their closest friends and family. Harrison watches from my mother’s side, an excited but pensive look on his face.
“As all of you know, I am doubly honored today to be Bex’s maid of honor and Charlie’s best ma—Woman. We still haven’t really nailed down the language.” I laugh.
“Spoken like a true PR whiz,” Bex winks.
“I am lucky enough to have grown up with these two beautiful people. I’ve known Charlie since about the day I was born, and I’ve known Bex since we were both pretending to care about our freshman year school spirit exercises. Each of them has changed me as a person for the better, and I had the pleasure of watching them meet and fall in love.”
“It’s all thanks to you!” Charlie says, wrapping his arm around Bex’s waist.
“That’s true, you got me the job with Ferrelli,” Bex says.
“I have a feeling you two would have found a way to each other, with or without my help,” I tell them. “You’re so well suited for each other. Like two halves of the same whole. And in a way, that’s how you’ll be from this day. Two parts of the same little family.”
“Maybe not so little for long,” Charlie’s mom says hopefully, “A couple of grand babies would be—”
“I just want you to know how much I love you,” I cut her off gently, “And how happy we all are for your happiness. I know that you’ll be as wonderful friends to each other as you’ve been to me. To Bex and Charlie!”
“To Bex and Charlie!” the guests chorus, sipping their bubbly champagne.
The newlyweds wrap me up in their arms, squeezing tight. When I first found out Bex and Charlie were together, I have to admit that it took me by surprise. But now, I can’t imagine them any other way. I know what it’s like to be in love with your opposite, after all.
A hand-picked playlist starts piping over the Bishops’ sound system, and all of the guests can’t help but start dancing. We take over the living room, cutting as many rugs as we like. It’s the most fun I’ve ever had at a wedding, but I should have known it would be. No fancy venues or expensive add-ons could replace real, true love as the only part of a wedding that matters. Well...true love and the cake, perhaps.
Enzo and I are moving through a big band swing number together, laughing at our sloppy technique, when Harrison lays his hand on my shoulder.
“Mind if I cut in?” he asks my brother.
“By all means,�
� Enzo says. That odd recognition I saw pass between my mom and Harrison is there again. What the hell is that?
“You gonna show me how it’s done?” I tease Harrison, ready to keep on swinging.
“Siena, I feel like such a moron,” he replies, “I completely forgot to grab our gift before we left the hotel.”
“It’s OK, babe,” I say, trying to pull him into the dance, “We’ll get it to them tomorrow, no worries.”
“Ah. No, no. They should really have it tonight,” he replies, edging toward the exit, “It’s traditional, after all.”
“It’s really not a big deal,” I insist, “Stay here and dance with me.”
“It’ll only take a minute,” he says, pulling me along with him, “Come with me. We’ll be there and back in a second.”
“I really don’t want to leave, Harrison. It’s their wedding—”
“Please, Siena?” Harrison asks, catching my hands in his. “It’s really important to me.”
His eyes are roiling with excitement, I’m taken aback by their intensity. It dawns on me that whatever reason Harrison has for wanting to duck out has little to do with a forgotten gift. What’s he after? A little mid-reception booty call or something? I don’t think I can resist that, come to think of it.
“OK,” I tell him, “Let’s go, then.”
We slip out into the foyer, not bothering to tell anyone about our departure. It’s far sexier to sneak off, screw, and come back before anyone notices. It reminds me of the old days, back at the start of the F1 season. It’s crazy to think about the lengths we went to, to keep our relationship a secret. As if we thought it was going to be some casual fling.
“Oh!” I exclaim, surprised to find a private car idling on the curb.
“Yeah,” Harrison says, walking me down the steps, “I really can’t stand New York taxis, you know.”
“I didn’t know that about you...” I say, cocking an eyebrow, “When did you call a car?”
“Oh, before,” he says, pulling open the back door for me.
“When you realized you forgot the gift?” I say, with a conspiratorial smile.
“Exactly,” Harrison replies, sliding into the back seat beside me.
I lace my fingers with his, turned on by how eager he was to steal away with me. I’d assumed we’d get back to the hotel for a good quick screw, but I’m not sure if I can wait that long. I think pregnancy must be messing with my hormones something fierce. I just can’t seem to control myself these days.
“I think that this was a very good suggestion,” I say, my voice rich, “We wouldn’t want to leave Bex and Charlie high and dry in the gift department, would we?”
“Siena,” Harrison says, his eyes intent on mine, “I, uh, sort of made that bit up, about forgetting the gift.”
“Really?” I say, widening my eyes in mock surprise.
“You’re one step ahead of me, aren’t you?” Harrison laughs bashfully.
“What else is new?” I tease, “You know, you could have just told me what you were really after, instead of making up some story.”
“I didn’t want to freak you out or anything,” Harrison says, taking my hands in his.
“Nothing you could suggest would freak me out,” I laugh, “I mean, think about some of the things that have gone on between us, love.”
“That’s true,” he smiles, gently kissing my forehead. Not exactly our usual variety of foreplay, but I’ll take it. “I can’t believe how much we’ve already experience together. How much more we’ll share.”
“You’re damn right,” I say, cozying up to him.
“I really never expected someone like you to come along,” he says, “I always figured I’d end up a miserable, drunk bastard with five ex-wives. You really surprised me, Siena.”
“For what it’s worth, I figured I’d never find anyone worth sticking around for,” I tell him, freeing my hands to rest on his sculpted arms. “You surprised me too, Harrison.”
“You figured I’d be a bad boy heartbreaker, didn’t you?” he grins.
“Of course I did,” I reply, “To be fair, that’s exactly what you were.”
“Until you came along,” he says, “I’m a new man since we met, Siena. Truly. You make me want to do things, experience things, that I never knew I wanted.”
“Yeah?” I ask breathlessly, letting my hands slide down his hard torso.
“Yeah,” he replies, swallowing hard. Do I have him that hot and bothered already? “I know that we’re not a very conventional couple, Siena, but I don’t want you to think that I love you any less for that.”
“I know, baby,” I say softly, my fingers grazing down his tapered hips.
“I’m just as committed, as devoted to you as I would be had we met some normal way,” he goes on. This is a lot more talk than usual from him, leading up to sex. Is he nervous or something? That doesn’t seem right.
“I like that we didn’t meet some normal way,” I tell him, “This feels more honest. I mean, the fact that we’re about to do this in the back of a car—”
“I know,” he laughs, “It’s crazy, isn’t it? But I thought it was sort of appropriate, given our history.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” I tell him, “Now come on. I can’t wait any longer.”
I lift myself onto his lap, straddling him in my billowing blue gown. As I bring my lips hungrily to his, I spot a uncomprehending, shocked look pass across his face. I stop in my tracks, looking down at him with concern.
“What’s wrong?” I ask.
“What...What are you doing?” he replies.
“I was about to have a quick screw with you in this here backseat,” I tell him, “Wasn’t that the plan?”
His mouth falls open in a surprised little “O”. “You thought I was—? That we were—?”
“Well, yeah,” I say, grinding my hips against him ever so slightly, “Why, did you have something else in m—oww!”
My thigh presses against something hard and sharp. I roll off of Harrison’s lap, taken off guard by the little jab.
“What do you have in there, rectangular briefs?” I ask, confused. I reach for his pocket and slip my hand inside.
“Wait—” he cries, but it’s too late. I’ve already snatched up the offending object. I open my palm and look down to see what it was that stabbed me, mid-hookup.
And even though we’re speeding through the streets of New York City, the world hangs still. There in my hand is a small, black box with a golden clasp.
“This...is this?” I ask, looking up at Harrison in astonishment.
“Well...yeah. It is,” he tells me, trying to gage my reaction. “Is that...a good thing?”
“I—You—” I stammer, completely at a loss.
He takes the box gently from my hands. “I know, we haven’t really talked much about this,” he begins, his voice sure and even, “But the second it occurred to me, I knew it’s what I wanted. I hope that I didn’t assume wrongly—”
“You didn’t,” I breathe, running a hand through my hair, “Not at all.”
“Thank god,” he says, exhaling in a rush, “Because Siena, you’re the most important part of my life, and always will be. I’ve known it, I think, since the first time we really talked. You challenge me, and inspire me, and make me want to be a better person. Hell, you make me a better person.
This is sudden, I realize. But I just couldn’t wait another moment. The time we’ve shared since the tournament, just living our lives together, sharing a home...it’s been unbelievable. I want a lifetime to share with you, Siena. And even then, I don’t suspect it will feel like enough.”
My hand flies to my mouth as he opens the ring box. There, nestled in black velvet, is a staggering diamond, encased in intricate, elegant filigree. It looks like it belongs in a museum, or on the hand of a queen.
“It’s my grandmother’s first,” Harrison goes on, “But I think it was made for you.”
“Harrison, it’s stunning,” I say, �
��I...I can’t believe this is happening.”
“Maybe this will help,” he says, taking a deep breath, “Siena Lazio. I am hopelessly, unconditionally in love with you. Will you please do me the honor of marrying me?”
I throw my arms around his shoulders, pressing my body to his. A thousand emotions clamor to be heard in my heart, but utter joy wins out in a second. I bring my lips to his, kissing him deeply, endlessly. He buries his hands in my hair, pulling me closer. The ring box falls down against the back seat, but I don’t much notice.
“Siena,” Harrison says, pulling away for just a second, “You forgot to say yes.”
“Yes!” I cry, kissing him once more, “Yes, yes—all of the yeses!”
He snatches up the box and tenderly take the ring in his hand. My stomach turns a triple axel as he slips the beautiful piece onto my left hand. I stare down at the glittering diamond, amazed by how perfect, how right it looks there.
“I love you so much, baby,” he says, taking my face in his hands.
“This is the best quickie ever!” I cry, cuddling close to him.
“I can’t believe that’s what you thought,” he laughs, “I do have other things on my mind, every once in a while.”
“Clearly,” I beam, “Harrison, how long have you been planning this?!”
“Since you left London this last time,” he tells me, “You walked out the door, and I realized how ridiculous it was for us to be in separate places. All I want is for you to be with me, every hour, every day. I realized that I couldn’t be without you. I didn’t want to be. I’m just glad you weren’t totally flummoxed. I mean, Bex said you wouldn’t be—”
“Bex knew about this?” I exclaim.
“Obviously,” Harrison says, “We are doing this in the middle of her wedding reception, after all.”
Take Me Series (COMPLETE BOX SET) Page 61
