by Holly Rayner
Near the koi pond, Leyla chatted with Kane’s mother. There were another forty or so people assembled, but Kane didn’t know most of them. Maryum and Mabrouk had made introductions, but the names had gone in one ear and out the other.
Servers were walking around with trays heavy with champagne. Taking two of the offered glasses, Kane gave one to Leyla.
“Thanks,” she said.
“You’re welcome.”
She looked especially beautiful that evening, in a midnight blue dress and her hair falling loose, but it still had nothing on the T-shirt and no-makeup look. That one would always be his favorite.
Everyone still talked among themselves, but the instant Mabrouk raised his glass, the garden fell silent. All that could be heard were the footsteps of servers making their way along the grass and the far-off hum of traffic.
“Thank you, everyone, for joining us tonight.” Mabrouk took a pause to look around at those assembled. “For Maryum and myself, this weekend is important for two reasons. Not only is our wonderful cousin back in our lives, but she is about to marry a charming man. A man we are honored to welcome to the family.”
He raised his glass at Kane, whose throat tightened. If Mabrouk knew the true circumstances, he’d be singing a different tune.
“To Leyla and Kane.” Mabrouk took a drink of champagne, and everyone followed suit. As he turned away, Kane saw him wipe at a tear in the corner of his eye.
Maryum toasted as well, and then London took a go. They were sweet speeches, and London stayed close to the truth by talking about how individually special Kane and Leyla were. All in all, it didn’t cause him too much anxiety.
Until his turn arrived.
Fumbling in his pocket, he pulled out the piece of paper he’d looked over and over. The wedding vows for the next day, he’d hired a professional to write. This little speech had been his and Trick’s creation.
After a glance at the paper, he tucked it back into his pocket and raised his second glass of champagne. “I’d like to say thank you as well to everyone for being here. And thank you to my wonderful girl, Leyla.”
He wrapped his arm around her waist, and she leaned into him. Like it was natural. Like it required no thought at all.
For a moment, Kane lost his spot. He couldn’t remember any words he’d planned on using. All he understood was that Leyla was pressed against him and it was the best thing in the world.
“She’s… she’s my everything.” His voice got raspy.
From his spot near a flower bed, Trick gave a thumbs-up. This part hadn’t been in what they’d written.
Screw what they’d written. Kane was tired of working to suppress what he felt.
“I didn’t know love until I met Leyla.” He looked down at her and found her eyes shining with tears. “We bonded through pain, sharing the losses of our parents, but from now on, we’ll be growing through love. I can tell there are bright days ahead. I love you, Leyla.”
He meant it with every part of his soul.
The crowd burst into applause, with a few whoops sprinkled here and there. Drawing Leyla closer to him, he kissed her right on the lips.
She sank into the embrace, grabbing hold of his shoulder and kissing him right back. The kiss started to deepen, but Kane remembered himself before it went too far and broke it off.
The band started an upbeat tune. Some folks started moving for the temporary dance floor that had been laid out on the lawn, but Kane stayed planted where he was. His lips buzzed, and Leyla still had her hand on his arm. There was nowhere else he needed to be.
“That was really good,” he said.
“I—”
Someone bumped into Kane from behind, interrupting him and making him spill the last of his champagne.
“Oh, no.” Leyla set the empty flute on a passing waiter’s tray. “Let’s get you another one.”
“I’m good.”
He’d been about to tell Leyla that everything he’d said in his speech was true. One more second and he would have gotten there.
“Oh, I didn’t mean champagne.” Her hand slipped into his. “Let’s drink like we’re in Texas.”
“Now, you’re talking.”
Laughing, they scooted over to the bar, where they lessened the weight of bourbon by a handful of ounces.
“Look.” Leyla nodded at a swinging bench in the corner of the garden.
There, in a spot lit only by a couple of solar lamps, Trick and London rocked and talked. Sharkie lay sleeping in the grass.
“Wouldn’t that be crazy if they got together?” Leyla asked.
“We could double date.”
“Hm. Yeah.” Her mood seemed to dampen, but then she took a long drink of bourbon.
“Leyla…”
“Hey, tonight is about fun. We’re having fun, right?”
“I aim to.”
“Great.” She clinked her glass against his. “To fun.”
They drank long. When Kane thought about what he had to say to her, his insides knotted up, and so he took another drink. He drank until only the ice remained, and then he saw Leyla had finished hers as well.
“Let’s dance.” Again, her hand found his.
Since he would go anywhere that woman led him, he let himself be taken to the middle of the dance floor. Her hands went around his torso, and his found their place at her hips.
The song was an upbeat pop one, and Leyla bobbed her head and sang along. He kept up with the pace, pretending to know the words even when he didn’t.
The music switched to a slower, more romantic song. He waited for Leyla to decide to leave the dance floor. Instead, she tucked her body into his.
The music flowed around them. Kane lowered his face, his chin coming to rest on the top of her head. His hands made their way up her back and into the soft folds of her hair.
Every part of her was magic. Perfect. He longed to feel every inch, to worship her whole design.
Each time she breathed, he felt it in his own lungs. As they danced slowly around the floor, it became harder to tell where he ended and she began.
The song slipped into another one. Still, they danced.
Kane couldn’t tell how much time went by or how many songs they danced to. At some point, Leyla drew away with a laugh, claiming her feet were sore.
“I’ll get you a drink,” he said.
They didn’t have time to finish more than a round before the guests were coming up to say goodbye. Turned out, it was after midnight.
“Tomorrow is such a big day,” Maryum said, stifling a yawn. “We must get our rest.”
He caught sight of Leyla, talking with London on the patio. “Sure,” he said noncommittally.
The second Maryum walked away, Trick showed up at Kane’s elbow.
“I have a bottle of very expensive vodka,” he whispered in Kane’s ear. “Leftover from the night’s supply.”
“Uh…” He hesitated.
“Kane. Do not tell me you’re going to bed so you can wake up early and do some work before your wedding.”
“Um.”
“Oh my…” Trick face-palmed. “Leyla! London! C’mere!”
They ended up tucking themselves into a quiet corner of the garden, taking shots while the catering staff cleaned up.
“They used to call him Spoon,” Trick told the girls. “You know, the whole silver spoon in the mouth thing. That’s how the whole rodeo circuit knew him.”
“He’s lying,” Kane said.
Leyla and London were laughing so hard they had trouble standing up straight.
“I have ten people I can contact right now who could say otherwise.” Trick jabbed a finger at Kane.
“He’s not lying, is he?” Leyla fell into another round of giggles.
Sighing, Kane unscrewed the vodka. Time for another shot.
He didn’t keep track of how many shots they took. All he knew was that at some point, one of the security guards doing the rounds came by to see if everything was okay on account
of London screaming after finding a spider on her dress. After that, they stumbled inside, a sleeping Sharkie in London’s arms.
At the top of the staircase, they split up, London and Trick going to their rooms in the north hall. Kane moseyed for his room, his eyes on Leyla’s back as she walked.
Man, the way she swayed… She took every step like she owned the world.
At her bedroom, she stopped walking and turned to face him. Kane opened his mouth, needing to say goodnight. But he couldn’t.
He never wanted to say goodnight or goodbye again. Never wanted to be more than a few steps away from her.
“Leyla, I—”
The force of her lips against his cut him off. He slipped his arms around her waist, pulling her flush to him.
The kiss went deeper, turned more passionate. Leyla pushed her bedroom door open and they stumbled through the doorway.
The room was a blur, their hands everywhere. He couldn’t get enough of her sweet lips, soft skin, and breathless noises. Intertwined, they collapsed onto the bed.
All the worry he’d had disappeared. He couldn’t think of anything, didn’t know anything… except for her.
Chapter 23
Leyla
With each inhale, Kane’s bare chest rose against Leyla’s back. His arms wrapped around her, she toyed with the hairs above his wrist.
Since she didn’t know exactly when they’d come upstairs, she also didn’t know how long they’d dozed off for. Best guess was twenty or thirty minutes.
Judging by the comfy way he snuggled against her, he was out for the night. She, however, didn’t feel like she could ever sleep again.
The effects of the alcohol were starting to wear off, and her mind raced. Had they really just fallen into bed together?
That hadn’t been part of the plan.
Not that she could regret it, because… wow. Like, really, really wow.
But wouldn’t this complicate things even further between them?
Her stomach churned. Gingerly edging out of Kane’s arms, she rolled from the bed and slipped into the bathroom.
With the door firmly shut to keep the light in, she gripped the counter and looked at herself in the mirror. Her dress had long been discarded, and her makeup had smudged.
Finding last night’s pajamas, which she’d left on the counter after showering that morning, she pulled them on then went about washing the makeup from her face.
A creaking from in her bedroom made her freeze, washcloth in hand.
“Leyla?” Kane called.
Her throat tightened.
Leaving the washcloth on the sink, she slipped back into the bedroom. Kane had turned the bedside lamp on. Its power highlighted the definition of his abs as he sat up in bed.
“Sorry.” He reached for the lamp. “I can turn it off.”
“No.” She sat on the edge of the bed. “It’s okay. Unless you need to go back to sleep.”
“No.” He laced his fingers through hers.
The touch was so good, so warm and comforting, it actually made her tremble.
“Kane,” she said quietly.
“Yes?” Drawing her hand to his face, he kissed her wrist.
“What just happened?” she whispered, her voice trembling.
His eyes softened. “Something that I’ve wanted for a long time. Ever since we met.”
She couldn’t maintain eye contact. Turning her face down, she stared at her lap.
“It’s not a good idea,” she said.
Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to look back at him.
“I want more than… that. More than the physical side of things. And I know that we can’t be with other people. Or, at least, we would have to be super sneaky, and that probably wouldn’t be worth it, but… what I’m saying is, I need the whole deal, or nothing at all. It’s better that way.”
She cringed, hated what she’d just said but knowing it had to be done. Even in their situation, casual sex was still casual sex. If Leyla couldn’t give her heart to him, knowing with full confidence that he wanted it, she needed to keep her distance.
“Leyla.” His hold on her hand tightened. “I want more than your body. I want your everything. When we stand up there tomorrow and say our vows, I want it to be real.”
“What?” Her breathing sped up.
“I love you.” Emotion welled in his eyes.
“You… do?”
His throat rolled with a swallow. “Yes. I’ve been holding myself back. I’m sorry. It doesn’t go along with the rules I came up with, how we shouldn’t get involved. I tried to control myself, but it’s no good. I need to tell you the truth.”
“I love you, too.”
How wild that she could finally say it. Finally own it!
“I love you,” she said again, merely for the joy of it.
Taking Leyla’s head in his hands, he kissed her forehead. “I can’t believe this.”
“I know. Neither can I.”
With both his hands in hers, they sat there in awe for a minute, gazing into each other’s eyes.
“What now?” Leyla asked.
Kane’s lips raised at the corners. “Whatever you want.”
“Whatever we want.”
“I want what you want.”
The way he said it made her feel he really meant it. A thrill went down her back, and a warm, fuzzy feeling grew in her heart. With a laugh, she threw her arms around his neck. Their sides hit the mattress.
Drawing her closer, Kane nuzzled her cheek with his nose.
“How many hours till our wedding?” she asked.
He craned his neck for a look at the clock. “A few. It’s still too far away, though.”
Leyla’s stomach growled loudly.
“Drinking makes me hungry,” she said.
“Let’s do something about it.” Throwing off the blankets, he fetched his pants from the floor.
“Now? It’s the middle of the night. I can wait.”
In the middle of pulling on his pants, he looked over his shoulder at her.
“Do you want to wait?”
Again, her stomach growled. “No.”
“I bet the palace has the best fridge to raid.”
“Are you kidding me? Have you seen the kitchen? There’s, like, ten fridges in there.”
“Now, you’ve got me really excited.” He flashed a smile.
“Sold. Let’s do it.” She hopped from the bed. “Let me put some real clothes on, though.”
While they were having a midnight snack, she would finally do it. She’d tell Kane about the distribution deal. Not only that, but she’d also let him know her intention to find a way out of it. Their relationship was theirs, not something to share with the rest of the world.
If keeping their privacy intact meant giving up a distribution deal, it would be a fair price to pay. Her career wouldn’t be over. She’d find another way to make things happen.
Before she could make it to the closet, his arms were around her from behind. Warm lips pressed against her neck, melting her from the inside out.
Or the outside in.
Heck, who knew?
She just understood it felt amazing.
“You look so good in so little, though,” he whispered into her ear.
“Mm.” She grasped his arms. “I’m not sure everyone would appreciate this look, though. I don’t want to run into a guard while half-naked.”
“True. Luckily, I get to see you that way.” He planted a kiss on her cheek and let go.
Stepping into the walk-in closet, she surveyed the shelves. Her head pounded slightly from all the drinking, and it made it difficult to even remember where she’d put her jeans. Thanks to Maryum’s love of shopping, Leyla’s wardrobe had doubled in the last couple of weeks.
“First things first,” Leyla called, finally locating some pants, “is water. And maybe ibuprofen. My body is not feeling those vodka shots. Or champagne.”
She tugged on the jeans. “Or the bourb
on. We had bourbon, right?”
No answer.
“Kane?” She went to the closet door.
Kane stood across the room, one shoe in hand and a paper in the other. He read the paper like he hadn’t heard her talking at all.
“What’s that?”
No sooner had Leyla asked the question than did the answer hit her, wrecking-ball style. Near Kane, her backpack lay on its side, open.
A strangled sound left her throat. No, no, no.
Why had she left the backpack leaning against the bed frame? She should have stuffed it in the closet. Should have hidden it under the bathroom sink.
She should have burned that contract.
“I was hoping you could tell me what it is.” Kane lowered the DeHaan document.
Even in the poor lighting and across the room, the hurt in his eyes was clear.
“Kane.” Her heart raced, panic setting in. “Please let me explain. I was going to tell you.”
“When?”
“Downstairs. When we went downstairs in a minute.”
His eyes narrowed. “Your signature on here is from days ago.”
“I know.” She pressed her palm against her chest. It did nothing to calm her heart. “I know that sounds super convenient. I’ve been wanting to tell you since I got the offer.”
“Why didn’t you?” An edge had entered his voice.
“I was afraid. I knew that you wouldn’t like the idea of a documentary, even if you weren’t in it.”
“So then, what was your plan?” He tossed the papers on the bed.
“I didn’t have one.” She suddenly felt weak and had to brace her hand against the doorframe to stand up straight. “I thought the right time would arrive, and it never did. But I’m not going to do it.”
“It looks to me like you are. Your name is on the agreement.”
“I’ll find some way out of it.” Hot tears blurred her vision. “I signed that when I wasn’t thinking straight. I am now.”
“What do you mean you weren’t thinking straight?”
“About…” Her voice cracked. “About us. I was upset over knowing I could never fully have you. It seemed my career was all I’d ever have, and I was being reactive. I made a mistake. I’m sorry.”
Kane’s head hung low. She couldn’t see his eyes.
