Lusty Billionaires Bundle(51)

‘Which you do; if I didn’t know otherwise I’d say you look every bit the blushing bride. You know, Tab, if I wasn’t gay you’d be the woman of my dreams.’

She gave a small laugh. The simple lilac velvet dress hugged her curves, slipping over the hollows of her stomach. The gentle gathering at the bust accentuated her full soft breasts, the thin straps not detracting from her delicate collarbone where her one and only heirloom glittered—a diamond necklace her father had once given to her mother. She fingered the stone, overcome with sadness for what she had lost so young, for the family cruelly torn apart and for what her parents had lost: the dream of seeing their daughter walking down the aisle.

Aiden was right, she looked every bit the blushing bride, but despite the lies, despite the circumstances, the guilt was gone.

All of it.

When the music played, when she walked on Aiden’s arm to join her future husband, she would be doing it with a clear conscience and with her parents’ blessing; she just knew that deep down. As she spoke her vows her voice would be steady, for she would be speaking the truth.

Because she loved him.

‘I got you this.’ Digging in his pocket, Aiden pulled out a diamond bracelet. He had to hold her shaking hand steady as he clipped it on.

‘It’s beautiful. But, Aiden, I thought you said you weren’t getting any presents.’

He shook his head. ‘This isn’t a wedding present; it’s a friendship bracelet. Even when you’re an old divorcee and moaning about Zavier we’re still going to be best friends. Hey,’ he said, alarmed as tears welled in her eyes. ‘You’ll ruin your make-up.’

‘I’m sorry.’ His crack about divorce hadn’t exactly helped, but given the emotion of the moment Aiden let it pass without too much inspection and gently wiped a stray tear away. ‘Thanks for doing this today, Aiden. I’m glad you’re here with me.’

‘I wouldn’t be anywhere else.’ Glancing at his watch, he offered his arm. ‘Come on, you, let’s get this over with. I’m dying for a Scotch.’ A tiny wink creased his left eye as Tabitha’s lips pursed. ‘I know I need help, Tab, and I really am going to do something about it. I just need to get used to the idea for a while. A lifetime of abstinence doesn’t really sound my forte.’

He stood there smiling and she took his arm, her dearest friend holding her as they walked through the house and across the lawn.

An arch of roses was the only barrier between Tabitha and her vows, and she listened as the orchestra paused and the congregation stilled.

‘You’re sure about this?’ Aiden offered for the very last time.

Her heels were sinking in the grass, butterflies jumping in her stomach as she listened to the delicious sound of Wagner trickling through the hazy afternoon air. Stepping on to the carpet, she fiddled with her dress before taking Aiden’s arm.

‘I’m sure,’ she said softly.

‘Then let’s go.’



Every eye turned as she stepped through the arch. She heard the gasps for a fleeting moment, saw the congregation—her friends, her grandmother with her partner, Marjory, grinning widely, Jeremy pale and proud beside her—and then her eyes were on Zavier.#p#分页标题#e#

He swallowed as she entered, his eyes meeting hers, his hands clenched by his sides as his chin jutted upwards. She knew he was nervous, and so was she, but her confidence in this unison, her utter love for him, was enough for them both.

They walked slowly, Aiden steadying her, beaming faces welcoming her as she walked to the man she loved.

And though in the days that followed Tabitha would rewind and replay the scene like a perpetual video in her mind, she would never be quite sure how it actually happened. Whether Marjory’s piercing scream or the loud crash came first.

Her first ridiculous thought was that the bolt of lightning Zavier had darkly predicted had somehow come to fruition, but just as she discarded that notion, as she watched the gaze of the crowd frantically turn to the front, she registered that Jeremy was lying on the floor, his grey face darkening, blue around the lips, his body limp, spread-eagled where he had collapsed to the floor.

It was Tabitha who moved first. Everyone else stood frozen to the spot, the video stuck on freeze-frame. With her heart in her mouth Tabitha raced over. Already breathless from the emotion of seeing Zavier, she had to force herself to slow down, to calmly and methodically assess the situation and do what little she could.

‘Jeremy!’ She called his name loudly, once maybe twice, as her trembling hand reached for Jeremy’s neck, her long fingers searching for a pulse. Her eyes moved to his chest, looking for a movement, the tiniest indication that he was breathing. She could feel every eye on her. An eerie silence had descended and there was no need to call for quiet as she placed an ear to the lifeless chest, listening for a heartbeat, listening for the breath of life, frantically trying to remember what she should do, to recall the information she had learnt on a long-ago first aid course.