The Taming of a Wild Child(59)

Jack reached for her hand and Lorelei snatched it back. “Damn it, Jack, no.”

The fact Lorelei was shouting was almost as shocking as her words. Heads started to turn in her direction.

“You’re not listening to me. I’m in love with someone else!”

All conversation in the room stopped. Every eye in the room focused on Lorelei, who went from angry to horrified in under three seconds. Her face turned the color of her dress as she realized what she’d done.

Donovan’s shock at Lorelei’s shout had delayed his brain in the processing of her words. When they finally registered, he thought his heart might have stopped beating. Love. That happy, content feeling he’d had was love—and the hollow, achy feeling in his stomach now was him suffering because she didn’t love him and had left him. The feelings were so alien and strange he hadn’t realized what they were, but now he did. The big question was whether the “someone else” was him …

Someone coughed in the silence.

Jack looked caught at the apex of anger, humiliation and disappointment. When he felt the attention of the room on him, he quickly tried to reschool his face into something more blasé and amused. He failed. Donovan had no pity for him.

There was movement in the crowd, and he saw Vivi dodging between people into the clearing that had opened around Lorelei and Jack.

Then, as if someone had sent out a signal, the conversation started again—not at its previous volume, but everyone seemed to be trying to pretend the last endless minute hadn’t happened.

“Wait.”

Eyes focused inward, Lorelei spoke softly. He’d have missed it if he hadn’t been frozen in place himself, watching her.

She inhaled and tried again. “Excuse me.”

This time her voice carried and that total silence cloaked the room again.

Lorelei swallowed hard. “First, let me apologize for that outburst. I really do try to avoid making a scene and embarrassing people. Especially myself.” She smiled weakly. “But, since I brought everyone into this, you deserve to hear the rest of it.”

She turned to Jack. “I’m sorry, Jack, but you just weren’t taking the hint. I didn’t mean to break it to you quite like that.”

Jack shrugged, obviously wishing he was anywhere but here. Lorelei addressed the crowd again.

“And, again, I apologize to y’all for interrupting your evening. But, since Vivi is probably going to kill me for making a scene tonight,” she joked, “I have something I need to say before she does.”

Lorelei’s eyes found Donovan’s in the crowd.

“I’ve been a real brat. And my priorities have been way out of whack. I have no excuse other than that I had my sights set on a goal and I totally forgot to look around me at anything else.”

Others had noticed Lorelei’s stare and followed it. A path began to open between them as people stepped back, and Donovan could feel the weight of their eyes on him. But Lorelei had him hypnotized again, and he couldn’t break free.

“I wanted respect. I wanted people to see me as not just Vivi’s little sister. The first person who did, though.” She sighed. “I didn’t quite see him. And that was wrong. Even when he pointed it out to me I still missed it. He had—and has—every right to be angry with me. I should have said this already, but I didn’t have the guts. I’m so sorry, Donovan.”

He managed a nod.

Lorelei’s lips stretched into a shaky smile. “And I realize it was probably kind of sudden and, um, not quite the way one is supposed to announce those kinds of things, but it’s true. I’m in love … with you.”

His heart felt as if it would burst in his chest, and it was hard to breathe.

There was an audible “aww” around him, as if someone had cued up a sound effect, and every single person in the room looked at him. It was obviously his move, but he didn’t quite have full motor control yet.

As the silence stretched out, he saw Lorelei’s smile start to waver.

Once again, Lorelei was able to tie his tongue, but he was able to get his feet moving. Lorelei’s smile grew a bit stronger once he moved toward her, but it was still wary. Standing in front of her, he couldn’t figure out what he wanted to say. He did the only thing he could do, the thing he’d been wanting to do: pulled her into his arms. She came willingly, easily, and her mouth landed on his with a power and promise that weakened his knees.

Vaguely he heard cheers and applause, but the only thing that registered was the feel of Lorelei melting into him, making him feel whole. He knew what that speech had cost her, and he loved her all the more for making it anyway.