4. Don't take the veil off

Dominic

"In sickness and in health," I echoed. "Till death do us part."

The knot in my chest loosened. The wedding vows were concluded. I stared at Ava as the priest gave permission to kiss the bride. She tensed beside me, looking away for a minute. Again, I wondered if she really wanted this. She'd been silent for the most part of the ceremony and the whole time, I'd half expected her to bail.

The priest gestured for me to go on and I turned to her. I lifted her veil halfway and touched my lips to hers before pulling back almost immediately. Her parents had announced they wanted her veil to be down at all times for some reason. It didn't matter that the wedding was being streamed by over five million people. None of them were going to see her face.

I hadn't even seen her face yet.

Cheers erupted after our kiss as we made our way to the dance floor. I snaked my arm around her waist and gently brought her body flush against mine. She drew in a quick breath, but it might as well have been my imagination. I couldn't help but think that it was about to a long few weeks of hell.

Despite the fact that our marriage was a sham, I knew I wouldn't go against my wedding vows by sleeping with Leana. Leana and I had spoken about.it, and thankfully, she understood. Still, it didn't mean I was about to get intimate with my new bride. It didn't matter how good she smelled or how well she fit against me.

An uncomfortable silence descended as we danced. I cleared my throat, feeling the need to make conversation. "Still going to keep the veil on?" I asked, twirling her around and briefly meeting her eyes before looking over her shoulder once again. Up close, I could slightly make out some of her features.

She lifted her head, but didn't meet my eyes. "Yeah."

I waited for her to say more. She didn't. My eyebrow arched. It seemed my new bride wasn't interested in making conversation. "You're not being forced into this, are you?" I asked after a beat. I could take my parents coercing me into this, but somehow the thought that hers had done the same didn't sit well with me.

A startled laugh escaped her and then she shook her head no. We didn't talk for the rest of our dance and soon enough, it was time to dance with others. I let go of her as my mother joined me on the dance floor. Still furious over what she’d forced me into, my body instantly tensed. "Thank you, Dominic." She said softly.

I didn't respond, grinding my jaws together. From the corner of my eyes, I spotted Ava slipping out of the hall. I gave my mother a small bow before excusing myself. My parents were the last people I wanted to be with right now. I headed in the same direction Ava had taken and met with an empty hallway.

I walked down a little further to find myself outside the building. It didn't take long for me to spot her. Inhaling a steadying breath, I headed towards her. We had to find a common ground if we were going to make this work. Her head snapped up at the sound of my footsteps, and the surprise on my face mirrored in her eyes.

She'd taken her veil off.

And by God, was she the most beautiful woman I'd laid my eyes on.

She tried to reach for her her veil, but I was quicker than her. Her mouth fell open in shock as she stared at the piece of clothing in my hand. "You know," I began casually. "I was beginning to think I was getting married to a troll." She shot me a dirty look, but there was a look in her eyes I couldn't quite pinpoint.

"Haha." She replied sarcastically.

Somehow her dry response caught me off guard. I was nice to know she had some fire in her. I'd watched the way she'd went along with whatever her parents had asked. "I say we start over," I heard myself suggest. I stretched my hand out. "I'm Dominic."

She eyed my hand for a second, before tentatively taking it in hers.

I ignored the sizzle I felt when her skin came in contact with mine. I'd convinced myself all the times we'd touched before now that I'd imagine the spark between us. "I'm.. Ava." She introduced back, watching me closely. I parted lips to continue the conversation, but she immediately cut in. "Can I have my veil back please?"

I twirled the white cloth, meeting her clear blue eyes. "No." I deadpanned, holding her gaze firmly. A second passed and then she leaped in attempt to pull the veil from my hands. Again, I was quicker. I lifted my hand, successfully keeping the veil out of her reach and causing her to land against my chest.

I stared down, directly into her eyes, and my breath caught in my throat. Gods, she really was beautiful. Her hands were flat against my chest, and I wondered if she could feel how wildly my heart was beating. Neither of us pulled away, standing as though we were caught in a spell.

A throat cleared a few feet from us.

I watched her jump back as though she'd been burned. Pressing my lips together, I handed her the veil before turning to see who the intruder was. Liam stood to the side, his arms folded across his chest with a mischievous smirk on his face. Ava excused herself and hurried back inside the hall.

I turned to Liam. "Shut it." I warned.

He raised his hands up in surrender, the corner of us lips still lifted in a smirk. "I'm happy for you man. Was beginning to believe she was hideous under that veil."

I flipped him off before making a show of ignoring him and heading back inside.