Chapter 7

For one second, I wondered if I had imagined him.

“What did you say?”

Dominic’s expression didn’t change.

“Yes.”

Behind me, the ballroom erupted.

Not loudly at first.

A wave of whispers.

Gasps.

Chairs shifting.

Then Daniel said, very clearly, “Well, that happened.”

I closed my eyes for half a second.

When I opened them, Dominic was still standing there.

Still calm.

Still looking at me like I had asked whether he wanted coffee instead of marriage.

“You’re serious.”

“Yes.”

“You understand I mean today.”

“I assumed you did.”

I stared at him.

There had to be something wrong with this man.

“You don’t want to ask why?”

“I can.”

“But?”

“But I don’t need the answer before I say yes.”

That made even less sense.

“Dominic—”

“Natalie!”

Ryan’s voice cut across the ballroom.

Of course.

I turned.

He was standing near the entrance with his father behind him.

Apparently the Colemans had not left after all.

Ryan looked furious.

Not embarrassed.

Not hurt.

Furious.

As if I had stolen something from him.

He crossed the ballroom so quickly people moved out of his way.

“What the hell are you doing?”

Dominic stepped slightly closer to me.

Not in front of me.

Beside me.

The difference mattered.

“I think that was obvious,” I said.

Ryan stopped several feet away.

His gaze went from me to Dominic.

“You.”

Dominic’s face went blank.

“Coleman.”

The dislike between them was immediate.

Old.

I had seen Ryan angry with Dominic before, but never like this.

“You think this is funny?”

“No.”

“You’re going to marry my fiancée?”

“Former fiancée,” I corrected.

Ryan ignored me.

Dominic didn’t.

His eyes stayed on mine when he answered.

“If Natalie wants to marry me, yes.”

Ryan laughed.

It was sharp and ugly.

“You barely know her.”

“Neither did you, apparently.”

The ballroom went silent again.

Daniel coughed into his hand.

I almost smiled.

Ryan’s face darkened.

“This is between Natalie and me.”

Dominic finally looked at him.

“No. It isn’t.”

“You have no idea what happened upstairs.”

“I know enough.”

My stomach tightened.

Enough?

Ryan stepped forward.

“You’re taking advantage of her because she’s upset.”

Dominic’s expression didn’t move.

“Did she look upset when she asked me?”

“She’s angry.”

“She’s allowed to be.”

“She’s making a mistake.”

Dominic glanced at me.

“Are you?”

“No.”

He looked back at Ryan.

“There you are.”

Something about the ease of it almost made me laugh.

Ryan was used to controlling conversations.

Dominic simply refused to participate in the version Ryan wanted.

“Natalie,” Ryan said through clenched teeth, “come upstairs.”

“No.”

“We need to talk.”

“We already did.”

“You’re not marrying him.”

I looked at him.

There it was again.

That certainty.

That belief that my decisions belonged to him.

“I am.”

His face changed.

“You can’t.”

“I can.”

“You don’t have a marriage license.”

Dominic spoke before I could.

“That won’t be a problem.”

I turned to him.

“What?”

Ryan did too.

Dominic reached into the inside pocket of his jacket and pulled out his phone.

“We can have the paperwork handled.”

“Handled how?” I asked.

“Quickly.”

“Today?”

“Yes.”

Ryan stared at him.

“You came prepared to get married?”

For the first time, Dominic’s gaze sharpened.

“I came prepared.”

That was not the same answer.

And somehow it felt worse.

My grandfather approached us.

“Dominic.”

“Mr. Bennett.”

“You understand what she’s asking.”

“I do.”

“And you’re still saying yes?”

“Yes.”

Grandpa studied him for a long moment.

Dominic didn’t look away.

Finally, Grandpa nodded once.

“Then we’ll need to change the arrangements.”

Mom made a startled sound.

“Dad.”

Grandpa looked at her.

“She wants to marry him.”

“She wanted to marry Ryan this morning.”

“And now she doesn’t.”

“That’s exactly my point.”

I reached for Mom’s hand.

“I know how this looks.”

“Do you?”

“Yes.”

She searched my face.

“This is not a decision you can undo tomorrow.”

“I know.”

That was why I was making it.

Ryan had already ruined one life.

I refused to let him touch this one.

Mom squeezed my hand.

Then she looked at Dominic.

“Are you going to hurt my daughter?”

Dominic answered immediately.

“No.”

The certainty in his voice made something in my chest shift.

Mom seemed to hear it too.

Her expression softened slightly.

Ryan scoffed.

“This is insane.”

Daniel looked at him.

“And yet somehow still less insane than bringing your pregnant mistress to your wedding.”

Serena had appeared behind Ryan.

Her face was pale.

Her hand rested over her stomach.

I wondered how long she had been standing there.

Ryan turned toward me one last time.

“You’re really doing this.”

“Yes.”

“With him.”

“Yes.”

His jaw tightened.

“You’ll regret it.”

I almost laughed.

He had no idea how much I already regretted.

Just not this.

Dominic leaned closer.

“Do you want to continue the ceremony here?”

I looked at him.

“You’re asking me?”

“You’re the bride.”

The bride.

Not his possession.

Not a problem to manage.

My throat tightened.

“Yes.”

“All right.”

He picked up his phone.

I watched him unlock it.

“Who are you calling?”

“My lawyer.”

“For what?”

“The license. The officiant. Whatever else we need.”

“That can all be done in eight minutes?”

Dominic looked at the clock.

“Six now.”

I stared at him.

“Dominic.”

“Yes?”

“Why do I get the feeling you’ve done this before?”

For the first time, something unreadable crossed his face.

Then he looked at me and said quietly,

“Because, Natalie, this isn’t the first time I’ve thought about marrying you.”