She could barely breathe as her mother pulled on the deep green satin ribbons that crisscrossed down her back and closed the bodice of her wedding dress.
“That’s good,” her mother murmured to herself, tied the ribbons shut into a tight knot, and then twisted it into a decorative bow.
Kelly reveled in the brief moment she had to look at herself in the mirror of the dressing room. The black dress wasn’t what she’d ever thought she would wear the day she said “I do.” But when she’d been looking for that perfect dress, this one stood out in a sea of white and ivory. Just like Liam stood out in a sea of mundane men, his painted skin, his perfect heart, they would be forever hers today.
The dress wasn’t too frilly, its corset was embroidered with delicate flowers, all made up of the same deep green thread as the ribbon in the back. Small emerald-colored bead work shimmered against the black satin bodice, and the skirts were made of black tulle. As she ran her hands down the center of her stomach, the material felt rich beneath her fingertips, and happy tears sprung into her eyes.
“Kelly, your make-up,” her mother admonished.
She met her mother’s gaze in the mirror and smiled. “Waterproof mascara.”
“I wish your sister could have been here today.” Her mother fussed with the skirts and averted her eyes.
“Mom, it’s fine, leave it.” Kelly turned and faced her. “I won’t let Tracey’s absence ruin this day. She’s never really been around much anyway, so unless you keep bringing it up…”
Her mother’s lips parted into a sad smile as she said, “My lips are sealed.”
Kelly gave her a half-hearted grin. “Thanks.”
Her mother fiddled with the skirts of Kelly’s dress a little more and then stepped back, her smile growing incredibly wide. “Kelly, you look…you look… like a queen.”
Kelly’s hair hung over her right shoulder in chocolate waves, and the top curve of her breasts were visible above the seam of her heart shaped bodice. She let her eyes linger along the four-inch scar on her face. Instead of trying to cover it, she’d left it clean, opting for just lipstick and a little eye make-up. Kelly had learned to look past the surface of who she was. The scar was a reminder of second chances and, instead of hating it, she’d embraced it. She really did look like a queen, and felt worthy of the new ink Liam had placed above her only other tattoo. The words His Queen were written in elegant script on her right hip, just above the four-starred crown.
“Ready?” her mother asked, and she nodded.
Kelly’s fingers began to tremble as she made her way to the door on nervous legs and heeled feet. Not once in her entire modeling career had she ever felt this exposed. She and Liam had always been so private, and even though it was only his brothers and Paige waiting for her in the small reception room, she couldn’t stop her heart from lodging in her throat with every beat. She reached out and took her mother’s hand in hopes it would steady her own.
They paused just outside the large wooden doors. Her mother looked down at their interlocked hands and then back up at her daughter. “I don’t deserve to be here, I never…I never…”
“The past is gone, Mom. Once we walk through this door, a new life begins. And I don’t care what you did or didn’t do for me back then. The man waiting for me inside, he rescued me. He saved me from it all so you didn’t have to.” The syllables were gentle and lined with forgiveness. After all, what good could come from harboring grudges? She’d almost lost Liam to bottled up anger and years of unsaid words.
Her mother’s eyes glittered as she gave Kelly one last smile and opened the door.
Wall sconces lit the room in warm light, and, as Kelly stepped in, her eyes fell to a candlelit pathway on the floor. Paige had done an amazing job decorating. Little floor lanterns cast star-shaped shadows for her to walk on, and, as she raised her head, she noticed pedestals with vases of white roses at the end of the path. She was greeted with the handsome smiles of Liam’s brothers. Both in black suits, black vests, and green ties. Paige’s eyes were spilling over, but she looked gorgeous in her little black dress. You’d never know that she’d had twins less than three months ago.
Kelly took a step closer, looking for her groom, but it wasn’t until she’d almost reached the pedestals that he came into view. Her heart fluttered and stilled inside her chest, her lungs heavy with fire as she stole each precious breath. Her mother’s whispered encouragement to keep walking was the only thing to break the spell. Liam stood next to the officiant looking effortless in his flawless, tailored black suit with a matching black vest. His dark green shirt matched the ribbon of her corset, and he’d left the top two buttons undone, his colorful ink dripping down his neck. His freshly shaven face, his strong jaw, he was entirely too touchable. But, it wasn’t how he was dressed, necessarily, that had thrown her heart into an irregular rhythm. It was the way he was looking at her.
His brown irises were black in the low light, but despite the dark color, the warmth of his stare spread across her skin. His eyes were wide open, and his full lips stretched across his face into a smile. Not in all her life, had Kelly felt so… beautiful. Under his gaze, she was the only woman in the world.
Her mother dropped her hand and said with a brightness in her voice Kelly hadn’t ever been accustomed, “No one is more deserving of happiness than you.”
Kelly, a little speechless, watched as her mother edged in next to Paige, and after a moment her gaze fell back to Liam. He chuckled and offered her his left hand. As she took the last steps toward him, her eyes fell to his open palm. The same crown on her hip was now permanently placed into the skin of his hand, along with the words, Her King. She slid her hand into his awaiting embrace, and when their fingers laced together, he pulled her softly to his side.
Liam brought his mouth to her ear, his breath tickling her skin as goose bumps spread along her neck and shoulders. “Kelly…” His voice quaked and her breath caught as he leaned back and held her face with his free hand. His thumb traced the long length of her scar. His eyes searched hers as he whispered, “I’ll never forget how fucking lucky I am to be the one standing next to you right now.”