Scarlett's eyes twinkled mischievously up at mine. "I thought the killer limo oral was my surprise."
"As tempting and accurate as that is—my oral is killer," Frankie said directly behind her. "I'm taken by this spicy little Brazilian babe on my arm."
Scarlett turned, recognition lit her face, and she squealed in delight.
Totally worth it.
The women, all three of them, hit it off. How could they not, after that introduction?
I'm biased, of course, but the movie was brilliant. Scarlett stole every scene.
There were a few parts that I had a hard time watching. A bit more skin than I'd have liked to share with the world, a lot more touching than I wanted to see, but I bore it in silence and with good grace. It was my issue, not hers. This was her art, her craft, and I'd be damned before I'd be the ass that told her how to express it.
She'd always been one that took self-criticism to new extremes, but even she admitted that she was happy with her performance and with the movie as a whole.
When the lights came on, she was watching my face, a grin on hers.
There was a twist to her smile always, but just then, she was happy.
As was I.
"Scarlett Theroux," I told her with quiet reverence. "I will love you to the end of my days. There aren't a lot of guarantees in life, but that is one of them."
"I know, lover. I don't doubt it for a second. You've earned that."
*****
"They say marriages are made in heaven. But so is thunder and lightning."
~Clint Eastwood
SCARLETT
For months I'd waffled between wanting a huge wedding and saying to hell with it and just eloping.
But Dante had promised Mercy that she could be a flower girl, and I really, really liked dressing up, so we settled for small but lavish.
And most importantly of all. Quick.
We took a small entourage to an extravagant Durant property in southern Italy and threw one hell of a party.
I wore a champagne lace Givenchy number that made every other dress in the room have a small, intense orgasm as I passed by.
And red Louboutins, of course. Because shoe porn.
Leona was my maid of honor, Demi a bridesmaid.
They'd both been even more shocked than I had when they found out about Farrah. Shocked and disgusted.
The girls hadn't even had to kick her out. She'd disappeared one night amid the Adelaide fallout. None of us heard from her again. Good riddance.
Gina was my third and final bridesmaid. When I asked her to do it, she cried like I'd just granted her a wish. I still wonder all the time what I ever did to deserve such sweet, amazing people in my life.
Bastian was the best man, but his fiancée was not invited. Just no. Never. I was still waiting for her to die in a fire.
I live on hope.
The groomsmen were rounded out with Eugene and Anton. I was more surprised than anyone was when I introduced Dante to Anton and the two men actually became friends.
There weren't many attendees beyond the wedding party, and that was perfect with me. It was a beautiful, happy day, filled with laughter, friends, and love.
We both had tears in our eyes as we watched our gorgeous little flower girl decorate the small path to the altar for us. But they were happy tears. Progress.
"Marriage is the most valuable, treasured friendship of your life," the officiate began.
I won't lie, we barely heard the rest, but at least it was a strong start.
Dante and I were having a moment, staring at each other, thanking the powers that be that in spite of everything, in spite of ourselves, somehow we'd ended up here. Together. Joined.
Whole again.
"Dante Durant, love of my life," I said at the end, still drowning in his ocean deep eyes, my mascara a mess down my face. "There aren't a lot of guarantees in life, but I promise you this: I will never lose my faith in you again."
I saw in the way his face fell and lifted, the way his eyes melted at me, that I'd said the right thing, what he'd needed to hear. What I'd needed to say.
It took me time to make peace with the decisions Dante had made, even after I'd come to understand them. He hadn't had a lot of choices and his priority, as ever, had been to protect me.
It took me longer to come to terms with the fallout I had caused as a result.
Some wounds time couldn't heal, this I had always known.
But what I learned, even as I learned what it meant to forgive, was that some wounds it could.
It was a revelation to me.
I had forgiven him and he me.
But perhaps most important of all, I had learned to forgive myself.
BOOKS BY R.K. LILLEY
THE LOVE IS WAR DUET
BREAKING HIM
BREAKING HER
THE WILD SIDE SERIES
THE WILD SIDE
IRIS
DAIR
THE OTHER MAN
TYRANT - COMING SOON
THE UP IN THE AIR SERIES
IN FLIGHT
MILE HIGH
GROUNDED
MR. BEAUTIFUL
LANA (AN UP IN THE AIR COMPANION NOVELLA)
AUTHORITY - COMING SOON
THE TRISTAN & DANIKA SERIES
BAD THINGS
ROCK BOTTOM
LOVELY TRIGGER
THE HERETIC DAUGHTERS SERIES
BREATHING FIRE
CROSSING FIRE - COMING SOON
THE BISHOP BROTHERS SERIES
BOSS - COMING SOON