“Infine, finally,” Guliana exclaimed pulling Loraine forward and pushing her down into the chair in front of the mirror. “Quick, fix her hair and makeup. There is not time, hurry, fretta!”
She barked at the two ladies who stood behind her and they jumped into action like soldiers at a drill. Guliana had been Riana’s stylist in Venice almost three years ago. She was the one who put Riana in a golden dress for dinner that apparently had all the men’s jaws dragging the ground and women glaring daggers the entire night, or so Riana says. Her best friend didn’t exactly do over the top sexy so Loraine had a hard time believing her but the disappearance of that dress did convince her some. She’d only seen that dress once when she was helping Riana arrange her closet and Allan was the chief suspect for its vanishing into thin air. Loraine never took him as a magician but he was the jealous type. So it was probably cut up into little pieces then burned or buried.
“Do something about the bags under her eyes. They are not very attractive, molto brutto.”
Loraine turned to face her but her head was quickly turned back around. “Hey, I don’t know what that means but I have a perfectly good excuse for them!”
Loraine saw Melody, Allan’s younger sister, chuckle through the mirror, seated on the couch with Aurora on her lap. “Yeah, it’s called drinking and jetlag. Who gets drunk right after getting off a seven hour flight?”
Someone who wants to have a dreamless night, Loraine thought to herself.
“We were celebrating the last days of Riana’s freedom.”
Melody snorted. “The way you were drinking, I thought we were sending you off to prison the very next day.”
Loraine stuck her tongue out at her and Melody returned the gesture in kind. A few seconds later, Aurora did the same thing making them laugh. Loraine had always had to watch herself, especially her language, around the impressionable little girl. She had a habit of repeating what she heard, especially if the word was difficult to pronounce. She would repeat it and repeat it until she got it right.
“Anyone notice the guest of honor didn’t touch her drink?” Amy commented conspiratorially.
The brunette bombshell Amy first name Cindi, was Matthew’s wife. Apparently, she went by her middle name because of all the stupid Cinderella jokes her first name brought on. Of course, it didn’t help that her life story closely resembled the Disney princess by marriage. Matthew the hottest man Loraine had ever set her eyes on, and, to her chagrin, happily married, and was Allan’s best friend. He was the one who forcefully brought Allan back to the States from his self-imposed exile after Riana’s supposed death. They made quite a couple, like a married Adonis and Artemis and yet quite humble—something very rarely seen in gorgeous and wealthy people. And their son Mark… wow! The kid was only three and he was already a stunner.
But Loraine didn’t see any hope in his dating future. Aurora had already laid claim to him. There was no place he was that Aurora wasn’t and she made sure he followed her around wherever she went. And he would, with a resigned look on his face like he had an invisible leash around his neck. Loraine couldn’t wait to see how that would turn out once they were old enough to understand romance.
Melody gasped. “You don’t think… Loraine!”
Loraine shook her head still before the hairdresser forced it. “I don’t know a thing,” she lied, “maybe it was just nerves, and she did want to have a fresh face when she woke up.”
“Unlike some people,” Guliana mumbled under her breath.
Loraine narrowed her eyes at her and she looked back with a wide eyed innocent look. Yeah right! “Aren’t you supposed to be pulling dresses or something?”
She shrugged and walked away with a hoity toss of her head.
“Nervous? I don’t think so. Did you see how she was this morning? She was walking around like it was any other day.” Amy shook her head. “I was a nervous wreck the morning of my wedding.”
“Nervous enough to run?” Loraine joked.
She’d always wondered what went through the minds of the brides who waited until they were a few feet away from the altar before they turned around and made a mad dash for the exit. Like, at that particular moment, when her groom was looking at her with so much love, waiting for her with anxious expectation to make her his wife, she has an epiphany and realizes the mistake she was about to make. Why couldn’t she realize that a week before or an hour before and save the groom the embarrassment of being jilted at the altar?
Amy chuckled, shaking her head. “By the time I got to Matthew at the altar, I was in the middle of a panic attack.”
Loraine laughed. “Oh, he must have been impressed with that!”
“Oh, I remember that. Allan was asking around for a paper bag for you to breathe into!” Melody chimed in with a giggle.
“I thought Matthew would be angry. But he just looked at me, took my face in his big hands and planted one on me. For the few seconds he was kissing me, I completely forgot what I was nervous about,” she giggled. “Heck! I even forgot where I was,” she said with a sigh.
Loraine caught the sweet loving look on Amy’s face as she traveled down memory lane and she felt her heart twinge with jealousy. She wished she had a reason for that look too.
“Where is the bride?” Melody asked.
“Right here.” Riana stepped into view and Loraine had to stand up and turn around to get a better look.
“Oh my God,” Loraine whispered in awe as she looked at her friend. Riana looked mesmerizing in her princess ball gown dress.
The bodice was studded with small crystals in an intricate pattern. The white satin of the skirt of the dress flowed out around her and when she turned full circle, it resembled a ringing bell. She had a small tiara seated perfectly in her hair that it looked more like a hair band. Riana hadn’t liked it much but Aurora had insisted on her getting a matching one to her own little tiara and Riana folded. But the little hellion was right—it looked wonderful with her hair style. Her white veil reached her waist, covering the back of her hair and her exposed back. Her makeup was light and natural, accentuating her facial features and not acting like a mask like it does on most brides.
“You look beautiful,” Melody sniffed.
“No! No cry. No time to redo makeup. Time for dressing.” Guliana shoved a Champaign dress at Loraine with a sarcastic smile. “I pulled your dress. Hurry, you are the only one still in your robe and the bride is the only one allowed to be fashionably late.” Then she walked away taking Aurora’s hand and leading her to the room to dress her.
The room erupted in laughter except for Loraine.
Riana stepped before a full length mirror to admire herself. “Don’t go toe to toe with Guliana, Loraine. You won’t win.”
Loraine snickered with a roll of her eyes before she stomped into her room and banged the door behind her to mute the laughter. “Damn Italian stylist!”
What to find out how we got to this wedding in Italy? Checkout Won Him At A Billionaire Auction!
Reno walked up the aisle toward the groom and the best man. Most men would be nervous about signing away their freedom but Allan looked completely relaxed. In fact, he looked like the ceremony of thirty of their friends, family, and Allan’s business associates was nothing but a formal party. He had no fears of the bride bolting or the nervousness that came with signing away a man’s bachelorhood for the responsibilities of a family. He looked quite ready to get the entire thing over with, without the least bit hurry to say the ‘I dos’ so that he could start breathing again. Reno remembered feeling that same way on his wedding day. It had been a small affair with a pastor and two of his resort managers standing in as witnesses. Neither of them had family in New Providence nor could he afford the plane ticket out for Riana. He’d felt like his life was about to take the next step to a wonderful journey. Like finally things were starting to go right in his life. How wrong he’d been. The o
They had spoken the night before about Ruiz. Allan hadn’t met him yet but he’d invited Ruiz to be one of his groomsmen to even the number out. Reno had been roped into being a groomsman too, though he preferred to act as the father of the bride for the night and nothing else. He’d helped raise Riana and he wanted to watch her live her special day and not risk ruining it.The pit of his stomach still churned knowing she was about to be married. He was scared that her marriage wouldn’t work out and he didn’t want to watch her heart break for another two and a half years over the same man. His stomach churned for another reason too—he didn’t want to share his sister. He hadn’t realized how much he missed having her around until she left Bahamas for the States.His little sister was getting married, and it made him as nervous as hell!“Reno, how are you?” Allan greeted them with a smile.Reno smiled back. “Great, but this guy is so nervous he’s beginning to annoy me,” Reno stood to the si
Loraine watched the couples’ first dance with mixed emotions. She was truly happy for them, but yet again she was envious. Riana stared up at her husband like a gold digger would stare at a fifteen carat diamond; like he was complete perfection and the best thing in the world. And Allan—this is where the envy came in—looked down at her like there was no one else in the world but her. Like she was his center and his life line and nothing else existed but her. God, why can’t I find a guy who looks at me like that, with so much love? This was one of the things that she always knew, wished she could teach her parents and grandparents: that true love and happiness didn’t come from money. Considering how fake and sad her grandparents’ marriages were, one would think it was self-explanatory. She wrapped her arms around her mid, hugging herself tightly. Between the nightmares about the psycho and lacking that special someone since, she felt so alone. The feeling drowned her. She chuckled t
Are you kidding me! She thought feeling the corded muscle under her hand. A resort owner should not be this buff! What reason does he have to keep his body so perfect!“True, but the only reason for that was because we were both worried about Riana.”His shoulder flexed under her hand and the grip on her hand tightened, swallowing her hand completely.She held back a groan, from pure sexual agony. He keeps this up, and I’m going to be like a bitch in heat!When he went silent, she gave in and looked up at him. He was staring to the side, a shy smile playing on his lips, and when she followed his gaze it was settled on Riana. She was cuddled in Allan’s arms, her head on his chest, her eyes closed and a sweet smile on her lips. She looked content and at peace, happy to be in his arms.“She doesn’t resemble the lost girl she was two months ago.”Reno grunted his response.
Reno was ready to kill Loraine for laughing but the confused stare Riana gave him had him frozen. What exactly could he say? ‘I didn’t want you to know him so I didn’t tell you his race?’Reno knew Riana was only following his lead when he’d asked their mother never to speak of that man. That day, he’d walked in on their mother trying to explain things to Riana and he heard the loving way she’d said his name and that was all it took for Reno to lose his temper and forbid their mother from ever mentioning him in their home again. She’d tried to reason with him, but Reno had just come from an all night shift at a textile factory and had only four hours before he had to be at his other weekend job. He was bone tired and his patience was shot worrying about everything, including wondering how he was going to finish high school, if the bills kept piling up. The last thing he needed to hear was the reason as to why he had to work to h
Loraine dropped her bags at the door, feeling every minute of the long and uncomfortable seven hour flight in her body. And of course the guilt of taking off and leaving Reno sound asleep in her bed. She pressed the heel of her palms against her closed eyes. Damn, she really thought she could do it this time. She’d felt it—the lust, the desire. She’d even felt safe in his arms… it was Reno, Riana’s big brother. He would never hurt her. And I know that! Her thoughts screamed. But the moment all their clothes were gone and his large body crawled over hers… her muscles stiffened and her joints locked in place. Suddenly she couldn’t breathe. She felt suffocated and held down, completely trapped by his huge body. The panic rose, tears flooded her eyes and she began to cry. Reno launched off her so fast he tripped but stayed on his feet after clumsily backing away from her. She sat up, pulled her knees to her chest and hid her shame filled face in them as she cried. It had taken seeing t
Loraine watched her father as he paced in front of her in the living room cursing up a storm. Her mother on the other hand, sat next to her, moving between nervously wringing her hands and smothering Loraine with hugs—which she particularly didn’t mind at the time, considering the situation.She liked this kind of mothering—her mother had her wrapped in a blanket, filling her with cup after cup of tea that was meant to calm Loraine but didn’t seem to have the desired effect on herself. The kind of mothering Loraine didn’t like was the nagging her mother called training to be a proper lady worthy to be married to American royalty.Loraine had called her debutante ball her auctioning ceremony where all the other fathers could examine her like a horse and see if she was befitting for their sons before one of them put her on reserve until said son was ready to marry.Such bullshit! It was so ridiculous that sometimes she wished she didn
Reno stood at the beach shore, his feet sinking in the white sand as the tide washed in, lapping at his ankles. This was his favorite time of day, when the sky was orange-red as the sun set in the horizon, the blue ocean sparkling with the final rays of sun light. Even the cool evening air smelled sweeter and he loved the feel of it against his skin. Like the gentle caress of a lover, blowing into his clothes and touching every inch of his skin with its cool soft touch as a loving mistress would.He closed his eyes, leaned his head back and spread his arms wide. He always felt free in the arms of his mistress. The one female in his life he loved without reserve. She was always there for him, never leaving, always ready and willing to help ease his heavy mind and strangled heart.And right at that moment, the one thing weighing on him was Loraine Larson.Everything had gone so well until that moment…They had danced till the wee hours of the morning