In the slight event I am not here with you today, please trust that wherever I am, I miss you dearly. I’m holding you in my heart, and pray to God you live a lifetime of happiness. No one deserves that more.
Your loving father.
Her heart squeezed in on itself as the letter shook in her gloved hand. She fought back her tears, so as not to have to redo her makeup.
Her father’s words from beyond the grave.
The door knocked again, and in stepped André.
When he saw her face, he closed the door behind him and whisked to her side. “What’s wrong?”
She forced a breath, and handed him the letter.
Watching him read the words, the realization dawning on his face, moved her to more tears.
Her brother wrapped his arms around her shoulders, and squeezed. There was no need for words. He held her until the tears stopped. Then handed her a tissue.
“I came in to see how you were doing. To tell you that you don’t have to go through with this if you don’t want to.”
She waved away his words. “I was doing perfectly fine up until that letter. And of course I want to marry Flynn.”
“How was he this morning?”
“Nervous.” Heat flushed her face. “I gave him a little present to help dispel the anxiety.”
André tilted his head. When the meaning dawned on him, he cringed. “TMI. Keep those to yourself, because I just can’t handle that from my little sister.”
“Grow up. You’re no saint.”
“True, but we are in the house of the Lord, on your wedding day. Let’s not piss Him off before the blessed event.”
Alanna straightened one of the silver stars on his uniform, his ceremonial sword dangling from his hip. “Married life suits you.”
“Care to join the club?”
She nodded. “But first, send them back in so we can fix the mess I just made of myself.”
Redoing her makeup took only a few minutes.
In no time at all, she stood before the cathedral doors, her arm tucked into the crook of André’s elbow.
The organ music on the other side of the expansive doors crescendoed, cuing the start of the ceremony.
Alanna took a deep breath.
“Hey.” André tightened his arm.
She spared him a glance.
“You need to know how proud I am of you, too.”
Warmth spread through her face, up to her ears.
He held onto her hand. “I’m sure Mother and Father are watching right now, bursting with pride as well. And telling me to stand up straighter.”
She chuckled through the lump in her throat. “I hope so.”
“It’s the ultimate honor to walk you down this aisle.”
Alanna rose up on her toes, and kissed his cheek. After blinking a few tears away, the music changed to her entrance song.
The doors swung open.
As the throngs of people stood in the pews witnessing their queen stroll the blue runner, all Alanna could see was a man at the end of the altar.
Flynn.
Grinning.
In a dazzling tailored tuxedo.
His mesmerized gaze glued on her.
Her heart nearly burst with love.
His hand moved to his heart.
She followed his green irises down the long runner, holding onto the image of the love of her life at a loss for words.
When she reached his side, André shook Flynn’s hand, and kissed her cheek. Then took his place as the best man.
Gemma stepped forward from her place as matron of honor, in her champagne colored gown, and took the large bouquet of white and baby pink roses with golden jewels.
Flynn held out his arm, and she accepted. He guided her up the last step.
“It’s official,” she murmured under her breath.
“What is?”
“I always knew from the very beginning you were a guardian angel.”
He grinned, nearly knocking her sideways.
Even a few gasps from the crowd caught her attention. Very few people outside her family had seen Gabriel Flynn smile.
She was certain the sight caused more hearts to shatter behind her.
“You’ve ruled my heart from the first moment I saw you. The only one who truly sees me.”
Alanna squeezed his arm. Amazing, how calm she was with him, as if the rows of people behind them didn’t exist.
In the front row sat a dozen heads of state from around the world.
Beside them beamed Magnus and Hannah Flynn, dressed to the nines.
The Archbishop performed the ceremony, with the pair of them never once relinquishing eye contact.
How could she, when heaven stared back at her with the love in Flynn’s face?
The way every woman deserved to be looked upon, crown or no crown.
For the ring ceremony, Alanna removed her gloves, and handed them to Gemma.
Flynn slipped on her wedding band, pausing only to rub his thumb over the thin white scar at the base of her ring and pinkie fingers.
The scar remained from the year before, where Santos Lozano had intended to remove them after he’d kidnapped her.
The same moment Flynn had come to her rescue in dramatic fashion.
Now, the threat was gone, the wounds were healed, and her heart swelled with love.
The band hid the scar, and gleamed in the cathedral’s spotlights.
Chapter FIFTEEN
Flynn
The palace drawing room doors closed behind the agents from the Royal Jewelry Collection, who now carried the royal crown safely in the fingerprint-secured case.
Flynn couldn’t keep his hands off his wife.
My wife.
He loved the way those words sounded.
Unfortunately, he had to wait. Now, as her husband, he didn’t have to leave the room as Cataline and another aide helped Alanna out of her bridal gown. Her reception gown hung in the armoire, waiting for another three people to help her into it.
The second the bridal gown was off, he cleared his throat. “Ladies, if you’ll excuse us for a moment.
Cataline smirked, and shooed the other women out of the room.
Alanna’s hungry gaze glimmered with a touch of humor.
“This morning wasn’t nearly enough,” Flynn announced, slipping out of his suspenders. He strolled up to her like a jaguar. Hungry. His strong hands roved over her bodice.
“We have a palace full of guests waiting on us.”
“Let them wait, love.” He claimed her mouth, stroking her tongue with expert efficiency. He knew how to make her melt. To make her ride the top of that wave.
Alanna covered his face with kisses, searing his skin with her sweet mouth.
“Can we start now?”
“Start what?” she whispered between licks.
He freed himself from his pants, and lifted her. Then settled on the settee with her saddling him. He guided his raging cock to her entrance, and slid home. Hissed out his pleasure. “I want to make a baby with you. Right now.”
Alanna’s face flushed, and her smile made his heart hiccup.
“You don’t waste any time, do you?”
“With you, hell no.”
Their quickie turned into a longer ride than they anticipated.
Several knocks on the door didn’t stop them.
He wanted to make sure his new wife enjoyed herself as a married woman.
Plunging her over that cliff, and he soon followed.
Alanna
She ripped off the wrapping. “This one came with no card?”
“I can’t find one.” Cataline searched around the empty table.
They’d opened all the wedding gifts.
“It’s probably inside.” Flynn sat beside Alanna and held the discarded wrapping.
André removed his tux coat and snuggled next to Gemma on the sofa in the queen’s lounge room.
All the guests had left, and everyone had danced the night away un
til the sun threatened to rise.
She reached inside the box and pulled out two smaller boxes. The first one contained a pocket knife, small and functional, with a few jewels encrusted into the handle. “Wow, that’s…strange.”
Her husband looked in the box again. “No card.”
She opened the other smaller box, and out unrolled a man’s tie.
A silk, bright, purple tie.
Her heart froze.
Flynn dropped the wrapping. “Call Stefano right now.”
She registered Gemma and André moving around her, but all she could focus on was the jeweled pocket knife.
Santos Lozano had used a similar one to nearly cut off her fingers.
The cartel leader was long dead.
But not his eldest son, Ricardo.
The man had witnessed the entire ordeal. Alanna still remembered the man’s evil sneer as he’d sat back and watched their thugs hold her down.
Along with his trusted second, Julian.
Who’d kidnapped her from Philippine authorities, and had worn a bright purple tie with his expensive suit.
Alanna could barely swallow.
Inside the small box that had contained the tie, was a small, handwritten note.
My congratulations to the happy couple.
Enjoy your happiness, while it lasts…
About the AUTHOR
Susan Sheehey writes contemporary romance and romantic suspense adventure. Water plays a crucial element in all her novels, and she’s a strong advocate for Autism awareness & acceptance. She squeezes in writing time between chauffeuring around her two boys, and guzzling down French vanilla coffee. Her beloved husband keeps her relatively sane, and full of laughter. She and her family live in Texas.
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Other Novels by Susan Sheehey
Audrey’s Promise
ROYALS OF SOLANA series
Prince of Solana
Jewel of Solana
Crown of Solana
Royal Wedding
KNIGHTS OF TEXAS series
Tell Me What You Want
Tell Me What You Crave
Tell Me What You Need
Royal Wedding Page 7