The Taming of a Wild Child (17 page)

Jack reached for her hand and Lorelei snatched it back. “Damn it, Jack,
no
.”

The fact Lorelei was shouting was almost as shocking as her words. Heads started to turn in her direction.

“You’re not listening to me. I’m in love with someone else!”

All conversation in the room stopped. Every eye in the room focused on Lorelei, who went from angry to horrified in under three seconds. Her face turned the color of her dress as she realized what she’d done.

Donovan’s shock at Lorelei’s shout had delayed his brain in the processing of her words. When they finally registered, he thought his heart might have stopped beating.
Love
. That happy, content feeling he’d had was love—and the hollow, achy feeling in his stomach now was him suffering because she didn’t love him and had left him. The feelings were so alien and strange he hadn’t realized what they were, but now he did. The big question was whether the “someone else” was him …

Someone coughed in the silence.

Jack looked caught at the apex of anger, humiliation and disappointment. When he felt the attention of the room on him, he quickly tried to reschool his face into something more blasé and amused. He failed. Donovan had no pity for him.

There was movement in the crowd, and he saw Vivi dodging between people into the clearing that had opened around Lorelei and Jack.

Then, as if someone had sent out a signal, the conversation started again—not at its previous volume, but everyone seemed to be trying to pretend the last endless minute hadn’t happened.

“Wait.”

Eyes focused inward, Lorelei spoke softly. He’d have missed it if he hadn’t been frozen in place himself, watching her.

She inhaled and tried again. “Excuse me.”

This time her voice carried and that total silence cloaked the room again.

Lorelei swallowed hard. “First, let me apologize for that
outburst. I really do try to avoid making a scene and embarrassing people. Especially myself.” She smiled weakly. “But, since I brought everyone into this, you deserve to hear the rest of it.”

She turned to Jack. “I’m sorry, Jack, but you just weren’t taking the hint. I didn’t mean to break it to you quite like that.”

Jack shrugged, obviously wishing he was anywhere but here. Lorelei addressed the crowd again.

“And, again, I apologize to y’all for interrupting your evening. But, since Vivi is probably going to kill me for making a scene tonight,” she joked, “I have something I need to say before she does.”

Lorelei’s eyes found Donovan’s in the crowd.

“I’ve been a real brat. And my priorities have been way out of whack. I have no excuse other than that I had my sights set on a goal and I totally forgot to look around me at anything else.”

Others had noticed Lorelei’s stare and followed it. A path began to open between them as people stepped back, and Donovan could feel the weight of their eyes on him. But Lorelei had him hypnotized again, and he couldn’t break free.

“I wanted respect. I wanted people to see me as not just Vivi’s little sister. The first person who did, though.” She sighed. “I didn’t quite see
him
. And that was wrong. Even when he pointed it out to me I still missed it. He had—and has—every right to be angry with me. I should have said this already, but I didn’t have the guts. I’m so sorry, Donovan.”

He managed a nod.

Lorelei’s lips stretched into a shaky smile. “And I realize it was probably kind of sudden and, um, not
quite
the
way one is supposed to announce those kinds of things, but it’s true. I’m in love … with you.”

His heart felt as if it would burst in his chest, and it was hard to breathe.

There was an audible
“aww”
around him, as if someone had cued up a sound effect, and every single person in the room looked at him. It was obviously his move, but he didn’t quite have full motor control yet.

As the silence stretched out, he saw Lorelei’s smile start to waver.

Once again, Lorelei was able to tie his tongue, but he was able to get his feet moving. Lorelei’s smile grew a bit stronger once he moved toward her, but it was still wary. Standing in front of her, he couldn’t figure out what he wanted to say. He did the only thing he could do, the thing he’d been wanting to do: pulled her into his arms. She came willingly, easily, and her mouth landed on his with a power and promise that weakened his knees.

Vaguely he heard cheers and applause, but the only thing that registered was the feel of Lorelei melting into him, making him feel whole. He knew what that speech had cost her, and he loved her all the more for making it anyway.

Someone cleared her throat. “Might I suggest you finish your conversation somewhere private?” Vivi asked. “Connor’s office is available.”

Lorelei flushed and looked embarrassed, but she nodded at her sister. Twining her fingers through his, she tugged gently. “This way.”

In the quiet semi-darkness of Connor’s office, he finally found his voice again. “You made a bit of a scene there.”

“I know.”

“What are all those people going to think?”

She grabbed the lapels of his jacket and walked backward, towing him toward Connor’s desk. She boosted herself up and pulled him close. “I honestly do not care.”

His hands went to her waist as he stepped between her legs. The hem of her dress slid dangerously up her thighs. “Really?”

She tipped her face up for another kiss. “Really.”

“Surely you care just a little bit?” he teased.

She shook her head. “I set out to prove people wrong, and I’ve accomplished that. I wanted to change their minds, and though you say that’s not possible—and you might be right—I finally realized I honestly don’t care. What can they do to me that’s worse than what I’ve already done to myself?”

“And what
did
you do to yourself?”

“I drove you away.” She shrugged. “I know that’s technically considered something done to you, but I’ve been pretty miserable about it. I don’t even
want
to be a junior member of the Women’s Auxiliary Guild, so it hardly seemed right that I’d have to sacrifice you to gain it.” Her hands rested on his shoulders, her fingers idly caressing the back of his neck as she spoke. Then her fingers stilled. “I am really sorry.”

“Me, too. I changed the rules in the middle of the game and expected you to play. And then I got mad when you didn’t. You were right about me. I am a pompous, blow-hard jerk.”

That earned him a grin. “And I’m just the bratty princess to handle you.”

An eyebrow went up in challenge.

“If you’re willing to give this another shot, that is. A proper one this time.”

He inhaled, letting her scent curl through him. Meeting her eyes evenly, he said the one thing he’d been trying
to deny this whole time. “I love you, Lorelei.” Saying it out loud made it real—and a little scary. But he wasn’t worried that he might have the emotion wrong: his whole body felt better and his mind felt clearer once he said it.

“And I love you.”

All the things he’d set out to accomplish and prove in his life paled in comparison to knowing that Lorelei loved him. “I just wish you’d told me
before
you told the rest of New Orleans.”

She pretended to think. “There are a
few
people who still don’t know. I’ll work on that tomorrow.”

“There’s a reporter for the paper out there.”

“I know. Evelyn Jones. The same woman who speculated about my bad behavior with you before. She must be feeling quite vindicated at the moment.” Lorelei bit her lip and let her hands slide down his chest toward his belt buckle. “Maybe we should
really
give her something to talk about …”

I
T WAS A SMALL
crowd—just their families and a few friends. Less than fifty people, total. Lorelei had been to bigger children’s birthday parties.

She wore white, because that was what brides wore, but the dress was neither pouffy nor big—just a simple sheath. Vivi was her only attendant, and she looked elegant and ethereal in silvery-blue. Both Donovan’s brothers had stood up with him, making the numbers uneven, but it didn’t really matter to anyone except the photographer, who kept grumbling that the pictures would be asymmetrical.

Connor had laughed when she’d asked to use the studio for her wedding, but she’d thrown enough parties here that it was where she felt most comfortable. It had taken a while for her family to get over the fact that Lorelei didn’t want to get married in the cathedral with half of the city in attendance—especially since she would have had to invite a bunch of people who would be
tsk
ing under their breath the whole time because she was marrying outside of the fold.

Not that she cared what they thought or what they said, but she wasn’t going to feed them while they shook their heads and whispered about her.

Plus, she was sentimental enough to want to make it
permanent in the same space where she’d admitted to Donovan that she loved him for the first time.

So this wedding was exactly what she wanted—from the small guest list to the simple flowers and all of Donovan’s favorite foods. Food had been the only thing Donovan expressed a preference on—he’d wanted to elope to Vegas, and when she nixed that idea he’d taken over the menu. It wasn’t your normal wedding reception food, but she didn’t care.

Lorelei’s cheeks hurt from smiling so much, but they weren’t fake smiles worn for the crowd. She was just happy.

Donovan was on one of the sofas, talking to his brother, but when she joined them, Matt excused himself. She leaned against Donovan’s broad chest and sighed.

“Everything okay?”

“Everything’s perfect. Just resting my feet for a second.”

“When will you learn not to wear shoes that kill your feet?”

She extended one leg to examine her shoes. She’d painted her toenails the same silvery-blue as Vivi’s dress. “But they’re so pretty.” When Donovan raised an eyebrow at her, she confessed, “I have flats in my bag if I need them. I’ve learned my lesson well.”

He took her hand and twined his fingers through hers. “Your grandmother is not happy.”

“I’m the first LaBlanc not to marry in the cathedral in like a hundred years. Of course she’s not happy about that. She’s not convinced this is truly legit.”

Donovan sighed. “We’re going to have to go see the priest and get this blessed or something, aren’t we?”

“Only if I hope to be in the will.” The background
music stopped at the same time the buzz of conversation did, and Lorelei looked around. “What’s going on?”

In answer to her question, she saw Connor seated at the piano.

Donovan stood and held out a hand. “How badly do your feet hurt?”

“They’re okay.”

“Good. Because we’re supposed to dance now.”

She let Donovan lead her to the middle of the room as Connor played the opening bars of one of his songs. It seemed it was rather handy having a brother-in-law who was a rock star.

As always, it felt good—and right—to be held against Donovan’s chest. She could feel the beat of his heart, and that special smell of him filled her lungs as she inhaled.

“Always remember …”
Connor sang, and Lorelei couldn’t imagine a more perfect moment.
“You and me, and the magic of this day.”

The hand on her lower back moved gently in time with the music, keeping her close, making her feel safe.

“Today I’m giving you my heart.”

She looked up at Donovan. “I did that a while ago.”

His smile made her heart flip over. “I know. This just makes it legal.”

“Today I’m giving you my love
.

Today I’m giving you my all
.

Promise me, you’ll save me …”

“I love you, Lorelei St. James.”

“Lorelei St. James.” It still felt a little funny to say it, but … “I kinda like the sound of that.”

“Today I’m giving you my hand
.

Today we’ll say ‘I do.’

So always remember …”

She chuckled and Donovan looked at her. “What?”

“It still bums me out a little that I don’t remember our first night together.”

“You’ll have to trust me when I tell you that it wasn’t our best effort. All the nights you do remember are
way
better.”

“What about tonight?”

The look Donovan gave her should have melted her on the spot. “Oh, tonight’s going to be amazing. Definitely one to remember. Are you up to it?”

“Are you kidding me? I may be a St. James now, but I’m still a LaBlanc. And LaBlancs
love
a challenge.” She rose up on her tiptoes. “But more than any challenge, I love
you
.”

All the characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author, and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all the incidents are pure invention.

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First published in Great Britain 2013
by Mills & Boon, an imprint of Harlequin (UK) Limited.
Harlequin (UK) Limited, Eton House, 18-24 Paradise Road,
Richmond, Surrey TW9 1SR

© Kimberly Kerr 2013

**Copyright notice: “Today” ©2012 C. Lynn.
All rights reserved. Used by permission.

eISBN: 978-1-472-00179-5