Save the Date (Modern Arrangements, #1)

"What are you doing?" She looked at me with wide eyes. I swear Phoebe awed.

"Kissing my fiancée." I grinned widely.

She scowled at me, catching on to my game already. I couldn’t help but chuckle quietly. She started to stutter and I raised an eyebrow as she searched for a way to get around this.

"Not in front of my mother." She grinned back.

"Oh Lilli, kiss your man. You know I don’t mind." I smiled widely and then pressed my lips to hers. I caught her off guard but didn’t want to push it too far. I still had more to come this evening, so I pulled back. However, my lips were on fire and my body wanted to attack her.

"Okay, we better get going before Viola freaks out."

Thank you Phoebe, for breaking me out of my naughty thoughts.

"Uhhh…" Lilli stammered and I smiled wider. "Yeah, let’s go." She turned to grab her coat as I picked it up and held it out for her. She scowled at me and wrapped the coat around her.

"Shall we?" I held out my arm for her mother and then for Lilli. We headed out the door to the awaiting car.

Pulling up to the pier, I exited the car first and helped each lady from the car. Lilli eyed me suspiciously. I couldn’t help but wink at her.

Having attended weddings at Chelsea’s Pier a couple of times before, I knew this place was a beautiful spot. The fact that it would be my wedding this time, made the whole place seem to glow. Aunt Vi and the organizer she hired quickly pulled Lilli away to talk about a few things.

A few quick directions and run-throughs of the procession was all it took. It was pretty simple and I could only assume Lilli had been the one who made sure of that. Our last run-through was the first we did uninterrupted. So, when I turned seeing Lilli and Dixon approaching my breath caught.

The grin on her face was huge and she was obviously laughing at something coming from Dixon’s barely moving lips. They garnered a glare from the organizer for their actions.

Tomorrow would be the day. She would be binding herself to me, legally. Now, I just had to figure out how to get her to consummate the relationship. When the time came to finish the rehearsal of the ceremony, I made sure to pull Lilli into a lip lock that earned us some hollering and cheering. When I released her, she narrowed her eyes on me. I was going to pay. I knew it.

Once the organizer released us with her approval, we grouped together in the lobby waiting for the cars to be brought around. Decisions regarding who would ride in whose car were discussed and then we drove off to the restaurant.

We arrived to the restaurant and, while Sarah and Phoebe climbed out of the car, Lilli pulled me back towards her.

"What the hell are you doing?" she hissed in a low tone to the side of my head.

Turning my head, my lips were about half an inch from hers. It was obvious she’d been dying to get a moment to question me about all my acting.

"Playing along, so your mother believes the ‘true love’ that we share." I grinned.

"You are such a jerk." She huffed and pulled her head back.

"Hey, I’m just trying to help." I feigned innocence.

"I’m not buying it, Iverson." She hissed out before climbing over me and out the door.

I couldn’t help but laugh quietly before I climbed out behind her.

As I entered the restaurant, Lilli was handing her coat over to the coat check in. That was when I noticed her dress. The solid black satin ribbon that wrapped around her neck, the black material of the top fitted to her curves and gathered at the hollow of her neck attaching back to the ribbon; a large black bow hugged the back of her waist. The fabric began to flare out at her hips, transforming into a layer of dark gray diamonds that faded into a light silver and ended in white fabric that teased the top of her knees. Her silky arms, shoulders and back were completely bare and beautiful. Her hair was half up with loose curls hanging down. She was so beautiful. My body stirred.

~

Lilli

Oh God, if he didn’t stop I was going to drag him into the coat room. Not only did he feel the need to play it up at the apartment in front of my mother and at the rehearsal, but he was still making advances at dinner.

During dinner he slid his hand onto my thigh, somehow managing to get under my skirt. His touch sent fiery tingles to my core. When I tried to cross my legs nonchalantly, he just moved with me. Did the bastard know what he was doing to me? Could he tell?

I was talking to a few guests when he walked up from behind me, snaking his arms around my waist and brushing his lips across my shoulder. Plastering on a smile, I fought to keep my cool as I excused us from the group for a moment.

"Will you stop it?" I hissed at him in an empty hallway.

"Why? Is it getting to you?" He laughed and moved closer against my body.

"Aidan, stop it!" I hissed again. "Why are you being such a pig?"

He glared.

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