“I have nothing to say at the moment.” Except I want to take you somewhere private and kiss you and tell you I’m pregnant with our child. “We’re supposed to be here for our parents, so I’m here.”
“Please, Olivia. Let me talk to my father. I need to find a way to make this work.”
No, stop saying things like that. Her gut clenched, and she almost let her hand go to the baby but stopped just in time. “I can’t let you do that to your father, or to your kingdom, Quincy. We are doing what we have to do.”
His face scrunched in annoyance and anger and something else she couldn’t place, but there wasn’t time for this. The wedding was happening in a few minutes, and after that, the reception. Then, tomorrow morning, she’d be on a flight back to Nebraska, and this would be a wonderful dream she would get to remember every time she looked at their son or daughter.
“Just let it go, Quincy. Time to do our duties, and then we’re finished,” she said and hoped he didn’t hear the longing in her voice or the hurt underneath that. From the look he shot her, she’d failed miserably.
“Prince Quincy, Princess Olivia, we are ready to begin,” the wedding planner said as she hurried to them. “When the music starts, you will walk down the aisle and part and everything else has been gone over, yes?”
They nodded, and the wedding planner clapped her hands and pointed them to the end of the aisle. Olivia gripped her bouquet tightly and reluctantly slipped her hand into the crook of Quincy’s arm, hating the way that one touch immediately set her nerves on fire. Everything in her said to pull him over by his tux and kiss him hard and deep, but the music started, and they walked forward down the aisle.
“Olivia, please,” he whispered to her.
“Stop it. This is not the time.”
“Are you going to give me the time?”
“When? You’ve been busy with your future wife,” she snapped and took a deep breath to calm herself. They were supposed to be smiling, not arguing as they walked down the aisle.
“I’m telling you, I’m going to try and make this work.”
“No. It will ruin you, and I can’t live with that.” They neared the end of the aisle. “Stop, Quincy please, just… just let me go. I can’t do this.” Her eyes stung with unshed tears, but with her smile, everyone probably thought they were happy tears for her mother. When they reached Lamont and the priest, they separated, though he tried to hang on to her a moment longer.
The music changed, and Olivia forced her gaze away from Quincy’s pained expression to her mom standing at the end of the aisle. The guests stood, and Melinda’s smile brightened her face, but she only had eyes for one person—Lamont. He shifted and cleared his throat as she made her way down the aisle to gasps and happy whispers of the guests smiling at her dress. Olivia was genuinely able to smile at the sight of her happiness and knew from now on, her mom was going to be living the life she’d always wanted.
As the ceremony began and everyone took their seats, Olivia tried to listen to the priest’s words, but her eyes kept shifting to Quincy and she imagined feeling his arms around her as he held her close. His lips against hers, warm and soft as he kissed her long and hard while his hands explored every inch of her body. A fluttering filled her stomach as a visual of them lying together on the beach and in bed passed through her mind. All the times they made love, how he made her feel as he thrust inside her and as they fell over that endless cliff together.
Olivia shifted in the sand, and when she glanced at Quincy, her need to be with him flared to life so badly she almost forgot where she was and run to jump into his arms. If she was worried about a scandal, doing that would surely cause one.
Their eyes locked, and her breath caught painfully in her chest. It was going to be a long night.
Chapter 17
The reception for the royal wedding was grand, and no expense had been spared for the entire Isle of Bijoux to celebrate their king and queen’s marriage. For the most part, it was a festive occasion, and everyone had a smile on their face. Everyone except Quincy.
He’d been standing in the same place for the past hour, watching Olivia talk and laugh with Cheree and Helen. His body wanted to go to her and whisk her away somewhere, but his mind put its foot down, refusing to do what his heart so badly wanted. It nagged at him, over and over, that he was making the wrong decision—screw what his dad would say. This was his life, damn it, and he only got to live it once. Did he really want to let her walk away from him like this?
The night was nearly over, and soon, his dad and Melinda would retire to their room for the night. Once they were off, Quincy could disappear for a while and get the thought of Gigi’s hands groping his butt out of his mind.