My Dad's Bestfriend novel Chapter 86

Evelyn

After the toasts, dinner, and our enchanting first dance, the time had come for the traditional bouquet toss. Friends gathered with their significant others, and among them was Clara's friend, patiently waiting in line. I watched as they indulged in laughter and amusement, their faces illuminated with excitement.

The dance had been nothing short of magical; Clara and Dad had looked resplendent, rendering everyone speechless. When it was time for the speeches, they brought tears to everyone's eyes. That's just the way they were - utterly perfect, almost beyond description.

Jacob and I shared a dance, and by then, it seemed like everyone knew about us, even though we hadn't uttered a word to anyone. People could sense it, and more importantly, they could see it. It felt different now, being able to kiss him openly in front of everyone, to claim him as mine, and we were free from that 'forbidden' label.

Love could never be forbidden. Ever.

I chuckled as I observed how eagerly some of Clara's friends vied for the bouquet as they stood in line—I guess, they were so desperate for marriage.

"They are crazy," Jennie remarked, flashing me a mischievous smile before joining the queue herself.

As if she weren't crazy too!

"Don't you want to catch it?" Jacob asked, leaning closer to my ear, his warm breath tickling my skin. His cologne seemed even more intoxicating from this close proximity. Indeed—He looked every bit the prince in his suit, my prince. But we couldn't throw caution to the wind in front of this crowd, could we?

Yes, I did want nothing else than to take him to my room and let him take charge of every bit of my being but, this wasn't the time for that—the night was still long.

"Do you think I should?" I asked, turning to him as I adjusted his tie. In this all-black suit, he looked so fucking gorgeous that nearly every woman had been having a hard time taking their eyes off of him.

"I absolutely think you should," His green eyes shimmered with a newfound intensity, and I knew exactly what that meant.

"But why?" I teased, slipping my arms around his neck. "It's not as if we're getting married anytime soon."

"You can't be so sure—you know, I want to, I could marry you right now," he whispered, his hands finding their way around my waist, drawing me close. I could tell he wasn't joking, and I wouldn't complain if he followed through.

"So, should I join the line, Mr. Adriano, to see if you'd ever make me Mrs. Adriano?" I traced my finger along his jawline, arching an eyebrow.

"You will be Mrs. Adriano, Evelyn... maybe not today, or in a year, but in the end, you'll wear my name and my ring on that finger of yours," he whispered against my lips. "Even if you catch that bouquet or not. It doesn't matter."

A devious idea popped into my head. "Let's make a bet," I suggested, my fingers now tracing down to his neck, and this time I loosened his tie—god! The sight of Adam's apple—I wanted to kiss it right now, "If I catch the bouquet, then it's a sure sign that I am yours forever, and if I can't, that means... some other hot hunk out there is my destiny."

His grip on me tightened. "You're playing that game, huh?" His jaw twitched, and it only encouraged me to tease him more. I loved getting under his skin.

"Yes, and you are aware....I love it dirty, Jacob," I smirked. "So, what do you say? Are you in for the bet or not?"

His eyebrow quirked. "How can I be sure that you won't cheat and intentionally not catch the bouquet?"

Aah! He had a point!

"I can give you my promise," I said, "Unlike you, I'm good at keeping promises, you know."

"Touche," he sighed, "Fine, let's do this. But if I sense you're cheating, you'll be punished."

"You know, I love punishments," I whispered, tantalisingly close to his lips. His heart rate quickened, and his breathing grew uneven, "So you are just tempting me to cheat."

"I'm in. Let's do this," he finally let out— I knew it was hard for him to hold it in when I was trying my best to break him free from the cage.

A victorious smile graced my lips. "Okay, then." I pulled away from him and joined the line. My eyes challenged him, and his reciprocated the sentiment.

Well...this was fun.

To be honest, I'd relish the punishment, but I couldn't break my promise, could I? So the plan was simple – I'd give him only fifty percent, and the rest? Well, fuck it! I'd leave that in the hands of fate and, to some extent, in the hands of the man I loved.

"My My, I see your man sent you here," Jennie wiggled her brows. "What, planning to get hitched soon, aren't you?"

"Don't know," I shrugged. "Jacob seems pretty confident that this bouquet will land in my hands and the opportunity in his. So, I kind of plan to get on his nerves."

"So you're going to cheat?"

"Not really," a mischievous snicker escaped my lips, "I am only giving fifty, so that doesn't count as cheating, does it?"

"Half cheating, I'd say."

"That's even better."