Not wanting to make my future sister-in-law any more uncomfortable, I stood, nodding to Liam as I placed my empty glass on his desk. Walking to where she stood, frozen to the spot and slightly embarrassed, I dropped a kiss on her cheek, not having to bend down much as she was almost my height in heels.
“Amy,” I acknowledged her quietly before exiting the office, knowing that if Amy had returned, so had Lucy.
Entering our apartment, it didn’t take much guesswork to determine where Lucy might be. As expected, I found her busy as a bee in her workspace, putting the finishing touches on the dresses for the wedding. Leaning against the doorframe, I paused for a moment, content to watch her work. Her passion was only matched by her attention to detail—she was meticulous in her quest for perfection.
I could have watched her all day, but she turned around to grab something off her desk and caught sight of me enjoying the view.
“Oh!” she exclaimed, startled by my presence.
I had to bite back a groan at how her mouth formed into a perfect “O” shape as she said the simple word, and I pictured her doing that on her knees before me.
“Have a nice afternoon?” I drawled.
“It was bittersweet at best.” She sighed. “The shelter is doing its best for its residents, providing a physically safe place, but it will take years to heal the emotional wounds. If they can heal at all.”
“What can I do?”
Lucy’s smile was genuine. “Is this how it’s going to work from now on? You trying to save the world?”
I shrugged. “Well, I do seem to have a lot of time on my hands. Why not channel it into righting the wrongs of this world?”
Chewing her lip, she asked, “What if I could do you one better?”
“What are you talking about?”
Lucy twisted the engagement ring around her finger. She was nervous. “How would you feel if I told you I managed to secure an offer for you to act as a consultant to the treaty law team?”
I could only stare at her, trying to make sense of those words. “I don’t understand.”
“You shared your dream with me, and I got to thinking that maybe there was still a way for you to achieve it.”
It still didn’t make sense. “How would that even work? I learned the hard way that trying to work remotely is challenging on the best of days. There was so much lost in translation.”
Lucy’s blue eyes sparkled as she stepped toward where I stood, skimming her hands up my chest and looping her arms around my neck once she was within reach. “I have been told that marriage is about compromise. Perhaps we could make it work like Amy and Liam do.”
Sighing, I breathed out, “I can’t ask you to do that. The whole reason you agreed to our marriage was so that you could commit full-time to your career.”
Rising on her tiptoes, she brushed her lips against mine. “You didn’t ask. I offered.” Pulling away, leaving me speechless, she tossed over her shoulder as she returned to work on the dresses, “How else do you expect to support yourself?”
The teasing tone in Lucy’s voice jarred me enough that I snapped out of my trance. Stalking toward her, I joked back, “Um, I’m sorry. The contract I signed said I would be providedwith a sugar momma. Do I need to look over it again? Because if not, I will need to hire a new lawyer and find out how it can be broken.”
I caught her from behind, pulling her into my arms as she squealed. Turning her head to peer up at me, the smile on her face took my breath away.
“Seems like you are out of luck. That contract is ironclad. The Crown only employs the best lawyers.”
Stealing her mouth in a kiss before I left her to finish her work, I was floored by her selfless gesture. I was determined to spend every day for the rest of our lives showing her my gratitude.
--------------------------
The ballroom was transformed for Amy and Liam’s joint bachelor/bachelorette party. I was used to being in this room for large-scale formal events, so the casual party atmosphere was a shocking contrast.
Instead of a string quartet playing classical music, a DJ pumped out the latest hits through massive speakers. The soft lighting signature of a ball was replaced with flashing neon lights. This giant room resembled a dance club more closely than one that regularly hosted some of the world’s most influential people. Granted, influential people were still present, but they represented the younger generation—the world’s future rulers and diplomats.
Natalie and Hannah had arrived last night, and Lucy and Amy were glued to them every waking moment. I could imagine how isolating her upbringing must have felt, so I was glad she had a group of ladies she could trust to be herself with.
Liam and I sat at a table with some of his distant European cousins, who were expected to stand up with him at the altar, when Lucy sauntered up to me, dropping onto my lap. She hadn’t stopped dancing since we arrived, and I was enjoying theshow. It didn’t hurt that she wore skintight jeans topped with a shimmery halter top. She looked good enough to eat.
Maybe later.
