He nudged her awake. “We should go to bed.”
Hannah, sleepy-eyed, peeked over at Kate and nodded. After carefully untangling themselves from the comforter, Will led her to their room. As soon as they got into bed, Hannah draped her arm across his chest and rested her head above his heart.
“Before you go to sleep,” he began, knowing the conversation needed to be had, no matter the outcome, “you should know I meant what I said in the car. We can get the annulment.”
She yawned again. “Tell me why it had to be me.”
“What do you mean?”
“Why did you ask me to marry you? It wasn’t just because of the pact.”
He’d never outright told Hannah how he felt about her, but it had to be more than obvious, and Kate had known. “Kate told you.”
Hannah was quiet. Had she fallen back asleep? He shifted to check and found her staring up at him.
“I want to hear it from you,” she said.
There had to be a better time to tell her that he loved her. Her parents had basically accused her of being a harlot. None of that conversation had been easy for him to hear. He couldn’t stomach standing by while someone hurt Hannah. It didn’t help that Hannah hadn’t exactly told him about the extent of her relationship with her ex-boyfriend. Will knew he existed—there were pictures in her apartment and a few on Facebook, but nothing that led Will to believe it was serious enough for her parents to think they were on the marriage track. Though clearly, they weren’t if Hannah had dropped him so easily. That was a conversation for another day, or maybe it wasn’t. Hannah could have her secret ex, and he could have his. Shit. That was an awful thought.
“Will?”
“You’re right. It wasn’t just because of the pact,” he said, running his fingers through her hair. There was so much to say and yet so little. It was simple when he really thought about it. Hannah was his person. “The pact got me in the door, but it could only have been you. You get me in ways no one else ever has. I mean, you like me as I am. I woke up from my post-breakup haze one day to a dream about you. And I knew that I had to try. I’d wasted my opportunity senior year to tell you how I felt and distanced myself from you to make up for my own cowardice. I missed you, Abbott.”
Hannah inhaled, sudden and sharp.
Perhaps he was being too earnest, but it was too late to stop now. “It had to be you. There was no other consideration. And now—”
His words were cut off by her lips meeting his. It was quick but meaningful, conveying everything he’d been about to say—that he couldn’t go back. There was still no other consideration.
“It could only have been you too,” she said so quietly he almost believed he imagined it.
She ran a hand down his arm. Every part of their bodies touched, but that simple caress sent a shudder through him, rocking his remaining equilibrium. He stayed still, fighting the urge to pull her into him—to give in and see what happened, damn the consequences. Under Hannah’s unwavering gaze, her fingers running slow circles up and down his arms, his body stirred.
But they couldn’t consummate their relationship after her parents’ negative reaction today. Absolutely not. “Hannah?”
She looked up at him, her gaze clear and decisive. “Tell your dad to release the announcement and invite my family to the party.”
He started to protest, but she held a finger to his lips. “They already know, Will. We can’t change what happened today, and the thing is, I kind of like being married to you, Will Thorne.”
She cupped his face and then kissed him so slowly he thought his heart might explode. When he broke the kiss, she returned her head to his chest, where his heart beat wildly under her touch. She took his hand, placing it over her chest—her heart beat at the same fast rhythm as his.
Chapter 29Hannah
“You look amazing, Mrs. Thorne.”
Hannah twirled in her wedding dress, the skirt lifting and falling around her legs. The plan had been to get a respectable whiteish dress for the party, not a gown. But the sales lady had been insistent that Hannah try on at least one gown. She’d picked a simple one without a train and with less embellishment than the usual wedding gown but with beautiful three-quarter-length lace sleeves. Hannah hadn’t tried on another dress.
“And you look quite ravishing yourself, Mr. Thorne.” She scrunched her nose. “Doesn’t work the same way.”
Will laughed. “No, not really.”
He led her through the winding maze of hallways, the sounds of the party growing louder with each turn they made. Randy, the event planner, had insisted that they sit at a sweetheart table where people could come to them. The idea made Hannah itchy. She needed to walk around, to mingle, and to have Madison whisper the truth about guests in her ear while Will put on his most dazzling smile. Hell, she needed to show off this dress.
When they stepped into the main hallway, Hannah squeezed Will’s hand and let out a low whistle. The Thorne mansion was beautiful, decked out in plum and silver with hints of festive seasonal décor. The party was split between three rooms—the dining room, the back den, and the study across the hall, which had been set up with lounge furniture. It rivaled every wedding reception she’d ever been to. Guests wandered between the rooms, chatting, drinking, and requesting more appetizers from the waiters.
“Can we do a round before we’re relegated to our table?” she asked, fingering a floral bouquet of purple and white carnations. Jonathan thought carnations weren’t a worthy flower, but Will had insisted on her behalf.
“If Randy sees us, we’re in for a world of hurt,” Will said but extended his hand.
“We’ll be stealthy.”
Will quirked an eyebrow at her. “In a wedding gown?”
Hannah’s retort was cut short by the arrival of two guests. They looked oddly familiar, though Hannah was certain she’d never met them before.
Next to her, Will went rigid, and his voice dropped its usual flair. “Mr. and Mrs. Hart, my father didn’t tell me you were coming.”
Madison’s parents. She could see the resemblance.
“We’re not staying,” Mrs. Hart said, patting Will’s arm. “We’re heading up to Westchester for a second Thanksgiving. We just wanted to wish you well and meet your wife.”
“Right.” As if remembering she was there, Will drew her close. “This is Hannah. Hannah, as you’ve probably already figured out, these are Madison’s parents.”
Madison’s name seemed to catch in his throat. She shook off the weird feeling. Tonight night couldn’t be easy for Will. Everything that happened with his ex had happened right there, at another party, probably with a similar guest list. People loved gossip, and William Thorne getting married suddenly was definitely a commodity in this circle.
“It’s so nice to meet you!” Hannah said. “Madison has made the transition to becoming a Thorne so easy for me.”
