Chapter 31

• During the ceremony, Layla focused on the handsome flower arrangement on the table while listening carefully to the words. She would have preferred a church service but would not have dreamt of telling Lucas that. He slid a ring onto her finger, but he had not given her one to return the favour with and there was a small embarrassing pause as the registrar allowed them time to complete what was usually an exchange of rings. Clearly, Lucas wouldn’t be wearing a ring, announcing to the world that he was "taken," Layla reflected ruefully, wondering why that small detail should make her feel so insecure. She reminded herself that many men didn’t like wearing rings.
• A light meal was served to the wedding party at an exclusive hotel. Layla glimpsed her reflection in one of the many gilded wall mirrors in the private function room and barely recognized the refined image of the woman clad in the sleek bronze sheath. At the beauty salon the previous day, every part of her had been primped and polished, waxed and trimmed, all her rough edges smoothed away. She had seen Madison and Emily’s frowning surprise at her new image, and she knew she no longer looked incongruous by Lucas’ side. The cringeworthy fear that her lack of grooming could embarrass Lucas had made Layla tolerate the various treatments, and she accepted the need to at least try to fit into Lucas’ world as best she could. Layla had always believed that if something was worth doing, it was worth doing well, and that was the outlook she intended to embrace in her role as Lucas’ wife.
• Her treacherous body hummed at the hard stirring contact with his.