Page 55 of Mark
“Isn’t there always cake at a wedding?” I whisper as goose-bumps break across my flesh.
“As long as there is, I should be good,” he replies. “There, all done. Do you have something else to wear?”
“Thanks to you, yes I do,” I tease, and glance at him over my shoulder, enjoying his scowl. “Turn around. I need to get out of this dress.”
He freezes for a moment before spinning around. For some reason, I don’t feel uncomfortable around him. I may not knoweverything there is to know about him, but I do know he’s not someone I should be wary of. Mark and his family are too bluntly spoken and honest for me to be wary.
“It’s not like I haven’t seen a woman in her underwear before,” he grumbles.
“Okay, stud,” I reply, sliding the dress off my body. I kick it to the side and reach for the dress hanging in the thin wardrobe. The dark blue, floor-length silk dress slides over my body as I pull it on. The split running up my thigh shows off my new tan. Since the dress has thin straps zig-zagging across my back, I’m glad I opted to wear my bra with clear straps when I got dressed this morning. I had planned to wear it with my tank top that has no back, but that now lies at the bottom of the ocean.
I switch to normal sandals, tying the straps around my ankles. I glance in the mirror, happy the white goes with the blue dress.
“By the way, thank you for the fans,” Mark tells me. “I gave them to Lily this morning and she asked me to pass on her sincere gratitude. Jaxon too.”
Last night, after the tension between us became too much, I ran by the little store they have on one of the main floors on my way back to my cabin. I noticed the clip fans next to the till. I bought three after hearing Mark and his parents talk about Lily’s concerns. Although the baby is seven months old, she is still too young to regulate her own heat. I left a note attached to the bag I tied around his door handle, explaining who they were for, and to make sure the clip-on fan is on swivel and not directly aimed at the baby. Then told them not to use them inside, only outside.
“You’re very welcome. I hope they help,” I reply softly. “You can turn around now.”
His eyes widen as he runs an appreciative gaze over my body. All of a sudden, the room begins to feel constricted, too small with the tension pulsing between us.
You don’t like him, I remind myself.
He clears his throat. “You look good.”
Good?
I look fucking amazing.
Instead of being insulted, I reply. “Thank you. You scrub up well too.”
He smirks. “You should see me in a suit.”
My throat feels dry at his comment because I can picture him in a suit. I can imagine how gorgeous he would look too. But nothing will ever beat him coming out of the pool. God, I had to clench my thighs together when I saw his muscles.
I lick my lips. “We should get going. They’ll be waiting for us.”
“It’s a ten-minute walk down to the beach, right?” he asks, as I grab my small clutch. I want to call Summer before we come back to the boat.
“Yes. Mum has a car waiting for us at the dock though. Why they hired limos for such a short journey is beyond me.”
He holds open the door, gesturing for me to leave. “The party is back on the boat though, isn’t it? We walked past the ballroom earlier and noticed a wedding set up.”
I roll my eyes. “Did you see Esther bossing staff around like she’s the one who hired them?”
“No, but I did see her arguing with a hairstylist about not turning up to see one of the wedding guests,” he admits as we make our way to the exit, which happens to be on the floor below us.
“That would be about me. If she had got her way, my hair would be a static mess right now. Not many hairdressers are equipped to style my texture of hair.”
He tugs on one of the curls. “I like it like this,” he states. “It’s longer.”
“Thanks,” I reply.
I straightened it before I went to bed last night, and then this morning, I curled it with my straighteners. I used bobby pins to keep it out of my face, which took more effort than curling it.
Mum and Esther are standing at the bottom of the ramp. Esther’s dress is beautiful. Thin straps, tight bodice that clings in the right places, and it sweeps down to the floor.Shelooks beautiful. Her thick hair is in a bun low on her nape. A pin with diamonds holds up her veil. Her dress… my god, it’s spectacular. I’ve never seen her wear anything this gorgeous. She’s breath-taking.
Her best friend, Diana, the matron of honour, stands next to her. Her dress is simple, a lighter colour of the one now lying on my floor. The material and straps are thin and light. Our cousin Sophie wears a similar one, but her straps tie around her neck. Both look how I pictured they would look. Stunning.