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“Are you that superstitious?” I snort. “Come on, in our line of work do you really think this is the biggest threat?”

“You can’t mess with the wedding uh…gods or whatever,” Roman declares, keeping his hands raised until I approach and lightly grasp his wrist.

“Relax, dummy.”

He lowers his hands and a soft smile dances across his lips. “Is it corny of me to say you look beautiful?”

“Oh, I know I do. This is custom-made although more to my mother’s specifications and tastes hence the—” I wave my hands down to the puff skirt ballooning from my hips. “I’m more of a slinky, sleek kinda girl.”

“It’s your dress.” Roman frowns. “Why let her choose?”

“It makes her happy.”

“I’m not marrying her, I’m marrying you.”

My eyes narrow playfully. “Y’know, I wanted you to see this so you could make sure you plan your suit accordingly to match, but now you present me with an interesting opportunity.”

“Which is?”

I spin away from him, as much as I can with the heavy ball skirt. “If you tear this off of me, then we’d definitely have to remake the skirt, and there wouldn’t be enough time to recreate this.”

“Are you asking me to sabotage your dress?” Roman’s smile turns sly and he starts walking toward me as I slowly walk backward.

“I’d never dare say such a thing.”

“Because you only care about my suit.”

“Exactly.”

“And you want us to match.”

“Indeed.”

“And yet here you are looking so ravishing. How can I keep my hands off you?”

“Well, when you put it like that. It’s any girl’s dream to have the man they like so much tear their clothes off.”

Roman pulls me into his arms by the waist and leans forward until I’m dipping back and forced to grab onto his arms. His lips lightly brush against mine, and I feel him smile against me as we kiss.

“Go back to the part where you say youlikeme,” Roman purrs.

25

ROMAN

Jasmine murmurs softly against my lips. I pull back and her cheeks are flushed pink and rosy while she’s unable to look me in the eye. I’d been teasing her, but given her reaction, have I touched a little too close to home.

“Wait, you were serious?”

Jasmine pulls away from me and steps back the best she can in that dress. “I mean…wasn’t it obvious?”

“Tell me.” I catch her wrist before she can step away further. “Tell me again.”

“I…” Her eyes dart to mine and she holds my gaze for a second then looks away. “I don’t want you to make fun of me.”

“Jasmine, I’m not going to make fun of you. I thought you were teasing me, playing along like we usually do, but you’re serious, aren’t you?”

She tries to pull her wrist away but I tighten my grip, desperate for her to say what my heart yearns to hear. I’ve been falling for her ever since our first time together, but given our family’s history and her focus on her family, it felt like nothing serious could ever happen. Even her attraction based on merescuing her all those years ago felt more like lust than anything else, and I didn’t dare to hope.