Page 64 of Give Me a Reason

Anne covered a yawn behind her hand, then gasped with mortification.

She glanced around, checking to see if anyone noticed.

The hotel staff bustled around the beautiful lawn, overlooking the Palos Verdes Peninsula and the Pacific Ocean, as they set up the last rows of white seats.

And the florists put the finishing touches on the floral arrangements lining the aisle.

Guests trickled out of the hotel lobby to take their seats, but they were too busy chatting among themselves to notice Anne fight off another yawn.

She was thrilled to be at Coraline and Joe’s wedding.

But she had flown back from England a few days ago, and the jet lag was brutal.

Or maybe it was because she couldn’t get enough of Frederick, and sleep became the furthest thing from her mind whenever she was with him.

“I should’ve gone back to my house last night,” he whispered in her ear from behind and wrapped his arms around her waist. “You’re tired.”

“I would’ve missed you too much to sleep if you’d done that.” She leaned her head back against his shoulder, layering her arms over his. “Then I would be tired and frustrated right now.”

“Have you always been this insatiable?” His dark chuckle sent a shiver down her spine. “You would think I’d remember.”

“No, you’re lucky to have found me again as I’m reaching my sexual peak,” she said, low and saucy. “I’m constantly horny for you.”

“Did my Anne just say she was horny for me?” His voice sounded a bit strangled. She smiled smugly.

“Yes.” She turned in his arms and pressed her hands against his chest over his black tuxedo jacket. His tie and vest matched her sage-green strapless dress. He looked good enough to eat, which gave her too many delicious ideas. “But why don’t we save this discussion for when I can get you naked?”

“God.” Frederick dropped his forehead against hers with a soft groan. “You’re killing me.”

“Poor Frederick.” She leaned back enough to meet his eyes and gave him an exaggerated pout. “I haven’t even started.”

She squeaked when he tugged her flush against his body, subtly tipping his hip so she could feel his steely length against her stomach. He gave her earlobe a sharp bite, the sting shooting straight down to her core.

“Careful, sweetheart,” he growled. “We’re dangerously close to missing Joe and Coraline’s wedding.”

“I’m angling to make you throw me over your shoulder in a fireman’s carry.” She wanted him to burn for her as much as she burned for him.

He drew back to look down at her, his pupils blown wide, and scorching desire pulsed through her. Maybe just one kiss. The makeup artist might still be around to fix her lipstick.

“Anne dear,” Auntie Sharon called out, making Anne spin around and plaster herself in front of Frederick, hiding his… uncomfortable condition.

“Imo, uh, hello. How are you?” Anne hoped the low evening sun and her heavier-than-usual foundation muted the blush heating her cheeks.

“Fine… just as I was half an hour ago when we said hello.” Her aunt side-eyed her before turning to Frederick with a warm smile. “Well, don’t you look handsome, Frederick.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Hong.” He cleared his throat, offering her a shy smile in return.

Auntie Sharon, Anne, and Frederick had had a long talk in Kent, and her aunt had apologized to both of them with heartfelt contrition. It would take time for Frederick to feel truly safe and comfortable with Auntie Sharon, but she was smothering him with motherly love to speed along the process.

“Eh? Again with that silly Mrs. Hong ,” her aunt chided, wagging her finger at Frederick. “Are you going to call me Mrs. Hong even after you and Anne marry?”

Frederick had returned to England during her last week of filming.

Anne had been shooting the scene where Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy confess their love to each other at last. But as Anne stood in a field of grass with the sun barely rising in the east, Frederick—not Mason—had walked across the vast stretch of land and fallen to his knee at her feet.

Everyone, including Andrew, had been in on it, and when she said yes with tears streaming down her cheeks, the quiet field had exploded into cheers and applause.

Their first chance at love had been so quiet and isolated that when it ended, it had almost felt like a fantasy they’d dreamed up.

For their second chance at love, Frederick wanted the whole world to know that Anne was his, and she felt the same way.

After a searing kiss, Frederick had set her apart from him, and she’d reluctantly let him.

They had to shoot the climactic scene while the field was drenched with the muted light of sunrise. Anne nailed the scene on the first take, her perfect and genuine joy matching Elizabeth’s happiness. Mason wasn’t half bad either.

“Of course not.” Frederick blushed, then added, “Imo.”

“Now that wasn’t so hard, was it?” Auntie Sharon said with a light tremor in her voice, knowing that it was hard. “Well, I wanted to let you kids know that the wedding starts in a few minutes. Cora will be livid if we miss the sunset part of their sunset wedding, so get in your places.”

Before Anne could answer, her aunt tsked and bustled off to break Bethany and Aiden apart from their passionate embrace.

Those two planned on a long engagement while Aiden finished medical school, but they seemed to have entered an early honeymoon stage.

Anne had never seen her baby cousin so happy, and it made her heart sing.

“Imo has her hands full with three of her girls engaged.” She smiled, shaking her head. “At least one of us will be married off in a matter of minutes.”

“You know she’s thrilled.” Frederick tugged Anne back into his arms.

Auntie Sharon bodily separated Bethany and Aiden before dragging the two lovebirds, one in each hand, toward the wedding arbor, wrapped with white gardenias and freesias.

“Come on.” Anne reluctantly stepped back from Frederick and took his hand in hers. He immediately laced his fingers through hers and tugged her close to his side. “We’d better go take our places before Imo boxes our ears.”

“Where’s Tessa?” Frederick searched the lawn for his future sister-in-law.

“Uh-oh.” Anne found her at the edge of the lawn overlooking the ocean. But Tessa wasn’t enjoying the view. She was growling at Juliette, holding a cell phone over her head. “Frederick, you go ahead. I’ll join you in a second.”

She took one step toward her sisters, but he tugged her back and kissed her squarely on the mouth. Then he patted her bottom, urging her toward her sisters. “Go break those two apart before there’s a bloodbath.”

“Give me back my phone, you lunatic,” Juliette screeched. “I need to post a perfect picture of the sunset.”

“You will not miss Coraline’s wedding for an Instagram post,” Tessa fumed. “I’m confiscating your phone until after Coraline and Joe say, ‘I do.’”

Juliette went for Tessa with her arms outstretched, her hands curled into vicious, perfectly manicured claws. Anne stepped between her sisters. She applauded her younger sister’s good intent, but they needed to change tactics to get across to their older sister.

“We’ll be sure to ask the wedding photographer to get the most perfect picture of the sunset.” Anne held up a hand when Juliette opened her mouth. “One without the happy couple. Wedding photographers always get great pictures of the venue. I bet sunsets are their specialty.”

Juliette withdrew her claws and pinched her lips to the side. “Maybe.”

“You can give her the phone back,” Anne told Tessa, who reluctantly returned Juliette’s phone. As a quiet aside, she said, “Good job, kiddo. I’m proud of you. Now let’s go be bridesmaids.”

Anne took her place between Bethany and Tessa.

When she caught Frederick’s eyes across the aisle, he gave her a devastatingly tender smile.

The bodice of her dress suddenly felt a size too tight, and she couldn’t breathe properly.

She could hardly believe he was hers at last, and he would soon be hers forever.

“Honey, over here.” Katie waved to Pete from the second row, pointing her phone at her husband. She rose to her feet for a better shot, one hand supporting her lower back. She barely showed at seven months, but she insisted she was very pregnant. “You look so handsome. Smile for the baby.”

As the string quartet played the music for the bridal procession, it dawned on Anne that she and Frederick would be next. She couldn’t wait for their next chapter to begin. She didn’t question whether she deserved his love or deserved to be this happy. Not anymore. She knew she did.

And Anne intended to spend the rest of her life loving Frederick the way he deserved—with all of her fierce, gentle, and courageous heart.