Page 46 of Soulmate of the Mafia King (Kings of Philly #8)

PAIGE

M usic rolled through the garden where the reception was being held, and I put all of my increasingly blurry thoughts toward not itching the point on my ribs where the zipper of the bridesmaid’s dress dug in.

“You look like you’re focused on something pretty hard.” Tom smiled down at me as we swayed through a slow song.

I shook my head, but giggles overwhelmed me. He caught me before I nearly toppled off my heels.

“Whoa!” He grinned and lowered me into a dip that made my stumble look intentional. “Enjoying the open bar, then?”

“Yes!” I cupped his face. “Have you been? They have these signature cocktails, and Sera’s is sooo good.”

He laughed. “I took you the last three times, so I’d say I’ve been.”

My memories floated back together. “I knew that. I was testing you.”

Tom eased me out of the dip. “Have you maybe drank enough before dinner?”

I shook my head. The more I drank, the more I forgot about the zipper. The dresses were so gorgeous, but I’d missed the last fitting for an emergency at the shelter, so nothing was quite right. The music shifted to something fast and upbeat.

“I’ll make you a deal,” I said. “If I dance to this whole song without stumbling, I get another one.”

Tom laughed. “Only if I get to call what a stumble is.”

I nodded sharply. Then, I closed my eyes and let the music sweep me up.

I’d never really danced before this past year, assuming dancing around my own living room didn’t count.

But I’d grown to like it, especially in crowds where people could barely see me.

Tom’s hands burned up my sides, and I leaned back against him, feeling the hard lines of his body.

He looked so goddamn good in his tux. His touch distracted me from the dress even more.

Maybe if I could just keep his hands on me, I didn’t need anymore of the delicious pink drinks.

“Fuck!” I stumbled.

Tom caught me with a knowing smile. “Maybe we wait until dinner?”

“That barely counts.” I grabbed his hand and tried to pull him to the bar. “And anyway, everybody’s going to stare at me no matter what I do.”

“Stare at you?” Tom followed me.

I laughed. “Everybody’s decided I’m next. We’re next. You know? So they’re waiting for like, signs.”

We reached the bar, and when I looked up at Tom, he wasn’t laughing.

After dinner, a little of my drunkenness had faded, but I was well on my way to getting back up to pre-dinner levels.

A glass dangled from my fingertips as I jumped up and down with the rest of the bridesmaids, yelling along to a song even I remembered from when we were younger.

Tom stood off to the side, smiling indulgently.

I’d told him he was too old when he said he didn’t know this one, and he didn’t seem to be taking it personally.

The song tapered off, and Sera joined the band on stage. “Okay, ladies, it’s time to throw the bouquet.”

I raised my glass to the other bridesmaids. “That’s my cue.”

“Absolutely not.” Olivia looped her arm through mine. “It’s bad luck if you skip.”

“You’re making that up.”

She shrugged. “Prove me wrong.”

With a sigh, I turned to the stage.

“One.” Sera put her back to us, showing off the much smaller train on her reception dress in the same floral lace, and raised the bouquet.

“Two.”

I held onto my cup with both hands and stared at the remains of the drink inside.

“Three.”

The lace-wrapped bouquet of wildflowers landed neatly in my arms, the stems dipping into the glass.

“Motherfucker,” I muttered.

“Oh, my God!” Olivia squealed. “I told you you had to participate. It’s fate!”

“Paige caught it!” Sera yelled on stage, her grin so wide it split her face.

Through my tipsiness, worry seeped into my veins. I couldn’t look at Tom. I didn’t want to see his reaction.

“You want this more than I do.” I shoved the flowers into Olivia’s arms.

She laughed. “Let’s see what Patrick thinks.”

As the crowd started to disperse, she rushed toward her boyfriend, who looked like he was about to run away. With my hands now empty, I turned to Tom. He shrugged, but I couldn’t miss the smirk painted on his face. What the hell did that mean?

The singer took the mic once more. “All right, folks, we’re starting to wind up here. One last dance, a special song chosen by the happy couple to send their loved ones off with.”

They started a slow, older love song, and Killian and Sera floated to the middle of the dance floor. I’d never seen Killian smile this much. It would be kind of creepy, if he didn’t look so over the moon. I turned, and Tom stood behind me.

“Last dance?” he asked.

I melted into his arms. Despite the dress, and the drinking, and the delicious dinner that made me so full I barely felt like I fit in my shoes anymore, everything made sense in his arms. I leaned my head against his chest and listened to the steady rhythm of his heart.

“Are you really that scared of getting married?” he asked after a moment.

I bit my lip. “I’m not scared.”

“No?” He spun us in a slow circle. “Then what is it? Because it seemed like you couldn’t get rid of that bouquet fast enough.”

“Olivia clearly wanted it,” I hedged.

He laughed. “And Patrick clearly didn’t. Thought you might end a relationship for laughs?”

“If he can’t stand the heat.” I smiled against Tom’s chest.

Tom chuckled, and we swayed together for a moment longer. Killian and Sera spun into view, clearly in the middle of their own conversation. They stared into each other’s eyes like no one else existed, and my chest ached.

“I guess that wasn’t all of it, though,” I admitted.

Tom’s curious hum vibrated my cheek.

“I didn’t want you to feel pressured.” I ran my thumb over the back of his hand. “That—marriage—hasn’t come up since I started the shelter. I figured it was the furthest thing from your mind.”

I bit my tongue so Sera’s signature cocktail didn’t send more words spilling out than I wanted.

Tom didn’t scare easily, but I’d been dreaming of a big future with him.

A wedding of our own, kids. I didn’t doubt our forever, just how soon it was coming.

He’d been working so hard to heal and get back to running his syndicate like he wanted.

Tom didn’t say anything for a long moment. My heart hammered, and I pulled off his chest to look up at him.

The same smirk painted his face, but something soft lit his green eyes. Before I could ask, he spun me around, and we both laughed at my stumbling.