*Riding South spoilers below*
Trapped inside Tenney House and at the mercy of his father, Camilla and South are forced to face their greatest fears in order to bring down the Gentleman's Network--an organization that trades in secrets.
But in order...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
As we walked into the reception room of the Newport Yacht Club, leaving behind the coldness and the ringing bells of Tenney House, an odd sense of calm settled over me.
I absentmindedly spun the sapphire engagement ring on my finger, thinking of all the steps we'd planned out. Every move deliberate and coordinated with South's friends on SEAL Team Six.
We passed by vase after vase of tropical flowers and lush greenery, the Birds of Prey and bright ginger blossoms lending color to the polished wood, brass, and clean white paint of the yacht club.
The wedding planner was marching beside us, chatting away about the schedule of events that both South and I had committed to memory. I smiled and nodded along. South kept his face impassive, choosing to wrap his arm protectively around my waist, holding me a little tighter as we approached a set of doors that led out to the party deck.
The wedding planner gripped the doorknob. "You two look lovely, by the way."
"She's the lovely one," South answered in his smooth, deep voice. "I'm just lucky."
I couldn't help the slow smile that spread. Our eyes held together by the heat of the moment.
"Aww. That's so sweet." The woman's cheeks filled with color. South's charm had that effect on many women. "You know, I do this all the time, and I can tell you two are the real thing."
If only she knew his father was forcing us to get married and had been keeping us inside his prison of a house—forcing us to turn in personal accountability logs.
But, through all that, I did love South Tenney. And I hoped we were the real thing. Because he was the realest thing I'd ever known, and he made me feel like I could touch the sky.
"When I open the doors, they will announce your arrival. Just walk out to the center of the patio, and we'll take some pictures. Then you two can show off your dance moves!"
I couldn't help but chuckle silently when she turned around. The wedding planner made everything seem so normal.
South's nose brushed against the shell of my ear, and I leaned into him. "When this is all over, we're going on a vacation. You and me. At a beach. Or better yet, an island. I don't want to see anyone but you for an entire month."
The doors were thrown open, and applause came.
"A month?" I replied, letting my gaze trail around the crowd. People were watching us with a mix of expressions. Family, friends, acquaintances. All probably wondering how an engagement announcement had come after just three weeks of dating. "That sounds very ambitious, Mr. Tenney."
His hand cupped my jaw, warm fingers stroking the side of my face, and he brought my attention back to him. Flashes went off. Pretty hazel eyes stared back at me. The watch on his wrist that we'd set our entire evening to chimed.
