“Is that what you want?” His voice was soft when he asked, so soft that she almost didn’t hear it for all her inner turmoil.

Yes. No. Maybe. I think so. I don’t know. It needs to happen. It’s a bad idea. It’ll happen eventually, or maybe it won’t. Can I be with him if it never happens, or if it does?

She heard the lock click into place and then felt more than saw as he came closer. Did she know what she was asking for? Would he hurt her? Would he be cold like before? Would it feel like rape? What if she couldn’t have normal sex again? Crossing this line meant they couldn’t uncross it. He’d left her body alone in that one way for months. Wasn’t that mercy? He could have taken it at any time but he hadn’t. And now… if he did again, did that mean that safety was gone forever? Was it okay to love him? Did it matter when she couldn’t make the feelings die anyway?

Leo pulled her up from the vanity stool and spun her around, swallowing her fears and mental screams with his kiss. She whimpered against his mouth as he took her hand in his and guided her to the bed.

“T-the windows,” she said.

Bright light poured into the glass room.

“Everyone is outside behind the house. No one can see in up here,” he said as his mouth moved over hers.

He spun her away from him to undress her. The dress didn’t have a zipper. It was all buttons down the back—at least a hundred tiny buttons. It took several long minutes to get the gown off and would probably take longer to get it back on. Such a waste being forced in the presence of Gemma to get dressed. They were going to be late to their own wedding. Even the fastest coupling would have their guests wondering at the delay.

Faith blushed at that, but she was too far in. She had to finish this. She couldn’t stand in front of God and all their guests and marry Leo, no matter what the ceremony meant or didn’t mean to him, unless she knew. She had to know if she could do this with him and not feel like she was dying inside.

He growled in frustration when he came to all the hooks on the corset. “All these damned buttons and hooks. Why not lock yourself in a chastity belt?”

She sucked in a breath as he squeezed the corset tighter to release her from it one small hook at a time. When she was nude, he worked quickly to get out of his own clothing.

Though the clock ticked impatiently to their wedding, he took his time. His mouth on her stayed gentle, his hands moved over her the same. When his body was inside hers, tears flowed down her cheeks with such force that she couldn’t remain quiet.

“Are you all right?”