Free Once Upon A Diamond (Prince Uncharming Book 1) by Payton Lane

scoffed and tried to push past him but he gripped her arms. Shocked, she stilled. “So you're going to make me listen?”
    “I don't fight fair. I can be a downright jackass sometimes. You should know that, too.”
    If he didn't let her go, she'd start to tremble and he'd be able to feel it. “Stop. Just stop.”
    “I'm wary as hell. We've known each other for a month. And I've never felt this way about a woman before. Not so soon.” His jaw tightened. “Not this strong. So if you don't want that story, tell me now. If you have any reservations or doubts, tell me and I'll let you go.”
    Her eyes burned from unshead tears, but she held his gaze. Any other man and those words wouldn't hold the same weight. He'd loved another woman enough to want to marry her. He'd loved that deeply before, and now he was saying what he felt for her didn't come close. Any other man in the same position, the same experience probably wouldn't have been this open, this exposed so easily to be hurt again. Hell, she'd taken his hesitance as a full out rejection and gotten pissy with him over it.
    And here he was ready and willing to do it all again. “You have no sense of self-preservation, do you?” she asked.
    He chuckled as his gaze softened. “Clearly not.”
    Her heart squeezed. “I want to know the story, too. Where should we start ?”
    “Gregory Woods didn't care she was sweaty, and probably still angry at him—he wanted to kiss her.”
    She shook her head but a watery smile broke through. “Feed Yvonne first and then maybe—”
    He pulled her into him and crushed his mouth to hers. Yeah . There her knees went. He pressed her closer and held her steady. That was the kind of man he was. A good, solid man. The one man for her because she wanted her life, her family and friends to intermingle with his—to make a complete mess of things. And when he pulled back enough to murmur, “I'm falling in with you too,” she was sure of it.
    “Really?” she whispered.
    “It was the spaghetti,” he answered on a laugh.
    “Greg, we—I...” she sighed, looking up into his eyes. She wanted to see every emotion she was feeling reflecting back at her. And she did.
    He smiled that good ol' boy charm smile and then leaned into her, pressing his mouth into her ear, “A few years ago...” he began.
    “A story?” She curled into him and knew she was going to listen to every word.
    “It's what you used on me. Now, shhhh. A few years ago...”
     

EPILOGUE
    “Mrs. Woods,” Greg shifted beside her at the large table, a grin crinkling the skin around his eyes.
    Not an ounce of sadness in his gaze. Mostly, there was a wicked promise that made her a little lightheaded. Two years and he still could make her swoon with a look. “I'm never going to get tired of hearing that,” Yvonne said.
    “Better not,” he said before throwing his arm behind her chair. He'd shrugged out of the tuxedo jacket sometime after the wedding, but left the tie. He was handsome as hell, always. If they weren't in a room full of friends and family, Yvonne might have balled her hand around the material and pulled him into a long, slow kiss.
    “I told you she'd be here.”
    Yvonne gasped, turning her gaze to the banquet hall. “Where? Where? ”
    He pushed out an amused chuckle. “I still don't know why you were adamant about sending her an invite.”
    “As of an hour ago I officially became Mrs. Woods.”
    He snorted. “And?”
    “I'm partly evil. You should know this by now. A girl gets to preen on her wedding day.”
    He leaned closer. “That's not the only reason why.”
    No. The past two years hadn't been smooth sailing. They'd worked hard at their relationship. She'd had to let him in, to see all her faults. He had to trust that she wanted to be with him and no one else.
    So when they stood in church, exchanging their vows, she'd cried half her make-up off because it took so much for them to get there. And Greg had kissed away every tear.
    “Curiosity.