Her face slowly lost its frozen look and hope surged as he watched a wide smile spread across her gorgeous features. ‘I like the sound of that.’
Heart in his mouth, he asked the question. ‘Which part?’
‘All of it. The dating, the living with you.’ She bit down on her lip and looked him straight in the eyes. ‘The eventual marriage.’
And now he felt it. The delirious happiness, his heart so full it almost hurt. ‘Thank God for that.’ But just as he was about to kiss those bewitching lips, to seal the deal in the most delicious way, she pressed a hand to his chest, holding him back.
‘This being with me for the rest of your life. The future marriage.’
He stared down at her hand, and then up at her face, noting the mischievous glint in her eyes. ‘Yes?’
‘Please tell me you’re not expecting to find your slippers by the fire every night?’
Amusement, joy and a fair amount of relief, all came together in an explosion of laughter. ‘Good God, Kat. Given your distaste for neatness, I’ll be grateful to find my slippers at all.’
Then she was laughing, too, and Zac’s last thought, before he swept her into his arms, was that it was a noise he was very much looking forward to getting used to.
Epilogue
Kat stood in front of the mirror, turning first to the left and then to the right.
‘You look amazing. Now quit gawping at yourself and do up my zip.’ Mandy turned her back towards her. ‘This dress had better fit. I never realised giving up alcohol would make me crave sugar instead. It’s been hell trying to get rid of all the weight I gained.’
It had been just over a year since Mandy had come back from rehab. Just over a year since Debs had been kidnapped … which also meant it had been a year since Kat and Zac had started officially dating.
Kat obediently tugged at the zipper on Mandy’s dress, which glided up easily. ‘It fits perfectly. All those boot camps are paying off.’
Mandy waggled her eyebrows. ‘Yeah, in many ways.’
Her sister had the hots for the guy who ran the boot camps, which explained why she was turning up to them so religiously, but Kat was only too happy to see Mandy’s obsession with alcohol turn to an obsession with a personal trainer. Especially as she had a feeling the attraction was in no way one-sided.
‘Are you really sure this dress is okay?’ Kat asked her as she stared back into the mirror.
Mandy threw her hands up in the air. ‘I said so, didn’t I? And since when did you care so much about how you look?’
‘Err, since I find myself having to walk down a red carpet at a film premiere in front of a barrage of photographers?’
Mandy just grinned. ‘Hey, it was your choice to fall for a film star.’
‘It wasn’t exactly a choice,’ Kat muttered, smoothing down the purple silk. It felt so foreign to her. Maybe she should have stuck to black. But she always wore black, and tonight she wanted to look special for Zac. Okay, cut the crap, tonight she wanted to bloody dazzle for him. Not that he’d ever given her cause to think she didn’t actually dazzle for him every night – it still took her breath away, that look that came into his eyes whenever he saw her. A hungry, possessive look that told her everything she needed to know about how he felt. Tonight was their first public occasion together though, and she might be convinced she was right for him, but damn it, she wanted the world to realise it, too.
Mandy gave her waist a gentle squeeze. ‘He’ll love it,’ she reassured. ‘Mostly because it’s on you, but then he’s apparently blind that way.’ Kat gave her a shove and Mandy laughed. ‘Okay, okay, you’re gorgeous and he’s a lucky bloke. Now is Debs still in the blinking bathroom?’
‘No.’ Debs emerged from the en suite in a cloud of steam, a towel wrapped around her.
Mandy looked at her watch, and then at her daughter. ‘Are you planning on going to the premiere dressed like that? If not, you’d better get your skates on.’
‘Chill, Mum. There’s loads of time.’
The inevitable ensuing argument about how long it took Debs to do her hair – which Kat had to admit was longer than it took for her to make and eat her dinner – was halted by a knock on the door.
‘Bet that’s lover boy, finally finished with his interviews.’
It always made Kat laugh that Mandy called Zac Edwards, distinguished actor brought up by Lord and Lady Edwards, lover boy. Then again, to her and her family, he was simply the guy she’d fallen in love with.
Her hormones sighed when she opened the door. It didn’t matter whether it had been a few hours, as today, or a week since she’d last seen him, his stunning looks always took her breath away. And when he wore a tux, like he was now, God help her. ‘Well hey there, Mr Edwards. Don’t you clean up nicely.’
It was only then she realised Zac wasn’t looking at her … well, he was, but not at her face. His eyes were skimming up and down her body like they couldn’t get enough of her. ‘Heavens above, Kat. What are you trying to do to me? It’s clinging. There’s cleavage. And it’s not black.’ He raked a hand through his previously neatly combed hair. ‘I rather think I’m going to have to drag you back to our room and take it off you.’
His eyes finally made it to hers and her heart skipped a beat as she saw both the desire, and the adoration. To know she was so cherished, and by him. It was beyond her wildest imagination. ‘You do, huh?’ She gave him a saucy smile. ‘Well I look forward to that. After we’ve sat through this flipping film of yours that everyone seems so excited about.’
‘Everyone, including you.’ He bent to give her a light, sexy kiss. ‘Come on, admit it. You’re dying to see me on the big screen.’
‘I see enough of you in real life. Tonight is for all those poor women who don’t get that dubious honour.’ But, she conceded, she was looking forward to seeing the film that had brought him into her life.
Rather than taking offence, he smirked. ‘Ah, but you get to see parts of me they don’t.’ Debs let out a rather loud cough, and looked like she was trying desperately not to laugh. Immediately Zac’s focus zeroed in on the other two people in the room. ‘My apologies.’ Zac gave Mandy and Debs a courtly bow, which should have looked ridiculous, but didn’t. ‘I forgot there were ladies present.’
‘Oh my God, he’s such a charmer.’ Mandy made a shooing signal with her hands. ‘Will you two please bugger off. Me and my daughter need to get ready for this fancy premiere we’re going to.’
Kat picked up her clutch bag and walked towards the door. Yes, it was true, she’d actually been persuaded to buy a rectangle of material that was only big enough to carry a stupid lipstick. Like she needed that. What she wanted was a headset so she could listen in to Mark and the team, but apparently she wasn’t allowed that tonight. Apparently tonight she was the one being guarded, which, frankly, sucked. ‘We’ll see you inside.’ Apparently – there was that word again – she wasn’t allowed to walk quietly into the cinema unobserved like everyone else. No, she had to arrive in a big showy limo and get photographed.