Chapter 5

The crowd gasped, shifted uncomfortably and peered at the scene in front of them. Rhylan forgot to breathe for five humming seconds. Beneath her, Calvin tore off the last dangling bit of fabric that was caught under her sliver heels.

With a cock of his head, he glanced up and tacitly sought her permission to touch her. Then very gently lifted her left leg and carefully released the piece of cloth.

He rose to his full height and huffed out a breath. "Better. Now, shall we?" He asked, offering his right arm. Rhylan's heart beat abnormally fast as she linked an arm with his. She felt everything as he led her to the altar; sheer joy, unbridled pride, numbness where their arms intertwined. If looks could burn, she would have been a pile of ash.

The smothering looks only bolstered her confidence as her as she sashayed her way to make her vows. She could get used to this.

Calvin's gentlemanliness was another admirable trait that scored brownie points in Kehlani's good books. Now, Rhylan thoroughly understood why. There was something about it that could unnerve the feistiest of women. It was capable of scraping the outer walls of feminine defense, no matter how long it had taken to build them.

At the altar, he carefully slid his arms off with a charming smile and returned to his appropriate spot. Gilly, slanted a quirky smile at Rhylan before snagging her bouquet to give her more room.

Behind them, the guests took their seats, some uneasily, as the priest reeled off romantic words in praise of the couple. Rhylan stole glances at Calvin every chance she got. His lips were continually poised in a simple smile that neither thinned or widened no matter how creative the young priest got.

She gnawed at her lower lip and almost messed up her lipstick before Gilly nudged her. Rhylan swallowed. It was difficult to behave next to Calvin Banks. With every second that passed with them being shoulder to shoulder, a warm and caressing heat spread through her marrow. What was expected when one was standing next to their dream man, about to be wed?

Rhylan struggled to keep her eyes and mind focused on the priest as he sputtered a few words of wisdom. In her head, misty images of Calvin hauling a screaming Kehlani over his shoulder to quell her tantrum played in a loop. After the first play, Kehlani morphed into Rhylan.

Rhylan stole a glance at Calvin's broad shoulders and wondered what it would feel like to be strewn over his tattooed body. When Calvin craned his neck to stare at her, she looked back at the priest, thankful for the privacy of the veil.

The hall grew noisy with murmurs when the priest called for anyone who had any reason for the couple to not be wed to speak or forever hold their peace. Rhylan looked around at the unpleasant twitching of shoulders and murmurs. She locked eyes with her father in the front row. His face was set in a hard line and difficult to read. She wasn't sure what was going through his mind.

Her glance flicked to the spinsters, to her sisters with envious stares. Then the loud gasp had her breath knocked out of her. When she surveyed the hall once more, her father was indeed standing. Gradually, he worked his way through the meshed bodies, and made for the altar. Rhylan's eyes glistened with tears and shock. What was he doing?

"Dad, what are you doing?"

He grabbed her hand and whispered. "I think I have made a horrible mistake. You're only eighteen. You know nothing of marriage. You should be prepping for your summer classes and contemplating college essays. This is wrong." His grip tightened when Rhylan tried to pull away.

"I'm so sorry Mr. Banks." he said, turning to a puzzled Calvin. He let Rhylan's hands fall free now. "She's my youngest daughter. She is still a child and won't make a decent wife. I have two other grown daughters who graduated college with sterling grades. You can make your pick. Please allow me to rectify this mistake. I am unwilling to wrong my last child so."

Rhylan couldn't believe the tears in her father's eyes. The priest was at a loss. The murmurs all round grew louder and more intense.

"It was my understanding that you accepted my offer and promised to let me wed your daughter, Rhylan Hicks." Calvin replied.

"Yes, I did. But I forced her. Somehow, I convinced myself that she needed this to grow and learn. But I was wrong to do that as a father. Look at her. She's running on nerves. Pale as a ghost. She's scared. I can't give her away in good conscience." He clasped his hands prayer-like and bowed his head. "I beg you sir, pick any of her older sisters to wed today. I can't let you wed my Rhylan."

The last bit had been loud enough to send chills down Rhylan's spines. Her sisters shot to their feet and advanced forward. Belle drew close and cradled their father's head in a show of concern. Rumi edged close to Calvin, a solemn look in her eyes.

"Forgive our father." Belle said in a plea. "He's old. He is not above making mistakes."

Behind her, Rhylan felt Gilly's comforting hands on her shoulders.

Calvin turned to Rhylan, eyes firm. "Are you doing this against your will? Were you forced to wed me today?" Her family, the guests reared their heads to hear her say the very words that would shatter the billion-dollar bubble that was about to become her life as Calvin's life. Gilly's squeezed her hand from behind before lunging forward.

"That's ridiculous. Nobody forced my best friend into anything. Sure, she was shocked to find a proposal had been made in her absence, and by proxy too. It's only natural that she would have some concerns, entertain some questions. However, the contract document offered her just enough answers to be here at this moment. Right Rhylan?"

"Stay out of this, Gillian" Belle warned. "This is a family matter and you have no prerogative to speak, or insinuate my dad is lying."

"Enough everyone." Calvin growled with eyes flat and cold. He closed the gap between him and his bride. "This is all my fault. I should have come myself, saved you the embarrassment and confusion." he took her hands and she willed herself to breathe. "Rhylan Hicks, please accept my apology for every inconvenience caused. Mr. Hicks, I sincerely apologize to you and your family."

"Please don't. I am to blame. Like I said, it isn't too late to rectify the mistake." Rhylan's dad sputtered.

"Of course, not" Calvin replied. Rhylan's eyes boggled when Calvin lifted her veil to reveal her teary eyes. She could have sworn something fluttered in his when he realized she had been crying underneath the veil. With a thumb, he blotted her tears.

"It's okay my darling daughter." Her father sprung forward. "It's over now." He froze when Calvin shot him a steely look.

"I will say when it's over, Mr. Hicks." His fiery eyes had Rhylan's father retreating hesitantly. "We had a contract, remember? Last I checked, it was her name and her signature on it so I suggest you back off."

"What does it matter? You merely mentioned you needed a utopian bride. No specifics. It can be anyone of my older daughters."

"It can be anyone of your daughters!"

"She just turned eighteen!"

"Exactly." Calvin roared. "She's old enough. Now I will need you to stop butting in so I can make this right." Rhylan's father opened his mouth, swallowed whatever retort was on his tongue as Calvin shot him a fulminating look. Calvin turned to Rhylan.

"Rhylan Hicks, are you under any pressure to wed me today? You only have to nod your head if you don't feel like speaking. Shake your head from side to side if you're not being forced" He maintained a reassuring smile as he awaited her response.

"No" Rhylan muttered. "Not anymore."

The murmurs from the crowd had Rhylan turning her head but Calvin's hand cupped her chin once more, directing those eyes back to his. She refocused her eyes on them so hard she noted their color for the first time.

"I'm glad to hear that. With your permission, I would love to wed you as originally planned. How does that sound?"

"Like a piss poor proposal" Gilly chirped. "Do it right. Get on one knee" Rhylan blushed hard as Calvin crouched and proposed to her in full glare of everyone. She answered with a resounding 'yes' and the ceremony resumed.

While the rings were fetched, Rhylan tried not to think about a fact she had noticed in Calvin's eyes. She could have sworn Calvin's eyes were described as being a deep, rich blue in Taming the Billionaire. But the man standing next to her had green eyes!