Colin couldn't remember the last time he'd entered a ballroom with quite so much anticipation.
She would come in any second now. Time was running too slow for his liking. Some guests already arrived, which meant social talk time have started.
Anthony and Kate were standing just a few feet from him and he could hear their sweet bubbling, light jokes and Kate's laughter time from time. But somehow, he couldn't take his eyes off of the entrance.
Just when we already wanted to take a step in that direction, she walked in. Penelope looked stunning in her creamy blue dress, almost like a goddess. Her hair was partly pulled back from her left side, which gave him just the enough view of her neck.
"Pen!"
"Colin!"
It felt like nothing has changed.
"Have you been waiting for me?" She asked playfully, noticing how he almost ran to her as soon as he saw her.
She expected him to shy away and throw some joke about food or else, but he looked so confident walking to her, she sincerely started doubting that.
"Yes. I was. You took your time. I missed you." He said leaving a quick kiss on her lips.
Well, she definitely didn't expect that. She could see already familiar darkness in his eyes, the same one she saw last night. Is it how it's going to be every time now?
Penelope was a bit shy now. She was not yet used to this kind of affection in public.
He noticed a light blush on her cheeks. Well, that was indeed a good sign - he thought. Maybe she had exactly the same feelings as he did.
With that thought Colin took her hand in his. "A drink?" He asked waving in the direction of lemonade.
"Sure." She smiled. She really … smiled. She felt it reached her heart. She had made peace with her latest column that she spent all morning writing. She made peace that this might be her last ball. Maybe her last dance with him. And now she was simply enjoying the time that she had left.
He handed her a drink, still standing close to her. Closer than usually. It felt almost intimate. He was invading her space, while she found herself loving every second it. And then he leaned even closer, it took her a moment to notice that he was simply reaching for a piece of cake. His arm accidentally touching her shoulder. Or was it not so accidental after all. Because just as he straightened his posture, she saw, once again, his eyes looking at her just like that time she touched his hair.
"Do you want a piece?" He asked.
"You know I can never resist sweet things." she answered and winked at him, losing herself in his gorgeous blue eyes. That motion sent them both into a fit of laughter.
That was so familiar to them. To laugh in public like nobody was watching - he thought. Indeed, he didn't really care even if somebody was. She just Winked at him. Was Penelope flirting with him now? Guess his lessons had some result after all. Or maybe she just never needed them in the first place.
They were still looking in each other's eyes. He broke his piece of cake into two parts and handed it to her.
"Here. You can have a piece of mine." The dark colour suddenly flooded back to his eyes, looking straight at her lips.
She didn't though anything of it, reaching for a cake and putting it into her mouth. He followed her every move, especially when her tongue slides on her full lips and she looked up at him. She was so innocent. So pure. So clueless as to what she was doing to him.
"You have some sugar on your..." He reached out and touched her lips, to swipe nonexistent sugar off of her full pink lips, slowly swallowing each moment he got to touch her in that way.
Their eyes met. Was it pure desire? Her lips parted even more and a let out a single silent sigh, he could've missed it if his whole attention wasn't on each of her movements. She slowly bit her lower lip. It felt like all of outside noise became completely blurred and they were the only ones in this whole city.
And then her hand reached out to his arm and pulled it away.
"You did it intentionally. There was no sugar, right? Does Colin Bridgerton have a thing for me eating cake?" Not only did she confront him just now, but she also seemed unshakable all of the sudden. She turned this situation a complete 180 in a matter of a single moment. Just as he started chucking on his words, trying to form any sort of an answer, her witty smile turned into a small laugh which set a chain reaction in him.
It was so wondrous to be in love with your best friend - he thought.
He never imagined laughing like that with his future wife. He saw it in his parents, of course, but he never envisioned this kind of love for himself, not even in his wildest dreams.
He ate his piece of cake, licking his fingers after. It seemed as she was mesmerized by the view not less than he was. Just as he wanted to make a comment about it, Kate and Anthony appeared by his side.
"Brother, I think it's time to tell the news to everybody, are you both ready?"
Ready was not a word that has been on Penelope's mind for the last couple of weeks. But there was no going back, neither did she want to back down, so she simply nodded, while Colin grabbed her hand in his.
Speech was given by both brothers. Cheerful awes filled the ballroom. Smiles and admirations. Light and easy. That was the easy part.
The one person Pen didn't expect to come up to them was Eloise. But she was walking directly at them, which made Penelope hold her breath and unconsciously squeeze Colin's hand, which caught his attention, as he looked down on Pen.
"What…?"