Ex Cried as I Wed a Tycoon

Chapter 225

Effie sprang to her feet, giggling uncontrollably. Each time she swayed, Lyman's heart lurched as if an invisible hand had seized it-his breath slowed, his nerves taut.

"Don't move around so much," he warned gently.

But before he could finish, Effie flung out her arms. "I'm about to take off!"

Lyman lunged forward just in time to catch her as she landed squarely in his

arms.

With her arms looped around his neck, she burst into laughter. "That was fun! Let's do it again!"

Lyman thought to himself that there was nothing fun about nearly having a heart attack.

Effie chimed in eagerly, "Come on, let's do it one more time!"

He nearly groaned. Again? His heart couldn't take much more.

"Mr. Etheridge, the car is ready-" the driver announced, but before he could finish, Effie suddenly shrieked, "Ahh! The superhero is here! We have to run!"

the glow from the streetlamp,

what did that make them? Villains on

could guess the answer, but he still teased, "You think

chance! You're the lamppost monster, I'm the bird monster-we're way too weak. Run for it!" Effie declared, seizing his hand and

glanced at their entwined hands-hers was delicate and pale, almost ethereal. His gaze drifted up along her arm until he met her face. Effie turned

the stark, leafless trees lining the avenue seemed to burst into spring, vibrant and alive. It

wandered into his world beautiful and wild,

wished this moment could last

they reached the corner and slipped into the

him, and as Lyman bent

on her. He frowned a little. He hadn't expected his grandmother's homemade peach liqueur-so smooth and deceptively sweet-would go so thoroughly to

Now he knew what she was like when tipsy, he was never

quieter by

a relieved sigh; the

to

leaned closer and caught a single

shadows darkening his