TWENTY-SEVEN
IN A BLINK, the walls of the private pod went black. Dyce glass. Had its moments.
“Great!” she exclaimed with her own level of sarcasm. “Now people will think we’re having a threesome in here.”
Said husband wasn’t in the mood to play. “They won’t because he’s leaving. Now.”
“Don’t be rude to our guest, I invited him.”
“I know. He’s still leaving.”
Reeve tried to reason. “Zairn—”
“Don’t talk to me like you’re my friend. The only reason you get me and not security is because my wife’s in a good mood.”
His wife. Wow. Just wow. Still weird but goddamn sexy.
“Okay, everyone…” Much as it pained her—because she was tired and scrunchy and just wanted to cuddle—she forced herself to put one foot on the floor then the other. Yes, she could play mediator… or they’d die of laughter while she tried. “No fisticuffs on wedding days.”
No doubt it was always someone’s wedding day somewhere. Still not a bad ambition.
“Rox—”
“Thank you for speaking with me, Reeve, I appreciate your time.”
Zairn opened the door and there was security, ready and prepped to “escort” him out. Politely, of course… she hoped.
“Go,” Zairn said.
“I’ll call you,” Roxie said.
The reporter was dubious. “You’ll call?”
“Yes,” she said. “Some time. Eventually.”
She wouldn’t make any promises when this was kind of an unusual time. Weddings. Marriage. All that zest and zazz.
Reeve muttered something before being swept outside by security. The door closed as a final period to their meeting.
“Roxanna—”
“Ah! Ah! Ah!” she rebuked, wagging a finger. “It’s our wedding day. That means you can’t start an argument with me and I can’t tell you off for rudely excusing my friends.”
“Friend? Reeve Crosby is not our friend, babe.”
“Okay.” Extending her arms, she curled her fingers in and out of her palms, gesturing for him. “Come make-out with me.”
Now they were alone, anyone paying attention might believe they were enjoying some married couple time. Who was she to disappoint them?
“That why you had Reeve Crosby in here?”
“Oh, yeah, ‘cause he’s totally my type. He doesn’t have a skyscraper penthouse.”
When he reached her, she let her hands slide across his body and around until she was holding herself against him. There in that space…
“You wouldn’t look at me,” she murmured, eyes closed. “One year ago today…”
“Lo…”
“ Something you can’t get from me. ”
Those were his words that night. Missing it was the biggest mistake of her life, her biggest regret. That night, this man couldn’t put his arms around her. And there, on their wedding day, he embraced her like she was the most precious thing in his world.
“I was blind.”
“Lola—”
“We’ve been over this, I know, yet I haven’t gotten the truth out, let me…”
Words were her style, she always had something to say, a phrase for any occasion. Except it didn’t matter how many times they’d touched on the issue, she’d never managed to articulate what had been inside her back then.
“You can have anything you want,” he murmured, tucking a tendril of hair behind her ear.
Language neglected her. And when he said that… there was only one thing she wanted…
“Kiss me, Casanova.”
No explanation or justification needed. Bleeding satisfaction, he ducked to rest his mouth on hers. Was there such a thing as too much happiness, too much love? Their lives could follow any path. Up, down, it didn’t matter. Left, right, they’d figure it out.
Fisting her hands in his shirt, she maneuvered them onto the couch, their lips never parting, and climbed on top, still holding him steady. When his fingers curled in her hair, she laid her palms flat to put just enough space between them to talk.
“I love you, Casanova. This is it now. Our forever.” Pressing a little harder, she met his eye, appreciating the solid anchor of his chest and the beat of his strong heart.
“You are one half of me. No other woman will ever touch you like this. No other person will ever match our entitlement to each other. Do you understand that?”
“I understand.” His hands skimmed across her face, went into her hair, to her shoulders, he just, appreciated her. “I will never want another person.”
Some may roll their eyes, some may speculate about who they may meet one day. She wasn’t sure she understood it herself, not completely, but just the idea of him touching another woman the way he touched her was utterly ludicrous.
“There’s no out from here,” she said. “We will make this work. We will rely on each other. We’ll respect our trust. I trust you.”
“And I’d never abuse that trust.”
The tender scrutiny of his eyes matched the lazy smile that occupied his neglected lips. She kissed him again, just because she could.
“We will never, ever forget to communicate.” The words slid from her tongue to his as she whispered them against him. “There’s nothing we can’t say to each other. We tell the truth.”
“No matter what it is. Agreed.”
“We’ll never rush to judgment. We stay calm. And we don’t get mad at each other for telling the truth, we talk it out.” His thumb grazed her lower lip. “You’re giving me the ‘you’re crazy’ look again.”
“You’re unique,” he said. “Do things in your own time. Don’t let anyone rush you.” Except herself. “I love you.”
“Doesn’t explain the look.” Not entirely. “Haven’t you always known those things about me?”
He cupped her face, holding her near. “This is the conversation I wanted to have a year ago.”
Ah, okay. “I’m sorry for the Triple Seven.”
“Accepted. We’re past that. I wanted to rush and you paced us. I wouldn’t want to have this conversation unless you were ready for it. I should thank you.”
“Thank me?”
“You didn’t have this conversation until you were ready.
Sure. We bypassed so much bullshit by waiting until this was guaranteed.
You could’ve sprinted in, a lot of women would have.
We could’ve had months of back and forth, together, apart, fighting, resisting, pushing, demanding.
When you weren’t sure, you kept your distance. And the minute you were…”
“The moment it hit me, I knew I’d do anything. I’d still do anything.”
“There’s nothing to do, we’re here now. Neither of us have doubts. Our foundation, the way we came together, gave us that. We can speak on behalf of each other, voice certainty about our fidelity because we have honesty.”
“Because we communicate.” She nudged her face against his cheek. “Not bad for a lunatic charlatan, huh?”
“You’re my lunatic charlatan, Lola. All I want is the complete, unfiltered you.”
“Hmm, I know your game…” she teased, her teeth dragging on his jaw. “Stop thinking about sleeping with me.”
“Can’t help myself.”
She pressured her palms up to his shoulders and trailed her fingertips back down to unfasten his shirt.
“In the name of honesty, there’s something I have to tell you,” she breathed, resting her cheek on his so her lips were near his ear. “I’ve been meaning to tell you for a while.”
His own touch demanded more, stroking and caressing until his hands were beneath the fabric squeezing her ass.
“What’s that?” he asked, his voice dropping an octave.
“I’m ready now.”
“Ready for…?”
Leaning back, she wiggled her finger in front of his face, showing off the Empress ruby. “I’m ready.”
He exhaled a laugh. “It’s about goddamn time.”
With a kiss they sealed the moment and their union. Together was an abstract concept until they found each other. Forever meant less. Now, an eternity wasn’t long enough for Lola and Casanova.