His startled hiss of breath floored her confidence, and she met his gaze in the mirror as his warm hands smoothed over her bare body.
“If I have another fifty years, nothing will compare to this.”His voice was gravel in her ear.“I will never take your luminous beauty that shines from the inside out for granted.”
Overwhelmed, she briefly closed her eyes and leaned back against him.How could anyone think anything this beautiful—two people sharing their bodies—was a sin?Something the woman should do as a duty instead of a pleasure.
“I’m so glad I found you,” she said as his hands cupped her breasts.
She turned on the taps, checking the water, plugging the tub.
“I’m the lucky one,” he said.
So serious.She loved that about him.But she also wanted to help him find his happy.
“And you’re in luck again,” she said, and began to undress him.
Chapter Seventeen
Maddy took anotherpicture of several of women in the wedding group whooping it up over a game of darts.
“Shy?”she questioned, lowering her phone and looking searchingly at Ayana.
“Ahhhhh—” Ayana broke off, embarrassed at being called out for avoiding the camera, something she’d been doing all day.
Telford had asked her about it in the bath, and she’d distracted him by going down on him in the tub.But she was going to have to come clean—tell him about her past, wasn’t she?Wasn’t that what couples did—be honest with each other?
Maddy waited.
“Not shy, but I don’t really post on social media.”
“You have a site on Etsy.You have an IG account modeling your vests and scarves and shawls.”
But not her name.Her face.And often not her body.
But how would she explain that to her soon-to-be sister-in-law?
“It’s for Cash.We’re getting married tomorrow.”Maddy smiled, clearly in full persuasion mode.“The men will be joining us soon.This is for his brand, sure, but I also want a collection of our wedding party for our personal online album and also for some pictures that I’m going to put on canvas and hang on our wall.We’re going to build a house.”
Maddy didn’t bother to hide the excitement in her voice or on her face and why should she?She was getting married tomorrow for real to a man who adored her.Ayana tried to shove aside the worry that she wouldn’t have the same thing—that Telford would want to stick to the contract.
Stop it.
Her life was beyond magical now.She didn’t want to ruin it by worrying about the future that rarely unfolded like people thought it would.Trouble always found a way in.
“And you’re photogenic as all get-out,” Maddy said cheerfully, dragging Ayana back into the moment.
Grey’s Saloon.Appetizers.Women who could be family and friends.Pink drinks.
“So it can’t be that you don’t like the way you look.You could be a supermodel with those cheekbones and eyes and legs a block long.”
Now Ayana felt like a spoilsport.This was Maddy’s night out, but she was still doing work of sorts, documenting her part in Cash’s and her wedding weekend.And she was complimenting her.Engaging because they were going to be family.
Could they?Would it be safe to stay?Would she be putting not only herself, but also Telford at risk?Bronte?The Telford family?She hadn’t seen Tarek again—if that had been Tarek in the Graff’s pub the other night.But with how so many in the town had drawn strong conclusions about Telford, she thought others would notice Tarek and gossip.
Maddy waited for an answer.No wonder she was so successful at her chosen career.
“Maybe you should be a journalist.”Ayana smiled to take the bite out of her words.
“I am sort of.”Maddy tilted her head so that her long dark hair fell silkily over one shoulder.
