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She threw her head back and laughed, enjoying the complete freedom of the action. It had been a long time since she’d felt so confident. Confident in her career, in the man in her arms, and in herself. It felt wonderful. She never wanted to give that up.
The click of a camera captured her attention as Alaric spun them around. Georgia tensed when she saw a familiar man in the crowd, his long ponytail pulled over his shoulder and a camera in his hands. She ground her teeth and huffed. Of all the nerve…
“What is is?” Alaric asked, looking down at her. “Did I step on your foot with my prosthetic?”
“No.” She grasped his hand tighter, glaring at the camera snapping pictures of them. “That horrible paparazzo man from Daily Dig is here and he’s got us in his line of sight. Ugh, I wish I could put my high heels right through his camera lens. It would serve him right.”
Alaric turned them so that he could see what she was talking about. Recognition flared in his eyes when he spotted the man and his shoulders tensed under Georgia’s hand. For a split second, she was sure he was going to stalk off and come to terms with the man who’d almost torn them apart.
Her money was on Alaric.
But a moment later, Alaric sucked in his cheeks and looked down at her with an ornery glint in his eyes. “You know what? Let him watch us. I don’t care.”
Georgia’s jaw dropped. “Seriously? You’re just going to let him get a show? After what he did to us?”
“Seriously.”
The half-grin was back on his sculpted mouth. It was the kind of smile that sent shivers down Georgia’s spine. He tugged her closer, until their chests collided, and his hand worked its way lower down the back of her dress. Bending over just enough for his warm breath to cause an outbreak of goosebumps along her neck, he kissed her gently on the cheek and whispered in her ear.
“He’s done his worst. Let him be. He’s never going to get in the way of me loving you again. That’s a promise. How does that sound to you, Georgia Weber?”
Electricity coursed over her skin. An elated smile grew on her red painted lips and a pretty blush burned on her cheeks.
“Well, when you put it that way…” She brushed her lips against the strong angle of his jaw, planting a sensual kiss near the corner of his mouth. He gave a low groan, his grip on her hand tightening. “Let him get the money shot. I don’t care — not when I have you.”
She smiled up at him, lost in the adoring glow of his eyes. They danced through the next three songs, hardly noticing the crowd as it surged and dissolved around them on the dance floor.
There was only one thing that mattered and they in that moment, they had it all.
Chapter Nineteen
Alaric watched as Georgia danced around the foyer of his home. It was a recent purchase for him — a stunning mansion set in Saint Helena, California. The glittering crystal chandelier hanging from the high arching timbers above reflected and magnified her excited movements. Alaric couldn’t help but pause in the process of putting his shoes on and stare at the woman he loved. Even in her silliest moments, she made his heart swell with fondness.
She tugged impatiently on his hand and laughed. “Come on! You know I can’t keep a secret for long. You’ve got to hurry before I burst and ruin the whole thing.”
Alaric scanned her over with amusement. It had been exactly a year today since they’d first made their fake relationship pact, but nothing was fake between them now. He loved seeing her let down her walls. She was every bit of the strong, intelligent, fun-loving woman he’d fallen for in the beginning.
They’d had some wonderful times during the last few months, as she traveled across the world for her concert schedule and he tagged along, managing his business through the beauty of technology. But not even a romantic evening swim in Aruba or a candlelit supper on a rooftop in Italy could compare to the excitement he felt when he got to hold that gorgeous woman in his arms every day.
And to show her just exactly what she meant to him, he had a surprise of his own for today. But that would have to wait.
“Fine, fine, I’m coming, woman.” He chuckled, low and throaty, before turning to his housekeeper to grab the weathered black leather jacket she offered him. He could feel the weight of a small box in the right pocket.
“For your outing, sir,” she said, bowing her gray head and winking at him conspiratorially. “It’s all set.”
“Thank you, Marge.”
A sudden nervous wave of energy coursed through his body and he shivered. It wasn’t a feeling he was used to having, but that was Georgia’s effect on him. He was constantly pushing past his own limitations around her. She’d become the kind of person who danced in the rain, volunteered for a blindfolded taste-test, and bungee jumped off the side of a bridge. He’d gladly given up a lot of his inhibitions to keep up with her during this past year. And it was worth every second.
“All right, enough stalling.” She hooked her arm through his and pulled him toward the door. “I need to give you your gift.”
“You know you really didn’t have to get me anything…”
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Alaric sped to keep up with her as she practically dragged him out the front door and onto the lush front patio. It was surrounded by carefully manicured bushes and trees, with an elaborate stone wall that curved south along the property and led toward a vivid turquoise pool and sunbathing deck. He had originally liked the property due to its majestic views of Napa Valley and the secluded location. But he hadn’t officially decided to purchase the home until the moment Georgia first saw it and he witnessed her eyes light up with childish wonder.
He’d do anything to make that woman happy.
