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Her neck smelled like her cocoa butter lotion when I kissed below her jaw, my palm skirting higher to cup her breast like we hadn’t made love in the living room as soon as she’d returned from her trip a few hours before. “Mm-hm.”
“How many bottles did you buy?” Her voice was breathy, and she linked her leg with mine, her skin silky against my calf.
“Twelve.” I rolled her to her back, kissing along her collarbone and nudging her shirt over her head. “I figured that would last you at least a couple months.”
“Color me impressed,” she said, sliding fingers through my hair, her nails grazing my scalp as I kissed down her body. “You’re too good to me.”
“I kind of am,” I said with a grin, hooking my thumbs into the waistband of her sleep shorts. “But you’re pretty good to me, too.”
RJ stroked the side of my face, her expression soft when her gaze met mine. “I plan to be.”
I nudged her knees apart and ducked my head lower, anticipating her first groan. “Me first, though.”
Acknowledgments
DEARLY BELOVED, WEare gathered here at the end of the book to celebrate everyone who made this novel possible.
Love is patient. Love is kind.But writers under deadline are often neither. I am so thankful for my family for keeping me motivated, cared for, and sometimes in check! Travis and Tiny Human—you are my rocks. Thank you, Mom and Dad; Jay and Amanda; Bruce and Jean; Mike and Melissa; Barb; Tim; Allison; Kaitlin; Crystal; Aretha; and all my aunts, uncles, and cousins who are basically a mini PR firm working from coast to coast.
With this ring...Okay, there aren’t any real rings. I wanted to include two bands in the back of every book, but it was cost prohibitive, so use your imagination. With this ring , I take this opportunity to thank the people who helped bring this book to life.
For better or for worse.I’m so blessed to have an editor who makes my work shine, but also crafts my “worse” into something I’m so proud of. Kerry Donovan, you are a delight and a blessing, and I implicitly trust you to make my stories better. Thank you also to the Berkley and Penguin Random House team who brought this book into the world. Thank you, Bridget O’Toole, Dache’ Rogers, Mary Baker, Karen Dziekonski, and Lindsey Tulloch. The beautiful cover was designed by Farjana Yasmin.
For richer or for poorer, but let’s shoot for the first one if we can, yeah? To my indelible agent, Sharon Pelletier: I feel continually blessed to have such an ardent advocate in my corner and I always appreciate your humor, kindness, and candor. Thank you also to Lauren Abramo, Andrew Dugan, and Sara DeNobrega at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret and Kristina Moore at UTA.
In sickness and in healthis fitting since I wrote this book in 2020 and 2021, but I am eternally grateful for the friends who kept me feeling supported, heard, motivated, and laughing. Thank you to my sister, Bethany; Allison Ashley; Katie Golding; Charish Reid; Taj McCoy; Cass Newbould; Alicia Sparrow; Priscilla Oliveras; Jen DeLuca; Libby Hubscher; Regina Black; Rachel Mans McKenny; the 2020 BIPOC Debut family; Kenyatta; Jasmine; Jalen; Aiden; Jacki and the MSA team; Emily; Tera; Haley; Matt; Jen; Brian; The Cardinal Women*; Romance Fight Club members J, Allie, Beth, and Tova; and everyone else who has cheered me on and listened to me drone on about bookish things.
To honor and obey.Even though neither of you obey even basic commands anymore, thank you to Penny and Greta for unconditional puppy love and sleeping on my feet when you weren’t being menaces while this book came to life.
To love and to cherish.Finally, thank you to readers who have welcomed my characters into your heads and hearts. It means everything, truly.
Do I know how lucky I am to be surrounded by the phenomenal people above and that my books wouldn’t happen without them?
I do.
Continue reading for a preview of Denise Williams’s next new romance!
Chapter 1
Pearl
Today
AS I FLIPPEDover my phone, the thin gold bracelet on my wrist caught the light, the chain cutting through the four small stars tattooed on my wrist.
Shea:Send a selfie. Show me the dress.
Pearl:I’m not taking a selfie.
Shea:You’re too serious. I know you look bangable.
Pearl:Bangable isn’t my objective. I’m working.
Shea:Your objective lacks creativity. This is why I’m the fun sister.
My sister was a pain, but a pain with good taste who had found an amazing dress for me. The champagne-colored satin was cool under my palm, and I brushed my fingers against it before slipping my phone into my clutch. The wash of the cool breeze from theair-conditioning swept over the exposed skin at my back, and I straightened at the prickling sensation. The room swirled with people, and before I stepped back into the hall, I surveyed the countless donors and supporters in formal wear.
On the far side of the room, Katrina Dawson laughed with a trio of people in their seventies. The two of us had started a few weeks earlier in our new roles with the company. It was strange being home, both strange and good. After five years in California, the right job had brought me back to Chicago, but I didn’t have a good sense of anyone on my team yet, so every day felt like treading water with shields up, especially with Katrina.
