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“Wasn’t tryin’ to hide them from you, sweetheart. You’re the most stunnin’ woman here tonight, and I don’t have a problem markin’ you as mine.”
“You do look incredible, by the way. I know I’ve told you that a million times already tonight, but you do.”
I jumped his bones the moment he stepped out of the bedroom dressed in dress slacks and a button-up I’ve never seen him wear before. It’s criminal for a man to have such a nice ass, and one look at it in those tight-fitted pants had me panting.
His beard is trimmed, and his hair is gelled back beneath the brown hat. I’ve cut my hair a bit, too, over the past few months and dyed it a soft brown with some highlights. It’s not much of a change, but it’s something to me. I feel refreshed, and every day, I wake up feeling like it’ll be even better than the day before.
“You look phenomenal, Anna. I’ve been plannin’ all the ways I can take this dress off since the moment you put it on,” Brody murmurs.
I pinch the silky material below my bust, rolling it between my fingers. “Oh, this old thing?”
“Yeah, that old thing. It’s gorgeous on you.”
My cheeks flame as I chew on the inside of my cheek, focusing on the next set of photographers up ahead and the woman with a microphone in her hand.
“Thank you. How are you feeling?”
I’ve been checking on him often today, knowing he’s nervous about his first-ever nomination for album of the year. It’s been a whirlwind of a year with the success of his album and North American tour.
We spent long, late nights on the phone while he was touring, and I came with him as often as I could while running Thistle and Thorn. The business is flourishing, even after I struggled so badly at first. It was a learning curve, a steep one, but I eventually figured it out.
Construction on our new home finished recently, and we’ve been moved in for only a couple of weeks. It took far longer than expected to build our dream house, but it was so, so worth it. Getting to wake up every day to a view of the mountains through the floor-to-ceiling windows in the bedroom I share with the love of my life . . . there’s nothing greater than that.
“Terrified,” he answers bluntly.
I curl myself as close as I can around his side and squeeze his fingers. “You’ve got this, Bo. Win or lose, you’ve got this. How many artists can say they not only got nominated for an award after only their second album while also performing? I’m in awe of you. Every day.”
His throat bobs with a swallow. “Luckiest man in the world to have you beside me, Annalise. Thank you.”
“I’m here for you always. Through everything.”
Whether subconsciously or otherwise, he rubs the bare skin on my fourth finger, where I once wore another man’s ring. A harsh swell of emotion ripples through me. Longing, I’ve realized recently. Longing to wear Brody’s ring on my finger.
He hasn’t once pressured me into marriage, even though I know he would take me as his wife any day, anywhere. A man as respectful as him would never pressure me into that. And at one time, I was positive that I never wanted to get married. Was sure of it, especially after Stewart. But over the past year and a half, that’s been changing. Those feelings have evolved so drastically that I haven’t even told him about it.
I should have known I would want to marry Brody someday. He’s everything I’ve ever wanted and more. Perfect in animperfect way. Every day I spend with him only emphasizes how foolish I was.
That conversation has to come soon. I need it to.
The second round of photographs moves faster than the first, and then we’re being ushered toward the interviewer waiting to the side. Massive cameras focus on us as Brody tugs me along with him, not caring that the woman most likely only wanted to speak to him. We’ve both gotten more comfortable in the spotlight because of situations like these, our inability to separate from one another longer than necessary.
We greet the woman together, and she quickly moves into the questions for Brody. She focuses on his feelings regarding his nomination and who he’s most excited to see tonight before sliding into a line of questioning that we’ve grown to expect when we’re together in these situations.
“You’ve been together for over a year, correct?” she asks, voice incredibly chipper.
Brody looks to me to answer, and I don’t hesitate to do so. “Almost a year and a half, yes.”
“I think I speak for almost all of us when I say that you two look gorgeous together here tonight. As you always do,” she says.
Brody kisses the side of my head. “Thank you, Jess.”
“You look incredible too,” I add, and it’s the truth. The woman in front of us is glowing, whether with genuine excitement for what she does or if she’s just happy to meet celebrities, who knows. It doesn’t matter to me either way.
She grins at my compliment, and I relax further in her presence. “I hope you forgive me if I’m overstepping here, but we took a few fan questions earlier for you, Brody, and there’s one that overshadowed the rest. Would you mind answering?”
He hides his panic behind an easy-going smile, but I know him too well to fall for it the way she does. I shift toward him,sliding my hand across his middle before tucking my fingers in his belt loop.
“Ask away,” he tells her.
