“Look, there’s one. Make a wish!”
I buried my face in her golden silk and inhaled all of her; she could transfix me with her scent alone. Her concerned gaze lifted to seek out mine. My only guess was that she misread my silence.
“Oh, Ace, I’m sorry. That was insensitive. I know how much you’re struggling over your Dad-”
“Hey, shhh. I might be an insensitive ass, but my dad is the last thing on my mind right now. Tonight is about us, about you, and I’m not going to feel guilty about it. Okay?”
She lifted her head from my chest, caught my eyes and smiled.
“Can we get back to wishes now?” She grinned. “Good. Mine’s more of a two-parter. I’m lucky the first part’s already come true. You’re here.” My lips instinctively found their way to my favorite spot on her forehead right between her brows. “As for part two, feeling pretty confident luck’s on my side for that one tonight, too.”
“Hmm,” she giggled.
I rolled on my side and flexed my hips so she could feel my luck. Her laugh was infectious as she followed suit and wiggled her pelvis over mine.
“Same wish I see.” I raised a brow and lifted up onto my elbow. She fell onto her back and stared up at me. I swore her eyes twinkled brighter than any of the two million stars overhead. The light of the moon reflected off her blonde hair. I tucked a loose strand the wind caught behind her ear, as the last seven months flashed before my eyes. Was this luck?
“You are it for me,” she whispered.
Luck, fate, coincidence, happenstance, call it what you want. I didn’t care. I liked the sound of that. Screw that. I loved the sound of that.
“This is perfect, no, we are perfect, and I can’t think of one other thing I could possibly want. I’m not wishing tonight. I don’t need to. Besides, I don’t want to tempt lady luck, she hasn’t exactly been my biggest fan, I’d like to keep her in our good graces.”
And just like that reality joined the dark ocean, rippling around us. There was no escaping that we both had our fair of shit luck, Tal’s far outweighing my own. But she was right, the tide had changed and we both were swimming in it. We were lucky and I wasn’t going to let anything or anyone screw it up.
“Do you trust me?”
“Oh Ace, not this again. Yes, of course. Why are you asking me that?”
“I’ve been contemplating how to tell you since last night—whether to lay it all out or just give the bullets. And not because I don’t think you can handle it. I know you can, they don’t come stronger than you. But selfishly I don’t want you to have to.”
“Now you have to tell me and don’t sugarcoat it.” Her back tightened and she sat up, tucking her knees into her chest. I hated when she went into her protective ball. I could only hope that after I delivered this final news I would never see her defensive armor again. She was too beautiful, too confident to be frightened of the past.
“You know my greatest fear, and I know yours.” I spread my legs and cocooned her tiny frame firmly against me. Her eyes widened with understanding, tightening the knot in my chest. Son of a bitch, there weren’t ever any pictures. She never needed to know that. This I would take to my grave. “I ran into Constance yesterday, it’s over. You don’t ever have to worry. It all died with him.”
She flinched and I tightened my hold. “Constance ... Constance Colton?” She tipped her head to the side with confusion wrinkling her beautiful face. “What did she say? Wait … she found out? Oh my god. She must hate me.”
“She may hate you, but you have it backwards, Tal.”
A sickening realization spread across her face. Her voice was barely above a whisper when she uttered, “She knew?”
I wanted her to be angry. To yell. To scream. To cry. Nope, not Tal. She dropped her head against my shoulder, completely defeated. My heart cracked for her. She was betrayed by a woman, a wife, and most importantly, a mother. Her best friend’s mother. Someone who should have been there to protect her. This was nothing more than another devastating blow to my woman. But I was damn well going to do everything in my power to make this the last. She deserved this and so much more.
“She will answer for her sins one day. Her husband has an open seat right next to him in hell. Until then, she’s not yours or Tack’s problem.” The rage I was trying so hard to keep at bay for her sake was percolating. I hated that woman.
“What about…” Her voice trailed off.
“Look at me.” I captured her cheeks in my hands and connected our eyes. “You need to know I’d never lie to you. If you ask, I will tell you. But right now I need you to trust me on this. It’s over; it’s done. Nothing’s coming back to haunt you. Let me carry this one for you.” The light from above reflected off her shimmering eyes as several tears pooled behind her lids and slid by. My thumbs instinctively brushed them away before I linked our lips and breathed into her, “I love you, Teeps. I promise it’s done.”
She inhaled a deep breath and buried her face in my neck. Her shoulders sagged and she melted into me. I would take her weight now and forever to feel her relief. I would’ve never thought twenty-year-old pictures, fabricated or not, would have had the power to consume and dictate. Well, not anymore. Now—with cameras phones and social media bullshit—no one would blink twice at a successful single mother’s teenage mistake. But Talia wasn’t most people. Dignity was irreplaceable.
I held her until we gave in to the motion of the boat. She wiggled free from my grip and the relief I saw from moments ago had morphed into something else, something I never wanted to see in Talia’s eyes again … embarrassment.
“Did you ... see them?” she mouthed.
“No,” I said without hesitation. It wasn’t a lie, but it wasn’t the truth either. As much as the guilt of my nondisclosure burned my gut, I’d swallow this fire again to save her from knowing that every sacrifice she made was based on a calculated deception, a bluff. “I pinky swear.”
A slow smile erased her embarrassment and softness traveled down the length of her. I watched the remaining weight lift from her shoulders.
“You don’t know how to not fix everything, not take care of people. Forget stars and wishes, you already make me feel like the luckiest woman alive. Thank you.”
“Don’t have to thank me.” I smirked remembering our phone conversation yesterday. “It’s what a man in love does.” She took my hands and led me back down to the trampoline. I slid on top of her and she palmed both sides of my head. “Have I told you lately how stunning you are?”
“Stop talking, Ace.”
“You’re perfect.” Understatement.
“Stop. Talking.” Her face was so close I felt her flush and tasted her breath.
I loved her reaction to me. I took a deep breath, pride expanding my chest. My woman. My TP.
It wasn’t going to take much. “My woman want to get lucky?”
She mumbled an incoherent response against my lips. And I dove in deep. Her fingertips gingerly slid under my shirt, electrifying every nerve in my body. A chill ran down my spine as the opposing heat from her core ran across my chest and stomach. She tightened her bare legs around my thighs when she tilted her pelvis to meet mine. I craved her like nothing else. I wanted to feel her silk and smoothness. Shedding my shirt, I continued my exploration across her jaw and down her neck. Sweet Jesus, was she edible. I slipped her spaghetti straps down, exposing the top of her perfect handful. I loved when she wore no bra.
“I like that you follow instructions.” I saw her lips curve up even through the blackness. “You bare under here too?” I slid my fingers under the edge of her shorts and she nodded. “You trying to kill me, woman?”