Page 8 of Love Him Like Water

But I couldn’t seem to stop thinking about her as the party raged on, getting louder as everyone got drunker.

Those big blue eyes on me as she came down the aisle.

Her delicate hand in mine.

My ring on her finger.

And all the implications that came with that.

The party showed no signs of dying down as the day finally got the better of me, making me sneak away unnoticed, and head upstairs toward my bedroom.

I moved inside, closing the door, and muffling the sounds below.

Somehow, despite marrying the woman, despite moving her into my apartment, I didn’t expect to see her right there in my room.

But there she was.

Changed out of the wedding dress.

Sitting on the edge of the bed in a buttery pink silk robe, the shoulder slipped down to reveal a slash of skin and the strap of what seemed like another silky pink piece of clothing.

Lingerie?

I hadn’t been expecting that.

Hell, I hadn’t anticipated consummating my marriage at all, to be honest, since I’d been half-expecting an eighty-year-old.

But, I don’t know, maybe my mind could be changed on that…

CHAPTER THREE

Lore

I didn’t know what I’d been expecting of Renzo Lombardi’s home. I guess I’d imagined something very cold and modern. Sharp lines, dark colors, lots of chrome and glass.

I hadn’t been prepared for how warm his apartment actually was.

I realized as I stepped inside that Renzo had the entire top floor of the building to himself, creating a sprawling, open space.

The red brick on the outside of the building was a dominant feature inside, giving the large space a cozy vibe.

The nearly floor to ceiling windows were curved at the tops with black casings, and lining one entire wall of the space.

The concept was open, so the kitchen was closest to the door with more exposed brick, black cabinetry, an oversized island, butcher block countertops, and cement floors.

The apartment flowed from there into a dining space with a long table, and then the living room area that featured several seating areas. One had a conversational, intimate vibe with a small loveseat and three black leather chairs all facing each other.

Beside that was a larger seating area with off-white tufted couches facing a large framed TV on the wall.

Then, finally, on the far end of that was a game area dominated by a sleek wooden pool table with black felt. One side of the pool table was lined by hightop tables and chairs. The other side had a large, fully stocked bar and a stereo system.

There were rooms off of that space.

But they were slightly cut off from view thanks to a large staircase leading up to the loft area that surrounded the whole apartment.

It seemed as though each end of the house featured bedrooms with one long hallway that overlooked the lower level between them.

“Mrs. Lombardi,” a newly familiar voice said to me, making me turn to see the man who’d come to the bridal suite at the cathedral, who’d led me toward the aisle.

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