Page 130 of The Sounds of Her

“Not a word.”

I hoist her up, so she has to wrap her legs around me as the Righteous Brothers ‘Unchained Melody’ from the Ghost soundtrack plays. I am not the best dancer, but I two-step around the room, holding Brooke up with her arms wrapped around my neck. She is laughing hard at my admission, and attempt at dancing.

And that is the best fucking music I’ve heard all night.

Epilogue One

Three Months Later

I watch her walking towards the car and my breath catches, like it always does when I see her.

When did I become that guy who loses his shit over his woman, aka Adam Mathews? It crept up and bit me right in the ass, and I’ve never been happier.

All the BreakNeck boys are locked down. For months, it was all the fucking press could talk about. I guess when we’re not putting out any new albums, the tour is finished and we’re taking some time to unwind and regroup, there is nothing else for the press to say.

“Shit, Brooke isn’t messing around tonight,” Jordan says, ducking down to watch her as she walks towards the car.

I slap the back of his head and glare at him. He gives me a shit-eating grin.

Brooke got ready in work because she is on a case and the people she is interviewing could only come in after they finish work. It’s a good job she was nowhere near me, to be honest. I doubt we would have made it out of the apartment.

That red dress is insanely fucking hot on her. It makes her tanned legs appear miles long, because the damn skirt is so short. The sleeves are long, and it clings to her like a second skin.

She’s walking out with another woman who is also dressed up but breaks away to head to her own car. Brooke turns to say something to her, and I have to stop myself jumping out of the car and throwing my jacket over her. And also grabbing that ass. Fuck.

The dress is backless to her hips, but it has two straps across her lower bare back, they’re connected to a hollow red metal heart at the base of her spine.

DiMarco is already out of the car waiting for her. The streets are busy, so I can’t just get out to help her in myself, which pisses me off.

The Valentine Ball we’re attending is a charity event her law firm holds every year. All the money raised is going to a domestic abuse charity. Brooke chose the charity this year after everything that happened with Meg.

The whole ball thing is not my scene. I can donate without attending, but I’ve learnt you make sacrifices when you’re in a relationship.

Also, I can’t refuse her anything. I caved. Like a fucking house of cards.

Jordan and Alessa are coming too. He’s wearing a black tux like me, but he has a red vest, and his bowtie is black with red hearts all over it. I opted for the simple red heart pin the charity provided for all attendees.

Fuck it. I open the door before DiMarco gets to it. He gives me a stern look for getting out, but I’m not interested in anything he has to say. Brooke sees me and her eyes roam my tux, a sexy little smile on her red painted lips.

I pull her into me and kiss her neck, then press my mouth to her ear. “Are you trying to kill me with this dress? I might have to punch a few people tonight.”

“All eyes will be on you and Jordan,” she smooths her hand down the lapel of my jacket.

“No, they won’t,” I step back. I would never tell her she can’t wear whatever she wants, and despite knowing I’m gonna want to kill every man with eyes, I’m proud to have her on my arm.

We get back into the car before anyone realises who I am.

“Hey Brookster,” Jordan grins. “Looking fine this evening.”

“Thank you,” she blows him an air kiss. “Loving the bow tie. Where’s Alessa?”

“She’s meeting us at the venue,” he pouts. “She had a work thing too.”

The drive to the venue isn’t too far and Jordan spends the whole time telling us about his plans for Alessa’s birthday, which is coming up in a couple of weeks.

When we arrive, it’s like Valentines threw up all over the room with red and pink decorations, including a million balloons, albeit fancy ones.

There is a photo booth in the corner with feathered masquerade masks and other romance themed props. We’ll all be in that thing before the end of the night, I’m sure.

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