Page 55 of Hush Money

His gaze is steady now. Direct. Adoring. “Anything you want.”

I study the pieces, overwhelmed by the choices. At least until an intrusive thought weasels its way into the party.

Ravenna probably wore this jewelry.

There she is again. She’s always there.

I’ll always be with you, Tamsyn.

I frown, wishing I could crack my skull open and use some sort of a medical-grade bleach to scrub away all thoughts and memories of her. But I fear they’re embedded far too deep inside me. Still, I don’t want her here with us. Not now. Not ever. But I need to know. “Did Ravenna?—”

“No. I never gave her any. It never felt right. I bought her her own pieces.” A pause. “Which I sold when she died.”

“Thank God,” I say with a relieved laugh. My attention snags and stays on a pair of sparkling diamond studs that are about a carat and a half each, bypassing other pairs that are larger. These are classic and perfect for every day. I select them and quickly put them on, wondering why he didn’t remove the diamond rings from the selection before he presented it to me. Poor Lucien. I’m sure he would’ve spat out his champagne if I’d selected a diamond ring and put it on my ring finger.

I touch my ears, striking a pose for him when I’ve got them safely screwed on. “I love them. Thank you. I’ve always wanted a pair like this— What’s wrong?” He’s got this wide-eyed look that makes me think he’s glimpsed the transparent figure of his mother hovering over me and frowning. “I can pick something else if you don’t want me to?—”

“It’s fine,” he says, but his blink rate has gone way up and he’s swallowing hard. “That’s the, ah, pair she bought the day she died. She never wore them.”

“Oh.” I didn’t think anything could possibly make this gift more meaningful to me, but that does. I kinda feel as though she bought them for me. Not that she had any idea that I was out there waiting to swoop into her son’s future. It’s just that now I have a direct connection to her even though I’ll never meet her. And now we’re united through our love for Lucien. The earrings can serve as a daily reminder for me to love him a little extra, since she can’t. And I will. I swear I will. “Is that okay?”

“Yeah,” he says, quickly wiping the back of his hand over his eyes. “It’s okay.”

“I know how precious they are to you. I’ll take good care of them.”

A passing laugh as he shakes his head. “Only one thing is precious to me. In the whole world. Know what that is?”

I try to keep my tone light even though my heart is now in my throat. “Nope.”

“You, Tamsyn,” he says, his smile slowly fading. “Only you.” We stare at each other across the length of the short table, the air heating until it reaches the sizzling point and the distance between us suddenly seems far too great. He reaches for me. “Come here.”

I’m already on my way. There’s no question about either of our intentions as I pause to kick off my sandals and wiggle my way out of my panties while he scoots his chair back from the table and makes short work of his belt and zipper. The next thing I know, I’m straddling him—the chair’s cushion is wide enough to accommodate my knees on either side of him, thank God—and sinking slowly down on his heavy girth.

No foreplay offered. None required.

We both cry out as we face each other. He clamps his hands on my bare ass, digging his fingers in. I nip his delicious lower lip before sweeping my tongue deep into his mouth. Then we begin to move.

The pleasure spirals inside me, forcing me to break the kiss because I can’t moan and kiss him at the same time. There’s too much pleasure building inside me. I have to let it all out.

“This can’t be right,” I say, gasping as I find my rhythm and grind against him.

His glittering gray eyes, mostly closed now, focus in on me. “What, angel?”

“Wanting you this much. Needing you this much,” I croon as the pleasure spirals lower. “It can’t be good for me.”

A frown from Lucien. “You don’t want it?”

The suggestion makes me laugh, quickly followed by another moan. “Oh, I want it. Don’t get confused.”

His dimples make a fleeting appearance. “That’s what I thought.”

That’s all it takes. The ecstasy rolls over me, generating spasms in my belly and between my legs and making me shout nonsense. So easy. So exquisite. We kiss again, and he swallows my remaining cries. Until he stiffens and breaks the kiss because he needs his mouth free to cry out my name. I watch as his features scrunch and his head falls back, reveling in his enjoyment of me until I really feel as though my heart is bursting. I press my face to the strong column of his neck, exhausted and happy as I wallow in his woodsy scent.

Happy.

When the sensual haze recedes enough for me to focus again, I lift my head. He’s as breathless as I am. And he looks exactly as shell-shocked as I feel.

“You know what your superpower is?” he says, smoothing my hair away from my temple with the gentlest possible touch.

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