Page 24 of Anything But Convenient

Right?

It would be my luck that my normally low libido would go into overdrive after locking down into a temporary union with a complete stranger. Yes, perfect sense.

As the night wore on, I realized I had no clue what he planned for later. Takeshi had stepped out of the room earlier and hadn’t returned. I suspected there was far too much socializing going on for him.

I went in search of my husband.

Just the thought had me shivering. He was mine. My husband.

No matter how short lived it would be, he’d always be my first.

I found him exactly where I suspected him to be — in the room where we’d met that first day. Since then, I’d been told the space was actually meant to be a recovery room for the guys. With Takeshi’s injuries being more pronounced, though I still wasn’t sure of the whole story, he’d stayed longer than anyone else had.

“Takeshi,” I said softly as I stepped through the cracked door.

His eyes whipped up to meet mine. He was leaning on the table, his finger tracing the patterns in the wood.

“You ok?”

He tilted his head to the side, then held out his hand toward me. I moved forward at the request. Nothing in me wanted to be away from him. It’s partly why I’d come to find him in the first place.

Once my hand slipped into his, he tugged me forward. With our bodies nearly touching, I knew there was no chance of him missing my erratic heartbeat. He had to see the effect he had on me.

His free hand came up to cup my cheek. I leaned into the touch, my body eager to take anything he’d send my way. Every ounce of affection from him was a gift.

I had no delusions about our marriage. Not really.

What I had was hope.

Hope that we could build something that might make the next few years enjoyable for us both. It might never be love, but we felt highly compatible.

His thumb traced along my cheek, the softness lulling me into a soothing trance. I didn’t want to move, didn’t want to end the moment.

Several minutes passed in the quiet before he moved again. He stepped forward as his hand shifted to the back of my neck. I waited patiently, unsure what he’d do.

When his lips pressed to my forehead, I sighed. It was impossible not to.

Everyone had a weakness. Forehead kisses were mine.

“Are you ready to go home?” I asked him once he’d pulled back enough I could see his face. He gave me a nod, then walked over to the bed to pick up a large duffle back.

I hadn’t even noticed it when I came in the room. He’d drawn my attention so completely there was zero chance.

With his bag in hand, we made our way back to the main room. The party was still in full swing, yet somehow they all managed to stop as soon as we walked in.

“We’re going to head out for the night. Thank you all so much for the amazing day. It’s more than I could have imagined.” Emotion clogged my throat as I spoke.

I felt the soft whisper of Takeshi’s thumb grazing over my knuckles where our hands were joined. The move calmed me enough to give out hugs and handshakes to the few who approached.

After the short goodbyes were over, we went down to the car park. “I’m over here,” I told him as I pointed to my old car.

The faded blue paint made it easy to spot in the underground area full of heavy-duty military looking vehicles. I wonderedwhere the guys parked since none of these vehicles appeared to be their personal rides.

Speaking of cars, I wondered where Takeshi’s was. What type did he drive? Was he a truck guy? Or did he have a car?

I had no clue.

Honestly, I knew very little about my husband.

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