Page 101 of Hush 3: Hidden Family

“Close your eyes,” he says as we get out of the bedroom.

“What?”

“Close your eyes and turn around, I’m going to blindfold you.”

“Okay.” I turn as excitement fills me.

Once the blindfold is in place, he wraps his arms around my shoulders from behind and holds me tightly, kissing the back of my head. I’m super curious now that I can’t see. We are on the second floor. I hope we don’t have to go down the stairs.

“Trust me,” he whispers in my ear.

I nod and begin to step forward as he gives me a gentle nudge. It doesn’t take long before he brings me to a stop. I fidget with my fingers in front of me as I wonder where he’s taking me.

He releases me, and a few seconds later, there is the sound of a door opening. My heart begins to pound in anticipation. Not able to contain my excitement, I lift onto my toes and lace my fingers together to stretch my arms in front of me and crack my knuckles.

I feel it when Michael steps behind me and places a hand on my hip. He leans in to ghost his face against my neck, his lips slightly brushing my skin. I notice there is an echo around wherever we are.

The blindfold is lifted, and I wait for my eyes to adjust, blinking a few times. Then, my vision comes into focus. I spin around as I take the space in. My mouth falls open. As my brain catches up to what I’m looking at, I fling myself into Michael’s arms and kiss him.

“I don’t understand, how?”

“I had two of the rooms converted into one. We had the room. Uri was okay with it. You now have all the room you want to dance,” Michael says as he smiles back at me.

“But all of this space? Wow, look at the wall of mirrors. It seems to go on for days. The sunlight coming into the space isbreathtaking. Look at all the windows. How did you make this happen without me knowing?”

“It took a lot of scheduling and creativity. Val and Uri were a big help, as were Annabella and a few others.”

“Is that …” I race over to the piano sitting in the corner of the room. “This is my piano from Italy. The first one you ever gave me.”

“Yes, I thought it belonged here with you.”

I can’t believe this. I already have a new piano he gifted me. It’s downstairs in the music room.

When I asked for a dance studio, this wasn’t what I had in mind. I would have been fine with a small room to practice and dance in. However, as I look around this room, I can see all the love that has gone into this studio. From the cool color on the walls to the shiny new hardwood floors and the framed photos of me dancing or playing—it’s all breathtaking.

The framed photo Maribel took of me seems like such a lame gift now. Besides, I’ve had the photo for so long now I’m almost embarrassed to give it to him.

I turn and rush back to him and leap into his arms, wrapping my legs around his waist. I bury my face into his neck and inhale deeply. I didn’t think I could fall in love with this man any more than I already am, but … this studio says so much about how Michael gets me.

This space is calming and inspiring. I would love to spend the day here dancing and playing. I think to do just that as Michael holds me tightly in place.

“Happy anniversary,il mio prezioso amore.”

“Thank you, Michael. I love it,” I sing.

He cups the back of my neck and captures my lips in a searing kiss. It turns heated quickly and I begin to think we are going to christen the studio as he palms my breast over my sports bra while kneading my butt with his other hand.

Michael growls and comes to a halt as his phone rings. Placing me on my feet, he takes out the phone and grunts at it. However, he doesn’t look as frustrated as he did when he first put me down.

His eyes are sparkling again. With a huge smile, he holds his hand out for mine. I take his hand and allow him to lead me from the room.

“If I ask, will you tell me where we are going?”

“No.”

I pout and squeeze his hand. He returns the squeeze, then lifts my hand to his lips and kisses my fingertips. The gesture puts a pin in my anxiety.

As he leads me downstairs, I can’t imagine where we’re going. I look back up the stairs longingly, wanting to return to my new studio. However, Michael’s excitement rolls off him causing me to focus so I can follow him.

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