Page 45 of Love Without Control

We’d hugged once before, that first night when I’d so desperately needed comfort from someone safe. I’d been so shaken, I hadn’t even noticed the hard ripple of muscle beneath his shirt. But I was noticing now. Dammit.

“Thank you for today. Everything was perfect.” Okay, maybe that was a bit of a stretch. Being with my family would have made it perfect, but under the circumstances…

“You’re welcome,” he murmured, kissing the top of my head, and that simple act of affection was so sweet, my heart melted a little. He released me and stepped back. “Get to bed, Eden.”

When I laid my head on my pillow a few minutes later, I whispered into the darkness, “Happy birthday, Monty. I hope you had a good day.”

Jamie and Robert returned the next day, and as we polished off the rest of the tiramisù, Jamie slid a wrapped white box with a hot-pink bow across the table. “Happy belated birthday, Eden.”

My mouth dropped open. “You didn’t have to get me anything. You’ve already done so much.”

“It’s something you need,” Robert replied, fixing his eyes on mine. “Please remember what we’ve talked about and use it wisely.” The jolly man was uncharacteristically solemn, and I wondered what the hell was in the package.

Tearing off the paper, I recognized the iPhone box immediately and smiled. “Thank you so much, and I promise I won’t do anything stupid.”

“Good. Dane, here’s one for you too,” Jamie said, passing an unwrapped box to the man beside me.

“Why doesn’t mine have a fancy pink bow?” he complained, so I peeled my bow from the paper and planted it on top of Dane’s head.

“There. Now you look all pretty,” I teased, working my phone from the package and turning it on. “Smile!” I snapped a picture of him with a scowl on his face.

“You’re so ridiculous,” he grumbled, pulling the pink satin from his head.

Jamie spoke through a giggle at our antics. “Robert is going to finish up your IDs tonight. Dane, your bruising is much better today, but I’ll cover it with some makeup so he can snap a photo. We also need to take some wedding pics of you two.

“W-wedding pics?” I stammered, feeling my eyes widen.

“Yes. It would look suspicious if the newlyweds didn’t have any pictures of their happy day.”

Happy day, my ass.

And that’s how we ended up on the beach that evening with the sun setting behind us in a cacophony of supple pinks and purples. I was in a simple white dress that belonged to Jamie. It was too big, but she’d cinched it up in the back with a clip so it clung perfectly to my body. Dane was in a white button-down with tan pants.

“You just got married, for fuck’s sake. Stand a little closer,” Jamie instructed while Robert held a large Canon camera to his eye.

Dane snaked an arm around my shoulders and hauled me up against his huge body, and I reluctantly wrapped my arm around his back, plastering what I hoped was a happy expression onto my face.

“That’s good,” Robert said, snapping away. “Now look at each other.”

Jamie blew out a huffed breath when I looked up at Dane. “Smile, Eden. You look like you’re being forced to take a picture with your least favorite cousin.”

That made us both laugh, and I could hear the whir of the camera as Robert did his thing. “Good job. Those will be cute. Now turn your bodies to face each other and gaze lovingly into each other’s eyes.”

Good grief!

With some fumbling, we repositioned ourselves with my hands on Dane’s shoulders and his on my waist. It was awkward as hell. “You’re too tall,” I complained, and a second later, I let out a squeal when my feet left the ground as Dane curled his arms around my body and lifted until we were face to face.

“Better?”

Yes. No. I’m not sure.

He was awfully… firm. And I was pressed right up againstallthat firmness. His lips curved sinuously into a smile, and it softened the darkness of his eyes into molten pools of chocolate.

“Your irides look lighter out in the sun,” I informed him, and he chuckled under his breath.

“Excellent! Good stuff,” Robert called as we continued to stare at each other. This should have felt more awkward, just gazing at this man, but it was very… okay.

Dane leaned his forehead until it touched mine, and then he whispered. “Close your eyes, Wildcat.” Like someone had physically tugged on my eyelids, they dropped without me even telling them to.

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