Page 171 of Lush

His gaze softened, and without a word, his hand slid around my waist, pulling me in flushed against him. The air between us thickened as his other hand cupped my face, his fingers brushing against my skin like he was claiming it.

Then, he kissed me—slow, deliberate, and almost too soft at first, as if he were savoring every second. I melted against him, the heat of his body seeping into mine. The kiss deepened, and for a moment, nothing else mattered. But as much as I wanted to stay, I pulled away, the air between us now crackling with something far too dangerous to ignore.

“Careful, Reese,” I whispered, looking at his chest. He was still healing.

“I’m fine,” he murmured, his thumb wiping some of my gloss of his lips. “Just needed that.”

Gigi shrieked, and when I looked, she was glaring at Erik. Noelle, standing close by, was trying not to laugh.

“We need more wine! Greedy-ass Erik drained it all.” Gigi stormed past, holding an empty glass.

Jennie and David stood before a large abstract canvas nearby. Jennie held Faith close, her peaceful face nestled against Jennie’s chest, tiny fists curled up adorably.

Reese and I strolled toward a massive bronze sculpture, the smooth, soulful sounds of live jazz filling the air.

“I hope you know I just made a sizeable donation,” Reese said as he tilted his head, looking at the sculpture.

I lifted a brow. “Oh really? And to what cause, Mr. Ashbourne?”

Reese glanced at me, a smile on his lips. “The gallery, obviously. You’ve been busting your ass to make this exhibit happen, and I wanna support the arts and my wife.”

I felt a smile pull at the corners of my own lips, but I fought it back, crossing my arms and keeping my cool. “I see,” I said slowly. “And I have to thank you in some kinda way.”

A wicked glint filled his eyes.

“Hmm… There are some ways. Preferably with you naked. But I care about you—what matters to you.”

I laughed, hugging him tighter but being mindful of his wound.

Nina was in jail for blackmailing, stalking, and almost killing Jennie, Faith, Reese, and me. She’d likely never see the outside world again.

I glanced around the room and found Pauline standing near the far corner, a little boy beside her, about eight years old, holding her hand. His hair was dark brown, tousled in that playful way, and his face carried a mix of both his parents—Conrad’s strong jawline and Nina’s features, but his eyes were exactly like Reese’s.

Green and full of life.

That was why Nina had demanded the money.

She’d been raising Alex in that cabin, homeschooling him, and no one had ever known. A DNA test had confirmed it: Alex was indeed related and Conrad’s son. Pauline had adopted him, and hopefully when Harold was done with treatment, he’d get to meet his oldest grandchild.

My heart ached for Alex; he had been caught in the crossfire of his mother’s choices. But Jennie and Reese were helping raise him, my family would help too, and he would never experience what his father had felt.

“Laurene.” I turned to see the mayor approach.

“Dante,” I greeted him. “It’s good to see you.”

Dante had helped in ways I hadn’t expected. I still didn’t fully trust him, but he’d been an ally. Just like he’d said from the beginning. Something was brewing, and I figured it was best to keep him close.

“Congratulations on the exhibit,” he said, his gaze flicking around the room. “Impressive work. Tourism is up in town. You sure I can’t pull you away from Arthur and have you run our tourism department?”

“No, but thank you.”

“It was nice seeing both of you.” He nodded at Reese, who, to my surprise, nodded back. “Looking forward to working with youagain.”

The “again” hung in the air between us.

As he turned and walked away, my thoughts briefly shifted to the guilt that always seemed to follow me when I thought about the ten million I’d originally taken from Dante. I’d given it back, of course, but the weight of it lingered—especially since I knew it could have gone against my mother. But I couldn’t shake the feeling that I’d walked too close to a dangerous line.

On the other hand, thanks to Daddy, I’d been able to receive my inheritance no strings attached and even more.

---