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“Just the heels?” she asked over her shoulder.

“Yeah. Just the heels.” His voice was gruff with need.

“But I have on some really beautiful lingerie that matches the colour of my dress.”

With a quick look down the front of her navy gown, he confirmed everything matched. “If I didn’t know better, I would think you were purposely trying to miss your big night.”

A soft laugh escaped her. No, she wasn’t trying to distract him so she could miss her big night. “No, I just wanted to make sure you had all the facts before making your decision.”

“I appreciate it. I stand by my request just the heels.” He moved to stand beside her and offered her his arm. Slipping her hand into the crease of his elbow, she smiled up at him.

“What’s the situation with the lipstick?”

Ivy knew what he was asking. He was checking to see if he would smudge the vibrant colour of her lips. “It’s on there, good. It’s everything proof.”

Without another word, he inclined his head and pressed a kiss to her full lips. She sighed as he deepened the kiss, sweeping his tongue into her mouth and suckling her tongue. A lifetime of kisses, and they all conveyed different emotions. This one lit a heat that blossomed in her stomach. Just as Ivy reached for the lapels of his jacket, he broke the kiss.

“Let’s go,” Manny instructed as he led the way out of the room. He carefully guided them down the stairs, mindful of the full length of the skirt of her gown. The driver, Ron, stood beside the door of the limo as they exited their home. He opened the door and stepped back. Manny was a stickler about being the one to help her into the vehicle. It was a strange quirk of his. Her husband aided her into the back seat.

“We are all set, Ron,” Manny advised as he joined her. He grasped her hand and brought it to his lips. Now that the vehicle was bound for the Gala. Her nerves kicked up. She squeezed her eyes shut, exhaling slowly.

Attuned to her, he commented, “you’ve got this Doc.”

Do I?

Ivy wasn’t sure. As the spouse of a man frequently in the public eye, she had become accustomed to accompanying him. His plus one. Not only was he the face of a company that required a lot of appearances. Manny was a former quarterback for the CFL. A two-time champion. So, appearances were regular occurrences. All she had to do was smile and look pretty beside her man. Ivy had that down.

Being the centre of attention wasn’t something she was looking forward to. Yes, it was a great honour to be recognized for her work in her field. Why did they have to bestow the award with practically the entire world watching? She had no objections to attending the Gala, as it was an event she attended annually. It was having to get up and give a speech. She tapped her clutch. Inside was her acceptance letter. Ivy smiled. She had written it and rewritten it until all medical terminology could be understood by a general audience.

“We are here, Doc. It’s showtime.” Manny pulled her from her thoughts. He walked around and helped her exit the vehicle. Ivy straightened her spine and plastered a smile on her face.

It turned out that walking the red carpet wasn’t too bad. Their interactions with the press were brief. The conversations mostly consisted of, “Who are you wearing?”

“Etheline Farrow,” Ivy would answered, and they would be on their way.

The couple would pause to pose for the cameras. They were perfectly in step, his arm around her waist. A display of the comfort Manny offered. He was her rock. Offering her affectionate kisses to her temple he whispered, “relax, you got this.” And “You know you are by far the most beautiful woman here.”

Ivy needed that steady support tonight and was grateful that he was here to walk her in. Otherwise, she might have been a bundle of tumultuous nerves. Instead, she smiled adoringly at the man that was at her side. That was always by her side.

By the time they reached the ballroom of the Gala, Ivy was far more at ease. It helped that a group of some of the people she loved were convened, awaiting her arrival. Her Aunty Cynthia stood out, of course. Technically, she was her mom’s cousin. Once a supermodel, always a supermodel. Despite her age, she looked like she could still command a catwalk. Along with her aunt were her daughter and son-in-law, Karissa and Nicco Carisi, and Frank, her cousin, Manny’s best friend.

Karissa was the first to notice her, letting go of her husband’s hand she power walked over to Ivy. Before she knew it, Ivy was wrapped in her warm embrace. “We are so proud of you, Ivs.”

“Thank you.” Ivy flushed. She took a step back and took in the woman. She might not have followed her mother’s career path, but damn if she couldn’t have made a living as a model.

The baby bump finally registered. “Girl, are you pregnant?” she asked Karissa.

It felt like she had just been to the christening of their second child.

“Yes. I would love to be able to attend one of these Galas without a human being growing inside of me.” She turned and glared at her husband, Nicco, who looked extraordinarily pleased with himself. Ivy was thankful those days were behind her. After she gave birth to their rainbow baby girl, she had been emphatic that Sage would be their last child.

Soon she was swooped up in the embrace of her Aunt Cynthia. “Your Momma would be so proud of you, Hon.”

Ivy bit back the tears of the memory of the woman that had always been her greatest cheerleader. It had been a year since she was gone, but it was still difficult. The loss of her mother had devastated her, and she had not wanted to get up for days.

Manny had allowed her to wallow, but finally, he had put his foot down. One morning he opened the blinds, allowing the sun to burn her retinas. Pulled her from the comfort of her bed, deposited her in the bathroom and placed her in the shower.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to make you feel sad,” Aunt Cynthia soothed.

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