Page 42 of Only the Small Bones
“Wow,” I breathed, drinking him in. The all-black tuxedo fit the contours of his slim, yet defined, body. I’d been nervous the measurements I’d taken were incorrect. Getting them had been a challenge, and he’d walked away when I’d asked if I could double check for accuracy.
His beauty had a youthful quality, but his broad stature and time-worn eyes lent credibility to his manhood. He carried the weight of many hardships on his shoulders, and he’d seen, experienced, and survived things no one ever should.
His shoes were shiny too, but he’d gone with the Venetian-style loafer. They looked great on him. He wore his hair in a neat bun, which put his slightly larger ears on display. Of all the things he seemed self-conscious about, his ears were never one of them. I found them sexy as hell.
Seeing him dressed in all black pleased my senses. His attire complemented the shock of black hair and black eyes set on a canvas of pale skin. The beauty mark staining his cheek could’ve been seen as an imperfection, but it only made him more gorgeous. I wanted to do things to him I wasn’t proud of. Things I hoped he’d one day be ready for.
I held myself in check, looking him up and down while he waited for a response from me. “You look…” I trailed off, searching for the right word.Beautiful,sexy, arousing…“Nice,” I ended up going with, but it didn’t feel like enough. “You look more than nice. You look amazing, Ryan. Handsome.”
He tugged on the cuffs of his sleeves, the tips of his ears turning a pretty shade of pink.
“Your bow tie is crooked. Is it okay if I fix it?”
He nodded as I approached, holding his head up for my adjustments.
I stepped back to take in my handy work. “Better.”
I pulled his wool coat from the closet, holding it open so he could slide into it. He did the same for me.
“Are you nervous?” I asked, fixing my lapels. Ryan blew out a heavy breath then nodded. “Don’t worry, I won’t let—” I caught myself before promising not to let anything happen to him. Those words felt empty to me. “I won’t let you out of my sight. We stick together.”
He nodded again, then held up a finger while he dug into his pocket for a folded piece of paper.
“What’s this?”
I’m okay,it read.
“I’m okay,” I repeated under my breath before snapping my head up. “You’re okay?Really?” I wanted to be extra sure. He pointed to the two words again. “So why did you keep me in suspense all day? Do you just live to torture me?” I joked.
He smiled. A wide smile showcasing his straight, pearly whites, and his dimples. I’d never seen that smile before. My expression must have shown it, because he actually chuckled. With sound! It was low and gone as fast as it came, but I’d heard it.
“Do that again,” I whispered, but he sealed his lips as though he knew he’d given me something precious and was now unsure if I deserved it. I’d already stored it in my memory bank, though. I’d never forget it.
It sounded like a beautiful but chaotic musical scale. A succession of rumbly, husky and hoarse. It sounded untried. It was the sweetest music I’d ever heard.
After handing our coats off to the attendant, we stopped near the wall fountain along the perimeter of the room. I wanted to give Ryan time to adjust to the grandeur of the ballroom before we did more than dip our toe in it.
His jittery gaze roamed the room, absorbing everything in it from the gem-cut chandeliers, to the extravagant floralarrangements at the center of every table. I tracked his perusal of the finely dressed attendees as the stringed section provided ambient music from the curved stage.
“There are sanctuary rooms around every corner. We invite all the residents and staff from Safe Haven, and other survivors who we’ve helped. This,” I said, in reference to the flurry of activity happening in front of us, “can be a lot for some of them to take in. We set up the rooms as a place they can escape to when they need to be alone. They’re insulated from sound, they lock from the inside, and they’re filled with every comfort you can imagine.” I waited for him to look at me. “If you feel at any time that you need to get away from this, you let me know. Even if you want to go home.” I hadn’t meant to say home. I should’ve said my place. But it did feel like home.Ourhome.
I gestured toward each exit, pointing out the security personnel dressed to blend in, discreetly manning each door. “Most of them are off duty or retired cops. They’re trained to handle any emergency situation.”
Ryan turned to me abruptly, leaning in for a kiss. I stepped back. He frowned, his confusion obvious.
“We shouldn’t do that here,” I whispered, hating that I couldn’t anchor him, that I couldn’t provide some normalcy. “There are people here who may question that.” Xavier being one of them. I’d spotted him chatting on the opposite side of the dance floor. I supposed the end of our working relationship didn’t mean the end of him supporting an important cause. I would’ve expected nothing less from him.
A hand eagerly waving in the air caught my attention. I smiled as my mother beckoned us over to the chocolate fountain. Davidson stood next to her in a black and white tux. Ryan went rigid.
“I already told him you aren’t ready to talk. He can’t force you.”
Ryan nodded after taking a deep breath. We let a server pass before diving into the fray.
“William!” Mark Delaney called, weaving through the throng of people to get to us. He was an older, stocky gentleman who ran one of the largest film studios in Hollywood. He was also one of Freedom Fighters most generous donors.
“Mark,” I replied with as much enthusiasm as I could fake. I had three unread emails from him in my inbox, and several from my agent ordering me to get back to him.
“You’re a hard man to get a hold of these days,” he said, skipping the small talk. I appreciated it. Ryan stepped as close to me as he could without actually touching me, his head turning in every direction.
