Page 69 of Acquisition

The snort that escaped her lips surprised us both, and then she fell into a peal of laughter. The sound felt like sunshine and warmth after a rainy season. It chased away all the gray inside me. And all I could do was watch her. Then she finally stopped laughing. Our gazes held for a long moment, and I wasn’t sure how long we stood like that before she waved her fork and indicated the plates. "We should eat."

I nodded. "Yeah. Let's eat breakfast. I want to taste these omelets."

It was the first time we'd had a proper lazy weekend breakfast together. When things were good in New York, we ate whatever Magda made us and settled into a routine. But not like this where we just got to spend time together talking, cooking, and being playful. Yes, we'd had lots of sex, and going to dinners, and walks together. But this easy camaraderie of companionship was totally new.

And the more she laughed and we talked about what we were going to do for the day, the more I wanted this all the time. I wanted her easy smiles and her animated stories, her giggles, and her spilling food on herself no matter what.

This was more than just obsession. This feeling was unbeatable. I wasn't just falling for her, I was completely head-over-heels for my wife. This was love.

Chapter 29

GWEN

The next few days passed in a haze.

Atticus was attentive and sweet. He didn't push me. He was just there. And of course, as I already knew, it was far too easy to talk to him when he let his guard down. And his guard was one hundred percent down. He talked to me about his childhood with Micah, when they first met, and how he'd actually been thrilled to have a brother.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't most people unhappy about a sibling?"

Atticus led me through the market, indulging me whenever I wanted to stop to look at handmade jewelry or smell the flowers. "No, I loved it. I was lonely. I had friends at school, sure, but at home it was that silent house. And despite Micah having a different mother, Mom showered him with affection. I mean, it’s so bizarre thinking about it now. Dad just showed up with this skinny kid with freckles and huge green eyes, and said, ‘this is your brother.’ And that was that. Mom wasn't mad or sad or upset. I think by that point, she'd just given up. So she just sort of wrapped him in her arms and said, ‘Come here. You must be hungry after your long trip.’ Micah was, I don't know, quiet and observant at first. But once he got comfortable, he became a loyal little companion."

"The two of you must have been adorable. What kind of games did you play?"

He chuckled as I tried on a bracelet that was ultimately too big for my wrist, and he frowned when I put it down. "You don't like it?"

I shook my head. "Oh, it's beautiful, but it’s too big, and I’ll lose it on the subway, in a car, somewhere."

Atticus looked at the vendor, an older black woman with bushy silver hair, a wide grin, and zero lines on her face. How that was even possible, I didn't know, but I knew I had that to look forward to, at least. Melanin and collagen. As my mom used to say, ‘Good black doesn't crack.’ "Do you have this in a smaller size?" he asked the jeweler.

She shook her head sadly. "Unfortunately, it’s one of a kind. I make them individually."

He nodded and turned to me. "Is there anything else you want?"

I glanced around and chose a small topaz ring as consolation, but still, my gaze was on the bracelet. "You didn't finish your story, Atticus. What did you guys use to play?"

"Knights of the Round Table."

“I can see you with your cape and aluminum foil swords now.”

"Yeah, a couple of simple kids."

"No, I love the idea of a too serious little Atticus and his little brother that forced him to play and be in the moment. Let me guess, Micah was Merlin."

"Yeah,” he said wistfully. “Sometimes I got to be Merlin, but not often. He said he had all the magic."

"But obviously, you are Arthur,” I observed.

"Why is that obvious?"

I laughed. "Oh, it just is. Must do the right thing. Slightly enamored with glory. You are a billionaire, after all."

He wrinkled his nose as he tried to figure it out. "What do you mean?"

I giggled because he couldn't see it. The command he held over people, his attitude that he knew everything. He was a walking, talking King Arthur.“Never mind,” I said.

"Anyway, we've been inseparable ever since. And we picked up Pierce and Gavin along the way."

"Wow, so basically, what you're telling me is that boarding school was just full of really hot men?"

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