Page 115 of Irresistibly Wicked

She shook her head at the picture of her flying through the air on the zipline. “I was so scared.”

“But you did it anyway, because nothing can hold Shauna Flores down.”

There were dozens of selfies of the two of them smiling, scowling, laughing, and making funny faces, with paint-smeared cheeks, holding ice cream cones, sitting by the ocean, holding coffee cups, and with Kitty in her cut and other outfits. There were pictures of them at the gym and of Shauna practicing on the pole in the dining room, and a montage of Shauna in a towel after a shower, hand on her hip, giving him grief for taking the picture, and of her brushing her teeth, putting up her hair, and another of her curled up in his bed wearing one of his Dark Knights T-shirts with Kitty tucked against her stomach, the two of them fast asleep.

When she turned the last page, taking in the picture he’d taken on their honeymoon right before they’d gone for their first motorcycle ride, she studied it. She was sitting behind him on the bike, wearing her shiny new helmet and leather jacket, her arms wrapped around his middle and her chin resting on his shoulder. She couldn’t know that behind his helmet, he was grinning so hard, his cheeks hurt with the memory. Above the picture he’d scrawled Thanks for getting swept away with me, Angel, and under the picture, he’d signed it Love, Zander, your irresistibly Wicked best friend, and included ten gold stars beneath it.

It was all there, their friendship and temporary marriage laid bare, looking realer than he’d ever admit out loud, and the thought of losing it carved an ache too deep to name.

“Zan, this is…” Her voice trailed off as she closed the album, her glassy eyes still trained on it.

“I’m glad you like it. Our marriage may be temporary, but our memories are forever.”

“You’ve given me everything I could have asked for and more.” She lifted her gaze to his, a thousand emotions flickering in her eyes. She hugged the album to her chest, her lips parting like she might say more, but then she looked away.

He felt her walls going up again.

She turned back to him with just enough distance for him to feel the difference and said, “I can’t believe how fast the time went.” She reached for the box the album had come in and said, “Hopefully when I call the attorney, it’ll get things moving quickly.”

He watched the woman he wanted more than anything in the world tuck their memories into a box like she could put the lid on it and they wouldn’t bleed through. She had given him her trust, had shared her body and her heart—and she just reminded him that they weren’t his to keep.

Chapter Thirty-Eight

THIS IS IT. The beginning of the end echoed painfully in Shauna’s mind as she padded into the living room wearing one of Zander’s T-shirts she’d claimed as her own. She was picking up Brian from rehab today. She’d spent the last two weeks standing on a double-edged sword, but today it felt sharper than ever. She was elated that he’d worked hard, had stuck it out, and was getting a second chance at a sober life. It would be a fresh start for them, but it came at a price she hadn’t fully expected to hit so hard.

Kitty meowed at her feet, sharpening that sword a little more.

Shauna picked her up and looked around the beautiful home she’d been part of bringing to life, memories dancing in every corner. From the pole in the dining room where practicing always led to Zander chasing her, tackling her on the couch in a fit of giggles and kisses, or hauling her over his shoulder and throwing her onto his bed, and the picture of them on the Maid of the Mist, hair drenched, smiling down from the mantel among photos of his family and the picture of her and Brian. When she’d walked into the shell of a cottage a few months ago, she never would have imagined falling in love with it or with the wonderful man standing on the beach out back, looking like she’d seen him nearly every morning for the past three months. He was shirtless, his jeans hanging low on his hips as he gazed out at the water, coffee mug in hand, the ink on his back now achingly familiar.

She pressed a kiss to Kitty’s head, a lump forming in her throat as she whispered, “I’m going to miss this.” All of it. You, him, and our quiet mornings. Our busy days with a million texts and our sexy nights. And this peaceful, happy feeling of belonging, and wanting and being wanted, and not walking through life clutching the reins.

But falling in love with Zander wasn’t part of the agreement, and if ever there was a day for her to pull up her big-girl panties and do what she needed to, it was today. The attorney said the money would be in her account today, and once she had it, she’d pay Zander back, they’d sign the divorce papers, and that would be the end of it. Then she could focus on Brian. She and Brian had a long road ahead of them, and Brian didn’t need to see the fissures forming in her heart. He needed, and deserved, her strength and support delivered with all of the pride and happiness she felt for what he’d accomplished and what she knew he’d achieve moving forward.

With that resolve in place, she gave Kitty another kiss and set her down as she headed out to the patio door. She was greeted with the warmth of the sun and the sounds of the waves kissing the shore. She’d miss that, too.

Zander turned, the sun catching the gold charm resting against his chest. His gaze drifted down the length of her, his lips curved up in that lazy, sexy smile she’d come to adore. “Morning, Angel.”

“Morning.”

He reached for her, like he did every morning, drawing her against his warm skin, and kissed her soft and sweet. “Did you sleep okay?”

“Mm-hm.” She hadn’t expected to, with so many changes coming up, but in Zander’s arms, she’d gone out like a light.

He sat down on the lounge chair and widened his legs for her to sit between them. As she settled her back against his chest, she saw her coffee mug on the table beside them. He put his mug beside it and wound his arms around her. Brushing his scruff against her cheek—another thing she’d miss—he said, “I see you eyeing your coffee, but I don’t have many mornings left to do this, so give me a minute.”

She crossed her arms over his, holding on to the longing in his voice, and at the same time, not allowing herself to get lost in it. “Careful, Wicked, or I’m going to think you’ll miss me.” He tensed up a little, and she wondered if he wasn’t going to miss her.

“I’ll miss your sexy ass in my bed.” He nipped at her shoulder, sending heat prickling through her. “And my private pole dances.” He kissed the spot he’d bitten. “And I’ll probably miss a few other things, like those adorable dimples and the way you call Kitty up onto the bed as soon as you think I’m asleep.”

“You knew I did that?”

“Every damn night.”

She heard the smile in his voice.

“I’ll miss you, Flores. We’re good together, and I know you’ll miss me.”

More than you can imagine. She leaned her head back and closed her eyes, releasing a tease to keep her own emotions at bay. “I’ll miss your incredibly generous barista skills.”