Page 46 of Beautiful Life
I feel the air leave my body in a whoosh. The words are perfect and I can’t help but let them wash through me. I press my face in his neck and he pulls me in tight.
He keeps on. “It’s you, sweetheart. Do you see it?”
“Tony,” I breathe.
“Let it go. Let yourself be happy.”
I hold on tighter, fisting his shirt in my hands and let the sweet song seep into me. I pull in a deep breath to keep it together.
“Let me make you happy, gem,” he says.
I know he can make me happy. I’ve never been happier in my life even after a terrible loss when there’s no way I should be happy.
“Tell me you see it. Tell me you’ll give it a chance. It’s what you deserve.”
I want it more than anything. And I want it with him.
“It’s surrounding you, Leigh. Everyone wants it for you.”
I know he’s right. I’ve been encompassed by it ever since Gabby came to me at the hospital.
He pulls back, forcing me away from his neck. Putting his thumbs to my chin, he lifts my face to his. “Give me a chance to make you happy. I know I can do it.”
What I don’t have the courage to say is he won’t have to try at all. He already makes me happier than I’ve ever been. All I have the courage to do is nod.
“Yes?” Tony asks, like he can’t believe it.
“Yes.” I whisper back.
The next thing I know, his lips are on mine with one hand in my hair and one at my back. His kiss is searing, almost bruising and I get lost in it. Finally, he lifts his head and announces, “We’re leaving.”
“We need to wait until Gabby and Jude leave.”
“Trust me, they won’t care.” He grabs my hand again and leads me back to our table to get my purse. He takes the long way around the room—my guess is to avoid a majority of his family.
We leave out the side exit and I ask as the cold assaults me, “Where are we going?”
“I rented a cottage for the night, remember? I’ve already put your bag there.”
“Oh.” How could I forget?
The country club has cottages and I’ve heard they’re very nice. I’ve also heard they are hard to book because of their popularity. It’s quite a walk from the clubhouse and I didn’t bring my wrap from the car.
I must have shivered enough, because Tony stops, shrugs off his tux jacket and slips it up my arms. Pulling it tight around me, he leans down to kiss me fast. “We’re almost there.”
Taking my hand, we move down a small hill, around a bend, and through the darkness where cottages dot the landscape. We pass two before Tony turns me up a walk, pulls a key card out of his pocket, opens the door, and pushes me through. He flips a switch and lamps across the room illuminate the space.
I move in to start looking around. “It’s beautiful.”
The ceilings are peaked to a vault with heavy beams coming across the room to make it cozy. The king size bed is the centerpiece—a large heavy piece of furniture with a modern canopy and panels of sheer white coming down from the four corners. The bedding is white, crisp, and lush with lots of pillows that would rival some of the nicest hotels. Directly across from the bed is a gas fireplace that Tony has already flipped on. The furniture is heavy and eclectic.
I look over and Tony is at the refrigerator in the small kitchenette. “Do you want anything? Wine, beer, water?”
“I’m good, thanks.”
I walk back to the fire and slip his jacket off, toss it on the chair, and kick off my heels. My feet have been complaining for an hour. As I stand in front of the fire, I feel him at my back. His hands come to my hair and he pulls the pins out. This task takes a while and he runs his fingers through my hair, making sure he got all the pins at the same time massaging my scalp. Then he pulls my hair across my back and his lips hit my shoulder. His finger traces the spaghetti strap of my dress, going on to trace the outline down my back, leaving a searing heat in its wake. His light touch makes my nipples go hard.
“Tony,” I whisper and turn toward him.
