After accepting the wild applause from two to three people, Markus caught her eye. Without breaking focus, he strode toward her like she was the only one who mattered.
“Did you like it?” he asked earnestly, out of breath, his shirt plastered to his back.
“I loved it.” She leaned in and whispered, “Markus, ohmygod. You—” She fanned her face again. “You should have told me—”
“That I’m so good at dancing,” he finished smugly.
She slapped him playfully. “No, you should have told mesomething. You know Valentina was asking for reports on you.” She whispered that last part just in case someone was listening.
“Hindsight. I’m sorry,” he apologized. “I’m sorry about everything. This week has been a lot. I thought it would be fun to be on vacation together, but—” He laughed. So much had happened. He didn’t need to say it.
“I’m sorry too.” Gabby glanced down at the Crocs she hadn’t changed out of. “I’m sorry for not trusting you. You’re the one person I should have trusted,” she said with true feeling. She wiped a tear away and then another. “I’m so sorry. I thought you were… and you know…”
He nodded. “I know. You were in a bad position, and I was being secretive. It was my fault.” He moved closer, so close she could feel his heat, so close that Lana called out a warning about staying away from “her dress” until he toweled off. Ignoring Lana’s wardrobe anxiety, Markus said, “I love you… Gia.”
“I love you too, George.” She leaned into his name.
Maybe they’d used fake names, but this wasn’t a performance. She didn’t think.
It was real. She thought.
Markus pulled her into his arms and leaned in for a kiss. Gabby shut her eyes and surrendered to the experience, to her feelings for Markus, and all the chaos, to all of it.
Wearing nothing but his Speedo and turban, Genesis wedged himself between Gabby and Markus. He put his arms around them and inhaled. “This is it, you two.”
Gabby laughed nervously. It was awkward being embraced by anearly naked man. Maybe he was comfortable with his nudity, but it’s not like she grew up in the ballet or anything.
“This moment, this is what the Power Couples is all about. Bringing two people together, amplifying their energy, until they are unstoppable.” He said “unstoppable” like the word had clawed its way out of his belly.
Geeves began circulating with flutes of champagne.
“As a power couple, there will be a lot of attention on you. You will have admirers, and you will have haters.” He was still talking like he was narrating a trailer for an action movie. Gabby could see why Jasmine had a problem connecting with him. It was hard to get past all the performing.
“You never know where the attack is going to come from. But when you have power and charisma, there will be attacks.”
Genesis was such a big dummy. The man seemed to have no clue. They couldn’t have done a worse job on this undercover mission, and he was eating it up.
He narrowed his gaze and explained, “A power couple always has each other’s backs. No matter what. You don’t ask questions.”
Jasmine testifying against him was going to come as a big surprise.
“A power couple is a battle couple. When the going gets tough, when you’re outnumbered and outgunned, you stand back-to-back and karate kick the hell out of anyone who is attacking. It’s called radial ass-kicking, and it’s what you need to do.”
Gabby remembered this scene inPower Couple. Genesis and the heroine had linked arms back-to-back. He’d lifted her into the air on his back and spun in a circle so she could kick the shit out of the bad guys.
Phil wandered over with an appetizer. Why was this man always snacking? He said, “We were a power couple once, Gabby.”
“No, we weren’t, Phil.”
Jasmine stood and clinked her glass and said, “Does everyone have their champagne?”
“Raise your glass to love and togetherness on this beautiful day.”
The final rays of the sun caught the raised glasses, turning the deck into a golden hour painting. It was a Renoir masterpiece of paradise. She might be stressed, but Gabby took in the beauty. The delicate noise of clinking glasses tickled her senses. A migratory bird flew overhead and cawed.
Except for Phil, this was a beautiful wedding.
Markus was smiling like it was the happiest day of his life. Maybe they’d have to arrest his new best friend. Maybe they wouldn’t. It was always something.
