Usually, I’d never share my wife with another, not her body or what she sounds like when I’m fucking her. But tonight was for me. I wanted the world, or rather the neighbors, to know that this woman was mine.
Tiffany and I look at each other before she bursts out laughing, burying her face in my chest.
chapter Twenty-four
Parents
Tiffany
“And in other news, the Basille Hotel and Resort Corp. has been in the news a lot lately and not for its luxury rooms and exotic views. More than four hundred guests were ushered out of the Basille Orlando Resort after the power went out. Five people were trapped in an elevator for over four hours. While others were locked out of their rooms. Police are saying it was a cyber-attack. It’s unknown if there was a breach of any personal data. We will have more later this evening,”the female reporter smiles at the camera as it goes to the weather.
I click off the news app on my phone feeling disgusted. We’ve been back in the states for only four days and already things have gone left. The first day we were back, Nico had to rush out of the house in the middle of the night to handle something at his warehouse. I feel like whoever this person from his past is, they’re trying to break him.
My office phone goes off on my desk, alerting me that the receptionist is calling me. I answer it.
“Yes?”
“Hi, Tiffany. Mr. Blackwell is here to see you.”
I frown. I was supposed to meet Ezra at the house today around noon to go over some flooring options. We’ve almost gotthe entire house planned out and should start the demolition process soon.
“Okay, send him back.” I return the phone to the holder and stand up. Running a hand down my sage wide-leg dress pants, I wait for him to walk in.
The moment he spots me, his smile spreads over his face. I can’t deny that the man has a gorgeous smile. A smile that I haven’t seen face to face in weeks.
“Hi,” he says by way of greeting.
“Ezra, what are you doing here? I thought I was meeting you at the house this afternoon.”
“I brought you something.”
I realize then that he’s had his hands behind his back the entire time. When he brings them out, he’s holding a medium-sized canvas. When he turns it around, I gasp. It’s the picture he painted of me. The one in the pop art style. I take the canvas from him and admire it.
“This is stunning.” Seeing the finished piece was much more gorgeous than the text he sent. Ezra is a talented painter. I mean, duh, his artwork sells for millions of dollars. This isn’t done in his most bought style, but this is still really great work.
“I tried my best to capture your beauty, but that’s hard to do.” His compliment is sweet, but it didn’t make me feel as giddy as it once did.
“Well, thank you. This is going to hang in my office,” I say placing the canvas on top of my desk. “I guess since you’re here we can go over the flooring?”
I turn and walk around my desk to go to my bag sitting on the floor.
“Actually,” he says, stopping me in my tracks. “I have a bit of an ulterior motive for being here.”
He has my attention. I fold my arms across my chest and tuck them under my breasts.
He grins, showing off that million-dollar smile. “The exhibit that is showcasing my artwork is having an auction tomorrow night. I don’t really know anyone here yet, and I hate going to these functions alone. I was wondering if you would escort me. We would go as friends, obviously.”
Now, I know I’ve been testing Nico a lot lately. And if Ezra had asked me maybe a month ago, I might have considered it just to spite my husband. But even I know that something like this is playing with fire.
Dropping my hands down at my side, I shift my weight, buying time to find a nice way to tell him no.
“Ezra, I’m honored, but I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
His brow dips. “Why not? We’re going as friends.”
“I’m married.”
He takes a step toward me, closing the space that’s between us. His woodsy cologne assails my senses.
