Page 89 of Lovers' Dance: Vol. 2

We fell silent, peering at each other. I was glad Dan had parked close to a streetlight, hadn’t been before, but I was glad now. It allowed me the opportunity to gaze upon the beauty that was my husband.

“You should’ve told me marriage wasn’t all flowers and bliss.” I joked. Underneath my words there was an edge of truth, a sharp edge. The corners of Matt’s mouth dipped for a second before he gave me a real smile, the one I would die for.

“Why do you think it took me so long to get married?” he teased.

“Shit.” I wriggled below him then grabbed his wrist. “What time is it?”

Matt grunted as he raised his sweat-slicked body off mine and glanced at his watch. “Bloody hell. We’re late.”

“Fashionably late?” I asked, struggling to get out from under him.

“No,” Matt said grimly as he handed over my panties. “Just late.Where’s your dress? I need to call Dan immediately.”

Getting dressed in the backseat of a car was awkward, especially with a six feet plus Adonis taking up space. I giggled. I really should get that checked out. Giggling…hmph.

“What?” Matt asked, tugging up his pants.

“I just remembered that day on the Mall, when you helped me ditch that copper. I got changed in the back of your Rolls.”

“Mmm,” Matt was shaking the creases out his shirt. “Then I took you back to mine and here we are. Ouch.”

“Sorry.” My heel, the one I still had on, accidently jabbed Matt’s thigh as I tried to pull on my dress. “Your mom is going to kill us.”

“Me? No. You on the other hand,” His words trailed off and he winked at my heated growl. “I’m calling Dan now, poppet, so please finish getting dressed. George said he fancies you and I would hate to fire the chap for openly coveting what’s mine.”

I rolled my eyes. Best to hurry up. Portia Bradley gave me the willies. Huh. Why did I have to land a crappy mother-in-law?

“My hair-do is ruined, thanks to you.” I groused out loud then grinned when Matt extricated a bobby pin from one of my wild curls hanging down my shoulder.

“Shall I help you put it back up?” He wrapped his finger around the curl, a whimsical look in his eyes as he played with my hair.

“Yeah, right. As if you can handle black hair.” I playfully smacked his hand away. “And how many times do I have to tell you stop messing with my hair? You’ll give me split ends.”

He leaned over to bury his face in the unruly mess atop my head and inhaled deeply. “Every bit of you smells like flowers. My little wild flower.”

“Mum, you look absolutely beautiful,” Matt kissed his mother’s cheek while my lips warred with my mind.

Keep smiling, just keep smiling,I told myself.

“Apologies for our late arrival, we had some unexpected car issues.” Matt continued smoothly, moving over to shake his dad’s hand before getting a fatherly hug. The lie just rolled off his lips with ease. Hmm. I should monitor that ability of his.

“Happy Anniversary, Mr and Mrs Bradley.” I greeted demurely,pushing all thoughts of white lies to the back of my mind.

“Madison, please,” William leaned forward to give me a chaste peck on the cheek. “Mr and Mrs Bradley is so formal. We’re family now.”

The corners of Portia’s eyes scrunched up at William’s forced joviality. I maintained my smile and turned to my mother-in-law, preparing myself for the required air kiss.

“Matthew, darling,” Craftily she manoeuvred herself closer to Matt. “What on earth is that smudge on your face? And why is your hair so unkempt?”

My air kiss approval was denied. I glanced at said smudge then blushed furiously under my dark skin as Portia delicately tried to dab at her son’s jawline. Matt jerked away. Berry plum fun, the shade of my lip gloss.

William looked at my mouth then at the smudge, a knowing gleam built in his eyes even as a silk handkerchief materialised in Portia’s hand. Wow. What else did she have in that cute clutch of hers?

I licked my thumb absentmindedly and wiped the smudge away, all under the appalled gaze of my mother-in-law. I wondered how she’d react to me calling her mums-in-war.

“Ah, probably lipstick, Mum.” Matt stated dryly.

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