Page 96 of Forgotten Desires

He grins. “Please, marriage is the mistake, but I’m glad you’re happy. You deserve it, my friend.”

“I’ll be really happy once I get my daughter full time.”

Ford sighs heavily. “I wish I could help you there, brother, but I got nothing. I just hope that your lawyer and the fact that every day there’s some new article about you and your incredibly happy marriage will do what you need.”

I shake my head. “Every day?”

My best friend looks way too happy as he pulls his phone out. “Ginny loved this one.”

I take the phone from him and look at the two of us when we got back from Paris. My arm is around her shoulder, our fingers laced together as we entered the door of the apartment. The article, if you can call it that, says how I whisked my new bride to Paris for forty-eight hours of shopping and romance before returning to run my empire. Some of the facts are disturbingly correct.

“Where do they find this shit out?”

He huffs. “Fuck if I know. You know you’re ruining her for any other man if this doesn’t work out?”

I don’t have a single issue with that. “There won’t be another man.”

At least I fucking hope not.

I know it’s only been a few weeks, but I can’t picture a life without her again. She’s maneuvered her way into every crevice of my life and I’m not complaining about it. Before Brynn, I didn’t head home from the office until after midnight most days. Sometimes, I just slept here.

Now, I’m packing my shit up by six, if not earlier.

“I hope this is forever for you. The two of you have waited long enough to find each other again, no matter what brought you together.”

I hope the same, but I need to convince her.

* * *

“Brynn?” I call her name repeatedly, but she’s nowhere in the house. I checked her normal places, which are her makeshift office, the bedroom, bathroom, and the terrace. Where the hell is my wife?

“Oh, Mr. Knight, I’m so sorry, I didn’t get the alert you arrived home,” Celeste says as she reaches out for my jacket. “Here, let me hang that.”

“Thank you, Celeste, do you happen to know where my wife is?”

She smiles warmly. “I do, but she asked me to let you be surprised when you find her.”

I laugh softly. “Surprised?”

“She said, and I quote, ‘He wanted this big ridiculous apartment, he can search all the bajillion . . .’” Celeste leans in. “I didn’t want to correct her that there is no bajillion.” I grin and nod. “‘The bajillion square feet of this monster of a house.’”

“I see. Well, I have a feeling you know whatever the surprise is?”

“Yes, sir.”

“And you’re not going to tell me, are you?” I ask.

“Not a word of it.” Celeste reaches her hand out, resting it on my forearm. “She’s truly a wonderful woman and I couldn’t be happier that you found each other.”

“Thank you. All right, let me get to searching for her. Any hints?”

Celeste looks over to the side and shakes her head. “I think it’ll be more fun this way. Cliff is going to drive me so I can run errands, and he will spend the night out in Westchester so I can visit my daughter.”

“I see.”

“I made breakfast though, so don’t worry about that.”

I nod. “I appreciate it.”

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