Page 81 of An Inconvenient Marriage
“So tired.” On cue, she let out a lazy yawn, then laughed. “Who knew having orgasms was such a tiresome business.”
“Yeah,” I chuckled against her skin. “Who knew?”
21
Natalie
Iwokeupwiththe exact same smile on my face as the one I wore to bed the previous night. How could I not? I went from having zero orgasms ever to having three in one day. A girl could definitely get used to that.
Especially with Zach. No, wait, I meant with a guy like Zach.
“You’re awake.”
Zach’s scent enveloped my senses a second before the mattress dipped under his weight. I was still smiling when I slowly turned my head to face him. Until I saw what he had in his hands.
My smile slipped, nerves causing my poor heart to jackhammer against my ribs. No one except Everlee had seen the contents on those pages. Well, Everlee and my father. Although I was certain he’d only seen glimpses of the sketches before he’d torn them to shreds.
Not willing to let my mind go to those awful moments, I shoved the thought aside and pushed myself into a seated position. And even though I’d slipped into my pajamas the night before, I still reached for the sheets and clutched them to my chest.
Completely ridiculous, considering there probably wasn’t an inch of me Zach hadn’t seen. But this vulnerability I felt had nothing to do with my body being almost naked. He held the very essence of my soul in his hands, and I was utterly terrified of what he’d think.
I held my breath, and my pulse skyrocketed when Zach flipped the page and his gaze lingered on the new image. Every cell in my body was on high alert, ready to reach forward and snatch the sketchbook from his grasp.
But instead of doing just that, I studied the man studying my work.
He wore the same expression Everlee had when I’d shown her my first sketch. It was something akin to wonder and amazement. I saw it shining in those dark irises. And the way it made me feel…
I liked it a lot more than I was prepared to admit to myself. A whole lot more.
“Fashion designing is to me what the vineyard is to you,” I whispered.
The instant Zach’s gaze found mine, his mouth curved into the most beautiful smile. My poor heart almost gave out while the butterflies inside my stomach flew around in a frenzy.
“These are incredibly good.” Turning his attention back to my sketchbook, he flipped the page again. “And you said you weren’t allowed to study, so…” Those dark eyes were back on me. “You’re self-taught?”
My cheeks heated, and I just knew my skin had changed color again. Rolling my lip over my teeth, I admitted, “It’s all I’ve ever wanted to do.”
“Why designing?”
Licking my lips, I contemplated whether to share this part of me with him. It took all of two seconds to make a decision. In one quick move, I threw the covers off me and padded across the room to where my suitcases were.
It didn’t take long to find what I was looking for and make my way back to the bed. Taking a seat in front of him, I tucked my legs under me and handed him the one thing I’d never shown to anyone.
“That was my mom’s. When she died, my father wanted to rid the house of her memory almost immediately. He brought people in the day after her funeral to pack up her stuff. By the time I learned of this, they’d already taken almost everything except for a shoebox in the back of her closet. Knowing it was the only thing I’d have of her, I took it and hid it in my room. Later that night, when I finally opened it, I found that.”
Zach paged through the book I’d handed him. “Your style is so much like hers.” Our gazes met. “I didn’t know your mom designed. The only thing I’ve ever read about her was that she was the daughter of a well-known finance mogul.”
Slicking my tongue over my teeth, I stared at my folded hands in my lap. “I suspect her father was very much like mine. At least that’s the only explanation I have for her keeping that a secret.”
Warm hands covered mine, and when I looked up, Zach had scooted closer. “So you design to keep your mom’s memory close.”
“It started out that way, but now I do it for me. It’s my escape, the one thing that brings me joy.” Poking my tongue against my cheek, I confessed one more thing. “Once I’m free of my father, I want to take my designs further. I want to study everything I possibly can, and when I’m done, I’d love to have my own little boutique.”
Shifting even closer, Zach leaned forward and curled his fingers around my nape. With one tug, he dragged my face to his and pressed his lips to mine. I wanted that kiss more than anything, but I’d just woken up and hadn’t had time to brush my teeth.
Before he could deepen the kiss, I quickly pulled away and covered my mouth with my hand. “Morning breath.”
Zach moved fast. He gripped my wrist, yanked my arm away, and pushed me back so he could pin me to the mattress with his gigantic body. “I don’t give a shit about that.”
