Page 116 of Beautifully Messy
I pull back, making sure he’s looking straight at me. “I know I told you I moved out. But I filed for divorce. In case that wasn’t clear.”
Pinching his eyes shut briefly, James’s chest expands on a deep breath. His lips claim mine, firm and demanding, a groan rumbling from his chest that sinks into my skin and rattles through my bones. He’s pure heat and need against my tongue, something I’ll never get enough of. His grip tightens, pulling me closer until there is nothing between us but breath and desperation, the music forgotten as we sway without rhythm, lost in each other.
“Hold on.” I push back, gasping for air. “Are you going to stay after Gary and Margaret arrive?”
“I don’t know.” He sighs and runs a hand through his hair. “Guess I’ll see how it goes. If Ivy is cool or not. How Mason reacts to my being here. He’s not my biggest fan.”
His face falls, realizing the distance we’ll need to keep once everyone else arrives. My chest aches at the thought of pretending again.
“What happened after the wedding? When you and Ivy went for the walk?”
“I never intended for it to happen that way,” his voice softens. “I just… couldn’t let her keep going on like she was. I told her I didn't want to reschedule and that we needed space. She begged me not to break up with her that night. So I left. She wouldn't listen. A few weeks later, back in Boston, I made it official.”
“How did she take it?”
“Not well. She still calls, texts regularly. I don’t think she wants to believe it’s really over.”
“This is going to be so awkward when they get here.”
He kisses me softly. “How is Mason handling everything?”
“As you’d expect. We just need to get through the next few days as best we can.” I link our fingers, holding tight to the rough warmth of his palm.
“Okay. Once everyone else is here…” his grin fades. “I’ll keep my hands to myself.”
I see his hesitation, and instead of answering with words, I melt into him. Our lips devour each other. A soft whimper escapes my throat as his hands skim lower, pulling me flush against the hard lines of his body. He holds me like he’s pressing me into memory, so I’ll still be with him when we have to pretend we’re something less. And he’s leaving something of himself behind for me to remember. He steals the breath from my lungs, and I let him.
Tires crunch against packed snow. We freeze, breathing raggedly. My chest tightens. His hands cup my face.
“It’s okay. We’ll be okay.” James doesn’t promise me easy or feed me false hope. He stands there, solid and sure, offering something far more powerful than words. His presence. His strength. The unwavering truth that I’m not alone.
“Together,” I whisper.
It’s more than an agreement. It’s a quiet promise to him and to myself.
But a surprised laugh slips out.
“You might want to… take care of that before we head downstairs.” I lift a brow, nodding toward the very obvious evidence of his arousal.
His smirk is slow, shameless. Unbothered. He pulls me close one more time, his palms warm against my skin, his lips brushing mine one last time. He dips his mouth to my ear and murmurs, “Yeah… pretty sure what’s waiting for us will take care of it.”
And with one last look—dark, amused, and far too confident—he grabs my hand… and leads us toward the stairs.
Thirty-Six
Thefrontdoorswingsopen, and a gust of cold air whirls through the house. Voices cut through the quiet. Mason. Ivy. They must’ve shared a ride from the airport.
“Hello? Syd?” Mason calls out, his voice carrying that tone I know so well. Expecting. Entitled.
The moment Mason sees James walking beside me, his face goes rigid. “What the hell are you doing here?”
Ivy steps forward and pastes on a bright smile.
“Dad invited James. He was worried about some house project and needed someone he trusted to check it out.” She smiles, soft and inviting. “And of course Dad thought of James.”
“Why are you still here? If everything is fine.” Mason’s anger coils tighter.
“Gary wanted me to stick around until he got back. Their flight was canceled, and they can’t get in until tomorrow.” James folds his arms across his chest, meeting Mason’s eyes.
