“I love you, Luxandria Kingdom. I’ve never stopped loving you.”
“I love you too, Josh. More than I think you know.”
The kiss they shared was filled with the tenderness of two people who knew they were back where they should be. Lux was the first to pull away; unable to maintain eye contact with him. She looked down.
“What is it, Lux?”
“I need to ask you something…”
“You know you can ask me anything,” Josh said, brushing the back of his fingers across her cheek.
Lux loved his touch, but wouldn’t allow herself to be distracted by it. “Why didn’t you come for me?”
“What?” Josh asked surprise alight in his eyes.
“I waited for you but you didn’t come for me.” Even if she wanted to, Lux couldn’t keep the hurt from her expression.
“Ahh, Luxie. I’m sorry, baby,” Josh crooned as he took her in his arms. “I thought about it so many times. In the beginning, I can’t lie, when you left you hurt me so much I didn’t want you back. After that came shame that I’d betrayed your trust. Following on from that was the knowledge that if we didn’t spend time apart, we wouldn’t make it.
I didn’t come for you because both you and I were too childish and selfish. Back then wasn’t our time. This is our time. There’s one more thing I want you to know. I never stopped loving you, Luxandria and I never will.”
“Me too, Josh. This is our new beginning, and for you, I’m even going to try to stop running my mouth.”
Josh snorted so loudly, Lux smacked him. Even as he laughed, he hopped out of bed and disappeared into the bathroom. On his way back to the bed, Lux watched the way his muscular body rippled as he moved.
“I love the way you’ve just gotten better with age, Mr. Kingdom.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Kingdom.”
Falling to his knees beside the bed, Josh held out his fisted hand. “Since you’re my wife, I want you to wear my rings.”
Nestled in his now open palm were the rings she’d left on her pillow seven years ago. Holding out her hand, Josh placed them on her finger and sealed them in place with a kiss.
Chapter 29
When Jason started working in the family business. Jackson thought it would be a good idea to invite the managers of their various hotels to New York to introduce his third son.
Intending to host a dinner at the homestead, Aviva persuaded him to have a cocktail party at the house. That way it would be less formal and it would be an opportunity for the managers to bring their partners.
Jackson agreed to her suggestion as long as he wasn’t involved in the planning. Aviva took on the task with her usual command at planning and it had turned out to be a success. Tonight was their third party and with MacKenzie’s and Lux’s help everything was in order.
Catching Lux’s gaze the women smiled at each other. Aviva was still getting to know her but now that she and Josh had worked out their estrangement she was more relaxed and fun to be around.
Jackson’s arrival with an unknown woman caused Aviva to do a double take. She’d never seen this woman before, and the way she clung to his arm caught and held her attention. Still watching the older couple, she wondered what had happened to Laura.
From her brief conversations with the woman, she hadn’t liked her. Aviva had thought she was looking for a meal ticket in Jackson. In the end, Jason was right in his assessment of the relationship, Laura was now a thing of the past.
Pulling in her thoughts, she again focused on the couple. The regal woman wasn’t tall, but she didn’t need to be; she commanded the room as though she were royalty. Aviva wasn’t sure, but she thought the woman deliberately paused on the threshold of the room in order to draw everyone’s attention.
Aware of the hush that emanated from those close enough to see the older couple’s entrance, Aviva held her breath in anticipation of what the woman would do next.
Looping her arm through Jackson’s she pressed her breasts against his side and smiled up at him with possession. The woman was immaculate, from the top of her head to the tip of her feet, and she knew it.
“Is this some form of a joke?” Delphine asked as she came to a stop beside Aviva.
“She’s bloody gorgeous!” Aviva answered in response to the family’s lawyer.
“I don’t care if she’s Marie Antoinette, this is not going to happen!”
“But they look really good together.”
“I never took you for a woman who puts so much store on the outward appearance,” Delphine paused waiting for Aviva to pull her gaze away from the couple. When she gave Delphine her partial attention, she continued. “Let’s be totally honest, if that were the case, Jason wouldn’t be with you, now would he?”
The mention of her husband’s name was all it took to gain Aviva’s full attention.
“Did you just insult me, Delphine?”
“You know I adore you, Aviva. If I wanted to insult you, you wouldn’t have to ask me that question.”