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“I know, but I want to help,” I reply, my hand cradling her elbow as she lowers herself to the ground.
She glances up at me, her eyes softening for a moment. “Thanks,” she murmurs.
Everly settles on the blanket and I take a step back as she slips off her shoes. Once she’s finished, she shifts to the middle and smooths out her dress, waiting for further instructions.
“Cash, sit behind her, please,” Lani directs me. “You’re going to spread your legs with your knees slightly bent and once you’re in place, Everly will lean against you,” she instructs.
Once I’m seated, Everly reluctantly leans into me, her back pressed against my chest as her thigh brushes against my leg. She fidgets with her hands and I can feel her breathing quicken as she leans into me.
“Cash, wrap your arms around her and kiss her forehead. Everly, hold his hand and place your other hand on his calf to show off that gorgeous ring of yours,” Lani instructs.
Everly’s eyes widen in alarm, but luckily, I’m the only one who notices. Lani is too busy checking the settings on her camera, and my family is all inside.
It was convenient that my mom required every member of our family to help with dinner except Everly and me. I don’t buy it; she always has an ulterior motive. She probably figured she’d get better photos of us without an audience, and I’ll do my very best to make sure Everly is as comfortable as possible.
Everly lets out a nervous laugh as she awkwardly rests her head on my shoulder. Her hands tremble as she places one on my knee and the other on my lower leg.
Lani moves positions, and the angle of her camera focuses on my left side. My hair is pushed back from my face, which means my scar is visible. My body freezes up, and my breathing becomes shallow. I was so focused on making sure Everly was okay that it didn’t cross my mind that couple photos would include close-ups of our faces. There’s a reason I don’t like to look in the mirror. I’m not under any illusions that I’m physically attractive, and prefer to avoid daily reminders of that.
Group shots are easy to manage since I can stay in the back and angle my face away from the camera. However, I steer clear of close-up photos whenever I can.
Everly tilts her head back, worry etched on her face. “Are you alright?”
“Let’s try another pose,” I suggest. “I’d prefer my good side showing.” I gesture to my face.
“If you’d like, I can edit out your scar,” Lani offers.
“Absolutely not,” Everly interjects sharply, glaring at Lani before looking back at me. “You’re beautiful. Your scar is part of you.” Lowering her voice so only I can hear, she adds, “This situation isn’t easy for me either, but we’ll get through it together, okay?” She gives me a soft smile as she brushes her hand across my scar.
I blink down at her, rendered speechless. I’m well aware that most women don’t find me attractive. They tolerate my looks because they have to, but no one has ever called me beautiful. Part of me wants to dismiss her words as mere pity, but I know that’s not accurate. If it were anyone besides Everly, I wouldn’t believe it, but she’s not one to mince her words.
“Whatever you say, boss,” I choke out, overcome with unexpected emotion.
“Everything okay?” Lani asks.
“Yes,” Everly says, turning back to face her. “We’re all set to continue.”
“Perfect. Cash, wrap your arms around her,” Lani says when I don’t move.
If she finds it strange that Everly and I are uncomfortable with each other, she keeps it to herself. Thank god Dylan and Harrison are inside, or they’d be teasing us without mercy.
I band my arm around Everly and pull her tight against me. My racing heart reverberates in my ears, its steady rhythm grounding my senses. Everly’s shallow breaths are a dead giveaway that I’m not the only one affected by our proximity.
She feigns indifference, but now and then, I catch her mask slipping. Like when she couldn’t stop sneaking glances at me when I walked into the hotel bar. Or when I woke up with her clinging to me like a baby koala.
“Everly, scoot a little closer to Cash, please,” Lani calls out from behind her camera. “Pretend I’m not here, and you’re just sharing a special moment as newlyweds.”
Joke’s on her because Everly would rather watch me get struck by lightning than be my wife. Unfortunately for her, she’s stuck with me—at least for now.
The sooner we cooperate, the sooner this will be over.
I take the opportunity to enjoy this fleeting moment as I bury my face in her hair and inhale the scent of jasmine, lavender, and vanilla. She smells like heaven, and I’m forced to push aside any thoughts of her writhing against me in pleasure.
Fuck me.
Maybe taking photos together was a bad idea. This woman is toying with my mind. One minute, I’m agreeing that getting an annulment is a good idea, and the next, I’m consumed by an overwhelming desire to explore every inch of her.
My instincts take over as I grip her hair in my fist and push it over her shoulder. A part of me can’t help but wonder what it would feel like if I peppered kisses along her neck, holding her hair like this. Would she hum in delight or cry out in pleasure as I played with her breasts, alternating between pinching and twisting them with my fingers, my tongue slipping inside her mouth.