Page 66 of Ashes

“You want me to be your date?” he asked, amused.

“Technically, you’re my husband,” I said, teasing him.

“Guess we’ll actually go on that first date,” he said, smirking.

I laughed to myself. “Yeah, I guess we are.”

CHAPTER 17

JAMAL

I couldn’t stop thinkingabout her.

My hands on her body. Hers on mine.

All night I tossed and turned, trying to find some semblance of peace to sleep since we had a wedding to attend the next day.

But nothing worked.

Any ounce of fatigue I felt after getting injured evaporated the moment her fingers were all over me. The little amount of sleep I got was spent dreaming about her, about her tempting lips, but when I decided to lean in and claim them, I woke up.

Alone.

I wanted her, but I was afraid of the moment she’d see my scars.

I’d learned to live with them, accept that they were a part of me, and there was nothing to be ashamed of, but Icouldn’t help but feel vulnerable at the thought of someone else, ofherseeing them. No one other than me and Noah had seen them.

Sure, I’d slept with women in the past, but I’d always kept my shirt on. Even Kai, whom I’d known for a long time, had never seen the extent of my burns.

I wanted to show her that part of me, but the simple thought gnawed at me.

What if she looked at me differently?

I pushed the feeling aside and settled further into my seat.

Today was our first date and, surprisingly, I was looking forward to it. I’d never been on a date before and Sienna was technically my wife, but when she’d asked me last night, a foreign warmth had filled my rib cage.

Her asking me to accompany her was most likely just to keep up a front. Or more specifically, it might’ve been to stop me from crossing a line that, despite wanting to so very badly, I shouldn’t cross.

Sienna had asked me to pick up herasoebifrom the tailor since she had to be at the hospital for a few hours for a meeting. After coming home, I’d showered and changed into one of my black tuxes.

While I waited in the living room for her to finish getting ready, I grabbed my phone to see if Kai had texted me any updates on yesterday’s situation. I had an inkling that the senator had sold us out, but I needed confirmation before teaching him a lesson or two about crossing me.

But when I looked at the time, I quickly realized that if we didn’t leave in the next few minutes, we wouldn’t arrive at the time she needed to be there. I started to call out for Sienna when I peered up from my phone to see her standing at the top of the stairs.

I froze, stopping mid-sentence because the sight of her crumbled any other thoughts to dust aside from one. I caught her eyes, the brown hues meeting mine, and a simple statement carved itself into my chest.

My wife’s beauty is unrivaled.

I tried to prevent it, but desire coiled low in my abdomen and my gaze roamed over her body, taking her in.

She was wearing a deep red maxi dress with some sort of ruching details that ran vertically, the fabric skimming her lush curves. The neckline was modest, yet the way it pushed her breasts sent quite non-modest thoughts whirling around my mind.

The shade of lipstick painted across her lips matched her dress perfectly and the sudden urge to lock her in my room and find ways to smear it hit me.

Brown had always been my favorite color, but I might just make an exception and let the red on her lips compel me into making it my new favorite.

She’s becoming your favorite.The thought was fleeting, yet it was making itself louder every day I spent in her presence.