Riven Knight (Clifton Forge, #2)

by Devney Perry

Come to think of it, I’d never seen Isaiah smile. Why didn’t he smile? Was that because of our situation? If he was this handsome now, solemn and serious, he’d be godlike with a smile. I wouldn’t mind earning one or two, just to find out.

And at the moment, I was desperately trying to keep from adding more to the pile. I was clinging to this calm, collected façade, hoping it would keep people at arm’s length. Because if one more person hurt me, I might crumble to pieces.

“They’re constellations.” Some fit between the knuckles. Others dipped down to the softer skin between my fingers. “Why constellations?” I turned my attention to my sandwich. “For someone I used to know who loved the stars.”

She dazzled. The first time I’d called her doll, it had been a slip. I’d figured a pet name like honey or sweetie would help convince people this was real. I’d planned on one of those. But doll had come out instead because she was flawless.

“Did it ruin reading for you? Prison?” “Don’t know. I haven’t read anything since.” Her eyes were so open and captivating. When I met her gaze, I expected either pity or judgment. People who knew why I’d gone to prison pitied me. Those who didn’t, condemned. But instead of either, I found curiosity. “Want to find out? We could read Harry Potter together. Or any other book.”

How could I say no to those pleading eyes? “Yeah, okay.” A smile transformed her face. It was the first true, unrestrained smile I’d seen from Genevieve. She’d been stunning before, but with that smile . . . my heart skipped.

I tightened my grip on Genevieve’s hand. It had become something of a habit for us—linking hands. At first, it had been the easiest way to show the world we were a couple, far less stressful than a kiss or even a hug. But then it had evolved. It had become . . . more. We were united. We were a team. We were in this together, until the end.

After months of reaching for her, months of winding her dainty fingers through mine, her hand had become a shelter.

I knew not to believe the smiles. For Genevieve’s sake, I hoped she believed every single one.

Nothing in the world could have prepared me for Genevieve. She’d crept up on me, consuming more and more of my thoughts, day by day. And then she’d stolen my dreams.

I was his wife, after all. I’d always thought some other woman would come along and be the one to heal him. She’d be the one to put light in his eyes. But then months had passed. Feelings had grown. He didn’t need another woman to break through his walls. Isaiah needed me.

Genevieve had the power to destroy me completely. My life would be in ruins when she walked away. This kiss wouldn’t change the future. I shoved those thoughts away. And I kissed my wife.

Isaiah looked in the mirror and saw everlasting broken pieces, but maybe my broken pieces would fit with his. Together, maybe we’d make a whole.

“I’m not ready for it to be over.” He cast me a longing glance. “Not yet.” Me neither. I smiled and padded to the bed to crawl in beside him. We curled together. My head rested on his chest. His hand closed over mine on his stomach. Our legs intertwined. The pieces fit.

Whatever the reason, a weight had come off my shoulders. There was a lightness in the apartment too, like we weren’t tiptoeing around each other anymore. For the first time in a long time, I could breathe.

I dropped my lips to hers, letting the kiss linger for a long moment. I savored the soft feel of her lips and the smell of her hair. When we broke apart for our picture, she had a rosy glow on her cheeks and a little smile on her face. Picture or not, I’d remember that look until the end of my days.

My wife.

He was my best friend. He was there for me every day. When something happened at work that made me laugh, he was the first person I wanted to tell. When I woke up some mornings in a foul mood, he made me coffee with cream because it almost always cheered me up. The chocolate chip cookies I made every week weren’t for me anymore—they were Isaiah’s.