She was even more beautiful than I remembered. Her heart-shaped face was as flawless as it had been seven years ago. But in the fitted blue dress she wore, I couldn’t help noticing that Cherry’s hips and bust had swelled. She moved with the same grace she always had, but now exuded more of a womanly confidence.
I’d been impressed by how she handled Lucy’s jealousy-fueled comments. Instead of rising to the bait, Cherry had gone about her task with a professional air. She’d even tried to engage my fiancé with relevant questions. As soon as I’d heard that Cherry would be designing me a suit, excitement had coursed through me. I’d stayed apprised of her career, always looking out for mentions of her in the press. Lucy was oblivious to the many accomplishments that encircled Cherry or pretended to be.
I had, however, been oblivious to my fiancé over the last half hour. Time seemed to have passed in a blur, and I’d struggled to notice when Lucy was talking, too aware of Cherry’s quiet but demanding presence and her teasing fingers moving down my body. Every minute I spent in my ex-mate’s presence seemed to make everything and everyone else unimportant. She eclipsed all.
Suddenly, all the intense feelings I’d fought to keep at bay surged.
I noticed Cherry’s body stilling in front of me as if she was equally aware of the charged feeling between us. The one that had caused her cheeks to flush as her hand laid itself on my chest. Her sudden motionlessness reminded my wolf of a deer stiffening in the forest. As Cherry reached out toward me with that damned tape measure, my wolf rose in me, scenting her sweetness. The beast within me rumbled with want. It needed to capture what it smelled.
With blinding need, I pushed Cherry back against the wall, my arms wrapping around her waist and dragging in a heady lungful of her scent. As her sweet, grassy perfume filled me, it was as if I’d taken the first proper breath in years. I felt more alive than I had in forever. My wolf agreed, vibrating with rich satisfaction.
But Cherry’s hands were against my chest, pushing me away. I backed off with a sheepish expression on my face.
A frown marred her beautiful brow, and her fair eyebrows scrunched together, her silver stare demanding an explanation.