Page 87 of Sweet Wicked Vows
“She’s trouble.” Florence shook her head. “Turning out more like herpapaevery single day. God spare us all.”
“Penny will be fine,” Jaxon assured. “It could always be worse. She could turn out to be exactly like her mother rather than Frederic.”
Frederic Dade was a father.
Had I fallen and bumped my head?
How could I have not known Jaxon had a niece? Or that Frederic had a secret daughter?
The harsh truth was that I knew very little about the man I was married to. Outside anything to do with his business, anything that a simple internet search could answer, I knew next to nothing.
Florence guided us through the open hallway into the back garden and onto a veranda. Glass surrounded us on either side, but thankfully, the front was open letting the cool breeze flow.
My breath caught in my lungs at the view.
Green gardens filled with a multitude of colorful flowers, the distant sight of the sparkling ocean, and in the center a grand swimming pool.
“This place is out of this world,” I said breathlessly.
Jaxon stood at my side. “It’s a hell of a difference from New York.”
“I know you didn’t want me to come with you, but right now, I’m kind of glad I forced your hand,” I said lightly.
He exhaled deeply. “I didn’t want to come because of family politics. It had nothing to do with you.”
“Really?”
“Really. I am glad you are here with me.”
The smile took life before I could stop it. “How do you ever leave this place? I mean, look at it all. Have you ever seenanything more beautiful than all this?”
“I can think of something far more beautiful.”
He was staring at me. Heat rolled through me, my stupid heart fluttering like the wings of a hummingbird. “Oh, what’s that?”
My body moved closer to him while my brain tried to fight against my heart.
Fingers pushed a strand of hair behind my ear, tracing the shell as he, too, looked as lost as I felt. “You’re the single most beautiful thing I have ever laid eyes on.”
Those stupid butterflies took flight once again.
“You made it!” Olivier’s voice snapped us back into reality. The youngest brother walked into the veranda with a tray of cups. “Good to see you dragged Jax here, kicking and screaming.”
“Go to hell,” Jaxon muttered.
“Why so grouchy?” Olivier teased. He turned as another man appeared carrying a tray of baked breads, jams, and mouth-watering bacon. “Jax clearly didn’t have his nap on the flight over.”
The other laughed. “Shall we send you up to Penny’s bed? Maybe get her to read you one of her books while you nod off?”
“You can go straight to hell, too.” Jaxon snatched a croissant off the tray. “Evelyn, this dickhead is Elliott. Dickhead, this is my wife.”
My wife.
My wife.
“A pleasure.” Elliott dipped his head. “It’s nice to meet someone able to tolerate Jaxon for longer than five seconds who isn’t blood-related.”
Jaxon flipped him off with a scowl.