Hourglass Squared (27 page)

Hours passed, and party guests were finally beginning to trickle out of the house, allowing the four of us to finally sit down on the patio and relax while enjoying a bottle of champagne.

"Okay, so I know Josh said that the party was gift enough, but you know I can't not get you something for your birthday. I put a lot of thought into this gift. Jake was skeptical at first, but after I explained it to him, he was on board. I hope you understand that I'm not trying to change you or what has happened to you in any way. I'm just being me, and with that comes crazy gifts that I hope you'll love."

I passed over an envelope and looked on as Brook began to open it. Josh's eyes stuck to her like glue.

Brooke pulled the card from the envelope, and I watched as her eyes read over the certificate. Tears began to well up, and I knew instantly that it meant as much to Brooke as it did to me to be able to gift it to her.

She didn't say a word. She just lunged across the patio and clung to me, squeezing me as tight as she could. "I love you, Sav. This is perfect."

Josh was still unsure of what we'd gotten her. "What is it?" he asked.

Brooke released me and sat back down next to her husband, tears falling as she began to laugh. "Boobs!"

His eyes furrowed. "What?"

More laughter bubbled out from my best friend. "Boobs! They got me a boob job."

His eyes lit up as he pulled Brooke into a tight embrace, and I could tell that Josh was so thankful. Not for the fact that his wife would soon be sporting a new pair of fake breasts, but because he knew how much this would mean to Brooke's self-esteem.

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

Brooke

J
OSH DROVE HOME
soundlessly as I went on and on about what an amazing night it had been. Savannah, true to form, had gone all out. And the boobs? She knew me so well. Hope softly snored in the back seat as we drove the short distance to our home.

I grabbed the bags of birthday gifts and some baby gifts for Hope, and Josh unbuckled Hope and cradled her gingerly in his arms. I quietly unlocked the door and pushed it open for Josh, letting the glow of the porch light illuminate the way for him to the stairs.

"I'll be back in a minute to help you with the bags. I'm just going to lay her down," he called over his shoulder as he took the first steps and disappeared behind the wall.

I locked the door behind me and left the bags in the foyer, wanting to get out of the dress and into something more comfortable. As I passed Hope's room, I heard Josh singing her a soft lullaby as she tried to settle back to sleep, the music warming my heart and making me love my husband even more. Leaving him to her, I continued down the hall to our bedroom and flipped on the closet light.

As the dress fell to the floor, Josh appeared in the mirror, eyes locked on me and staring at my body as I stood there in black lace underwear and a matching bra. The only one I had that didn't look ridiculous after major hunting at the stores. Thank God for my inside connection with the models who naturally had no breasts due to their slim physique; they had pointed me in the right direction and helped regain another sense of femininity.

Josh stepped up behind me and gripped me by my hips, pulling me in tight against him. As his lips grazed along the nape of my neck, my body lit with excitement. His tongue slipped out and traced my earlobe, making all blood flow localize between my legs and bring to life parts of me that had been neglected for far too long. A part of me that was now beating on the door, begging to be set free.

I felt his warm hand move from my hip, his knuckles trailing along my spine until reaching my bra clasp. Once his hand had taken hold, he locked eyes with me in the mirror, waiting for permission. Besides a glimpse as I'd gotten out of the shower, he hadn't actually seen the scars. I had been too ashamed, too embarrassed. But this, this was my husband.

"So Savannah's gift was interesting?" He tossed the thought out there when I didn't readily agree to him exposing me. "How do you feel about it?"

"I'm excited, relieved. I was going to talk to you about the reconstructive surgery. I've accepted the cancer, but it would be nice to feel more womanly, to look beautiful once more. I want for you to find me sexy and desirable again."

Josh shook his head angrily at me, rage filling in his eyes. "Is that what you see?" he demanded as he flicked the clasp open and let the black lace fall to the ground.

I brought my hands up to cover myself as I looked away from his piercing gaze. The look he was giving me made me feel even more naked than I was.

Josh's strong hand came up and forced my gaze to return to his. "Brooke, my beautiful beautiful Brooke, these scars are nothing to be ashamed of." He ran his hand slowly down the center of my chest.

"They don't make you any less desirable to me, I can assure you. They are a battle you're fighting, and beating. The idea of this surgery scares me, because it puts you under and risks your life. Don't do it for me, because I don't need you to do it. I look at you holding our daughter and fall in love with you more. I see you rubbing lotion on your legs before bed and want to tie you down and worship you. I couldn't take my eyes off you tonight, the most gorgeous and sexy woman there."

I scoffed out loud as tears filled my eyes. "You're saying that because I'm your wife."

"Brooke. You are my wife, and I will love you till the end of time. But that is neither here nor there. This," he took my hand and led it to his growing desire, "this, Brooke, is not a reaction to my love. This is my desire in its purest form for your naked body. This is my body screaming out for yours. Begging me for weeks to throw you on the bed and make you scream my name."

He walked around the side of me, his fingers trailing along my hip bone as he came to stand in front. "You are my wife, but you are also my lover. My body needs yours, just like you need mine." His hand dipped low and cupped me intimately. "I can feel your need, the awareness of every nerve ending pleading for me to take you.

He dipped his finger in and swirled it around once, making me moan out loud.

"Say it, Brooke. Admit that I find you sexy and that you want me as desperately as I want you."

I shook my head no, clinging to my last bit of fear. Both of Josh's hands grasped my panties and gave them a tug down my legs as he dropped to his knees. "Brooke," he purred as his face nuzzled between my legs. "Admit it." His tongue slipped out and took a taste before he gently sucked.

Every piece of my body was tense, awake, alert. The blood rushing down was now whooshing in my ears, the pulse beating a rhythm I couldn't ignore.

Another suck pulled another moan from my body as his hand slid up between my legs and parted me further. The distance gave Josh enough room to torture me, using his inside knowledge to drive me to insanity. One hand cupped my butt as his other joined his lips, teasing my body even more.

"Brooke? I need you. Do you need me?" his husky voice asked as his tongue slipped out and licked again.

"Yes, God yes, I need you." I breathed out as my hands grabbed his hair and pulled him into me more. That was all the invitation Josh needed, and suddenly I was being taken places I didn't even know existed with each suck of his lips, each swirl of his tongue, and each stroke of his finger. The beating of my heart sped up till there were no more individual beats, just one solid thrum. "Josh!" I screamed out in bliss as I reached my peak, praising the sex gods for my husband.

"Oh, I'm not done with you yet," he crooned as he stood up and tugged me over to the bed, starting the meticulous process of worshipping my body all over again. His lips kissed my body all over, paying special attention as he reached where my breasts had been. Once he was back to my mouth, he kissed me deeply, passionately. His tongue dipped into my mouth and swirled around with my own, doing a dance only the two of them knew. After his fingers slipped out, and he pushed in with one final stroke, my voice raspy as I called out his name again.

"I'm right here, sweetheart. I've got you. Always. Forever."

He kept going, in and out, increasing his pace in response to my desperate pleas, until we were both moving to a rhythm all our own. As he felt my body coil, ready to be released, he adjusted himself, knowing the exact spot to push me over the edge and cling to the sheets for dear life. With one final stroke I was lost, falling into oblivion and fighting to keep my eyes open as his lips came back to mine and caressed me.

"I love you, Brooke Worthington," he whispered in my ear as I drifted off to the best night of sleep of my life.

CHAPTER FORTY

Savannah

B
ROOKE AND
I
stood in my guest room while Penelope was downstairs tending to her three adorable grandchildren.

"Are you sure about this?" she asked, her face held a look of panic.

"Oh my goodness, Brooke, quit being a baby and get naked!" I shouted.

Hesitantly, she untied her silk robe, allowing it to drop to the hardwood floor beneath her.

Tears pricking my eyes, I admired how stunning my best friend looked in her black lace lingerie set. After she'd healed from her breast implant procedure, I'd convinced her to let me photograph a boudoir session so she could surprise Josh with pictures.

"Oh, Brooke. Josh is going to go nuts over these. You are gorgeous."

Her lips began to lift upward into a semi-smile. "You think they'll be good?"

I shook my head no. "I don't do good, darling. I do fantastic, phenomenal, breathtakingly brilliant! I can assure you, he is going to keep these photos in his spank bank for years to come."

Brooke began to laugh, her entire body shaking as she lifted her hands up. "Oh my gosh, shut up before you cause my make-up to run." She dabbed at her eyes, trying to keep the tears from falling down her face.

"Okay, seriously, let's get this show on the road. I'm dying to get these onto the computer so I can send them to print!"

Brooke climbed on top of the white comforter and then threw herself back. "I feel like an idiot. I can't do this."

I set my camera down, climbed onto the bed next to her and tugged on her arms so she was sitting up. "First off, you are going to mess up your hair if you keep throwing yourself around like a child. Second off, you look amazing. These pictures are going to mean so much to Josh. Think of how long you hid your body from him. He loves you, Brooke, all of you, and you need to show him that you are finally confident in your own skin again. Now quit being one of those models I bitch and complain about." I slapped her thigh and jumped off the bed.

We spent the next two hours taking picture after picture. I must have made her change into twenty-five different outfits to ensure that there was enough variety for her to choose from. We both rushed down to Jake's office, and I plugged my camera into his computer, both of us watching the pictures load on the screen in front of us.

"You better send these straight to work. I would die if Jake saw these," Brooke demanded.

Slapping her hand away from the mouse, I nodded. "Oh come on, maybe he could use a little spice in his life. Isn't it every man's fantasy to have both his wife and her sexy best friend?"

Brooke made a puking sound. "I think I just threw up in my mouth!"

Laughing uncontrollably, I loaded the pictures into a password-protected folder and sent them off to my Hourglass email account. "I'm totally just kidding. I'm too territorial over Jake. I'd kill any woman who tried to come between him and me. Besides, I want you all to myself."

Brooke shook her head. "Savannah!" she shouted as I continued to laugh.

"You're too easy, Brooke," I teased.

I climbed out of Jake's office chair and headed into the living room where Penelope was spread out on the living room floor with all three babies.

I scooped Emma up into my arms and twirled her around, kissing her all over her chubby cheeks. "My sweet baby girl is so beautiful. Mommy needs to get you back in front of the camera. It's been too long since we've had a photo shoot."

Penelope stood with Ethan in her arms, and Brooke cradled Hope. "It's been less than a week," they both said in unison.

I scrunched my nose before leaning in to nuzzle my sweet baby boy who was giggling in my mother-in–law's arms. "What about you, chunkster? Are you ready for your close-up?"

Ethan's hands swatted in the air as his beautiful giggle filled the room. I covered his face in kisses and then did the same to my little Emma again before I laid her back down on her chenille blanket. "Mommy and Aunt Brooke have got a few more photos to take, and then we'll be finished for the day." I looked to Penelope. "Are you okay for another hour?"

"Of course. I could do this all day, every day."

"Great, thank you so much. Brooke, put Hope down. I need you." I darted up the stairs while I heard Brooke cooing to her sweet baby girl before following behind me.

Once in my and Jake's room, she finally asked, "What else do we have to do? I thought we were finished?"

Faking a wicked laugh, I pulled my shirt over my head and undid my jeans and dropped them to the floor. "Did you really think I was going to let you have all of the fun? Jake needs some sexy pictures, too!"