answer. On the one hand she was thrilled that he was fighting for these kids—even if he didn’t know about one of them yet—it was the most emotion she’d ever seen him show outside of business. But, on the other hand, she wished he’d realized he wanted to really fight for their marriage before fate gave them no other choice.
Yes, he’d said he hadn’t wanted to lose her, but he hadn’t done anything to keep her. The problem was, he’d never thought she’d leave. He’d never said so, but she knew that’s what had been going through his mind. He thought she’d stay as long as he plied her with the latest sporty car, a mansion fit for a queen and all the shopping trips and spa treatments she could handle.
But that wasn’t her. She never had fit the mold of the “Hollywood wife.” She could care less that Botox-obsessed women snubbed their pointy noses at the crow’s feet around her eyes. And so what if she had ten pounds she needed to lose—and that was prepregnancy weight. She certainly wasn’t going under the knife to have that “perfect body.”
No, the illusion of perfection was so distorted in Hollywood, Charlotte never had the desire to even try to keep up with how society suggested she look.
Anthony had loved her once for the way she was. Perhaps that was it. Perhaps he wanted that slim, wrinkle-free, spray-tanned beauty. Maybe she’d let herself go in his eyes. Maybe she wasn’t made-up enough or devoted enough to his work the way some Hollywood wives were.
“What are you thinking?” he asked.
She turned her head, raising a hand to block the setting sun from her eyes. “I’m wondering if we grew apart because you are Mr. Hollywood and I’m at the opposite end of the spectrum when it comes to being a hotshot’s wife.”
“What are you talking about?” he asked, jerking his attention toward her.
Charlotte shrugged. “I’m not asking for pity or a compliment, Anthony. I’m just stating that we live in an area where looks are everything and I don’t measure up to the other Hollywood wives. I’d rather spend my time and money on helping those children at the hospital.”
He hopped in the pool, clothes and all, and came to stand between her legs. “I don’t want a fake, plastic woman, Charlie. I want a genuine wife who doesn’t get swept up in that hype.”
Shocked, she looked down at his cargo shorts, which were now plastered to his thick thighs, and his black polo shirt, which was halfway into the water and floating around his waist.
“Um…you jumped in with your clothes on.”
Way to point out the obvious.
“Because I wanted to look you in the eye when I tell you if I wanted a collagen-filled, implanted wife, I’d have picked one out years ago. I don’t like fake and my tastes haven’t changed.”
A shiver of arousal crept up her back, sending that tingling sensation all over her body. She didn’t know how to respond to that. Didn’t know what to say when he stood before her, gazing into her eyes with that desire she always found. But she wanted more than sex every time they were together. She was getting drawn back into his charms quicker than she meant to, but she couldn’t deny her love.
“I need to get inside and check on Lily,” she told him as she started to pull her legs from the water.
His hands landed on her bare thighs where her sundress had ridden up, holding her firmly in place. “Don’t. We have the monitor.”
Water trickled down her legs as his big, strong hands held her in place. Her heart beat a bit faster because she didn’t know if he was going to pull her into the water with him or if he’d just lean in to kiss her.
And she had no doubt that Anthony’s intentions were taking a direct path toward seduction and she was about to get run over along the way.
“This is a mistake,” she whispered. “I know last night we couldn’t help it, but I can’t keep doing this.”
His signature wicked smile spread across his face. “I’m
Yes, he’d said he hadn’t wanted to lose her, but he hadn’t done anything to keep her. The problem was, he’d never thought she’d leave. He’d never said so, but she knew that’s what had been going through his mind. He thought she’d stay as long as he plied her with the latest sporty car, a mansion fit for a queen and all the shopping trips and spa treatments she could handle.
But that wasn’t her. She never had fit the mold of the “Hollywood wife.” She could care less that Botox-obsessed women snubbed their pointy noses at the crow’s feet around her eyes. And so what if she had ten pounds she needed to lose—and that was prepregnancy weight. She certainly wasn’t going under the knife to have that “perfect body.”
No, the illusion of perfection was so distorted in Hollywood, Charlotte never had the desire to even try to keep up with how society suggested she look.
Anthony had loved her once for the way she was. Perhaps that was it. Perhaps he wanted that slim, wrinkle-free, spray-tanned beauty. Maybe she’d let herself go in his eyes. Maybe she wasn’t made-up enough or devoted enough to his work the way some Hollywood wives were.
“What are you thinking?” he asked.
She turned her head, raising a hand to block the setting sun from her eyes. “I’m wondering if we grew apart because you are Mr. Hollywood and I’m at the opposite end of the spectrum when it comes to being a hotshot’s wife.”
“What are you talking about?” he asked, jerking his attention toward her.
Charlotte shrugged. “I’m not asking for pity or a compliment, Anthony. I’m just stating that we live in an area where looks are everything and I don’t measure up to the other Hollywood wives. I’d rather spend my time and money on helping those children at the hospital.”
He hopped in the pool, clothes and all, and came to stand between her legs. “I don’t want a fake, plastic woman, Charlie. I want a genuine wife who doesn’t get swept up in that hype.”
Shocked, she looked down at his cargo shorts, which were now plastered to his thick thighs, and his black polo shirt, which was halfway into the water and floating around his waist.
“Um…you jumped in with your clothes on.”
Way to point out the obvious.
“Because I wanted to look you in the eye when I tell you if I wanted a collagen-filled, implanted wife, I’d have picked one out years ago. I don’t like fake and my tastes haven’t changed.”
A shiver of arousal crept up her back, sending that tingling sensation all over her body. She didn’t know how to respond to that. Didn’t know what to say when he stood before her, gazing into her eyes with that desire she always found. But she wanted more than sex every time they were together. She was getting drawn back into his charms quicker than she meant to, but she couldn’t deny her love.
“I need to get inside and check on Lily,” she told him as she started to pull her legs from the water.
His hands landed on her bare thighs where her sundress had ridden up, holding her firmly in place. “Don’t. We have the monitor.”
Water trickled down her legs as his big, strong hands held her in place. Her heart beat a bit faster because she didn’t know if he was going to pull her into the water with him or if he’d just lean in to kiss her.
And she had no doubt that Anthony’s intentions were taking a direct path toward seduction and she was about to get run over along the way.
“This is a mistake,” she whispered. “I know last night we couldn’t help it, but I can’t keep doing this.”
His signature wicked smile spread across his face. “I’m
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