Page 167 of Perfect Satisfaction

“You’re right.” Liza nods slowly. Then she confides, “After the way he spoke of you, I always suspected I’d like you. There was never a conversation he didn’t talk about you from the time he met you.”

I follow his path as Arek takes a step closer. I raise wet eyes to hers. “I’m not certain I’m worthy of that kind of that love.”

Liza smiles her megawatt smile that has graced the covers of magazines worldwide. “I’m going to lock the two of you in a room to sort your shit.”

My body stiffens before I burst out laughing. “Works for me.” No doubt now, Arek is heading straight for me.

“Good. For the record, I’m not talking about that penthouse you’re living in. I mean a single room.”

I sob and laugh at the same time, pivoting until the only thing in my vision is Arek. “Notice I’m not arguing.”

“That is because you are an intelligent woman.”

“Thank you.”

Arek warily approaches. I slide my arms around his waist and whisper, “I love you.”

He shoves the drinks in his hands at Dani before tugging me into his body. “Sula, once it was you, it was always you. Only you. It will always be you.”

He clutches me to him as if he doesn’t plan on letting me go.

I pray that’s the case when the rest of tonight’s secret is revealed because I’m done holding back from my husband. It’s time for the truth. And I know just how I’m going to tell him.

As I rest my head against his heart, Liza whispers loudly, “But I didn’t get a chance to tell her about Arek being my niece’s godfather.”

“Give it a rest, Liza. She gets the point,” Dani hushes her.

Liza capitulates.

“Remind me to tell you how pissed off I am we weren’t invited to Kendra’s wedding. And she’s divorced already?” Dani fumes.

My shoulders begin to shake. Arek’s too. He whispers in my ear, “This could make for a really interesting TV special.”

“It really was a tiny affair, Dani,” Liza whines.

“Of what? Six hundred? I know how traditional Indian ceremonies work,” my sister-in-law growls.

My laughter turns into full blown giggles.

There’s more chatter, but I only care about Arek’s heart beating beneath my ear and the cool metal smoothing up and down my back. I tip my head back and find his lips scant inches away. “You put on a ring.”

“I’d always planned to. I realized you weren’t wearing your nose ring and it bothered me.”

“It’s at home,” I confess.

“Hmm. Then perhaps we should head there and—”

I’ll never know the rest of his sentence because the master of ceremonies calls me up on stage at that moment. “Tonight’s event never would have been possible without the tireless efforts of Ursula Moore.”

Everyone starts clapping in earnest. I flush to the roots of my hair.

“If she doesn’t mind, we’d like for her to come up and share a little about her personal connection to Send Me an Angel.”

“Okay. I can do this,” I mutter. Arek’s arm clenches tightly around my waist at my words.

When I look up, he’s not looking at me, he’s staring at the podium. “Personal connection?”

“Yes.”