It Must Be Your Love (The Sullivans #11)(38)

“Whatever happened to that guy you were with at the last wedding?” Ryan asked Mia. “Bob? Or was his name Buddy?”

Ford watched her very carefully as she replied, “He was just a friend.”

“Come on, you must have someone up your sleeve. You always do.”

Ford was pretty sure Vicki kicked Ryan under the table. Clearly, she’d picked up on the sparks between Mia and her client even if her fiancé hadn’t.

“You know she can’t answer that with her big brother sitting here,” Tatiana said before Mia could respond. Clearly, she’d appointed herself peacemaker for the table.

“True,” Zach agreed. “Odds are, you’d hunt the guy down before sunset, wouldn’t you, Ian? It’s what I always wanted to do when I found some guy sniffing around one of my sisters. Got a few good ones in on Jake, actually, when I found out he’d knocked up Sophie. Never had a chance to slug Grayson, though, for dating Lori.”

Ian’s eyes were sharp as daggers and cold as ice as he stared across the table at Ford. “If I ever meet a guy and find out he’s hurt my sister, I’m going to make him pay in the most painful way possible.”

Mia cleared her throat and when everyone finally turned back to her, she was smiling at them all over the rim of her glass as if she didn’t have a care in the world. “Actually, since you’ve asked, Ryan, I had a date on Friday night with this great guy I met while I was out jogging.”

“You went out with someone Friday night?” Rationally, Ford knew he had no claim on her, but just the thought of anyone else touching her, kissing her, made him crazy. “After you showed me the house?”

Mia nodded, looking extremely pleased with herself. “I did. And then on the flight here I met someone else on the plane.”

“Damn it, Mia—”

Marcus’s voice came through the speakers, cutting Ford off right before he broke his promise to Mia and outed them as more than just business associates. “Thank you for being here with us today to celebrate the best day of our lives so far.”

Still not able to think straight, Ford couldn’t focus on what Marcus and Nicola were saying to their guests as he pulled out his phone.

DID YOU LET EITHER OF THOSE GUYS TOUCH YOU?

Her expression remained smooth as she read his message, then typed a message back and shoved her phone into her bag.

IT’S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS IF I DID OR NOT.

He was about to respond first and think later, when Billy tapped him on the shoulder. “Your guitar is tuned and ready for you.”

“Thanks, Billy.” Ford knew he needed to pull it together to give Marcus and Nicola his gift before he left on his private plane to head to Los Angeles for his show.

Hopefully, Mia would understand whom he had really written the song for...

* * *

Mia had been certain that she could find a way to resist Ford’s sweet words, even his kisses.

But no matter how hard she worked to brace herself, she already knew she’d never be able to resist him performing one of his songs. It wasn’t just how sexy it was when he was on stage that got to her...it was the fact that he loved singing and playing guitar so much that touched her so deeply.

“We’re going to let all of you loose on the dance floor soon,” Nicola said to her guests, “but before we do, I’m beyond excited to let you know that a friend of mine is going to give us a really special treat.”

Ford was undeniably gorgeous as he wound through the tables to pick up his guitar.

“Nicola and Marcus, I’m really glad I could be here today to witness the kind of love that we’re all hoping for. I wrote this song yesterday, so I apologize if it’s still a little rough, but know that it comes straight from my heart. It’s called Everything I Need.”

Yesterday? Had he written the song early in the morning, before they’d met at the tower house...or could he have written it after they’d seen each other again?

Mia knew firsthand that Ford didn’t need to hide behind a stage or a microphone, and a shiver went through her as he began to play the acoustic guitar. Just as she had the very first time she ever heard him sing, right from the first few lines of his new song about finding forever in a kiss, a touch, a smile, Mia couldn’t keep her eyes from closing as the music washed over her.

Everything I need

You’re everything I was looking for

When nothing else could have made me whole

There you were

Everything I need

When I’m holding you tight against me

I lose myself in you every single time

Because you’re everything I need

Don’t ever stop

Don’t ever stop

Don’t ever stop being everything I need

She didn’t hear the sighs of the women all around her—frankly, wasn’t aware of anything other than Ford singing a song that spoke straight to her heart. But as every new lyric hit closer and went deeper, though it would have been smarter to try to block out at least one aspect of his performance, she couldn’t keep her eyes closed. She simply had to watch Ford as he poured his heart and soul into the music.

Music that almost felt written just for her.

And, my God, he wasn’t just beautiful as he sang for Marcus and Nicola. He wasn’t just utterly captivating, a natural born performer.