Chapter 23

"She's gorgeous," Lily whispered to James as Jayla passed them, proudly walking parentless down the aisle in an ivory silk dress that accentuated every taut, toned curve of her caramel-colored body. Taking in the sight of the beautiful and brilliant woman he had rejected, James was forced to agree.

At the front of the church stood Michael, his Afro tamed for the occasion, grinning so giddily that James suspected his manic expression masked a quiet terror at having tethered himself to such a driven, ambitious, albeit sexy force of nature. Jayla's long-lashed cat eyes radiated happiness but also triumph at having achieved a goal established early in life. What James knew from experience, and what he imagined Michael was only just beginning to understand, was that Jayla considered a husband a work in progress for her to complete, another accomplishment to claim. The thought had terrified James. He wondered if Michael was smart enough to be scared.