Free Bodychecking by Jami Davenport

minimize what happened. Only it didn’t. Not like she’d hoped. For the past few days as the sisters hammered out the final details, she endured the puzzled glances shared between them when they thought she wasn’t looking. Obviously they were wondering what the hell was wrong and what had happened to their life-of-the-party sister. Bella wanted to tell them, but she wouldn’t ruin Izzy’s wedding. She’d put her sister first like Izzy had done most of her life for Bella and her sisters.
    A knock on the bathroom door diverted her attention. She glanced in the mirror to see Cedric push the door open. He regarded her with a mixture of impatience and worry, his blue eyes troubled.
    “Are you ready yet?” He tugged on his bowtie in obvious discomfort.
    Bella fretted with her hair in the mirror. She put on her favorite deep-red lipstick, decided against it, and wiped it off. She opted instead for a pink shade called cotton candy. It must’ve belonged to Emma as she’d never owned a shade that tame.
    “You look great.” Cedric stood behind her and rubbed her shoulders with his big hands. His large body filled the small room, and heat radiated from him, causing Bella to fan herself. In the past, she’d have jumped his bones for a quickie. Today, she slipped out of reach. He frowned and released a long-suffering sigh, which had become all too common lately. Of course, he wanted her. Cedric had a healthy sex drive rivalled only by Bella’s until recently.
    “What did you do to that dress?” He stared directly at her cleavage or lack of.
    “It was a little too low so I pinned up it.”
    One blond eyebrow shot into his hairline. “Bells, you can’t see the scar,” he said softly in a voice that almost undid her. He ran a hand up and down her arm. She fought back the tears, berating herself for being so ridiculously emotional over nothing.
    “I know.” She swallowed hard, pissed she was tearing up. She’d ruin her makeup.
    “Honey, the attack wasn’t your fault. It’s okay to show a little cleavage. It’s okay to be a woman proud of her body. You have an incredible body. Why not show it off?”
    “Please, this is hard enough.” She held up her hands to fend him off as he stepped toward her.
    He stopped, frowned, and scratched his head. “I’m sorry. I’m fumbling through this, but I’ll be with you every step of the way if that’s what you want.”
    “That’s what I want.” She despised the neediness in her voice, yet there it was. Turning, she shoved a few things in her bag, grabbed her coat, and accepted Cedric’s arm, ignoring his searching gaze. She clung to him as they rode the elevator to the parking garage. Bella jumped at every noise—real and imagined—as they made their way across the dimly lit space to his sports car.
    He helped her into the passenger seat and hurried to the driver’s side. As soon as he sat down, she flipped the door locks.
    “Bella, have you been out of the condo by yourself since…since it happened?”
    She swallowed and shook her head, holding her hands in her lap so he couldn’t see them tremble.
    “You haven’t.” His voice was barely a whisper. He reached for her cold hands and held them. “Oh, baby, I’ve got you. You’re safe with me.”
    “I know,” she croaked. Despite how unreasonable her behavior was, she couldn’t shake off her fear, but she fucking would not ruin Izzy’s night. She’d be the strong Bella she’d always been and get through this somehow with Cedric’s help.
    A half hour later they arrived at the wedding venue; Cedric handed his keys to the valet and offered his arm to Bella. She gratefully accepted and grabbed his arm in a death grip. Pasting a fake smile on her lips, she straightened her shoulders and walked beside her man to the front door.
    “I promise I’ll catch you if you fall.”
    She touched her lips to his cheek. “I know you will.”
    She meant those words. She trusted Cedric, and Bella didn’t trust many