Aware again of that big bed behind her, she dropped her hand and took a step back. “So. Dinner?”
Was his smile just a bit strained when he nodded? “Dinner,” he said, and motioned toward the door.
* * *
Carrying a plastic mug shaped like a cowboy boot, Stevie reentered the hotel room later that evening with a slightly weary sigh. It had been a long, momentous day after an early start, and she was tired, but not in a bad way. On a whim, she retrieved the three red roses she’d stuck into a glass of water earlier and transferred them to the souvenir boot mug. The blooms were already starting to wilt, but she set them prominently in the center of the table, stepping back to admire them while Cole hung up their coats.
He turned to study her makeshift centerpiece, then pushed a hand through his hair, speaking wryly. “So, your wedding night festivities consisted of sitting on benches in an arena, eating pork and chicken and corn on the cob with our hands, while entertainers did tricks on horseback for the dinner show.”
She giggled. He was not exaggerating. “Maybe the place didn’t offer silverware, but the food was delicious and the show was fun.”
Cole looked as though he tried to smile in response, but he wasn’t very successful at it. Taking a step toward her, he placed his hands on her shoulders and gazed down at her gravely. “I feel as though I should apologize.”
She felt her eyebrows rise. “For...?”
“I doubt very much that this was the wedding experience of your dreams. A one-day engagement. Pastor Dave and Luanne. Two nights in a town that’s basically one big amusement park. A wedding night barbecue dinner shared at a long table with a group of senior citizens who came from Wisconsin on a tour bus. Not exactly a tropical resort or a European villa.”
“I happened to enjoy that dinner,” she assured him, letting her hands rest on his chest. “And the sweet little old man sitting at my other side kept me laughing all through the meal and the show. It was a pleasure to share a bench with him.”
“He was flirting with you.”
“Yes, he was. He said he’s ninety, but he still has an eye for the ladies. He asked me to run away with him after dessert. I told him I would have, but I’m a married woman now.”
She felt Cole’s fingers flex on her shoulders in response to those words, perhaps a subconscious reaction. Probably he was still adjusting to the reality of being a married man again after so many years of bachelorhood. That was certainly understandable.
“I’m glad you didn’t run off with the old guy,” he said, a slight smile now softening his troubled expression.
Aware of how closely they were standing, she moistened her lips. It would require only a slight shift of her weight and she could be in his arms, cradled against that warm, strong chest. She shifted her hands a bit, savoring the feel of firm muscles beneath his soft sweater. Her shiny new rings glinted on her left ring finger. “So am I.”
His gaze lowered, and if she wasn’t mistaken he focused intently on her mouth. What was he thin
king? she wondered. Before she could ask, he blinked, and the moment was over. He glanced at the bed, and those brown eyes darkened. Frowning, he turned his head to look at the sofa bed in the sitting area. “It’s been an eventful day. I’m sure you’re tired. You can take the big bed. I can sleep on the sofa bed.”
“Cole.” She tightened her grip on his sweater as she interrupted. It was apparent that he was trying so hard to keep his tone casual and considerate, careful not to cause her any discomfort or embarrassment on their wedding night. Nerves danced frantically beneath her skin, but she held his gaze steadily. “First, you need to understand that you don’t owe me apologies for today. We had a lovely wedding. The dinner show made me laugh, which I always appreciate. I expect to have a fun weekend with you here in a place that holds many happy childhood memories for me. It doesn’t take a tropical resort or a European villa to make me happy.”
He cupped her cheek with one hand. “Maybe you don’t need them, but you deserve them. I’d like to take you to both someday. In the meantime, if there’s anything special you want to do while we’re here this weekend, just let me know.”
He was trying so hard to please her. Very sweet, but unnecessary. She wasn’t that high maintenance.
Her hands still clutching his soft sweater, she rose slowly on tiptoes, trying to read his expression as she brought her mouth close to his. Did he truly want to spend their wedding night on the sofa bed? Perhaps they’d entered a marriage of convenience based on building a stable family for this child and for themselves—but he needed to know she considered it a real marriage. She didn’t think either of them would be satisfied for long being nothing more than friendly roommates. She knew she wouldn’t.
Now that she’d allowed herself to acknowledge her attraction to him, just standing this close to him made her skin tingle, her pulse accelerate. And from the way his eyes darkened as she moved closer to him, it was clear he had healthy desires of his own. Though he’d kept his private life to himself for the most part, and rarely confided details of where he went on his nights out with friends, she’d never thought of her quiet neighbor as monk-like.
“Thank you for taking care of everything this weekend for us, Cole,” she murmured against his lips. “You’ve done a wonderful job.”
She kissed him before he could respond.
Fueled by simmering emotions, by nerves and uncertainties, hopes and resolve, the kiss was spectacular. Stevie threw herself into it, pushing away thoughts and doubts in favor of feelings and sensations.
When she pressed her abdomen to the gratifyingly hard ridge in his pants, he froze, then broke off the kiss as if he’d abruptly come to his senses. “I, uh...”
He cleared his throat, hard, his hands on her shoulders. To keep her close? Or to hold her away? He looked as though even he wasn’t quite sure of his intentions.
“Look, Stevie, I know I rushed us into all of this. I mean, I tend not to waste much time when I get a good idea, but now that we’ve taken care of the formalities, there’s certainly no pressure for you to...we have the rest of our lives to...I mean, just so you know, when the time is right, I’m here for you, but—”
“Cole,” she said again, reaching up to lay her fingers against his clever mouth. It was so rare to see him flustered and babbling. She couldn’t help being both amused and charmed. “We’re married. We made promises to each other in that chapel today in front of Pastor Dave and Luanne. I want to share a bed with my husband, if he’s interested.”
“I’m interested.” Cole’s voice was husky. “Been interested for longer than I’ve wanted to admit.”