“We’re already going to be cutting it close enough as it is,” I reminded him.
He flashed me a devilish grin. “I can’t think of a better reason to be fashionably late.”
“As sweet as that is”—and no matter how much it made me all melty inside—“it took a heck of a lot of time to get my hair and makeup done, and we both know you wouldn’t stop at looking. I’m not about to go to my first society event all sexed up. I’m nervous enough as it is. The only reason I’m not completely freaking out is that I know I’ll at least look like I fit in once I put on one of the many gowns you bought me. I just need to pick the right one. The perfect dress that’ll make me look like I belong there with you.”
“Emma,” he growled, his blue eyes narrowing. “There isn’t a single goddamn thing you need to do to belong with me, because you’re my wife. Nobody else should be at my side except for you. You’re the only one who belongs there.”
Although I understood the point he was making, I didn’t think people in his social circle were going to see it the same way. “But—”
“The only butt I’m interested in hearing about is your ass.” His hands slid around my body to grip me over my lace panties. “Which will look fantastic in any of these dresses.” He briefly pressed his mouth against mine. “Seriously, sweetheart, wear whatever the fuck you want tonight. You’ll look gorgeous no matter what you pick, and I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I’m going to walk into the event with the sexiest woman in the city because you’ll be the one there with me.”
“You really believe that, don’t you?” I whispered against his lips.
“I guess I’m falling down on my husbandly duties if you have to ask me that,” he grumbled, digging into his pocket and pulling out a black jewelry box. He flipped it open with his thumb, and I gasped at how pretty the string of pearls inside was. “But maybe this’ll help convince you.”
I reached out and traced the luminescent strand with a trembling finger. “You bought me pearls?”
He lifted the necklace out of the box and fastened it around my neck. “Among other things, but I had a feeling you’d end up liking these best, so I thought they’d be the best choice for tonight.”
“I married a smart man,” I sighed, smiling up at him. It made me happy that he’d given the choice so much thought. “Pearls are my favorite, ever since my grandmother gave me her pearl earrings on my sixteenth birthday.”
I turned in his arms and reached up to grab a black and white gown that would look perfect with pearls. He helped me step into it, sending shivers down my spine when his fingers brushed against my back as he zipped me up.
“Perfect,” he rasped when I spun around to face him.
“Almost perfect,” I corrected, tapping my bare earlobe with a finger. “I just need to figure out where they would have put my earrings when they unpacked my boxes.”
“They should be in here.” I followed Miles as he moved to the drawers to the left of us. He pulled the top one open, and I gasped at the watches, bracelets, earrings, and rings displayed inside.
“Whoa,” I breathed. “You weren’t kidding when you said you bought other stuff. I could open my own store with all the jewelry in there.”
“A tiny store, maybe.” He tucked me against his side as I peered inside. “Give me a few more years and you just might be able to stock a bigger one, since I’ll never be done spoiling you.”
“How about you give me time to get used to all of this before you buy me anything else?” I asked, relaxing into his embrace as I scanned the contents of the drawer for my grandmother’s earrings. When I spotted them, I couldn’t help but think they looked a little out of place since they were on the smaller side. But that didn’t stop me from putting them on. Wearing them made me feel a little closer to my grandmother. “I’m a small-town girl at heart, and I’m not used to the fancy stuff like you are. My needs are pretty simple.”
“So are mine,” he rumbled, his arm tightening around me. “There’s only one thing I need in this world: the small-town girl I married.”
I gave serious consideration to lifting the skirt of my gown and jumping my husband, but my reason for not letting him do the same to me earlier still held true. “You’re so getting lucky later.”
“Like that was ever in question.” He flashed me a cocky grin and stroked a finger over one of my earlobes. “These were your grandmother’s?”