Feels Like Home (Southern Bride 5)

Thoughts of his kiss from earlier came rushing back, and I pressed my lips tightly together to keep them from tingling simply from the memory of it.

“Tired, I guess. It’s been a really long day with Annie.”

He nodded and let me go. I reached for my purse, and we started out of the chapel suite. We walked down the path that was lined on either side by beautiful gardens and made our way back into the hotel. Anson suddenly pulled me back and around a corner.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

“She’s still here!” he whispered.

My eyes widened as a small panic attack started to build.

“What in the hell is she still doing here?” I asked.

Anson grabbed my hand and led me back down the trail. “There’s no other reason than to make sure we’re still here,” he stated.

“Why would she care if we stayed if she thought it was all a show? She went through an awful lot of trouble to get us a room, pay for the meal, and then sit here and play guard dog. You don’t think it’s strange?”

As we walked back up the three steps to the chapel, I saw Anson thinking it all over. He typed in the code to the room—he’d obviously paid attention when she typed it in earlier.

Back inside, I waited for his reply.

He took off his cowboy hat and tossed it on the table, rolling the tension in his neck. “It does seem rather odd. But she didn’t book the room until after I got here.”

“She probably thought we were in need of sex with the way you kissed me.”

He grinned. “It was a rather passionate kiss—and I’m not sure that she was wrong.”

My fingers went to my lips. Anson’s eyes flared as he watched me touch my mouth, and I quickly dropped my hand.

We needed to change the subject of that kiss and any thoughts about sex before Anson could read how much it had affected me. I cleared my throat and asked, “How long do we have to wait?”

A knock at the door had us both turning.

“What now?” I asked on a sigh.

“Delivery, front desk.”

“I really hope it’s not more food. I can’t eat another bite,” Anson said as he opened the door. A valet held up two bags.

After giving the guy a tip, Anson took the bags and walked back into the living room area.

“She didn’t!” I gasped as I took one of the bags and opened it. Two boxes were inside.

“Hey! I got a robe!” Anson said in excitement. For a man who could probably buy a robe embroidered with his name in actual gold, he sure did get excited over this simple gift. I couldn’t help but giggle when he looked at me with a boyish smile. I loved that his fame hadn’t tarnished his ability to appreciate the simple things.

I flipped the lid off one of my boxes and revealed a cute little romper outfit, a pair of flats, and a darling hat that matched.

“Okay, this is cute!” I said as I held up the jumper.

“Why did you get an outfit, and I only got a robe?”

I scanned his jeans that looked brand new and expensive. Then I moved up to his light blue dress shirt.

“You can wear that tomorrow. I can’t wear this again.”

“Why can you not wear that again, but I can wear this?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s…the rules.”

He frowned at me, but I saw the way the corner of his mouth twitched with a hidden smile.

“What’s in the other box? You get a robe too? I wonder if it matches mine.” He winked, and I felt my stomach dip. Oh, how I had missed this banter between the two of us.

I giggled and replied, “Probably.”

The moment I opened the lid, though, I knew it wasn’t a robe.

“Oh, shit,” I whispered. Annie wasn’t fooling around. And how in the hell did the woman know my size on everything? Shoes, outfit, sexy nightwear?

“What is it?” Anson asked as he stepped closer and looked at the lingerie nicely folded in the box. He reached in and took it out, then held it up.

It was white lace and awfully sexy. It wasn’t meant for sleeping in. It was meant for a man slowly taking it off while he kissed and touched every part of your body.

Wow, okay, it’s getting hot in here.

Anson looked back in the box. He pulled out a pair of white lace thongs and was speechless for a long moment.

“Christ Almighty, is she trying to fucking kill me?”

I snagged them from him as he looked back in the box, obviously searching for more.

“Please tell me there’s a garter belt with this thing. Oh! And fishnets of any kind, I’m not picky,” he said with a dreamy sound to his voice. “Although, the ones that come up to your thigh…I’ve always dreamed of peeling those off of your legs with my teeth.”