It was a little foggy outside, and there was also a chill in the air despite the fact that it was well into spring, but the cool weather wasn’t going to stop us from having a good time.
“Let’s check in,” I murmured on the shell of Kandy’s ear. She nodded, hooking her arm through mine. We entered the hotel, the driver following behind us with our bags, and were greeted warmly by the front desk attendant, a young woman named Tierra. She clearly knew who I was and gushed repeatedly about Tempt’s wine.
“I love it so much!” she said, handing the keys to me. “You know we have Tempt wine on site too?”
“Do you really?” I raised a brow.
“Yes! It can be delivered for room service or served in our hotel restaurant. You’ll see once you check the menu. It’s a favorite around here.”
“Wow. That’s good to hear. I didn’t realize we served here.” I looked at Kandy. “Ready to go up?”
“Absolutely,” she breathed.
“Enjoy your stay, Mr. and Mrs. Cane,” Tierra sang. Kandy blushed while I nodded at Tierra.
“Hmm. Mr. and Mrs. Cane.” I fought a smile, looking sideways at Kandy. “Has a ring to it, doesn’t it?”
She laughed. “I’d say so.”
It took no time getting up the elevator. When I opened the door to our room, I could see why Kandy was so stuck on staying here. Almost everything inside it was white but the counters in the kitchen area, which were a tan marble. There were a few items with accent color on the walls, like the clock being a sea green, and the small, built-in aquarium showcasing vibrant, beautiful fish, but the walls, floors, and even the comforter on the bed was white.
I think the best part was where the bed was located: tucked right in a corner of the room, closest to the windows. It was swathed in a thick comforter and fluffy white pillows, and the view beyond it was incredible. Skyscrapers and buildings stood tall and strong, and Kandy was right—the buildings seemed so close you could touch them. It was perfect.
“Wow.” Kandy rushed toward the window, looking down. We were in the penthouse suite, overlooking almost everything.
“Is this what you wanted?” I asked behind her.
“It is. I love it so much, Cane.” She turned to face me. “It’s exactly what I needed.”
I met up to her when she turned to look out the window again. Placing my chin on her shoulder, I wrapped my arms around her midsection. “I’m glad it’s what you needed; let’s try to make the most of it. You hungry?”
She turned in my arms with a grin. “Very.”
Chapter Eighteen
KANDY
Cane took me to a restaurant he’d been to when he visited before, one that he loved, and I was pleased to say that I felt the same. The bourbon salmon was delicious.
For our first day, we didn’t do too much. We were more like tourists, taking walks, sightseeing and window shopping, although Cane insisted on buying things that awed me. Of course, I didn’t let him.
There were so many roads and so much noise. It was beautifully chaotic, and had definitely distracted me enough that I was totally focused on the moments we were in.
When it got darker, we made our way back to the hotel, but we weren’t in a rush. The walk was slow, casual. Cane had his arm hooked over my shoulder, and I was leaning into him as we walked, a small, goofy smile on my face.
“You’re smiling,” he pointed out.
“Am I not allowed to?” I looked up at him.
“Of course you are. I’m happy to see you doing it.” He held me tighter. “Just curious to know what that smile is for.”
“I’m smiling because of you, man.”
“Because of me?” He looked down, smiling too. “Stop it, girl. You know it’s not because of me.”
I laughed at the dumb inside joke we’d started when we got here. We were window shopping, and I told him I didn’t need more shoes to take home and he said, “If you say so, girl.” I told him, “I’m serious, man.” Since then, we’d kept at it. Our own little thing only we could understand.
“You may not think so, but you make me happy.”
“Happy?” He quirked a brow. “You sure you want to use that word in particular after all the shit you’ve been through because of me?”
“I’m positive.” I spotted an empty bench ahead and grabbed his hand, dragging him to the bench with me. I sat on the middle of it and he dropped down beside me, a confused expression on display.
“The hotel is right over there,” he said, pointing in the direction of it.
“I know.” I dropped my hands in my lap, looking up at the buildings, the dark blue sky. The sun had dipped beneath the horizon nearly two hours ago. It was dark and crisp out, a comforting chill in the air. “I just want to enjoy it a little more before we go up.”