“Listen, Nolan, I know it was weird to run into Mr. Hightower downstairs. That kept you from getting another room. I certainly don’t need all this space, so we can go back down and ask them to get another room for me.”
First, his head turned slowly to capture her gaze, then his body followed. “I’m not sure that would be wise, Lynn. It threw me that we’d only have one room, but I got the feeling from the look Errol shared with the receptionist he’s well known to them. I don’t think we should take a chance to have him question our motives.”
She nibbled on her bottom lip, then cocked her head to the side. “Our motives?”
“We’re supposed to be on our honeymoon, so we need to keep up the appearance in case he’s around. Plus, I’m sure it’s already crossed your mind that we now have a birds’ eye view into what his gambling habits are like.”
He stepped away from the window, moving closer until he was directly in front of her. Her head leaned back so that she could keep her gaze on his face. She found it difficult to think straight when he was so close but forced her mind back to the reason they were here. “Ye…” She cleared her throat. “Yes, I’d thought about it.” She glanced around to the side and asked, “Are you okay here? Here with me?”
“Yeah, sure, of course.”
His gaze was intense and she looked toward the sofa. “It’ll be easy for me to sleep out here. I’m certainly not tall, so I’ll fit. Plus, I might be up late going through the records—”
“Abso-fucking-lutely not!”
Startled, her gaze shot back up to his face, not knowing how to interpret his mood.
“If you think for one minute that I’m gonna let you sleep on the couch while I take a king-sized bed, you don’t know me.” He dragged his hand through his hair again and continued, “I’ll be fine out here.”
She thought about arguing but decided against it. Wanting to change the subject, she said, “How about that meal? Are you still hungry?” His shoulders relaxed and his scowl slid away.
“Yes.” Turning, he walked over to the desk in the corner and grabbed the resort notebook. Looking over his shoulder, he said, “Come take a look and let’s figure out where we want to eat.”
She hurried to his side, and they spent a few minutes familiarizing themselves with the resort’s facilities. “Oh, my goodness, they have an all-you-can-eat buffet! Look at these pictures!”
“It looks amazing, but remember that all the guests and families will pile into it.”
Scrunching her nose, she nodded. “You’re right. How about the steakhouse restaurant here? That’s listed as their premier restaurant.”
“Sounds perfect.” He cast his gaze over her. “I know it’s a little early, but why don’t we go on? We’re dressed for it and it shouldn’t be crowded for a late lunch or early dinner.”
It was obvious his mood had shifted back to a happier Nolan, and she decided to go with the flow. Smiling up at him, she said, “Just let me run to the bathroom and freshen up. It’ll just take me a couple of minutes.”
She turned and grabbed her overnight case and walked into the bathroom, shutting the door. She stood in the middle of the room for a moment, her eyes closed as she tried to settle her nerves. The day had been a whirlwind of activity, and her brain was desperate to play catch up. She walked over to the sink and stared at her reflection. Her makeup still highlighted her delicate features. Her hair held its wave, the front having stayed in its clip. Her super-powered deodorant had performed well. The wrinkles in her dress were minimal. At first glance, she looked very much like she had the first thing that morning.
Her gaze dropped to her hands resting on the counter near the sink. The white gold band circling her left ring finger glistened in the light. Swallowing audibly, she felt the events of the day deep within her heart. It had been a fake marriage, their full legal names not on the license. Vows had been spoken, but not meant. Promises had been given, never to be kept. Rings to represent to the world their never-ending love were only for show.
It hit her that the day’s actions carried long-lasting effects. Down the road, when she married for real, she would always remember this day… and she knew the memory would mar that future event.
Hearing Nolan close the closet door outside the bathroom, she jolted out of her depressing thoughts. Washing her hands quickly, she dried them on one of the thick towels. Reapplying her lip gloss, she plastered a smile on her face, as fake as their wedding. Throwing open the door, she beamed up at him. “I’m ready.”
11
While Lynn had been in the bathroom, Nolan tried to gain control over his confused and confusing emotions. The day had not gone as planned, and he was torn between throttling Nancy for her harebrained scheme and throttling his mother for not making the other reservation. Considering the kiss he instigated, he also battled the idea of being thrilled that he and Lynn were sharing a space so that he could get to know her better and hating the idea of sending her conflicting messages. I leave in a month to go back to my team. There’s no room for any relationship.
Even as he rejected the idea of a relationship, he found his gaze dropping to his left hand where the wide, white gold band rested. He was surprised it didn’t feel heavy or awkward but instead felt perfectly natural.
Maybe there’s room in my life for a casual relationship. More than just a fuck… more like a fuck buddy. He winced at the idea and shook his head. She’s not that kind of woman and I’m glad. But still… maybe a few more shared kisses will work her out of my system. We can enjoy our time here and then part as friends.
As he closed the closet door, he turned as she alighted from the bathroom. Looking as beautiful as ever, he leaned over and placed a kiss on her cheek, not wanting to smudge her lip gloss. Smiling, he took her hand and they headed back down the elevator to the restaurant.
The meal was everything he hoped it would be. Thick, juicy steak. Perfectly-cooked lobster tail. A baked potato that was loaded with butter and sour cream, the outer skin salted and crunchy. Intrigued by the idea of tempura-battered green beans, he was not disappointed. Lynn had ordered the same dinner, and he wondered how she would handle all the food. She was only able to eat about half but, as ravenous as he was, he managed to finish her steak for her.
They were placed in a circular booth and had slid around so that they were sitting next to each other. At first, there was almost a foot between them but, as the meal continued, they drifted closer.
The server kept their wine glasses filled, and by her third glass, she giggled. “I never drink this much, but this is really good.”
He was not a wine connoisseur, but the red he was drinking was the perfect complement to his steak. Lynn had opted for a white, and he grinned as she finished her glass. The server brought their small, round, beautifully-decorated wedding cake that had also been part of their package. This time, the server poured champagne.
“Oh, my God, I’m going to bust out of this dress!” she whispered, leaning against his shoulder.
He wrapped his arm around her and squeezed. “We’ll take a walk after we have our dessert.”
He lifted his glass of champagne and turned toward her, watching as she mimicked his actions. Her eyes were wide as she waited to see what he was going to say. Having not planned any special words, he blurted, “To the most beautiful woman, the most beautiful bride.”