Shit!
Since my internal pep-talk was only causing more stress, I decided to shut the fuck up and clear my head.
I pivoted on my heel and swung my eyes to the elevator, just as Chloe stepped off.
My breath caught.
She was gorgeous.
Long, dark hair falling down her back, straight and glossy. Her face done up in a way that made her already beautiful eyes look smoky and sultry. Her tight, hot body, covered in a sexy little black dress that hit mid-thigh and had a plunging neckline that made my mouth water.
And she was walking toward me…
I sighed even as my heart soared, and I silently thanked anyone who was listening for giving me the gift of this woman.
“Hey, I hope I didn’t keep you waiting,” Chloe said with a smile when she reached me.
I took her hand, looked her in the eyes and admitted, “I’d wait four years and be grateful for one minute of your time.”
I heard her intake of breath and watched her eyes widen. She brought her free hand to her chest and clutched at her heart before saying softly, “That’s the most beautiful thing anyone’s ever said to me.”
I smiled, happy to have given her that, then leaned forward and kissed her lightly on the cheek.
“You look amazing,” I said as I pulled back, then gently squeezed her hand in mine and asked, “Ready?”
“Absolutely.”
I’d spoken with the concierge earlier, and scored reservations at a swanky seafood restaurant downtown. When we arrived, something occurred to me, so I stopped, one hand on the door and the other holding hers gently.
“Do you like seafood?” I asked, suddenly feeling like a giant jackass for not asking sooner.
Chloe laughed and squeezed my hand.
“I love it.”
“Whew,” I replied with a smile, then opened the door and held it for her to enter ahead of me. The hostess led us right back to our table, and once Chloe was seated, I took my place across from her.
“So, was today everything you imagined?” Chloe asked as she laid her napkin across her lap.
“Everything and more,” I said, not bothering to try and hide my excitement. “I can’t wait until tomorrow. This is the best honeymoon ever, and it’s not even mine.”
Chloe laughed at that, the sound deep and throaty.
“I could listen to you do that all night,” I said.
Chloe’s eyes sought mine, and her face was soft when she replied, “You’re great on a date. Very flattering. I like it.”
“I speak only the truth.”
The waiter came up to take our drink order, then, while we were perusing our menus, I noticed a bit of a frenzy by the door.
“Oh my god,” I said, covering my face with my menu, then lowering it down to peek over the top. I had no idea why I was doing it; it was just instinctual. “Don’t look, but Bradly Simon is over there.”
Bradly Simon was an action movie star, who’d started out in paranormal teen flicks. He was wildly popular, and, I wasn’t ashamed to admit, one of my favorite actors.
“Really?” she asked, turning her head to look over her shoulder.
“No,” I almost shouted. “Don’t turn, he’s got about twenty women surrounding him right now. Oh crap, he just looked over here. He’s walking this way, act casual.”