At last, the gondolier was able to pull up next to the grassy area on the side of the river where the hotel sat. I placed both hands on the ground and hauled myself from the boat before turning back and grasping Aurora’s waist and lifting her up to stand next to me.
The rain was letting up, and the man decided to make his way back to the dock where we’d begun our ride. I gave him a hefty tip and waved as we dashed to the hotel where we’d have shelter from the rain.
We were both laughing as we entered and shook off some of the water. “I must look like a drowned rat,” Aurora groaned.
I yanked her against me and whispered in her ear, “You look unbelievably sexy, baby, but we need to get you changed into something that isn’t glued to your every delectable curve before I kill someone for looking at what is only for me.”
Aurora shivered, but from the flames in her eyes, it was clear it wasn’t from the cold. My plans had gone to shit, but I had a sudden idea of how to salvage my romantic proposal. I led her to the gift shop where we bought a set of sweats for each of us. It wasn’t exactly fancy, but they were dry, and I was pretty sure our attire wouldn’t affect Aurora’s answer to my question.
We quickly changed and used the shopping bags to hold our wet clothes. By the time we made our way to the front entrance of the hotel, the rain had stopped. I glared at the sky and mentally cursed a blue streak.
“Looks like it’s let up enough for us to get back to the Lennox,” Aurora surmised as she took a tentative step outside. “I think a hot bath is in order.” She threw me a saucy wink, and I almost abandoned my idea for hers.
No, I thought. I promised to sweep her off her feet and that didn’t mean asking her to marry me in a bathtub at home. “I just have one more thing to do,” I told her as I took her hand and set out for the hotel that sported a replica of the Eiffel Tower.
When we arrived, Aurora was looking at me with a speculative stare. I was pretty sure she was debating whether I’d lost my mind. Today had certainly been off, and I hadn’t been myself, so I could understand why she might wonder.
“Trust me,” I murmured as I brushed my lips over her cheek before giving her a soft but promising kiss. She sighed as we parted and nodded her head, then gestured for me to lead the way. I grinned and turned to enter the hotel, heading for the elevator that would take us to the summit. What could be more romantic than asking the woman you love to marry you from the top of the most iconic symbol of romance?
I paid for tickets and thanked the universe for the first thing all day that went my way when we ended up alone in the lift.
The doors slid closed, and I gently enveloped Aurora in my embrace, lowing my head to give her a tender kiss. Cradling her face in my hands, I poured all my love into the kiss. She melted into me, and I felt the same outpouring of emotion from her.
It was a long ride to the top, so I took advantage of the time, backing her into the wall and deepening the kiss, letting it turn a little wild. When the elevator suddenly jolted, it shoved our bodies closer together and I groaned at the heat of her pussy surrounding my cock. The kiss started to get out of control, and I was on the verge of fucking her right there against the wall. In the next moment, there was another jolt, but this time, the lift came to a sudden halt and the lights went out, blanketing us in darkness.
After a couple of beats, the emergency lights flickered on. “Hello?” A tinny male voice sounded from the little speaker above the floor buttons. “Are you alright?” they asked.
I took a deep breath and tried not to snarl when I answered. “We’re fine. What’s going on?”
“We aren’t sure, sir. We’re working on figuring it out. Hopefully, you won’t be stuck for long. Thanks for your understanding.”
My mouth opened to spit out a caustic remark when Aurora’s hand slapped over it and held it back. “Please keep us in the loop. Thank you.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Aurora eyed me curiously when I started pacing to exert some of my frustrated energy. “What’s going on with you, Will?” she asked as she leaned back against the wall and crossed her arms under her breasts. It was almost enough to distract me from the disaster the day had turned into. “You’re the most calm and rational person I’ve ever met. I can count on one hand the number of times that I’ve seen you this angry and agitated.”