He shrugged. “It won’t be the first time.”
I needed to move the conversation off his sister. “On a positive note, the food was good tonight.”
“It was, wasn’t it?”
“Hopefully, that means the food will be good tomorrow.”
“It should be. And as long as the bride and groom don’t fight again, it will be a nice wedding.”
“If I ever get married, I really hope I’m not fighting with my fiancé the night before.”
“That’s why I’m all about eloping. All the fun without taking the time to consider the long-term ramifications of your union.”
I laughed. “You are such a romantic, Colin.”
“I am more than you think.” He stood up as though he suddenly had somewhere to be.
I did the same. I figured he wanted to sleep, and I needed to move if he wanted to.
He took off his watch, setting it on the desk. “I promise not to ditch you tomorrow.”
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep. You’ll have to ditch me for most of the day.”
“No, the wedding isn’t until the afternoon. We have all morning and then we’ll hang out the whole reception.”
“We’ll see what happens.” I smiled. “Either way, save me a dance at the reception.” I walked toward the bathroom.
I listened to him set up his pull-out bed while I unpacked my toiletries. He was lying on his bed when I came out, still dressed. “Sleep well, Maddy.”
Sleep well, Maddy? Was that all he had?
I attempted to dial down my disappointment. “Same to you. Good night.” I walked into my room, closing the door behind me.
I held up the tiny nightie, regretting the choice of sleep attire. Clearly, he wasn’t interested in what I had to offer in that department, which made me wonder why he invited me in the first place. Maybe making out and groping was all he wanted. The last time a guy had settled for that without pushing for more from me was middle school.
“Don’t give up,” I sighed, slipping into the all too skimpy satin before getting under the sheets. Only after getting my pillows situated I realized I’d forgotten to turn off the lamp on the other side of the room. I took it as a sign that I needed to get out of bed again eventually. I closed my eyes for a moment before opening them.
I stared at the white door. Colin was on the other side, and I was dying to know what he slept in. Was this all because he was too much of a gentleman? Or was he not interested? The latter seemed more and more likely as I struggled to come up with a conceivable excuse to leave the room. The only good one was the bathroom, but if I wasted it, I wouldn’t have it when I really needed to go.
Ten minutes later I’d convinced myself I needed to use the bathroom. I got out of bed and tentatively opened the door. I looked over at him, he was sleeping, but he’d left a lamp on. I appreciated the light as I made my way toward the ajar door. I finished up quickly, taking a minute to check out my appearance after washing my hands. I tousled my hair and tugged down on my way-too-short nightie. Maybe by some luck Colin would wake up and see what he was missing.
He looked too good. The sheet only came up to his waist, and the way the light fell on him accentuated his toned body. I stared at him without watching where I was going. I knocked over a lamp.
“Maddy?” Colin sat up, the sheet slipping off him in the process. Boxer briefs. He slept in boxer briefs. They were blue ones that looked incredible against his tan skin.
“Hey, sorry for waking you up.”
“Don’t say sorry.” His eyes widened as they moved up and down my body.
“Okay.” I refused to give in to the urge to cross my arms. The whole purpose was to let him look. I wouldn’t undermine myself.
“Can I ask you something?” He stood up, giving me an even better view.
My eyes didn’t know where to settle. I forced them up to his face. His eyes weren’t on my face. “Yeah.”
“Do you usually sleep in things like that, or did you wear it for me?” His voice was gravely, low, and far sexier than I ever imagined it would sound.
My stomach dropped in a mix of nerves and excitement. “I wore it for you.” This wasn’t the time to be bashful.
“God, I was hoping you’d say that.”
“I was hoping you’d like it.”
“Like isn’t a strong enough word.” He closed the distance between us. “You’re always sexy, but this takes it to a whole new level.” One of his hands slid up my leg, while he cradled the back of my head with his other.
“I can say the same about you.”
He leaned in and kissed me, his lips smashing into mine. His tongue demanded entry, and I eagerly welcomed it. I’d get my cinnamon fix, and I’d get much more this time. His hands moved over me roughly, his usual gentle touch was replaced by something much more primal.
I broke the kiss long enough to get out a few words. “You might be more comfortable sleeping in the bedroom.”
“Yeah, I was thinking the same thing.”
He picked me up, letting his hands move under my nightie in the process. He carried me into the bedroom, and slowly lowered me down on the bed. He followed behind, holding his weight above me as he stroked my stomach with one hand. I reached up and pulled his head down to mine again, needing another kiss. I got lost in his taste, letting the kiss get frenzied. I pulled the rest of his body down, loving the way his full weight felt on top of me. His hand moved up, cupping a breast. I moaned, pushing up against him.
He groaned. “I’ll be right back.”
I started to protest, but he returned with his wallet.
“Are you planning to pay me, or is there a condom in there?”
He laughed as he returned his hands to me. “I think I tip you enough at the Grille.”
“True.”
“I’ve been waiting to see you naked from the moment I met you.” He slipped the straps halfway down my arms.
“Yeah? You have a funny way of showing it.”
He slowly slipped the fabric down farther, exposing my br**sts.
He inhaled. “And it was totally worth the wait.”
I watched him, refusing to miss a moment of his reaction. There is something incredible about watching a man’s face when he sees you for the first time. It’s a total self-esteem boost, especially when they look at you the way Colin looked at me. I pushed aside the self-conscious thoughts that always plagued me in those kinds of moments—he seemed happy with what he was seeing.