Page 78 of Irresistibly Wicked

She hurried after him. “You can’t take my pillow. I need it.” Ignoring her, he tossed it in the truck. “Zander, I’m too tired for games. Take your own pillow.”

“It’s already in the truck.” He smiled coyly. “You’re adorable when you scowl.”

“Don’t try to charm me. Why are you stealing my pillow?”

“I thought you might want it on our honeymoon. I know you’re tired, but we’ve got a long drive, and you can sleep on the way. I’ve got your pillow, a blanket, snacks, your word search books, and I picked up a paperback of the book you’re reading for the book club. Why don’t you put Kitty back inside and make sure I didn’t forget anything you want to bring.”

“Our honeymoon?” Her lips twitched, wanting to join her overzealous heart, but the truth held it back. “You know this isn’t that kind of marriage.”

“Sure.” His tone was casual, but as he took her left hand in his and slid her rings onto her finger, he said, “But that doesn’t mean you don’t deserve one,” like he meant every word.

He was making their marriage of convenience feel hauntingly real.

“Besides, it’ll make us more believable,” he said, and swatted her ass. “Now, go do your thing so we can get out of here.”

Chapter Twenty-Six

SHAUNA THOUGHT SHE’D be too nervous to sleep on the drive, but the motion of the truck and Zander’s singing had lulled her into a deep sleep. She’d woken a few hours later, feeling refreshed and immediately had gotten nervous again about going on a honeymoon with Zander. A honeymoon implied romance and intimacy. But he wasn’t acting any different than he had last week, so she tried not to, either. With the windows down and music blaring, they sang too loud, making up lyrics they’d forgotten, and teased each other between eating handfuls of gummy bears and bags of chips, and her anxiety had been short-lived.

Until now.

Zander didn’t just plan a little getaway. They were on their way into their suite in a fancy hotel with marble floors and crystal chandeliers in Niagara Falls, New York. Niagara Falls!

He opened the door and stepped back, allowing her to walk in first. With her heart hammering, she stepped into the suite, and her breath caught at the sheer size of it. She’d expected to see a room with a king-sized bed, but they were standing in the living room of a two-bedroom suite, with a couch, a large wall-mounted television, a desk by balcony doors, and a kitchenette with a small table that had a pretty wicker welcome basket filled with snacks and what looked like a bottle of champagne in it.

As relief and gratitude bubbled up inside her, a pang of disappointment snuck in. She’d been so nervous about what the honeymoon might mean, she hadn’t considered her feelings about it. Even if she wasn’t looking for love or forever, they’d gotten so close, she hadn’t realized how much she’d wanted this to be more, or how much she’d hoped he’d wanted her. But those two bedrooms were a gentle reminder that this wasn’t a real honeymoon. Zander was just doing exactly what he’d promised, being a great husband without any expectations of more.

He carried their luggage in, like this was perfectly normal, and her stomach hadn’t knotted up with disappointment she had no right to feel.

Tucking that away, she headed over to the balcony doors. “Wow, we can see the falls from here. I might have to leave you a five-star review on Husbands R Us.”

“Don’t bother. One marriage is all I need. Which bedroom would you like?”

“Whichever one you don’t.”

“I’d give you the one with the best view, but I don’t think you want to sleep next to me all night, so I’ll give you the one with a view of the falls.”

“Ha ha,” she said, as if she weren’t wishing for that invitation.

He carried her suitcase into one bedroom and tossed his bag into the other. “But if you get lonely…” He waggled his brows.

One more mixed signal and she was going to need a translator.

THEY SHOWERED AND dressed for dinner, making it to a cool restaurant with mismatched chairs, record albums on the walls, and flower boxes spilling over the railings just in time for the reservations Zander had made. They sat at a cozy candlelit table on the patio, serenaded by the soft, familiar beat of country-acoustic covers, the chatter of other diners, and the clink of silverware against plates. Zander was playing up the part of the adoring husband, telling the hostess and then their server that they were on their honeymoon. When he pulled his chair beside hers instead of sitting across the table, his grin both devilish and charming, the waiter nodded knowingly.

They were halfway through a delicious meal of steak and shrimp, crisp roasted potatoes, and vegetables sautéed so perfectly they melted on her tongue. Shauna lifted her glass, condensation cooling her fingertips as she sipped her iced tea. Zander had ordered the same. She hadn’t asked him not to drink, but she was learning his thoughtfulness seeped into every part of his life.

“On a scale of one to ten, how was your first week of marriage?” he asked smugly.

She swirled the ice in her glass. “Not bad. My husband’s a little cocky, but he’s easy on the eyes and he’s got a cute cat, so I’d say it’s about an eight.”

“Eight, huh?” His eyes narrowed. “What’s missing?”

That was a loaded question. “He hasn’t shared any of his deep dark secrets with me yet.”

“Ah, you want to know my dirty secrets?”

She took a sip and set her glass down. “I said dark, not dirty.”