The Marriage Auction: Book One(48)
With his other hand, he pulled a keycard from his pocket and opened the door.
His room was much nicer than mine. A full suite with a stunning view of the Las Vegas Strip through the floor-to-ceiling windows. There was even a living room section, a bar, and a small dining area that currently had two long taper candles burning along with a bouquet of daisies. Not roses. On the table were two place settings with domed metal tops covering the plates. Champagne was chilling on ice.
I opened and closed my mouth as shock made it difficult to speak. “How did you… I mean, we’ve been together this wh ole time,” I said as I stared at the beautiful and romantic set up.
Sutton approached me from behind and wrapped his arm around my waist, pressing my back to his chest.
“Do you like it?” He shifted my hair off one shoulder and brazenly pressed his lips to the bare skin where my shoulder and neck met.
I couldn’t help but close my eyes and enjoy the liquid heat that soared through my veins at his simple touch. “I…I’m surprised.”
He hummed against my skin, then pressed another warm kiss to my shoulder. “Come, let’s have a drink.”
I nodded, suddenly at a loss for words as I stared at the beautiful setup he’d planned for me.
Me.
A McAllister.
His wife.
I stood up straight trying not to let the sweet gesture dig too deep. He held the chair out for me, and I took a seat, placing my hands in my lap while he uncorked the champagne and filled two flutes with the golden liquid. I watched the bubbles float from the bottom to the top in a dizzying display as he handed me one of the glasses.
The second I took the glass, I brought it to my lips and sucked back the entire thing.
Sutton’s brows rose up his forehead, but he didn’t say a word as he passed me his full glass, took the empty one, and refilled it. He lifted the glass in the air.
“To three years of wedded bliss?” He grinned, looking ridiculously handsome.
“To three years of us not killing each other?” I suggested.
“That sounds about right.” He chuckled and tapped the edge of my glass with his before taking a drink. He scrunched up his nose and set the glass down.
“Not to your liking? ”
He shrugged one shoulder. “Prefer beer or bourbon myself.”
That had me laughing. “Me too.”
“Yeah?”
I nodded.
“My kind of woman,” he said, his gaze on mine, those green eyes hypnotizing. I thought for the first time that I could possibly stare into those swirling orbs for a lifetime. If I didn’t hate him and everything he stood for.
Instead of responding, I pointed at the domes in front of us. “What’s for dinner? I’m assuming that’s what this is.”
He dipped his chin, then pulled off the lids and set them on a side cart that had a variety of other food items on it. Not to mention what looked like chocolate-covered strawberries—my favorite.
On the plate was a fat, juicy, sizzling slice of prime rib with mashed potatoes and broccolini stalks. The scents of butter and garlic wafted in the air, and I practically drooled.
While I was preoccupied with unrolling my napkin and setting it on my lap, Sutton was busy rifling through the fully stocked bar.
“You like?” He approached with a full bottle of bourbon and two tumblers. He set both on the table and poured two to three fingers’ worth in each glass before sitting down.
“What’s not to love? Meat, potatoes, and veggies.”
He smirked. “I know you better than you think, wife.” He accented the last with a knowing grin.
Stupid, sexy jerk.
I rolled my eyes, cut into the prime rib—noting the perfect pink center—and plopped it into my mouth. I closed my eyes and savored every nuance of the delicious meat as the flavors rolled over my tastebuds.
A manly moan broke me from my food stupor.
Sutton chewed with his eyes closed and the tumbler of bourbon dangling from his long, thick fingers. For a moment I imagined those fingers nestled deep somewhere else. My temperature heated at the thought, and I sucked back more liquid courage.
“Damn, that’s a fine piece of meat,” he said while drinking his bourbon, then finished with a satisfying ahhhhh sound.
I nodded and smiled while tucking into my meal. We’d both gotten through half of it, satiating the better part of our hunger before he poured me another glass of booze.
“So, how’s this going to go?” I lifted the glass and nodded thanks for the refill.
He wiped his mouth and eased his large frame back in a restful pose. “As it pertains to what?”
“After tomorrow’s meeting, what’s next?” I took a large swallow of my drink, letting the heat warm my belly and release the tension of the day.
“We go home.” His response was direct, with no hint at what that meant to him.
“My home is the McAllister land,” I reminded him.
His lips twitched. “Not anymore, sweetness.”
I pursed my lips and inhaled fully, then let it out slowly. “So, again, what’s the plan?”
He refilled his empty glass and topped off mine. “We’ll figure it out when we get there. No sense worrying about what’s going to happen until it’s right in front of us. Yeah?” He lifted his drink and stared at me over the rim as he sucked back half of it.