Chapter 13
Chapter Thirteen
Ash’s sunglasses and baseball cap drew hardly a raised eyebrow with the midnight shopping crowd at Walmart. Skye bought the basics—an extra change of clothes, a sweater to layer, and added in a scarf and mittens to battle the harsh Upstate New York weather.
When Ash joined her with his nearly bare shopping basket, she turned him around with a shake of her head.
“You’re going to need something more than a pair of gloves.
” His leather jacket offered little protection against the freezing temperatures.
“Go get a sweater and maybe a long-sleeved shirt. You’re going to freeze your ass off. ”
Briefly, she considered sending him for a winter jacket, but she knew he’d resist. If he bought a hat, gloves, and a sweater, she’d be happy. It was important to pick the battles she knew she’d win.
His smile crinkled, and the fluorescent lights glittered in his eyes. “Bossy much?”
“No. Just realistic about the weather.” She shoved him back toward the men’s section, following him this time. After grabbing a long-sleeved shirt—he’d refused the turtlenecks she tried to shove in his basket—she was able to convince him to add a lightweight sweater to his collection.
They headed to the checkout counters, paying separately, and then called the limo.
After their essential shopping trip was completed—toothbrushes, shampoo, and deodorant purchased—the limo driver took them to their hotel where they checked in a little before one a.m.
The suite had a main sitting area and two separate bedrooms. While Ash deposited his shopping bags in the other room, Skye collapsed in bed, too tired and exhausted to brush her teeth.
A picture window looked out into the inky-black sky.
Niagara Falls roared, its awe-inspiring sound muffled by the glass.
Ash came to her a few minutes later, pulling back the covers and lying beside her. “Skye,” he whispered.
“Yes?”
“You asleep?”
She rolled over. “No.”
He brushed back the hair from her face and kissed her forehead. “You’re keeping me awake,” he teased.
Turning his back, he yanked the covers over his shoulder. When she tucked into him, he flipped over and tugged her into his arms, cuddling without demanding anything more.
She allowed her eyes to drift shut. Being held in a man’s arms, without the demand for sex, was an unfamiliar but welcome sensation. And, while his breathing turned soft and measured, she was left to wonder whether to remain in his embrace or scoot away.
In the end, she stayed where she was. Ash’s gentle hold made her feel safe.
With thoughts of him spinning in her head and his gentle snores whispering in her ears, Skye snuggled into his warmth.
When she woke, his side of the bed was empty. She pushed the hair back from her face and blinked at the strong morning light spilling in through the open curtains. Niagara’s roaring thrummed in the air, and she climbed out of bed to get her first glimpse of the falls.
Ice crystals coated the edges of the windows, and the plate glass rippled with age. Beyond the frosty glass, Niagara Falls carved out its signature horseshoe shape in a spectacle of water and ice.
The bedroom door was closed. Beyond it, the gentle strumming of a guitar melded with the low vocal melodies of the sexiest voice she had ever heard. The song had matured since the last time Ash sang it.
Replaying the last few notes, Ash changed the sound, deepening it with a quality she couldn’t describe.
It tunneled directly into her heart. He picked up from the beginning, his voice carrying the soul of the song, painting a picture, complementing the vibrancy of the music his fingers picked out on the strings.
The song was about her. It was about him. It was about the insanity that was them. It was a song about love, but she couldn’t shake a feeling that there was more.
She grabbed her shopping bag full of clothing and toiletry items and headed to the bathroom. After a quick shower, she tossed on her new clothes—a pair of jeans, a turtleneck, and a cable sweater.
With a look in the mirror, she regretted not purchasing anything from the makeup aisle, but at midnight and after the emotional roller coaster of finding out Ash’s rock-star status and confessing the tiniest bit of her past, mascara and eyeliner had been the furthest things from her mind.
She dialed room service.
“Mrs. Willy, how may I help you?”
It took a moment to remember the alias Ash had used to book the room. He had called it his Free Willy card and had checked in under the pretense of them being newlyweds, saying it made more sense with their lack of luggage.
“I’d like to order room service.”
“Yes, ma’am, but your husband has already ordered. It should be arriving within the next fifteen minutes. Is there anything you would like to add?”
Her husband? She chewed on her lower lip, uneasy with the lie. “I’m sorry, but what did he ask for?”
The operator rattled off the standard breakfast fare and then added, “He didn’t request the champagne, but it comes with the honeymoon package. Would you like to add it to your order?”
“Yes, please.”
Normally, she would never consider drinking first thing in the morning. But today? She deserved an alcoholic splurge.
“What else comes with the honeymoon package?”
“A tour of the falls and the city.” There was a pause at the end of the line, and then the operator returned. “If you want, we can schedule your tour for later this morning?”
“That sounds perfect. Can you book us for eleven?”
Ash mentioned he’d never seen Niagara before. The tour would be a surprise she hoped he loved.
Another brief pause. “Yes, of course. We recommend rain gear for guests. You can purchase—”
“We’ll purchase whatever you recommend,” she cut the woman off in her eagerness to get off the phone. The music had stopped from the other side of the door. “Thank you.”
“Very well. Thank you for choosing—”
Skye hung up as Ash gently knocked.
“Skye?” His voice sounded hesitant. “You awake?”
“Come in.”
The door swung open. Damp hair curled around his ears and the nape of his neck. A puffy white towel was wrapped tightly around his hips. The firm six-pack begged her fingers to explore.
Skye forced her gaze upward and away from the temptation beneath his towel.
“Are you hungry?” He gave her a peck on the cheek.
“Famished.”
“I called room service. Breakfast will be here soon.” He rolled his shoulders and flexed his neck. The tattoo moved with him, nearly giving flight to the dragon eternally trapped on his skin. “I’ve been up for a couple of hours. Had to get that song out of my head and write it down.”
“Did you sleep at all?” She searched for signs of fatigue on his face.
He shrugged. “I got up around five, and I’ve been working with Bent and Bash.” His eyes widened with excitement. “They’re totally stoked.”
“Worked on it? How did you do that?”
His characteristic smirk perked up his face. “Modern video chat, babe. I heard the water running, so I took a shower in the other room.” He glanced around. “Where the fuck did I leave my clothes?”
“You left them in the other room, remember?”
“Why the hell did I do that?” He curled his upper lip. “Ah, I remember now.” His hand went to the towel. “My grand attempt to be a gentleman, but we know how that’s going to end.”
His fingers gripped the towel, and as he was about to reveal his nakedness, a knock sounded at the door to their suite.
“Go put your pants on, Casanova.”
His smile turned upside down. “Cockblocked by room service. Now, that’s a new low.”
“Sounds like your next big hit. Now, go get dressed. I have a surprise.”
He disappeared as she let in room service. A tall man in his late sixties wheeled in a tray covered with a silver dome. A bottle of champagne chilling in an ice bucket sat to the side. With a flourish, he revealed their morning repasts.
“Would you like me to open the champagne?”
“Yes, please.”
He pulled the bottle out of the ice and used a white linen napkin to wipe off the condensation. With a twist and a pop, he had the cork free.
“Congratulations on your wedding,” he said with a twinkle in his eye as he poured two glasses.
“Thank you.” She handed over a generous tip.
While Ash took his time in getting dressed, she took a sip from her glass and then another. She wandered over to the expanse of windows and stared at the spectacle of Niagara. Ice pillars had formed at the extreme edges of the cascade, but nothing could contain the fury of so much water.
Ash’s solid footfalls sounded behind her moments before he wrapped his arms around her waist. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it? Kind of takes your breath away.”
He nuzzled, kissed, and licked the hollow of her throat, making her squirm and nearly drop the champagne.
“It’s amazing.”
But he was the one who stole her breath with a nibble to her earlobe.
She giggled and brushed him away. “Stop that.”
Ash spun her around. He was dressed in a pair of denims, perched low over his hips, and a white T-shirt that strained across the muscles of his chest.
She poked him. “You’re going to need more than a T-shirt. It’s going to be cold at the falls.”
His brows crinkled. “I have no intention of leaving this room.” He reached for the edge of her shirt.
She batted his hand away and sidestepped him. “Our food is getting cold, and I booked a tour for eleven.” She tilted the glass to her lips. “This champagne is amazing, compliments of our nuptials.”
“Uh, yeah, sorry about that.”
She waved him off. “I’m not mad. In fact, I kind of think it’s funny.”
“You do?”
She poured herself another glass of bubbly and sat down at the table. “Definitely.”
The heavenly scent of pancakes, waffles, eggs, bacon, and sausages drifted up as she inhaled. “Oh, this smells wonderful.”
She took a gulp of her second glass, her nerves suddenly flaring with the thought of staying in the penthouse suite with nothing but a long day stretching out before them.