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He scooped my wilted body into his arms and carried me into the den. Lowering me to the sofa and cradling me to his chest, pressing kisses into my hair. “Is that what you needed, baby?”
“Mmm-hm,” I hummed happily, too content to open my eyes.
He simply held me, his fingers combing softly through my hair as our bodies came down from such an exquisite release. I could fall asleep in his arms like that and be content to never wake up.
Cradled softly in the quiet moment, my thoughts drifted into delicate musings. Hale was the best anti-stress drug I’d ever taken.
“Tired?” he asked, stroking a finger delicately down the slope of my nose.
“Comfortable,” I mumbled, eyes still closed.
“Take a nap.” He pulled the throw off the back of the sofa and covered my legs.
My mouth curved into a smile at such simplified bliss. “Did you ever notice,” I slurred, only half coherent. “That the older we get the more our childhood punishments seem like rewards?”
He chuckled. That deep rumble was a familiar comfort I craved to hear several times a day. “Such as?”
“Nap time was torture when we were kids. Now, it’s like the biggest treat an adult can get.”
“I think you like naps a little more than most.” He teased my nipple and I nuzzled closer, getting a chill. “You’re the one who taught me about nappetizers, after all.”
I grinned. Napping before going out to eat just made good sense. That way there was less of a carb crash later.
“It’s not just naps, though. Staying indoors used to be a punishment too, but now I’d give anything to avoid the outside world.”
His hand stroked soothingly up my bare arms. “Thank you for finishing the meeting with Quinn today. I know that was a lot for you.”
It was, and I appreciated him acknowledging that. “I want you to have the wedding of your dreams, Hale.”
“I’ve already got the bride of my dreams.”
Gah, he was so impossibly sweet sometimes. I sure hoped the latest wedding-gate news didn’t ruin it.
I shifted to sit up, wanting to read the look in his eyes as I explained the situation. “Quinn found the perfect venue, but there’s a catch.”
“The wedding has to be in three months.”
My jaw unhinged. “How did you…?”
“She sent a follow-up email. I read it in between calls.”
“Damn, she’s efficient.”
He nodded with approval. “What are your thoughts?”
How had this come back to me? I wanted Hale to make the final decision so I could go along with whatever he wanted—which was the big, fancy wedding in the city. I knew that. But he also seemed interested in my thoughts.
“You decide.”
“No, this is our wedding, Rayne. We both have a say.”
I groaned. Pressure had a way of making me more indecisive than I already was. Okay, it was time to commit. I could do this.
I drew in a deep breath, looked him in those devastatingly grey eyes, and blurted, “I don’t want to wait.”
He smiled and I knew I’d made the right choice. “Me neither.”
“So, I guess we’re getting married in April.”
