“Relax, smile,” he said just as quietly.
Mrs. Davis returned with their menus and then left them blessedly alone. “Are you all right?” Luke asked, realizing this had not been a good idea. He’d wanted to make a public statement about how much Sarah meant to him, but he hadn’t meant to do it at the expense of her dignity. He didn’t like the way everyone was staring at her. “If you’d rather, we could just order the meal sent across the street to our room.”
Sarah tried to smile. “I won’t let them drive us away. We have as much right to be here as anybody.”
“That’s my girl.” Luke squeezed her hand as pride flowed through him. He couldn’t wait to get back to the hotel room. He was looking forward to his wedding night more than he could ever remember looking forward to anything. Just the thought made him shift uncomfortably.
Sarah busied herself with looking at the menu, and he willed his blood to cool. They’d already given the town enough to talk about today. He didn’t need to make a further spectacle of himself.
“Everything sounds delicious.” There was awe in Sarah’s soft voice. “I can’t decide.”
He smiled. Sarah was so easy to please. Christine would have turned up her nose at this simple country fare. “Get whatever you want.”
She nodded and returned to her perusal of the menu. When Mrs. Davis returned for their order, he got a steak and Sarah ordered fried chicken with all the trimmings.
Conversation resumed around them, although most of the diners were probably still listening to them with one ear. “Do you like the ring?”
She glanced down at it, and then met his gaze. “Of course, I do. But you didn’t need to go to such expense. I would have been happy with a simple gold band.”
“Sarah,” he chided. “You’re going to have to stop worrying about money. You’re my wife now, and I can afford to buy you nice things.” His wife. Damn, he liked the way that sounded.
Sarah flushed, and he was glad to see some color return to her pale cheeks. “I’m sorry, Luke. It’s become a habit to count every penny.”
“That’s one habit I’ll be happy to help you break,” he assured her. “Would you like to take a honeymoon to Denver? We can tell Matt and Becky the news and then spend a week or so shopping.”
She smiled. “You’ll spoil me.”
“I’ll try,” he murmured. “I certainly intend to try.”
* * * * *
SARAH ORDERED APPLEpie for dessert. By now, she didn’t mind so much that everyone was staring at her. They were obviously wondering how such a little floozy had managed to trap a fine, upstanding man like Luke Chandler into marrying her. Well, let them wonder, she thought, feeling smug.
Luke waited until she’d scraped the last bite of pie from her plate then stood. “Let’s go back to the hotel.” The burning intensity in his gray eyes thrilled her. The promise of the night sizzled through her veins, igniting a frenzy of desire for the man who was now her husband.
“You’re right,” she told him. “I need you, Luke.”
His eyes flared, and he came around the table to take her arm. She waited as he paid the bill, and then she followed him down the street to the hotel. When he shut the door to their room behind him, she saw that while they’d been away, the bath had been cleared and her roses artfully arranged in a cut-glass vase. Champagne cooled in a bucket of ice in front of the fire.
Luke poured them both a glass, smiling devilishly as he handed it to her.
“I shouldn’t,” she murmured. “I’ll get tipsy.”
“I want you to be a lot tipsy,” he told her. “I don’t want you to have any inhibitions.”
“All right.” She took a big swallow and choked on the bubbles. “This is good.”
He took a few sips of his own as he casually loosened his tie. Her gaze was drawn to the movement, to the strong, tanned column of his throat. Good Lord. He was so beautiful.
“Do you think the preacher and his wife ever made love the way we do?” She took another drink of her champagne, laughter welling within her at the very idea.
He took the glass from her hand, a smile flitting across his lips. “I don’t think very many people are lucky enough to ever have even a glimpse of the kind of passion we share, sweetheart.”
She held his gaze, her humor disappearing at the truth behind his words. “We are lucky, aren’t we?”
“Yeah, we are.” He grabbed her wrist and pulled her against him. His eyes were a deep, stormy gray as he lowered his mouth to hers.
She’d expected him to be rough and urgent, but instead, his kiss was slow and seductive. He tasted of champagne and something deeper, richer, and even more intoxicating.
