Page 85 of Tempt
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We ordered room service and watched Antiques Roadshow while we waited for it to be delivered. Sitting there with her, wearing thick hotel robes, my back propped against the headboard, her back resting against my chest, our bare feet crossed at the ankles side by side...I couldn’t remember the last time I’d felt so at ease with someone. Or with myself.
“Ooooh look at that necklace,” Millie said dreamily.
I studied the necklace on the screen and listened to what the appraiser was saying about it.
“This is a fourteen karat white gold vintage lavaliere-style diamond pendant from the 1920s,”he told the woman who’d inherited it from her aunt.“The pendant is in beautiful condition, only slightly worn, with an intricate Art Deco filigree design.”
“I love Art Deco jewelry,” she said with a sigh. “So pretty.”
“It would look gorgeous on you,” I told her.
Turns out, the thing was worth over a grand, which made Millie laugh. “Guess I’ll have to sell some wedding gowns first.”
After we ate, she wandered into the huge marble bathroom and started filling the tub. “I’m going to take a bath. Want to join me?” she called over the running water.
“Yes,” I said, jumping off the bed. From the bathroom doorway, I watched her slip out of her robe and hang it on a hook.
“Even thisbathroom is amazing,” she said, slipping into the water. “Who the heck is your client?”
“Can’t tell you.” I ditched my robe on the tiled floor and got into the tub behind her. Wrapping my arms around her, I filled my hands with her breasts. “I mean I could, but then I’d have to kill you, and I’m really enjoying your company at the moment.”
She laughed. “Gee, thanks.”
“So where does your family think you are?”
“Here,” she said. “I told them I was flying to New York. I made up some meetings with a couple designers.”
I could hear the guilt in her voice. “Do you feel bad about that?”
“Kind of. But I keep telling myself this isn’t anyone’s business but ours. And we aren’t hurting anyone. And we’re being careful not to get caught.”
“All true.” I kissed the top of her head.
“But I should tell you that my sisters know about last weekend.”
I went still. “They do?”
“Yes. But I trust them completely. They won’t say anything. And at the time I told them, I thought we were putting an end to this.”
“We tried, didn’t we?”
“I guess so. Not very hard, though.” She sighed. “Let’s talk about something else.”
“Okay. Tell me more about your new business.”
“Like what?”
“What will you call it?”
“I’ve been thinking about that.” She tapped my wrists. “I don’t want it to have a name that sounds like any other bridal salon—I want it to be really personal, because my vision is personal. And I don’t really want it to have anything in the name that designates it as size-specific. I plan to cater to plus-sized brides, but there might be a day in the future when the business grows enough to be completely inclusive.”
“Smart to think ahead.”
“And I’ve been thinking a lot about my brand,” she went on. “It will be elegant and feminine, luxurious but accessible, sexy but in a classy way, cozy but still fancy.”
“You just described yourself,” I told her.
