Page 282 of Handsome Devil
He arched an eyebrow at me. “But you are a sack of sugar.”
I rolled my eyes. “Romantic.” Then I spun and dashed into the house as he shut the door. “Lights, I need lights!” I said, groping for switches.
It was just after sunset and dark as hell in here. But Dane pulled out his phone and started turning on the lights with his app.
As I strode into the living room and the lights came up, I stopped dead.
“Oh my God,” slipped out of my mouth.
The house was empty, unfurnished. It was a new build, and we’d be starting to officially move in tomorrow. But right now, there was a blanket in the middle of the living room floor. A picnic blanket. Set with a beautiful picnic dinner spread, for two.
“Wow.” I turned to my husband as he strolled into the room, looking proud of himself. As he should. “We’re having dinner here?” I thought we were just dropping by to ogle our new place, then going to a restaurant to celebrate.
“Why not?” he said nonchalantly.
I eyed the spread, tearing off my coat and slipping off my boots as I crossed the room. There was a picnic basket and everything. And wine in an ice bucket.
“Was this just dropped off?”
“Yup,” Dane said, sliding out of his coat. “We just missed Wiley and the caterer.”
“Sneaky,” I marveled. I looked at him as he came to stand next to me, at the edge of the picnic blanket. “You know what day it is, right?”
“What day is it?” he said cooly, sliding his hands into his pockets. I wasn’t even sure if he was playing with me.
“The day our marriage ends.”
“Does it?”
“You know it does. Today is the day we were supposed to be filing for divorce.”
“Were we?”
“You know we were.”
“Well, there’s still time to call your brother, maybe catch him on the way home from work.” His gaze flirted with my lips. “I’m sure he’d go back to the office to deal with the paperwork for his sister. If it’s that important to you…”
I just smiled and shook my head.
Dane crouched down and started lighting a bunch of candles that sat on a platter on the corner of the blanket.
“This is really… sweet,” I said, my voice softening. I felt a little lump forming in my throat. “Instead of planning our divorce, we’re planning a life together.” I looked around as he turned off the lights with his phone, and the candlelight flickered across the gleaming hardwood floor and up the walls. “In this house.”
“I hope so,” he said, tucking his phone away.
I gazed at him as he stood before me. Then I reached up and kissed him.
“Let’s dirty up this place,” he murmured, his lips lingering against mine.
I laughed. “What?”
“No more slippers,” he said. “Clothes are entirely optional at this point. It’s our house now.” He took me by the hand and led me onto the picnic blanket, where we sat down.
“That is true…” I said, as he started pouring us some wine. “I did hate those slippers.”
He was referring to the fact that the developer was so anal retentive, we had to wear slippers when we viewed the property, and couldn’t even touch anything until we bought the place.
He passed me a glass.
