“It is.”
Cannon shook his head. “I knew your ass was lyin’.”
They spent the rest of the date eating out of the same pasta bowl and talking about everything under the sun. Just like all the other things they had done in Venice, this was perfect, and Nahla never wanted to leave.
Cannon stood on the terrace of their suite with his hands in his pockets. It was the last night of their trip, and he had one more surprise for Nahla Avery. She had been loving all the architecture and sights in the city, so he figured he would end their trip with one last amazing view.
He heard the soft click of heels behind him, so he turned around to see that Nahla had joined him outside. He gave her a thorough once-over. She was wearing a champagne slip dress that looked amazing against her chocolate skin. Her hair—which was usually bone straight and parted down the middle—was pulled back into a sleek ponytail that fell to the middle of her back. Her face was bare of makeup, but her clear skin glowed under the moonlight.
“You look damn good,” Cannon said, earning him one of her smiles.
“Thanks.”
Placing his hands on her hips, he pulled her close and kissed her.
“You ready?”
Nahla nodded. “Yep.”
Grasping her hand with his, he led her back through their villa and out the door.
A private gondola sat waiting, trimmed in roses and floating lanterns that shimmered in the night.
“This is beautiful,” Nahla said softly.
Instead of responding, he kissed her hand as she stepped into the gondola. Cannon then settled in beside her and slipped an arm around her waist. The gondolier wasted no time beginning their ride.
They drifted through the quiet canals until the gondola curved around a sharp corner. Cannon’s eyes were on her as her hands flew to her mouth.
“Cannon,” she said softly, looking past him.
“Wassup, baby?”
She didn’t respond. She just pointed in the direction she was looking. Cannon turned around. Although he had coordinated the date, he was thoroughly impressed with how it came together.
Just past them was a large floating platform. It was topped with a small dining table, dozens of candles, and lanterns everywhere. There was a table with several covered dishes and two people in suits standing beside it.
There were four posts at each end of the floating deck that supported a flowy canopy. The canopy was lined with light, and fresh petals drifted in the water around the dock. It really was beautiful.
“You did all this?”
Cannon chuckled. “Ipaidfor all this.”
“This is too much,” she said.
“What I told you ’bout that? Come on.”
Cannon helped Nahla onto the deck, and once they were seated, the staff began to serve them their meal.
“This is amazing,” Nahla said again. “You just thought of everything,” she said.
Cannon shook his head. “Not everything. Just you.”
As they ate, they enjoyed small talk and reflected on the amazing week they’d had. Cannon was just glad to see her smiling. Nahla had brought him more happiness than he had felt in years, and for that, he felt like she deserved the world. Even more than making him happy, Nahla had given him peace. She’d given him closure.
It was because of her that he had been able to confront wounds that he thought would stay covered up forever. She inspired Cannon to open up in ways he couldn’t with anyone, and because of that, he was able to let go of a huge weight that had been hindering him all these years.
He reached across the table and took her hand.
