When she woke,his side of the bed was empty. She pushed the hair back from her face and blinked at the strong morning light spilling in through the open curtains. Niagara’s roaring thrummed in the air, and she climbed out of bed to get her first glimpse of the falls.
Ice crystals coated the edges of the windows, and the plate glass rippled with age. Beyond the frosty glass, Niagara Falls carved out its signature horseshoe shape in a spectacle of water and ice.
The bedroom door was closed. Beyond it, the gentle strumming of a guitar melded with the low vocal melodies of the sexiest voice she had ever heard. The song had matured since the last time Ash sang it.
Replaying the last few notes, Ash changed the sound, deepening it with a quality she couldn’t describe. It tunneled directly into her heart. He picked up from the beginning, his voice carrying the soul of the song, painting a picture, complementing the vibrancy of the music his fingers picked out on the strings.
The song was about her. It was about him. It was about the insanity that was them. It was a song about love, but she couldn’t shake a feeling that there was more.
She grabbed her shopping bag full of clothing and toiletry items and headed to the bathroom. After a quick shower, she tossed on her new clothes—a pair of jeans, a turtleneck, and a cable sweater.
With a look in the mirror, she regretted not purchasing anything from the makeup aisle, but at midnight and after the emotional roller coaster of finding out Ash’s rock-star status and confessing the tiniest bit of her past, mascara and eyeliner had been the furthest things from her mind.
She dialed room service.
“Mrs. Willy, how may I help you?”
It took a moment to remember the alias Ash had used to book the room. He had called it hisFree Willycard and had checked in under the pretense of them being newlyweds, saying it made more sense with their lack of luggage.
“I’d like to order room service.”
“Yes, ma’am, but your husband has already ordered. It should be arriving within the next fifteen minutes. Is there anything you would like to add?”
Her husband?She chewed on her lower lip, uneasy with the lie. “I’m sorry, but what did he ask for?”
The operator rattled off the standard breakfast fare and then added, “He didn’t request the champagne, but it comes with the honeymoon package. Would you like to add it to your order?”
“Yes, please.”
Normally, she would never consider drinking first thing in the morning. But today? She deserved an alcoholic splurge.
“What else comes with the honeymoon package?”
“A tour of the falls and the city.” There was a pause at the end of the line, and then the operator returned. “If you want, we can schedule your tour for later this morning?”
“That sounds perfect. Can you book us for eleven?”
Ash mentioned he’d never seen Niagara before. The tour would be a surprise she hoped he loved.
Another brief pause. “Yes, of course. We recommend rain gear for guests. You can purchase?—”
“We’ll purchase whatever you recommend,” she cut the woman off in her eagerness to get off the phone. The music had stopped from the other side of the door. “Thank you.”
“Very well. Thank you for choosing?—”
Skye hung up as Ash gently knocked.
“Skye?” His voice sounded hesitant. “You awake?”
“Come in.”
The door swung open. Damp hair curled around his ears and the nape of his neck. A puffy white towel was wrapped tightly around his hips. The firm six-pack begged her fingers to explore.
Skye forced her gaze upward and away from the temptation beneath his towel.
“Are you hungry?” He gave her a peck on the cheek.
“Famished.”
