“I called room service. Breakfast will be here soon.” He rolled his shoulders and flexed his neck. The tattoo moved with him, nearly giving flight to the dragon eternally trapped on his skin. “I’ve been up for a couple of hours. Had to get that song out of my head and write it down.”
“Did you sleep at all?” She searched for signs of fatigue on his face.
He shrugged. “I got up around five, and I’ve been working with Bent and Bash.” His eyes widened with excitement. “They’re totally stoked.”
“Worked on it? How did you do that?”
His characteristic smirk perked up his face. “Modern video chat, babe. I heard the water running, so I took a shower in the other room.” He glanced around. “Where the fuck did I leave my clothes?”
“You left them in the other room, remember?”
“Why the hell did I do that?” He curled his upper lip. “Ah, I remember now.” His hand went to the towel. “My grand attempt to be a gentleman, but we know how that’s going to end.”
His fingers gripped the towel, and as he was about to reveal his nakedness, a knock sounded at the door to their suite.
“Go put your pants on, Casanova.”
His smile turned upside down. “Cockblocked by room service. Now, that’s a new low.”
“Sounds like your next big hit. Now, go get dressed. I have a surprise.”
He disappeared as she let in room service. A tall man in his late sixties wheeled in a tray covered with a silver dome. A bottle of champagne chilling in an ice bucket sat to the side. With a flourish, he revealed their morning repasts.
“Would you like me to open the champagne?”
“Yes, please.”
He pulled the bottle out of the ice and used a white linen napkin to wipe off the condensation. With a twist and a pop, he had the cork free.
“Congratulations on your wedding,” he said with a twinkle in his eye as he poured two glasses.
“Thank you.” She handed over a generous tip.
While Ash took his time in getting dressed, she took a sip from her glass and then another. She wandered over to the expanse of windows and stared at the spectacle of Niagara. Ice pillars had formed at the extreme edges of the cascade, but nothing could contain the fury of so much water.
Ash’s solid footfalls sounded behind her moments before he wrapped his arms around her waist. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it? Kind of takes your breath away.”
He nuzzled, kissed, and licked the hollow of her throat, making her squirm and nearly drop the champagne.
“It’s amazing.”
But he was the one who stole her breath with a nibble to her earlobe.
She giggled and brushed him away. “Stop that.”
Ash spun her around. He was dressed in a pair of denims, perched low over his hips, and a white T-shirt that strained across the muscles of his chest.
She poked him. “You’re going to need more than a T-shirt. It’s going to be cold at the falls.”
His brows crinkled. “I have no intention of leaving this room.” He reached for the edge of her shirt.
She batted his hand away and sidestepped him. “Our food is getting cold, and I booked a tour for eleven.” She tilted the glass to her lips. “This champagne is amazing, compliments of our nuptials.”
“Uh, yeah, sorry about that.”
She waved him off. “I’m not mad. In fact, I kind of think it’s funny.”
“You do?”
