Chewing my bite of steak before answering, I hold up a finger. "Well, you liked the oysters so much I assumed it was the safe choice. Was I wrong? We can trade."
She smiles at me while simultaneously cutting into the fish in question. "It’s one of my favorites, just shocked you put that together."
"I notice things, Sade." I smirk at her, relishing the way she’s digging into her plate like she hasn’t had a meal in years. I eat a lot, so I need someone who can match my energy with food.
Someone who won’t judge me for ordering double meat everywhere I go.
We eat in amicable silence, talking to family and friends as they approach the table. Sam and Olive make their grand entrance, and the mood shifts as dinner wraps up. I’m looking forward to dancing, but there’s a special spot that I had set up just for Sadie—a final surprise for the evening she wasn’t expecting.
"Hey," I whisper in her ear. "Sneak out the back of the tent. I’ll follow in just a second."
"What? Why?" Her expression shifts, clearly confused.
Grinning, I nod toward the spot where the walls meet, a section that will be easy to slip out of. "Trust me."
Sadie nods, sliding off her chair and heading toward the exit. I lean toward Sam, filling him in on where I’m headed. He smirks at me, but shoo’s me away. He probably thinks I’m headed for a quickie, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.
When I sneak between the walls of the tent, Sadie is on the other side pacing. Wrapping my arms around her waist from behind, I inhale her peach scent.
"I’m not sure it’s good form to crash a wedding, then sneak off for a quickie."
Jesus, does everyone think I’m that obvious?
"While I wouldn’t turn it down, you’re oh for two." I nip her earlobe, and Sadie squeaks. "You didn’t crash… you were on the guest list. And I have a surprise for you—one that doesn’t involve my cock… unless you want it to."
Stepping in front of her, she rolls her eyes again. And I loop my arms behind her knees, hoisting her against my chest to head toward her surprise. She yelps, but sinks into my hold after a second of squirming.
"You don’t have to carry me."
"I want to."
"Why?"
I shrug. "Your legs are two feet long, we’ll get there quicker."
"Wow. What a gentleman!" Her sass is just one of the things I’m coming to love about her.
Running across the grass, I get us to the brick pathway in less than a minute. It’s tucked between trees, purposely hidden like a secret garden. Setting Sadie down, I wrap my hands over her eyes.
"Okay, you have to walk for this part because I don’t want you to see it before it’s time."
I planned the whole thing with Burt, the groundskeeper. He’s supposed to turn on the lights at exactly seven. Checking my watch, I see we have two minutes.
Leading Sadie down the pathway, we enter the opening to a small cobblestone patio with candles lit on the ground sporadically.
"I need another minute. If I uncover your face, do you promise to keep your eyes closed?"
"Yes."
Running my hands up her arms, I lean in and kiss her. It’s soft, sweet, but Sadie leans into me and I can’t resist deepening the kiss. Tangling my hand in the hair at her nape, I angle her head to the right as I run my tongue against the seam of her mouth.She opens for me, and I savor her taste, nibbling on her bottom lip.
We break apart as the twinkle lights turn on, but Sadie keeps her eyes closed. I should tell her to open them, but I steal the moment, drinking her in. Freckles dot the bridge of her nose, and I trace them with my finger. Her lips are swollen, pink from the kiss we shared, and I steal a peck. Sadie’s long chocolate hair cascades in effortless waves down her back, and the swell of her breasts rises and falls with each breath she takes. I feel like I’m looking at a painting, a picture of perfection. I’m pulled to her in a way that’s illogical, like a moth to a flame, not afraid even though I know I’m going to be burned.
"You’re enchanting." Kissing her cheek, I reach around her middle, spinning her in my arms so her back is pressed to my front. "Open your eyes, Sade."
She gasps as she takes in the scene before her. Twinkling lights hang from the trees like tiny fireworks dripping from each branch. Candles of varying shapes and sizes dot the ground, illuminating the stone beneath our feet.
"This is… I’ve never seen… oh my God." Sadie spins, wrapping her arms around me. "You did this… for me?"
