Page 39 of Wrath’s Nightingale

There’s a bottle of champagne and a tray of chocolate-covered strawberries. My stomach rumbles in appreciation. The door automatically closes after we’re seated. Wrath opens the champagne, pouring each of us a glass before handing me one.

“A toast to the most beautiful bride in history.”

I blush and tap my glass to his before taking a drink. He takes my glass when I’m done, sitting it on the table before handing me the plate of strawberries. I choose one and bite into it. A little juice drips down my chin, but the berry is too good, and I eat the entire thing before reaching for a napkin.

“Here, let me get that,” Wrath says, leaning in and licking the trail of juice from my chin before claiming my mouth in a passionate kiss.

Our kiss continues as we begin to move. It ends as we come to a stop. I open my eyes and peer into my husband's deep brown eyes. They’re like pools of milk chocolate. Pools that reflect love. My love for him and his love for me. We hold the moment until a beeping sound interrupts us.

“Sunset,” Wrath rumbles.

The seductive tenor of his voice never fails to send shivers through my very core. As I shift my gaze away from him, I peerout the window and am greeted by the sight of a breathtaking sunset, its vibrant hues painting the sky with a fiery glow.

The blues fade into purple before breaking into a deep pink. And fading into an orange gold before fading into a deep midnight velvet. The first stars were peeking through the midnight velvet when they lowered us from the top. Mayhem took my hand and helped me out. With our fingers entwined, we make our way back to the limo.

“That was amazing, baby. Thank you,” I say before placing a soft kiss on his lips.

“Only the beginning of our life together, Nightingale.”

I settle into his lap for the ride to dinner. I realize I have no idea where we’re going.

“Where are we going to the Chop House in Sevierville.”

“I love that place.”

“That’s what Lisa said.”

“She really is the best. I still can’t believe I’m wearing the family heirloom.”

“It’s a beautiful ring but would you have rather had something else?”

“What?! No. I love this ring and Magnus. I mean, what horse lover doesn’t want an engagement horse?”

He chuckles. “Fair enough. I only wanted to make sure you didn’t want a different ring.”

The ride didn’t take long. We were dropped off at the door. Wrath put his hand in the middle of my back, guiding me inside. He opens the door, letting me step inside before putting his hand back. I find it a highly romantic gesture.

We check in at the hostess stand and are quickly seated into a cozy corner booth. It’s one of those half circle booths. Wrath puts one arm around my shoulders while we peruse the menu. I start off with a whiskey burst while my man orders a Chop Shop old fashioned.

“Baby, I’ve always wanted someone to order for me. Would you?”

His smile is dazzling. “It would be my honor, Nightingale.”

Our server, a stunning redhead named Lucy, comes back with our drinks and ice water. “What can I get started for you?”

“If I give you our complete order now, can you stagger it to make sure we enjoy our food? It’s our honeymoon. I want to treat my bride like the Queen she is.”

Lucy lights up like a Christmas tree looking at my husband like he just won romantic lead of the year. “That’s so sweet. I’ll make sure everything is perfect.”

“Thank you, Lucy. To start with, we’d like the colossal onion rings and sweet tamale cakes. I’ll take the sixteen-ounce prime rib medium-rare with parmesan creamed spinach and a loaded baked potato. For the missus, horseradish-crusted filet, medium, six ounce, with blue cheese butter and burgundy mushrooms. For sides, she’d like a sweet potato with butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon on the side. Along with sugar snap peas and a lobster tail. For dessert, we’d like two strawberry butter cakes and Irish coffee. With dinner, we’d like a bottle of your Silver Oaks cab and a second cocktail when the appetizer comes.”

“Yes, Sir. It’ll be my pleasure. Let me get you fresh bread while you wait for your appetizer.” Lucy hurries back with a basket of fresh baked rolls. I take one, pull it apart, and butter it.

I bite into it. The combination, of rosemary, sea salt and butter on the fresh bread is drool worthy.

“This is heaven,” I mutter in between bites. Rosemary and sourdough are one of my favorite flavor combinations. I devour three before the appetizers arrive. Both the onion rings and the tamale cakes are delicious.

“Nightingale, how is your shopping trip today? Did you put a dent in my card? I laugh. He asked me to use his credit cardtoday. Said he’d get copies in my name. I’ll do the same for him. After all, there are two of us in this marriage. “Not really. It is a black card. I did drop a few hundred at the adult store, thanks to Nay.”

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