Page 56 of Succeeding Love

She really didn’t see herself the way others do. She’s the perfect woman.

She’s mine now though, so I guess it doesn’t matter what the hell her asshole of an ex thinks. He’s not getting a chance now that I’m in the picture. I’m not an idiot like him. I won’t be giving up on a woman as perfect as she is. Not with the way she makes lasagna, or the way she giggles. Her smiles and jokes, and the way she sings off-key in the car. Then there was her soft, small but curvy body…..

Nick was seriously an idiot.

“Well,” I leaned forward, putting a devious smile on my face, “are you going to let the dickhead ruin our weekend?”

She bit back a giggle, then sighed. “No. You’re right. We’re here to have fun. Not pout about jerks.” She finally smiled down at the ducks, reaching for a tortilla to feed them a few bites. “Are you hungry, baby duckies?”

“Those are full-grown ducks,” I chuckled.

“No, you’re not,” she pushed her lips together and said in a baby voice. “You’re all cute little baby ducks that need to eat lots of food to fly south for the winter.”

“I think we are south, and it’s spring,” I pointed out.

“Don’t listen to him,” she tossed them a few more bites.

Seriously. So fucking adorable. It wasn’t even fair.

I watched her adoringly until a server came by with our check.

“Ready to head to the room?” I asked after slipping my card into the bill book, beating her to the punch.

She bit her lip, looking nervous again, but for a different reason. The way her eyes swept down my chest and then back to my face had me ready to throw her over my shoulder and run to the hotel now.

“Sure,” she said meekly, then turned to the growing crowd of ducks. “Goodbye, baby ducks.”

“So cute,” I murmured. Others were watching now, and I felt like a star with her sitting across from me. Her positive energy was back in full force, spreading sunshine to everyone who drew near.

I was planning to bask in her light all night long.

No Filter

“Wow! This is nice!” Lynn looked around the room with wide, excited eyes as we walked in. “I didn’t know that they would upgrade us like that. How lucky!”

“Yeah, that was a pleasant surprise. Lucky.”

Luck had nothing to do with it. I called the hotel that she told me she reserved this morning and paid for the upgrade. I wanted the best for her, and the hot tub on the balcony was a huge selling point. The cost was double the price of the double room she had originally booked. Two beds to one king to share made me hesitate, but if she was against it, I would sleep on the couch.

When the attendant told her we had been upgraded, and told her it was to a king suite, she had the biggest, sweetest grin on her face. I don’t think she minds sharing a bed at all. All I had to worry about then was her seeing the price difference and the bill saying it had already been paid. It turned out that I didn’t have to worry about that either.

She had gotten a call from one of her kids when it came time to sign for the room. I told her to take it and finished the paperwork so she will be none the wiser. The attendant thought we were married, so signing for her was a breeze. I enjoyed being thought of as her husband too.

Our agreement for the trip was that she would pay for the hotel, and I would pay for the extras, like food and fun. I’m keeping my part in the upgraded room to myself.

She looked out the sliding doors to the balcony and squealed adorable when she saw the hot tub.

“Want to get in?” I asked, dropping our bags on the bed and coming up from behind her.

She blushed as I wrapped my arms around her waist. “Not yet,” she said shyly.

“Yeah?” I couldn’t stop myself from running my nose along the pink flush painting her neck. She was so warm and smelled so good, like flowery perfume. “We’re definitely using it later, though. Right?”

“What if I didn’t pack a bathing suit?” Her voice was sensual and airy.

Fuck. A wave of excitement moved down my back, settling right in a part of me that was pressed against her back. I had to take a tiny step back, clearing my throat as I collected myself.

“I can let you borrow mine,” I suggested with a smirk.

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