Page 106 of The Heartbreaker
And because she knew that feeling, the pleasure that came when you gave something to someone so fucking deserving, she would understand how I’d felt when I paid off her student loans.
I held my lips against the side of her head. “Hungry?”
“Why? Did you just hear my stomach growl?”
I chuckled. “No, but mine is doing the same.”
We were about twenty yards from the hotel, and I turned her toward the water, standing behind her with my arms crossed over her chest. The sun was lowering fast, and I wanted to make sure she saw the descent. But while she was focused on the beauty in the sky, I was gazing at the hints of her face that I could see from above.
The length of her eyelashes, the arch of her nose, the sides of her thick lips. The creaminess of her freckled skin, the gorgeous red hair that surrounded both sides.
“Stunning,” I whispered.
“Isn’t it?”
“Remember, if I was looking at the sky, that would mean I’d have to take my eyes off you. I can’t do that, nor do I want to.”
“Your compliments will forever make me swoon.” She turned around and threw her arms around my neck and kissed me.
I gave her a quick flick of my tongue and pulled away, holding her face with both hands. “I know you think we’re spending the night at my place tonight, but we’re not.”
Her brows rose, a sly grin reaching all the way to her eyes. “We’re not?”
“I reserved us the penthouse suite at the hotel.”
“The Malibu hotel I haven’t yet seen?” She kissed me. “That I’ve been nonstop asking you for a tour of?”
“Yes, that one. And that”—I nodded toward the beachline, where a small tent had been set up, strung with twinkling lights, a table and two chairs beneath it, surrounded by candles that had been sunk into the sand—“is where we’re having dinner.”
Her mouth opened several seconds before she said, “You’re kidding me.”
“I would never do that.”
When she looked at me again, there was so much emotion in her eyes. “Thank you—those words aren’t strong enough, so I need to say them again and again and again.”
I held her chin, rubbing the silky skin around it. “Before you thank me, you might want to have dinner first. Hell, you might hate it.”
She let out a small giggle. “Impossible.”
“I know. Because we’re having ramen. Your favorite.”
TWENTY-SIX
Addison
When my eyes opened, it took me a second to realize what I was looking at—the sheer curtains that were letting in hints of the morning light; the feathery, oversize white comforter that was comfier than anything I’d ever owned; decorations done in light blue and sand, off-white and gold—the colors of Malibu. And behind me—the source of the warmth, stronger than any sunrays, a tightness of arms more powerful than any shackle—was Ridge.
He’d planned a night that was dreamier than anything I could have ever conjured up. An incredible viewing of the sunset, followed by a four-course dinner of seaweed salad, steamed gyoza, ramen, and mochi. Each bite was accompanied by the flickering candles that surrounded us and the crashing waves on the beach.
A meal that was, hands down, one of the best I’d ever eaten.
By the time we got up from the table, we needed to walk off our fullness, so Ridge gave me a tour of the hotel—something I’d been begging for since the first time he’d taken me here. Eventhough I’d never been inside a Cole and Spade Hotel before—their room rates and restaurants were far above my budget—therefore I couldn’t compare it to their other properties, I could say without any hesitation that it was the nicest, most beautiful resort I’d ever seen. He was only halfway through the renovations, but he was still able to show me photos of the before, so I could see all the changes and the intricate designs he’d implemented—some were structural, some decor—and all had made a major impact.
I’d never questioned Ridge’s talent, immediately knowing the moment I had stepped foot in his house that he was successful, but getting to see his capabilities and hear the way he spoke about the business brought on a whole new level of admiration.
I had one sexy, skilled man on my hands.
And when we eventually made our way up to the suite, I saw that his planning hadn’t ended at dinner. Inside, candles were lit on every surface, and there was champagne waiting for us on ice. Rose petals were sprinkled on the floor and the bed and floating on top of the bubbling Jacuzzi tub. This time, he joined me in the water for a long, sensual soak, and when he had carried me to the bed, we had been covered in bubbles and bits of flowers.
