“Are you sure, because we could…”
“Lexi honey, please. Let us do this. You’ve done so much for us. Really, it’s nothing. There are plenty of single men out there I’m willing to bet would do anything we ask now. So shoo.” Marie pushed them out the door.
Noah shrugged at her, unhelpfully, so Lexi went to grab her stuff and changed back into her jeans for the ride home.
CHAPTER F
IFTEEN
“Why don’t you go home and get back into that dress, then meet me at my house for dinner in an hour?” asked Noah.
“I could do that. Should I bring anything else?”
“Just your beautiful self, Lexi-Love. Just you.”
He watched as she went to her house and made himself drive slowly to his. As soon as he parked, he was out of the car, racing up the stairs, yelling for Sam and Martha.
When they were all assembled in the kitchen, he laid out his plan with Martha taking care of the food so he and Sam could concentrate on setting the scene on the terrace.
“You sure are going to a lot of trouble young man. She worth it?”
Noah gave him a look, knew he was fishing, and decided to let him reel one in, for once. “I can’t see my life without her.”
“’Bout damn time,” Sam mumbled. “Have you thought about what is going to happen when your little vacation is over?”
“I’ve given it a lot of thought. We can make this work.”
“You know she’s not made for the world you’ve grown used to. She’s a small-town girl.”
“I know, Sam. That’s one of the things I’ve been thinking about.”
“Are you going to share?”
“Nope. Now if we don’t hurry, we won’t be done in time. And I want tonight to be perfect.”
*
Lexi didn’t know why she was so nervous. It was just Noah. They’d spent endless hours together. She had her heels in her hand while she walked across the beach to his home. When she got to the edge of the bricked path in his garden she stopped and put them on, keeping an eye on where she walked, not looking up until she got to the top.
She gasped.
There he was in a dark suit, the top three buttons of his white button-down shirt undone, standing like the Lord of the manor, though his hands were in his pockets. She’d never seen him look so dashing. It took her breath away, especially knowing all the tattoos hidden beneath the respectable suit.
He walked over to her and held out his hand. “My love, you look ravishing.” He kissed her hand. “Come sit down, dinner is ready.”
He held a chair out for her and after she was seated, he leaned down and brushed her hair away from her neck. Shivers chased down her spine and she tilted her head so that he could have easier access to her skin. She was breathless as he softly kissed down her neck and across her bare shoulders.
It took everything she had not to whimper when he straightened and walked over to his own chair.
“Would you like some wine?” He held the bottle up for her to see.
“Yes, please.” Maybe a glass of wine would help calm her nerves. She took a moment to look around. There were no lights on except the soft light from the garden path and he’d staged lit candles everywhere. In the center of the terrace, a queen-sized cushion was piled with small pillows and was surrounded by flowers. To keep her mind from wandering in that direction, she looked back over at Noah. “Everything looks so elegant.”
“No, you look elegant. Do you know what I was thinking as I watched you walk across the beach to me? I wished I was a photographer, a sculptor, a story teller, a director. Something, anything, so that I could keep that moment for all time somewhere besides my memory. You looked like a goddess and I wanted to fall to my knees before you and offer you everything that I have, everything that I am.”
“I’m no Goddess, Noah. I’m not even a Victoria’s Secret model.”
“No, you’re not, you’re better. Do you know how many models and actresses I’ve met? By society’s standards, they’re beautiful. But what I can tell you is no matter how beautiful they are on the outside, inside is empty and black. They’re a shell. Not all of them, but most of them only think of themselves and selfish pursuits. From the first moment I saw you, I realized not only are you beautiful on the outside, but inside. Inside, love, you are remarkably beautiful.”
She ducked her head. “You really are a charmer.”
“I speak from my heart to yours. No charm intended.”
He had her favorite meal ready for her, chicken franchaise with steamed vegetables and wild rice. They kept a light conversation about the talent show while eating and she noticed that Noah took the opportunity to touch her every chance he got.