Growling, he nipped at her neck. “As good as that sounds, we have early dinner reservations and they take those very seriously.”
When Matt disappeared into the bathroom, Hailey went to the closet and took out the garment bag that had a tag with her name on it. After spreading it on the bed, she unzipped it and smiled. Paige had packed her favorite little black dress—the one she’d spent too much money on after convincing herself it could be worn for any occasion with the right accessories. After rummaging through the suitcase, she saw Paige had packed the right ones. Black heels, a silvery pashmina shot through with metallic threads, and her pearls. It was all very Audrey Hepburn when Hailey wore it with her hair up.
And, of course, her friend had packed her sexiest underwear. Hailey hung the dress back in the closet until it was time to put it on, and she was about to go through her makeup bag when the bathroom door opened.
With a towel around his waist, his naked chest still glistening with water, and his jaw freshly shaven, Matt grinned and she wanted to sweep everything from the bed to the floor and have her way with him.
“Just how soon are those dinner reservations?”
“We don’t have time for you to keep looking at me like that.” He held the towel around his waist as if she was going rip it off and jump him. Which was tempting, she had to admit. “You need to get ready.”
By the time Hailey had showered, blown her hair out and pinned it up, dabbed on a minimum of makeup and put on the sexy underwear, she was half-afraid Matt would be asleep. But when she opened the bathroom door and stepped out, her heart skipped a beat.
He was wearing a suit. A nice suit, obviously new, with black dress shoes and a very sexy tie, and her mouth went dry. He’d worn an older suit when he took her out to dinner after their break-up, and twice a month they went into the city for dinner and he always wore a button shirt with nice pants, but this wasn’t a Matt she’d seen before. He didn’t fidget or tug at the tie. He just stood and let her get her fill of this magazine cover version of him.
“You look amazing,” she said finally.
His gaze raked over the small amount of black lace barely keeping her decent. “So do you.”
“I can’t believe you did all this. I can’t believe we’re here.”
“I’m going to go have some prime rib prepared by one of the best chefs in the state with the most beautiful woman in the world. There’s no place else I’d rather be.”
The sincerity in his voice made her eyes tear up and the last thing she wanted was raccoon eyes. “I should get dressed.”
He helped her zip her dress and, when it was time for the pearl necklace, he stood behind her and took it from her hand. Before doing the clasp, he ran his fingertip down the nape of her neck. “Every man in that restaurant’s going to envy me tonight.”
“There will be other men there? I’m sure I won’t notice.”
“We need to get out of this room before I forget I’m supposed to be helping you into your clothes and not out of them.”
Once they’d ridden the elevator back down to the lobby, they followed the discreet signs guiding them toward the restaurant. Hailey was glad they weren’t running late because she kept stopping to admire some bit of architecture or art. Matt just smiled patiently and let her explore.
Then they reached the arched glass walkway that connected the main hotel to the restaurant and she stopped halfway across. It was the most beautiful scenery she’d ever seen and she turned in a circle, taking it all in. But it was looking over the gazebo by the lake and over the woods to the mountains that took her breath away.
“Look at that view. It’s stunning.”
“It’s one of the prettiest spots in the state. I wanted us to see it together.”
She smiled, warmed by the heat in his eyes. “Thank you for this weekend, Matt.”
“It’s barely started.”
“I know, but this spot... This moment, with the view and us looking amazing and surrounded by this romantic atmosphere. It’s so special.”
He squeezed her hand. “This spot right here, huh?”
“Yes.” She breathed deeply, looking through the glass and trying to absorb it all. She would never forget this moment.
“Hailey.”
He said her name quietly, his voice serious, and she looked away from the window. First at his face, and then at the velvet box he had in the hand not holding hers. Her breath caught in her throat and tears threatened to blur her vision.