“Tomorrow.” He smiles against my lips.
I smile broadly as I run my fingers through his stubble. I love this crazy, fucked up man. He’s exotic and romantic and so frigging spontaneous that he blows my damn mind.
I have died and gone to dreamboat heaven with the romance god of the world. Alastar stands and calls the waiter over. “Excuse me?”
“Yes, sir.”
Alastar looks down at me and smiles. “We would like to get married here tomorrow.”
The waiters face lights up. “Congratulations, sir.”
“Thank you.”
“I will have to check with management.”
“It will only be just the two of us and then we will book another proper reception for a large number in a couple of months’ time.”
The waiter smiles down at me. “I see, sir,” he replies.
Holy shit. What the hell am I doing? Brielle is going to freak the hell out.
“Do you have your own minister or how does this work?” Alastar asks.
“Ah, no. We use the town ministers. I shall get reception to contact them and get back to you.”
Alastar smiles. “Thank you.”
“Very well, sir.” The waiter replies. “Can I get you anything else?” Alastar’s loving eyes linger on my face. “Champagne.”
I smile softly as I struggle to awaken the part of my brain that has just fainted.
“Of course.” The waiter smiles happily. “Congratulations to the both of you.”
“Thank you,” I whisper.
Alastar sits back down in his chair opposite me and takes off my emerald ring, sliding it onto my ring finger then kissing the back of it.
I melt into my seat as my eyes hold his.
“If it wasn’t for this ring, I would never have found you,” he whispers.
I smile as I am overcome with emotion and an idea comes to mind. “I would like to use this ring for my engagement ring,” I murmur.
He frowns. “You don’t want a big diamond?”
I shake my head. “No. I want this ring because it is sentimental, along with this man and his beautiful heart.”
He stares at me and after a while smiles softly. “I knew this place was special, that it would be special to me.”
The waiter returns with a waitress following him with a cheese platter and chocolate covered strawberries. “Here we are, sir. A bottle of our best champagne.” He pops the cork and I laugh out loud as he fills our glasses. We wait for him to leave and Alastar holds up his glass. “A toast.”
I smile broadly as I hold up my glass.
“Because of us,” he whispers.
Once more, I tear up as the rest of the world disappears. “Because of us,” I breathe as our glasses gently touch. I taste my champagne and it’s like heaven to my lips. I hold up the glass and smile broadly. “And because of this champagne...” I hold my glass in the air and point it at him. “I might let you do unspeakable things to me tonight.”
Alastar smiles broadly and gives me a dirty wink. “Drink up. The night is young.”
* * *
I laugh as Alastar drags me through the castle, back to our room. “Shh,” he slurs.
I giggle out loud and he looks at me. “Shh,” I repeat as I put my finger up to my lips. “Stop being so noisy,” I whisper loudly.
He smirks and keeps walking as he drags me by the hand.
It’s 1am and, after three bottles of expensive champagne, we are seriously tipsy. In fact, we are lost. We walk down a corridor and arrive at a roped off section when Alastar goes to turn around. I frown and squint my eyes as I look down the hall at the roped off, out of bounds section.
I know that hallway.
“What’s down there?” I frown. It’s a long sandstone corridor with numerous doors leading off it. It is dimly lit with muted lights on the walls, and the carpet is deep red.
“Who knows?” he murmurs in his drunken, strong accent. He tries to pull me and I stop dead.
“What are you doing?” He frowns.
“We are going this way.” I step over the red rope that blocks the exit.
“You’re going to get us kicked out of here.” He chuckles as he steps over the rope. “I like your style.”
I walk down the corridor with him following me.
“Down here,” I whisper.
“Down where,” he murmurs as he follows me.
“There is a door down here.” I keep walking as I squint to see where I am. I stop still and look back to where we have come from. No, it’s this way. We continue walking and I stop at the third door from the end on the left. “This is it.”
He smiles. “This is what?”
I look at him and frown. “I don’t know, but this door is important.” I jiggle the handle. “It’s locked,” I whisper. I bend down and put my hand along under the stones on the bottom ledge.
“What are you doing?” he asks.
“It should be down here.” I feel along the bottom of the rail.
“What should be down there?”
Ah. I feel it! I grab it and hold it up as I smile. A key. An old, copper key is hidden in the stonework.
Alastar raises his eyebrows in question and I shrug.
I laugh as my eyes widen in shock and I cover my mouth with my hands.