Sure enough, when they got outside the airport, there were cabs waiting out front. The driver put their bags in the trunk, invited them into his cab and sped toward the city.
Merrie, who’d never been overseas in her life, had found every single part of the excursion exciting. She was drooping a little now, but she sat up to look at the beautiful lights that trailed the highway all the way into town. There were people on the streets, some in long robes, some in European dress, all moving along lazily and stopping to talk to people they knew.
The cab pulled up at a hotel with no indication that it was a five-star hotel, which was what Ren had assured her it was.
But when they got inside, the luxury was unmistakable. Merrie was fascinated by her surroundings, so much so that she barely noticed Ren signing them in. A bellhop came forward to escort them up to their room.
The room had shutters that opened onto the courtyard below, where sculptured gardens and a swimming pool were visible in the security lights. The air smelled of unfamiliar spices and sea air. Meredith drew in a long breath before she closed the window again.
“It’s so beautiful here,” she told Ren sleepily. “I can’t wait to go exploring.”
“Neither can I,” Ren said, tongue in cheek. “But I’d rather wait until you’re awake, for the sort of exploration I have in mind,” he teased. “You’re dead on your feet, honey.”
“I guess I am. I’m sorry.” She sighed, leaning against him. “I didn’t get much sleep last night from being nervous about the ceremony. I was so afraid I’d slip on the hem of my wedding gown and fall into the pews.”
“But you didn’t.” He laughed.
She yawned. “I’m so sorry!” she groaned. “I wanted to be awake...!”
He pulled her close and kissed her softly. “We have the rest of our lives. Tonight, you rest. Okay?”
She smiled against his broad chest. “Okay, Ren.”
*
SHE AWOKE TO the smell of fresh, hot coffee. She followed the scent up with her eyes still closed, aware of a deep chuckle...
“It’s good,” he told her as he handed her the cup and steadied it in her hands. “I just had mine. If you’ll get dressed, we’ll go down to breakfast. I understand that it’s something of a special buffet that they put out for visitors.”
“I’m starved!” She laughed.
“Me, too. So hurry. I’ll wait for you outside.”
She looked after him worriedly. He’d gone out, wearing slacks and a green casual knit shirt, without a backward look. She was eager for him, although there was still a little niggle of fear in the back of her mind.
He’d gone without having a woman for months, and he wanted her badly. Didn’t that mean he was likely to lose control and hurt her? She’d heard horror stories from other girls when she was in high school, about how their dreams of love had been turned to ash in a bed with an inconsiderate lover.
Not that Ren would be inconsiderate. She flushed with pleasure, remembering their first encounter on the night of the party. She tried not to remember the way it had ended. Ren had been furious.
But that same man had come to the hospital, had sat with her, encouraged her, never left her for a minute, even when she went home. He’d been with her every night, to make sure she felt safe and protected.
Could he have wanted to marry her just from a guilty conscience, about the way he’d treated her? She didn’t think so. He might feel bad, might apologize, might even come to the hospital to see how she was.
But the confirmed unbeliever who’d gone into a chapel in the hospital when she was in critical condition wasn’t a man who felt nothing more than guilt. It was a life-changing event for him. It had changed him.
It had changed her, too, seeing the happiness he felt just being with her. He didn’t like other men near her. He was possessive. She smiled to herself. She wasn’t going to admit it, of course, but she loved the fact that he was possessive of her. She felt the same way.
She got up and put on a yellow patterned sundress. It fell to her ankles in soft folds, and the bodice was held in place by spaghetti straps. The back was high, covering the scars she carried from her father’s brutality.
It had surprised and delighted her that Ren didn’t mind the scars. That was another indication of how he really felt about her.
She picked up her small purse and went out the door after Ren.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
THE BUFFET WAS EXTRAORDINARY. They found every breakfast choice known to man, including several kinds of fresh bread, fruit and, most surprising, bacon and ham. Since Tangier was largely Muslim, it was unusual to find pork on the menu. The server, wearing a red fez, laughed and explained that they made the concession for foreigners, who were allowed pork in their diets.
They ate on the hotel patio, a delightful place with delicate chairs at round tables, set with linen and fine china and utensils. There were flowers on every table, and a fountain that resembled an American birdbath in a recessed floor nearby. Merrie, who’d never traveled abroad, found her surroundings fascinating.