Holding his hand shouldn't have been such a big deal--and really, it wasn't. The thing was, Anna loved holding hands. Really, really loved it. Almost more than she liked sex, in fact.
There was just something about being connected to another person like that. Joining with them and not having to let go, not even in public. And it was so deliciously tactile, especially when Cole's hands were so big and warm and slightly hard across the top layer of his skin.
The way he held her hand in his made her feel, well, precious. Cared for. Even though she knew it really didn't mean anything. It was just his way of guiding her down the street, of claiming her in front of the chapel attendant.
And, God help her, she couldn't stop imagining what it would feel like to have those hands of his moving across her bare skin. Her br**sts peaked beneath her silk bra, the vee between her thighs growing even warmer.
The chapel attendant cut into her lusty thoughts with, "A wedding! Wonderful. If you'll just come over here to pick out your package, we can get started."
Cole held her still in his arms and another delicious shiver ran through her. She'd always been a firm believer in women taking care of themselves--heck, that's what she had done for the past decade--but she couldn't deny that there was something really seductive about being held firm by strong hands.
Almost helpless against the newly sensual bend of her thoughts, Anna had to wonder just how Cole's strength would play out in the bedroom.
The bedroom he'd promised he was taking her to tonight, married or not.
Cole's response came in that dangerously sexy voice, low and confident. "We'll take the best package you've got."
The wiry, smiling man nodded. "Certainly, sir. And how are you doing tonight, ma'am?"
Anna smiled as brightly as she could around the knot of nerves tightening her stomach muscles.
"Fine, thanks."
"Only fine? On your wedding night?" The man winked at Cole. "Well, we'll have to do our very best to change that, won't we?"
Cole's hand tightened on hers and she quickly said, "Actually, I'm great. Amazing.
Phenomenal." She knew she was babbling, but she wasn't sure how to stop now that she was on a roll. "Who wouldn't be thrilled about marrying Cole?"
The wiry man studied Cole for a long moment before nodding. "Yes. He looks like he'll make a wonderful husband."
Anna automatically turned her gaze to Cole. He looked like he couldn't decide whether to yell...or laugh. And yet, even as a vein in his neck throbbed under their combined perusal, Anna found herself silently agreeing with the man helping them to get married.
Cole really did look like he was going to make a wonderful husband.
Why she thought that, she didn't know, especially since she had no data whatsoever to back it up--apart from his kissing prowess, that was--but there was no denying his strength, his rock-steady composure even in a Las Vegas chapel during a spur-of-the-moment wedding.
"We need a ring."
Both Anna and the man behind the counter jumped at Cole's commanding tone.
They needed a ring. A wedding ring.
Deep breaths, that's what she needed. One after the other until the right amount of oxygen returned to her brain.
"Of course, sir." The man reached under the counter and pulled out a velvet box. "Here is our selection."
Cole all but growled his displeasure when they looked inside. "No."
"Sir?"
Cole didn't answer. He simply pulled a cell phone out of his pocket. "James. I need a diamond ring. No less than five." He turned his attention back to her for a brief moment. "What ring size are you?"
She looked down at her ringless hand. "I don't know."
"Excuse me, sir," the chapel attendant said, "but I can guarantee that she's a six." He smiled at her. "I've been doing this for a very long time."
Cole spoke into his phone again. "Six." After a short pause, he said. "No, that's unacceptable. Five minutes ago." He looked up at the sign on the wall. "Cupid's Wedding Chapel, behind the Wynn." He put the phone back in his pocket. "The ring will be here in five minutes. What paperwork do you need us to fill out?"
"Great idea," she chirped. "We should get the paperwork done right away!"
She felt Cole's eyes on her, felt herself flushing as he said, "We need a minute alone."
The man behind the counter nodded quickly. "Of course, sir. I'll just go check on a few things in back."
Cole had a way of focusing all of his attention on her that rattled her brain--and made her panties shockingly damp.
She couldn't believe the way she heated up beneath his gaze. No other man had ever made her feel this way, like she couldn't control her hormones around him. It wasn't just that he was extremely good-looking. And built like a bodybuilder. No, it was something else that had her pulse racing.
It was the way his eyes said Mine when he looked at her.
Just like they were doing right now.
She took a breath to try to clear her head, but the breath was so shaky she almost didn't get any air in.
"Anna." He put his finger beneath her chin and tipped her chin up.
"Isn't this exciting?" she asked, trying to give him a confident smile.
"Yes," he agreed, and then, "Tell me what's wrong."
She forced herself to say, "Nothing's wrong," the same thing she'd been saying to everyone her entire life, whether or not it was true.
His finger moved from her chin up her cheek. "I can handle the truth, sweet Anna."
And the thing was, she suddenly believed him. Unable to look away from his dark, hot gaze, she said, "It's not that I don't want to do this. I mean, you asked if I wanted to get married and I said yes, so we're here and I'm sure it's going to be really great, but then when you started asking about paperwork, I--"
Well, it had just seemed so cold. So businesslike. So far from the heat that had driven them here.
"I kind of started to freak out." She sucked in a breath. "But I'm okay now." And it was the strangest thing, but just telling him what she really felt went a long way toward dissolving the knot in her stomach.
"What's your last name, Anna?"
Finding it difficult to focus past the fact that his fingertips were now traveling along the outside of her earlobe, she said, "Davis." His fingers ran down the side of her neck and it made so many wicked and wild desires jump to life inside that she had to close her eyes for a minute to try and keep her balance.
"Want to know mine?"