in
his chest, his hand touched the tear in the fabric.
Setting her aside, he reached into the
car and grabbed his jacket for her to put on. Shaking her head at
him, certain that it would never fit her, she stepped even further
away. He swiftly grabbed her wrist and turned her around so she
could slide her arm into the sleeve. She was surprised to see that
the jacket not only fit but also swallowed her shoulders and hung
past her hands.
“Not the most elegant thing, but at
least it will cover the damage,” he turned her around and pulled
her hair out from the collar. Placing a hand on her back he
propelled her toward the door. She looked up at his face, suddenly
grateful for his quick thinking.
“Thank you Detective,” she said
softly. He stopped walking.
“Now Elizabeth, you must remember to
call me Devin, or this won’t work.” He reached into his jean pocket
and pulled out an object.
“I almost forgot,” he reached for her
left hand, “you had better wear this.” The plain gold ban he
slipped on her finger fit perfectly. In amazement she looked up to
see him slipping on a matching band and giving it a little
twist.
“Well Mrs. Kane, are you ready for act
one?” He smiled down into her face. She knew he was doing this for
her, making her feel more at ease in this masquerade. She tilted
her chin up to smile at him.
Only if you promise not to try and
carry me across the threshold Mr. Kane, I don’t want you to be
carried away in an ambulance.” His lips thinned slightly. He said
nothing as he took her arm and led her into the hotel.
They were met by the concierge who
provided them with the key to the “splendid honeymoon suite” they
would be sharing. Elizabeth only stuttered once when the elderly
gentleman directed a question her way, asking “the beautiful Mrs.
Kane if she preferred strawberries with her champagne.”
“Why, yes, thank you,” Elizabeth
smiled, conscious of the blue eyes boring into her, awaiting her
response. “Strawberries are my favorite.”
She was unaware of the blush, which
brought an enchanting glow to her cheeks and soft blue eyes. The
concierge almost fell over himself with compliments after
witnessing the beautiful allure of this enchanting, robust woman.
It had been a long time since he had seen a woman with such a
succulent figure; he looked toward Mr. Kane and winked smiling at
him knowingly. He was certain that she would provide a handful and
more for this big, handsome man who was her husband. He turned to
the bell boy and instructed him to show the Kanes to their suite
and wished them a happy honeymoon now, since he was positive he
would see very little of them after this.
Taking Elizabeth’s hand, the concierge
lifted it to his lips. “Ah, Mrs. Kane, may you have a beautiful
stay in our hotel,” he lingered over her hand.
Elizabeth felt Devin laid a possessive
palm on her back. She looked up at him. Was that jealousy in his
eyes? She had to hand it to him, he was a great actor.
“I’m sure we will both enjoy it,”
Devin’s voice held an edge that was reflected in his action as he
pulled her hand away from the man and tucked it into his arm. He
guided her through the lobby and into the waiting
elevator.
At the room, the bellboy opened the
door and carried the luggage in, disappearing into the large room.
In one swift motion Devin had reached down and lifted her in his
arms. Elizabeth was surprised by his actions and wiggled in his
arms.
“Devin, what do you think you are
doing?” she admonished him.
“Why I’m carrying my beautiful new
bride over the threshold,” he looked into her face.
There was no hint of strain there. She
was amazed at how he had lifted her as if she were light as a
feather. She wrapped her arms around his neck, afraid he might drop
her. Instead, he set her down lightly on the floor. Still in shock,
she did not remove her arms from their place, which brought his
face directly into contact with hers. He looked deep into her