Page 75 of Married at Midnight

He was tempted to wake her now and explore some part of her body he had yet to discover, except that they were expecting visitors very soon. Not only would the wedding party descend upon them, but the house would open for the Holiday Street of Dreams in less than two hours.

Slowly extricating his arm from beneath her head, he slipped from the bed. She could sleep a bit longer while he took care of a few last-minute details.

When he returned to the master bedroom forty minutes later, Ellie was still asleep. He bent down and pressed a kiss to her cheek, then pushed aside her hair, revealing the small freckle on her earlobe. He kissed that, too. “Good morning, my wife.”

Her eyes snapped open. “Morning!” She bolted upright in bed, nearly spilling the breakfast tray he’d brought her. She reached out, righting the orange juice before it tipped. “What time is it?”

He smiled at the vision before him. Her hair was a wild mass of tangles, and her cheeks were flushed from the aftermath of their lovemaking. “You have time for breakfast and a shower.”

Her eyes flared wide. “But the hologram needs—”

“I set it up.”

“The ballroom?”

He smiled. “Finished.”

Her brows came together as she sniffed the air. “The cookies?”

“Done.”

A look of amazement came over her face. “The caterers?”

“They’re in the kitchen.” He sat on the bed beside her. “All you need to do is eat and get dressed at your leisure for the wedding.”

A radiant smile spread across her face. “What did I do to deserve you?”

“You’re just lucky, I guess,” he said before he bent and snatched another kiss from her lips.

She was lucky, all right, Ellie thought to herself an hour later as she made her way downstairs. In the foyer she stopped and marveled once again at the changes she and Connor had brought to Grayson House. The scents of pine and freshly baked cookies filled her senses, and they made the house feel homey and festive at the same time.

Turning around the foyer, she took in the Christmas tree with its twinkling lights; the garlands sweeping up the staircase, giving the house an extra touch of elegance; the bright-red walls; and the grandfather clock against them.

She looked at the old man’s face. She blinked, not believing her eyes. When she looked at him again, nothing had changed.

Yet she’d swear, for a moment, the old man had been smiling.