Page 24 of Married Into Love

ChapterNine

Alessia

Alecand I had somehow already fallen into a morning routine, only three days into our relationship. Once again, I woke up with his body wrapped around mine. He got out of bed first and showered before drawing me a bubble bath. This time around, it was very much needed because my muscles were a bit sore from our tour of the GrandCanyon.

We’d switched our plans up a bit so we could spend the morning with Alec’s friends and family before heading as a group to McCarran Airport. We said our goodbyes and dropped them off at the private jet terminal and then headed over to the tour company’s hangar. Alec upgraded us to a private tour, with just the two of us on the helicopter. We went through VIP check-in, and less than an hour later our pilot descended four thousand feet into the depths of the Grand Canyon to touch down next to the banks of the ColoradoRiver.

The rock formations on the western rim of the canyon were awe inspiring, and the picnic service included in the private tour was such a romantic touch. We ate a late lunch surrounded by the seventh wonder of the world, and then we’d hiked around the Native American Hualapai lands for about an hour. Alec was in better shape than me, which was no surprise since he was a professional hockey player, and I’d overdone it a bit to keep up with him. But it’d been well worth it for the amazing views of the Grand Canyon, Lake Mead, and the Hoover Dam, with the Strip as a grandfinale.

Our excursion the day before, which we’d followed up by walking the Strip after we got back, had left me with a big appetite when I woke up. So I had Alec add scrambled eggs with American cheese to my order of waffles, while he stuck with his egg white and vegetableomelet.

“I feel like we have our orders reversed. Isn’t the woman the one who’s supposed to order healthy stuff while the guy eats whatever he wants?” I asked as I pushed my plate away from me after practically licking itclean.

He lifted his shirt and patted his washboard abs. “You married an athlete, beautiful. Even during the off-season, I have to watch whatIeat.”

“What about our first breakfast together? You didn’t order anythinghealthythen.”

“I can have a cheat day every now and again.” He winked at me. “And I’d already consumed a shit ton of empty calories drinking with you and your sister the night before. Those frozen drinks she kept picking out during our walk were basically sugar mixed withalcohol.”

“You didn’t have to drink them.” I shook my head, laughing as I got up and grabbed myshoes.

“And risking pissing your sister off? No way. It didn’t take me long to figure out I’m better off being on her good side.” He held the door open for me, waggling his eyebrows. “A hunch that was proved right when she maneuvered us into that weddingchapel.”

“Keep reminding yourself of that today, when we use you for your muscles and get you to do all the heavylifting.”

He stood behind me, wrapping his arms around my middle and lowering his mouth to my ear while we waited for the elevator. “Feel free to use my muscles whenever you want. For anythingyouneed.”

His tone was thick with sexual innuendo, leaving me in no doubt exactly how he hoped I’d want to use him. I fanned myself with my hand. “Is it hot in here? I feel like it’s about a thousanddegrees.”

His deep-throated chuckle followed me into the elevator. The sensual tension between us wasn’t the least bit dimmed by the three other people already inside. Or the ride over to a car rental place where we picked up a truck. It wasn’t until we headed out of the touristy area towards my part of town that things turned awkward. Gone was the glittery Las Vegas from all the commercials, and it reminded me of the differences between Alec’s lifeandmine.

“Hey, I can hear you thinking over there,” he claimed when he pulled into the parking lot of the complex where my sister and I lived withourmom.

“Maybe you should wait in the truck. Let my sister and I take care of bringing our stuff down,” I suggested, staring out the window with my arms crossed protectively in front ofmybody.

He parked at the curb, near the front door of our building, and I heard him turn in his seat towards me. “No can do, beautiful. I’m not going to sit in the truck while you two do the heavy lifting. Not only would your sister strip me of my white knight nickname for it; I already told you I take care of what’s mine. Part of that is doing the heavy liftingforyou.”

“I know.” It’d been a long-shot, but I’d felt like I had to try atleast.

We both got out of the truck, and he grabbed my hand when he caught up with me on the sidewalk. “Nothing I see inside that building is going to change my opinionofyou.”

I stopped and looked up at his face. “And what is that,exactly?”

“That you’re the best damn thing that’s ever happenedtome.”

Whoa. My knees turned to jelly at his declaration, but I didn’t have long to indulge my reaction because my sister called out to us from the top of the stairs, “Quit being lazy and get your assesuphere!”

“Hold that thought, beautiful. We’ve got all the time in the world to have this discussion. Ipromise.”

I knew my sister was watching us over the railing and that she’d tease me mercilessly for it, but that didn’t stop me from yanking on Alec’s shirt and kissing the heck out of him until we both almost forgot why we were there in the first place. Luckily—or unluckily, depending on how you wanted to look at it—Ariana was there toremindus.

“Get a room!” she hollered. “Oh, wait. You already have one waiting for you, and so do I. An entire suite, in fact. The faster you get up here and help me move this shit, the sooner you guys can hole up in your room and kiss all you want. In private. Where you can follow it up with whatever else you’d liketodo.”

“We’re coming!” I called back, reluctantly pulling away from Alec to head up thestairs.

“Not yet, but later on you will be,” he murmured as he followed behind me. “I think I’m going to try for a triple this timearound.”

When we made it up to the apartment, my face was beet red and it had nothing to do with the climb. Ariana gave me a knowing look, but she resisted the urge to give me a hard time and shoved a box into my armsinstead.

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