Page 6 of Never Have We Ever
Chapter 3
The suite in the chateau was indeed private. A shame they would only spend the first two days of their month-long honeymoon on the estate, because the picturesque sunset was enough to calm Valeska’s anxiety after a tiring wedding day.
“Do you want some champagne?”
She slowly turned from the window, letting the sheer curtain fall back into place. André stood only a fewmeters behind her, a glass of golden champagne in his hand. Two, actually. One for him. One for his bride.
“Thank you.” Valeska accidentally stepped on her skirt as she approached with an outstretched hand. She caught herself before André could see her misstep.
“Cheers.” André clinked his glass against hers before raising the rim to his lips. “Happy wedding day, Madame Dubois.”
She waitedto drink her champagne. “I suppose Valeska Dubois has a certain ring to it.”
“Certainly more than André Reiter does.” He walked away, one hand in his pocket. He briefly gazed at the large bed covered in white satin and sprinkled in red rose petals before checking his phone. “Although I’m surprised you took my name. I thought you might at least hyphenate it.”
“It’s the proper thing to do.” Valeskawould never get used to her married name. She would always feel like a little girl writing fantasy names in her schoolbook.“VR + AD 4ever!”“Besides, if we have children, I should at least have their name, since I doubt I’ll have their accent.”
André spun in her direction. Some of his leftover champagne sloshed in his glass. “Yes. Right. Children. Suppose that’s practical.”
They hadn’t hadthe Big Talk about children yet. That would come at the two-year mark, depending on how they felt about the marriage. That, of course, assumed Valeska didn’t become with child by happy accident before then.
That thought made her start drinking.
“So, in two days we shall fly to Italy and begin our great tour of the Mediterranean.” André grinned. “Best to rest up.”
Panic rose in Valeska’s chest.“We still have tomorrow to rest.”
“Yes. We do.”
They did not say anything for a few more agonizing seconds. Finally, Valeska couldn’t take it anymore.
“I will see if they have another room prepared.” She gathered her ivory skirt and walked toward the door. “So we can rest up for the traveling.”
André watched her struggle with her skirt as if she hadn’t been walking in it all day. Why was shesuddenly so damn clumsy? Nerves? They were back? Ugh! “Wait. Where are you going?”
Was he truly confused? “To see about the other room. Why? Do you presume we are…?” Valeska needed more alcohol.
“It’s our wedding night, isn’t it?”
Valeska was fairly certain that her heart thumped at dangerous speeds. “It is. Are we…?”
André placed his half-empty glass on the nearest table. “Are you too tired?”
She swallowed. “For what?”
“Please. You want me to say it?”
Valeska was too embarrassed to respond with words. Her reddening cheeks would do.
“L’amour.”
Her French was good enough to know what that meant. It didn’t sound quite as romantic in German. God, why couldn’t she have married some German? Some Scandinavian? Maybe an Englishman with a crass way of saying making love? André’s lovelyway of putting it only made her frustration worse.
Because, seriously, how dare he?
“You are angry?”
Valeska released her skirt from her hands. “Why didn’t you ask me to sleep with youbeforewe got married?”
