Wade tipped the server. The man thanked him before disappearing just as quickly as he’d arrived.
“This is quite a spread you’ve ordered. You’ve done nothing but feed me indulgent food since we met.”
“Nothing?” he asked with a mischievous grin.
“Okay, well, it’s not all you’ve done, but we certainly haven’t worked off all these calories, either. I’m going to grow out of my clothes.”
“Well…” Wade approached her and continued undoing the buttons of her blouse where he’d left off. “We’d better remedy that, right away.”
* * *
By the time they got around to dinner, it was nearly cold, but salvageable. The only warm food remaining was the ramekin of chocolate fondue, which was heated by a candle to keep it fluid for dipping. It didn’t matter. Tori had worked up a huge appetite and wasn’t feeling very particular.
“The festivities will be starting soon, and the view in the dining room isn’t as grand. How do you feel about a picnic here in the bedroom?” Wade asked as Tori slipped into the bathroom.
“Sounds great. Is it safe to say we’re staying in for the night?”
“That was the plan.”
“Okay,” she called, eyeing her wardrobe bag hanging beside her in the bathroom. Wade hadn’t really told her what they were going to be doing, so she’d packed a variety of clothing. Unzipping the bag a few inches, she spied the beaded neckline of the dress she’d been dying to wear.
It was a fully beaded midnight-blue gown with a halter neckline and a slit up the side that went almost to her hip. It had been an impulse purchase. Tori rarely bought things like that because her storage space was at a premium in the Airstream. She’d simply had to own the dress and figured she’d worry later about what she would wear it to. She’d packed it for their trip thinking they might go someplace fancy. But why not wear it tonight?
She was spending New Year’s Eve in a glamorous penthouse overlooking Times Square. She was about to dine on lobster and champagne with a handsome date. The dress would be perfectly suited for a night like this if they were in a chic restaurant or at a party in a grand ballroom. It should be just as suitable for a private dinner for two.
With a giggle of girlish excitement, she fully unzipped the bag and slipped into the gown. The indulgent purchase had been sealed the moment she’d first tried it on. It fitted as though it were made just for her, hugging each curve. Tori reapplied her lipstick, ran her fingers through her hair and went back into the bedroom.
Wade had carried the food into the master bedroom and spread out a blanket for a picnic on the floor by the window. He had slipped back into his trousers but left off the dress shirt. It was thrown across a chair in the living room the last time she saw it, but Tori was glad he’d left it off. Wade had a magnificent chest, and she couldn’t spend enough time admiring the hard lines and the dark curls of his chest hair. Unfortunately she hadn’t found a reason for him to just stay shirtless all the time.
He was kneeling on the blanket, pouring flutes of champagne, when he looked up at her—and froze. His jaw fell open, and his gaze took in every inch of her body. He licked his lips before he spoke. “You did hear me say we were staying in, right?”
“Yes,” she said with a smile. “But I felt like dressing up a little bit for the occasion.” Tori held out her arms and spun around for effect. “Do you like it?”
He swallowed hard. “Very much.”
“Is it too much for a picnic on the floor?”
“Not at all.” He reached out his hand and helped her down onto the blanket. “Looking that beautiful, you can do whatever the hell you like.”
Tori blushed. She felt beautiful in this dress, but hearing him say it made her all the happier that she’d decided to put it on, impractical as it was. She settled down beside him, curling her legs to the side and spreading the gown out around her.
Wade handed her a glass of champagne and held up his own for a toast. “To…letting go of the past and embracing a new year and new beginnings.”
It was the perfect toast for them in so many ways. Over the past week it did seem as though they had come so far. There was a time in her life when the mention of his name would’ve sent her into a rampage. Now, sitting across from him, she felt that everything had changed. Thoughts of Wade brought on tingly, warm sensations and a nervous, excited feeling in her stomach.
Tori clinked her glass flute to his. “To new beginnings,” she echoed. And that was really what she wanted. A fresh start. Knowing the truth about the circumstances around her firing made the past, the past. She could finally set down the grudge she’d held all these years, and she was glad. She didn’t want that dark cloud hanging over their relationship.