Intent on His claim (Beauty and the Beast #3)

Chapter 62

I stepped out of my room that evening and smiled up at Warren who was waiting for me.

He smiled slowly as he took me in and I blushed up at him. He'd insisted on me getting dressed up for dinner so the ladies had taken extra care with my look.

I was wearing a floor length off-shoulder dress the color of coral in a satin that glowed in the soft light. My hair was braided back from my face with many pretty pins stuck in it that winked in the light.

Warren had supplied a breathtakingly gorgeous pair of golden earrings with a delicate emerald heart drop that came with a matching slim necklace.

The ladies had given me a simple golden bracelet to complete the look and as Warren took a long sweeping glance over me, I knew we'd made the right choice.

I'd expected him to get extra dressed up too but he was in the white shirt and dark slacks that I'd seen him in when I woke up. His hair was in a messier style than usual that just made me want to muss it up more. His shirt was open halfway showing off his chains, and his sleeves were rolled back to show off his watch on one hand a cuff on the other.

In other words, he was taking sexy to a whole new level.

Warren reached for my hand and I took his eagerly. He pulled me a little closer and whispered, "You look beautiful."

My smile widened at the compliment. "Thank you, you look amazing yourself. This whole look is very sexy."

He choked on a laugh at my bold words and started us down the stairs. "Sexy?" he teased.

I'd already flushed to my roots. This was so not the time for my brain to mouth filter to malfunction!

"May I express such sentiments as well?" he asked huskily.

I cleared my throat and quickly changed the topic. "Thank you for the earrings. They're beautiful."

He grinned and let it go. His eyes dropped to the necklace and he pointed out, "They suit you. And you now own a golden necklace."

I touched it reverently and asked, "You remembered?"

Warren stopped at the base of the stairs and turned me to him, kissing the back of my hand. "I could never forget a single moment with you." He reached forward but instead of touching one of the earrings, his fingers brushed over one of the sparkly pins in my hair.

He started us walking again but didn't head towards the grand room. Instead, he took me out into the gardens through a side door.

"Wow."

The moment we stepped outside, I gasped. Everything about these gardens was beautiful. The air was fresh and bracing and I loved the contrast with the warmth that was inside the temple.

There were lampposts flooding the perimeter of the temple with light so the nearest flower beds were bathed in a golden glow that highlighted the beauty of the blooms. There was a path ahead of us paved with gleaming marble stones and hemmed in by the blooming bushes.

Warren led me deeper into the gardens while I glanced around us in awe.

"This is real, right?" I asked.

"In a sense," he replied. "That is certainly real."

I looked up where he was pointing and saw a garden arch trellis ahead of us. It had climbers all over it and fairy lights had been draped over the flowers. Under it was a small table for two complete with candlelight and a vase full of colorful blossoms.

I squealed and dropped Warren's hand, running ahead to study the pretty setting. "This is so sweet," I gushed while he laughed behind me. I turned to him and held my hand out for his. "Did you do this for me?"