She whacked his shoulder with her napkin. “So why didn’t you tell me?”
He lifted his hands in defense. “You shot me down a month ago. I figured you were going to take some wooing.”
“We’ve already discussed the whole proposition thing. And wooing?” she teased.
“Turns out I’m old-fashioned. Who knew?” A huge grin spread across his face. “I didn’t have sex with my wife until our wedding night. Go figure.”
“Noah,” she groaned good-naturedly. She wasn’t opposed to people knowing, but heavens only knew what Gram would do with that information.
Gram laughed. “Oh, we already knew. He told us last night.”
“What?”
“We told him to step up his game plan.”
Libby shook her head, trying to make all the pieces fit. “So when you asked me to move to Seattle . . .”
“I figured it would give me the opportunity to convince you I was worth the risk.”
“And when I told you I wanted to take a year off from men?”
He grimaced. “I wasn’t thrilled, but I was willing to wait.”
“While you saw other women?”
He turned serious. “No. Once I put it together that I loved you, I knew there was no other woman for me but you.”
“But you said you would move . . . get a two-bedroom house . . .”
“Lib, I fully intended to give you your own room until you were ready. My intention was to show you I’d changed.”
Overcome with emotion, she pulled his face to hers for a kiss. “I love you.”
He smiled at her. “I love you too.”
“And I love that daughter-in-law of mine,” Ruby said with a low growl. “But she’s a pigheaded fool if she can’t see the two of you are meant to be together.”
Libby offered the woman a smile. “Thanks, Nana.”
Gram patted her hand. “They’ll come around.”
Libby was so pissed about their lack of support, she wasn’t sure it mattered.
Noah pulled his phone out of his pocket and read the screen. “That’s the text I’ve been waiting for. My meeting is set for two.” He looked up at Libby, worry in his eyes. “Is it okay if I leave you for about an hour or two?”
“Of course it is. I’m not a child who needs to be babysat.”
He shook his head slightly. “I know you’re not, but I’m taking time from our honeymoon. That doesn’t seem right.”
“Oh. I hadn’t considered this our honeymoon.”
“It’s very much our honeymoon, Mrs. McMillan. And while I never really cared for Vegas before, I have a special fondness for it now. Still, after my meeting, I think this city has served its purpose. Are you good with leaving tonight? We can go anywhere you want.”
She rested her hand on his cheek. “I want to go home.”
His smile fell slightly and she realized he misunderstood.
“Our home. In Seattle.”
He kissed her again, and when he finally lifted his head, Libby’s face burned with embarrassment. He’d practically devoured her in front of the grandmas.
“If only I were twenty years younger,” Gram murmured.
“You’d still be too old for him,” Nana said sternly.
“It wouldn’t matter,” Gram said with a grin. “He’d still only have eyes for our girl.”
They finished lunch and while Nana and Gram invited Libby to walk the strip, Libby turned them down. “I think I’ll grab my camera and see what I can find to photograph.”
The two women left and Noah and Libby went up to their room. Noah opened his laptop and studied the screen, his leg bouncing as he read.
“Noah, why are you so nervous?”
He looked up at her and blinked. “What? I’m not nervous. Just a regular meeting.”
He was lying. Why was he lying?
All the doubts from earlier came rushing back. She knelt in front of him. “I need you to promise me something, okay?”
“Anything, Lib,” he answered with an earnestness she was still getting used to.
“I need you to promise to tell me the truth. You know I’ve had a history with men who have been untruthful. I need to know I can trust you.”
“You have to know I’d never purposely hurt you.”
“I know, but this is a deal-breaker for me, Noah. I need you to always tell me the truth.”
He looked into her eyes, an uncharacteristic seriousness setting into his jaw. “I will. I promise.”
“Thank you.”
He pushed out a breath. “This deal is important. I’ve been talking to this guy in Seattle and getting the runaround. I found out he’s here, so I’m hoping to seal the deal this afternoon. With the merger . . . the business needs this.”
She kissed him and smiled. “That wasn’t so bad, was it? Why would you hide that from me?”
“I don’t want you to worry.”
“Noah, we’re married now. If you’re nervous, then it’s my job to worry. Just like it’s your job to be nervous when we go to New York for my exhibit.”
He pulled her onto his lap, evoking a surprised laugh from her. “You’ve decided to finish your project?”
She grinned. “Let’s just say this morning’s photography session inspired me.”
He lifted his eyebrows in mock recrimination. “I know it’s a New York exhibit and they’re much more liberal there, but I strongly discourage using the photos of my penis, no matter how impressive they are.”