His Princess - Stacy Gail Page 0,33
plush white terrycloth robe with the Tilted Windmill logo on its left chest, Joelle entered the room wheeling a linen-covered cart and smiling a smile that rivaled the rising sun. Then the savory scent of food hit him, and all at once he was starving. “I hope you don't mind that I ordered some breakfast for us. With the time difference, my stomach is telling me it's almost nine in the morning, and I should’ve gotten my booty going an hour ago.”
“Food sounds good, but you sound even better.” He caught her by the waist the moment she wheeled the cart over to his side of the bed, pulling her down for a sleepy, thoroughly satisfying kiss. “’Morning, my lady.”
“Good morning.” Her voice was a miracle of sunshine and bubbly energy, like she had somehow become the human embodiment of the finest champagne. “Aren't you hungry?”
“Famished.” Keeping her within reach, Gus swung his legs over the side of the mattress, then guided her down until she sat on his lap. Perfect. “Let's see what you ordered for us so we can eat. And just so you know, once we're done with breakfast I've got another kind of hunger that needs feeding.”
“Ooh, insatiable. I approve.” With a happy smile, she reached for the polished silver domes covering the plates. “I wasn't sure what you would like, so I may have gone a teensy bit overboard. Unless you're into eating a lot to get your day going?”
He looked at her warily. “How much is a lot?”
“I ordered some chicken crepes Florentine with hollandaise sauce. Then I thought you might not be the kind of guy who’s big on crepes, so I also ordered a wine, ham and Swiss cheese strata. Then I thought you might think strata’s just a weird way to have a savory bread pudding, so I threw in a couple orders of eggs Benedict, with sides of fresh fruit and yogurt parfaits. Oh, and lots of orange juice and French press coffee to round things off.” She smiled at him brightly, as if she were well aware that she’d completely lost her damn mind. “Since I haven't learned what you prefer, I went for a smattering of everything. Isn't learning about each other fun?”
“Hell, yeah, it is.” Chuckling, he nuzzled his face into the side of her neck. Damn, he could breathe her in all day. “Are you always this batshit crazy, or is it something I bring out in you?”
“I have a tendency to over-plan. And overthink. And overdo. Basically I’m just a bundle of descriptions beginning with the word over.”
“I’m getting that.”
“But going overboard on every last little thing comes from a good place. As long as I think it’s going to make someone happy, I do it. That’s why I paid for all this with my card, instead of putting this on the room,” she added, shocking him enough to make him sit up straight and stare at her. “I wanted this to be a totally happy moment, not an upsetting one, so I promise I didn’t rack up a huge bill on room service.”
“I can pay for my own damn room service,” he growled, scowling at her. “No one takes care of me, Joelle. I’ve spent my entire life making sure I can take care of myself. You want to learn about me? That’s the one lesson at the top of the list. I fought like hell to get what I have so no one can yank it out from under me, so I make a point of never being indebted to anyone. No matter what, I always pay my own fucking bills. Understood?”
“I understand.” The measured tone was calm, controlled, and completely devoid of the bright sunshine that had been there only moments before. She reached for the pot of coffee and a cup and saucer, and the action brought her off his lap. She poured a cup, then walked away with it to settle in a chair that faced the bed. “I also understand that it should be clear my actions were not meant to offend. I had a whim, so I’m the one who should pay for that whim. If you’re too offended by my actions, by all means, don’t eat anything I ordered. May I suggest you order your own food so that you won’t feel beholden to me financially? I wouldn’t want you to starve.”
Shit. “I’m just saying I can pay for fucking room service.”
“I heard you perfectly.”
Well, that put