His humorless laugh haunted the room. What would the old man think of his son now? What would he think of the marriage, the motives behind it? Cole could almost hear the angry words, the accusations. The two of them would still disagree, still argue over everything, and probably never find a kind word to say to each other. But Cole couldn’t help wishing that, just once, his father had said he was proud of his son.

A knock sounded at the door, interrupting his self-recriminations. Setting his empty glass aside with a sense of relief, he braced himself for what he expected on the other side.

And he wasn’t disappointed. Darci stood in the hallway, still wearing her wedding dress. The dark circles under her eyes had deepened, adding to the haunted look she’d carried throughout the day. Cole struggled with the urge to drag her into his arms and soothe her. But she’d misunderstand his offering and he’d be crossing a boundary he wasn’t certain he dared approach.

He suspected neither of them had been ready for the intimacy of their first dinner together as a married couple. He’d offered to call room service so they could begin the planning right away, but Darci had insisted she had some business to finish at the office. Cole had accepted her excuse gratefully, needing time to gather his thoughts, to adjust to this new twist in his life.

“Hi.” He swept his arm back. “Come in, I’ll order drinks and we can talk.”

She shook her head, tiny curls of escaping hair dancing around her face. “No. I’d rather we went for a walk or something.”

He almost smiled. So she was feeling as awkward as he was. But his awkwardness was a direct result of the unwanted, unexpected, burning desire for his wife. Hers was probably more from a need to keep a sense of distance between them.

He knew she wanted him, could read the desire in her eyes every time she looked at him. And he now had a legal right to take advantage of that desire. But he wasn’t ready, couldn’t bear the thought of exposing his heart to more pain. Because he knew if he allowed himself to take her, he’d learn to care for her.

Nodding, Cole grabbed his hat and ushered her toward the elevator. But all his vows didn’t prevent him from enjoying the gentle sway of her hips as she walked in front of him. The swishing silk covered her slender legs to a point just below the knee, revealing much less than he would have liked. Maybe someday, if fate were finally kind to him, he’d have the privilege of viewing the long length of her bare limbs. For now, he’d have to rely on his imagination, which was working overtime, building memories that hadn’t even been created yet.