Page 108 of State of Grace (First Family 2)

“This and the time with the kids is the best part of my day.”

“Same. I hate that I didn’t get to see them before bed.”

“Scotty is still awake if you want to see him. We had a good talk about what’s happening with the custody case. I hate how it’s stressing him out.”

Nick pulled back from her and gave her another quick kiss. “I’ll go see him before dinner comes.” He went into the walk-in closet and came back wearing sweats and his favorite ratty Harvard T-shirt.

Even dressed down, he was the sexiest man she’d ever laid eyes on.

“Be right back.”

“I’ll be here.”

“Counting on that.”

When he returned to their suite fifteen minutes later, dinner had arrived, and Sam had lit the candles LeRoy had put on the table. She appreciated his attention to detail.

“This is nice,” Nick said when he sat across from her.

Sam poured white wine for them. “How’s our boy?”

“He’s okay. He said it helped to talk to you about it and to know Andy is doing everything he can to make it go away.”

“I hate that he’s suffering over it. That Eli is, too.”

“Yeah, and knowing it’s probably all about money just enrages me.”

“Same.”

The dinner was as delicious as it had sounded, and the wine helped take the edge off the day.

“I’m ready for my surprise now.”

“I can’t believe you lasted this long without making me show you.”

“Only because I was hungry. Now that I’ve eaten, I’m fresh out of patience.”

“Go put on something sexy.”

“What?” she said, gesturing to her T-shirt. “This isn’t sexy enough?”

“Everything about you is sexy, but you’re going to want to dress up for this.”

“Challenge accepted.” She got up from the table and went into the closet to change into a getup she’d bought for their upcoming vacation. These days, she had everything sent to her sister Tracy’s house so some poor White House staffer wouldn’t have to open the package full of lacy bits for the first lady.

As she battled her way into the complicated contraption, she giggled at the thought of that happening. What the hell had she been thinking ordering something with so many straps and snaps? By the time she had it on, she’d broken into a sweat. She put on the vanilla and lavender lotion Nick loved and donned the black silk robe he’d given her for her birthday in October.

When she stepped back into their bedroom, she found that the candles had been extinguished, and he was nowhere to be found. Her gaze was attracted to something on the floor.

A rose petal.

Oh, game on, she thought, smiling as she grabbed her phone, dropped it in the pocket of her robe and followed the trail he’d left her to the stairs to the third floor. She went past the conservatory to a closed door down the hall from Celia’s apartment.

While everything around them was changing, some things remained exactly the same, Sam thought as she followed the rose petals to the door where the trail ended. Her heart raced with excitement and anticipation as she opened the door and was immediately hit with the coconut scent of the candles from their loft at home.

Smiling, she took in the sight of her gorgeous husband stretched out on the double lounge he’d bought to remind them of their honeymoon in Bora Bora. As she closed the door behind her, she said, “I’m looking for the president. The bat line is ringing downstairs.”

“Liar.” He grinned as he gestured to the phone on a table next to the lounge. “They can find me no matter where I am.”