An Arranged Marriage

by C. M. Bryden

  Chapter Seven

  Andrew rang later to tell her the arrangements Jake had made for the wedding. When Jane casually asked where Jake intended to take her afterwards, Andrew knew Jake needed to get his act together as he’d made no mention of a honeymoon, or as to where they would live! Andrew of course, had forgotten to ask and, like Jane, had no idea where that would be either.

  The next morning, before she went shopping for her bridal outfit, Jane phoned Jessie and told her she would be taking a couple of days off work, as she had too much to do, suggesting she join her later to pick out an outfit for her to wear as her maid of honour.

  Deciding what to wear was her biggest problem. She didn’t want anything long, white, or frilly, and definitely nothing that looked virginal, just a simple dress that would look special, without being too dressy. Luckily she found the perfect outfit in the designer section in the department store near to where she lived.

  The dress, with a matching bolero jacket, fitted like a dream and could have been designed with her in mind. It was made of ivory shantung silk, with a fitted bodice nipped into her tiny waist and a straight skirt that had a small kick pleat at the back, and ended just below her knees. The material shimmered as she turned and twirled in front of the dressing room mirrors, the perfect colour for her burnished mahogany hair and the natural pallor of her skin.

  She looked beautiful and sexy, yet at the same time demure and virginal (which she wasn’t) and all she needed to finish the outfit was a headdress. For this, she chose a simple headband covered in ivory silk that exactly matched the dress and was decorated with handmade silk roses.

  Finally, a pair of shoes in ivory silk, decorated with gold beads and seed pearls provided the finishing touch. As far as Jane was concerned, Jake was certainly going to get a bride who looked truly beautiful, one definitely worth every penny of the many thousands of pounds he was spending to save her father’s company.

  Looking good was going to be Jane’s armour. She wanted to feel like every other bride on her special day, even if it was a marriage of convenience. Looking good would certainly help her to cope with what she assumed would be the most stressful and emotional day of her life.

  But what about flowers? It was usual for the groom to provide them! As she looked in the mirror her only wish was, that she’d been a conventional bride, making her own decisions, but this was one wedding where the groom-to-be had taken on that mantle.

  Jake, meanwhile, was just as busy in his own way, making plans for what to him was also going to be a special day in his life. He’d never envisaged getting married, let alone planning one and then, of course there was the honeymoon he’d nearly forgotten to organise.

  The Dorchester Hotel had been booked for the wedding reception by Jake, as well as a suite for the first night of them being married where he intended in every sense to make Jane his wife.

  It was going to be a small affair, for only a handful of people, until Andrew had convinced Jake they should invite a few more, rather than just the two Jake had at first wanted.

  As for where they would live as a married couple, he’d even given that some thought as well, thinking Jane might prefer to live in her flat, small as it was, rather than in his spartanly furnished bachelor apartment in Chelsea, at least until they could get a house in the country.

  Jake fully intended their marriage to be a partnership, even if Jane viewed it as a marriage of convenience and, as far as he was concerned, it was for keeps, and any decisions regarding their future life together would be made jointly. All he had to do was to tell Jane of his decision and convince her he loved her for herself, and not because he wanted to get his hands on her father’s business, and for her to know he’d wanted to marry her from his first sight of her when he’d been hit by a thunderbolt of love! He might in the past been sexually aroused and satisfied by other women, but he’d never been emotionally satisfied. He certainly didn’t understand the opposite sex, and even less their emotional needs, because he didn’t understand his own: not telling Jane he had a mother, father and two stepparents, as well as two siblings, was the result of his emotional ignorance, an omission that was going to contribute to his downfall, but that’s for later. It was too late now for him to contemplate making alterations to his plans, even knowing he’d made a fundamental error in blackmailing Andrew into persuading Jane to marry him. This worried him a little: ashamed at his lack of ethics, but his desire to possess Jane was so great he’d chosen to ignore his conscience that had started to urge him to take the conventional route of wooing and courting her before they married. There was no doubt about it; Jake Adams was going to be hoisted by his own petard! If only he’d known, he would have to pay a high price for his inexperience in the future? But, being the man he was, he managed to shrug off his doubts, thankful that Andrew Reynolds needed his help so badly he’d willingly persuaded Jane to accept his proposal and that, for the time being, was quite enough for Jake!

  The wedding was destined to take place in a dull and uninspiring room, in an unpretentious registry office, housed in an old council building, not far from where Jane lived. The registrar and her assistants had tried their best to make the room as attractive as possible with the inclusion of vases full of seasonal flowers. The wedding room, as far as Jane was concerned, just wasn’t the same as the old and beautiful church in the village where she’d grown up, and where she’d always imagined in her dreams of making her vows to a man she loved. This Spartan wedding would have no choir singing as her father walked her up the aisle, or bridesmaids and pageboys walking behind her. Neither would there be any of her old aunts and uncles, or all her old friends from school.

  Without telling Jane, Jake had done as Andrew had suggested and invited her friend, Sylvie, but not Leo, as he was again working in America. Jake had even asked Mark and Liza, his friends to join them, but there had been no invites to his family. And then of course, there was Jessie, who was to be Jane’s matron of honour and a witness, along with Andrew.

  Much to Andrew’s surprise, Jake was taking his role as wedding planner quite seriously: he’d even organised the flowers, a small bouquet of yellow tea roses for Jane and a smaller bouquet of spring flowers for Jessie, as well as buttonholes for himself and Andrew.

  With everything in place, Jake was quite pleased with his efforts; all he could hope for was that Jane would arrive at the stated time and would take him for her lawful wedded husband and that she would do so with love, if not in her heart then at least in her mind as a possibility for the future!

  Jane, she spent her last day as a single woman tidying and cleaning her flat, until the evening, when she relaxed in a bubble bath and where she lay thinking of how she would get through the next day and, more importantly, her wedding night, when she would be expected to become Jake’s wife in more than name.

  There had been neither sight, or sound from Jake, but her father had phoned every day to let her know how the arrangements were coming along. Again, as a prospective lover and husband, Jake was uncommonly slow-witted!

  The wedding flowers were due to arrive early on the morning, as was Jessie, who intended to help Jane dress and do her hair and make-up. As for Andrew, he was going to spend the night before the wedding at his club, and would be at Jane’s flat in time to escort her and Jessie to the registry office, where, Jake had assured Andrew he would be waiting.

  Jane slept fitfully that last night as a single woman, her fantasy dreams even more bizarre than usual. She’d started to look forward to going to bed and being transported into another world where, no matter what was happening to her in real life, she always ended up in Jake’s arms in a passionate embrace. Would her dreams, she wondered, be fulfilled once they were married?

  At last, her wedding morning arrived. The day her mother had always said would be the happiest of her life. But Jane was sceptical, unsure whether this day would be special, or an unmitigated disaster. In some ways she felt like a condemned woman, heading off to the gallows, her stom
ach full of butterflies but, once dressed in her lovely outfit, the magic started to happen and, by the time her father and Jessie arrived she felt calm and serene, quite the opposite of how she’d thought she would feel. Strangely enough, she’d become accepting of what she was about to experience. The only part that upset her was when her father became tearful as he first saw her in her wedding outfit. He’d clutched her hands and thanked her for what she was doing to help his business; it was at this point she began to feel sick with nerves; not to the point where she was sick, but to where she could feel an inner excitement building up and, with her diamond engagement ring transferred to her right hand, she suddenly had a feeling of bravado in her heart and that’s how she continued to feel, right up until she left for the registry office, where she would soon become Mrs Jake Adams!

  Jake was already waiting at the main entrance door when Jane arrived with Andrew and Jessie. To her surprise, she saw Sylvie waiting as well, along with another couple she didn’t recognise, but whom Jake introduced later as his good friends, Mark and Liza.

  Jake’s first thought as Jane alighted from the car and walked towards him was how beautiful she looked, and how lucky he was to have ensnared her, given her feisty nature. His pride in her was enormous, especially as she’d turned up, not realising how independent she was, or that, once she’d made a promise, she kept it.

  Jane looked at Jake, giving him a quick once over, noting how handsome he looked wearing a lightweight Italian suit, in pale grey, that flattered his dark colouring. He’d chosen a blue shirt, patterned in soft shades of pale blue with a matching silk tie and, as they stood together on the steps of the old building, Mark videoed the occasion. To him, they appeared to be a well-matched couple about to embark on the journey of a lifetime together, but both bride and groom had their own thoughts as to the route their journey would take, surprising them, had they known they were the same!

  Like everything else about her wedding, Jane had little or no say in the choice of her wedding ring either. Strangely enough, this didn’t irk her at all as Jake had already demonstrated his good taste in jewellery so, when Jane saw the exquisite diamond studded platinum ring he’d chosen for her, for the first time as he placed it on her finger she was delighted.

  The ceremony itself was short and simple. There were no choir boys singing hymns, no old aunts and uncles wiping tears from their eyes, and no vicar to bless them after they’d said their vows in front of the altar in the old church, but, for all that, Jane felt as though she’d taken part in a meaningful ceremony, one, much to her surprise equally as solemn. The one moment that pleased her, the most, was when Jake took the wedding ring from out of his pocket and placed it on her finger. She would remember that moment forever. He’d made his vows, his eyes never once leaving hers and, as soon as he’d placed the ring on her finger, he’d gallantly raised her hand to his lips and kissed it, bringing tears, not only to her eyes, but also to those watching in the seats behind them.

  Mark recorded every detail of the ceremony, and then afterwards on the registry office steps, as they all gathered outside in the sunshine, before the bride and groom sped off to the Dorchester for their wedding breakfast.

  The ride to the hotel gave them a chance to relax after what had been quite a stressful experience, both having carried out their parts with dignity. And now, sitting together in the limousine they both felt different. Jake of course was extremely happy because he’d just married the most beautiful woman in the world, one he loved with all his heart. As for Jane, she felt different too, but why should a simple ceremony have had such an impact on her senses in particular? She couldn’t understand why she should feel as she did. They might have kissed, after their rings had been exchanged, but it hadn’t been a proper kiss and that was how she continued to feel over the next few hours as they went through the motions of hosting their wedding reception.

  The food was delicious, smoked salmon, roast spring lamb, a fruit sorbet to die for and then, of course champagne that had flowed nonstop, and then the cake, Jake had ordered especially, which they’d cut with due ceremony, after which came the impromptu speeches, made by Jake’s friend Mark, and then Andrew, who welcomed Jake as his son-in-law, deliberately not making any reference to the speed of the marriage, or to Jake’s part in the survival of his company, or more to the point the fact that the marriage had been one of convenience.

  Jake took every opportunity during the feast to have his hands around Jane’s waist, pulling her into close contact with his body. He could also be seen holding her hand, much to the amusement of Andrew and Jessie, who knew the true story, and then, when Jake raised his glass to toast Jane, and their future together, Jane had simply raised her glass and looked long and hard into his amber eyes, silently echoing his thoughts, an enigmatic smile on her lips that promised nothing.

  Unbeknown to the newly-weds, Andrew and Jessie were also hitting it off quite nicely as well.

  The wedding party was just about to break up when, to much laughter, Jake told everyone he and Jane had plans for the evening that didn’t include anyone else. It was at this point Andrew had whispered into Jessie’s ear that if she were free, perhaps she would care to join him that evening!

  Of course, Sylvie, Mark and Liza had to get back to their respective homes and their children and, with everyone’s best wishes ringing in their ears, the newlyweds said their goodbyes and retired to their suite in the hotel to begin their married life, away from prying eyes.

  Chapter Eight

  Holding Jane tightly by the hand, Jake walked her to the lift and, within a few minutes, they were at the suite he’d booked for their wedding night. He unlocked the door and pushed it open. Turning, he effortlessly picked her up in his arms and immediately she was experiencing the fantasy she’d dreamt of over the past few weeks. As he carried her across the threshold she gasped, momentarily taken aback by his actions and the opulence of the suite. Carefully, he placed her down, but without releasing his hold, intent on kissing her; just as his lips were about to meet hers so she moved her head, deflecting his kiss, at the same time deftly moving out of his arms. She heard his sharp intake of breath and the next minute his hands were on her waist and, before she knew what was happening, he’d spun her round to face him. He smiled down at her as he held her close, pinning her arms to her sides with his, his warm breath fanning her face. Looking up at him, she could see the golden shards in his amber eyes glinting at her.

  Determined to stamp his authority on their relationship in the only way he knew how, Jake kept her arms pinned to her side and kissed her thoroughly, which he managed only by releasing one arm and holding her head in such a position she couldn’t escape. The next minute, he’d taken full command of her mouth, with his tongue probing and tasting her and, before Jane knew it, she was responding in the same manner, her pent up emotions threatening to overwhelm her.

  Jake gradually relaxed his hold as she kissed him back. Moving his hands over her body he started caressing her, first her hips, shaping the swell of them and then her breasts that he gently weighed, feeling her nipples hardening at his touch. He sensed her passion was as elevated as his own, in the way she pressed her body against his, eager to feel his arousal, moving her legs apart so she could feel him better. For some time, they stood together, enjoying the intimacy of the moment, kissing, and with Jake thrusting his body against hers, their first bodily contact since they’d met.

  Jake knew he’d successfully breached her defences, when she started to caress his body in return. He could feel his muscles tensing as she moved her hands over his stomach, making their way down to the bulge in his trousers, at the same time his erection was causing him some discomfort, contained as it was by clothes he wanted to remove, that he might get his body even closer to Jane’s.

  Well aware of Jake’s sexual excitement and his arousal, pressed as it was close to her body, Jane found her own excitement mounting. Suddenly, Jake released her, but only for a moment, as he lifted her once more
into his arms. This time, Jane placed her arms around his neck as he carried her into the bedroom where he placed her tenderly down onto the huge bed that dominated the sumptuous room; a room designed to entice any reluctant bride to make love. But Jane was no longer a reluctant bride, merely unsure of Jake’s qualities as a husband, even if he was a good kisser!

  Jake though wasn’t unsure! The next minute he was kissing her and, with his arousal pushing hard against his trousers he knew in the next few minutes he would make her his own, in the full physical sense, knowing that whatever it had cost him financially to get her to marry him, it was already worth every penny just to be on this bed, looking down into his wife’s emerald eyes, already love hazed as they looked into his.

  It took very little effort for him to remove her bolero jacket and pull down the zip of her dress and then, with her help, he removed the rest of her clothes, managing at the same time between them to remove his own.

  Quite soon, his jacket, trousers and shirt had landed in a heap on the floor, on top of her dress and underwear. It then got more interesting as Jake climbed onto the bed and straddled her, looking down at her, as she lay naked beneath him.

  Jane’s first sight of Jake’s naked body didn’t seem to embarrass her at all, in fact she was amazed not only at her own wantonness, but also at how mesmerised she was by his erection!

  Jane looked up at him, her eyes beguiling him into exploring her body, daring him as she tried to outstare him. This was where Jake’s sexual experience out-weighed hers. He leant back, for a moment, letting her have her fill of his body, before smoothing his hands over hers. He began exploring every nook and cranny until any thought of revenge vanished from Jane’s mind. She’d feasted her eyes on the beauty of his body, her eyes drawn to the impressive length of his erection and then to its silky feel, as she took it in her hand. She heard Jake’s sudden intake of breath as she slowly stroked him, moving her hands instinctively, loving the feel of him.