Beautiful Illusions Duet Bundle: Eighty-One Nights and Beautiful Ever After

by Georgia Cates

  “A beard?”

  “I don’t know. I’ve never seen you with a beard.”

  “I keep it short because it’s starting to get gray in it.”

  I grab his face and turn it to the side for a better look. “Really?”

  Hutch chuckles. “Didn’t you know you just married an old man?”

  I turn his face back so he’s looking at me. “You’re thirty-four. That’s not old.”

  He playfully rubs his nose against mine, giving me an Eskimo kiss. “Sorry, mo maise. I got my hair from my dad’s side of the family. I’m afraid that I’m destined to be an early grayer. I’ll probably be more gray than dark brown by the time I’m forty.”

  I try to picture what Hutch will look like with gray hair, and I only see him getting better looking with age.

  “So people will think you are my father instead of our children’s father?”

  “How many children are you talking about?”

  Oh no. I hope he isn’t rethinking his decision to have children.

  My heart pounds in my chest. “I was hoping for three.” I lower my voice. “Maybe four.”

  “In total or addition to Ava Rose?”

  “In addition.”

  “Up to five total?”

  “Yes.”

  Hutch chuckles. “Do you know how old I’ll be when the last one is born if we wait three to four years between each bairn? Have you done the math?”

  “Yes. You’ll be sexy years old.”

  “Sexy years old. All right. I like that but, mo maise, I’ll be approaching fifty.”

  “Then maybe we have them two years apart instead of three or four. You’ll still be early forties when the last one comes.”

  “And you’ll be thirty-ish with five wee Hutchesons.” He moves over my face and his voice is breathy against my ear. “You’ve turned my world on its head, making me change everything I thought I wanted for my life. You know that, right?”

  “I do and it doesn’t go unnoticed.” And to know that I hold that kind of power over him shows me how much he adores me.

  He runs his nose down the length of my neck, and his breath is warm on my skin. He knows how much that turns me on. “Maybe we should practice making babies so we’ll be really good at it when the time is right for trying.”

  This beautiful man wants to create life with me. Another little life.

  “I’ve heard it said that practice makes perfect.”

  “That’s right.”

  He kisses my mouth so lovingly. It isn’t urgent like so many of our kisses are. It’s sweet, and he makes me feel so loved.

  And breakfast is forgotten. At least for now.

  56

  Maxwell Hutcheson

  “Well, I’ll be damned,” Brady says, standing in the doorway of my office. “You said you’d be here today, but I didn’t believe you actually would be.”

  This morning was a strange one. Lou and I got up and returned to our lives as though we didn’t get married on Saturday and spend the rest of the weekend in each other’s arms as newlyweds.

  Damn. Walking away from her this morning was so much harder than I thought it would be.

  “I’m not here because this is where I want to be. That’s for damn sure.”

  Lou and I have a difficult task ahead of us, and we can’t afford to call attention to ourselves. As much as I despise it, I have to play the dutiful Lochridge Investments employee for a little longer in order to buy the precious time we need to build Lou’s character.

  I beckon Brady to come into my office. Too many ears around this place. “Shut the door.”

  “I assume you enjoyed the weekend with your bride?”

  “Definitely not the honeymoon I would have chosen to give Lou but it was still grand. We enjoyed our time at the castle.”

  “I know it’s very early on but how does marriage feel with a different woman?”

  “It’s amazing this time. So very different than before.” I never doubted that it would be.

  “No regrets?”

  “Not one.”

  “I don’t think I’ll ever marry again.”

  Brady is afraid of getting it wrong a second time. And I understand that feeling all too well.

  “I think you’ll feel differently when you meet the right woman.”

  “I don’t know, mate. I think I could be fucked up in the head where women are concerned.”

  “I don’t know the answer. I only know that I almost lost Lou because I wasn’t receptive to falling in love with her. My advice is to keep an open mind.”

  “It’s been a long time since I was with a woman who wasn’t paid to be with me.”

  I’m surprised Brady hasn’t grown tired of inamoratas. He was once a faithful, loyal husband. “If you’re content, then continue doing what you’re doing. If there comes a time when you’re no longer happy with inamoratas, do something else.”

  Brady rubs his palms over his face. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I’m suddenly questioning my life and what the fuck I’m doing with it.”

  “I think we all do that from time to time.”

  “I was fine until I saw how happy you were with Lou, and I became restless. If I’m being honest with you about it, I envy what you have with her.” Brady chuckles. “Fuck, I sound like a pussy talking this way.”

  “Maybe you should talk to Cora about finding a long-term inamorata for you. Someone like Lou who will give you the full girlfriend experience.”

  “That’s not the worst idea you’ve ever had.”

  “Who knows? You could find the one just like I did.”

  My phone rings and I pick up the handset. “Yes, Mary?”

  “I’m sorry to bother you but you have a visitor. Miss Blair is here and wants to see you.”

  Motherfucker.

  I haven’t seen Blair since she gave me the marriage ultimatum. I’ve been avoiding her like the plague she is. And now she’s here at the firm, making it impossible for me to evade her. She’s cornered me inside of her father’s lair.

  But I’ve had time to plan out how I’ll handle this with her, and I’m prepared. “You can send her in.”

  I lower the handset to its base.

  “Client?” Brady asks.

  “No, it’s Blair.”

  “Do you know what you’re going to say?”

  “I have a plan but who knows how she’ll respond. This all goes to shite if she doesn’t go along with it.”

  The door opens and Blair smiles when her eyes meet mine. And then she notices Brady. “Mary didn’t tell me you were with someone. I hope I’m not interrupting business.”

  It would be the first time she didn’t want to interrupt.

  “No interruption. Our meeting was over so I was just leaving.” Brady nods at Blair. “Lovely to see you, as always.”

  “And you as well,” Blair says.

  Brady stops in the doorway and turns around. “You’ve not forgotten our twelve o’clock lunch meeting with Gillespie?”

  Brady is a fast-thinking son of a bitch, and I’m proud to call him my best mate.

  “Aye, I haven’t forgotten.”

  “We need to leave in about fifteen minutes if we’re going to make our reservation on time.”

  Thank you, mate. I owe you a big one.

  “I’ll be a few minutes with Blair, and then I’ll swing by your office.”

  “Grand.”

  Brady leaves the door open on his way out, I’m sure to annoy Blair. He hates her as much as I do, but this latest stunt of hers has deepened his hatred.

  She goes to the door and closes it. “I guess we don’t have long to talk.”

  “We don’t.”

  “I came to your house every day this weekend and you were gone. Where were you?”

  Fuck. I hate the way she presumes to have the right to question me about my whereabouts. She’s like Mina in so many ways.

  “My family took a weekend holiday.”

  “Special occasion?”


  “We haven’t been on holiday as a family in a while and Mum wanted to spend the weekend together.”

  “So close to Christmas?”

  “The timeline wouldn’t allow us to wait.”

  “What timeline is that?”

  “Ian is going to be a father soon. The bairn is scheduled to arrive next month. Mum wanted to do it before the baby comes.”

  “Isn’t Ian still at uni?”

  “Aye, he is. One more semester to go. He’ll graduate in May.”

  Blair looks as though she’s smelling something putrid. “Your parents must be humiliated.”

  “They weren’t ecstatic about it at first, but they’ve come to accept it. And they’re happy about getting another granddaughter.”

  Blair laughs and shakes her head. “You’ve been a part of our family for so long that I sometimes forget what kind of people you really come from.”

  I would ask her what the fuck that means except that I already know it’s an insult targeted at my family. Mina did the same thing, often jabbing me with insults about my family not being from the same stock as hers.

  “I don’t think you came here to talk about my family holiday.”

  “You know why I’ve come. You’ve had plenty of time to think about my proposition. What is your decision?”

  I don’t like this. I don’t like pacifying her. I don’t like not telling her to go fuck herself.

  “There are a lot of holes in your plan.”

  “Such as?”

  “You’re married.”

  “And I told you that I would divorce Doug and marry you.”

  “An uncontested divorce takes two to three months, but your divorce won’t be a simplified one. Doug will contest it, and it’ll drag on for at least a year. Possibly longer considering the involvement of your monies and property.”

  It’s a legitimate argument. Even if Doug doesn’t love Blair, he won’t agree to walk away with nothing. Only a fool would do that.

  “Doug won’t contest. Dad will ensure that.”

  “Have you discussed this with Thomas?”

  “No, but he’ll go along with it. He’s never liked Doug anyway.”

  “Have you considered what people will say about us being together?”

  “They’ll eventually accept us as a couple. It won’t be a problem.”

  Buy time with her, Max. That’s all you have to do right now. Even if you want to chew off your tongue in the process.

  “I love my daughter and I don’t want to lose her. If I have to marry you to keep her, then I’ll do it.”

  “Well, it’s not the proposal I was hoping for, but I guess it’ll have to do.”

  Sorry, bitch. You don’t get a romantic proposal when you’re trying to blackmail someone into marriage.

  She comes to me, wrapping her arms around my shoulder. I grip her wrists, lowering them to her sides. “There’ll be none of that.”

  “There’ll be none of what?” She may be asking but she knows exactly what I mean.

  “No touching. No kissing.”

  “You’re going to be my husband, and this is going to be a real marriage. Intimacy and sex will be part of that.”

  The thought of fucking Blair nauseates me.

  “Maybe so but I can’t be with you while you’re married to another man. Mina betrayed me that way, and I can’t be a part of doing that to Doug.”

  My brother-in-law doesn’t understand the favor I’m doing him by convincing Blair to file for divorce. He’s probably been wanting out for years.

  “Doug doesn’t deserve to be betrayed because you’ve decided that you don’t want to be married to him anymore.”

  “It sounds as though you care more about Doug than about me.”

  Doug has been my brother-in-law for years. We’ve never been extremely close, but I still consider him family. And I don’t have to care about him a lot in order to care more about him than I do Blair.

  Come on, Max. Tell her what she wants to hear and make her happy. Her contentment is what buys you time. “How soon can you file for divorce?”

  “I’ll call today for an appointment with a solicitor.”

  “Today is good. The sooner, the better.”

  “I like your eagerness.”

  She won’t like what I have to say next. “We can’t spend time together while you’re still married.”

  “What? Why?”

  “Judges frown upon adultery in divorce cases. We can’t give anyone grounds to suspect anything between us.” And I need a reason to not spend time with her.

  “That could be a year away. I’m not waiting that long to be with you.”

  “This is a pivotal moment. What if Doug hired a private investigator and he took photographs of us together? He could use that against you in court. And even if it didn’t help his case, the truth about us would be out there. I wouldn’t want anyone to think I was having an affair with you prior to Mina’s death. And that’s how it would look to people if we’re together before you’re divorced.”

  “I guess you’re right. I’m being impatient.”

  I bring my arm up, looking at my watch. “I have to go. Brady will be waiting for me.”

  “When can I see you again?”

  Never again would be too soon.

  “Get the divorce in motion and we’ll talk in a month.”

  “I don’t want to go a month without seeing you.”

  “If this is what you want, then this is the way it has to be. And there’ll be no more discussion about it.”

  Blair grins… and looks as though she wants to fuck me more now than she did the night she was on her knees trying to unbuckle my trousers.

  “Yes, sir. If that’s the way you want it.”

  Yes, sir? What is happening here?

  Does she like it when I take control? Does she like being told what to do?

  Maybe. It’s something that could be worth exploring in the future if need be.

  “Will you come to Mum and Dad’s for Christmas?”

  “I’m spending Christmas with my family.”

  “What about Ava Rose? She should be with us during the holidays.”

  “I’ll call Lundy and make arrangements for her to spend time with your family.”

  “We won’t have this problem after we’re married. She’ll be our daughter and we’ll raise her together.”

  Bairns. I’ve never heard Blair say if she wants her own or not. As far as she knows, I can’t father children. That might be a good angle to work.

  “If you want to have children of your own, I won’t be able to give them to you. I’m sterile.”

  I laugh a wee bit on the inside as I say the words. I’m pretty sure I’m the opposite of sterile since Lou became pregnant while she was taking the pill.

  “Mina was always a failure. I won’t be. I’ll have your babies.”

  “I was the problem. Not Mina.”

  “Then we’ll do in vitro.”

  “That’s not guaranteed to work. Do you really want to enter into a marriage with a man who can’t give you children the natural way?”

  “You know I always get what I want and I want children. I’ll find a way to make it happen.”

  Sorry, Blair. I wouldn’t be able to get my cock up for you if you were the last woman on earth.

  “I have to go. Can’t keep this client waiting.”

  57

  Caitriona Hutcheson

  “Muh… muh… muh.” I wake to a soft palm patting the side of my face, and my heart melts when I hear what I think is Ava Rose trying to call me mum. Maybe.

  Hutch insists on teaching her to call me mum because he says that I’m the only mother she’ll ever know. In our situation, I’m not sure it’s the best idea, but it’s what he wants. And I certainly don’t mind. No matter what happens, I will always consider her my child.

  Gripping her wrist, I bring her palm to my mouth and kiss it. “Good morning, baby girl.”

  “I tried to convince
her to sleep a little longer but she’s not having it. It’s as though she somehow knows it’s Christmas morning, and she has gifts under the tree.”

  My little brother and sisters always somehow knew too. Weird how that happens with kids.

  “I say we let her tear into them.”

  The three of us move into the living room and sit on the floor by the tree. Hutch places a gift in front of Ava Rose. “Go for it, lassie. Tear the paper.”

  I reach over and rip it a little, widening my eyes and mouth when it makes a tearing sound. “See? It’s okay to tear it.”

  She pulls and giggles when the paper tears. Baby giggles. They’re the absolute best thing in this world.

  “I think you’re going to need some help or this will take all day, little lady.” And we don’t have all day. We have to be at Gus and Clarissa’s at twelve.

  This. This is everything that I imagined in my head when I dreamed about Christmas morning with my someday family: a handsome husband who loves me. A child who adores me. A happy home filled with love and laughter. This is my beautiful ever after. It’s mine. It’s actually mine.

  Hutch stretches and grabs one of the gifts, placing it on my lap. “From Ava Rose and me.”

  “She helped you pick it out?”

  “She absolutely did.”

  I lean down and tell her, “Then I know it’s the best gift ever.”

  I tear the paper away and squeal when I see the white box and Apple emblem. “Oh my God. A new laptop?” And not just any ole cheap laptop. It’s the best one on the market.

  “You don’t have to worry about this one crashing.”

  This computer will do everything I need it to do. “I needed this so much. Thank you.”

  “I kept thinking you would buy one for yourself, but you never did.”

  So much has been going on. “Our lives have been so busy. Something kept getting in the way.”

  “Everything from your old laptop has been transferred to this one. You’re all set to write a bestseller.”

  I might have once thought of this as a “too-practical present” but not today. This gift shows me how well Hutch knows me. How much he loves me. “I love it. This is great. Such a thoughtful gift. Thank you.”