“No, that makes sense.”
“I’ve spent some time on the internet this weekend, and I found a few places that I thought we might consider for the wedding.”
“You’ve been busy,” I can’t hide the surprise that he managed to arrange all of this, purchase a ring and now spend time researching venues for our wedding, since I agreed to this arrangement less than two days ago.
“I have.”
“So what venues did you find for the wedding?”
“There are a few on the coast that I think would be perfect for the beach wedding you said you wanted—”
“That was just a dream. If you would rather—”
“Kenzie, you’re doing this for me; the least I can do is give you the wedding you’ve dreamed of since you were a child.”
He goes on to describe the different venues, showing me pictures on his iPad that was packed in the picnic basket, but I’m still stuck on the fact that he is doing this for me. He is giving me the wedding I dreamed of, when he could have easily arranged a grand wedding in some country club somewhere. Instead, he has chosen venues that advertise small, intimate beach weddings.
“Any of these three places would allow us to manage security for the event; a few of the other places I found online were too open to the public which would make security a challenge. What do you think of these options?”
“Honestly, they all look amazing. I love this one with the rocks in the background—”
“That was my favorite as well.”
“So, we just need to pick a date?”
“If you are agreeable, I’m thinking two weeks from yesterday.”
“Two weeks? You want to plan the wedding in two weeks?”
“It’s fast, I know, but like I said I don’t want too much time to pass before we announce our marriage to the press. And with PFS—”
“No, it’s not that. I just don’t know if we can pull all of this off in two weeks. People plan weddings over several months… two weeks… wow.”
“I learned very early on in my career that money talks. If you are agreeable with the date, I can guarantee that two weeks will be enough time to plan the wedding. My mother uses an event planner that we could contract with to handle all the details of the wedding, and since we’re not inviting many people we don’t need to worry about giving everyone plenty of notice to attend.”
“If you think we can make it happen, I’m fine with getting married in two weeks… wow, that sounds so weird to say!”
“I know… I thought that when I was looking at these venues. I’ve called all three and they are available for that weekend so if you definitely want this one, I’ll call them this afternoon and put the deposit down to hold the date.”
“I think this one is perfect, and you said you liked it too, right?”
“I do—the view from the beach is incredible.”
“It really is.”
Over the rest of lunch, we finalize some of the plans for the wedding. Assuming the venue is still available, in less than two weeks we will be married on a beautiful beach off the coast. We will be meeting with a wedding planner hopefully tomorrow or Tuesday at the latest to outline the necessary plans. Due to concerns with the press, everything will be brought to the Accord Towers, rather than us going out to look at cakes, decorations or gowns. It’s going to be a very busy two weeks; I suppose it’s a good thing that I needed to take time off from the bakery, I’m not sure how I would manage all of this otherwise.
Chapter 6
Nicholas
I walked Kenzie back to her apartment after we returned from horseback riding, so she can get ready for dinner with my family later tonight. I’m pleased with how today turned out; everything I planned worked out perfectly. I was worried the ranch would be crowded and I wouldn’t be able to have the privacy I wanted, but once again money talks. I was able to convince the owners to close for a couple of hours to ensure no one would see us while we were there and report back to the press.
Even though this marriage is a fake, I wanted Kenzie to remember the day I proposed to her. I have no idea how that fucker she was with before proposed, but it was important to me to replace whatever memory she had. Based on the tears in her eyes, I think my mission was accomplished.
When I get back to the apartment, I immediately head for the shower in the en suite off my bedroom. I’m under the water for less than a minute before the memory of kissing Kenzie comes to the surface. The kiss today … that was so… so much more than the one last night. I wasn’t planning on kissing her today; the plan was to take her horseback riding and then bring her to the picnic area where I would propose properly to her. I had hoped she would enjoy the surprise but her reaction took me completely by surprise. The moment she wrapped her arms around my neck and put her body flush against mine I knew I was done. I tried to behave—I tried not to focus on how she felt against me but I lost that battle quickly. I don’t know if she kissed me or if I kissed her, but when our lips met any thoughts of not focusing on Kenzie’s body disappeared.
I can’t risk blurring the lines of this arrangement; I can’t risk things becoming awkward between us. The impact of that is too great. It’s one thing to kiss her in front of the press like last night or while we’re out in public in case others are watching but the one by the horses was something that just happened between us and had nothing to do with our arrangement. As much as I know I shouldn’t have done it, when her body pressed against mine kissing her was the only thing I could think of. I need to find some way to stop thinking of her like that—it will only complicate things between us.
My dick standing is full attention at the memory of her pressed against me, of her lips on mine... I sigh, shaking my head, realizing that this here is what my sex life is going to consist of for the next year and a half or longer. As I stroke my dick, I imagine her hand on me instead of my own; her soft hand wrapped around me, as I tease her hardened nipples. I can’t help but wonder how she likes to be fucked. Would she like to be taken against this wall? I can easily picture her in here with me, even though no one other woman has ever been in here. I can imagine lifting her up against the wall, her hands would grip my arms as her legs encircle my waist. I nearly lose it when she reaches between us, stroking it one last time before placing me against her opening. Her eyes go wide as I slide slowly into her tight center; her walls convulse around me as her breathing hitches in my ear. It only takes a few quick thrusts to bring her over the edge; she screams out my name which does me in. One final thrust into her, has me emptying myself as she milks me dry…
“Fuck!” In the reality of the shower, I find my release by my own hand instead of inside of Kenzie.
I have no idea how I’m going to fucking last the next eighteen months if I can barely get through a day with her. It felt so good to kiss her today, to have her pressed against me and to bring that smile to her face after riding for the first time. I was nervous that she wouldn’t agree to go with me this morning without knowing our destination, especially after what happened the last time I tried something like this. But yet again her reaction wasn’t what I expected: when I told her it was a surprise, she didn’t press the issue too much. She didn’t have the near panic attack that she said she had with Hunter. The enormity of the amount of trust she has in me weighs heavy on me.
“Sir?” Carter finds me in my study a short time later.
“Come in, Carter.”
“We believe we have identified Kenzie’s ex—”
“Finally! What the fuck took so long?”
“It took some digging; Kenzie’s name wasn’t on the deed to the house, and the residence they shared wasn’t even the address she used anywhere. We finally identified him through a picture of them attending a holiday dinner through his employer.”
“What do we know about him?”
“Richard Westbrook: somewhat successful advertising executive for an agency in Denver. From what we can tell, he has had a few successful campaigns, but
has also had a few that went south. He has been with his current employer for about five years but has held a variety of jobs there.”
“What else?” Now that we have a name, I want to fucking know everything about this piece of shit. I will find a way to ruin him if it’s the last thing I do. He deserves to pay for what he did to Kenzie.
“On paper, there’s nothing that stands out. He’s 33 years old—”
“He’s almost ten years older than Kenzie?”
“Yes, according to the date of birth listed on his driver’s license. He appears younger, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he told her he was in his twenty’s. He’s been married twice, both ended in divorce. Minor criminal record: speeding tickets, disorderly conduct… that type of thing.”
“That’s it?”
“Yes sir. Nothing that stood out that we have found yet, but I have Brian and Asher continuing to dig further.”
“Very well, Carter. Email me what you have. Did the cops ever find out who broke into her apartment?”
“Nothing, sir. They’re keeping an eye on pawn shops, but ones in that area aren’t typically helpful when it comes to police involvement. They believe it was someone residing in the building but they can’t prove it.”
“I’m assuming they’re closing the case at this point?”
“They’re putting it to the side until they receive a lead but otherwise…”
“Thanks, Carter.”
I’m not surprised the police weren’t able to find the person who broke into Kenzie’s apartment, though I would have liked to be able to give her that closure.
I did expect something more to have come up on her ex’s background report, though, but at least I finally have a fucking name to go with the little that she has told me about him. So many times I’ve wanted to ask her what the fuck she was doing with a slime ball who wanted to control her life and who hit her, but I don’t. I know that asking her that wouldn’t bring me any answers; I can picture her closing up the moment I raise the issue. I also want to know about her childhood: what happened that she talks so little about that time in her life? I’m tempted to ask Carter to dig into that too, but at the same time, I want Kenzie to open up and tell me herself.
Before we leave to pick her up for dinner, I call the venue we decided on for the wedding and speak with the manager. I have signed NDAs by all their staff within the hour—hearing that they will have the opportunity to host my wedding has the owner moving very quickly. I contact my travel agent and provide him with the details of the honeymoon that I want booked. If all goes as planned, in just over two weeks, PFS’s PR department will release a statement announcing our marriage, complete with a picture from the ceremony as proof.
“Good evening, Kenzie, you look… stunning,” I can’t help but struggle with the words when she answers the door in a deep blue wrap dress that seems to hug her curves just perfectly, before becoming much looser at her waist.
“Thank you,” she blushes and moves to close the door.
“Hunter, Ben and Julie will be down shortly to move your boxes and take care of the kitchen. If they miss anything, they will get it tomorrow morning for you.”
“Thank you.”
With my hand on her back, we head to the parking garage where the SUV is waiting to take us to my parents’ house. Looking at the ring on her hand has reality setting in—I, Nicholas Parker, will be getting married in less than two weeks. Even if the marriage is arranged, and not for love, the idea that I’m letting a woman back into my personal space is frightening.
Before the weekend I was sick, I swore I would never let a woman into my space; that I would never put myself at risk again. I learned with my ex that an NDA means nothing; for the right price she was willing to risk it all. I’ll never know if her motive was simply money or if it was to actually ruin me. I have no doubts that Kenzie is different, but the risk still remains nonetheless. I trusted my ex; I let her into my life, never expecting her to end up being a complete fake who only used me. I never expected to fall for her to the point of practically blinding me; although looking back, I think the attraction was more lust than anything else. The realization of just how blind I was has me second guessing this entire arrangement with Kenzie—what if it backfires on me again? Kenzie has proven to me that she isn’t like my ex, but what if it’s all an act? What if she is just a better actress than Harper was? What if—
“Are you okay?” Kenzie pulls me from my near anxiety attack.
“Yeah, fine,” I lie.
“I’m glad you are because I’m a nervous wreck,” she admits with a small laugh.
“You are? Why? You know my parents adore you,” I turn my focus back to her, relieved to not have to go down memory lane, analyzing all the mistakes I’ve made in my life.
“I worry what your parents will think about our engagement—that maybe they will think it’s all too soon. Most people take months to plan a wedding, yet we’re doing it in less than two weeks. Don’t you think they will be suspicious about that?”
“Kenzie, calm down,” I squeeze her hand reassuringly. “My parents knew each other for less than one week before they were married so—”
“What? Less than a week?”
“Yes, they were married six days after they first met,” I chuckle recalling the story my parents have told us so many times. “They met at some type of a conference they were both attending. My mom was there as part of a med school class, while my father was there because a friend dragged him along to keep him from being bored. It was in Vegas, of all places. Over lunch on the first day, they were in line next to each other, and when my father realized that my mother was there alone, he invited her to join him for lunch. The story goes that they hit it off immediately; they spent the next few days spending all their free time together. Even though they lived near each other, when the time came to leave Vegas, neither of them wanted their relationship to end. Personally, I think a little alcohol was involved in the decision, but according to the both of them after the final day they were walking around the city one last time and walked past a wedding chapel. My father joked that they should get married and when my mother turned to him to say yes, they walked right into the chapel.”
“Really? Wow… that’s so sweet!”
“They’ve been married 35 years now and love to tell the story of how they met every year on their anniversary. They both said after spending so much time together they just knew that they were meant to be. When they returned home, they moved in together and finished their degrees while supporting each other.”
“So, you don’t think this will sound suspicious to them?”
“I think they are going to be surprised; I can almost guarantee that. They probably expect something like this from Cara, but they will definitely not expect it from me. I think it would raise more concerns if they hadn’t met you already, so that’s definitely going to work in our favor.”
“I hope so.”
“Don’t be nervous; my family adores you and they will be happy with the news.”
“Sir, ma’am,” Carter alerts us that we are parked in my parents’ driveway. I hadn’t realized the car had stopped since my focus was on easing Kenzie’s concerns.
“I should take this,” I slide the ring off of her finger before we leave the car. “I’ll put it back on at dinner right before we share the news.”
She nods and I slip the ring into my jacket pocket before sliding out of the SUV; she follows after me, and we walk into my parents’ house with my hand on her back. We are immediately greeted by Cara who quickly lets Kenzie know how much she loves the dress she is wearing tonight. I watch as she takes Kenzie’s hand and leads her into the great room where everyone is waiting for us. I sit down next to Austin who, unlike the last time we were here, looks much more like himself and immediately starts talking about the baseball game that was on yesterday.
“Everyone, dinner is ready,” my mom announces a short time later.
Kenzie waits for me b
efore heading into the dining room. As we sit down I can sense the nervousness returning to her as her leg shakes under the table.
“Stop worrying,” I lean over and whisper to her before placing my hand on her knee, trying to calm her down. She smiles at me although the tension doesn’t leave her body; I leave my hand on her knee, under the excuse to comfort her, even if it’s more because I don’t want to not touch her.
Small talk is made while we pass around the plates of food; once again, Kenzie comfortably joins in on conversations, and my family does everything they can to include her at dinner. One of the first times I brought Harper here for dinner, it was beyond uncomfortable; I swear you could cut the tension in the room with a knife. At the time, I chalked it up to her being nervous about meeting my family, but looking back I realize how little of an effort she even made to get to know them.
I can’t picture her ever going shopping with Cara like Kenzie did, and she certainly never would have let Cara dress her in those awful outfits that Kenzie wore. Watching Kenzie comfortably chat with my family, eases my earlier worry and leads me to think that perhaps, I am making the right decision.
When dinner finishes, I take Kenzie’s ring from my jacket pocket and slip it under the table. While Kenzie is talking with my mom about something, I bring her hand beneath the table onto her lap. To anyone who is paying any attention, I’m sure this just looks like I want to hold her hand. However, once our hands are hidden by the table cloth, I slip the ring back onto her finger and give her hand a gentle squeeze preparing her for the announcement I’m about to make.
“I have some news that I would like to share,” I take a deep breath and say during a lull in the conversation. All eyes are immediately on me; I’m sure everyone expects me to share some news about a company PFS has brought on or something like that. I doubt anyone expects what I’m about to say. “Earlier today, I asked Kenzie to marry me, and she said yes.”
“Wow…” My mom leans back in obvious surprise. “I’m thrilled for you both; this is so exciting.”
The Arrangement Duet Box Set Page 38
