A Bride's Tangled Vows

by Dani Wade

  “What was I thinking? What were you thinking? Couldn’t you have at least worn a nice blouse?” Marie tsked.

  Christina tried to ignore the criticism, but found herself straightening the hem of her scrub shirt, anyway.

  “Every wedding’s a reason to celebrate, my dear,” Marie said loudly, then continued under her breath. “Unless you’d like Judge Harriman telling people otherwise. There’s a good reason Mr. James picked the judge with the most gossipy wife in town.”

  Christina nodded, but didn’t answer. Her shredded nerves wouldn’t allow it. She just cut cake and smiled, hoping she was making Lily proud. And safe.

  No one pushed for the traditional “smoosh cake in each other’s faces” move, thank goodness. Christina eased as far from Aiden Blackstone as she could get without raising eyebrows, but his warmth remained temptingly close. She wanted to lean in, share some of his strength, his outward calm.

  Another kiss. But no. Not even while they were sharing that big ol’ bed in her room. She would not get intimately involved with this man. It would mean nothing to him, and she knew herself well enough to know it would mean a whole lot to her.

  How did people endure those long receptions after their weddings? It had only been twenty minutes of cake, and Christina was done. She gathered plates, helping Marie clean up while the men spoke in low voices. She was slicing cake for storage when she heard someone at the outer door of the house. Nolen had barely managed two steps toward the open doorway of James’s study when a man filled it.

  Luke Blackstone. Aiden’s younger brother. He was known to be laid-back. He always had a big grin both in personal situations and when being interviewed on national television as a race-car driver. Cameras didn’t faze him. He was always cool under pressure. And he’d become a sort of adopted older brother in the years Christina had been here. Among the three brothers, his visits home were the most frequent, allowing their childhood friendship to continue into adulthood.

  “So.” He grinned his trademark lady-killer smile. “What are we celebrating?”

  He took in Christina, the cake, Marie and then the group of men at the far side of the room. His aqua eyes widened when he noticed his brother standing there. It took only moments for him to put two and two together. He was pretty, but he wasn’t stupid.

  Seconds later, he was storming over to his grandfather’s desk. Hands planted on the mahogany monstrosity, Luke paid little attention to the papers sliding to the floor as he loomed over James. “What the hell did you do?” he growled.

  Christina wanted to cry. Would the wedding-day horrors never end?

  Six

  “Now, explain to me one more time why we’re at a bar on your wedding night?”

  Luke might be a hotshot who had every woman in this bar sneaking a peek at what the tabloids described as his “dreamy” eyes, but all Aiden could think of at the moment was coldcocking him. Or shipping him back to Charlotte in his souped-up sports car. “Apparently, my wife thinks being here will keep her from having to face the new bed I moved into her room.”

  “Dude, if you’re having to track down your wife, then this is gonna be one rough wedding night. Are you sure this marriage is real?”

  “Oh, it’s real.” And more tempting than Aiden wanted to acknowledge. “And it’s only temporary, but that doesn’t change the requirements.”

  Luke’s teasing turned serious. “I’m still trying to wrap my head around this. That’s all. Make sure Christina is being taken care of, not just used.”

  “Thanks for worrying about me, your own brother,” Aiden said.

  “Oh, you’re a big boy. You can take care of yourself, though obviously not very well.”

  The narrowing of Aiden’s eyes should have warned him just how on edge his brother was, but Luke smirked it off. “Besides, if you wanted our help you would have called. Jacob and I would have been on the first plane here. Why didn’t you?”

  “And have both my brothers witness my personal defeat? That would have been a fun family reunion.”

  “Still,” Luke said, his gaze sobering even more. “We would have been here, you know that.”

  Aiden nodded. To add to his troubles, he could hear that asshat, Jason, running his mouth off at a table behind them. The young woman serving as bartender kept glancing in that direction with a worried frown, but Aiden had too much class to engage in a bar brawl with someone so, frankly, beneath him.

  The difference in their stations had nothing to do with money, and everything to do with class. Jason had none. Aiden’s parents had instilled the habits of proper public behavior from an early age. Aiden had refined himself even more as he moved among the highest circles of New York, and even international society. Besides, someone known to run his mouth in public was only going to damage his own reputation. Eventually no one paid people like that any attention.

  As long as Jason kept it general and not too personal, Aiden would overlook it. He didn’t want to start his tenure at the mill with the firing of a prominent, vocal citizen. But he had a feeling the time would eventually come when Jason would have to be dealt with—and Aiden would be more than happy to do it.

  They thanked the bartender as she set Luke’s beer and Aiden’s Scotch before them, then sampled their drinks. “You hearin’ much of that?” Luke asked with a jerk of his head in Jason’s direction.

  “Oh, there’s plenty of insinuations and comments whenever I run into him and his little posse in town. He’s careful not to be too direct. Everyone else just stares. No outright confrontations, but then again, Jason thinks he’s big stuff because his daddy is on the management track out at the mill. I’m going to have to remind that guy of his place on the food chain. Soon.”

  “Let me know when that happens. I’m right there with ya.” Aiden shared his brother’s grin and fist bump. “But seriously,” Luke said, “I haven’t had any trouble the times I’ve come home and I haven’t heard of Jacob having any, either.”

  “Yeah, but you didn’t announce to them that you were taking over the main source of support for the entire town. I did. And I’m sure it spread like wildfire.”

  “So Granddad is really gonna let you do it? Take over the running of Blackstone Mill?”

  “It’s already done. I’ve been wading through paperwork for days and have a meeting set up with the day foreman next week.”

  A waitress rounded the curve in the bar with a full tray, pausing behind them. As she set their plates down, Luke asked, “Where’s KC? I haven’t seen her in a while.”

  The waitress’s flirty smile faded into an oddly uncomfortable look. “Oh, she’s been out of town for a bit.”

  Luke nodded and the men turned back to their food. As they dug in, Aiden’s gaze was drawn again and again to a particular spot. He and Luke sat at one corner of a bar that formed a square in the middle of the room. Tables and booths filled the rest of the space, except for a small dance floor at the far end and a worn stage where a DJ mixed records. From where he sat, Aiden had occasional glimpses of some tables clustered together in the far corner near the dance floor, and who should be seated at one of them but his lovely bride.

  Weren’t they a pair? A real honeymoon should involve a bed and a shower for two, in Aiden’s opinion. Instead, they were in the local bar. Separately. But then, this wasn’t a true marriage, so he should leave all thoughts of a true honeymoon far, far behind him.

  Still, as much as he wanted to deny it, saying those generic vows made possibilities available, intimate possibilities they shouldn’t indulge. But the tantalizing options still lingered in his brain....

  Being forbidden didn’t stop him from watching, from imagining. She looked way too classy for this joint, even in a simple sundress that gave him a conservative glimpse of her creamy skin. But she seemed to fit, gifting that gorgeous smile to her girlfriends at the table an
d to the many who stopped by to chat. She was obviously well liked, just as he’d expected, and her generous nature made everyone feel welcome. Though he knew he shouldn’t, he wished he could have a small amount of that genuine welcome spill onto him when he was in her presence. Instead, she guarded herself well, including running away on her wedding night. Not very far, but still—way to make a guy feel rejected.

  “So what is the plan for the mill?” Luke asked. “If Jason is any indication, taking the reins might be a bumpy road. But I can guarantee in the end you’ll be liked better than ol’ James. Once they get to know you, of course.”

  Aiden grinned. “Would that really take much?”

  “Nope.”

  Aiden didn’t think so. “I haven’t worked out the full strategy yet. Currently, I just need to solve whatever hoodoo is going on over there and install an overseer. Then I can hightail my ass back to New York City and get on with my real life.”

  “So you’re going to win their trust, all the while planning to get out while the gettin’s good?”

  Well, when he put it that way... “No, I’m going to gain their trust so I know exactly what needs to be done to protect the town—from itself and any sharks that might want to come in. A strong management will keep everything on track, maintain the area’s prosperity, and shut yahoos like Jason out. Then I’ll know the right man for the job and everyone will get what they want.” He tilted his Scotch glass in his bride’s direction. “Christina will be helpful in getting people to accept me. Look how well she’s liked.”

  “Yeah,” Luke drawled, “people here love her. But for her to help, you’d have to persuade her to stay in the same room with you.”

  Aiden took a moment to indulge in a slap against the back of Luke’s head—an older brother’s privilege. Across the room, a waitress stood chatting with Christina, her empty tray tapping against her bare calf. “That table’s been a revolving door tonight. All classes, too. That’s hard to do in a small town.”

  “Especially this small town,” Luke agreed. “But it’s not gonna help you any if you’re over here and she’s over there.”

  Aiden glared.

  Luke calmly licked some wing sauce off his fingers. “Just sayin’, bro.”

  Was it time? Christina hadn’t noticed him. He’d chosen this spot specially to watch her without detection. Give himself a feel for what she was really like, the side of herself she wouldn’t show him. Now he couldn’t stop looking that way, watching her sexy smile and the light glittering off her bare shoulders. How sappy was that?

  After tonight, the whole town would know they were married. He was actually surprised it had taken this long. Despite his hard-nosed attitude about business, he wasn’t a complete ass. He knew people needed to think their marriage meant something. At least while he was here. He stood, telling himself he was doing this because it was the best thing for his future. Yeah, keep telling yourself that....

  “Go get ’em, tiger.”

  This time Aiden indulged in a harder slap on his brother’s shoulder. “I will.”

  Leaving his brother rubbing the sting away, Aiden stalked across the room. He found himself ultra-aware of the eyes following his progress to the group of women in the far corner. Despite the music being louder here, he could almost hear the crowd suck in a breath and wait.

  Finally, Christina’s gaze stumbled on him...and stayed. That’s right, sweetheart. Found ya. That baseline arousal, now becoming so familiar when he was in her presence, kicked in. His heart picked up speed. His muscles tensed. He could have been readying for a high-price negotiation or fast-paced auction, but the prize here could be so much more pleasurable if he let it.

  Which he wouldn’t.

  He leaned in close, letting the end of a pop song cover his words. “Christina, would you care to dance?”

  Panic widened her eyes and tightened her features for a moment before she shook her head. He didn’t repeat himself. Glancing around the table at the women seated nearby and several more hovering, their avid interest unmistakable, he then let his gaze fall to, the bare ring finger of her left hand. “You sure about that?” he mouthed.

  This time she placed her hand in his, allowing him to help her up. He led the way to the far side of the small dance floor, away from the now-whispering women. This side of the room was more sparsely populated, offering a small amount of privacy. The music had switched to a rare slow song, so he simply pulled her close and swayed. The point wasn’t for them to dance, and the place didn’t lend itself to fancy moves. He simply wanted them to be seen together, talking together, jump-starting the community’s acceptance of them as a couple.

  This had nothing to do with holding her. Nothing.

  Unfortunately, Christina wasn’t cooperating. Her back remained stiff, the muscles under his palm tight. He drew her a touch closer, trying to ignore the brush of her body against his. As if that was a possibility. He lifted their clasped hands to the crook of his shoulder. God, she felt good.

  “You can loosen up, Christina,” he murmured. “We are married, after all. And this is our first dance.”

  Which should give him the right to touch all the silky skin within reach. But it didn’t. He needed to remember that.

  Her fingertips dug into his palm. When she spoke, she was all politeness and concern. “I’m sorry. It’s not you. I just haven’t danced much.”

  He studied her, even as she refused to tilt her face up toward him. Instead, she stared into the distance over his shoulder. “So, why don’t you tell me why you’re spending our wedding night at a bar...without me?”

  She shook her head. “It’s not a real wedding night.”

  That bed says differently. “Is that what you want them to think?” he asked with a nod toward the bar.

  “No.” She stumbled a bit, brushing against him for a deliciously brief moment. “I just...I don’t know.”

  Interesting. “Why did you come here tonight?” Of all nights...

  He could feel her slight shrug.

  Which wasn’t really an answer, but he wouldn’t press. He shouldn’t want to know. He really shouldn’t, but he could guess. After all, sharing a bed with an almost stranger couldn’t be very comfortable. For her. It had been his M.O. for years, but the thought of Christina on that queen-size mattress felt nothing like the one-night stands that populated his history.

  He found himself lifting her hands to his shoulders, guiding her where to place them. Then bringing her flush to his body. His arms encircled her easily, one hand resting just on the edge of the material of her sundress. Giving him his first true feel of the skin he’d been coveting.

  Her eyes widened, but by degrees her body softened, inch by slow inch, as if she were sinking into him. It shouldn’t feel so good.

  “That’s better,” he said, his voice deepening, relaxing with her. “We don’t want anyone to think you don’t like me. After all, our news will hit the gossip mill any second now.”

  The luscious depths of her eyes were revealed by the gradual lift of her lashes, as if she was surfacing from a dream. “It would have already hit if Judge Harriman’s wife wasn’t out of town visiting her sister.”

  Aiden couldn’t help but grin. “That’s small-town life for you.”

  “Yeah,” she said, sharing his amusement. “James didn’t time his plan very well. But a woman has to see her sister every now and then.”

  As her grin matched his, he marveled at how natural it felt to hold her like this. To look down on her, shelter her against him. Warning signals were a muted clang in the back of his mind, overpowered by the blood thrumming through his veins. Of its own volition, his hand inched upward, sampling the bare skin along her spine, tunneling beneath that wealth of hair to find the sensitive spot at the nape of her neck. Her eyes lost focus as he stroked there. What would it be like to repeat this morni
ng’s searing kiss?

  No. Not going there. James would be thrilled for them to get busy, make this a real marriage and provide him with another generation to control. But Aiden had no intention of sticking around long enough for that to happen. No matter how tempting his new wife might be. And no intention of letting his grandfather completely control his life ever again.

  “Look, Christina,” he murmured against her hair, “you don’t have to be afraid of me. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. I know you didn’t want the bed, but someone had to make the decision. I’m just trying to fulfill James’s requirements and let you remain near Lily.”

  He felt her sigh against his throat. “So you were trying to be gallant by moving a mattress in without my permission?” she asked.

  He couldn’t help teasing. “It’s a comfortable mattress, isn’t it?”

  She pulled away enough to glare at him. “This isn’t a joke, Aiden.”

  He paused, staring solemnly into those chocolate eyes. “I promise I will keep my hands to myself.” Letting loose a little of the lust thrumming through his body, he added, “Unless you ask me not to.”

  Her lips parted, but no words came. Her expression was conflicted, and Aiden totally got that she couldn’t decide whether to scold him...or take him up on the offer.

  Lucky for them both, the song ended. The dance floor flooded with patrons ready to line dance, but “Boot Scootin’ and Boogie” would not save either of them from the long night ahead.

  Seven

  Christina stared at the cabin she had completely forgotten existed. The last time she’d been this far from the house, shoulder-high weeds had curbed any exploration.

  But the adult Aiden had been hard at work on the little cabin Lily had ordered built for him when he was a teenager. The immediate vicinity had been freshly cleared and lengths of unfinished two-by-fours had been used to replace the sagging porch. Old-school rock blared from inside. As she came around the corner, she saw a brand-new AC unit blocking the side window.