Daniel seemed to feel the same way because when she sat down again, she could tell that he’d become serious. “First, I want to say that this has been a very nice evening, much better than I ever expected it would be. My mother has a way of setting me up with the women who are the exact opposite of who I’d chose for myself, of course the woman I would choose wouldn’t come from her circle of friends.”
Amber nodded her head in understanding, her mother had done the same to her countless times. “My mother does the same thing, but she also has a way of messing up the date before it even begins. That’s part of the reason why I didn’t want you to tell your mother than we were meeting, my mother would have shown up, she’s done it before.”
“I’m glad too, I’d have hated to have her standing next to me when you opened that door earlier,” Daniel teased, relieving some of the tension between them. “You said it was part of the reason. What’s the other part?”
Amber had to smile at the thought of her mother seeing her display earlier that evening, not to mention how horrified she’d have been to find out that she’d left Daniel standing out in the rain. This was the moment she’d been dreading, but she took a deep breath and started to explain.
“I’m sure you understand that my mother is blackmailing me into this as I’m sure is yours,” she said, then waited.
“She’s got the funding for my racing team in her control,” he said, affirming what she’d thought.
“My mother made it very clear that unless I do this, they’re going to cut me off. The cottage is paid for but that’s it, and an artist just starting out like I am doesn’t make much money. She also made it very clear that we had to stay married for a year, in fact the more I thought about our conversation that was the only thing she insisted on,” Amber said, nerves making her voice shake.
“But they’re going to expect a big wedding with all the trimmings,” Daniel said shaking his head. “That’s going to take far longer than a year.”
“Then why go through with all that?” Amber said, then quickly added, “If we just went off and got married right away, then the year would begin and this would be over for both of us that much sooner.”
Daniel sat back against the cushions on the couch and stared at her for several minutes, turning what she’d suggested over in his mind. It was a pretty good idea. In fact, it would serve his mother right if they did. “That’s not a bad idea,” he finally said, his respect for Amber growing. At least she was fighting any way she could.
“They’ll probably be mad, but I don’t care, I’m tired of my mother running my life,” Amber said, a glint of stubbornness in her eyes. “Don’t take this personally, but the sooner this is over the sooner I can get back to what I really want to be doing.”
“I suppose you have a plan?” Daniel asked, deciding that her idea was the perfect way to show his mother that she couldn’t completely control him.
“Well, that’s the problem, I haven’t figured it out from there. It was hard enough to suggest it,” Amber said, with a nervous laugh.
Daniel smiled at her and put his hand over hers where it was resting on her leg. “It’s a brilliant idea, and I’m glad that it’s you I’m going to marry and not one of those silly society girls my mother’s always trying to match me up with. Let’s have some more coffee and come up with a plan together, it shouldn’t be that hard to pull this off,” he said, then got to his feet and went to the kitchen.
Amber sat on the couch taking deep breaths, she’d never imagined that it would go this well, had in fact been prepared for Daniel to freak out when she suggested that they get married right away. To her great relief, he wasn’t at all like she’d expected him to be. Although her attraction to him had come as a surprise, she was sure that it would fade as she got to know him. Now all they had to do was pull off making the world believe that they’d fallen in love at first sight and were so anxious to be together that they’d rushed off and gotten married.
Chapter 3
Bridget picked her phone up, relieved to see that it was Daniel. It had been two weeks since she’d shared her plan with him and the long silence was beginning to make her nervous. “Daniel, how wonderful to hear from you.” she said, her voice full of relief. She’d been a little worried that she’d over played her hand.
“What’s the matter mother, worried that you’ve pushed me too far?” Daniel asked.
“Of course not, I’m only looking out for you,” she said, regaining her confidence.
“Hmm, I’m not sure about that, but since I’m sure you haven’t changed your mind, I was calling to tell you that Amber and I are going to take a little cruise up the coast, we’re leaving in a few minutes,” Daniel said.
Bridget was surprised to hear that, “When did you arrange this? Why didn’t you tell me? When will you be back?” she asked, the annoyance clear in her voice.
“Last time I checked, I’m not required to check in with you every time I make plans,” He said. “You told me to call her and I did.”
“But Elaine and I had everything planned. We were going to introduce you at the fundraiser gala later this month,” Bridget said, wishing she could order him to cancel the trip. They’d worked so hard to arrange the perfect meeting between Daniel and Amber, a meeting that all of society would be talking about, now all that work would be for nothing.
“You know I hate those things, and so does Amber.”
“Still, this needs to be done right,” Bridget said, then took a deep breath to explain to him how the whole thing was going to work, but he stopped her.
“Amber is here mother, I have to go.”
Amber sat in the back of the cab listening to the phone ring, she’d been avoiding her mother’s phone calls for two weeks, but this one she was going to answer. She and Daniel had spent the last two weeks clearing their schedules and making arrangements to be gone for an extended period of time. She was a little bit nervous about being alone with Daniel on the boat, but they had gotten to know each other better over the last two weeks thanks to their shared desire not to let their mothers rule their lives any more than they already were.
“Hello mother,” Amber said, her voice cold.
“Oh, you finally answered,” her mother said, then added, “I’ve been calling you for two weeks.”
“I’ve been busy. In case you’d forgotten, I do have a life,” she said.
“That’s really no excuse, it would have only taken a few minutes to answer my phone call,” her mother said, then added, “I think you’ve been avoiding me hoping that I’d change my mind, well let me tell you that I’m not going to. This is for your own good.”
Amber sighed. “I know you’re not going to change your mind.”
“Well, I’m glad you understand that because I’m going to need you in the city next week for a fitting. Monday would be best.”
Amber didn’t reply for a second, the cab had just turned onto the private drive that led to the marina and her stomach lurched when she realized that she was really going to go through with her plan. “Mother what are you talking about? What fitting?” she finally asked.
“Oh, that’s right, we haven’t talked for two weeks so you don’t know that I’ve found you the perfect dress for the gala at the end of the month,” Elaine said, her voice full of excitement.
“Mother, I hate those things,” Amber said, watching as the marina came into view through the cab window.
“Well, you’re going. Bridget and I have arranged for you and Daniel to sit next to each other, it’s the perfect way for you to meet him.”
The cab came to a halt and the driver turned to her for instructions. “Mother, can you hold on for just a second?” she asked, opening the cab door and getting out.
“No, I can’t hold on,” her mother said, but Amber ignored her and helped the driver unload her bags, then she paid him and he drove off.
“I’m sorry mother, I had to pay the cab,” she said, a smile on her face. Her mother was going to fre
ak out when she heard where she was and what she was doing.
“Cab fare? Where are you? What’s that noise I hear in the background?” Her mother was suddenly alarmed.
“It’s a ship's horn, I’m at the marina in Seattle. Daniel and I are going to go for a sail today, get to know each other better.”
There was a long silence, then her mother erupted. “That’s not the plan, we have this all worked out, you and Daniel will have a chance meeting at the gala and fall for one another,” her mother screeched, in the voice she always used when she didn’t get her way.
“Well that’s not our plan. Daniel and I are going sailing, in fact we’re leaving in a few minutes,” Amber said, trying to hide how much fun it was to ruin her mother’s plans.
“That’s just not acceptable, do you have any idea how much work we’ve put into making this happen, I spent hours shopping for the perfect dress for you.” The screech was still in her mother’s voice, but anger was quickly taking its place. “You need to come home right now, this is going to be done right, done so that everyone believes that you two fell in love.”
“Mother, you may be able to force me to marry Daniel, but you’re not going to dictate how we meet. I am an adult and perfectly capable of handling this,” Amber said, as calmly as she could, her anger beginning to flare as well.
“You do as I say, I’m still your mother.”
“And if I don’t? What are you going to do?” Amber asked, calling her mother’s bluff, knowing that there wasn’t much more her mother could do to her.
When there was a long silence on the other end of the line, Amber knew that she’d won this round. “I have to go now Mother, I’ll call you later.” She hung up the phone and turned it off, wishing she could throw it instead.
Daniel came up the stairs from below deck to the sight of Amber standing on the dock surrounded by enough luggage to last her months and he was immediately annoyed. He’d explained that there wasn’t much space on a boat, that she’d have to pack smart, but clearly the message hadn’t gotten through to her. Now they’d have to unpack and leave at least half of what she’d brought behind. It would mean enough of a delay that they’d have to use the motor to get out of the harbor instead of the tide which was going out in just a little while.
So much for first impressions, he thought as he crossed the boat to go meet her. He’d been sure that she was different than most of the women he met, that looks didn’t mean that much to her, but looking at the luggage she’d brought, she must have packed her entire wardrobe and every beauty product she owned. She was standing with her back to him, looking out at the city and he wondered if she was thinking about changing her mind. He’d certainly been considering it himself, spent days trying to find other ways to get the financing for his racing.
When she turned just a bit, he realized that she was on the phone and judging by her body language it wasn’t a phone call she was enjoying. Stopping to give her some space, he watched her, surprised when the attraction he’d felt the night they’d met flared to life again. He’d been sure that what he’d felt that night had only been a product of the situation, that when he saw her today it wouldn’t be there, but one look at her impossibly long legs in the tight jeans she wore had it flaring back to life again.
Looking at her though, he realized that he shouldn’t be surprised that he was attracted to her, she had impossibly long legs for her height, and was curvy in all the right places. Nothing like the women his mother introduced him to, whose main goal was to trim those curves, who were more bone than flesh and always felt small in his arms. At nearly six and half feet tall, Daniel wanted a woman who filled up his arms, a woman that felt real, a woman he could be a little rough with and not be afraid she’d break.
He wanted to resist the attraction, if for no other reason than he’d hate it if his mother actually found him a woman that fit into his life, but it was clearly there. It was a twist he hadn’t expected and made him wonder if they should go through with their plan, maybe they should wait a while, get to know one another better. But then he thought about missing another racing season and knew that he would go through with their plan, the sooner the better.
He’d just have to ignore his attraction to her and treat this like they’d discussed, a business arrangement that in the end would get them both what they wanted. Plus, it would get their mothers off their backs once and for all. It might not be that bad spending time with her. If the other night was any indication, conversation wouldn’t be a problem. Being on the boat would help too, plenty to keep him occupied and his mind off Amber and her ample curves.
Amber took several deep breaths. She’d never hung up on her mother before, but she’d been forced to just now. Her life had suddenly turned into a soap opera or a gothic romance, and she hated it, hated the fact that she was too chicken to just tell her mother no and try and make it on her own. As if that wasn’t bad enough, she’d been dreaming about Daniel since the night they’d met and the enormous crush she had on him was going to make this even more difficult. There was nothing more pathetic than a woman lusting after a man she couldn't have, and she knew that she couldn’t have Daniel, not for real.
This marriage was only temporary, something to make their mothers happy and hopefully stop them from meddling in their lives in the future. Her mother had promised that if she did this, she’d leave her alone, let her paint until she was a dried up old woman. Of course, there’d been a long speech about grandchildren, but Amber had tuned that out, only able to bear so much of her mother’s drama at one time. Plus, her mind had been reeling with the possibility of just turning her back and walking away from her parents. If she really wanted to, she could make it on her own.
It wasn’t too late to change her mind, call the cab back, load up her bags and run back to the cottage. She’d find a way to make it on her own, and there was always the chance that her mother would change her mind, a very slim chance. Taking another deep breath, she prepared herself for the day to come. She knew that she wasn’t going to run away, her mother had given her no choice, she was going to have to go through with marrying Daniel Taylor and thinking about anything else was a waste of her time and energy.
The feeling of a pair of big warm hands on her shoulders startled her, making her suck in a deep breath which was filled with the wonderful scent of Daniel’s cologne. Warmth spread through her body, and tingling began deep inside her leaving her speechless and immobile.
“Thinking about changing your mind?” he asked.
Surprised that he knew what she was thinking, she twisted around to look at him, instantly sorry she had when his blue eyes locked on hers. “Oh, umm… well that was my mother on the phone,” she finally managed to stammer, her heart pounding in her chest.
“I figured as much. Let me guess, she was all full of plans for us to have some kind of romantic meeting at the gala,” Daniel said.
“I guess you talked to your mother too.”
“I’m thinking our conversations were pretty much the same,” he said, nodding his head, then rolling his eyes. “My mother was not happy to hear that we have our own plans.”
“Mine either, and they’re going to be even madder when we don’t let them have the big wedding they want,” Amber said, feeling more and more depressed and wondering if this was a good idea.
“No, they won’t be and if you’re having second thoughts about any of this, I’ll understand. But sitting on the dock isn’t getting us anywhere and it’s a beautiful day for a sail. We’ll just take this one step at a time, see how things go,” Daniel said, surprising her with his concern and making her like him just a little bit more.
“My mother knows just what to say to get to me, to get me to do exactly what she wants, I’m not used to standing up to her,” Amber said, then realized that she had just done so and that it had felt good. “But I just did and it feels kind of good,” she added, a smile creeping across her face.
Daniel smiled back at her. “Tell you what
, once we get out on the open water, we can trade horror stories about our mothers. I bet mine is way worse than yours.”
“Hmmm, I doubt that. You don’t know my mother,” Amber said, the heaviness of the phone call lifting.
When they finally managed to get her bags over to Daniel’s boat Amber had to stand and look at it for a second. It was the most beautiful boat she’d ever seen. Clearly quite old but in perfect condition, it was clear that someone loved this boat a lot. Looking at Daniel, she could see the pride on his face when he looked at the boat, and understood what he was feeling. The boat was a work of art just as much as any of her paintings were.
“It’s beautiful, Daniel,” she said, looking back at the boat again.
“Thank you. I bought her when I turned eighteen and did all the work myself. It took me three years, but it was worth every minute I spent on her,” Daniel said, lifting her bags one by one and placing them on the boat. “Did you bring everything in your closet?”
“No,” Amber said, laughing when he picked up the bag with her sketch pads in it and grunted. “This is mostly art supplies.”
Daniel set the bag down again, “I know I said we might be gone a while, but it won’t be that long and they do have stores in Alaska,” he said, but he was smiling when he said it. “I gave you the master cabin and it’s a good thing.”
Amber suddenly felt bad, he’d told her to pack light and she had, but when it came to her art supplies she’d lost control. “I couldn’t decide what to bring, so I packed it all. I’m sorry, I guess we could leave some of this behind.”
“We’ll find room,” he said, picking up the bags again.
Amber couldn’t help but suck in a breath when Daniel opened the door to her room, it was like something out of a movie. “Oh, Daniel it’s beautiful, but I feel bad taking your room,” she said, when she noticed little personal items that were clearly his.
Be My Bride_BWWM Romance Page 3
