The Marriage Merger

by Sandy Curtis

  “I was just passing so I thought I’d pop in to finalize the arrangements for tonight,” she simpered.

  Jenna eyed her warily. She doubted if Veronica had ever “popped in” anywhere in her life. Every thing the woman did was as coldly calculated as a cash register operation.

  “What arrangements?” she asked guardedly.

  Veronica looked surprised, but Jenna doubted the sincerity of the expression.

  “Oh, did Braden forget to tell you? I was sure he hadn’t, he even said you were coming.”

  “Coming where?” Somehow Jenna felt she was being dangled a bait, and like the unsuspecting fish, couldn’t see the hidden hook.

  “I’m having a dinner party tonight. It’s a rather important occasion. Braden and I have a little ... announcement to make.”

  “Announcement?” Jenna echoed, and a feeling of dread sludged into her stomach.

  “Yes, well,” Veronica attempted to look coy, but the triumphant gleam in her eyes ruined the effect, “we’re going to announce our ... merger. It’s something we’ve been arranging for some time. Even you must be able to see how very ...” she gave a knowing smirk “...suitable... we are for each other. Braden is a very intelligent man. Intelligent ... and virile.” She ran the tip of her tongue across her teeth. “I like that in a man.”

  Jenna felt sick. She stared at Veronica as though the woman was speaking an incomprehensible language. Merger ... suitable ... the words reverberated in her mind, echoing against the argument she had had with Braden. Marriage merger ... he’d liked the sound of that. A contract that satisfies the needs of the people involved. Was that what Veronica was saying?

  And virile. Well, she certainly knew just how virile he was. She wondered what Veronica would say if she told her what her intelligent and virile man had been up to last night. The thought stunned her. He had made love to her even though he was arranging to marry Veronica! How could he? She knew his views on love and marriage but surely ...

  Yes, that would explain the horror on his face. His lust for her had made him betray his marriage agreement to Veronica. The enormity of what Veronica had said finally hit her. There was no longer even a tiny spark of hope that Braden would return and declare that he loved her, because it was clear that what had happened between them wasn’t something he had planned. He had his future mapped out, and that future included Veronica, not her.

  “I thought it would be nice for you to come along and celebrate with us, Jenna. You deserve some relaxation, you’ve worked so hard with Caitlin. And Braden agreed.”

  Jenna thought she would choke. Braden agreed! She bet that was before he dropped his guard and took her to bed last night. Just how was he going to feel taking the woman he’d made love to to the dinner party of the woman he was going to marry? And how was she going to feel? Every part of her body and mind wanted him, loved him, and she would have to stand there and watch him announce his intention to marry Veronica.

  “I can’t possibly leave Caitlin,” she gasped.

  Veronica waved a delicate hand. "It’s all taken care of. My cousin’s nanny, a most reliable woman, is coming over here to look after Caitlin.” She turned to Caitlin who had gone back to sit on the lounge. “You won’t mind Jenna coming out with your Uncle Braden for the evening, will you, Caitlin?”

  “No. If she’s going with Uncle Braden that’s okay,” Caitlin said and returned to watching television.

  “You see, dear, there’s no problem. The nanny will be here by six so you can give her instructions, and I’ll expect you by seven.” She turned and walked to the door.

  “Oh, by the way,” she smiled at Jenna as she opened the door, “it’s formal.” She looked Jenna up and down, and Jenna could see the barely-disguised animosity in her gaze. “I suppose you don’t have anything entirely ... appropriate ... to wear, but I guess you can make do.”

  She shut the door behind her.

  That woman! She’d done it deliberately. Jenna realized Veronica had waited until it would be impossible for her to have the time to dash out and buy something appropriate to wear. She was hoping Jenna would turn up looking so out of place that Braden would see just how inappropriate she was to his lifestyle.

  Jenna wasn’t fooled. She knew jealousy when she saw it. Had Braden told Veronica how he was fighting his physical attraction to his housekeeper? Had the pair of them decided on this sudden marriage in order to be rid of her?

  The pain that had simmered in Jenna’s heart all day now bubbled over into white hot fury. Veronica wanted her to turn up looking like Cinderella without the aid of the fairy godmother, did she! And Braden. How dare he use her like he had! He might lust after her body but obviously she wasn’t suitable to share his life.

  She cleaned the kitchen in a flurry, banging pots and pans in an unspoken venting of her anger. By the time she heard Braden’s key in the lock the kitchen was sparkling clean and her anger had cooled into a solid core of icy resentment.

  Braden dropped his briefcase on the floor and flexed his back and shoulder muscles. He walked over to where Jenna was scribbling out a shopping list.

  “Hello, Jenna.”

  If she had looked up she would have seen the anxiety in his eyes, the worried frown that drew his dark brows together. Even the softness of his voice should have alerted her, but she was rigid with the pain that filled her.

  “Jenna, we have to talk.”

  She turned around then, trying to keep her tone neutral, to display a calmness she was far from feeling.

  “I have nothing to say to you, Braden, except that it appears you have already agreed that I should accompany you this evening to Veronica’s little charade. Apparently you didn’t consider it important enough to bother informing me. But as the arrangements have already been made I shall just have to suffer through it.” She glanced at her watch. “There’s not much time left so I’m going to get ready.”

  She went to walk past him, but he moved to stop her, ang grabbed her by the arm. Before he could speak, the intercom buzzed.

  “That will be the baby-sitter Veronica arranged. I’d better let her in.”

  A pulse beat rapidly in his neck. “This may not be the time, Jenna, but we will talk.”

  The words contained as much threat as promise, and Jenna steeled herself to gaze unflinchingly back at him. Inside she was trembling, thrilling to the feel of his hand on her arm and the powerful sexuality of his body so close to hers, yet hating him for the way she felt.

  He dropped her arm and she walked to the door, deliberately resisting the urge to rub the spot he had touched and ease the burning it had created.

  “Can I come in, Jinx?”

  “Yes, Possum.” Jenna brushed her hair back off her face. She had washed it, blow dried it, and now she was brushing it into a mass of wild auburn curls. Her green eyes were brilliant with the anger that still seethed within her. Her reflection told her how startlingly attractive she looked but it didn’t register in her churning brain. Caitlin slid onto the bed and watched her.

  “How do you like Sally?” Jenna asked, referring to the nanny Veronica had sent.

  Caitlin shrugged. “She’s okay. What are you going to wear?”

  Jenna walked over to the wardrobe and reached inside. “This. Samantha, my flatmate in London, insisted I buy it. We were going to a hospital fund-raising Ball and the men had to bid for the woman staff member they wanted to dance with that evening.”

  She didn’t add that she had only bought and worn the dress on a dare from Samantha. Or that she had raised more money that evening than any other staff member. As she looked again at the dress it was not impossible to see why. She slipped off her robe, unzipped the dress, stepped into it, deftly slid the zip up, then spun around to Caitlin.

  Caitlin’s eyes widened like saucers. “Wow!”

  Jenna turned to the mirror and wondered if Veronica would approve of this 'making do'. The dress was sleeveless, long, black, and showed off Jenna’s creamy skin to perfection. And a lot
of skin there was to see. The shoulder straps were only an inch wide and the neckline was square and cut so low the rounded swell of each lush breast was clearly visible.

  There was a split up the front of the dress, ending just low enough to be decent and allowing a tantalizing view of her long shapely legs as she walked. The back lowered down to her waist in a deep cowl. She couldn’t wear a bra underneath but with her firm figure she didn’t need one.

  She had debated about wearing pantyhose but her legs had a smooth satin sheen to them that she knew would be more enticing than any nylon. She slipped on a pair of elegant black sandals, then did a mental checklist.

  “Caitlin, be a dear and take a little packet of tissues from my bedside drawer and put it in my purse near you on the bed, please,” she asked.

  She looked in the mirror as she fastened her necklace. It had been a twenty-first birthday gift from her parents and she loved the delicate simplicity of it. A swirling filigree of silver and emeralds in a curved triangular shape the lower point of which drew attention to her cleavage.

  She looked around quickly as she heard a thump and saw Caitlin jump off the bed.

  “I dropped your purse, Jinx, but it’s all right, I’ve got it.”

  Jenna smiled as Caitlin walked over to her with the purse. She loved this child and leaving her would break her heart as much as leaving Braden would. She cringed at the thought and tried to stop the sharp stinging in her eyes. She swiftly gathered the child into her arms and gave her a kiss.

  “Be good, Possum.” Her voice was husky and she cleared her throat as she straightened her shoulders and walked into the loungeroom.

  Braden was waiting for her, darkly handsome and exuding more masculine appeal than any dinner suit should ever have to handle. His eyes widened as she walked over to him. He opened his mouth to speak but seemed to have trouble finding the words.

  “You can’t ...” he finally croaked, “wear that.”

  “I’ll wear what I like, Braden. I’m a free woman.” She tossed her head and the mass of curls shook at him like a reprimand.

  “What are you trying to do, Jenna?” Concern flared across his face. “There’ll be men there tonight who’ll take one look at you and think you’re offering more than you’re willing to give. I don’t want to see you hurt.”

  “Well, maybe you should have thought of that last night!” she snapped and had the satisfaction of seeing him flinch, his face whitening beneath the tan. Before he could reply she swept out the door and flounced down the stairs.

  Her heart was pounding. She knew she should have waited for the elevator but she couldn’t have coped with Braden’s nearness in its close confines. She could feel her nerves tightening like an overwound guitar string and prayed she would get through the evening without breaking down.

  She heard his footsteps following her down. At the foyer entrance he moved past her and opened the door. His face was a mask, betraying no emotion.

  Not a word passed between them on the trip to Veronica's. The electronic gates were open and guards checked the guests as they arrived. Braden opened the car door for her but made no move to assist her out. The warm mellow tones of Michael Bublé flowed out softly to them on the warm evening air.

  As Braden escorted Jenna into the massive foyer he placed his hand on her waist. She stiffened and glared at him. How dare he! Surely he couldn’t be so inconsiderate of Veronica’s feelings? Or was this the way their marriage was going to be? Each free to follow their own desires in or outside the marriage? She shuddered. His hand dropped away from her like a stone.

  Jenna saw Veronica at the same moment that Veronica saw her. Like Jenna, Veronica was dressed in black, but the skilful design and the ornate beading of Veronica’s gown paled before the sheer simplicity of Jenna’s and the beautiful body it accentuated.

  Hatred flashed across Veronica’s face with such force that her features contorted her beauty to ugliness. Then just as swiftly it was gone. She walked towards them and by the time she reached them her facade of the gracious, charming hostess was once more back in place.

  “Braden, darling,” she gushed as she placed her hand on his arm and kissed him on the cheek. “And Jenna.” There was no change in her smile but the temperature had definitely dropped a few degrees.

  Jenna felt curious eyes scrutinizing her, the men’s with open admiration and not a small hint of lust, the women’s with the kind of wariness that shows alertness to competition. She glanced at Braden, then swiftly away. His jaw was rigid, neck muscles taut.

  A waiter with a drinks tray walked by and Veronica signalled him over. She took two glasses of white wine off the tray and handed them to Braden and Jenna. Jenna shook her head.

  “No, thank you. I don’t drink.”

  “Don’t be silly,” Veronica insisted. “Tonight’s an exception. Everyone has to celebrate with us.” She held out the glass to Jenna.

  Jenna knew she would have been wiser to just accept the drink and take the first opportunity to put it down or pour it on one of the potted plants, but Braden was eyeing her speculatively and for some stupid reason she didn’t want him to think she was just being churlish.

  “I’m allergic to wine. Perhaps if you have some fruit punch?”

  “Of course, my dear,” Veronica beamed. “I’ll arrange for some for you. Now I do have to discuss some things with Braden, so let me introduce you to some people.”

  Jenna was involved in a discussion with two young men on the merits on the Australian health care system when the waiter brought her a tall glass of fruit punch with tropical fruit segments floating on the top.

  “Miss Lloyd’s compliments, Miss. She said it has a bit of a bite to it, but the ginger ale is a particularly strong one.”

  It did have a tang but Jenna was thirsty. She drank it a little faster than she normally would have, but her throat was dry from the tension of the silent drive and the dread of how she would cope when Braden and Veronica announced their forthcoming marriage.

  For the first time since her fiery stubbornness had made her accept Veronica’s challenge she regretted coming here tonight. Only her anger had given her the courage to wear the dress which had had every eye in the room focused on her when she’d walked in with Braden. And Braden was so furious he was positively seething. As Veronica had dragged him away he had looked back at Jenna with eyes that threatened a full-scale battle the moment they were alone.

  But now Jenna's bravado had evaporated. If she were painfully honest with herself she knew she could have grabbed her towel last night and stormed past Braden and he would have let her go. Reluctantly, oh, very reluctantly, but he would not have forced himself on her. What had happened had been as much her desire as his, she couldn’t deny that. Even now her body reacted to the memory of their lovemaking. It had ignited a flame in her that she knew no other man could equal.

  She glanced around the room but she couldn’t see Braden or Veronica. She turned her attention back to the two young men whose eager looks wandered where their hands would have liked to follow.

  A cough was the first sign.

  Then the old familiar tightness in her chest. Her cheeks tingled with warmth. Another cough, its hoarseness alerting her to the need for action. She quickly excused herself and headed for one of the open french doors leading out onto the back patio. There were people spilling out from the house but she managed to find a secluded corner. She placed the almost empty glass on a table. By this time the asthma had worsened and something more alarming was happening.

  Up until then Jenna thought she was only reacting to the fruit or some unusual preservative in the soft drink. But now she knew that Veronica had spiked her drink with white wine. She should have realised, but the tang of the ginger ale had disguised it. And now the humming had begun. It felt like bees had taken up residence in her throat and mouth as the soft membranes started to swell in reaction to the allergen.

  She searched desperately in her purse. With a sob of relief she brought her
puffer to her mouth. Several sprays eased the difficulty in drawing air into her lungs. She searched further.

  It wasn’t there! The little packet of antihistamine tablets she knew she had placed in the purse wasn’t there! Suddenly she was frightened. Her syringe filled with adrenaline for just this sort of emergency was a little too bulky for her evening bag and she had left it at the penthouse.

  The tablets would have alleviated the symptoms long enough for her to reach a doctor. If the reaction wasn’t too bad, depending on what she had accidentally consumed, sometimes they were sufficient to counteract the effects of the allergenic substance. But if they weren’t ...only an adrenaline injection would save her from certain death.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  “Having to hide from marauding men already, Jenna?”

  Braden’s voice cut through her fear. She glanced up anxiously as his figure loomed before her. Then a spasm of coughing shook her and she turned away.

  “What’s wrong?” His strong hands spun her back towards him, his face clouded with concern. He took in the flush on her cheekbones, the unnatural glitter in her eyes, then his gaze dropped to the puffer in her hand.

  “You have asthma?”

  She nodded. But she didn’t have time to discuss it, her life depended on her reaching medical help immediately.

  “I have to get to a hospital,” she croaked. Already the swelling was affecting her vocal cords. Soon she would have no voice at all. Then ... She tried not to let the thought panic her. She had learned years ago that if she stayed calm and practised controlled breathing she could sometimes slow down the inevitable, inexorable closure of her throat and nasal passages. Panic would have the opposite effect.

  “Isn’t your puffer working?” A glimmer of anxiety showed in the grey eyes.

  She shook her head. “Anaphylaxis.”

  His eyebrows drew closer together in a worried frown.

  “My throat ... is ... closing over.” The effort to force out the words while gasping to draw air into her lungs almost made her dizzy. Soon, she knew, her blood would steadily be deprived of oxygen as the swelling increased, her blood pressure would drop, and if nothing was done to reverse the condition, she would die of suffocation. She struggled to tell this to Braden, but the effort was too much. Already the allergen was overwhelming the effects of her puffer and the wheezing was depriving her of valuable air.