by King, Ann
“So you will walk down the aisle alone?” Again, his face was turned away from her. God, she found this to be utterly annoying. It was as if he were talking to someone else outside the window or on his Bluetooth. It was as if he were evading her. Or perhaps he wanted to hide the hurt or disappointment in his eyes. She could always read his eyes.
“You’ll soon find out what I’m about to do,” she whispered. Just thinking about what she must do at the chapel shattered her nerves. But she could not let Andre in on what she was about to do. He might try to stop her. She’d gotten herself into this humiliating situation so she’d have to get herself out of it. She would have to face the music, or the gatherers, now before she lost her nerve and could never show her face again.
Chapter 8
A half hour later, at the Vegas Chapel, Hannah stood alone at the altar facing one hundred pairs of eager eyes. The room felt cold and the tension brittle. It seemed as if nobody took a breath as they waited for what she was about to announce. The eerie silence was overwhelming. You could hear a pin drop in the church.
She was more shaken than she cared to admit. Fear and anxiety knotted inside her. What was she going to say? All eyes in the church blazed into her now. She dared not look her mother’s direction who was seated at the front in her wheelchair. She couldn’t bear to see the disappointment and pain in her mother’s eyes. She squeezed tight onto the bouquet of beautiful silk flowers in her hands.
She drew in a deep breath.
To the side, she caught a glimpse of Andre who was not looking her direction. He stood in his sexy tux beside his brother to the side of the church.
“Um…family and friends,” she began to speak as her heart leaped in her chest. Her voice quivered but was loud enough to be heard. “I know you’re probably wondering what’s going on right now. Well, first of all, I want to thank you for coming to my wedding, but…there won’t be a groom.”
There she said it. Now it was time for the ground to open up and swallow her.
Again, the chapel was silent.
Everyone looked horrified. Oh, God, the last thing she wanted was to be pitied. It was as if they’d felt embarrassed for her. Just then, Hannah felt much worse than she did before entering the chapel and she began to question if she’d made the right decision. Shit! I should have listened to Andre!
“Look…I…”
“Hannah found out at the last minute that her Mr. Right was a jerk and she didn’t want to go ahead and marry someone who wasn’t right for her. So she dumped him,” Andre’s deep, commanding voice sounded as he made his way to the altar among the whispers and gasping sounds made from the guests. He looked dashing with his hands shoved in his pockets. “I was there when she called it off. End of story.”
“Andre,” Hannah murmured. She was stunned to say the least. She could not believe he’d come to her rescue like that—again.
Lucy, her maid of honor and roommate gave her a nod of approval and a supportive smile. When Hannah glanced in her mother’s direction, her mother seemed incredibly shaken, confused. Oh, God! What had she done?
As Hannah proceeded towards her mother, Jessica Peterson, the spoiled heiress and daughter of her late step-uncle, Donald Peterson, who made this dream wedding all possible, got up and went over to the older Ms Steeles and mocked a consoling look. “Dear, dear. Hannah, looks like you’ve broken your mother’s heart,” she said, rubbing her mother’s shoulder. Jessica was the ultimate spoiled rich girl who loved attention and who thrived on making a scene. Hannah had almost forgotten that she would be there. They weren’t exactly friends. Especially since Jessica always had her eyes on Andre and her own father seemed to have more respect for Hannah than his daughter, the socialite-party-girl whose job was to max out her father’s credit cards and make tabloid headlines for her bad girl behavior.
“Shouldn’t you just end this quietly so that we can all get a refund on our rooms for the week?” Jessica pouted.
Hannah’s blood surged with rage as a commotion of infectious whispers spread in the congregation. Heat rushed to her cheeks. She could taste acid in her mouth. . “L-l-listen…” Hannah started but her nerves got the best of her and she began to stutter.
“Don’t be silly, Jessica,” Andre intervened. “This is a celebration of love. Love for family and friends. We’re all going to have a great time at the ballroom. It’s all been set up. Don’t you agree it’s the best way to spend the day?” Andre’s voice was icy cold and his gaze towards Jessica sent shivers down Hannah’s spine. Oh, he was mad as hell. His eyes darkened and his jaw clenched as he spoke.
Hannah’s mood lightened momentarily. She almost giggled at the deer-in-the-headlight expression pasted on Jessica’s face. Jessica’s cheeks blazed red in contrast to her straight blond hair. That would teach her to keep quiet.
“Mama, listen…” Hannah picked up her long train and shifted it to the side so that she could kneel beside her mother, she ignored the chattering going on around her as everyone started to get up. “I’m so sorry…I knew how much…”
“No. No, darling. It’s okay, I just want what’s best for you, baby. You’re my only baby you know.”
“I know, Mama.” Hannah felt as if there was a large sink hole in the center of her chest. Her mother just wanted her to have what she’d never had herself.
A family.
A husband.
Respect.
In the village they came from back in the Mediterranean, unmarried mothers were frowned upon and her mother lived a life of shame after Hannah’s father sped off before she was born. She just wanted the cycle to be broken. She knew if Hannah wanted children she would have to have them soon or it may be too late because of her medical condition.
Hannah felt Andre squeeze her shoulder. Electricity pumped through her body as if he’d given her a boost from his power. She turned to face him. “Thank you,” she mouthed to him with deep appreciation. Just as she was feeling more strong, she also caught a glimpse of Jessica from the corner of her eye. Jessica was giving her a deleterious stare.
Great, Hannah thought. She was in for some more drama. Jessica was not one to be publicly shamed by others. Doing that on her own was fine though. Jessica gave Hannah another look of disgust and narrowed her eyes before walking off. If anyone could pull of the ultimate evil-eye it was Jessica.
Hannah tightened her lips. The last thing she wanted was trouble, or worse, competition from Jessica Peterson.
Chapter 9
As if things took a 360 degree turn, Andre was nowhere to be found in the ballroom as the dance begun. Hannah tried not to look desperate as she scanned the crowd of party-goers looking for him. The massive speakers by the DJ section had Beyonce’s Crazy in Love blazing through. That was just what Hannah felt at that moment. Crazy! And yes, in love, too! The bass sound from the beats were so forceful it caused the floor to pump with rhythm. The strobe lights lit up the room as the large crystal-like disco ball sparkled in the dim-lit hall.
“What’s up, girl? You look lost,” Lucy, her bridesmaid shouted over the music as she sipped champagne and danced. She was swaying her hips against Dane, Andre’s charming younger brother.
Oh, great. Even, Lucy had a date. Hannah felt so out of place there. She really wasn’t much of a dancer and she’d always been the last to be asked to a school dance, if she was ever asked. Now there she was in her wedding gown without a groom, or a dance partner.
Heck, she’d just lost two potential grooms in one day!
But it wasn’t just that. It was her entire body that was buzzing. It was as if Andre’s passionate love-making with her earlier had been an addictive elixir for pleasure. She’d felt so comforted in his arms.
A flicker of apprehension coursed through her veins now.
Where was he? Had he changed his mind about her? When he stood up for her in the chapel, was that all in the name of pity? An act, maybe?
Suddenly, Hannah felt as if her stomach would cave in. A wave of doubt swept over h
er as she finally realized she may never experience Andre’s sweet touch again.
After all, it was she who rejected his proposal. His proposal out of pity.
As she made her way through the crowd, everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. Except her.
Then she spotted Andre.
That’s when her heart stopped.
Just when she thought her day couldn’t get any worse…Hannah’s eyes caught Andre—sexy, dripping with charm, Andre—dirty dancing with Jessica.
A deadly combination of emotions rocked through Hannah. She was shocked, humiliated and devastated. Hannah turned away and went for the exit door.
Dumped twice in one day.
So much for happy endings.
Chapter 10
Hannah sat in her silk bra and panties in the cosy chair of the honeymoon suite of the Vegas hotel which had been pre-booked for her wedding night. She was alone. Her beautiful Vera Wang silk wedding gown lay crumpled on the floor at her feet.
She’d been rejected twice in one day on her wedding day. Her mind reeled with confusion. She was tormented by conflicting emotions.
What have I done?
Her emotions seemed so out of control right now. She’d never been much of a drinker, yet there she was sipping champagne like water as she gazed out at the Vegas strip through the window. The lights lit up the dark sky. The city was more alive than she’d felt.
Fuck, Andre!
How could he just turn on her all of a sudden and get close with that witch, Jessica? Were they both mocking Hannah at the chapel? She didn’t trust Andre anymore. Paranoia crept into her mind. She closed her eyes and blinked hot tears that flowed down her cheeks. Maybe it was good that they didn’t elope. He was and always will be a playa!
How unlucky in love could a woman be?
She’d ordered room service since she hadn’t eaten all day and her hunger pains were getting to be more intense than her heartache.
She tried to forget the looks of pity she’d seen in the eyes of many of her guests. They were whispering that she’d been jilted and she was trying to cover it up and save her face.
Still, she couldn’t care less what they’d thought of her. She cared more about what her mother thought of her and most of all, what Andre thought of her! Sexy, irresistible, unreliable, fucked up Andre!
Damn, Andre!
“Room service,” a voice called out from the other side her door, interrupting her self-pity party. Why hadn’t they knocked first?
Hannah got up and wiped her face. She quickly threw on the white hotel robe and tied it at the waist. “Coming!” she yelled out, trying to hide the raw pain in her unsteady voice that sounded more like she’d just finished crying a river.
When she opened the door to let the waiter in, her heart leaped in her chest.
“Andre! What are you doing here?”
Chapter 11
“Are you going to let me in? Or do I need to feed you out here in the corridor?” A wicked grin touched the corner of Andre’s delicious lips.
Those dark, seductive eyes of his captured her soul once more. Every time she saw him, she was captivated by his aura, his confident presence and luring scent.
But she wasn’t about to cave in that easily. Not after all the crap he’d just put her through at the ballroom, practically ignoring her after sticking up for her at the chapel. Why was he so hot and cold—fire and ice in the flick of a moment? Gosh, it was hard to figure out where she stood with him sometimes.
She moved aside so that Andre, in his expensive tux, could move the room service dinner cart into her suite.
“What are you doing? Moonlighting as a waiter? I thought you didn’t need a second job, what with your billions.”
“Your sense of humor kills me, Hannah,” he murmured as he closed the door behind him. He reached over and grabbed the bottle of champagne from the cart and proceeded to uncork it but stopped.
“It looks as if you’d beaten me to it,” he noted as his eyes caught the empty glass of champagne on the coffee table next to a half empty bottle of champagne. “Care to explain?”
“Explain?” Hannah huffed. “You’ve got some nerve, Mr. hot-and-cold.”
Andre raised a sexy brow as he gave her a blank expression.
Unreadable Andre.
“I’m listening,” Andre said in a low voice as he set the bottle of champagne down. He stood erect with his hands shoved inside his pockets, his tux jacket opened revealing a crisp white shirt over taut muscles.
Was the room getting hot all of a sudden?
It was as if his royal hotness was creating a heat wave around Hannah. The memory of his passionate love-making earlier burned a delicious imprint on her body.
Hannah walked over to the window, wrapping her arms around her chest. She could see Andre’s reflection, his tall frame in the window as she peered out over at the Vegas Strip below. “I don’t get you, Andre. You left me. You left me alone at the ball. Why did you do that?”
“Do what?”
“Leave me alone,” she scowled.
“That’s not the only thing that bothers you is it?”
“No. You went and danced with that…with Jessica. What was that about?”
“Nothing.”
“Nothing?”
“Yes, nothing.” He walked over by the window close enough to Hannah that the irresistible scent of his sweet cologne wafted past her nostrils and caused a reaction inside her. Heck, his closeness alone could cause her blood to pump hard. What was it about Andre Corskovi and his effect on her?
“Andre, I know you’re not a man of many words but…” Hannah sighed. Was she going to get anywhere with this? She was beginning to sound clingy. She hated that. If she stepped away from the situation for a moment to think about it, Andre really didn’t owe her a thing. It wasn’t as if they were a couple.
Oh, fuck! After all they’d experienced this morning. She’d never been intimate with anyone before. “I just think that after defending me at the chapel, you wouldn’t ignore me at the party,” she murmured, her voice low. She fought back tears as hard as she could.
“Sorry.” Andre’s voice was low and deep.
“No. I’m sorry, I just feel so vulnerable right now. Why did you dance with Jessica?”
“She asked me too.”
“So you said yes?”
“Yes. Why wouldn’t I? Would you rather me tell her no, that you and I are a couple and I’m off limits?”
Hannah paused. She shook her head and closed her eyes momentarily. “You’re right. It would have looked a tad conspicuous.”
“A tad?” he said, grinning.
Of course, he had a point. But she was still pissed off at him for not being around her at all during the ballroom dance. Heck everyone else had a dance partner.
As if reading her mind, Andre added. “I was hoping that you’d mingle with the guests and enjoy yourself.”
Of course, Hannah felt stupid. What was with her? She hoped she wasn’t turning into one of those Velcro girls who Andre once talked about, trying to stick onto him every second. Of course, looking back now…who could blame them? Andre was hot as hell and right now his nearness was causing her inner thighs to tingle with pleasure as the blood rushed to her sex.
Oh, stop it! I can’t do this. I don’t want to be his play thing. I don’t know what I want. Maybe I just want to get to know him all over again. Have a real relationship with him before diving into something more permanent that we may end up regretting.
“What’s the matter, baby?” Andre’s low, silky voice whispered in her ear as he ran his long fingers through her hair. The touch was surprisingly erotic.
She wanted to pull away from him. To let him know she was still not a hundred percent okay with this…but she just couldn’t.
“Andre,” she breathed, as he nibbled on her earlobe. Her nipples hardened again. She could feel his manhood lengthen inside his pants. “Oh, God. No.” Hannah pulled away, breathless. Panting. Her sex was
pulsing. How many times can a couple have passionate love-making in a day?
Fuck! He was irresistible. Hannah just couldn’t think straight right now.
“What is it?” Andre’s sexy eyes undressed her in her robe as he pulled off his tux jacket.
She wanted to tell him to keep his clothes on. But she just couldn’t do it. The words would not part from her lips.
“Andre, please,” she breathed, her voice hoarse now. “We need to talk about…us. We need to…oh, God!” she cooed as he moved closer to her and continued to nibble on her neck snaking his strong arms around her body. Oh, his touch was electric. The sensation sent rippling pleasure through her entire body. Was this what it felt like to be on cloud nine? What a contrast to earlier at the chapel when she thought she was in hell.
“Just say the word, baby, and I’ll stop,” Andre murmured as he continued to press his hot soft lips on her skin. His silky voice was hoarse and low.
Panting and highly aroused now, Hannah pulled away dazed, her body was on fire. Her hard nipples ached for the gentle touch of his finger pads brushing over them as he did this morning.
Instinctively, Andre held her to prevent her from stumbling off balance. “You okay, baby?”
“Yeah. I…I just need time to think, Andre.”
“About?”
“About us! About this. I don’t want to be just a play thing.”
Andre released Hannah, a grin of amusement touched the corner of his salacious lips. “Is that what you believe you are to me, Hannah? A play thing?”
“Yes. I mean…no. Yes. Yes and no.”
Andre’s sexy dark brow raised a fraction. “Clear to clarify, Ms Steeles.”
Hannah hugged herself as she moved closer to the window as if searching for the answers within the bright lights of the Vegas strip outside the window hundreds of feet below. Heat surged through her entire body. There was no doubt that what she and Andre had, whatever it was, caused an electrical power surge through her blood. She was pumped. Gosh, even his silky deep voice caused her sex to pulse and butterflies to explode in her belly.
