Rand closed his eyes, as if he was summoning the courage to reaffirm his deception. When he opened them, he said, “You’re right, Grandma. I’m not who I used to be. My wife changed me.”
Lottie quickly replied, “Then you should tell her about your grandfather. The entire story. She’s part of our family now, and she should know how deeply it affected you when you first learned about him. You should show her the pictures I gave you of him, too.” She said to Allison, “The resemblance between them is uncanny.”
“I’m looking forward to hearing more about him and seeing his pictures,” Allison replied, curious to make the comparison herself. “Rand already mentioned him briefly to me. He was cautious about saying too much because he was protecting your privacy.”
Lottie sighed. “I’ve always kept Eduardo close to my heart. He was a secret I preferred not to share, except with my grandsons. I probably wouldn’t have even told them if Rand hadn’t bore such a strong likeness to him.” After a light pause, she sighed again. “Eduardo was wrong for me. But Rand isn’t wrong for you. Just seeing the two of you, so much in love, fills me with gladness.”
Allison’s chest went tight. She sensed Rand’s discomfort, too. But as usual, they carried on their charade, behaving like the newlyweds they were supposed to be. He even reached for her hand, threading his fingers through hers.
“You’re living my dream,” Lottie said. “You and Rand.”
No, they weren’t, Allison thought. But she smiled as if they were, holding much too tightly to Rand’s hand. Earlier, she’d gotten sidetracked by a second wedding ceremony in Ireland that wasn’t going to happen, and now Rand’s granny was pulling her into the fray, too.
Making Allison wonder how it would feel to fall in love with Rand for real.
* * *
At bedtime, Allison tried not to fret about her wayward thoughts. She was a romantic, after all, an aspiring novelist with a curious imagination. She was bound to have weak moments. But the fact that she’d actually entertained the notion of loving her husband presented a fear she hadn’t intended to face.
Rand emerged from the bathroom. He’d already brushed his teeth and stripped down to his underwear, but he’d yet to get into bed with her. They were in his suite, amid his belongings. He hadn’t invited her to move into his room, and she didn’t expect him to. Lovers or not, they still had separate accommodations.
“Are you all right?” he asked. “You seem preoccupied.”
“I’m fine.” If she had another bout of weakness, she would simply will it away. Surely she was strong enough to do that.
He gave her an uncertain look. “Are you sure?”
Instead of insisting on how dandy she was, she turned the conversation around on him. “You seem distracted, too. You haven’t even told me about your grandfather yet.”
“I was waiting until you were settled in for the night.”
“Then I’m ready now.” After the emotional day she’d had, she was as settled as she was going to be.
“I’ll go get Eduardo’s pictures.” He proceeded to his walk-in closet and returned with a small wooden keepsake box.
He joined her in bed, opened the box and showed her a head-and-shoulders photograph of a man dressed in an intricately embellished gold jacket, like that of a matador.
“Oh, my goodness.” She studied the image. “Your resemblance to him is uncanny.” There were differences, of course. Eduardo had brown eyes instead of green. He was also leaner than Rand, with cheekbones that arched higher and sharper. He wore his hair slicked straight back and was clean shaven. Beard stubble wasn’t a trend in the 1950s, which she presumed was the era of the picture. But overall, they bore strikingly similar features, with the same straight noses, flared nostrils, dark eyebrows, sexy mouths and strong jawbones. “You told me before that he was really famous in his country. A bullfighter, I presume?” Based on his ceremonial clothes, she figured that was an accurate guess.
“He was from Spain, and he was legendary in his field. Not only for his performance in the ring, but because of his brash behavior in public, too. Eduardo was an illegitimate descendant of a Spanish duke, who was the half brother of a long-ago king.”
She widened her eyes. “That’s quite a legacy.”
“In theory, it was. Except by then, Spain was being ruled by a military dictator with no ties to Eduardo’s ancestors. Of course, his illegitimate connection to royalty wouldn’t have awarded him that status even if they were still in power. But he liked to flaunt his lineage anyway, especially to the current regime.”
“What a brave thing to do.” She doubted that the dictator in charge appreciated being called out by a daring young matador.
“Everything about him seemed larger than life. He even died in a dramatic way, getting gorged by a bull and dying in the ring, with a crowd of people watching.”
“That’s horrible.” She couldn’t fathom seeing something like that. “How old was he when he died?”
“Around my age. It happened about ten years after his affair with my grandmother. They were both in their twenties when they had their fling.” Rand removed another photo from the box. “Here’s a snapshot of them together.”
She took the picture and held it up to the light. “Your granny was beautiful.” Lottie had been a leggy brunette back then, with smooth, fair skin and a bewitching smile. “She could’ve been a movie star. They made a stunning couple. They look really good together.”
“He looked good with lots of women. He was a renowned playboy. You heard what Grandma said about him being the wrong man for her. She knew better than to try to pin him down.”
Although Allison was compelled to know more, she tried not to think about the parallels between his grandparents and her relationship with Rand. “How did they meet?”
“She was on an extended holiday in Europe, traveling by herself and learning about other cultures. On her second day in Spain, she attended one of his bullfights. It’s customary for people to toss flowers and gifts into the ring, and she tossed a bouquet of red roses at his feet. She was seated very close, and he noticed her in the stands and bowed to her. That’s not something a matador is supposed to do. Or it wasn’t in those days. I don’t know about now. They weren’t supposed to look around or show their fans favor. But Eduardo had become notorious for choosing his lovers that way.”
Allison envisioned the scenario in her mind, the power of Eduardo’s effect on the women he took to his bed. “And that’s how their affair began?”
Rand nodded. “He introduced himself to her after the fight, and she spent the rest of that summer with him at his estate. She didn’t speak Spanish, but he spoke fluent English, so there wasn’t a language barrier. He was proficient in French, too.”
“It sounds like he valued his education.”
“He definitely did. He was impressed with my grandmother’s alma mater in the States. Her beauty and intelligence fascinated him. He was devoted to her during the time they were together. She said that he doted on her. But he never stayed with anyone longer than a few months. That’s pretty much my record, too.” He took the photo of his grandparents and set it aside. “Eduardo was a wealthy man. Even when Spain was suffering economically, he managed to rise to the top. He enjoyed being a celebrity and thumbing his nose at authority.”
She mulled over Rand’s character, and Eduardo’s, too. “Sort of like the way you thumbed your nose at Texas society to get back at your dad? I can see why Lottie thought that you inherited Eduardo’s restless spirit.”
“It bothers me that she thinks I’ve changed. I know I shouldn’t be upset by it. The whole idea was to clean up my image and fool everyone into believing that we’re a committed couple.” A hard frown creased Rand’s forehead. “But I’m still the same man I was before, and this ruse of ours isn’t going to change me.”
Allison didn’t want to think too
deeply about Rand’s unchanged ways, so she focused on his grandfather instead. “I’ll bet Eduardo would have married Lottie if he’d known about the baby.” She wanted to believe the best of Eduardo.
“I agree. He probably would’ve. Wild as he was, he was still raised in a traditional family. But that was a factor in why my grandmother didn’t tell him she was pregnant. She didn’t want him marrying her out of duty and resenting her for it. She didn’t want a husband who would be mourning his freedom.”
She couldn’t help herself from saying, “But maybe it wouldn’t have been that way. Maybe he would have fallen in love with her.”
Rand scowled. “What are you doing, Allison? Trying to rewrite my grandfather’s story and make him into one of your book heroes?”
“It’s better than the way it turned out, with your granny raising a daughter all by herself and Eduardo dying so young.”
“I’m sorry that he was killed the way he was, but he knew the risks he was taking. To be honest, I don’t believe in bullfighting. I think it’s a brutal practice.”
She didn’t approve of the tradition, either, but Eduardo’s passing still made her sad. “Maybe he would have quit his profession if he’d married Lottie. He obviously had plenty of money to start over in the States. Between the two of them, they could’ve had a nice, safe life here in Texas.”
Rand blew out a breath. “Do you honestly think Eduardo would still be alive if he and my grandmother had stayed together?”
“I’d like to think it could’ve happened.” She wanted to reunite Lottie with the man she’d loved, if only in a make-believe way. It was certainly safer than daydreaming about herself and Rand.
He adjusted his weight on the bed. “You really are a hopeless romantic.”
“I always said that I was.” Denouncing that side of her personality would be futile.
He toyed with the strap on her nightgown, lowering it, letting it drop below her shoulder. “You look different now, with the way you changed your makeup and hair. But you’re still the same person deep inside.”
“Yes, I’m still the same me.” The same woman who believed in happily-ever-after, who was supposed to find her true husband someday. But it was impossible to think about her future, about marrying someone else, when she was here with Rand.
“Let’s see if you taste as sweet as you always have.” He kissed her, soft and slow.
She returned his affection, eager to breathe him into her pores. There was no time to think, to be rational; all she could do was react. Once they were naked, their bodies entwined, he looked into her eyes. She tried to glance away, but she couldn’t. He was holding her captive, making her want him even more. But as enticing as he was, she knew how important it was to keep her heart intact.
So even when he was inside of her, so close and deep that she could barely distinguish her heartbeat from his, she kept fighting her feelings.
Every silky, sexy moment of the way.
Ten
The following day, Allison continued to manage her feelings, reminding herself that her marriage to Rand wasn’t meant to last. That he wasn’t her true husband. That she wasn’t destined to spend the rest of her life with him.
But she would miss him terribly when it was over. He was fast becoming the person she felt closest to in this world, a dear friend, a passionate lover, a kind and caring confidant, everything she always dreamed a real husband should be. But that didn’t mean she could allow herself to love him. She simply had to stay strong and stop her romantic notions from taking over. Rand made it clear that he was still the same uncommitted man he’d always been.
Luckily, other things were falling into place that she didn’t have to worry about. The social media feedback about her makeover was positive, and she was busy researching and writing the featured articles in her current contracts.
She sat at the dining room table, a soothing breeze coming in from a set of etched glass doors, and tapped away on her laptop. It was one of her favorite spots in the house. The pool was visible from her vantage point, the water glistening like a blue lagoon.
Rand was at the office, but she’d received a text from him, saying that he would be home shortly. He had some great news to share, except he wanted to wait to tell her in person. He also told her not to fix anything for dinner. Instead, they would go out tonight to celebrate.
For now, she snacked on corn chips and salsa. Allison had a habit of eating at her computer, and sometimes she made a mess. But she was trying not to do that today. She shoved the chips into her mouth as quickly as she scooped them into the salsa bowl, keeping her laptop out of the line of fire.
About fifteen minutes later, Rand entered the house. She heard the familiar sound of his footsteps. She turned around in her chair, preparing to greet him.
He approached her, looking like the handsome young CEO that he was. His blue-striped, classic-cut suit fit him to perfection. His megawatt smile was perfect, too. This wonderful man she wasn’t allowing herself to love.
Determined to keep things light, she stood and teasingly said, “Hey, sugar. How was your day?” using a really bad Texas accent. But at least she had on the right clothes to fit her voice. She was wearing her one-and-only pair of cowboy boots.
He laughed. “Seriously? You’re poking fun at the way I talk, and you won’t let me say ‘top of the morning’ to you? How is that fair?”
She moved closer to him, keeping the silly banter going. “Then go ahead and say it.”
“I would, but it’s not morning.” He swept her into his arms, bending her backward for a steamy kiss.
Mercy, she thought. Morning, noon or night, she savored the feel of him. He ended the kiss, righted their postures and let her go. Still spellbound, she gazed into the glittering greenness of his eyes.
“You taste spicy,” he said.
And he tasted like heaven on earth. “It’s the peppers in the salsa I ate. You know how I like to snack.” She dusted her hands on her jeans, just in case she had salt from the chips on them.
He removed his jacket and draped it over the back of the chair she’d been using. “Do you want to hear my news?”
“Yes, of course.” She was interested to know what they would be celebrating tonight.
He grinned broadly. “I met with Ted today and acquired the Brisbane account. I brought his company in as a new client.”
“Congratulations!” She’d never seen him so boyish and smiley. She considered flinging her arms around him, but his kiss had already knocked her for a loop.
He loosened his tie. “It wouldn’t have happened without you. You’re my good luck charm.”
She definitely felt a part of it, with how friendly they’d both become with Sharon and Ted. “I was glad to help.”
“Now all we have to do is get you your green card, and our final mission will be accomplished.”
A final mission that would end in divorce, she thought, with no more kisses, no more hugs, no more husband and wife.
If only things could be different, if only...
“So what are you in the mood to eat?” he asked. “Where should we go?”
Trying to clear her head, she made an instant decision. “Mexican food and margaritas sounds good.”
“Really? After the chips and spicy salsa you just munched on?”
She nodded. “That’s what got me in the mood for it.”
“There’s a really great Tex-Mex place in town. Will that do?”
“Sure.” She didn’t care if it was Tex-Mex or traditional Mexican cuisine. She just needed to go out and have a good time, to be as upbeat as possible.
He smiled once again. Not as boyishly as before, but still a little crookedly. “I’ll change into something casual, and we can head out.”
She nodded and smiled, too. “No hurry. I have to go to my room to get my purse.” Just as she
reached for her smartphone, so she could take it upstairs and put it in her purse, the device rang. It was on the table, next to her laptop.
Rand said, “You can let it go to voice mail and deal with it later.”
“Let me check to see who it is first. It could be my agent with a mega book deal.” She was joking, naturally. But someday, she intended to get that call. She glanced at the name on the screen. “It’s my brother. I should probably take it.” Rhys rarely called her.
She answered with a goofy “Howdy,” using her ridiculous Texas accent on him.
“Allison? Is that you?” He sounded worried.
“Yes, it’s me.” She turned serious. His reaction to her joke was alarming. Normally Rhys had a good sense of humor. Or with her, he typically did. “Is something wrong?”
“Granny had a stroke. We don’t know if she’s going to recover. We don’t—”
“Oh, dear God.” Her knees nearly buckled, the fear of losing her grandmother flooding her like a storm. “I’ll be there as soon as I can.” Allison wasn’t supposed to return to Ireland, not while her green card interview was pending, but this would be considered an emergency. She needed to go home.
Her brother replied, “I’ll keep in touch. Be safe and let me know when you’ll arrive.”
“I will. I’ll talk to you later.” She had to figure out her traveling plans. She turned toward Rand. He’d been watching her with a concerned expression.
“What happened?” he asked.
“It’s Granny. Maimeó,” she said, using the Irish term, before she burst into tears.
* * *
Rand used his private jet to take Allison and himself to Ireland. He wasn’t going to let her go alone—he wanted to be with her, to support her, to help her through this difficult time. Once he freed up his schedule, he contacted the USCIS to let them know that Allison needed to return to her homeland for a family illness. The two of them both breathed a sigh of relief when she was granted permission to leave the States.
A Convenient Texas Wedding Page 13
