by Pamela Yaye
“All right,” she said on a sigh. “Conditions.” Teddy wasn’t convinced this would work, but she’d give it a try if it had the possibility of giving her a few free months from her mother’s relentless pestering.
“What conditions?”
“We go on these dates and we talk about the implications of this approach. We think this through.”
“Agreed,” he said.
Teddy believed he wasn’t really thinking it through. “I mean, with the same consideration you give to your investments, you give to this plan.”
He took a moment to consider it. Then he nodded and said, “Will do.”
“Here it is,” Mr. Restonson said.
Teddy turned. The gallery owner was a few feet behind her. She’d nearly forgotten about him in light of Adam’s plan. She wondered if he’d heard them.
Moving across the floor, Teddy met him in the middle of the room. “It’s huge,” she said when she saw him carrying a package longer than her arms. The painting had been wrapped and she couldn’t tell what the picture was, but she could see its size. No way could she take that on the train back to Princeton.
And her mother knew it.
Chapter 3
Adam wrestled the painting into the back of the SUV as Teddy watched. Several times she jerked her hand to help catch the falling canvas. “I apologize,” she told him when they’d managed to get it in without a mishap. “Mom said it was a small painting.”
“Relative term,” he replied. “Compared with the murals at Times Square...” He left the sentence open, but Teddy knew what he meant. The advertisements in that area of Manhattan were described by the number of stories they covered. The smallest one she could think of was about ten-stories high.
There was that dry humor again. Teddy didn’t mind it. In fact, she found it likable. They climbed into the plush cabin and Adam started the engine. He pulled into the afternoon traffic. Teddy thought about the suggestion Adam had brought up in the brightness of the gallery.
“Thinking about my proposal?” Adam broke into her thoughts.
“It isn’t a proposal, not by my definition. But it is on my mind,” Teddy said. She lapsed into silence. She knew he was waiting for her to continue by the way he glanced at her.
“Afraid pulling it off might be an issue?”
“Aren’t you? After all, these are our parents. And what about girlfriends? I can’t imagine you don’t already have one.” He had met her for a blind date. That should indicate that he was unattached, but Teddy didn’t want to assume. She noticed him stiffen. Hands that had been relaxed now gripped the steering wheel harder.
“I did,” he said quietly. “We broke up six months ago.”
Teddy intentionally kept her voice low. “Is it over or do you think you’ll reconcile?”
“No reconciliation.” The note in his voice was final, even if it was a little higher pitched than she remembered. Teddy knew that wasn’t the end of it, but she didn’t know him well enough to continue questioning.
“What about you? Beautiful, confident, business owner. There must be a man in the wings.”
“Several,” Teddy said.
“Anyone in particular?”
“They’re all particular.”
He took his eyes from the road to stare at her with raised eyebrows. “How many is ‘all’?”
“Not a relevant question, or one I’ll answer,” she told him.
“So the Marriage Pact won’t work for you?”
“I didn’t say that,” Teddy said, a teasing smile curving her lips.
“What are you saying?”
“I’m not sure. There are complications that could happen from this action and I don’t know what they are yet.”
“Does that mean you’ll think about it?”
After a long moment, she said, “I’ll think about it.”
They were both quiet for the rest of the drive. When they entered the Borough of Princeton, Teddy directed him to her house.
“Where do you want it?” Adam asked, carrying the painting.
“In here, slide it between the columns.” She led him to the area between her living and dining rooms. They were separated by a pair of columns. Teddy pointed to a spot that didn’t obstruct her entry or exit. Adam leaned the painting against the wall and followed her back to the kitchen.
“Would you like something to drink?” she asked.
“Thank you, but I need to go. Japanese markets are open and I have some transactions to take care of.”
“Of course,” Teddy said. She was slightly disappointed that he wasn’t staying. She headed back toward the front of the house. At the door, she turned to thank him for his help, but a sudden and unexpected emotion gripped her. She looked up at him. The idea of a pretense with him wasn’t sitting as badly as it should. Her eyes roamed his face, settling on his mouth. Teddy thought of leaning toward him but stopped herself.
“Is something wrong?” he asked.
She shook her head.
“You will think about the pact?” he asked.
Teddy nodded. “I promised.” Then surprised herself by adding, “We could talk more about it sometime.” She hesitated and that was unlike her. “After the markets close, maybe.”
“We need to know more about each other,” he agreed.
She nodded.
“While you’re thinking, here’s something to help you along.”
Before Teddy knew what he was going to do, he leaned toward her and she couldn’t help but lean into him. Her head tipped up and her heels came off the floor at the same time. His mouth hovered over hers. He took her face in his hands, first one hand, then the other, cradling her. She took in his scent. Images swam before her eyes. She closed them as emotions burned within her. Intense heat flashed through her until she was sure she was glowing yellow. His mouth settled on hers. Easy. He didn’t rush or plunge. His fingers threaded through her hair, combing it with ease as if he savored the texture and feel of the dark strands. Palms slid across her shoulders and with slow, caressing movements skimmed over her arms and sides before wrapping around her waist. He pulled her against him, possessively, his mouth mirroring the actions of his body. She felt the fire of his hands searing her suit fabric.
Teddy had been kissed before, but never like this, never with this tenderness, this softness that was as unnerving as if he were devouring her. Her arms reached upward, sliding over arms that were rock hard. On tiptoe she circled his neck and pressed herself into him. Just as her mouth began to mate with his, he lifted his head.
She said nothing. Her eyes closed and opened in answer. His finger on her lips made her incapable of speech. The emotions rifling through her were new, untried, outside her realm of experience. But they were there—prickling electrical points that dotted her body, vibrated over her skin like a formfitting acupuncture machine that dealt only in pleasure. The sensation was new.
Adam moved his hand and the moment snapped, a tenuous thread broken.
“Now we know what it’s like to kiss each other.”
Reaching around her, he opened the door. She was already close enough to him that the smell of his heady cologne clouded her senses. Brushing against his hard body as she made room for him had her responding to the pure sexual drive of him.
The door clicked shut and she let out a long breath. She was incapable of speech. When had a man ever caused her to react like this?
And one her mother handpicked!
* * *
Teddy understood that if she agreed to Adam’s suggestion, the two should keep it secret, but she told Diana everything. In this she needed a second opinion.
“So, what do you think?” Teddy asked as she finished explaining Adam showing up at the wedding, the painting and his suggestion. She omitted the devas
tating kiss at her front door.
Diana stared at her with openmouthed amazement. “He suggested you pretend to be in love?”
Hearing it put like that and in a tone that said it was incredible, Teddy was sorry she’d brought up the subject.
“Do you think it will work?” Diana asked.
“I’m not sure. I’d rather just tell my mother to back off, but we both know that won’t work.”
Diana leaned forward, her arms folded on her desk. “Let me ask a different question. Are you considering this because you’re attracted to Adam?” Teddy hesitated. It was apparently too long for Diana. “I guess that’s my answer.”
“I told you he was good-looking.” Actually he was gorgeous. He had the most amazing eyes, light brown with a fringe of lashes that any female would be jealous of. His hands were soft when he had them on her face, but she could feel the strength in them. His body was solid and that bedroom voice could possibly undo her.
“At the time you didn’t say you wanted to spend time with him. What is this, your third date?” Diana asked.
“We haven’t been on a date yet.”
“What was dinner last week and the wedding on Friday?”
“Those were chance meetings.”
Diana frowned at her, but her face showed the opposite. “Sure they were,” she said sarcastically. “But as far as your question goes, you’ll have to decide. If you’re doing it to ward off your mom, that’s one thing. But if you just want to spend time with the guy and he with you, I’m sure neither one of you needs a guise.”
Teddy thought about that. She was confused about her reasons for considering the Marriage Pact. She’d never wanted to be married in the past. Even though she loved the planning of someone else’s wedding, she’d never thought of doing it for herself. So Adam should be a perfect candidate in her life. He didn’t like weddings, didn’t want to have anything to do with happily ever after. So why didn’t Teddy just take him up on the Marriage Pact and fall in with his plans? It would make everyone happy. Did she really want to continue seeing Adam? Granted, if she’d met him on her own, she’d have no problem going out with him. But in her usual manner, as Diana put it, Teddy would quickly move on to someone else.
There was a certain chemistry between them. Teddy felt it. Her mouth tingled just thinking about the kiss the two of them had shared. Was that the reason? Was she afraid of spending time with him? They could become close. Was that so bad? Diana and Scott hadn’t begun on the best foot and they were happily married now. Was Teddy protecting herself, putting up barriers to prevent her life from changing?
Neither she nor Adam really needed to fall in with their parents’ wishes. She was her own woman, with her own needs and plans. So why was she so undecided about Adam?
* * *
Adam stared at himself in his bedroom mirror. Who was this guy, he mentally asked himself? He’d never acted this way before. He liked Teddy. He really liked her. And that was his problem. He really liked her. In fact, he felt as if his feelings were morphing into something else, something more. It didn’t make any sense. If there had been a lineup of beautiful women before him, Adam would never have selected her as someone he wanted to get to know, but he did want to know her.
Grabbing a sweater from the drawer, he shrugged into it, dropping the one he’d spilled beer on in the hamper. Then he went into the kitchen and popped the top off another can of beer. Joining his brother in front of the big-screen television in his family room, he dropped down next to him and tossed him a can.
There was a baseball game on ESPN and Quinn was watching it. The moment he arrived, he went straight for the TV and turned on the game. When Adam joined him, he took his eyes away from the screen for a moment. Quinn was the athletic brother. He not only watched every sporting event possible, but in high school and college, he played baseball and tennis, and competed in track. He was still active in tennis and jogged several miles a day. Adam didn’t envy him his biceps. Adam had his own workout routine that could rival his brother’s.
Adam knew Quinn had been observing him closely for the past few days. He didn’t think he’d changed since he and Teddy talked about their Marriage Pact, but he knew his observant brother must have noticed a change in him. Anything that removed Quinn’s attention from a game in progress had to be important.
“What are you thinking?” Adam asked.
“That something is wrong with you.”
“I’m fine,” Adam said.
“Since Mom fixed you up with that blind date, you haven’t been the same.”
“Which blind date? There have been several. Often I can get out of them.” Adam knew the routine with his mother. She would call, pretend to ask him something about investing or going through some amount of small talk, before mentioning that she’d run in to so-and-so from his past or that she’d met a very nice woman who was unattached and who would like to meet him.
Other than giving her an out-and-out no, which he’d done on one occasion, he put them off by telling her he already had a date. Sometimes that was true. Sometimes he then found a date to make the lie come true.
“You know which date,” Quinn said. “The one you had a few weeks ago.”
Adam took a sip of beer. “How have I been different?”
“You’re quieter.”
“Aren’t you the one who’s always telling me to be quiet so you can hear the television?” Adam said, glancing at the TV screen, and sipped his beer to cover the uncomfortable feeling that washed over him.
“I never thought you’d actually do it.”
“I’m getting older...and wiser.”
“Nope,” Quinn said.
“Nope?”
“You’re getting older, but I think we can thank Ms. Theresa Granville for the change.”
Adam stiffened. “She has nothing to do with this.”
“Not what I heard.”
“What do you mean?” Adam frowned. “What have you heard? And from whom?”
“I mean, the word is that the two of you are a couple.”
“Yeah?”
“It’s true.” A commercial came on and Quinn hit the mute button on the remote control. He turned to Adam. “Someone’s gotten under your skin?”
Adam understood what Teddy meant by not truly thinking through the deception angle. He’d intended to fend off his mother. He hadn’t thought that he’d have to keep the pretense up with everyone else, including his brothers. But the fewer people who knew the truth, the better. And while Quinn could keep a secret, Adam decided it wasn’t the time to reveal what he and Teddy had talked about.
“It had to happen sometime,” he answered Quinn. Adam hated lying to his brother, but if their deception was to work, only the two of them could know about it. And Adam was confused by Teddy. She seemed to tap into something deep inside him and he was unsure of what it was. Keeping it under wraps was the right thing to do, he told himself.
“This from the man who said falling in love wasn’t for him. That he intended to play the field the rest of his life. Then you meet Veronica.” Quinn paused, giving Adam a long look. “Then that didn’t work out and you find Teddy. Two out of two. Or is Teddy a rebound love?”
“Teddy is nothing like Veronica.”
“Is she more like Chloe?”
Adam tensed. His brother knew better than to bring up Chloe. But Adam didn’t want to let on that her name disturbed him. Chelsea, who he parted with on a mutually friendly basis, was never the subject of their man-woman discussions. But she had an impact on his life as did the other women. Chloe was a different story.
“She’s nothing like Chloe,” he said. He hadn’t compared them, but Teddy was her own person. Maybe that was why he couldn’t identify her. Adam thought of their kiss. For days afterward, he couldn’t get the feel of her in his arms ou
t of his mind. He liked the way her body folded into his as if she belonged there. As if she wanted to be there. As if it was the right place for her. And he wanted nothing more than to go on holding her.
In the time since he decided to never marry again, he hadn’t met anyone who captured his mind days after meeting the way Teddy had. Pushing himself up straight on the sofa, Adam became very serious. He scrutinized Quinn for a moment before asking, “Have you ever been in love? I mean, really in love? Have you ever wanted a woman more than you’ve wanted anything else?”
Quinn pointed the remote control at the television and clicked it off. “This is going to take some time.”
For a long moment Quinn stared at Adam. The two brothers were close and rarely held anything from each other. Adam wanted to tell him about the pact, but not yet.
“You think you’re in love?” Quinn asked, breaking Adam’s train of thought.
“No.”
“Then what do you think?”
“I’m not sure. I think I might be going through some kind of phase.”
“Phase?” Quinn grunted. “You’re way too old for phases.”
“Has it happened to you, Quinn?” Adam asked seriously.
His brother hesitated. Then said, “Once.”
“With who? What happened? Why didn’t I know about this?”
“You have your own life and mainly you work after dark.”
“I work with world markets. They’re open late,” Adam said. “What about the woman you were in love with?”
“Obviously it wasn’t the can’t-live-without-you love, since I am still here. And this conversation is not about me,” Quinn countered. “Does Mom have anything to do with this?”
“Not much. She’s always meddling in my love life.”
“Well, you haven’t been seeing anyone on a steady basis,” Quinn said. “And that’s a cue for her to take control.”
“So she finds me dates. Blind dates.”
Quinn smiled. “So that’s what this is about. She got you a date and you’re having feelings for her.”
“Not totally. I mean, Teddy is a nice person. I’d have dated her on my own if Mom hadn’t interfered. But I’m not in love with her.”
