The Million Dollar Catch Bundle

by Susan Mallery

  “Okay, but no eating or drinking. We probably shouldn’t even sit down and take a real guest’s place.”

  He smiled a her. “You’re not much of a rule-breaker, are you?”

  “Only under very specific circumstances. Like the no more than four items in a dressing room rule. That one I’m good to break.”

  They circled the ballroom, avoiding the tables clustered at one end and staying toward the dance floor. A waiter came by and offered some kind of puff pastry treat. Todd reached for it, but she pushed his hand away.

  “We’re not supposed to eat,” she told him, her voice low and insistent.

  He chuckled. “You’re making this too much fun.”

  “We’re not here to have fun. This is serious. Okay, they’re setting up to play. This is good. We can listen, then leave.”

  “Coward.”

  “I’m ignoring you.” She watched the small orchestra seat themselves. “You’re right—there aren’t too many of them. So what are you thinking? The alcove in Grandma Ruth’s ballroom?”

  “Or that space between the pillars. The sound would be better coming from there.”

  “Good point. I just wish they’d start.”

  A well-dressed older couple moved toward them.

  “Kitty and Jason Sampson,” the woman said as she reached for Marina’s hand. “How good of you to come.”

  Marina froze. They were caught!

  But Todd smiled smoothly and responded. “Everything is lovely. Very impressive. Such a happy day.”

  Kitty beamed. “Isn’t it? We’re so delighted.”

  “Of course you are,” Todd told her.

  Jason leaned down and kissed Marina’s cheek, then slapped Todd on the shoulder. “Thanks so much for joining us today. It means a lot.”

  “We wouldn’t have missed this for anything.”

  The Sampsons left.

  Marina waited until they were out of earshot, then covered her face. “We’re going to hell. I can hear them etching our names on our chairs.”

  “We get chairs in hell?”

  She glared at him. “You know what I mean.”

  “Nothing happened. We were polite and gracious. In five minutes, Kitty and Jason won’t remember us. Come on. You can handle this. Look, the orchestra is about to start.”

  “Maybe. It’s not that I want to feel guilty,” she began.

  “Then don’t. Come on. We’ll lurk in the corner and stay out of trouble.”

  As he spoke, he grabbed her hand and pulled her to the side of the room. While his touch was totally casual, her body responded as if he’d just ripped off her dress and thrown her down on a table. Make that a bed…in a very private place, because her reaction was anything but outrage.

  She melted from the inside out. The need to be with him nearly overwhelmed her, which was five kinds of crazy. They’d only been together that one night. Even though it had been a great time, it shouldn’t have made that much of an impact on her.

  Still, she found herself wanting to be with him, but not just in a sexual way. She wanted to be in his arms, talking and laughing. Watching him smile, listening to his voice and hearing his unique perspective on the world. She wanted…more.

  “Better?” he asked as they stopped in a corner of the room, close to the orchestra but out of the flow of guest traffic. “We’re practically acting like spies, hiding behind this potted tree.” He fingered a leaf. “Do you know what this is?”

  “Not a clue. That’s Willow’s area of expertise. It looks real, though.” She allowed herself to relax. “Yes, this is much better. I can feel my guilt easing.”

  “Excellent.”

  He smiled at her. The answering quiver deep inside had something to do about his proximity, but not totally. Some of her reaction was just about him.

  What was up with that?

  Before she could figure out an answer, a waiter stopped by and offered them each a glass of champagne.

  “The bride and groom will be here in a few minutes,” he said. “This is for the toast.”

  Marina pulled free of Todd and tucked both her hands behind her back. “We can’t,” she whispered.

  Todd took the two glasses and thanked the waiter. When the two of them were alone again, he offered one of the glasses.

  “We have to,” he told her. “Not toasting the bride and groom would be tacky and rude.”

  She bit her lower lip. “This is a very slippery slope. Okay, we’ll raise our glasses, but we can’t drink.”

  He grinned. “Right, because after we put the glasses down, someone else will gladly finish off the contents? Face it, kid. You’re in this for a glass of champagne.”

  Marina sighed. “Maybe we can find out Kitty and Jason’s favorite charity and make a donation.”

  “You’re such a lightweight,” he told her as he put his arm around her waist and pulled her close. “I like that about you.”

  The quiver intensified.

  A man who was probably the best man walked up to the microphone in front of the orchestra. “Ladies and gentlemen, will you please join me in welcoming Mr. and Mrs. Alex Sampson.”

  Everyone cheered as the bride and groom entered the room.

  “A toast,” the best man continued. “To a couple who defines love. May each day be better than the one before.”

  He raised his glass. The guests all did the same. Marina winced, then raised hers and took a tiny sip of the illicit champagne.

  Todd leaned close. “Dom Pérignon.”

  “Really?” She took another sip. It was really nice. And honestly, if the families could afford that high-end champagne for the crowd, then maybe two stolen drinks weren’t that big a deal.

  “I’ll accept the champagne,” she murmured, “but we’re not staying for dinner.”

  “Absolutely not. Just for one dance.”

  The orchestra began to play. The bride and groom stepped onto the dance floor and moved together.

  Marina ignored them and instead focused on the smooth music. It was definitely more elegant than a DJ, but not really stuffy.

  “Good choice,” she told him. “I like the orchestra. Now let’s go.”

  “Not so fast.” He took her glass from her and set it on a small table next to them. Then he led her toward the dance floor.

  “What?” She tried digging in her heels, but it was a hardwood floor and that was not going to happen. “We can’t dance.”

  “Why not? Everyone else is.”

  Sure enough several of the guests had moved into the center of the room and had joined the bride and groom. Marina decided that one dance wouldn’t hurt. It wasn’t as if they were eating anything. So she relaxed into Todd’s arms and found out that he had yet another talent she’d never considered. This was even better than their spin around the bridal shop dressing rooms.

  “You’re good,” she said after he’d twirled her around and then neatly caught her. “Lessons?”

  “Years of them.”

  He pulled her close as the music slowed in tempo.

  She rested her head on his shoulder. He had one of his hands on the small of her back. They pressed together in a way that was both sensual and enticing.

  “We’ll leave after this song,” he said, speaking directly into her ear.

  “Okay.”

  “You want to get something to eat?”

  “Sure.”

  “Takeout?”

  She raised her head and stared at him. Passion turned his eyes to the color of night.

  He touched a finger to her mouth. “I know what you’re going to say,” he told her softly. “That we agreed we couldn’t do this again. That it would be a mistake for a lot of reasons. If that’s what you want, I won’t ask again. I’ve spent the past week telling myself why I have to let this go, but I can’t. I want you, Marina.”

  They were words that would have cracked a wall a whole lot tougher than hers. “You had me at ‘takeout,’” she whispered. “Let’s go.”

  They w
ent to his place because it was closer. The seventeen-minute drive seem to last forever, possibly because Todd spent much of the time nibbling on her fingers. The combination of teeth and tongue and lips was amazingly arousing. More than once she’d been tempted to tell him to pull over and they could just do it in the car.

  She held back because it was daylight, she wasn’t into being an exhibitionist and because a night in jail wasn’t on her to-do list for that day. Of course Todd hadn’t been, either, but she did try to be flexible when offered a wonderful opportunity.

  They reached his house and piled out of the car. He opened the front door, pulled her inside, slammed the door shut behind her, flipped the lock and dragged her into his arms.

  She went willingly, already anticipating the heat of his kiss.

  He didn’t disappoint. His mouth was firm and hungry and he tasted like great champagne. Even as they touched and strained and did everything they could to climb inside each other, he swept his tongue into her mouth and began that passionate dance.

  He circled her, teasing, exciting. She met him with moves of her own and then closed her lips around his tongue and sucked gently. He groaned. She felt his hardness press against her belly. She was already wet and swollen. Her breasts ached. Deep inside she clenched in anticipation of what was to come.

  He pulled back slightly and nudged her backward. “Bed,” he murmured against her neck. “Up. Go.”

  The instructions would have been funny if she hadn’t been so eager. She forced herself to break free of his erotic kisses and hurried toward the stairs.

  Before climbing, she kicked off her shoes. He did the same.

  Halfway up, they stopped and kissed again. As he stirred her soul, he reached for her zipper and pulled. She pushed off his suit jacket, then began to loosen his tie. He pulled his shirt free.

  While she wasn’t usually overly aggressive in bed, Marina didn’t think of herself as shy. So she took a step back, shrugged out of the dress and let it fall to her feet.

  Underneath she wore a lavender lace bra and matching panties. Todd’s breath caught audibly. She reached behind herself, unfastened her bra, let that fall, as well, then turned and ran up the stairs.

  It took him a second to follow, but when he did, he caught up quickly. At the second-floor landing, he lunged for her, grabbing her and pulling her to a stop. She laughed and spun toward him.

  He was standing a step lower. He tore off his tie, unfastened his shirt and tossed it down, then leaned in and took her right nipple into his mouth.

  He sucked and licked and circled until she could barely keep standing. She had to hold on to his shoulders and even so, her legs shook. The deep tugs caused an answering response low in her belly.

  When he moved to her other breast, she felt herself starting to lose her balance. He must have sensed it, too, because he put his arms around her waist and lowered her to the top of the carpeted stairs.

  She went willingly, wrapping her arms around him and enjoying the feel of his hot skin.

  He raised his head. “We will make it to bed,” he told her.

  “I’m in favor of that plan.”

  He smiled. “But first…”

  He reached for her panties and pulled them off in one quick movement. Then he shifted down a couple of stairs, urged her to part her legs and kissed her between them.

  The intimate caress took her breath away. She had to brace herself on her arms to keep from falling over and even that wasn’t enough. Not with her already shaking in need.

  He was as good as she remembered. Exploring, circling, stroking, licking, driving her to the edge, only to back off just enough to make her whimper.

  Over and over he touched her with his tongue and his lips. He drew her higher and higher, pushing her forward, then letting her fall back. He made her pant. He nearly made her scream.

  She lost track of the world and everything in it. There was only this moment and this man and what he was doing to her.

  Her muscles clenched tighter and tighter. She could feel herself swelling, pushing close. Her orgasm was tantalizingly out of reach. Close, so close, but not yet there.

  Then he began to flick his tongue over her center in an age-old rhythm. At the same time he inserted first one finger, then two. He filled her, pushing up as if to caress her from the inside, as well.

  One stroke, two…and then she was lost.

  Her release claimed her with an unexpected force. She lost control and cried out. She came again and again, riding the magic of his tongue, his fingers, his whole body. Pleasure claimed her, marked her, then eased her back into reality.

  When she finally surfaced, he sat next to her, smiling.

  She sat up and sighed. “Go ahead. Gloat. You earned it.”

  “I will in a second. Meet me in my bed, okay?” He stood.

  “Where are you going?”

  “It’s a surprise.”

  He hurried down the stairs. She watched him go, still basking, then realized she was sitting naked on his stairs and she had no idea if this was housekeeper day or not. Which got her moving.

  She found her way to his large bedroom and had barely pulled back the covers when he walked into the room carrying two champagne flutes and a bottle of Dom Pérignon.

  She laughed. “You did say you always had some on hand.”

  “I did.”

  While he opened the bottle, she climbed into bed. He poured them each a glass, took off the rest of his clothes and joined her.

  “To unexpected surprises,” he said, touching his flute to hers. “You more than qualify.”

  She opened her mouth, then closed it. She couldn’t speak, couldn’t move, could barely breathe. It was as if she’d been flash-frozen.

  And then she knew why. Looking at Todd, at his handsome and now familiar face, listening to his voice, sitting in his bed after he’d just taken her on an amazingly sensual journey, she suddenly realized what she’d been ignoring all along.

  He was perfect.

  Well, not perfect. The man had flaws. But he was everything she’d ever been looking for. Caring, warm, smart, into family, affectionate, challenging, determined and not the least bit intimidated by her big brain.

  Perfect.

  And somewhere along the way, she’d fallen in love with him.

  Ten

  A night of incredible lovemaking managed to distract Marina from her unexpected realization. The next morning she ducked out early, claiming a very legitimate meeting with Willow. She was terrified that she wouldn’t be able to keep acting normally around Todd. How could she when her brain was practically rotating from shock?

  In love with Todd? How? When? She wasn’t supposed to fall in love with anyone, and should the unexpected happen, did it have to be with a man who would never, ever, under any circumstances, trust a woman?

  She made her way home where she showered and changed. As promised, David had dropped off her car in the night and left the keys in a planter by her front door. She collected them on her way out and drove to the bridal salon where she and Willow would pick out a couple of bridesmaid dresses to e-mail Julie.

  “Nothing yucky,” Willow said after Marina pulled in next to her in the salon parking lot and climbed out of her car. “Nothing too frilly, and nothing you have to be tall to look good in. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I’m not tall.”

  Marina pretended surprise. “Since when?”

  “Very funny. You know what I mean. So many clothes look fabulous if you’re as tall as a giraffe but the rest of us mortals end up looking dumpy. I refuse to be dumpy at my sister’s wedding.”

  Marina grinned. “No dumpy dresses, I promise.”

  “You’d better. I don’t want to be outvoted by the two tall sisters.”

  “Trust is an important part of our relationship.”

  Willow narrowed her gaze. “I don’t trust anyone with legs as long as yours.” They walked into the salon. “I saw the wedding gown pictures. It looks great.”


  “I’m sure Christie will bring out the dress Julie picked,” Marina said. “It’s strapless, so I was thinking we could go that way, or do spaghetti straps. Nothing long.”

  Willow rolled her eyes. “Thank goodness. I have so many long dresses from other weddings. And the bride always said ‘you can take it up.’ Right. Because there are so many places I can wear a lime-green flocked short dress. Speaking of green, I know that’s one of the colors, but come on. We’re blond. We’re doing shades of rose, aren’t we?”

  “Oh, yeah. Green reminds me too much of recent attack of food poisoning. I’m not wearing it.”

  “See. This is how it should be,” Willow told her. “Sisterly solidarity.”

  Christie walked toward them. “Morning ladies. You must be Willow. I’m Christie.”

  They shook hands.

  “Ready to try on bridesmaid dresses?” Christie asked. “I’ve been e-mailing Julie and she has a few suggestions.”

  Marina looked at Willow who groaned.

  “Good suggestions or bad suggestions?” Willow asked, her voice small.

  Christie smiled. “Good ones. I think you’ll be pleased. Oh, Willow, did you want me to bring out Julie’s dress so you can see it?”

  “If you don’t mind, that would be great.”

  “I’m happy to.” Christie looked at Marina. “Maybe we can do the preliminary fitting, if you have time this morning.”

  “I’m available.”

  “Excellent. Now if you two will come with me, I have the dresses Julie liked picked out.”

  They followed her to a room on the side that was filled with bridesmaid dress samples. Two dresses were displayed on the wall. One was strapless, fitted to the waist, then flared gently to the straight hem. There was an overlayer of some sheer fabric that was scalloped at the hem. The second dress was a slip style, with a little bit of lace at the bodice and tulip hem.

  Willow fingered the material on the second dress and smiled. “I think both of these work. What do you think?”

  Marina nodded. “Neither are scary. I give Julie points for that.”

  “Good.” Christie pointed to a set of dressing rooms on the far wall. “There’s one for each of you inside. Why don’t you try them on. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”