The Justice of the Peace could have been speaking a foreign language for all Lizzy knew. But no matter how he phrased it, the ceremony tied her to this man. Afraid to meet Alex’s dark gaze, she stared at the knot of his sapphire blue tie as he responded.
“I do.” The man she’d attempted to blackmail into marrying her agreed to their union. This was a huge mistake. There was still time. She could fling the bouquet at Alex and bolt, out of the office, down the hall and out into the wide open spaces where men and matrimony couldn’t trap her.
“And do you, Elizabeth Maureen Wilmot take Alexander . . .”
No. Not him. Not anyone.
Her hands shook and she gripped the silver foil wrapped stems of her bouquet more tightly. Blood rushed through her veins, thundering in her ears and setting her survival response to flight mode.
“Lizzy?” Her bridesmaid touched her arm. A small frown drew her brows together as Amy looked from the groom to the bride. “This is the part where you say ‘I do’.”
But she didn’t want to say the words that would give this stranger power over her. As she dragged in a breath to throw her denial at the small group, a baby began to grizzle nearby. She turned and locked gazes with Trish. Her aunt rocked from side to side and patted Dan on the back.
Dan. She was doing this for her nephew.
Swallowing the lump in her throat, she turned back to the celebrant and nodded. “I do.”
Dan had slept through the flight to ‘Craeborn’ but as Lizzy loaded his carrier into the car, he opened his eyes. “Hello, Danny Boy. You’re awake in time to see your new home. One day, young man, this will all be yours.”
“That’s the last of the cases. Wow! I never expected to see this day.” The sun glinted off Amy’s captain’s bars as she leaned against the side of the plane. “For a moment during the ceremony, I thought you were going to turn tail and run.”
“Wedding day jitters, that’s all.” She couldn’t tell even her good friend this wasn’t the real deal. Nothing could be allowed to jeopardise her adoption application.
“Only natural, especially as it all happened so suddenly. You’re a dark horse, keeping that handsome hunk under wraps so well, Lizzy Wilmot—sorry, Mrs. Carter!”
“I’m keeping my own name.” Married, she had to be but she wasn’t giving up anything else.
“Fair enough. I wish you all the best, Lizzy, you and Dan and Alex.” Amy drew her into a hug.
Lizzy held her tight for a moment. “Thanks for being my bridesmaid, Amy. Who’d have thought I’d come—home with a husband and child, eh? I reckon you’ll have to keep the blokes on their toes from now on, although Doctor Dan might have a few words to say on that subject.”
She kept the smile fixed on her face as Amy stepped back. The success of her adoption application depended on everyone, including her bridesmaid, believing her marriage was real, in spite of the speed with which she and Alex had tied the knot. Satisfied her friends had accepted her holiday romance fiction, now she needed quiet time. Or the scream that was building behind her smiling façade would break through and shatter all she’d worked for.
Alex dusted off his hands and joined them. “Thanks, Amy. When that equipment is delivered, I’ve pre-paid for the plane so you can fly it out as soon as you’re free. We appreciate your help.”
“Good luck, you guys. See you again soon.” Amy climbed into the Cessna and taxied to the end of the strip. They stood back as she increased the revs and waved as the plane took off back to Mt. Isa.
Dan’s hungry cry set them moving. As the car bumped along the track to the homestead, Lizzy’s anxieties ratcheted up several degrees. Alex’s need to finish the research started by her brother had landed her in purgatory. Returning to ‘Craeborn’ had never been a possibility before Donna’s death. And yet here she was, about to take up residence with her nephew and her husband of four hours. And that was the hardest thing of all to process.
The sun glinted off her shiny band of gold. For such a small thing, it weighed heavy on her hand. Almost as heavy as her heart when the homestead came into view.
“Are you okay?” Alex pulled up under the carport. He was too perceptive to accept a lie.
She shook her head and rubbed a hand over her chest. “Not really. This place has so many bad memories I honestly don’t know how I’ll go.”
“It seemed a sensible solution after the new manager broke his leg. Finding a replacement in time was just—”
“I know. And convincing everyone this marriage is real will be easier away from prying eyes. I’ll cope. It’s only for a couple of months.”
“If it gets too bad, you and Dan could head back in to your aunt’s home.”
“No. I made my choice and now I’ve got to make it work.” She pushed her door open and got out and opened the back door. Dan’s hands pumped the air and bubbles of dribble soaked his chin and ran onto his lemon singlet. “Come on, baby boy. Let’s get your bottle.”
“I’ll unload and get lunch started while you feed him.”
“Thanks.”
Car keys in hand, Alex paused in the kitchen doorway. “I’ll be back before dark. Are you sure you’ll be okay?”
“Dan will probably sleep for a couple of hours. I’ll unpack and begin inventory on the pantry. When Amy comes back with your gear, she can bring fresh food with the other shopping.” Lizzy opened the cold store and put away the lunch leftovers. On a shelf at eye level, a bottle of Moet lay on its side.
“There’s a bottle of champers in here. I thought my brother was a beer drinker.” She closed the door and picked up the lunch plates as Alex returned. “Did you forget something?”
Alex settled his hat on his head. “I meant to tell you I packed the champers for us to celebrate. Tonight’s our wedding night. See you in a few hours.” He clattered down the stairs. A few moments later, the ute started up as Alex left to check on his cattle.
Their wedding night.
Lizzy slid onto the nearest chair. Alex had made it clear their marriage would be real. That they would share everything, including a bed.
A thrill ran through her body and lodged low in her belly, vying with a serious case of the jitters. Used to the noises of town and work, the lack of familiar voices and machines grated on her nerves. To fill the silence, she voiced her worries. “It’s not like I haven’t been to bed with a man before so what’s different about this time?”
Nothing, apart from the fact she couldn’t get out of bed and walk away in the morning. Or the fact she might not want to. Avoiding commitment had been easy as she had carefully cultivated her reputation at work. The men she dated knew they were short-term, and one who’d tried to make it last got short shrift from her. Because commitment meant giving up power and she’d be damned if she’d trust any man with her life.
Except now she had. For Dan’s sake.
“It’s only for six months. Then we can get on with our separate lives.” Giving herself a mental shake, she pushed her chair under the table, found paper and pen, and set to the task of cleaning the pantry and cold storage, and making lists of supplies. By the time she finished, Dan was awake and ready to play.
Showered and shaved, Alex joined Lizzy and Dan on the screened veranda. The baby lay on her shoulder and a half-finished bottle of milk sat beside a plate of cheese and olives. “Did you and Dan have a good afternoon?”
“He slept and let me finish both the pantry and the cold storage. We’ve got plenty of supplies of most things, but Amy will still have a load to bring when she comes. Trish is helping organise stuff.”
He scooped up some cheese and olives and wolfed them down. “Would you like a glass of champagne now or do you want to wait until Dan’s finished feeding?”
“You look hungry. If you don’t mind giving him the rest of his bottle, I’ll serve dinner now.”
“No problem. Come here, little man.”
As Lizzy bent and placed Dan in Alex’s arms, the neck of her dress pulled apart, giving him a vi
ew of breasts confined by a pale pink lace bra. His groin tightened. Six months was longer than his relationships usually lasted but six months with Lizzy exploring the chemistry zapping between them . . .
Alex grinned. Tonight was their wedding night, the first of six months of nights. More than adequate compensation for the wedding noose in his opinion.
“Dinner will be on the table in two minutes. The wine can wait.” She headed back to the kitchen.
But could he? Without Dan in his arms, he’d have had Lizzy on his lap and his mouth on hers by now.
Without Dan, he wouldn’t be here, married to Lizzy and anticipating his wedding night. For all that they barely knew one another there was a powerful attraction he’d seen reciprocated the day they’d met. He settled Dan in his arms and picked up the bottle. The baby’s blue eyes looked at him and he leaned closer and whispered, “Hey, little man, are you going to sleep through the night and let your aunty and me have a proper wedding night?”
Dan finished his bottle and Alex lifted him over his shoulder and patted his back. As Lizzy brought the plates to the table, she wrinkled her nose. “Ugh, bad timing. Give him to me and I’ll change that nappy so we can eat without that odour.”
While he waited, Alex opened the champagne and poured two glasses. Starving, he popped more cheese and olives as he stood looking out over the garden. He’d located his herd of cattle and begun taking a new set of readings to complete the current round of research. Tomorrow he’d set up the new program on his laptop and begin feeding in today’s data.
Daylight fled in a blaze of colour and stars winked into sight. He barely registered the change. Tonight was his wedding night. And his bride stirred his blood.
“Here we are, all clean and fresh and ready for bed.” Lizzy settled Dan into the pram before taking a seat at the table.
Ready for bed?
Damn the need to eat and conduct a civilised conversation when he was more than ready to join her in bed. But Dan gurgled and rattled his set of plastic baby keys. Alex curbed his impatience. After dinner and champagne, when Dan was asleep, he could take his time to get to know his unexpected wife.
“He’s asleep. Would you like dessert?” Lizzy stood in the doorway and contemplated the man in front of her. He wanted her and if this had been an ordinary date, she’d have made it clear by now that she was of the same mind. Because she wanted him— God how she wanted him— but tonight was different. It wasn’t a date and she couldn’t climb out of bed and slip away if claustrophobia stole her breath. Familiar bands of the old fear tightened around her chest and she gripped the doorframe.
“I made a packet cake with chocolate icing.”
If this were a date, she’d have wandered over, lifted his glass from his hand and sat in his lap, kissed him, even traced his lips with her tongue by now. Instead, she had to command her feet to stay where they were and not turn tail and run. And talk about packet cakes.
Run away and hide in a closet, under a bed, anywhere he wouldn’t find her.
Beat her. God, where did that come from?
She blinked slowly and drew a shaky breath as the face of her father morphed into that of Alex.
My husband.
His gaze fixed on her hand clutching the wooden architrave and he shook his head. “More champagne? We might as well finish the bottle.”
“Okay.” Sheer willpower unclenched her hand from the doorframe, and carried her to her seat at the table.
Alex topped up her glass and passed it to her, then raised his and tapped it against hers. “A toast, to my beautiful bride, and to the best six-month marriage we can make.”
Lizzy’s hand shook as their glasses clinked and she raised hers to her lips. Minutes passed before his voice intruded on her thoughts.
“Do you regret our bargain? Is that why you’re so tense?”
“No, I’m grateful you didn’t laugh me out of the solicitor’s office when I suggested it.”
“Then what?”
“It’s being back here. I—” She tipped her glass and swallowed a large mouthful of champagne.
“Was it bad?”
“What?”
“Your childhood. Growing up here.”
She bit her lip and looked out over the garden. Shadowy shapes defined the yard where she and Jeb and their mother had played, and in the corner, the bush in which she’d hidden when her father’s rages became unbearable. “There were some good times. But more bad.”
Alex’s fingers were gentle as he took her glass and placed it on the table. She was surprised to see it was empty. He drew her to her feet and, holding her shoulders, looked into her eyes.
“We’ll make some new memories, and maybe in time, they’ll overtake the old ones. Want to try?”
For a man she’d tried to blackmail, Alex was being considerate of her feelings. But then, maybe he figured that sex on tap for six months was a fair trade off. Hell, six months of physical intimacy with Alex might overcome even her commitment phobia and the ghosts of her past. Her belly stirred with desire.
“Yes.” More whisper than statement, but Alex heard her.
He lowered his head and teased her mouth with light kisses. Connected only by his lips and his hands on her shoulders, she felt more attuned to him than she had to any other man. Ever. His tenderness and understanding were an unexpected aphrodisiac.
She lifted her hands to his chest. Beneath her palm, his heart beat slow and steady. A rush of need sent her leaning forwards until his erection pressed against her belly. His arms tightened around her and he deepened his kisses.
Passion fuelled a fire in her. Softly, purposefully, she slowly moved her hips, brushing her mound across his erection.
“Good God, woman, I hope you’re ready for bed because I’m not going to last long if you keep that up.”
##
Alex turned on his side and reached for Lizzy’s warm body, but her side of the bed was empty and cold. He rolled over and checked the clock, surprised to see it was three a.m. Folding his arms behind his head, he lay still and listened and considered whether to get up and join her.
Being married to Lizzy promised delights he’d be content to share every day. Twice a day. He knew he was grinning like an idiot but Lizzy had been more passionate and demanding than he’d dared hope. And if being married to her and living here erased some of the demons of her past, that would be a bonus.
He threw the sheets back and clambered out of bed. Pulling on his boxers, he padded across the hall to Dan’s nursery. Sitting in the rocking chair in the soft night-light, Lizzy nursed the baby. Her profile was strong as she bent her head over him. Like a lioness protecting her young. And Lizzy had done the thing she seemed to fear most in order to keep him.
“Would you like a glass of milk or something?” Although he spoke softly he was sure she could hear.
She didn’t stir.
“Lizzy?” He knelt on the floor beside her. Eyes closed, both Dan and Lizzy had fallen asleep.
The empty bottle slipped from her grasp and hit the floor. With a snuffle, she woke. Wild-eyed, her gaze snagged on Alex’s before settling on the baby sleeping in her arms. “Was I asleep?”
“Barely. Here, I’ll put him back in his cot.” Alex lifted the tiny body and tucked him in. He brushed his fingers over the baby’s soft, downy hair. So tiny. As he turned back Lizzy’s eyelids fluttered closed again.
“Lizzy, a glass of milk or bed? Which do you prefer?”
“Bed.”
He slid an arm beneath her knees and one around her back.
“I can walk,” she said as he lifted her but her arm slipped over his shoulder and she snuggled into his neck.
“I know you can.” He crossed the hallway and put her into bed and pulled the sheet up then slid in behind her. “But this is more fun.”
She wriggled back and her soft bottom stirred his erection into life. “Hmm, nice—”
“Hold that thought until morning.”
Chapter Nine
Whoa. Must be coming down with a bug. He breathed through his mouth until the sensation eased and he reached for his backpack.
“Alex? There’s a call for you on the radio.”
“Coming.” He slammed the car door and staggered up the stairs. “Who is it?”
Lizzy held the screen door open. “Your father. It sounded urgent.”
Alex paused only to pull off his muddy boots before striding through to the office. He placed the esky of today’s samples on the floor and picked up the handset. “Dad? What’s wrong? Mum isn’t back in hospital, is she?”
“No, she’s fine and her doctor is pleased with how she’s adapted to her new heart medication. In fact she’s relaxing on the balcony with a cup of tea and asking when you’re going to bring your bride to meet her.”
His mother had nurtured hopes of grandchildren for several years, but he’d pushed his parents’ keen interest in his marriage to the back of his mind. “We’ll be tied up on the property until I’ve had a chance to collect new data, Dad. And there’s Lizzy’s nephew. The adoption application will take time to process.”
“That’s what I told your mother but you know what she’s like. She’d almost reconciled herself to your permanent state of bachelorhood and now she’s itching to meet your wife and hold that baby.”
Shit. Why hadn’t he thought of that? And worse, when he and Lizzy divorced, how would his mother’s health handle the loss of that dream?
“Soon as we can, Dad. Maybe when the new manager is back on his feet and knows the ropes up here, we’ll fly back to Brisbane. Thanks for filling in for me.” If he could keep his parents and his wife apart, no one would get too attached. And no one would be hurt when he and Lizzy separated.
Heartbreak Homestead (Hearts of the Outback Book 2) Page 6
