by Leanne Banks
“The photographs are grainy, but they’ve shown up on the Internet.”
Alarm turned her blood to ice. “The Internet?” she echoed, trying to comprehend what he was saying. “Our pictures are on the Internet. We are on the Internet?”
His face grim, he nodded. “Yes. We’re putting together a number of action plans to counter the negative impact of—”
“We?” she said weakly. “Who is we? How many people know about this?”
“So far, just the company’s top PR official, your father and me,” Alex said. “I’ll handle this,” he said. “I’ll protect you.”
“How can you?” she asked, numb and humiliated at the same time. “And my father.” She shook her head.
“I will,” he promised and his phone buzzed.
He picked up the receiver. “Yes, Emma.” His face turned more grim. “Let him in.”
Seconds later, Edwin James, Mallory’s father, walked through Alex’s door with murder in his eyes. “You’ve destroyed my daughter’s reputation,” he said to Alex. “What kind of man are you to take advantage of a young lady like Mallory?”
“Daddy,” Mallory exclaimed.
“I’m going to take care of this,” Alex said in that eerily calm tone.
“There’s only one way you can do that,” her father said.
“I know.”
“The two of you have to get married.”
Mallory gasped. “That’s ridiculous.”
Alex met her gaze. “No. It’s not.”
She shook her head, feeling as if the whole situation had turned completely surreal. “This is the twenty-first century. It’s true my reputation may suffer a little,” she said.
“A little,” her father said.
Mallory’s stomach dipped. “This will just be the scandal of the moment. It will pass. There’s no reason to make a permanent decision because of it.”
“You want people thinking you’re some kind of—” Her father broke off as if he couldn’t say the words. “Loose woman. You want people thinking you’re a—” He shook his head again as if he couldn’t stand the very notion of it. “I won’t have it. You were a sweet and innocent woman until you hooked up with Megalos here. He’s ruined you.”
“He hasn’t ruined me,” she protested.
“There’s only one solution to this problem,” her father interjected. “You and Megalos need to get married and soon. Now don’t argue, Mallory,” he said, shaking his finger at her. “Even Alex agrees with me. I just hope I can keep this from your mother. The disappointment would devastate her.”
Guilt sliced through Mallory. In this, her father was right. Her mother was fragile. Although Mallory chafed against the constraints her parents had placed on her, she loved them both deeply and hated that she was causing them pain. She bit her lip. “This is such a huge move to make just for the sake of covering a scandal. Neither Alex nor I were anywhere near ready to make that kind of commitment.”
Alex moved from behind his desk, his green gaze wrapping around hers and holding tight. “I can’t agree with you. You know I’d already told you I wanted you to move in with me.”
Her father swore under his breath.
Mallory’s stomach knotted. “Did you have to say that in front of him?” she whispered even though she knew her father could hear her.
“This discussion is a waste of time,” her father said, pounding his fist on the desk. “The solution is obvious to everyone.” He pursed his lips at Mallory.
“It should be obvious to you.”
Confused and overwhelmed, she looked at her father. “Daddy, could I please have a moment alone with Alex?”
He clenched his jaw. “Seems to me you’ve had a few too many moments alone with him.”
“Daddy,” she said in a chastising voice.
“Please, Mr. James,” Alex said, surprising Mallory with his support.
“Okay,” her father said. “I’ll be outside.”
“You don’t need to go all the way downstairs,” Mallory said.
“I need a cigar,” he said.
“You’re not supposed to be smoking,” she called after him as he stormed out of Alex’s office. Her heart swirling with a dozen different emotions, she turned to Alex. “This is crazy.”
“Lots of things that happen in this world are crazy. Who would have thought the photographers would have followed us onto that beach?”
“They couldn’t have been interested in me.”
He raised his eyebrows. “Wealthy heiress takes off her shirt for tycoon.”
She cringed. “Was that the headline?”
“No, but it could have been.” He shook his head. “What I’m saying is these are the cards we’ve been dealt. We need to do the best we can with this hand.” His gaze darkened and he laced his fingers through hers. “In my mind, it could be a winning hand.”
Her heart stuttered and she swallowed over a lump in her throat. “How can you feel that way? My father is practically forcing you to marry me.”
“No, he’s not. I told you before that I’m not a man to be forced into anything by anyone. Especially marriage.” He lifted one of his hands to her jaw. “We have something between us. Yeah, the sexual chemistry is outrageous. But there’s something else. I like how I feel when I’m with you. I like who I am when I’m with you.”
“You’re serious,” she said, searching his gaze. “But don’t you feel trapped? That’s what I couldn’t bear. The idea of trapping you.”
“Before you walked in that door today, I knew we needed to get married.”
“But it’s so archaic,” she said, fear and hope warring inside her.
“It’s not archaic,” he said. “It’s right. Tell me that deep down there isn’t something inside you that feels good about this idea. You feel good about being with me all the time, about having me as your husband. Down the line, having babies together,” he said, putting his hand on her belly.
Mallory’s breath froze somewhere between her lungs and her throat. “I always thought you were trying to avoid marriage. Why would you be willing to make a commitment now?”
“I told you. Because it’s the right thing to do. You know it, too.”
Mallory closed her eyes. Her head was spinning. Alex wasn’t professing undying love. In fact, he hadn’t mentioned love at all. She felt a twist of longing inside her. This wasn’t what she’d pictured for her marriage.
She forced her eyes open. “What if this is a disaster?”
He gave a rough chuckle and pulled her into his arms. “Mallory, in our own way, you and I are overachievers. There’s no way this will be a disaster.”
She buried her head in his shoulder. “I just wish things could be different.”
“They will be,” he said. “After we’re married.”
Just like that, the decision was made and wedding plans were put into motion. Exhibiting more enthusiasm than she had in years, her mother plunged into making the arrangements. Her father insisted the wedding take place in ten days.
Alex presented her with a ring that felt strange on her finger. Mallory enlisted Lilli’s assistance to help her find a dress.
Standing in front of a three-way mirror after she’d tried on six dresses, Mallory shook her head. “I look like I’m wearing meringue. None of these seem right,” she said.
Lilli chuckled, adjusting the gown slightly. “Are you sure it’s the dresses?” she asked gently. “Or is it the man?”
“I can’t think about that,” Mallory said, returning to the dressing room. She hadn’t told Lilli about the scandalous photographs of her and Alex. It was too humiliating. “Just trust me, when I tell you that Alex and I have our reasons for getting married.”
“But so quickly,” Lilli said, following her. “Why can’t you take your time?”
“There’s a good reason,” she said, pushing the gown down and stepping out of it.
Lilli shook it out and returned the garment to the hanger. Then she turned to Mallory. “Ar
e you pregnant?” she asked in a quiet voice.
“No,” Mallory instantly replied. “Pregnancy would be easier than—” She broke off and shook her head.
Lilli gave her a blank stare. “I’m dying of curiosity, but if you don’t want to tell me, I won’t force it.”
Mallory sighed and closed her eyes. “It’s just so embarrassing. When Alex and I took our trip together, we visited a private beach and…” She opened her eyes and waved her hand.
Lilli’s eyes widened. “Oh.” She paused. “But I still don’t see why you would need to rush into marriage.”
“Because someone took pictures of us,” Mallory whispered, misery and shame rushing through her again.
“Oh, no,” Lilli said, putting her arm around Mallory’s shoulder in sympathy.
“They’ve shown up on the Internet on an obscure site, but it’s just a matter of time before someone figures out who the couple in the photos are. My father wants Alex and I married before the story really comes out so it will seem like old news.”
Lilli nodded. “And what do you want?”
Mallory shook her head. “I don’t know. Alex and I had begun to connect in a way I’d never thought possible, and I mean more than sexually. But we weren’t ready for this.”
“He’d asked you to move in with him,” Lilli pointed out.
“Yes, but—” Mallory broke off, feeling a sharp twist in her stomach. “He hasn’t said he loves me,” she admitted.
“Have you told him that you love him?” Lilli asked.
“No,” Mallory said and fiddled with the elaborate skirt of the slip. “It seemed too soon.”
“I can tell you from personal experience that just because a couple doesn’t say I love you before the wedding doesn’t mean they will never say it,” she said with a soft smile. “It also doesn’t mean their marriage can’t become a dream come true.”
Mallory looked into Lilli’s clear blue eyes and found a drop of hope that soothed some of her doubts. “How can we make this work?”
Lilli smiled again. “Just take it one step at a time.”
A knock sounded on the dressing room door. “Hello, ladies,” the bridal consultant said. “I have some more dresses for you to try.”
Mallory met Lilli’s gaze and gave a wry smile. “Step one, find a dress I can live with.”
Eight
“This was supposed to be simple and small,” Mallory said to her father, gaping at the number of people packed into the chapel as she peeked from a tiny window. “How many people are in there?”
Her father patted her hand. “I don’t know. Your mother said the guest list kept growing. I haven’t seen her this excited about anything in a long, long time,” he said.
Mallory met his gaze. “Since Wynn died,” she said, feeling a tug of sadness.
Her father nodded. “I know it’s been difficult for you to become our only child. We probably didn’t handle everything the way we should. And your mother’s depression—” He broke off as if he were overcome with emotion.
Mallory was caught off guard by the display. “You two have been wonderful parents.”
Her father smiled. “You’re so sweet. You sure as hell didn’t get that from me.” He inhaled deeply. “I just want you to know that I’ve always been proud of you, and you are a beautiful bride. Megalos is a lucky man.”
Her heart twisted with emotions she hadn’t expected to feel. She’d been in such a rush to prepare herself for today that she hadn’t had much time to think about her parents’ feelings. Her eyes swelled with tears. “I love you, Daddy. I hope you’ll always be proud of me.”
“Always,” he said and kissed her cheek. He pulled back and stood taller. “It’s time.”
She nodded, her stomach fluttering like a hummingbird’s wings. Her father gave a soft tap on the door and it immediately opened. At the sight of everyone in that chapel turning to look at her, then standing, her throat tightened with anxiety. She bit the inside of her lip to keep it from quivering.
Then she looked ahead and saw Alex. Gorgeous Alex with so many more layers than she’d dreamed. Wearing a classic black tux, he stood with his feet slightly apart, his hands folded in front of him. With his gaze fixed on hers, she felt as if she was the only other person in the room.
His lips lifted just a bit, giving a hint of his pleasure at seeing her as she walked down the aisle. She smiled and gave her mother a tiny wave just before she arrived at the front of the chapel. Her mother smiled broadly in response.
She finished the last few steps and looked at Alex as he joined her and her father in front of the chaplain. Her heart turned over like a whirling tumbleweed.
“Dearly beloved,” she heard the minister say, but her awareness of Alex squeezed everything else from her mind. She was only aware of him, his height, his strength, his incredible magnetism. Was she really going to be his wife?
“Her mother and I,” her father said in reply to something the chaplain had asked. Mallory blinked as her father kissed her cheek and joined her hand with Alex’s.
His hand felt strong wrapped around hers. Today, more than ever, she needed that strength. She wondered if he suffered from doubts. Surely he did. This had been as much a surprise to him as it had been to her.
Seconds passed and Alex turned her toward him. She stared into his handsome face and wanted to know his heart. She wanted to be in his heart.
His eyes burned into hers. In his green gaze, she saw encouragement, support, strength and…possibilities. Oh, how she wanted those possibilities to come true for both of them.
“Do you, Alex, take Mallory to be your wife? To have and to hold…”
“I do,” Alex said, and she felt the click of a lock. She knew he was tying himself to her and her to him. Heaven help them both.
The reception was held in an exquisite private ballroom with marble floors, gold mirrors and crystal chandeliers. Her parents had spared no expense. The menu was sumptuous and the room dripped with white roses on every available surface from the tables to the piano.
She thanked another couple for coming and felt her cheeks ache from smiling. All the tension of the previous ten days was catching up to her and more than anything, she craved a quiet corner. But there was still the first dance and the cake to cut.
Alex dipped his mouth to her ear. “How are you doing?”
She smiled at his timing. It was as if he’d known her energy was starting to flag. “How much longer do we have to stay?” she whispered.
He chuckled. “As far as I’m concerned, we can leave now.”
Severely tempted, she shook her head. “We need to do some of the traditional things for the sake of—” She shrugged. “Of whoever cares. We should dance.”
“That I don’t mind,” he said and led her to the dance floor. He spoke with the band for a second and then took her in his arms. The strains of the song that had been playing on the beach began. An old song that had been remade again and again, the tune and words made her smile.
“Up On The Roof,” she said, her heart twisting at the romantic selection. “Nice choice.”
“I thought so since we’ll be spending a lot of evenings on the roof of my penthouse.” He spun her around and she laughed. “That’s the first real smile I’ve seen on your face today.”
She nodded and closed her eyes so she could seal this moment in her mind. Opening her eyes, she met his gaze, full of hope and wishes. She wondered if he could see them written on her face. She wondered if he felt the same way.
The first dance of their married life together and Mallory whirled from Alex’s arms to her father’s to partner after partner. The wedding planner finally rescued her, pulling her aside for the cake-cutting.
“It’s that time,” the woman said in a cheerful voice. “Now if we could just find your groom.”
Mallory looked around the room, unable to find Alex. “I don’t see—” She double tracked over a corner where a tall blond woman and Alex appeared to be engaged in an in
tense conversation. The woman lifted her hand to his cheek and Mallory felt as she’d been stabbed. She looked away. “I’m sure he’ll be here soon. I would love a sip of water, please,” she said.
“Let me get that for you,” the woman said. “Can’t have our bride getting parched.”
Mallory bit her lip, wondering who the woman was. She looked familiar, but she couldn’t quite place her. A guest approached her and she plastered on a smile.
Minutes later, the wedding planner returned with Alex, who wore an inscrutable expression. She felt him studying her face, but couldn’t bear to look him in the eye.
“I think we need to call it a night,” Alex said to the wedding planner. “Mallory is tired.”
The wedding planner pressed the bottle of water into her hand. “Just a little longer, I promise. Cut the cake and ten minutes of pleasantries, then out the door.”
“Five minutes,” Alex said in a firm voice. “My wife is tired.”
The wedding planner raised her eyebrows in surprise, but nodded. “This way, then.”
Alex led Mallory to the table and she still couldn’t look at him. “What’s wrong?” he asked in a low voice.
“I could ask you the same,” she said and accepted the knife. Alex placed his hand over hers and they cut the first piece. Cameras flashed.
Alex lifted a bite to her lips and Mallory wondered if she would be able to swallow even that small bite. She took it into her mouth and forced it down her dry throat then offered his bite to him.
He surprised her, capturing her hand and kissing it after he swallowed his bite. The wedding guests roared in approval.
Mallory was filled with confusion. A champagne glass was placed in her hand and she looped her hand through Alex’s. Forced to look at him, she saw the possessiveness in his gaze and felt her stomach drop to her knees. What had she let herself in for?
Alex took her glass and his, placed them on the table then pulled her into his arms. She stiffened.
“It’s almost over,” he promised and covered her mouth with his, surprising her again with his passion. When he pulled away, she was trembling.
