Accidentally Met Him (Accidental Marriage Box Set)

by Lauren Wood

  “I have to go down there and meet with his lawyer. I don’t know what it’s all about, but I guess the guy has money and he wants to make sure that I don’t take it. I didn’t talk to him long, but hopefully we can get this all wrapped up this weekend and we will never have to think about him again. I don’t know who is going to come to round two with the wedding, but we can always just get the certificate. We already had a wedding after all.”

  “I don’t know if that will work on the wedding part. We will see. On the idea of you going there, I don’t like it. I want to come with you to make sure that this guy isn’t going to take advantage of you.”

  I told him that it wouldn’t be necessary.

  “You have that client meeting and deposition on Saturday. You get the weekend rate. You’re not going to pass that up, you can’t. If you want to make partner…”

  Jax waved me off and I could tell that he knew I was right, whether he wanted to admit it or not. I was rather afraid that he would insist. There was no way that I could stay the weekend with my husband, with my fiancée in tow. It didn’t even make sense and the more I tried to wrap my mind around it, the more impossible it all seemed. Why did Colt want to do this?

  “I know, shit Candy. I just don’t like the idea of you there in Vegas by yourself. There is no telling who this guy is.”

  I was offended by the way he was saying it. I know that I had messed up, but he didn’t need to take a tone with me that sounded like he was talking to a child. I knew that I’d made a mistake, but the last thing that I wanted to do was hear about it. I had ruined our wedding, I knew that, but I didn’t want him to act this way anymore. I wanted him to stop acting like he was never going to forgive me. It was getting old quick, and it had only been about a week. Jax wasn’t feeling so perfect anymore and I was thankful that I would get a few days away from him. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, right?

  “He can’t be that bad. I will have Kelly run his name at work and see what comes up. You know that she won’t mind it. I will call her now and get the verdict.”

  “So, you are really going to go through with this?”

  I shook my head that I was.

  “It’s the only way that we’re going to be able to get married. I know that it’s a pain, but it won’t be long at all. You’ll see. Everything will be back to normal before you know it and our lives will be back on track.”

  He didn’t look so sure and I walked away as my smile fell. Why was I feeling so differently about Jax now? I knew that it wasn’t because of Colt, but it was hard not to see that things had changed rather dramatically the last few days. I was ready to get away from one man, even if it meant being around another. At least Colt wouldn’t make me feel bad. I was done with the guilt and rather looked forward to some freedom. Me and Jax had been hot and heavy for a year. It was time for a break from each other.

  I packed up a few things out of the closet and avoided going back into the bedroom for a time. I know that I had to go back and face Jax, but it wasn't going to be easy and I wasn't too enthused to do it.

  After getting out of the shower and changing into something more appropriate for travel, I went back into the bedroom to find Jax in about the same position as when I’d left him. I could tell it was bothering him, but I didn't know what to say to take away his nerves. This was something that he was going to have to wrap his head around, and the worst part was that he didn't even know the half of it. Just the little bit that I had told him had blew his mind and I just wanted to make sure that I didn't let anything else slip. It was already hard enough.

  “I am going to miss you Jax.”

  He opened his arms and I moved into them. I was going to miss this the most and I felt the guilt rack my body that I wasn't being completely truthful. I had never lied to him before and I didn't like that feeling at all.

  “I'm going to miss you too, Candy, but this has to be done. When you come back, we can get married and start our lives together. I just don't want to lose you. In the middle of the wedding I wasn't even worried about all the people watching us, I was just worried about the fact that I wasn't going to have you as my bride. We should be on our honeymoon now, but we will get there after this weekend is over and everything is set. I know that the partners will have no problem letting me go.”

  I agreed with him and told him that they would agree more if they knew that he was billing as many hours as he could until then. Jax was almost partner, but at the moment he was just like the rest of the associate, billing as many hours as he possibly could for the company. That was with the firm on it and I knew that Jax didn’t want to backtrack. It was bad enough that his boss was at the wedding and had seen it all.

  “I can't wait for us to go on our honeymoon. I know that this is a nightmare for you, but I am going to go take care of it. Then we will never have to worry about him or anybody else again.”

  He kissed me again before I left, and it was a lingering kiss that said more than his words had. The man may not be able to make me squirt, but he sure as hell tugged at my heart strings. He always knew the perfect thing to say and do. I left a lot lighter than when I had first entered the room. Jax somehow had me thinking that everything was going to be okay, even if that damn knot in my stomach was still present. I was going to ignore it this time around.

  Chapter 5

  Colt

  “Why do you look like you're about to puke Sir?”

  I looked over at Ralph and told him to shut up. I don't know why I was nervous. I was never nervous, but the idea of seeing Candy again had my nerves wracked. I had somehow weaseled a weekend with her, even though I had plenty to do at work, I called my boss and told him that I wasn't going to make it in. I told him that I had a family emergency and he didn't ask any more questions. He didn't want to know, and I didn't want to tell him.

  Now, it was about 15 minutes before I had to leave for the airport and I couldn't find the right tie. I had tried on several and none of them seem to be right. Nothing seems to be right and finally I just sat down on the bench in the closet and looked around.

  “I am not trying to be an ass. Sir. I am just trying to understand what is going on. I never knew you had a bride.”

  “We got married years ago and she was the only girl that was gone before I woke up. Kind of ironic isn't it? The one girl that didn’t stay is the one that I can't get off of my mind. I wonder if she would have stayed and we would've had that morning conversation, if everything would have changed. Now, I will find out.”

  “Do you think that is wise?”

  I certainly didn't think it was a good idea, but before I walked away from Candy for good, I had to know why I thought about her all the time. If I see her in the morning light, I was sure that everything would change. It always did.

  “I think that this is what I have to do.”

  “And what if you still feel the same way in the morning?”

  It was a question that I hadn't even asked myself because I didn't believe it was possible. I had been with a lot of women before and after Candy and none of them made it through the morning. I don't think they can do it as well, but for some reason I was still trembling a little inside. While she may have been a mystery to me at the moment, she impressed me enough that I somehow dragged her to a little chapel to marry her. That certainly never happened before, and I've always lived in Las Vegas, surrounded by tiny little chapels. Never once had I felt the need before.

  “So, what is your plan?”

  I shrugged my shoulders because I really wasn’t sure. I had heard her voice on the phone and knew that I wanted to talk to her and I wanted to see her, so it just came to mind. I had no real plan in place at all.

  “I am going to do what I do every night Ralph. This time is just going to be with my wife.”

  He laughed at my words and they sounded funny to me as well. I never thought I would say something like that out loud. I was definitely in uncharted territory and I wasn't sure how is all going to work out. But
, Candy was on her way and I was just going to have to see how it all worked out.

  The driver was out front waiting for me and I told him to go to the airport.

  “Why are we going Sir?”

  “We are going to pick somebody up. I do not have a trip scheduled for a while.”

  He shook his head and agreed. He had my latest schedule, so he would know better than I would where I was going and when.

  “Who are we picking up?”

  I was starting to think that I was a bit too candid with the help. Either that, or everyone was just in my business today. I usually didn't mind because it didn’t matter, but things were somehow different with Candy.

  “We are picking up my wife Ernest. So, let's make sure that were not late. Have to make a call now.”

  I raised the screen that separated us and pulled out my phone. If nothing else, I was satisfied with a look on his face of shock. It was much like Ralph had acted, and it made me wonder how hard it would be for them to believe that I was married. I certainly didn't act married, but that was because my bride took off before we could get to that part. That was certainly not something that I was going to admit to out loud.

  I checked a couple messages and sent out a few emails while we drove to the airport. I needed to keep myself busy so that I wasn't thinking about what was going to happen next. Not that worry was going to help anything, and I wanted to keep it cool and collected when I was around Candy. When I had talked to her on the phone, she had sounded like a no-nonsense sort of woman and I didn't want her to get the wrong idea. I didn’t remember that about her, but it had been years since we spent that night together.

  When we pulled up in front of the airport, I looked up at the building and wondered how all of this was going to turn out. There was also the question of if I would even recognize her. It had been quite a long time after all, but I knew deep down that she hadn't changed at all. She was just going to be as smoking hot as she was before.

  “Do you want me to go in and get her?”

  It was something that Ernest did on occasion, but today was not going to be that day. I wanted to be the first want to see her and I didn't want anyone that I know around, when I met her for the first time. I think that the reaction that we were going to make should be little more private, surrounded by strangers that we would never have to see again.

  I took a minute to collect myself before I got out of the car. I kept telling myself that there was no need to worry, because whatever was going to happen, was going to happen. It was easier said than done though.

  At the moment, my mind was ticking with ideas and finally I started walking towards the airport, not looking back. I had already shown too much to Ernest and I wished that I had been better able to control my emotions and my reaction. This was the very reason that I had to go alone and do this.

  The airport was crowded of course, and I didn't see her right away. I didn't know what she was wearing and even though I knew what terminal she had come out of, there were still a lot of people loitering around for the next flight that made it impossible to find any one. I knew that the only way I was going to be able to decipher her from the rest of the people was to look for her hair. Candy had the brightest, natural red hair that I had ever seen, and it wasn't a color that was going to change. It also wasn’t a color that anyone else would have.

  I was almost ready to give up and call her, when I saw flash of red in the corner of my eye. She was a little distance away from me and she didn't know I was standing there. It was the first time that I wondered how much I had changed. I was so worried about her changes, that I didn't think about my own.

  She was as tall as I remembered and there was a grace in her step that I knew well. I didn’t have to be close to know that it was her. Somehow, I had known that she wasn’t going to change. The woman was a force of nature and I didn’t think that anyone would be able to change her. She was just as beautiful as before and I was sure that all of this was supposed to happen.

  When she turned around and looked my way, I could tell that she still couldn’t see me. She walked right past me and I wondered again if I had changed. Here I was worried about her, but she walked right past me.

  I said her name out loud as she was passing, and her head whipped around. She saw me now.

  “There you are Colt.”

  The smile on her face was rather tight and I could tell that she wasn’t all that enthused to see me. I suppose not, but I was ready to see her. I pulled her in for an embrace and though she was stiff in my arms, I knew that I was going to loosen her up over the weekend. People that had sex like us didn’t forget about it. I was hoping that she would be on the same page, but then she pulled away.

  “Let’s get this over with.”

  I didn’t like the sound of that at all. I didn’t want to get over her. That’s why she was here and why I was going to try and make it work. I was sure that I could. I just needed a couple of days and I’d bought myself that.

  Chapter 6

  Candy

  While I didn't want to admit it and I couldn't believe I was here, I had to say that I had rather good taste. Colt was exactly what I would want in a husband. He was gorgeous, and he had this smirk on his face that said he was up to no good. Whether I wanted to be mad at him or not, I couldn’t stop myself from smiling at him. I felt like I had known him my whole life and I wondered if it was because of who he was at the moment.

  “Why would you want to get this over with? Don't you want to spend time with your husband?”

  I sighed out loud and thanked him when he took my bags. It had been a long flight and since it was one that I didn't know I was taking, I had packed too much because I was just throwing things in the bag. I was starting to doubt if I even had a full outfit with me. My mind just went somewhere else when I was in front of Colt. I had to think that it was going to happen a lot more while I was here.

  He was tall and that was one of the first things that I noticed about him. I liked the fact that even though I was six inches taller than average, he was still standing over me by quite a bit. I had to look up to see his dark green eyes sparkling back at me. There was a certain amount of mischief in his gaze and I wondered what that meant for this weekend and how it was all going to play out.

  “Come on, let's just go. I just want to get this over with and get back to my life. I don't know what you think you're going to get out of this, but I can almost guarantee you that it's not what you think.”

  “Oh, come now Candy, I just missed you and it's good to see you. I don't have any plans or anything up my sleeve. But I do take divorce seriously, and I want to make sure that we both want this before we signed the paperwork. That isn't so much to ask, is it?”

  In truth, I thought that it was too much to ask. The very fact that I was stuck here in Las Vegas, instead of at home where I should be, was enough of a reason for me to think that. He was holding me hostage because of what I wanted. I wasn't going to forget that anytime soon.

  He took the last bag out of my hands and we started to walk towards the exit. I’d thought earlier that he was going to lean in kiss, maybe even give me a hug, but then he had stopped. I don't know why he did, but I had a feeling that I was a little upset about it. I don’t know why. I shouldn’t want him to kiss me. I wasn’t supposed to think of him that way, but I was a little saddened that he didn’t, right or wrong.

  We got outside and stopped in front of a very nice car. I could see that there was somebody in the driver seat and I asked him who it was.

  “That's my driver.”

  “Oh.”

  I can't say that I knew that many people that had a driver. It certainly wasn't a thing in California and I wondered if it was here in Las Vegas. Was the man just trying to impress me or did he seriously have a driver all the time?

  I didn't know what to say, but he asked me if there was anywhere that I wanted to stop on the way.

  “You know, get a bite to eat or something? The food on thos
e planes are horrible for lack of a better word. I try to never eat when I fly domestic.”

  “It was fine. The flight wasn’t that long. We can get started on your grand plan now. You know, the one that is going to get me out of here faster.”

  He told me that he understood, but the way he looked, made me almost feel bad about it. It was clear that he was trying to be nice and I was the one being a jerk. I don’t know what he thought he was going to gain from this little set-up, but I knew without a doubt that I wasn’t going to be able to be cold to him like I said I would be. I felt bad about it already and I smiled at him, trying to soften my words.

  “I’m not really hungry Colt, but I will be the first to admit that I need a drink. I have a feeling that you do as well. Why don’t we start there?”

  My answer had him smiling in about the same way as he was before, and I didn’t know if that was a good thing, or a bad thing. It was hard to imagine that he had me here for something bad. He didn’t seem that type, but it wouldn’t be the first time I had been so wrong about someone. I had certainly been wrong about it in the past. I wanted to think that Colt was different. I didn’t want to see him as one of the bad guys. I didn’t want to think that I had married one of the bad guys, even if it was a Las Vegas fluke.

  We got in the backseat of the car and I was already very aware of how close we were. If I wouldn’t have cared to be rude, I would have asked to sit in the front with the driver. I didn’t like that our knees were touching, and I could feel his heat, emanating off of him and warming me up all the way to my hips. This was not the meeting that I had seen coming. It was so different than anything that I could have imagined before arriving here. I was truly out of my element here at the moment and I was trying to get a grip on myself, which didn’t seem to be that easy to do.