Temporary Wife Temptation

by Jayci Lee

  “Call me old-fashioned. I wanted to put a ring on your finger before you ruined me.”

  * * *

  Garrett left Natalie’s place after loading his car with the few boxes she’d managed to pack. Even though she was leaving behind her furniture to sublet the apartment, they would need to make several trips to move her belongings over. She’d shooed him out of her apartment so she could pack her stuff her way.

  It actually freed up some much-needed time for him to visit his family. He wanted to tell his father about his engagement in person, even if he’d already heard his grandmother’s version of the story. Garrett and his father’s relationship had improved over the past few years, but he wasn’t sure where his old man would stand on the issue of his only son’s marriage.

  As he anticipated, the Song family’s housekeeper, Liliana, informed him that his grandmother was “indisposed”—she smiled sympathetically at him—so he was free to search out his father. He found him in the study, nursing a glass of Scotch. When Garrett raised his eyebrows as he took a seat across from him, his father lifted the glass in mock salute and took a healthy sip.

  “It’s past noon. That means it’s not too early for Scotch.”

  “Does Dr. Ananth know about your minute-past-noon Scotch rule?”

  His dad was on a medical leave at the behest of his cardiologist. Garrett doubted whiskey was part of the doctor’s treatment program.

  “Don’t you start on me, too. I have enough trouble keeping Adelaide off my back.”

  “You should be glad she cares enough to nag.”

  Regret and vulnerability passed over his father’s face, but they were gone too quickly for Garrett to be certain. “I have a feeling you’re not here for father-son bonding time.” His dad leaned back in his leather chair and steepled his fingers in front of him. “What’s going on?”

  Well, Dad. A hell storm is brewing, and I’m in the eye of it. “I’m getting married.”

  “To which fiancée?”

  “I only have one.” Garrett’s fists clenched on his knees. Dad did know about the arrangement with Jihae Park. He just didn’t bother standing up for me.

  “Not according to your grandmother. Are you sure you want to defy her?”

  “No, but I’m sure I want to marry my fiancée, not a complete stranger.”

  “Your mother and I...” His voice grew thick and he couldn’t continue. There was no need. Garrett knew his parents were strangers when they married.

  “It’s not about whether or not Jihae Park is a good match for me. Or whether she and I might find happiness in an arranged marriage.” Garrett breathed deeply through his nose. “The point is I already chose my wife, and it is my decision alone. I will not be a pawn for the Song dynasty.”

  “So be it.” His father’s voice rang with a note of determination, and he straightened in his seat, drawing back his shoulders. Garrett couldn’t tell whether his dad was determined to stop the wedding, or would help him stand up to Grandmother. “Well, tell me about your young lady.”

  “She...” Garrett cleared his throat, caught off guard by his dad’s sudden interest. “Her name is Natalie Sobol. She’s Hansol’s HR director in the LA office.”

  “Ah, yes. I’ve met her on a few occasions. She’s an intelligent and competent young woman. Isn’t she Korean-American?”

  “Yes, on her mother’s side.”

  “Good, good.” He nodded absently, then added, “But you took an unnecessary risk dating a subordinate.”

  “She’s not a subordinate,” Garrett said with tight control, fighting against the resentment churning in his stomach. “She’s my fiancée and your future daughter-in-law, not some second-class citizen.”

  “I never implied that she was. The fact is you’re an executive and she’s your subordinate employee. It all worked out but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t risky.”

  “Isn’t it a bit late for doling out fatherly advice?” What the hell is wrong with me? Garrett’s emotions were too close to the surface. He dragged his fingers through his hair, and tried again. “I wanted you to hear this from me. Her sister passed away recently, and Natalie’s fighting for custody of her niece, so she may have an adopted baby soon.”

  “A baby?” The initial shock on his father’s face gave way to comical excitement, as though his birthday wish had come true. “You’re going to be a father.”

  “Natalie needs to win custody first.”

  Garrett shied away from the thought of becoming Sophie’s fake stepfather. The deal was between him and Natalie, but his father’s unexpected response made him wary about how his family would react when they dissolved the marriage.

  “How old is the baby?” An odd little smile tugged at his dad’s lips.

  “About six months.”

  “Well, when do I get to meet them? Dinner tomorrow evening?”

  “If Natalie’s free.” It was Garrett’s turn to be shocked. He’d gotten a lecture when he said he was marrying an employee, but when he added a baby into the picture, his old man turned to mush. “But Sophie’s with her grandparents, so I can’t guarantee you’ll see her tomorrow.”

  “I see.” His dad’s shoulders drooped half an inch. “Did you already tell Adelaide the news?”

  Garrett nearly groaned. “Not yet.”

  He and his father exchanged a rare look of understanding. Adelaide was going to flay him for keeping Natalie and Sophie a secret. Unfortunately, he couldn’t tell her it was new to him as well. He would have to appreciate the irony on his own while his baby sister put him in his place.

  Seven

  The weeks leading up to their wedding had spun past her in a tornado of improbable events. Now Natalie found herself standing in the Song family’s garden. It had been transformed into the most enchanting wedding venue she’d ever seen. The shimmering Pacific Ocean, the mild spring breeze and the deep orange sunset held an otherworldly beauty that stilled her breath.

  And Natalie wanted to sob her heart out. She shouldn’t be here. She didn’t belong in this world of riches and luxuries. She didn’t belong with Garrett.

  Traci, I miss you so much. If her big sister had been here, she would shake Natalie by the shoulders and tell her to run the hell away. From the lies. But then, if she was alive, I wouldn’t have thrown myself into this ridiculous scheme just so I could adopt Sophie.

  The sudden surge of resentment knocked the wind out of her. None of this was Traci’s fault. No one had twisted Natalie’s arm to marry Garrett. Even the man himself hadn’t unduly pressured her. She couldn’t deny that his arrogant certainty swayed her, but in the end, the choice had been entirely hers. God, I wish I could go back a month and slap some sense into myself. Well, she didn’t have a time machine, and she had a part to play.

  Adelaide and the wedding coordinator had pulled off a miracle in a few short weeks. But finding a suitable venue on such short notice had proven impossible until Adelaide convinced her grandmother to allow the wedding to proceed in their home. For the sake of privacy.

  Natalie sighed wistfully at the dusty pink and cream calla lilies—the color of her bouquet—and the rest of the flowers in fresh spring colors that were in full bloom throughout the garden. If she ever got married after this madness ended, her real wedding would pale in comparison to her fake one.

  “Natalie!” Adelaide linked an arm through hers and tugged her back inside. “Garrett just got here. What if he saw you?”

  “I’d say hi,” Natalie mumbled under her breath.

  Adelaide had had her locked up in a guest bedroom all afternoon while a makeup artist, a hairstylist and a seamstress poked and prodded Natalie. As exhausting as it had been, her reflection convinced her the hours were well spent. More than anything, she truly loved her wedding dress. It could’ve been a French heirloom from the 1920s. The silk inner dress hugged her figure, but the shimmery lace over
lay shifted and swirled around her like Salome’s seven veils.

  “You know it’s bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding.” Her soon-to-be sister-in-law huffed and threw her an exasperated frown.

  “Sorry.”

  Adelaide and their father, James, were probably shocked by Garrett’s sudden news, but they welcomed her with open arms. His grandmother, however, had refused to meet Natalie, much less attend the wedding.

  She wasn’t vain enough to expect everyone to like her, but Garrett’s grandmother had decided she didn’t like her without bothering to meet her. I guess a middle-class woman without a family could never be worthy of her grandson. Her absence stung even more since she’d chosen to stay in her room, mere steps away from the ceremony. Natalie couldn’t imagine how hard his grandmother’s rebuff might be for Garrett. Sure, their marriage was a ruse, but Madame Song didn’t know that.

  “People have heard of bridezilla, but I bet they’ve never heard of sister-in-law-zilla.” Adelaide said, ushering Natalie back inside. The joke brought her out of her sullen thoughts.

  Alone in her bridal suite, Natalie paced in circles, too nervous to sit. She stopped in front of a settee where her bridal hanbok sat, wrapped in a box. The traditional Korean dress was worn on special occasions like weddings and New Year’s Day.

  Natalie never had one of her own, but had always wanted one. Her mom had eschewed all things Korean when she moved to the States with Dad, a soldier who’d been stationed in Seoul. But Korea was once her mom’s home, and learning about its culture made Natalie feel connected to her.

  She opened the box and ran her fingers over the dress. It had a deep yellow cropped top and a crimson empire-waist skirt with hand-embroidered flowers and butterflies fluttering across the bottom of the voluminous skirt and on parts of the sleeves.

  Her sister-in-law had hired a well-known seamstress to make the hanbok, hoping her grandmother would come around and attend the wedding. If she did, Garrett and Natalie were to change into their hanbok after the wedding ceremony to observe a short tradition where the eldest members of the groom’s family bless the newlyweds by throwing dried jujubes for the bride to catch in her skirt.

  Natalie had thought Adelaide was messing with her with the whole jujube thing, but online research verified the tradition. Plus, she learned that the jujubes symbolized children. The more jujubes the bride caught, the more children the couple would have. Natalie had laughed herself to tears imagining Garrett and her batting the jujubes away.

  Lost in her musings, Natalie nearly jumped out of her skin when Adelaide knocked softly and poked her head in. “Hey, sis. They’re ready for you.”

  Adelaide was quiet for once as they walked to the garden. She held Natalie’s icy hand in her warm one. Before they reached the guests, she leaned in and carefully hugged Natalie so she wouldn’t disturb her makeup and intricate updo.

  “Thank you for marrying my brother. He seems cold and aloof, but he’s a really good guy and I can see glimpses of his old self when you’re with him. And I’m so happy I finally get an older sister.”

  “You’re going to make me cry before my grand entrance.” She breathed in a shuddering breath. “I’m happy to have a sister again.”

  Too soon, Natalie stood at the start of the silken road, but her feet refused to budge. She hadn’t been close enough to her father to miss him at this moment, but she wished she had a strong arm to hang on to. There were too many eyes on her, making her want to run in the opposite direction.

  She searched the crowd. For what, she didn’t know. Not until she found him.

  Garrett’s heated gaze bore into her and the knot in her chest broke, allowing her to breathe again. The ringing in her ears faded as he came into focus. He was breathtaking. His unruly hair was swept back, accentuating the hard angles of his face. The fitted tuxedo made his shoulders look impossibly broad. He exuded power and certainty, and for this moment, lie or not, he stood waiting for her. His eyes didn’t leave hers for a second, and she held on to his gaze to guide her to his side. She didn’t remember taking a single step until she reached him at the altar and he enfolded her icy hands in his.

  “You look beautiful.” His whisper caressed her ear and she shivered with awareness.

  Natalie focused on the heat of his body and her skin prickling in response. Anything but the dread that threatened to consume her if she acknowledged it.

  The ceremony washed over her like a flitting dream and she made the oldest, most sacred of vows with no hope of keeping them. For someone who was allergic to lying, she sure was getting good at it.

  * * *

  Garrett wrapped Natalie in his arms and they swayed to the music. Like the night at Le Rêve, his blood sang as their bodies touched, but this time, it was more than desire. Temporary or not, she was his wife—his alone.

  “We’re finishing our dance at last,” he said before his possessiveness overwhelmed him. She gave him a ghost of a smile, but fatigue lined her features. He tucked her head under his chin to hide his frown. After their dance, he led Natalie back to their table and reached for her hand. “Are you all right?”

  “Of course.” He studied her face, his thumb drawing slow circles on her wrist. She was pale under her makeup with dark blue half circles under her wide eyes. Seeming to notice his concern, she forced a smile. “I’m fine, Garrett.”

  He grunted, unconvinced by her reassurance, but the stubborn jut of her chin said there was no whisking her away for an early night. With a resigned sigh, he turned his attention to the crowd and sucked in a quick breath.

  “Sophie has my father wrapped around her little pinkie.”

  She looked adorable in her cream-colored dress with pink and white flowers dotting the skirt, and his dad held her like a precious treasure. When he lifted the baby high in the air, she rewarded him with a squeal and an infectious giggle, peppered with wet raspberries. His father laughed out loud for the first time in what seemed like years. How will Dad take it when Sophie and Natalie leave for New York in the winter? Something close to dread stabbed at his gut.

  “She’s a charmer.” Natalie watched them with a soft, sweet smile, then met his gaze and held it. “And, Garrett, it’ll be okay. Sophie and your family won’t have a chance to get too attached. She’s with her grandparents, and what little time I have with her I’ll be guarding greedily.”

  Her voice trembled slightly. She obviously didn’t want anyone to get hurt, either, especially their family. She continued to search his face, worry and vulnerability in her expression. He nodded, unable to trust his voice, but his heart twisted when she gave him a tremulous smile.

  This was their wedding day—alluding to the end of their marriage left a bad taste in his mouth. Capturing his bride’s hand, he planted a kiss on her palm, wanting to distract her from her thoughts. He flashed a wolfish grin when she gasped and turned a lovely pink. For good measure, he brushed his lips against the sensitive skin of her wrist, and a shiver ran through her.

  “Garrett,” she breathed.

  Her voice was low and husky, and reckless lust flared in him again. He’d made sure their first kiss as husband and wife was short and chaste. But sitting so close to her, her soft fragrance entangling his senses, he wanted to claim her—to have a real wedding night. Damn it. He dropped her hand and sat back in his seat. When he saw Mike waving him over, Garrett rushed to his feet. “Duty calls.”

  “Does your duty entail joining that group over there with everyone holding a bottle of champagne?” Natalie said with a wry smile. “I think there’s a bottle with your name on it.”

  His best man held a bottle in each fist and lifted them over his head, confirming her suspicion. “It’s not easy, but someone has to do it,” Garrett said.

  She laughed and gave him a gentle push toward them. “Well, go then.”

  “I’ll be back.” Without thinking, he dropped
a kiss on the tip of her nose, the easy affection startling him. That bottle of champagne was sounding better by the minute.

  When Garrett reached his friends, he grabbed a bottle out of Mike’s hand and tipped down a good quarter of it.

  “Thirsty?” His friend quirked an eyebrow at him.

  “Very.”

  “Oh, what the hell.” Mike shrugged and followed suit. “Gentlemen, Garrett beat us to it and drank half his bottle already. Let’s drink to our unexpected groom. May you not be an ass to your stunning new bride so she will tolerate you till the end of days.”

  “Thank you for that touching speech.” Garrett lifted his bottle to his friends and drank.

  Shouts of laughter and cheers rang through the crowd, and much imbibing ensued. His emotions back in check, he risked a glance at Natalie. Her chair was empty and a flash of irritation hit him. He’d run from her a moment ago and now he wanted her where he’d left her. He conceded he was being an ass. Still, his gaze sought her out in the crowd.

  He found her on the dance floor, being twirled by his father. He was smiling down at Natalie and she was biting her lip as though she was on the verge of tears. Garrett’s stomach lurched in alarm. After shoving his champagne bottle at Mike, he rushed to her side.

  When he reached the dance floor, her smile was still a bit watery but she didn’t seem upset and his dad was chuckling.

  “May I cut in?” Garrett said.

  “Of course. She’s all yours.” After kissing Natalie on the cheek, his father strolled off.

  “What happened?” He watched his dad join Sophie and Mrs. Kim—Natalie’s firecracker neighbor. He’d met her during the move, and survived her intense grilling.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Why were you about to cry?”

  Her mouth opened, then closed. “How did you know?”

  “I saw you.” He brushed aside her question impatiently. “Tell me.”

  “Your father just welcomed me to the family. He said... I was his daughter now.” Her voice broke, and tears sprang to her eyes. “I don’t even remember my mom, and my dad couldn’t stand me. Even with Traci gone and Sophie’s adoption in the air, your dad made me feel like I was part of a family. Like I wasn’t alone. What he said was a gift—a gift I don’t deserve—but I’ll cherish it forever.”