Foolish Games(17)

Nicky laughed. “Ah, yes, our Julianne is passionate in her stubbornness, isn’t she?” He wrapped an arm around her shoulders as he proceeded to regale Will with a story from their childhood, a time when she refused to reveal where she’d hidden something or other, but Julianne wasn’t listening. Apparently Will wasn’t, either, because she still felt his eyes boring into her.

Hitching a quick breath, Julianne scrambled to figure a way out of this awkward encounter. Her world was completely tilted on its axis. Owen was recovering. Carly hadn’t deserted her and now Nicky was here to lend his support. She should be ecstatic that everything had fallen into place. Instead, she felt light-headed and confused. And Will stood three feet from her like a ticking time bomb ready to explode. She just hoped that when he did, she could contain the damage.

“But all’s well that ends well,” Nicky was saying. “It’s her penchant for drama that makes her a fabulous designer, and her passionate nature will make her a devoted mother, so you needn’t worry. She’ll be a fierce advocate for her son’s well-being.”

If Julianne had eaten anything at all today, Nicky would probably be wearing it on his shoes right now.

“I hope you’ve forgiven her for her lies of omission, Will.”

“We’ve come to an understanding.”

She finally chanced a look at Will. His square jaw stuck out slightly and his eyes were like emeralds, hard as stone and glinting at her.

“In fact,” he went on to say, that glare never leaving her face, “you’re just in time. Since you’re such a good friend of the family, I’m sure you’d like to perform our marriage ceremony.”

Ka boom!

Stunned, Julianne tried to force a protest past the lump in her throat, but all that came out was a gasping sound. Carly and Nicky were both speaking, but she couldn’t make out what they were saying as she struggled to breathe. Married? No way had she agreed to that!

Will’s hand was tapping her back as she choked on her angry rebuttal. She gasped again and Will scooped her up in his arms. He carried her over to a bench, where he sat down with her in his lap, his palm still kneading between her shoulders as he calmly told her to breathe.

Breathe? What she really wanted to do was kick him, only she was too busy choking.

Carly knelt before her, a bottle of water in her hand. “Take small sips. Slowly.”

The water helped to unlock the muscles in Julianne’s throat and enabled her to take several gulping breaths. As her breathing returned to normal, she relaxed into the crook of Will’s arm. He continued to rub her back. The instinct to sink into his caress was overwhelming and Julianne began to wonder if he’d cast some spell over her, just like the night at Chase Jordan’s wedding.

Wedding!

She blinked back the tears that had formed in her eyes while she’d been gasping for air and stiffened her spine. Will’s fingers tightened their grip on her back, as if they sensed she’d returned to full mental capacity.

Slowly, she turned her head and shot a death glare over her shoulder at him. “I’m sorry, I thought you said we were getting married?”

The muscles in his face remained impassive, but triumph briefly flared in his eyes. “I did. And we are. As soon as it can be arranged. It comes under the provision of anything I want, according to our little agreement.”

Julianne’s stomach lurched again and she felt her pulse ricocheting at the base of her neck. This man was infuriating! She dug her elbow to his belly only to be met with the definition of Abs of Steel. The pressure on her back became more firm.

Don’t even think about it, his eyes warned her.

“Jules?”

She looked ahead at Carly. Her friend’s face was full of anguish as she glanced between Julianne and Will. “Is this true? You agreed to this?”

“We were just working out the details before you two arrived,” Will lied. Julianne was too angry to find the words to refute him.

“This is wonderful news! Of course I’ll preside over a ceremony. But you understand, we won’t be able to have it in a church.”

Nicky’s words shook her to the core. She was getting married. To someone she didn’t love. Even worse, to someone who didn’t love her. Yet Nicky sounded . . . happy.

“Julianne, sweetie.” Carly’s voice permeated the storm of emotions fogging up her brain. “Is this what you want?”

“It’s what’s happening.” Will’s tone was final.

“Shut up, Will.” Carly had obviously learned a thing or two being married to a football player because her tone was just as lethal as Will’s. She took one of Julianne’s hands in her own. “I’m talking to Jules.”