“Yeah. I’m sure.” At least as far as David was concerned. It was just after midnight and the bizarre marriage to Alec Morreston was in full swing. Her problem was just beginning.
They spoke for a few more minutes, then with a promise to keep in touch, they said goodbye. And just like that, the positive energy holding the tension at bay seemed to evaporate from the room.
“Old boyfriend?” Alec asked quietly.
She nodded.
“Gee. That’s too bad. One day too late.” He didn’t sound a bit sorry as she crossed the room, returning to the sink, not certain what her next move should be. Alec followed and slowly slid his arms around her waist. His face rubbed against her hair, the heat from his body warm against her back.
“I like your friends that were here tonight,” he murmured near her ear. His breath was hot against her neck. In such close proximity, his deep voice caused tingling sensations to dance over her skin. Shea clung to the edge of the counter for support.
She tried to remain calm. “They are good people.”
“It was nice of them to come on such short notice.”
“Yes. Leona...called most of them.”
He stepped away and she heard the clink of ice. Glancing over her shoulder, she watched as Alec pulled a partially consumed bottle of champagne from its silver canister. Holding two crystal flutes easily in one hand, he poured the champagne with the other.
“To what shall we toast?” he asked as he handed her one of the glasses. “A long and satisfying marriage?”
She eyed him coolly. “How about to integrity?”
He pursed his lips as if to contain a devilish grin, then tipped his head and touched his fluted glass to hers. She downed the full contents, desperately needing the champagne’s calming effect. She rarely drank alcohol, never champagne, and she wasn’t prepared for the sensation. Her eyes clouded with tears and she couldn’t stop the choking cough.
Still, the night that lay ahead made her hold the empty glass out to Alec. She ignored the knowing smile tugging at the corners of his mouth as he obligingly refilled it to the brim.
If it were within her power to disappear in a puff of smoke, she’d have done it. For one fleeting second the land didn’t seem that important. Then the moment passed and she knew she’d see this thing through.
Somehow.
“It’s been a long day,” he said when she set her empty glass on the table.
“Yes.” She readily agreed, some hope suddenly flaring in her chest.
“I suggest you show me our room.”
Alec ignored any traces of panic that must have been apparent in her face and, without waiting for an answer, reached for her hand. His was large and warm, his grip firm and solid as he led her out of the kitchen and toward the stairs, turning off the lights as he went.
Lifting the long skirt of the gown with her free hand to ensure she didn’t step on the hem, she followed him up the stairs. At the top of the staircase, he paused, silently indicating she should precede him into a bedroom. She walked down the hall, her head held high.
At the door to her room, she stopped. I can’t do this. She felt light-headed. She could almost hear the chaotic beating of her heart as it pounded against her ribs.
Reaching around her, Alec turned the knob and effortlessly pushed open the door. She hesitated, swallowing back the vile taste of fear that rose in her throat. She could feel the warmth of his body against her back and the soft caress of his breath on her ear seconds before he kissed the sensitive area just below. Wild sensations tore through her. She spun around to face him, her hands braced against the muscled wall of his chest as she tried to keep him at arm’s length.
“What’s the matter?” he asked, tilting his head in mock innocence. “Wedding night jitters?”
“No.” She shook her head. “No. It’s just that...well, we...we don’t know each other. I mean...” She took a step back from him, placing her just inside the bedroom.
“I think I know a way we can remedy that problem.” He began to unbutton his shirt. With his other hand, he reached out and flipped off the bedroom light leaving only the soft beams of moonlight that streamed through the window to challenge the darkness that now surrounded them. In the dim glow, he watched her, his gaze focused on her lips.
Shea slowly backed away but Alec advanced toward her, matching her step for step. With the last button released, his shirt fell open to reveal the muscular wall of his chest. She hadn’t realized he was so powerfully built; so solid. Definitely not the body of a man who sat behind a desk every day.
“You surprise me, Mrs. Morreston. I had expected you to come down the stairs wearing boots and jeans. Instead, you walked into the room in that gown.” The deep, velvety texture of his voice made her shiver. “If that was for my benefit, to ensure I knew what a beautiful and desirable woman I was about to marry, you can rest assured, it worked.”
“It...it was my mother’s.”
“It’s very nice. Very elegant.” He continued to advance toward her. “But now it’s time to take it off.”
“No.”
“No?” He mocked her. “Why, Mrs. Morreston, are you saying you intend to deny your husband on our wedding night?”
“I...I just think we need time to—”
“Don’t worry, sweetheart,” he cut in. “We have all night, and I certainly intend to take my time.”
“No!”
“No? Might I remind you, Mrs. Morreston, you’re now a very wealthy woman. You played a good hand and put me in a position of having to marry you in order to keep my own land. Almost diabolical when you think about it. But all the benefits don’t swing in one direction. It’s now my turn to see what I get in exchange for giving up my freedom.”
“No.”
“There’s that word again.” Alec didn’t bother concealing his devious smile. “Are you saying you want to have our marriage annulled and give up so soon? I honestly believed your resolve to keep this place, no matter what, would last longer than the wedding night.”
“And I hoped, as a gentleman, you would afford me an opportunity to get to know you before...before...”
“Who ever said I was a gentleman?” Shea could see the faint white of his teeth as he smiled in the darkness. “I’ve held up my end of this bargain, Mrs. Morreston. Now, I believe, it’s your turn.”
“Stop calling me that!” she snapped through gritted teeth as her inner turmoil exploded to the surface. This only succeeded in causing a bigger grin to spread across his face.
“But that’s who you are, Mrs. Morreston.” His fingers reached out and touched the tiny pearl buttons at the neckline of her dress. “It was your decision, remember?”
“Only to prevent you from taking my ranch.”
“It was your decision.”
Shea swallowed back the alarm that threatened to engulf her. He was right. He had warned her. And she had agreed freely.
Reaching for one of her hands, he began to unbutton the seam that ran from her wrist to her elbow, letting the satiny material fall away from her arm. Then, without a word, he moved to the other sleeve.
That completed, in a gentle but firm action, he turned her around and began to unfasten the back of the satin-and-lace gown. His hands moved slowly, methodically down the dress, releasing button after tiny button.
She caught their reflection in the mirror on the closet door. The moonlight highlighted the silver-blond strands of her hair and softened the panicked features of her face. Alec’s large, dark silhouette loomed behind her, his head bowed as he worked at his task. All traces of his earlier amusement were gone, replaced by a look of serious intent.
Standing practically nude before a strange man was not an experience she’d ever anticipated. The gown provided a frail armor, a subtle safeguard. In a few precious minutes, her lace panties and the white hosiery would be the only pieces of armor that remained.
Their eyes met in the mirror for countless seconds before he bent his head and placed his lips against the sensitive area beneath her ear. Her heart kicked into double time as Alec emitted a low growl, which sent electric sensations racing down her spine.
She spun around in an effort to break the contact. Rather than reach for her again, he removed his shirt, tossed it aside and began unbuckling his belt. The muscles of his shoulders and arms rippled in the moon’s glow, the significant pectorals making him seem even bigger than he’d looked with his clothes on.
Taking another step back from him, her legs bumped against the bed. Her pulse tripled. Frantically her eyes searched the room, hoping to detect any means of escape from this reprehensible situation.
Before she could voice any more objections or seize on a reason to try to postpone the inevitable, Alec reached out to her. His hands cupped her face, compelling her to meet his gaze as he took the final step, closing the short distance between them.
Shea clenched her hands into tight fists at her sides, determined to resist this forceful male. In the pale light, she saw his eyes focus on her lips seconds before his mouth came down over hers hard, masterfully firm in its possession. His hands left her face as his heavy arms encircled her body like bands of steel. His sheer strength and size, coupled with the passion of the embrace, rocked her senses and snatched the very breath from her lungs. She was way out of her depth. A feeling of near hysteria enveloped her mind. With a small cry, she tore her mouth from his. He allowed her to pull back but kept her close, his large hands resting on her shoulders.