And that was an understatement. Her mother knew she couldn’t continue with her lavish parties and her high maintenance. She knew it was coming to an end unless she found herself a major role.
All at once Alex looked thoughtful. “You know something. This could play in our favor. If you keep a low profile while you’re over there, it will add to the mystique of our wedding.”
Our wedding.
She sent him a cynical look. “Yes, and we definitely want mystique for those perfume sales, don’t we?”
He glanced at her oddly, as if it was a given. “It’ll help your sales as well.”
Okay, so he was right. But getting her mother to keep a low profile when the media were bound to be knocking at their door? Impossible! Of course, using Alex’s “mystique” angle might be the way to go. Felicia loved “mystique.” She knew the value of it.
“What about your father?” Alex asked, drawing her from her thoughts. “Do you want him at the wedding?”
An old heartache jarred but she quickly stomped on it. “No. He lives in Vancouver with his family and I have little to do with him.”
He nodded with a grimace. “Some men don’t know when they’ve got a good thing.”
She shrugged. “Owen Cannington was a B-grade actor who gave it all up years ago. He divorced my mother when I was two.”
“She kept his name,” he pointed out.
“Only because she was becoming well-known as Felicia Cannington.” Her lips twisted. “Mum said she may as well make some use of him.”#p#分页标题#e#
“Sounds like the divorce was amicable,” he mocked.
She couldn’t help herself. She had to smile, if only the tiniest one she could find.
Taking her by surprise, Alex was suddenly in front of her, putting his hand under her chin. She started to speak, but his mouth closed over hers, holding her there beneath him, taking without asking, as if it was his right.
And then his tongue dipped inside her mouth and did a sweep, exploring her, getting to know her, until she shuddered from a flood of sensation that shook her world.
He eased back, his eyes dark with a passion that didn’t surprise her at all. “There,” he murmured huskily. “At least that’s one thing we’ve got out of the way.”
She swallowed hard. “Um…I didn’t know it was in the way.”
He arched a mocking brow before leaving. They both knew she was lying, if even to herself.
Three
A lex watched Olivia walk toward him in her wedding gown. The white, off-the-shoulder, satin dress was slim and elegant, and it looked absolutely stunning on her. How had he not known she existed before this? he wondered, filled with a deep satisfaction that he’d found the woman he’d wanted for his temporary wife.
God, she was beautiful.
Beautiful and lovely and so very picture-perfect.
Surprisingly he’d missed her these last two weeks and had actually been pleased to see her when she’d arrived back in the country only forty-eight hours ago.
There’d been a hell of a lot to do with a high-profile wedding such as theirs, the time having gone fast, though not fast enough for his peace of mind. He’d wanted this marriage signed and sealed and he wanted Olivia Cannington in his bed. Just the thought of making her his sent the blood rushing through him.
Right then she reached him and their eyes met for one long moment before they turned toward the female marriage celebrant.
The ceremony began, and through the huge window in front of them, they could see the sun shine on the spectacular backdrop of the famous Sydney Harbour Bridge suspended over vibrant blue water dotted with sails.
They exchanged traditional wedding vows, and Alex felt a twinge of guilt when he promised “to cherish her until death do us part.” He would have liked to change the vows to “to have and to hold for as long as they both stayed married.” Only he didn’t want to think about divorce on their wedding day.
Then suddenly their marriage was a fact and he was told he could kiss the bride.
With pleasure.
Soft pink colored Olivia’s cheeks as he leaned toward her. Seeing her eyes drop to his mouth sent something powerful flaring inside him. He placed his lips against hers for a long moment that wasn’t wholly for the benefit of their guests.
Tonight there would be no audience….
Soon they stood on the steps of the Opera House, where it seemed the world’s media wanted to take their picture.
Not that he minded, usually. He’d grown up in the Australian spotlight, but this was different. One part of him felt a wedding day should be private, yet another part was gratified he’d done the right thing in using this avenue to highlight Valente’s Woman.