Secret Bridesmaid

by Victoria Pinder

  He kissed her hand again and another jolt raced through her when he said, “She was at my brother’s house today and hopes to make some deal for a movie role with my other brother. You’re definitely more memorable.”

  “How?” No one who’d ever met them both even remembered her name.

  That included their mother.

  But then Axel’s lips came closer and he claimed her lips.

  She forgot anything outside of them existed. Her arms wrapped around his strong neck and she kissed him back with all her might.

  This was a moment she’d never forget.

  As he ended the kiss, her entire body was a jumble of electrodes that had no plug. She couldn’t quite breathe right so she said, “Wow.”

  “Now that is a word that makes my night sweeter.” He winked with a sexy glint in his eyes that sent tingles to her heart.

  And her fantasy was shattered by the reality of his kiss. Now she knew and no one would ever, ever, ever surpass Axel Morgan’s kiss.

  Alone in his bed with an unencumbered view of the Intracoastal, Axel burrowed beneath warm silk sheets and relived Emily’s kisses that had burned into his dreams.

  He couldn’t remember the last girl he'd dreamed about.

  Perhaps it was Emily’s vulnerability. He didn’t know exactly, but Emily had gone from cute to captivating at the late night dinner as she ate her chicken in its entirety--with enjoyment.

  Light brushed against his eyes. He covered his head with a pillow to block it.

  Another image of Emily came to mind--with him slowly peeling that sexy black dress off her to reveal her curves.

  However the pillow was pulled off his head and the annoying voice of his little sister, Catherine, said, “Axel, good morning.”

  “Go away.” He didn’t open his eyes.

  Sure, he’d thought his sister had been dead for twenty-plus years, but right now that was the past. And she was waking him when he wanted to keep dreaming of Emily.

  Catherine shook his shoulder and then sat on the edge of his bed. “You promised to go to the rehearsal dinner.”

  “That’s at four.” He rubbed his eyes and peered at her.

  Clearly his sister wasn’t going away.

  She crossed her arms and stood up. “It’s four now.”

  He glanced out the window.

  The sun was high in the sky.

  Emily would be at the rehearsal dinner.

  Sweet, cute Emily Wilson. He rolled and let his feet touch the ground as he said, “Oh. I’ll be over in ten minutes.”

  His sister shook her blonde head and then walked out.

  He headed into his custom marble bathroom in the mansion that he’d bought across the street from Peter and Mitch's houses so he’d be next door to two of his other brothers. Starr Island was secluded for privacy, and the only people allowed were the workers or the residents of the island who all owned their mansions.

  In many ways Starr Island was more exclusive than Beverly Hills as there was no community access to the general public.

  Axel cleaned up, combed his long hair and quickly decided on a hair tie because of the humidity in Miami. Tonight he’d be the rock star with long locks, projecting an image. Right now he was the guy interested in seeing Emily again.

  He picked out a light-blue button-down shirt and linen pants.

  Done, he crossed the street, drawn by the music of a live band. Avoiding the main house, he entered the backyard toward a white-topped tent with clear plastic sides that allowed a view of the Intracoastal, Miami skyline and the Atlantic Ocean beyond.

  The music wasn’t bad, he had to admit.

  He’d find out the band’s name later. He headed to the entrance and immediately a girl with too much perfume overwhelmed his nose as her arms wrapped around his waist. “Axel, there you are.”

  Years and years of dealing with fans had given Axel the skill to disentangle himself from a woman fast. He turned and gave his Hollywood-created smile to ensure she wasn’t offended. The blonde woman had sharper edges to her features than her sister. “Linsey, nice to see you again.”

  The blonde took a champagne flute from a passing waiter but then reached out and ran her hand down his arm, clearly flirting, which needed to end as he much preferred Emily’s more natural looks. He brushed her hand off him while she stared up and down at him like he was a piece of meat and said, “Nice to see you. You’re looking good these days.”

  He took a step back. “Thanks, Lins. Where’s your sister?”

  “My sister?” Her eyes grew big with surprise.

  He nodded and said, “Emily.”

  She raised her eyebrow. “How do you know her?”

  He glanced around but didn’t see Emily as he said, “I met her last night after my show. She said she’d be here.”

  Linsey shook her head like she was offended and pointed right behind him to the other side of the tent. “She’s over at the buffet table, stuffing her face, probably.”

  He winked at her and turned around. “Thanks, Lins.”

  And there Emily was. She wore a pink and white knee-length dress that flared out when almost everyone else in Jennifer’s wedding party wore skin-tight everything.

  Emily clearly fit more with his side of the family than with Jennifer’s Hollywood crowd. She bit into a cream puff without noticing him.

  There was something unique about Emily that made her different.

  Axel understood he should stay away from her as she didn’t fit into his nomadic lifestyle--she was sweet and probably tradtional, and would likely hate never having roots on a tour bus.

  But part of him wanted to at least understand how the majority of other people lived, and she could show him.

  Her sister coughed and said haughtily, “That’s Linsey.”

  He walked away from the door and headed right toward the buffet. Emily was putting a mini cupcake in her mouth and licking the frosting off her full lips as he said, “Emily, there you are.”

  She swallowed, then dabbed her mouth with a paper napkin--he couldn't tear his gaze away from her lips, caught in the memory of her kisses. Emily coughed a little into her napkin and then tossed it in the trash “Axel… hi.”

  “Hi. You look good in that dress—pink suits you.” It made her skin look even softer than he knew it was and his body relaxed like he was just where he was supposed to be as he said, “I missed you after our dinner ended--I wish you’d let me take you home.”

  “It was late and I knew we’d see each other today.”

  “Well, here we are. I’m hoping you’ll tell me more about yourself.”

  For a second her smile seemed so bright that it beamed but then her lips pursed and she looked over his shoulder. He was about to turn when she said, “Axel, my sister is coming.”

  And there was obviously something going on between them. Sibling rivalry? He took her hand. “She pointed you out to me.”

  Emily’s eyes widened, but then her sister positioned herself right in the middle of them. Emily squeezed his hand as Linsey said, “So Emily, how did you meet Axel?”

  Linsey's tone told him this wasn’t going to be good for Emily. He pivoted and wrapped his arm around Emily as he said, “She was standing in the front row. How could I miss her beauty staring back at me?”

  Her sister’s gaze swiveled between the two of them. “Seriously?”

  Emily’s face went white but then she nodded. “Yup. Axel wanted to talk to me.”

  Linsey gave that laugh he’d heard from various women he’d never liked through the years. “So, your fantasy came true. Will I be reading about my sister’s bad behavior in the magazines tomorrow?”

  Axel hugged her tighter, wanting to Emily. “Who knows what the paparazzi will print about me and my new girlfriend.”

  Emily stared up at him, then spoke in unison with her sister. “Girlfriend?”

  Heat filled his cheeks. Maybe he’d misread everything. He liked Emily’s expressions as she talked about life, and she seemed
into him too. He flashed his pearly white smile and clasped Emily’s hand. “If Emily says yes, that is.”

  “Yes!” Emily reached up and hugged him. Her limbs smelled like roses but it was so light he needed to be closer to truly inhale the floral scent. As she let him go, Emily turned toward her sister. “Linsey, can we talk later?”

  Linsey’s brown orbs glittered. “Sure. I’m still shell-shocked about you two anyhow.”

  Once her sister stormed off like she'd just smelled something rotten, he released Emily. She bit her lower lip until her sister was far away, then her ample chest heaved with an exhale. “Axel, what was that?”

  He pointed to Linsey’s stiff back. “You and your sister clearly don’t get along.”

  Her cheeks matched the shade of her dress. “It was that obvious?”

  “Yes.” He fought the urge to hold her again as she’d probably need space, and pocketed his hands. “I don’t like seeing mean people on parade and this wedding is full of them.”

  Her eyes widened in surprise and then her face crumpled. Was she upset he’d said girlfriend? She took a deep breath and said, “Right. You were just helping me. Thanks.”

  He leaned closer and something sparked between them. He’d thought he was dead to attraction, but this was different. He and Emily were night and day, which made her safe to be with because they’d never be an item. “We could help each other. I figured we could team up for the wedding tomorrow.”

  She crossed her arms. “Team up?”

  “Sure.” He reached out to lower her elbows.

  She relaxed, and he stood taller. “I have one more show tonight. You can come as my guest and wait in my room or backstage if you like. Tomorrow we do this wedding thing, together, and your sister doesn’t get to belittle you near me.”

  She pushed a strand of chestnut hair that had fallen from her messy bun out of her face. “What do you get out of the deal?”

  She’d show him how people who were vulnerable lived which might help him figure out his own vulnerabilities to either help him as an artist or even figure out who he was without the billions and fan adoration. He’d never had a worry in his life, other than the guilt of his sister’s death. But that had been just another lie from his controlling father. That was too personal to share, so he leaned closer and whispered so she was the only one to hear him as he said, “Cover. My mother is convinced I’m married.”

  Her mouth parted. “Are you?”

  A few months ago the one white lie for a potential singer to get a break hadn’t seemed like such a big deal. The girl was talented but unknown, and she’d helped him against the stalker who wanted to be his wife which was why his friend faked it for a day. In return for her time, he’d name-dropped his own, an exchange of favors, which was pretty common in Hollywood--they hadn't actually married. “No. I lied to help out a friend, as she'd helped me with a favor.”

  Emily crossed her arms again and stared at him like she didn’t like what she saw as she asked, “What kind of friend was that?”

  Right. So it wasn’t just his mother. He normally didn’t lie, and the consequences were clearly why. “She wanted an audition and she got it, because of my name--Axel Morgan. I had a stalker who broke into my house and this friend pretended to be my wife for a few days.” He didn't need to go into details about the stalker who'd broken into his home and stolen his hairbrush, among other things.

  Emily dropped her hands and let out a breath. “Oh. I I’m glad you’re safe from danger and happy I missed that headline about a secret wedding.”

  If she let it go, then it was a good thing that he’d told her the truth. “I’ve never had one of those, but if you want, we can skip all this and head to Vegas for one of our own.”

  Emily laughed and brushed her hip against his as she said, “I didn’t know you were a joker.”

  Who he was on TV or on stage was not his real persona, not that he knew exactly who he really was without the cameras and lights. “There is a lot we don’t know about each other.”

  She grinned and her happiness was a smack in the face, giving him no choice but to notice her. “Well, I’d love to be your pretend girlfriend, Axel.”

  Without asking permission, he pressed his lips against hers. She sighed and kissed him back, her arms around his shoulders as if she couldn’t get close enough.

  Yes. Last night hadn’t been an aberration. She kissed like a goddess, powerful and passionate. As the kiss ended, he held her closer and whispered, “The kisses are real though.”

  Her eyes were still closed when she nodded and then her clear brown eyes shone brighter when she looked at him. “They are.”

  Pretend girlfriend, real desire. Axel offered her a plate that he held for her as she collected whatever dessert she wanted. She also placed whatever he wanted on his plate, so following her was easy.

  His oldest brother Mitch, the only other blond Morgan in the large extended family, waved at him as he entered the tent with his wife, Tess, then joined their other siblings already seated.

  Axel gestured for Emily to sit at that table too but she was clearly looking at the entrance toward a big man with bulky muscles who could work security. “Emily, who is that guy?”

  She patted his arm with her free hand. “Someone from work. I’ll be right back. Don’t go and find another girlfriend while I’m gone,” she teased.

  “Okay.” He took her plate of food and watched the sway of her hips as she made her way across the tent.

  His thoughts were all on Emily as he headed toward the seats next to the ones Mitch had just chosen, until Linsey stepped in his way and pointed toward her sister and the guy Emily stood two feet from but talked earnestly with. Linsey asked, “So who’s that?”

  “Someone from work, she said.”

  Linsey blocked his path. “Look Axel, I don’t know what it is about my sister that you see, but she’s not for you. She used to have your poster on the wall of her room and talked about you for hours at the dinner table… totally annoying.”

  As a boy, he’d always wondered what his own sister would be doing if she saw him on TV. Catherine had told him a few months back that she’d watched regularly, and she’d talked to Tess all the time about him. So if others did what his sister did, that wasn’t a problem—it was why he performed, to entertain.

  He repositioned the two plates he held as he shrugged, “Linsey, Emily told me she was a major fan.”

  Linsey once again stared at him like he was stupid. “She did?”

  He glanced over. Emily nodded at the guy and gave him a thumbs up, like he did when he talked to his band. Not a romance, then. Without looking at Linsey he said, “Yes. When I asked her why, she was rather enchanting.” Her listening to his music made her morning sweeter.

  Linsey smacked her lips together in disapproval. “I just don’t think…”

  “Linsey,” he interrupted. He didn’t need to hear about their family drama. The wedding was enough drama. “Emily didn’t mention you much, which makes me think you two aren’t close.”

  Emily noticed him watching and held up a finger to tell him one minute. He nodded and turned toward Linsey as she said, “We’re not, but that doesn’t mean you can hurt her.”

  He pressed his lips together—he had no intention of hurting Emily but he understood why Linsey might warn him away. He gave her a curt nod and walked around her as he said, “You don't get a say.”

  Linsey made a pfft sound behind him but Axel took the two seats next to his brother, Mitch, and his wife, Tess, leaving no room for Linsey.

  At least his banker brother was happy with his corporate life that never made headlines. He put Emily’s plate beside his while Mitch said, “Axel, you don’t normally get involved with fans.”

  So, rumors had already spread. “True.” Axel folded his hands while he waited for Emily. “Emily’s interesting and an obvious replacement for a bridesmaid, as she’s pretty much the only non-celebrity in the party.” As he glanced at Jennifer Gonzales’ fri
ends she had around her for the rehearsal dinner, he saw the Hollywood life he tried to avoid. Emily signed a piece of paper from the man. Her dark brown hair blew wisps around her face from the air conditioner as he told Mitch, “She’s telling me about normal life and what it’s like to live without billions.”

  Natalie, Galen’s wife who was also at the table, signaled for the waiter to bring the drinks as she said, “So, she’s teaching you about regular people?”

  Neither one of them really knew life on the road, or what living in a hotel all the time was like. The pressure of his life made relationships impossible, even if he had the best money could buy. “I find her interesting, but we both know that she’ll never fit in my current lifestyle—she’s not the type to travel with a band on a smelly bus.” She smelled like roses.

  Natalie ordered a bottle of white wine for her, Galen, Mitch and Tess, then said, “You could take her on the family jet.”

  “She’s not going to follow a band around the world.” He ordered the same thing for him and Emily. She was a fan, not a groupie.

  For today, she was his priority. There was nothing wrong with learning more about her.

  Mitch slung an arm around Tess’s shoulder. “Tess wasn’t my type, or so I thought, but now I can’t live without her.”

  Axel bristled. He wasn’t the kind to be domesticated. Perhaps it was the part of him that rebelled against their long dead father. He wasn’t anything like the man who had more children than he should've. And he wasn’t like his brother, Mitch, tamable and ready to settle down. So he sat back and said, “That’s all you, bro.”

  Mitch laughed like he knew something that Axel didn’t and advised, “Axel, one thing.”

  “What?” He watched Emily finish her conversation with security and walk toward him but then her sister stopped her. Linsey and Emily had similar shapes in their face, now that he looked, but Linsey’s pout made her seem standoffish while Emily’ softness was sweeter than cookies.

  Mitch took Tess’s hand. “Don’t be like the rest of us and almost lose out on love because of Mom and Dad’s example.”

  Their mother locking herself in her room and crying for days replayed in his mind. He never wanted a woman to cry like that for him. “I’m nothing like our father.”