There was a sharp rap at the door and he walked wearily back through the main area toward his foyer. The door sprang open and his mama came rushing in. She was a petite lady whose long, blonde hair had turned silvery white and been cut in a stylish bob a few years ago.
“My boy,” she shrieked. She grabbed his cheeks and pulled him down for a kiss, whispering in his ear. “You know you’re my favorite, right?”
“I heard that,” Ryder’s voice came from right behind them.
Kaleb grinned at Ryder, Bree, and little Tate. His dad was standing off to the side smiling at him and Griff had also returned, without Sutton. He couldn’t wait to hug them all, except for Griff, but he squeezed his mom tight first. “Thanks for being here, Mama.”
She pulled back and studied him. “This wedding’s a farce?” she asked bluntly.
He nodded slowly, wishing it wasn’t true.
“Well, I still have to give my approval of her anyhow.”
Kaleb chuckled. “I think you’ll like her, Mama.”
She shook her head. “We’ll see. She’s Bree’s sister so she must be fabulous, but I’m pretty sure nobody’s worthy of my boy.”
Kaleb loved his mama so much. She was stern and said inappropriate, mean things to them all the time, but deep down she adored her boys.
“Where is she?” Bree’s voice broke into their conversation.
“Upstairs.” Kaleb released his mom and hugged Bree quickly before she darted up the staircase.
He moved on to greet everyone else, thrilled they were here for him, but really wishing he could chase Bree up those stairs and spend time with Jasmine. Even her knocking him to the floor was better than not being in her presence. He was in so much trouble. Trouble that had nothing to do with threats from an unknown source and everything to do with his too-soft heart.
Jasmine was all primped and ready, her hair in long curls down her back, her makeup done to perfection, and the wedding dress she’d fallen in love with on sight waited on the bed for her to slip into. She sat in the room, waiting for two o’clock to finally come so she could move on with this job. It is just a job, it is just a job. She had to keep repeating that and not think about Kaleb’s beautiful blue eyes sucking her in or his kind words sucking her in even quicker.
She’d lived tough and acted tough since she was a small child and lost her sister, Bree, at age eight. After that, there was no one to protect her and hug her, only adults and then peers who wanted to use her for the skill set her adoptive parents had given her and her beautiful face and body. She could not allow Kaleb to break her down and make his way into her heart. It would be too dangerous and unfair to him. He deserved a sweetheart of a girl who would fawn over him for his talent and goodness. Jasmine could never be that person.
So she paced the beautiful suite, watching the preparations for her fake wedding, far below on the beach, and praying Kaleb wouldn’t realize the makeover people were all gone, she was alone up here, and her heart was begging for him to come find her.
Jasmine heard footsteps on the stairs and her heart leapt within her. Hurrying to the door, she waited with baited breath. Please let him come, please let him come. She cursed herself for being weak and believing in everything from fairy godmothers to the tooth fairy, but it didn’t make her heart stop longing for one more interaction with him. After the fake wedding and party, Sutton would catch the person who issued the threats, and she and Kaleb would both go back to their lives. Was it too much to ask to simply be around him a little more? Yes, because she’d either have to be mean to him and hurt him or let him into her heart. Safer to stay hidden away up here.
“Jaz!” The voice wasn’t the one she’d been hoping for but it was definitely the second on her list.
“Bree!” She flung the door open and her sister was in the hallway.
Bree grinned and ran to her, looking gorgeous in a pale pink, lace dress and funky, plaid pink and blue shoes. Her sister was the best.
Jasmine was already a couple inches shorter than Bree and with her sister in heels the discrepancy grew. She reached up and hugged her older sister tight. She had to blink quickly to hide the emotion. Until she reconnected with Bree in February, nobody who knew her would’ve guessed Jasmine was capable of emotion.
Bree pulled back but grabbed both of her hands. “Look at you! You’re so perfectly gorgeous.”
Jasmine smiled. She’d heard many compliments throughout her life and knew Bree had too, but it still meant something to her that her sister, who was almost identical to her, thought she was pretty.
“You’re the gorgeous one.” Jasmine loved Bree’s confidence and flair. Her hair was a huge mass of curls that gave her a unique beauty few could imitate. Jasmine had her long hair chemically straightened every few months. It made daily upkeep easier and she could still curl it when she wanted. “How are Tate and Ryder?”
“Cute and awesome as ever. Well, Ryder’s more dead sexy than cute.” She winked and it made Jasmine so happy that Bree’s marriage was ideal for her. “We’ll go see them all soon but I wanted you to myself for a few minutes.”
“I can’t go down there.” Jasmine shook her head quickly.
“Why not?”
“The groom’s not supposed to see the bride and all of that.” She had to look away from Bree’s dark gaze so her sister wouldn’t see right through her excuse.
“What’s going on, Jaz?” Bree squeezed her hands. “I thought this was just a fake gig to keep Kaleb, Ryder, Mack, and the Patriots and Titans players safe.”
The sisters hadn’t seen each other much since they’d been separated at eight and ten, and only reconnected three months ago, but Bree still knew her better than anybody.
“I can’t face Kaleb.”
“What? You’re the toughest, bravest woman I know.”
Jasmine inhaled and then pushed it out slowly. “Do you have any idea how good he is, inside and out?”
“Almost as good as Ryder.” Bree smiled knowingly. “You’re falling for him.”
Jasmine pulled her hands free and strode to the window. She clasped her arms tightly around herself. “I can’t fall for him, sis. I can’t.”
Bree joined her at the window. “Why not?”
Jasmine looked up at her sister’s beautiful face. “I’m not worthy of him.”
“Don’t say that. You’re amazing!”
Jasmine shook her head, sadness rolling through her. “You don’t know what I’ve done, Bree, where I’ve been. Kaleb is far too good for me and I have to keep my distance so I don’t hurt him much worse than some stalker chick would.”
Bree wrapped her arm around Jasmine’s shoulders. Jasmine didn’t do physical touch very often, besides occasionally kissing a handsome guy or letting Sutton, Liz, or Agatha give her a quick squeeze. But this was her sister. She leaned her head on Bree’s shoulder and sighed. “Your silence shows you agree with me.”
“Not for a second,” Bree shot back at her, squeezing her shoulder. “My silence is because I don’t know how to fully express how great you are and how wrong you are. Kaleb is an amazing person, but he’d be only too lucky to have you fall for him.”
Jasmine simply leaned against Bree, not responding. She’d never fall for him. If she cared for him at all, she’d keep her distance and not let her past catch up with both of them.
Chapter Eight
Kaleb shifted his weight from foot to foot and rolled his neck. He was more nervous than he’d been at his first concert, opening for Montana Crew years ago. He stood in front of an elaborate backdrop next to the ocean, waiting for his future, though sadly temporary, bride to walk down the steps to the beach and then down the aisle. The only good part of this long wait was that as Jasmine walked he would be able to watch her and stare at her for a long time.
“Calm down, bro,” Ryder cautioned next to him.
The wedding was small with just a portion of his family and Sutton’s men. Somebody hadn’t gotten the memo about the size of the party and
they’d set up dozens of chairs. Kaleb didn’t like those empty chairs. He hardly knew Jasmine but he wanted to be marrying her because she loved him and he wanted their wedding to be filled with all of their friends and family. Only Ryder and Griff stood up next to him. He wished Navy, Colt, and Mack were here. His parents and Tate sat in the front row and some of Sutton’s men, Sutton and his wife, Liz, and their housekeeper Agatha filled up some of the other chairs. These people were important to Jasmine, but he’d already gotten some death glares from some of Sutton’s men. Apparently he wasn’t the only one who thought Jasmine was amazing.
“I can’t just ‘calm down’,” Kaleb muttered back. “Do you know how bad it sucks to be fake-marrying your dream woman?”
Ryder’s eyes widened and Griff’s head swung around. Shoot. His serious, most manly brother must’ve overheard his sappy sentiment. Griff was a good guy but the complete opposite of Kaleb, as far as feeling things deeply. He doubted Griff even knew what emotion was.
“Don’t get any ideas about Jaz,” Griff cautioned. His blue eyes were much too serious. Not a surprise. Griff was always serious. Where was Colt when Kaleb needed him? He’d joke and tease and make everything feel light and happy.
“Why not?” Kaleb glared at him. Did his brother want Jasmine too? They’d be a better fit, both into security, both untouchable and tough. Guaranteed Jasmine wouldn’t be able to knock Griff on his butt like she’d done to Kaleb this morning. The memory made him smile and wince at the same time.
“Stop smiling about it, I’m serious. She’s not … right for you,” Griff said in a low voice.
“Says who?” Kaleb demanded. His brother couldn’t tell him not to smile and he couldn’t tell him not to like Jasmine. Kaleb couldn’t even tell himself not to do that.
“Says me,” Griff growled. “And I’m older than you and can still thump you, so don’t question me.”
“Boys,” the warning came from the front row.
Kaleb straightened and smiled at his mama. She was so pretty and feisty. He wanted Jasmine to get to know her.
“Stop it,” she said from behind clenched teeth.
“Yes, Mama,” Kaleb and Griff both muttered.
“You two about ready to stop arguing and get this boy married?” the preacher asked from next to Kaleb. He was about their age and had a big, friendly smile on his face. From what Kaleb understood he was one of Sutton’s men too. Great. Maybe part of the nuptials would be the preacher telling everyone why Kaleb wasn’t worthy of Jasmine.
The music changed and Kaleb’s gaze flew to the stairs leading down to the beach from his backyard. Bree descended first, her big hair and taller frame made it impossible to catch any more than quick glimpses of Jasmine coming down close behind her. They finally reached the sand and Bree moved next to Jasmine. The small crowd seemed to gasp as one at the beauty of the two women side by side. Kaleb felt like he’d had the wind knocked out of him.
Jasmine was so exquisitely beautiful, he had to keep blinking to look at her, as if he was staring straight at the sun. Her dark hair hung in long curls around her face and down her back. Her wedding dress was strapless and showed off her perfect, lean shoulders, collarbones and a neck he longed to kiss. The white lace molded perfectly to her curves all the way down to her ankles.
She had a slight smile on her face as she met his gaze. She knew exactly how she affected him. The sad thing was she didn’t want to have him falling to his knees and writing love ballads for her. From what she’d said this morning, she wanted to keep him safe physically and emotionally, safe from her. He didn’t want anything safe at the moment. He wanted Jasmine in his arms, even if she had a knife in hand.
The two women sauntered up the aisle and when they reached the men Kaleb gently touched her cheek and sort of groaned out, “Jaz.”
She sucked in a breath and her eyes widened. She leaned in to his hand and his heart beat quicker.
“Be good to her or I’ll kill you in your sleep,” Bree said quietly.
Ryder and Griff both burst out laughing. The moment was broken between Kaleb and Jasmine, but they both joined in the laughter as well. Jasmine had said that line to Ryder at he and Bree’s wedding last month. Kaleb had been upset that she’d dare threaten his brother like that. Now, Bree saying the same threat, without any intention of backing it up, was pretty hilarious.
Bree placed Jasmine’s hand in Kaleb’s and winked at him before kissing her husband and then stepping to Jasmine’s other side. Kaleb marveled at the rightness of Jasmine’s small palm resting against his. He wrapped his fingers around her hand and held on.
She sidled in closer to him as the preacher started his spiel. “You gonna write a song about this?” she whispered.
Kaleb stared down at her. “Multiple songs,” he whispered back.
She squeezed his hand and turned her attention back to the preacher. To anyone watching she was a sweet, gorgeous bride. He knew the depth underneath her beautiful exterior and he wanted to explore it more than he wanted to write another song.
Jasmine’s chest was tight and she couldn’t pull in deep enough breaths to calm herself down. Kaleb was devastatingly handsome in his tux, but the pull she felt to him went far beyond his beautiful exterior. All he’d said was her name earlier and it had about taken her under. She’d been moments away from throwing herself against him when Bree had made her little quip. Thank heavens for big sisters. As she thought about it, Bree was the only person Jasmine had ever thanked heaven for. Kaleb’s warm palm against hers and his thumb softly rubbing against the back of her hand shot awareness and dreams of happily ever after through her. Would she someday thank heaven for Kaleb being brought into her life?
No! She had to be strong—protect Kaleb, protect herself, get through this job and move on … quickly.
The preacher Cannon was thankfully not long-winded and the wedding flew by in a blur as the waves crashed into the beach and Jasmine wondered how she’d get through the rest of this afternoon and night without kissing the goodness right out of her new husband.
The cameras were clicking like crazy as she stared into Kaleb’s eyes. She felt like she was losing her identity. Kaleb’s gaze said she was soft, amazing, and kind. She knew none of those things were true. She couldn’t allow herself to get caught up in his fantasy world. He lived in an alternate reality of heartfelt love songs. That couldn’t be her story.
“I now pronounce you husband and wife,” Cannon, the resident, former Navy-SEAL preacher said. “You may kiss the bride.” He winked at Jasmine.
Jasmine’s heart thumped against her chest. What? No, oh, no. How could she have forgotten the most crucial part of any wedding? So caught up in how to keep her distance from Kaleb and keep him safe, she hadn’t thought about how she’d avoid kissing him at the wedding.
The cameras were going nuts as she focused back on Kaleb. He stared at her with such desire and devotion it was all she could do to not jump into his arms. What was happening to her?
Kaleb slowly framed her face with his hands and leaned closer. Jasmine couldn’t move, spellbound by his blue eyes and the feel of his warm palms cupping her cheeks. He leaned so close she could feel his soft exhalations on her lips.
The wait seemed to be interminable, but Jasmine still couldn’t move, captivated by his gaze and wanting with everything in her to have him claim her lips with his. She’d never wanted any man to have power over her, not since her horrific childhood, but at the moment she’d give Kaleb all rights to her heart and soul.
“Kiss her already, Uncle Kaleb,” Tate said.
Everyone else laughed. Kaleb and Jasmine both smiled briefly but their focus was solely on each other. He trailed his hands along her jawline and into her hair. Jasmine trembled from his tender touch and suddenly she couldn’t stand the wait any more than Tate could. She dropped her bouquet, grabbed onto his biceps, arched up onto her tiptoes, and pressed her lips to his.
Joy and warmth flowed through her at the simple connection of their l
ips. They both hardly moved as simply pressing their lips together was more than enough to shoot desire and awareness through her body. Then Kaleb took things to the next level. He tilted her head and deepened the kiss. She groaned and clung to his strong arms as his lips desecrated any sane thoughts lurking in her brain. The kiss continued, a give and take she’d never experienced in her life. The movement of his lips and his strong body against hers wrapped her up in a dreamy cloud of desire and home that she’d never experienced and never dreamed was possible for her.
“That’ll do, bro, that’ll do,” Griff’s gruff voice jerked them both back to reality.
Jasmine pulled back and stared at Kaleb. His chest was rising and falling quickly. His lips were as full and delicious-looking as ever. His too-blue eyes were full … of her. If she was watching from the outside looking in, she’d think he was in love with her. She hoped with everything in her that he was just acting the part for the photographers, who would make sure these photos got to the right media sites and splayed everywhere, so Jasmine and Kaleb’s part in this crazy ploy would be accomplished.
Thinking of photographers and the threat hanging over them helped her calm down enough to release her grip on Kaleb’s biceps and turn and wave to the wedding party. Everyone was cheering and clapping. She focused in on Sutton and his gaze was far too perceptive and concerned. He was worried she wouldn’t be able to remain detached from this job. She’d prove she was strong, stronger than even the pull of Kaleb Quinn and his lovely lips. She’d wondered if they were the perfect match for hers and dang it, they were. It didn’t matter. She was professional and strong. Kaleb and his delicious lips couldn’t affect her.
Kaleb’s arm encircled her waist and he tugged her close to his side. Jasmine allowed it, only because it was part of the job, not because it felt so unreal to be nestled against him like this. “I’ll kick Griff’s butt for interrupting the most amazing kiss of my life,” he whispered against her forehead.
Quinn Family Romance Collection Page 18