At first she stiffened, probably surprised by his boldness, but a fraction of a second later she relaxed and responded to the kiss. His fingers skimmed over her back. His lips caressed hers. He couldn’t believe how badly he needed this. How much he wanted her.
Ever since he was a teenager, he’d pined after Nara. Stood back and looked at her from afar. He had dreamed of her, made excuses to be around her, and hoped she would notice him. But she never did.
It was time to stop standing back, hoping. It was time to put it all on the line and find out once and for all if there ever could be anything between them. He could no longer wait. He needed to know. And if the answer was going to be no, at least he could pick himself up and move on. Finally push Nara out of his headspace forever and try to find someone else to fill that void. There was no more time. He had to know. Right now.
Behind him a thud sounded and he realized she’d dropped her Diet Coke. He thought maybe she would jump back from him, but instead she threaded her fingers through his hair. It felt amazing. Too good, actually. He pulled back, but she held on to him. “Don’t,” she whispered.
“Nara,” he said, breathless. “We need to talk.”
“Why? I don’t want to talk. I want to do more of this.” She kissed him again.
He let the kiss happen for a moment, then pulled back again. “Wait. I have to say something.”
Nara groaned. “Why do you always ruin things?”
Her words sent a stab of pain through him, but he couldn’t stop now. He couldn’t live his life wondering if anything would ever come of their relationship any longer. He had to know. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I have to say this.”
She stared at him, her grip around his neck relaxing. “What is it? What’s so important that you have to stop an amazing kiss over?”
“I love you.” The words came out before he could even prepare himself, and he startled at his own voice. Oh, no. What had he done? Panic enveloped him, and he rushed forward. “I mean, I want to know if there’s ever any possibility that you might have feelings for me. Because I can’t keep kissing you without knowing.”
Her eyes narrowed. “You love me, like a sister? Because that wasn’t a sisterly kiss. That kind of thing should never happen between brother and sister.”
Oh, crud. He had told her he loved her like a sister. He’d forgotten. His mouth felt like it was full of cotton. “I love you in ways a brother should never love a sister,” he said quietly.
She didn’t respond right away. She just stared at him, and his panic grew. But he was done covering up his feelings. Done taking them back. He had to know. “I don’t expect you to say you love me back. I know we’ve only spent a week together in the last five years, but if there is no possibility, I want to know now so I can let the thought of you go. Because I don’t think I can go on not knowing.”
She frowned. “So, when you said you loved me like a sister…?” She let the question hang.
He inwardly groaned. She was going to make him say it, wasn’t she? He took in a breath, trying to bolster his nerves. “It was a lie. I hadn’t meant to tell you I loved you. I was unprepared for your reaction. So, I hid my feelings.”
“How long have you felt this way?”
He swallowed, embarrassed. “A long time.”
Nara grabbed a throw pillow from her couch and hit him with it. “You dork.”
Derek took a step back, unsure what that meant. Out of all the reactions she could have given him, that one hadn’t even crossed his mind, and he didn’t know how to react.
Nara swung again, but this time he grabbed the pillow and wrestled it from her. “Stop that.”
“But you deserve it. Do you know how upset I was that you told me you loved me like a sister? My gosh, I was going crazy. I thought I was nuts, falling in love with you in one week. And here you were, already in love with me?” She grabbed the pillow from him and swung again. This time he let her.
“Wait, you fell in love with me in a week?”
“Yes, you goof. And I thought I was insane, that you’d never feel the same way. That’s why I left. I couldn’t stand to be there with you when you thought of me like you thought of Brielle.”
He took the pillow back and tossed it away, his heart racing. He took her into his arms, hardly able to believe what she was saying. He’d lied for no reason. If he had just come clean, she wouldn’t have left him? “Are you serious?”
“Why do you think I’m still wearing your dime-store ring, Mr. Emperor?” She held up her hand.
He smiled. He’d missed hearing her calling him that. “That’s real, by the way.”
“What?” Her eyes widened and she stared down at it. “Seriously?”
“Yeah,” he said, heat rising to his ears. “I couldn’t get you some cheap junk.”
“Holy cow.”
Derek shook his head, his mind spinning. “Is this real? I can’t believe you’re in love with me.”
“Then maybe this will convince you.” Nara wrapped her arms around him again and this time her kiss was backed with passion. He could barely stand it as the kiss took his breath away.
For years he’d dreamed of Nara falling in love with him. She was his unspoken desire every day. His first thought in the morning and his last at night. He could only dream that she would return to Los Angeles so he could spend time with her and hope that she would see him as something other than the stuffy man he knew she saw.
When Richard came up with the insane plan of forcing her to marry Derek, he balked. He never thought that would work. But Richard was so set on it, he had to go along, especially when Nara finally caved and said she would.
He had hoped something would come of it, but never in his dreams imagined she would fall in love with him in one week.
He had finally gotten exactly what he wanted. And he was never going to let her go.
Epilogue
Nara snuggled into Derek’s side as he used the remote to turn on the television. Although, she suspected there wouldn’t be a lot of TV watching going on. It had only been a week since she moved back into Derek’s house and they’d officially become a true married couple, but she still felt like they were on their honeymoon.
“What do you want to watch?” he asked, looking at her.
“You.”
He chuckled. “No, really?”
“I’m kind of serious. You’re my hero, you know that?”
One eyebrow raised. “How?”
“You found that amazing lawyer, for one.”
“The one that said he could prove those designs were yours?”
She reached up and put her arms around his neck. “Yep. That’s the guy.”
“What else?” he said, clearly enjoying this.
“You’re my supplier.”
He laughed. “Diet Coke, or strawberry syrup?”
“Both,” she said, kissing his nose.
“Is that it?”
“Nope.” She pulled Larry the unicorn onto her lap. “You won me this amazing stuffed animal.”
“Won?”
“Let’s not quibble over words. He’s adorable, and he smells like you.”
Derek gave up and set the remote on the coffee table. He made a face. “Only because you spray my cologne on him.”
“I like it that way.”
He leaned over and kissed her. “Is that all?”
“Man, are you fishing for compliments or what?” She poked him in the side and he grabbed her wrist.
“You’re the one who started it.”
An overwhelming feeling of joy enveloped her, and she smiled. This is how life should be. Just sitting on the couch with the person you love, having playful conversations. She was so content, she couldn’t imagine anything else in life that she would want. “That’s because you really are my hero.”
His phone chimed and he pulled it out of his pocket. He looked at the screen. “Oh, I’d better take this call.”
“Who is it?”
“The studio.”
Nara sucked in a breath and mimed clapping her hands silently. She’d bugged him until he caved and took a portfolio of his work into a local art studio. She crossed her fingers as he took the call.
“Hello?” Derek sat not moving a muscle.
She could hear a woman’s voice on the other end of the line, but couldn’t hear what she had to say. Derek nodded a couple of times. “Yes.”
He paused. Then he said, “Okay, thanks,” and hung up.
Nara waited for him to say something, but he just put his phone away. She shoved his shoulder. “What did they say?”
“They would like me to bring in some prints.”
“Ha!” Nara yelled, doing a fist pump. “I knew they’d love your work.”
He kissed the top of her head. “You were right.”
“I’m always right. Just remember that. It will do you well throughout this marriage.” She looked down at the diamond ring. The one she thought was fake. Even back then, Derek was trying to tell her he loved her. How did she not see it?
Everything he did, from showing up at the airport with her favorite beverage, to choosing Grand Cayman as their honeymoon spot just showed how much he loved her. Her heart warmed thinking of it. He was such a good man. She was so glad he finally came forward.
Her life was finally going in a good direction. Her father’s surgery had gone well. They were able to get all of the cancer out. As a precautionary measure, they did do one round of chemotherapy but now that was almost done. He was doing well, and their relationship was better than it had ever been.
Derek put his arms around her. “I’m so glad we didn’t have to get a divorce.”
“Me too.” She gave him a quick kiss. “But I do think I deserve a renewing of the vows ceremony.”
He smirked. “What, you mean to tell me you didn’t have your dream wedding?”
She flicked her finger on his forehead. “I want a white dress and flowers.”
He rubbed where she’d flicked him. “Fine. White dress. Flowers. Got it. Should we go back to Accelerated Marriage Chapel?” He gave her a teasing half-grin.
“Yes, let’s do.” She laughed at his confused expression. “I think it would be fun to commemorate that experience.”
“Are you serious?”
“Sure. But maybe this time we’ll buy the expensive package.”
He laughed. “It was only twenty dollars more.”
She giggled and then pulled him down for another kiss. This one was much more thorough. She was so happy she’d finally gave in to her father and married the Emperor. He made her heart complete.
Thank you for reading A Marriage of Anything But Convenience. I hope you enjoyed the story. If you like it, I would encourage you to leave a review. I appreciate each and every one of them!
Here’s a sneak peek at my next book, A Case of Extreme Mistaken Identity.
Megara Jordan is stranded, penniless in the Cayman Islands. Being the daughter of a famous actor, she’s never had to work a day in her life. Until now. Too bad she has no idea how to clean toilets or wash laundry. And to make things worse, the handsome maintenance man keeps showing up, distracting her from her real goal – getting the money she needs to get home.
Austin Scott, the famous football player from the Los Angeles Demons, is recovering from a severe knee injury. He’s also hiding from his crazy ex-girlfriend who won’t leave him alone. When Megara mistakes him for a maintenance man, it’s refreshing.
So he lies and keeps up the pretense.
But soon sparks fly between them and he begins to feel more and more guilty about deceiving her. As their relationship grows, and he finds out how many times she’s been hurt by people who have lied to her, he is put in a difficult position. How will he ever be able to come clean?
A Case of Extreme Mistaken Identity
Chapter 1
A tune played, and somewhere in the back of Meg’s mind, she recognized it. It was a song she liked. Wait. It was her ringtone.
Her phone was ringing, and she needed to answer it. She rolled over and regretted it when her head felt like it split open. Ouch. What had happened last night? She hadn’t had anything other than soda to drink, had she? She wracked her brain, trying to remember.
She’d been out with Victoria and Steph. They’d had some fun, but she hadn’t had alcohol. Right? Because she knew better. Alcohol and she didn’t mix well. And she definitely didn’t need another fiasco like last time.
The tune stopped. Had she not found her phone yet? Maybe it would help if she opened her eyes. She squinted in the morning light. Then she blinked. Then panic hit.
This wasn’t her room.
Where was she? She wildly scanned the place, looking for a clue as to where she was. It looked like a hotel room. A really nice hotel room. Had she gone somewhere last night?
Then recognition dawned on her, and she moaned. Yes. Victoria had convinced her they needed a girl's night out. In Grand Cayman. She’d taken her father’s jet to the Cayman Islands and booked a room at her favorite resort, the Billionaire Club.
But where had Victoria and Steph gone? Her phone rang again, and this time she spotted it on the desk across the room amid a mess of cosmetics. She stood and instantly regretted the decision when lightning zapped around in her head.
The music kept going, and she knew she had to answer. She staggered across the room and picked up her phone in the pink, diamond-studded case. Why was her makeup all over the desk? It looked like a child had come in and played with it, ruining everything.
Angry, she looked at who was calling. It was her father’s assistant, Shelby.
Seriously? She wanted to throw the phone, but it would only keep ringing, so she slid the bar and answered. “Hello?”
“What kind of drugs did you do last night?” Her words came out clipped, like always.
Meg loathed everything about Shelby, and this didn’t help at all. “I didn’t do drugs last night. All I had was a Dr. Pepper.”
“Then maybe you can explain why I’m watching a video of you making a fool of yourself.”
Shelby’s words sent terror ripping through Meg. “What?”
“You haven’t seen it? Heavens, girl, what is wrong with you?”
Meg might have been offended at that question if she’d been paying any attention, but she barely heard it. Her throat constricted, and she couldn’t get any air in her lungs. She hung up the phone, too distraught to deal with Shelby. And that’s when she caught her reflection in the mirror.
She gasped and clutched at her throat. Lipstick covered her mouth like a mad clown, a long line of it stretching out to the side, making her look like a serial killer. The rest of her face was a mess of mascara, eyeshadow, and blush, but not always in the right places. What the heck had happened last night?
Meg ran to the bathroom, suddenly sick to her stomach. After retching and tossing up everything she’d eaten in the last week, she sat on the bathroom floor and put her head in her hands. Shelby had said there was a video.
How could that be? She swore she hadn’t taken anything. Even when Victoria had insisted, Meg had refused any alcohol. Right? Or had they worn her down? A deep foreboding filled her as she grabbed her phone and searched her name.
And that’s when she saw it. The thirty-minute video Victoria and Steph had taped of her obviously on something. They were giggling and encouraging her to make a tutorial about putting on makeup.
Meg grew sick and threw up again. They must have convinced her to take something. How? She was so adamant she was never going to do that again. How could they have done this to her? She’d trusted them.
She couldn’t breathe. This was so much worse than last time. Thirty minutes of her embarrassing herself, and it already had over a million views. Her friends did this to her. Friends? Yeah, right. She’d been so naive. They weren’t her friends at all.
Shaking, Meg forced herself up and rummaged through her things until she found her makeup remover. I
t took fifteen minutes to get the junk off, and another half hour to shower and make herself look half-way decent.
Fear shot through her as she packed her things. What would happen when she left the room? Would anyone recognize her?
She’d dealt with the paparazzi her whole life, being the daughter of Samuel Jordan, the famous actor. They were always lurking around the corner, ready to jump out and snap a photo of her. But she’d never had any problems at the Billionaire Club. It was hidden away on Grand Cayman, and exclusive enough that the paparazzi couldn’t get in. And most of the clientele here didn’t want to be bothered, so the likelihood of anyone approaching her was slim.
But eventually, she would have to go out into public.
Her phone rang again, this time with her father’s ringtone. Oh, crap. He only called when he was furious. She tossed the last of her things into her suitcase and zipped it shut. Then she answered her phone.
“Daddy?”
“What happened last night? How could you have done this again, Meg? I thought you’d learned your lesson. Where are you?”
Tears stung her eyes as she tried to blink them back. Why was it always her fault? Didn’t it even cross his mind that maybe someone had done this to her? Manipulated her until they got what they wanted? “It was Victoria,” she said, lamely trying to explain what happened.
“Where are you?” he repeated. He didn’t even care what happened. All he wanted to do was call and yell.
“Grand Cayman.”
He swore, and she flinched. “This is unacceptable, Megara.”
Oh, no. He was wielding her full name. So not good. “I’m sorry,” she said, resorting to begging him for mercy. “It won’t happen again.” She knew it wouldn’t because she was never going to trust anyone again.
A Marriage of Anything but Convenience Page 18