by Sandra Brown
Mrs. Gibbons, the seamstress who had been commissioned to provide Lauren with a complete wardrobe in an impossible amount of time, reflected the general shock and thrill that Texas’s most eligible bachelor, Jared Lockett, had finally been snared.
Lauren was amazed at the quantity and quality of clothes being made for her. There were skirts and shirtwaists of the finest fabrics. All of the blouses were trimmed in delicate, weblike lace. Dresses for daytime and evening, cloaks, coats, hats, gloves were strewn around her room in varying stages of completion. Mrs. Gibbons worked around Lauren like a sculptor around a masterpiece, measuring, twisting, pulling, turning, lifting, pinching, all the time murmuring to herself in appreciation of her subject. She made undergarments of the finest linen trimmed with blue satin ribbons and fine lace.
Lauren stood with flushed cheeks as Mrs. Gibbons deftly pinned a new chemise onto her. “They are very… sheer, aren’t they?” Lauren asked shyly, glancing down at her breasts so clearly revealed through the fabric.
Mrs. Gibbons chuckled softly. “Mr. Lockett will love these underthings, but he’ll be impatient to see you out of them, too. You have a beautiful body, Lauren. After he sees you without your clothes, he may never let you dress again!”
Lauren was appalled at such a thought. She was still alarmed over her reaction to Jared’s kiss. Though she had fought William with all her strength, she hadn’t resisted Jared, at least not strenuously. Of course, one couldn’t compare the two men. William was repulsive, while Jared was handsome and virile, and his eyes…
No! She wasn’t going to think about him. He obviously didn’t think of her. Where before he had stared at her relentlessly, now he studiously ignored her. Of the two, Lauren couldn’t have said which disturbed her most.
* * *
To Olivia’s credit, everything was completed in time. Lauren’s new wardrobe hung in her closet except for the clothes Elena had packed for her to take to Keypoint.
Rosa and several extra helpers had been cooking and baking for days in preparation for the “small reception.” The house was bedecked with flowers and potted ferns. How Olivia had managed to have them transported from Austin without their wilting would remain a mystery to the bride.
She watched the dawn of her wedding day from the upstairs window where only weeks before she had watched Ben Lockett’s funeral cortège commence.
“Are you pleased, Ben?” Lauren asked in a whisper just as the sun broke over the horizon. She tried to convince herself that the timely sunrise was a good omen.
Elena arrived with a breakfast tray. Anticipation glowed in her liquid eyes and she chattered cheerfully. When Lauren had eaten all her nervous stomach would tolerate, she bathed leisurely and Elena began helping her dress.
Lauren’s wedding gown spurned tradition and was beautiful in its uniqueness. Ecru lace was lined with a silk slip of the same color. The leg-of-mutton sleeves and the bodice, to the top curve of her breasts, were left unlined. The collar stood high and flared slightly at her jaw. One deep flounce accented the bottom of the slim skirt and barely brushed the vamp of her bone kid slippers. She pinned a nosegay of deep purple violets at her waist. Her brooch watch was invisibly secured to her petticoat.
Her hair was pulled up in its usual pompadour, but Elena insisted on curling a few loose tendrils to hang around her face and on her neck. Lauren looked back at the girl in the mirror and wondered if that vision in the costly gown, with the pale face and cautious eyes, could really be she.
Elena stared at her idol with reverence. “Señorita Lauren, you are beautiful,” she whispered. “Like the Blessed Virgin Mary.” Shyly she kissed Lauren on the cheek, her huge eyes filled with tears.
“Thank you, Elena. I wish you could be there during the ceremony. You’re my best friend.”
“I would like that, but…” Elena gave a characteristic shrug. Then she giggled and said mischievously, “I would rather be a witness to the wedding night and see if all the stories about Señor Jared are true. They say he is as big as a stallion. You are very lucky, no?” Still giggling, she pushed Lauren toward the stairs. The bride’s face had whitened significantly.
It was prearranged that Carson would escort her down the aisle. As she met him at the foot of the grand staircase, Lauren was terrified that her knees wouldn’t be able to support her much longer. Carson spoke to her softly, smiled, patted her arm reassuringly, and led her toward the formal parlor.
They stood under the portiere while the fifty or more guests who had been whispering animatedly suddenly ceased all conversation. The organ, borrowed for the afternoon from the Methodist church, filled the room with soft, slightly wheezing strains.
This was the first time anyone except Parker and Kurt Vandiver had seen the mysterious Miss Holbrook, and all were instantly captivated by her breathtaking beauty. It was easy to see how she had lassoed the mustang heart of Jared Lockett.
Had the groom not had years of experience in keeping the rigid muscles of his face from showing any emotion, he might very well have gasped in pleasure at the sight of his bride. He was adamantly against this farce of a marriage, but how could any red-blooded man remain indifferent to the woman who would soon bear his name?
Dammit, under different circumstances he might even… That kind of thinking won’t do, ol’ boy, he cautioned himself. However, it didn’t hurt to look, did it? Isn’t that what bridegrooms were supposed to do? The woman walking toward him on Carson’s arm was exquisite. She was like, like… what?… whom? No one he’d ever seen.
He studied her as she moved closer, her gray eyes chastely downcast. Quite different from a few days ago, when she had slapped him. Then her eyes had been a dark blue-gray, like the most ominous of storm clouds that gathered over the plains. And they had been just as threatening, just as exciting, just as electric.
Lauren’s slim figure was accentuated by the perfectly fitted gown. Her full bust was noticeably defined above the narrow waist encircled by the high cummerbund. Jared imagined he saw faint shadows where the crowns of those high, proud breasts would be, but told himself it was a foolish fantasy and clenched his fingers, which longed to touch those shadows. Swallowing hard, he dragged his gaze away from her chest to her face.
She raised her eyes, and the fear in them was evident. Had he been the devil incarnate, she could not have looked more apprehensive. Why did he feel a sudden urge to reassure her?
Carson delivered Lauren to Jared, and she graced the older man with a timid smile before he left her and took a seat next to Olivia on the front row of chairs temporarily set up for the ceremony.
Jared extended his arm and Lauren slipped her hand through the crook of his elbow as they faced the judge. Jared hadn’t planned to, and Lauren certainly hadn’t expected it, but his opposite hand closed over hers. The warm strength of his flesh contrasted with the cold fragility of hers. Her fingers were firmly pressed against the fabric of his sleeve. She risked looking at him through her lashes, keeping her eyes lowered. Her heart turned over when she met glowing amber eyes filled with an emotion she had never seen in them before. Was it understanding? Approval? Even admiration? She could almost imagine that his lips softened into the semblance of a smile. She wanted to continue looking at this transformed Jared, but the judge was speaking. Reluctantly she freed her eyes from her bridegroom’s possession.
The ceremony was brief and to the point, not like any of the weddings Lauren had attended. She felt a twinge of disappointment. In the ceremonies he performed, Abel had talked about the sanctity of marriage and God’s blessing on the institution, about Jesus performing his first public miracle during the celebration of a wedding feast. Of course, this was the service for a civil ceremony. Yet when the judge said, “I now pronounce you man and wife,” the words rang hollow and held no meaning for her.
Judge Andrews beamed his congratulations on the attractive couple in front of him.
“You may kiss your bride, Jared.” He smiled.
Jared arranged his feature
s into a detached expression. He prepared to face Lauren perfunctorily, to place his hands on her shoulders, and to kiss her coolly on the cheek. His plan went awry. His composure slipped when his eyes riveted on her pink, trembling mouth.
He remembered that other kiss. The kiss that had shaken him to the core. The kiss that had been earthshattering in its violence and enlightenment. The kiss whose impact on him had not yet been diminished.
The recollection that came unbidden to his mind brought with it both intolerable pain and immense pleasure. A now-familiar heat radiated from the center of his body to its every extremity. He longed to taste those lips again and either quench the fire in his veins or increase it to a pitch where he could not be held accountable for seeking its source and extinguishing it. He called upon every particle of self-restraint when he drew her to him and woodenly placed his lips against those that promised such sweetness.
He was rescued from further torment when Olivia and Carson and their friends, who were eager to meet Lauren, surrounded him with hearty congratulations. He surprised himself by possessively tucking Lauren’s hand under his arm.
For the rest of the afternoon, the Locketts entertained their guests with an abundance of food and drink. Only a month ago, many of these guests had been here to pay their respects to Ben Lockett, who had lain in state in this very room. All gloom was now dispelled. A festive mood prevailed.
Carson made a flowery wedding toast, and glasses of champagne were lifted in salute. As Lauren raised her glass to her lips, her eyes met Jared’s over the crystal rim. The lights in his eyes shone with golden effervescence and were much more intoxicating than the wine. Her sip was more frugal and daintier than his, but when she would have lowered her glass, he reached out and tipped it again to her mouth. The champagne trickled down her throat and heightened the fluttering in her stomach. They say he is as big as a stallion! The exact meaning of Elena’s words escaped Lauren. All she knew was that as she looked at Jared, thoughts of his physique shocked and thrilled her.
Just as he was lowering his glass, someone jostled his elbow and champagne dribbled down his chin and onto his lapel.
“Oh!” Lauren exclaimed, then couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled out of her throat.
“You think it’s funny, do you? Having a soggy bridegroom?” He was smiling, too, as he set down his glass and shook off his wet hand.
Acting instinctively, Lauren whisked away the droplets on his lapel. Obeying a subconscious command, her fingers settled under his chin and her thumb gently removed the drops of wine from beneath his lips. “There, that’s better,” she said, smiling, and raised her eyes to his. She recoiled from the bitterness she read there.
Jared’s body had betrayed him. At the moment her fingers made contact with his face, he felt himself swell and harden with arousal. He had begun to think that her innocence was real. Hell. No woman could touch a man, look at a man the way she did and not know exactly what she was doing. Ben should have been smarter than to fall for her act. Jared was determined not to fall for it himself.
“Jared…?” she asked waveringly.
“We’d better mingle with our guests, Mrs. Lockett,” he said curtly as he gripped her elbow and guided her toward a group of well-wishers.
Lauren’s heart sank. Just when she thought she was making headway, Jared’s true feelings for her surfaced. How could they possibly survive the next two years? Inwardly she sighed. It was too late now to dwell on that. She would have to cope with the future later.
Today she could concentrate on nothing except the man beside her. His charisma made him almost impossible to ignore. Indeed, Jared looked exceptionally handsome in his black suit and white shirt. His eyes sparkled with amber lights and brilliant teeth flashed a dazzling smile on his tanned face. He won the confidence of everyone present. He charmed the women shamelessly as their approving husbands looked on. He drank only the two traditional glasses of champagne, and used affectionate terms and gestures when introducing Lauren to people whom he had known all his life, accepting with aplomb their jibes on his cunning in finding such a delightful bride.
There was a noticeable pause in his effusiveness when the Vandivers came over to express their congratulations. Lauren saw a tightening around Jared’s mouth and felt his body, ever near hers, grow tense. He was coolly polite, but his voice lacked conviction when he thanked them for attending the wedding.
“You sure pulled a fast one, Jared.” Parker patted him on the shoulder and Lauren detected the tension under the black broadcloth. “We had no idea that you and Lauren were planning to marry.”
Jared met Parker’s piercing stare without flinching. “I’m afraid you caught us in the midst of a tiff. She thought it was improper to have the wedding so soon after my father’s death. Fortunately, I was able to talk her out of her scruples.”
He put a possessive arm around Lauren’s shoulders and looked deeply into her eyes as he pulled her closer to him. He was playing his part well, she thought. This proximity to his body and that probing gaze made breathing difficult for her.
“Mrs. Lockett, may I wish you much happiness.” Kurt looked at Jared with a challenge on his smug face. “I do have your permission to kiss the bride, don’t I?”
Without waiting for an answer, Kurt leaned toward her and pressed thick, hard lips against hers. She recoiled even as Jared’s fingers gripped her shoulder so hard that she almost cried out from the pressure.
Kurt smiled a slow, provoking smile and moved away.
Jared watched with a deadly glint in his eyes as Kurt sat down beside one of the local girls who was heartbroken over this sudden marriage. The ever-watchful eyes of Parker Vandiver saw the animosity on Jared’s face. He chuckled to himself and thought how stimulating the next few months would be. He relished dissension.
Jared was unaware that he still held Lauren in a deathlike grip until she shifted her weight uncomfortably. He withdrew his arm quickly and muttered under his breath, “No one can resist your charms, can they, Mrs. Lockett?” In the same undertone he warned her, “Smile, Lauren. You’re the radiant bride and don’t you forget it.”
One of the other guests came over then and Jared resumed his character of loving bridegroom with the ease of an experienced actor. Lauren’s head spun with the effects of the champagne and the emotional clamor of the past week. She longed to excuse herself and seek the cool serenity of her room. But, of course, that was out of the question.
Ben’s widow reigned over the reception with her customary regal bearing. She looked beautiful today, Lauren noted. The silver streaks in her dark hair caught the afternoon sunlight, and her smooth face was flushed with excitement. Lauren suspected that this was as close as Olivia could ever come to being happy. She wore a dress of sea-green georgette, and it floated around her tall, imposing figure like a mist.
Carson paid court to her in his pitiful, humble way. Lauren felt great tenderness and sorrow for this man. He had never shown her anything but kindness, obviously a rare sentiment in this house. He was pathetic in his devotion to Olivia, who either ignored, patronized, or berated him with equal aptitude.
Lauren’s glance around the crowded room chanced to fall on Kurt Vandiver. His blue eyes were penetrating under the white-blond brows, and she felt unnerved by his stare. Instinctively, and totally unaware that she did so, she moved closer to Jared, welcoming the protection his large physique intimated.
He looked down at her quickly, distracted by her touch from his conversation with one of the bank directors’ wives. He followed Lauren’s anguished gaze across the room to Vandiver, who was lounging against the wall. Impulsively Jared slid his arm around Lauren’s slender waist and rested his hand just under her breast.
The movement wasn’t lost on Kurt. Like a voyeur wandering through a bordello, he licked his lips lasciviously. Lauren shuddered, but didn’t know if she were reacting to the lewd expression on Kurt’s face or the warm pressure of Jared’s hand seemingly burning through the fabric of her dress.
Kurt winked at Jared, pushed away from the wall, and strolled through a door leading to the wide porch outside.
Jared and Lauren didn’t move. The banker’s wife gushed and simpered, totally unaware of the drama being played out beside her.
Lauren could smell the starch that kept Jared’s shirtfront crisp, which blended intoxicatingly with tobacco and champagne. When he spoke in confidential tones to the silly woman, Lauren could feel the vibration of his voice in his chest. The bank director’s wife moved away, and still Jared retained his possessive hold on her. His hand trembled slightly as his thumb moved upward and lightly stroked the side of her breast. Or did she only imagine it? Lauren thought she would die from the constriction in her chest that pounded up into her throat and sought release in a small moan.
Another guest walked toward them. Slowly, reluctantly, the strong fingers were withdrawn, leaving behind an imprint on Lauren’s skin as scorching as a brand.
* * *
The afternoon had waned into an indigo twilight. The guests were gone. Carson and Olivia sat together on one of the sofas. They were weary and relieved that, at last, the ordeal was over.
“Well, we pulled it off beautifully. Everyone was convinced that it was a marriage made in heaven. And word will get around,” Olivia gloated.
“We owe it all to Lauren,” Carson said generously. “You are a beautiful bride, my dear.”
“Yes. She’s the perfect little wife, all right.” Jared smirked at Lauren, who was helping Rosa load dishes onto a large tray. He tossed down a tumbler of whiskey.
Olivia coughed to cover a malicious smile that rose unbidden to her lips. Obviously her son disliked his wife. That could be most advantageous in the future. “You performed your part well, too, Jared,” she said. “Treat Lauren courteously in public, and no one will be the wiser.”