Momentary Marriage

by Carol Rose

  Amy sent him a puzzled look, but got up and followed him around to the chair he indicated, a seat away from Kelsey. Doug sat in the chair between them.

  “So,” he said, turning to Kelsey and lowering his voice. “I thought you said I didn’t know your date for tonight.”

  “Oh.” She’d forgotten that. Thinking fast, Kelsey said, “I meant you didn’t know about him, that we're going out.”

  Doug shot his boss a dark glance. “No, I didn't know.”

  Next to her, Jared continued chatting with several others at the table. If he’d heard her lie, he gave no indication.

  “I wish you’d told me you were dating him,” Doug said, his gaze both worried and proprietary. “I thought you said your date was with someone I didn’t know. Jared can be a tough character. You could get hurt.”

  “Don’t worry about me,” she said, patting his hand. “I can take care of myself. You just have a good time with Amy tonight.”

  Doug glanced over at her sister as if he’d forgotten she was there. “Oh. Of course.”

  Jared caught her eye, his expression full of sardonic comprehension mixed with an irritating tinge of humor. She glanced away, annoyed with herself for caring what he thought.

  The waiters began moving between the tables, placing dinners before all the guests. Kelsey did her best to talk with everyone at the table, taking trouble to draw Amy in several times. Beside her, Doug seemed preoccupied. Throughout dinner, he only spoke twice to Amy, Kelsey noticed with a sinking heart.

  When the lights went down and the awards part of the evening began, Doug leaned over to Kelsey and whispered, “You look fantastic tonight. Is that a new dress?”

  “No,” Kelsey said briefly, wanting to wring his neck. He’d always been attentive to her, but tonight by ignoring everyone else, including his own date, he was crossing over into rudeness.

  Doug wasn’t generally inconsiderate. He was, in fact, one of the nicest people she knew. When his friends were in trouble, he jumped to help them out.

  It was just her. She had a deplorable influence on him.

  Tonight, he was acting like a dog whose bone had been stolen. And it was her fault because all these years, she’d relied on him like a worn house coat. Naturally, he’d gotten the impression that eventually she’d give up catting around and decide to come home to him permanently.

  The evening seemed to stretch out, Kelsey’s morose thoughts keeping her company. The awards that Jared’s campaign was up for came and went, rival agencies winning. Kelsey couldn’t keep from glancing at Amy frequently, knowing how Doug’s behavior must hurt.

  Her sister’s expression was baleful the one time their eyes met. Kelsey couldn’t blame Amy if she wanted to wring her neck.

  At various times during the lengthy presentation, several people excused themselves from the table. Kelsey watched Amy leave for the ladies room, her normally vivacious face clouded.

  As soon as she could slip away, Kelsey followed her sister, a sense of foreboding gripping her as she thought of Amy’s increasing silence.

  ***

  “I didn’t know you and Kelsey were dating,” Doug said, his lowered voice abrupt.

  Watching Kelsey leave, making her way through the banquet tables, Jared said, “Didn’t you?”

  “No.” Doug fiddled with an unused fork that hadn’t been removed by the waiters. “I’ve known Kelsey and Amy a long time.”

  “Yes,” Jared responded, waiting. He valued Doug as an employee and a friend, but couldn’t see their friendship as a bar to pursuing Kelsey. She and Doug were so obviously wrong for each other.

  “They had a rough time of it as kids,” Doug said, hesitating as if unsure what to say next.

  “Yes.”

  He left off fidgeting with the fork, saying bluntly, “Kelsey’s a good friend of mine. I’d hate to see her get hurt.”

  “So would I,” Jared told him, meeting his challenging gaze squarely. “Hurting her is the last thing I have in mind.”

  “She dates…a lot,” Doug said with obvious difficulty. “But she’s really…not like that. She’s a sweet, wonderful girl.”

  Jared had to smile at the other man’s understatement. From what he’d seen, Kelsey had made dating into an art form, a game in and of itself. A form of self-protection, he suspected. While she flitted from man to man, she never let any guy close enough to hurt her.

  “I think she’s sweet, too,” Jared said sincerely. He liked and respected Doug Morton, and he knew the guy had it bad for Kelsey, mooning over her like a sixth grader. Maybe that fact should have given Jared pause, but it didn’t.

  The way he saw it, Kelsey was too complicated for Doug. Besides, if anything was going to happen between them, it would have popped years ago.

  Doug sat back in his chair, as if he didn’t know what else to say. Appreciating his dilemma, Jared made no further comment. He knew his own agenda.

  Kelsey’s defenses precluded the straight-forward dating approach, but Jared knew he excelled in brokering the tough sell. One way or the other, he’d find a way to get her on his own terms.

  ***

  Pushing open the restroom door, Kelsey scanned the outer vanity area and not finding her sister there, went into the echoing tiled room.

  “Amy?” Kelsey bent and searched the feet under the stall doors. “Sis, are you in here?”

  “Go away,” Amy’s voice quavered from a stall on the left.

  “Oh, sweetie,” Kelsey said, her heart contracting with sympathy at the forlorn sound. “Don’t be upset.”

  “I-I have every right to be upset,” Amy wailed, her words trailing off into hiccupping sobs.

  Kelsey stood by the stall door, leaning her head against the cold surface. “Please don’t cry. Come out and we’ll talk about it.”

  “There’s nothing to talk about,” Amy declared in a voice heavy with tearful loathing. “He loves you! Not me.”

  The sound of flushing came from the stall next to where Kelsey stood, followed shortly by the opening of the door. A woman in pink silk who Kelsey didn’t recognize came out, sending her a sympathetic smile as she turned toward the sinks.

  “Come out and talk to me, Amy,” Kelsey begged.

  She heard her sister blow her nose and then felt the door against which she leaned, move inward.

  “Oh, sweetie,” Kelsey crooned, taking her sister into her arms. “It’ll be fine. We’ll make it okay.”

  Amy stood passively, not responding to her hug. “It won’t be fine. I’m not like you!”

  Startled, Kelsey fell back, looking into her sister’s woebegone face. “What do you mean?”

  Amy lifted an untidy wad of toilet paper to wipe her wet cheeks, turning away from the stall area. “I mean I not a dating machine. Keep it light and breezy and never really care about any of them. I love Doug!”

  “And I don’t care about anyone?” Kelsey questioned, unable to keep the hurt out of her voice.

  “You don’t ever let yourself get really involved,” Amy replied as she stood in front of the mirror trying to repair the ravages to her face.

  “I get involved,” Kelsey insisted, feeling insulted at the image her sister presented. “Sometimes.”

  Tossing the damp ball of toilet tissue into the trash, Amy yanked a paper towel from the holder and held it under a stream of water. “Please. You admitted it yourself. You date like a fifties prom queen—a different guy every month. I’m surprised you’re here with Jared tonight after what you said about him demanding a lot from a woman. You avoid commitment of any sort. Never serious, never long term. I don’t blame you. I understand you don’t want to get hurt if things don’t work out.”

  Leaning back against the cold tiled wall, Kelsey didn’t bother hiding the grimness in her voice. “Well, you remember that old saying about the apple not falling far from the tree.”

  “No,” Amy disagreed, swinging around to look at her. “Mom always gets involved. She falls into infatuation and thinks it’s true love and
marries the guy before she even gets to know him. You, on the other hand, never keep them around long enough to get anywhere. Certainly not long enough to start caring about them.”

  “That’s not totally true!” Kelsey argued indignantly. “You make me sound like some sort of sleaze with a string of one-night stands!”

  Still patting her face with the paper towel, Amy’s glance was searching. “I’m not saying that. I know you don’t sleep with them. At least, not many of them—“

  “Thanks!” Kelsey huffed.

  “—you just go out with different men and have fun. You never let yourself close enough to get hurt. Never let yourself really fall in love. You’ve never made a secret of that. But that’s what I mean. I’m not like that. I love Doug.”

  Kelsey looked at her younger sister, overwhelmed with guilt. How had she let this happen?

  “I know he’s blind and stupid and insensitive,” Amy declared, tossing the towel in the trash. “But he’s also smart and sweet and really committed, when he makes up his mind.”

  “Unfortunately,” Kelsey sighed.

  “I’ve known him since I was thirteen,” Amy said, tears welling up in her eyes again. “I know his faults, but I also know all the wonderful things about him.”

  Reaching out, Kelsey drew her sister close, hugging her tightly. “It’ll be all right, little sister. I’ll make it all right.”

  ***

  Under the cover of the lowered lights in the ballroom, they made their way back to the table. Kelsey slipped into her seat, ignoring Jared’s searching look.

  Somehow, she had to get through to Doug that his interest in her was hopeless. Only then was he likely to realize how wonderful Amy would be for him.

  Her face turned toward the podium at the front of the large room, she schooled her features to look attentive, but all she could think about was how to fix the problem. She had to talk to Doug. Had to make him see that they had no romantic future.

  Aware that Doug, sitting next to her, was trying to engage her attention, Kelsey tried to focus on the screen where the television commercials up for awards were played. At some point, Jared excused himself.

  Within seconds, Doug leaned over, taking her hand in his. “Don’t be angry with me for what I said about you and Jared. I just don’t want to see you get hurt.”

  “I know,” she whispered with as much patience as she could muster, drawing her hand away. “But you have to think about Amy's feelings.”

  “Amy?” he said blankly.

  “Yes,” Kelsey hissed as quietly as she could. “Remember her?”

  He looked over at her sister as if he’d forgotten her existence.

  Kelsey looked away, resisting the urge to give Doug a whomp upside the head. Men were so dense. Somehow she'd convince Doug that his hopes were in vain. He had to get over this infatuation.

  “Kelsey,” Doug said, leaning toward her yet again. “Maybe we can go to that gallery tomorrow evening.”

  Kelsey had had enough.

  “Doug,” she muttered back, trying to keep her voice low. “Please try to remember that you have a date for the evening. It might be nice if you acted like you were with her.”

  He blinked at her, uncomprehending. On the other side of him, Amy sat unresponsively staring ahead, but Kelsey knew she was drinking in every millisecond of their conversation.

  Kelsey turned away, frustrated.

  She could only be relieved, a few minutes later, when the lights came up and the evening’s band began to play while people made their way to the small dance floor.

  Instantly, Doug stood up. “Would you like to dance, Kels?”

  “I don’t think so,” Jared said, appearing next to her, his hand on Kelsey’s shoulder. “We're making an early evening of it.”

  Doug stood next to her chair, his eyes locked fiercely with his boss’. Never had Kelsey felt more bone-like.

  After a moment, he looked away, his innate discretion winning out over whatever urges warred within him. “I’ll call you tomorrow, Kelsey.”

  “Good night,” she said faintly, standing up to go. “Good night, Sis.”

  Jared led her away from the table, her hand locked safely in his. They wended their way through the crowded room, stopping several times to greet people. Kelsey had been with the agency long enough to have developed a reputation and made contacts in the community.

  When they finally made it to the ballroom door, having said their last goodbyes and air-kissed the last acquaintance, Kelsey’s hand was still tucked in Jared’s. It felt surprisingly good, being held onto so securely when she felt shaken by the evening’s debacle. The confrontation with Doug troubled her almost as much as Amy’s statements about her in the restroom. Was she really emotionally detached and uncaring? Was falling for a lot of unrealistic, hurtful romantic hooey the only way to be a caring person?

  Still, with Jared's solid, masculine presence shepherding her, she could understand how women succumbed to the fantasy of believing one single man would always be there.

  “This way.” Jared tugged her away from the hotel entrance.

  “Where?”

  He punched the button for one of the elevators.

  “Where are we going?” she asked, intrigued.

  “Up.”

  The elevator door opened and Jared swept her inside. “You got cheated out of a dance. Elevators always have music.”

  Kelsey started laughing as he pulled her into his arms. “You know, they have places people go specifically to dance.”

  “Ah, but none so…private. And we have an affinity for elevators, the two of us.”

  His voice was a low, velvet rumble, the heat of his body surrounding her. Kelsey’s voice vanished. He smelled so wonderful, felt so solid and right.

  His hand was sure at her back, guiding her steps inside the tiny space. The music, soft and almost nondescript, faded as the drumbeat of her heart sounded in her ears.

  Who would’ve thought a man with the knack of annoying her could trigger so many other, much more pleasant responses?

  She felt the imprint of each of his fingers, splayed across skin, the thin material of her dress the only barrier between them. Surrendering to an urge, Kelsey closed her eyes. He was strong and sexy as sin. She could understand now how infatuation made people think they’d found the end of the rainbow. Falling in love felt good even if it was a delusional experience.

  But falling in love with Jared would be a bad, bad thing, she reminded herself. He was too complicated, too irritating, too much…everything.

  The texture of his dinner jacket was soft beneath her hand, cuddled against his shoulder. She wanted to curl into him like a kitten, to snuggle against him, to seek his mouth with her own.

  Being held so close, her body effortlessly following his movements, made her want to throw caution to the winds. Made her want to forget the realities of love and its inevitable demise.

  At one point, the elevator stopped on a floor, the door opening in front of a startled elderly couple.

  “Sorry, this car’s taken,” Jared said pleasantly, still dancing to the music.

  The door closed on the couple’s garbled apologies.

  Kelsey laughed softly into his shoulder, leaning her forehead against him. “You are crazy.”

  “Mmmm.” His arms tightened around her.

  After a few more minutes, the elevator returned to the lobby and Jared led her out.

  “Thank you,” she said past the lump of some unnamed emotion in her throat. “That was different…but lovely.”

  “You’re welcome.” He smiled.

  They stood out in the warmth of the busy street, waiting for the limo. Kelsey couldn’t find the words to chat lightheartedly. The evening had left her with too much to think about.

  In the limo, she sat on her side of the car, her gaze fastened on Jared’s hands where they rested on his knees. He had strong hands, well-shaped and skilled, she was sure.

  The thrum that had started in the office eleva
tor days ago, buzzed louder between them now. Despite the fact that she’d dated her share of guys, Kelsey didn’t view sex as a natural conclusion to every social evening. Even if her sister did think she was a heartless, dating machine.

  But tonight, she wanted a man like never before. Jared. That was the only coherent thought she could form. It was a lousy thought, fraught with poor logic. But it was all she had.

  The limousine pulled up in front of her building and Jared helped her out. He walked with her into her lobby—without telling the driver anything, she noticed.

  Of course, limos have phones in them. He could always call the driver from her place. Have the car come pick him up in the morning—if he intended to try and spend the night.

  Kelsey wasn’t quite sure of her feelings on the subject of his staying over. Certainly, he drew her, but just as certainly Jared ran deeper than the in which waters she usually swam.

  They rode up this elevator in silence, not touching. Kelsey felt her heart beating against her breast bone.

  The elevator opened at her floor and Jared walked with her down the hall. She fished her keys out of her purse and unlocked the locks.

  Turning back to face him, Kelsey held her breath.

  Jared stood close, his dark gaze serious on her face. “Thank you…for a lovely evening.”

  She swallowed, fighting against the urge to wet her lips.

  Jared lifted his hand, the tips of his fingers grazing a line along her jaw. “Good night, Kelsey.”

  To her shock, he turned and walked away.

  She stood, amazed and stunned, watching him. Feeling cheated and bewildered. Twice now, he’d done this to her, brought her to the brink of a kiss, curiosity and desire running high. Twice now, he’d walked away.

  She should feel grateful, she knew, but all Kelsey wanted to do was kick something. Preferably Jared Barrett.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Kelsey knew she had a big problem. She stared blearily at the ceiling, her radio alarm going off for the sixth time. Resisting the urge to slap the snooze button again, she still couldn’t make herself get up.