Arranged

by Jennifer Kittredge

“If you had told me this is where I’d be the day I met you, I would never have believed it.”

  “You weren’t expecting to fall for me, were you?”

  “No, I wasn’t. I’ll admit, I was attracted to you. I mean, who isn’t”—I raised my eyebrow at him—“but to be here with you, like this…never in a million years.”

  “I’m glad you’re here, like this, Sydney.”

  I believed him when I heard his words.

  “I know someone else who’s going to be happy you’re here.”

  “I’ve missed having him around the house.”

  “Maybe you’re using me to get to Bear.” I chuckled, giving him a quick wink.

  We spent half an hour gathering up all the things that I had unpacked earlier. I didn’t know if I was doing the right thing, but my heart told me I was. Bear was more than happy to jump in to Sam’s SUV as we loaded it up with my clothes.

  “Ready to go, Mrs. Andrews?”

  “Yes. I’m ready.”

  “Me too. Let’s get you home.”

  Fifteen minutes later, John was out front, ecstatic that Bear was home.

  “I missed you, buddy,” he said as Bear jumped up, placing his front paws on John’s shoulders. John nuzzled his face into Bears fur.

  “It’s good to see you too, Mrs. Andrews.”

  I shook my head, a bubble of laughter coming out of me. “Same to you, John. I’m not sure who’s happier, you or Bear.”

  “I think it might be a tie, Sydney.”

  “I would agree with you.”

  Sam led me immediately to the master bedroom. I heard him close the door behind us as I took another step into the room. I felt him approach me from behind. Leaning down, he kissed my bare shoulder.

  “I’ve missed you.”

  I tilted my head back, leaning it on his chest, letting his words sink in.

  He caressed my shoulder tenderly with his lips, trailing over my neck and up to the back of my ear. He turned me around so I faced him. Tenderly, he took my head in his hands, kissing my forehead, then the tip of my nose, before taking my mouth with his. Pulling back, he looked me directly in the eyes.

  “I love you, Mrs. Andrews.”

  “I love you too, Mr. Andrews.”

  “Tonight, I am going to make love to my very sexy, very independent, very stubborn wife.”

  “Ah, she sounds difficult.”

  “Actually, I think she’s quite amazing and tonight, I’m going to show her just how amazing I think she is.”

  With my head still in his hands, he drew me closer to him, his open mouth coming down on mine. Our tongues danced as one, our need rising, the desperation in each of us intensifying. It had only been three nights since we last made love, but it felt like an eternity.

  Sam lifted my shirt over my head, letting it drop to the floor as I worked the buttons of his shirt. Sliding it off him, I pressed my hands to his hard, chiseled chest, then trailed my fingers down his six pack to the waistband of his jeans. He unclasped the button of my jeans, slid the zipper down, and helped me shimmy out of them. I kicked off my heels so my jeans came off easily. Standing before him in my black lace thong and push-up bra to match, I watched him drink me in.

  “You are exquisite, Mrs. Andrews.” His voice resonated, full of unspoken emotions.

  My eyes narrowed as I watched him approach me like an animal stalking his prey. He circled me, stopping behind me to run his hands across my bottom. Cupping a cheek in each of his hands, he squeezed them before sliding his finger under the lace of my thong. I shuddered in anticipation. He moved back around in front of me, his fingers still behind me in my thong. With his other hand, he cupped my breast, pushing it up out of its holder, teasing my taut, rosy bud between his fingertips. My body was already on sensory overload. I’d missed his touch. The sensations he created within my body were like nothing I’d ever experienced before. He drew my bud into his mouth, sucking vigorously on the aroused peak. I instinctively arched my back, pushing my engorged breast further into his mouth. My hands were in his hair, pulling it gently as his tongue tormented me.

  “I missed you,” I whispered.

  “I missed you too, Mrs. Andrews.”

  I smiled. I loved how he called me Mrs. Andrews. There was something possessive about it that I liked. I let my hands wander down to the button on his jeans, undid his zipper, and moved my hand inside. I grabbed hold of his hard shaft, circling my thumb over the tip, spreading the moisture that had beaded on top of it. I was desperate to have him inside me, but at the same time, I didn’t want this to end too quickly. He walked me backward toward the bed, and I felt the mattress hit the back of my legs. He pushed me down gently, so I now sat eye level with his manhood. I undid the rest of his pants, moving them down with his boxers to expose him before me. My tongue licked the tip of his shaft as I worked him with my hand.

  “Sydney,” he called out, pushing his hips toward me, which only spurred me on. I plunged my mouth down his shaft, taking him all in, savoring the salty taste of his moisture. Not letting my mouth stay on him long, he lifted me up, crushing his mouth on mine. I fell back on the bed, not breaking our deep kiss. He removed my bra and panties quickly, his mouth back on mine in record time. Moving me up the bed, he adjusted himself between my legs. My hips moved up to meet him, wanting him to fill me. He dipped his head, resting it on me, lowering himself slowly deep inside me. His hands were in my hair, his eyes gazing into mine as he thrust deeper and deeper into me.

  “I love you, Sydney Andrews.”

  Tears welled up in my eyes. I know it wasn’t the right time to cry, but everything was absolutely right about that moment. The man I loved had professed his love for me while making sweet love to me. It was more than I could have imagined.

  “I love you too.”

  My eyes never left his as we both built towards a shared climax. I felt the familiar ache deep within my belly.

  “Don’t break eye contact,” he commanded.

  I did as he wished. My gaze stayed locked with his as we both soared over the edge.

  Sam fell on top of me, kissing me tenderly.

  “I promise I will prove to you every day just how much I love you.”

  Heat flushed my face.

  “I’m serious, Sydney. You mean more to me than you’ll ever know, and I will make you understand just how much that is, every single day.”

  By now, I was used to waking up to an empty bed. Nothing out of the ordinary there. Sam loved the early mornings, but not I. I’d rather sleep in for as long as humanly possible. I was sure he took Bear for a walk, happy to have him back. I lay in bed lazily, not wanting to get up, thinking about Sam professing his love for me. This couldn’t be my life, could it? The Bay’s most notorious bachelor was in love with me. I felt giddy as my body tingled with happiness. I wasn’t not sure how my life had changed so dramatically in such a short time, but honestly, I didn’t mind. I embraced every piece of it, living in the moment and looking forward to our future together.

  I needed coffee before I headed to the office. Peeling myself out of bed, I headed to the kitchen. I heard Sam’s voice, unsure of who he was talking to. I tread lightly, not wanting to interrupt.

  “I understand, Gabe. It’s a non-issue.”

  Catching me out of the corner of his eye, he winked at me while raising his finger, telling me to give him a minute. I poured myself a cup of coffee and drank in the sight of my husband. God, he was beautiful, from his chiseled jaw, to his emerald-green eyes, to his six-pack hard abs, he was perfect and now, he was all mine. I flushed just thinking about it.

  “Good Morning, Mrs. Andrews,” he said while hanging up his phone and walking toward me.

  “Good Morning, Mr. Andrews.”

  “What are your plans today?”

  “I have a few clients I am working with today. I’m showing the house on Bayshore. It looks promising. This is their second visit.”

  “I bet they’ll bite. Who doesn’t want to live on Bayshore?”r />
  “Me. I like living here with you.”

  “And I like you living here with me. How about we go out to dinner tonight and celebrate our new beginning?”

  “That sounds lovely.”

  “Remember not to go anywhere alone today, Sydney. I do realize Marcus understands that if he goes near you again, there will be severe consequences. However, he’s unstable right now and I just don’t trust him. Promise me you’ll take someone with you.”

  “I promise, if I go anywhere, I’ll take Michael with me.”

  “Thank you. I’ll see you for dinner, Mrs. Andrews.”

  He kissed my forehead before walking out of the kitchen.

  My day started out like any other. I had coffee with Em when I arrived at the office, catching up on all that had transpired between Sam and me. She was happy for us, knowing how miserable we both were without each other. I met the potential new owner at my client’s home at ten, spending the next few hours at my listing on Bayshore.

  It really was a beautiful home. Although large, it was warm and inviting. The scene from the front picture window was stunning, with sweeping, panoramic views of the Bay. They spent a few hours going over the house with a fine-toothed comb. Their realtor was with them, assisting them with their purchase. I answered their questions, having a feeling they would put an offer in today. I really liked this couple and felt this house was perfect for them.

  “We’d like to put in an offer,” I heard Mr. Reynolds say to his realtor.

  “I had a feeling you would be saying that today.”

  “Yes, we fell in love the first time we saw it but wanted to come one more time to be sure.”

  “I think you’re making the right decision. It’s a beautiful home. I’ll head back to the office and write up the deal. Tell me what you are comfortable with.”

  “Honestly, we trust your judgement. I’d jump in and say full price because we want it so bad, but that’s just not good business.”

  “I know how you feel. But you’re right, let’s make an offer a bit lower than their asking price and see what they say. We can always go up from there,” their realtor, Amelia, answered.

  She found me in the front room, looking out at the Bay.

  “Sydney, my clients are ready to make an offer. I’ll send it over to you later this afternoon.”

  “Wonderful, Amelia. I look forward to hearing from you.”

  When I returned to the office, I was on cloud nine. This would be a huge success for me if my clients accepted their offer. Even if they didn’t, I knew the Reynolds adored the house and were willing to pay full asking price if they had to. I waited for Amelia to send over the offer, then called my clients to let them know about it and that they’d have twenty-four hours to answer. I let Amelia know I would call her as soon as I heard something. They were on pins and needles, as was I, but I distracted myself by emptying my email box. I was one of those people who liked a clean inbox, so deleted and organized it daily. The mail came, and Matthew handed me a large manila envelope. I opened it, noticing the poor handwriting on the front of the envelope with no return address.

  There was a letter addressed to me.

  Dear Mrs. Andrews, I thought this information might be of some interest to you. It’s highlighted for your convenience.

  I had a sinking sensation in the pit of my stomach and somehow knew that whatever information was behind this letter, it wasn’t good. I could have thrown it all in the trash there and then and forgotten I ever received it. I sat motionless for minutes, rereading the cryptic letter and deciding what to do. I eventually found the courage to face whatever would be thrown at me. Removing the letter from the top of the pile, I held Pop’s last will and testament in my hands.

  “What in the world?” I whispered out loud.

  My eyes found the highlighted area and my heart sank.

  In the event that my said grandson, Samuel T. Andrews, does not remain married for an entire year, then his share of my estate should go to Marcus C. Andrews, entirely.

  Holy shit. He came back for me because he needed me for a full year. It wasn’t because he loved me. He lied so that he could receive his fortune. Before I could even assimilate this clearly, something else in the will caught my eye.

  In the event, that my grandson Marcus C. Andrews, does not remain clean and sober for a full year, then his share of my estate should go to Samuel T. Andrews, entirely.

  Wow. I wondered if this was what Gram was talking about. Marcus had to be pissed. Pop had not been messing around when it came to his fortune. I perused the rest of the will quickly, noting another interesting detail. There was a no contest clause included that read:

  Now, if any of my heirs is displeased and moves to break this will, then I direct that they shall have no claim to my estate, and I prohibit them from any part of my estate whatsoever.

  It was also noted that both of their inheritances would stay in a trust until their year was concluded successfully in each of their different areas. After digesting all the information, I sat there for a long time, simply staring out into space. I didn’t know what to do. Did I go home to Sam and pretend like I had no idea about this? If I did that, the reality of this clause would loom over my head. The realization that he would leave me at the end of it hit me like a brick. Or did I confront him and leave now? Just when I thought I would finally be happy, the rug was pulled out from beneath me once again.

  “Everything okay, Syd?”

  “Yeah, why do you ask?”

  “You look like you’ve seen a ghost. Are you not feeling well?”

  “I’m fine, Em. I think all the emotions from the last few weeks are catching up with me. I just need some rest.”

  “I’m sure Sam’s not letting you rest now that he has you back.” She gave me a wink.

  My phone rang, startling me. It was my client.

  “Hello, this is Sydney.”

  “Hi Sydney. It’s Randall Setton.”

  “Hi, Randall. How are you?”

  “Good, good. I wanted to let you know Joy and I have discussed this offer and we want to move forward. We need to be in Seattle sooner than we expected, so this offer came at just the right time. We’re both comfortable with it.”

  “That’s wonderful, Randall. I’ll let the buyers’ agent know and we’ll get everything moving. They’ll be delighted.”

  “Thank you, Sydney.”

  “Bye, Randall.”

  I immediately called Amelia.

  “Hi, Amelia, It’s Sydney Andrews. My clients have accepted your clients’ offer. They need to be in Seattle at the end of the month so decided your offer was perfect timing.”

  “That’s wonderful. I’ll let my clients know. I’ll be in touch.”

  “Bye, Amelia.”

  I should be ecstatic. I was about to make the biggest commission of my career yet knowing the truth of my current situation with Sam, it fell horribly flat.

  By the time my work day ended, I had three text messages from Sam that I left unanswered. I still wasn’t sure what to do. I needed some time to figure that out, but I didn’t want to go home and leave Bear at Sam’s. I could run by his house and grab him, but I wasn’t ready for a confrontation with Sam. I needed to be alone, just for a little while.

  My heart was hurting as I sat out by the water. Last night, I’d believed everything Sam said to me. I thought I had felt the truth in his words, but instead, I found out he was indeed a very good actor. How could I have been so stupid? The Bay’s most notorious bachelor would always be just that, a bachelor. He had told me countless times that he didn’t want a serious relationship, that he didn’t have it in him, yet I fell for him and believed him the moment he said otherwise.

  “You’re a hopeless romantic, Syd. You’re looking for a fairy tale that just doesn’t exist.”

  I stayed out by the water for over an hour, never really finding an answer to my dilemma. Feeling sorry for myself, I returned to Sam’s.

  “Where have you been?”<
br />
  I didn’t answer him as I got out of my car.

  “Sydney. Are you all right? I was worried sick. You haven’t responded to any of my texts or calls.”

  “I’m fine, Sam. Here—I brought you home an interesting read.”

  I shoved the manila envelope into his hands, pushing my way past him. Tears stung my eyes, but I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of letting him see them fall. I ran upstairs, took my suitcase out of the closet, and began throwing my belongings into it. My pain was now turning into anger. I would have been better off if I had never met Sam Andrews. The reality of that thought came crashing in as I crumpled to the floor of the closet.

  “Sydney?”

  I was on my knees, my back to him and shoulders slumped over as I cried quietly. I felt him on his knees behind me, then he pulled me into his embrace.

  “Please don’t, Sam. I’ve had enough.”

  “Sydney, will you listen to me, please?”

  I didn’t say anything. Honestly, I didn’t know that I had anything left to say.

  “Will you look at me?”

  I didn’t move, and he maneuvered me so I faced him. He took my face in his hands.

  “Sydney, I didn’t know about that damn clause until this morning. I never made it to the family meeting yesterday regarding the will. I was hung up at work and then made my way to your office, telling my family they could fill me in on the details of the will at a later time. This morning, when I was on the phone when you walked into the kitchen, I was speaking with my attorney, Gabe, who was filling me in on what the will said. I had no idea that clause was in the will and I didn’t think it was important after last night. Finding out about it doesn’t change anything. I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”

  My eyes grew wide at his last sentence. Could I really believe him?

  “I… I-I just don’t know what to believe, Sam. Why would someone—aka Marcus—send me the will then?”

  “Because he’s a selfish asshole. He wants the entire inheritance for himself. When Lena came here the other day, she was pleading with me to help Marcus. He’s lost everything. They’re broke. He’s indebted to the worst kind of people through poor business deals. She’s afraid they’re going to hurt him. I told her I wouldn’t bail him out. He’s holding on by a thread, which is why he did what he did to you. There’s no excuse for what he did, but it does put it into perspective. He wants you gone because he’s desperate.”