by Lisa Hobman
She huffed as annoyance began to niggle at her, regardless of the fact that he was speaking the truth. ‘Well you know what they say about opposites attracting, Dad.’
‘Oh yes. I’ve heard the saying, sweetheart. I just worry that your life revolves around Seth and his friends. I worry you have nothing for you. That’s all. I don’t want you to lose your identity. He makes so many decisions without consulting you. Where you live, where you go on holiday, how your apartment is decorated. What about your choices?’
‘I have my business now, Dad. So I’m absolutely fine. Please stop worrying. I’m very happy and very much in love and I am going to marry Seth.’
‘Didn’t he set you up in the business though?’
She heaved a frustrated sigh. ‘No. That’s not true at all. He advised me, yes but it was all my own hard work, not his. And his friends are my friends too. I love him, Dad. Please can you accept that and be happy for me?’ This wasn’t a conversation she had ever anticipated having over Seth; especially not with her dad. It somewhat shattered the idea she’d had all along, that Seth was exactly who her dad would choose for her if it were up to him.
He leaned forward and kissed her cheek before pausing to take a long look at her and then he nodded. ‘If you’re happy then I’m happy.’
As a sense of relief flooded her veins, someone clanked a glass and a hush descended over the gathered guests. ‘Where’s my poppet?’ Hearing his voice, Cassie rushed to Seth’s side and he slipped his arm around her waist. He kissed her head and then turned his attention to the crowd of friends and family. ‘Last weekend, Cassie and I celebrated our third anniversary as a couple. Although, as you already know Cassie also agreed to be my wife on the same day.’ A rumble of applause travelled the room. ‘We wanted to gather our nearest and dearest here to this wonderful, award-winning venue in Edinburgh to celebrate with us. And it was a good opportunity for me to check out some property too for the business, Father,’ he said in a theatrical, loud whisper, held up his glass and Seth’s dad followed suit as a few people jeered him in good nature. ‘Oh, come on. I’m always in business mode, guys. No one knows that better than all of you.’ He laughed. ‘Anyway, I hope you’ll all raise your glasses with me and toast to the future Mrs Seth Guthrie.’
Everyone in the place simultaneously raised their glasses and spoke in unison. ‘The future Mrs Seth Guthrie!’
Once everyone had sipped their champagne, Seth continued, ‘Now you’re all no doubt expecting a long, drawn out engagement as is the trend these days but as I’m such a busy man I see no point in hanging around to start my life with my new bride and ergo, I’m happy to announce that Cassie and I will be married in just three months.’
Cassie gasped and snapped her gaze up to Seth as a raucous applause rang out around the room. She tugged on his shirt to gain his attention, but he just mouthed the word, ‘Surprise’ and grinned at her before scooping her into a passionate embrace to the delight of their audience.
*
The rest of the party was lovely. A pianist played classical music on the white Steinway by the bar, the couple were handed beautifully wrapped gifts and the food was out of this world. Thankfully there were no more shocks at the restaurant and Cassie resolved to have serious words with her fiancé later that evening for the ones he had bestowed upon her when she wasn’t able to protest. Her poor dad had later pulled her to one side in a panic over the stress of affording a Guthrie style wedding in the traditional manner of the bride’s father footing the bill. Although Cassie knew for certain that Seth wouldn’t be asking for a single penny from him. He too was a proud man. She tried to reassure her dad as best she could but he left the restaurant early and returned to his hotel room, much to Cassie’s dismay.
Back at the luxurious Balmoral Hotel, Cassie locked herself in the plush en-suite. She leaned on the vanity unit and stared at her pallid reflection in the mirror. Things were moving too fast. Yes, she loved Seth more than anything. Yes, she wanted to marry him. But after the content of the previous weekend’s conversations she was filled with worry instead of excitement.
She had been looking forward to a long engagement where she would have time to get used to the idea of saying she would obey her husband and the idea of starting a family as soon as they were wed; although she was set firm in her determination to veto both of those ideas and she wouldn’t be backing down, no matter how much Seth protested. She knew, without a doubt, that he was the one. He was the stuff of dreams and she knew very well how lucky she was. But she had hoped to have some part in the planning and organisation of her own ‘big day’. Instead it felt like some of what her dad had feared was, in fact, true. Seth was controlling this huge step in her life and she didn’t feel one hundred percent comfortable with that.
In addition to this was the fact that her proofreading and editing business was in its infancy and she wanted to spend time building up her client base to add to the workload she already had waiting in the wings. She had sufficient work from several independent authors to take her way past the Seth-imposed three-month deadline. They had been very keen to work with her after reading testimonials from the clients she had worked with for free when setting things up, and she was looking forward to getting stuck into some honest to goodness paid work of her own. Had she known in advance of Seth’s plan and that she would need to account for a four-week absence from work for their honeymoon in Australia—another of his surprises sprung on her in the taxi on the way back to the hotel—she would have made plans accordingly.
And speaking of honeymoons, she was touched that he had planned and booked the trip—he was nothing if not thoughtful—but she would have liked to have had some input on the destination. She hated flying as it was, but to fly to the other side of the world was her idea of hell. She was feeling somewhat railroaded in the whole scenario and as her heart raced and her breathing became erratic she felt sure she would pass out. She stared at her reflection willing herself calm but her attempts were futile as each time she became a little angrier, the other half of her brain reminded her of how ungrateful she was being. Talk about being stuck between a rock and a hard place.
Aaaargh!
‘Cassie? Poppet? What’s happened in there? Have you hurt yourself? Do I need to call a doctor?’ Seth’s worried voice and knocking could be heard. She hadn’t realised she had made the exasperated sound aloud.
‘N-no, I’m fine… stubbed my toe on the bath. Out in a minute.’ She panted as she tried to control her breathing.
‘Okay, well I have some more champers out here for us. I had them deliver it. Thought we could have our own celebration.’
She clenched her jaw for a moment and then carefully replied, as lightly as possible. ‘I don’t really feel like drinking anymore, Seth. I just need a bit of time to catch my breath.’
There was a long pause before he spoke again and when he did she discerned disappointment in his voice. ‘I did it all for you, darling. To make you happy.’ Her anger began to melt away as always. ‘I only want what’s best for us. And I can’t wait to start my life as your adoring husband. That’s all. I’m just eager to call you my wife. I know we’ve been together a while now but I want us to be official. To make that commitment.’ She closed her eyes and lowered her head. Why had she been so bloody ungrateful? She didn’t deserve him. ‘Planning weddings is so stressful and I just wanted this to be easy for you. I wasn’t trying to spoil things. I hope you know that.’
Why, oh why couldn’t she stay angry at him? He was right though. Weddings were incredibly stressful things to plan. She’d watched ‘Bridezillas’ on TV. She knew the score. Perhaps she had jumped the gun and presumed he was being controlling when in actual fact he was being kind and considerate?
She walked over to the door and unlocked it. When she pulled it open she was greeted by a very forlorn looking Seth, his bottom lip protruding like a sulking toddler and her heart melted completely. She could never resist those green eyes. He looked so very silly bu
t simultaneously gorgeous with his top two buttons unfastened exposing just a tiny bit of chest.
His sleeves were rolled up and his hands were in his pockets. ‘I really didn’t mean to upset you, poppet. I honestly thought I was doing the right thing.’ He held out his arms and like iron to a magnet she was drawn into his embrace and inhaled his wonderful, familiar scent.
‘One thing though, Seth. There’s something I must insist upon.’
He kissed the top of her head. ‘Name it.’
‘Please let me pick my own wedding dress, okay?’
There was a long pause before he said, ‘Ah… erm…’
She lifted her chin and glared up at him. ‘You haven’t? Please tell me you haven’t. Bloody hell, Seth, if I’d wanted to be on ‘Don’t Tell the Bride’ I’d have applied for the damn show.’ She shoved angrily at his chest and he almost toppled over.
A wide grin spread across his features. ‘Kidding. Sort of. Vina and Pippa are taking you shopping next weekend. Pippa has great taste as you know, and she has contacts in some very exclusive boutiques. I’m sure you’ll find something stunning with their help.’
She rolled her eyes, realising once again that he was in control even though his heart was in the right place. ‘But I’m picking my dress. Not them,’ she insisted, sounding rather like that sulking toddler she had compared Seth to earlier.
He shrugged. ‘Of course, darling. I wouldn’t dare go so far as to make such a bold decision on your behalf.’
In spite of herself she giggled. ‘Pfft. But you’d choose the date and venue of the wedding and the location and duration of the bloody honeymoon. The least you can do is let me have this one thing.’
‘But of course. Just make sure it’s easy for me to get you out of it at the end of the day, okay? Not too many buttons or laces when I want to ravish my new bride.’ He raised his eyebrows lasciviously and she shook her head but couldn’t fight the silly grin.
Feeling like she had won a victory, albeit a small one, she allowed Seth to pull her towards the bed and undress her.
Chapter Four
The following week went by far too quickly. Cassie’s feet hardly hit the ground in between dinner with Seth’s clients, dinner with his parents and theatre with his rugby buddies and their wives—all the things he had rearranged from the week leading up to the surprise engagement party.
Friday evening was her first bit of free time and for once she didn’t have to get dressed up or plaster her face in makeup. Six o’clock arrived and she sat on the sofa waiting for Seth to come home. She had been working on a project for a new client and her eyes were sore from staring at her laptop screen all day. It was intense work, which had taken every ounce of concentration she could muster so as she sat in the silence of her empty home she closed her eyes in the hope that doing so would ease the headache that was threatening before it really took hold. She was just dozing off when she heard the door to the apartment open.
‘Hi honey, I’m home!’ Seth called in a silly sing song voice that made her smile in spite of how awful she was feeling.
He walked through to the living room, planted a kiss on her head and dropped a huge bouquet of fragrant pink roses in her lap. ‘Roses for my own English rose.’
Cassie gasped. ‘Oh wow, Seth they’re so lovely. Thank you.’ He never ceased to amaze her with his romantic gestures.
‘You deserve them for putting up with me. So, how’s my little poppet today?’
She sighed. ‘I’m wiped out. I think all the excitement of the past couple of weeks has caught up with me.’
He straightened up. ‘Hmm. Right. That’s it. I’ve heard enough,’ he stated and Cassie wondered what she had done wrong to deserve such a decisive, terse tone. Before she could ask he grabbed her hand and tugged her towards the bedroom.
Ugh, not now… She really wasn’t in the mood for sex. ‘Seth… I—’
‘I’ll sort the flowers later. Get your clothes off.’
‘But Seth—’ she whined and almost stamped her foot.
‘I said get your clothes off. I’m going to go run you a luxurious bath. I’ve brought home a bottle of the best Pinot Noir I could find in that little off license down the street. I’m ordering takeaway Chinese food in. And you, my darling girl, are going to relax and do nothing but read a book for pleasure for once, for the rest of the evening. You spend so much time working on books you don’t read anymore and you love to read. So, there will be foot massages, back massages… I’ll even feed you if that’s what it takes.’
She stood, staring open mouthed as guilt niggled at her for her presumption. ‘I… thought you wanted sex.’
He grinned as he stepped towards her, cupped her face in his palms and kissed her gently on the lips. ‘Cassie, you’re the most desirable woman I’ve ever met, and believe me, I would never refuse sex with you if you wanted it. But I can see how tired you are, poppet. And what you need is some R and R. So that’s what you’re going to get. Now strip.’ He tapped her nose and left the room in the direction of their en-suite.
As she sat in the steamy bathroom, cocooned in the warmth of the water and the scent of Jasmine with one of her favourite classic novels in one hand and a glass of Pinot Noir in the other, she realised it was times like that when any worries about the age gap, their differences and everyone else’s opinions, melted into insignificance.
Seth delivered fully on everything he had promised and as she lay in bed later that night snuggled up next to her man with a sated appetite and a relaxed warm glow thanks to the wine, the bath and the wonderful, sensual massage he had given her, she smiled to herself. She really was so very damned lucky to have him. She drifted off to sleep with his arms lovingly and protectively wrapped around her.
*
All too soon Saturday dawned and Cassie was faced with the prospect of wedding dress shopping. It was meant to be fun so she had no idea why she was so wound up about it all.
Vina had called to say she had booked a cab and at nine sharp Cassie saw the taxi pulling up to the curb outside her building. She grabbed her bag and called to Seth, who was taking a shower, to tell him she had no clue what time she’d be home. He was off to play rugby—a sport that she really didn’t like—but even the thought of standing on a muddy field appealed more at that moment than the idea of searching for the perfect wedding dress. The fact that he would come away from the pitch all dirty and masculine added to the appeal and just the mental image alone was enough to send her lady areas into meltdown. There was something so visceral and erotic about seeing a usually clean-cut man all rugged and rough.
She hurriedly made her way downstairs and climbed into the waiting taxi. After greeting her friend, she stared out of the window and chewed on her nails.
‘You know, you could look a little more excited about today.’ Vina’s words pulled her from her fantasy. ‘I mean, I know you’re marrying my control freak of a brother but come on! You’re getting to wear a dress by none other than Isabella Montenegro for goodness sake.’
Cassie scrunched her brow and turned to look at Vina. ‘I’m sorry, what?’
Vina rolled her eyes. ‘Oh don’t tell me you didn’t adore her pieces at Glasgow Fashion Week. Pippa and I were drooling, don’t you remember?’ She giggled and fanned herself.
Fidgeting in her seat, Cassie turned more squarely towards her best friend. ‘But… I thought I was choosing my own dress?’
Vina’s eyes widened and she began to back-pedal. ‘Oh… erm… well yes. Obviously. I mean durrr.’
Cassie was immediately suspicious about what was going on and her terse tone reflected the fact. ‘Vina?’
Vina cringed. ‘Pippa suggested Isabella to Seth and he agreed. It’s kind of a done deal, sweetie. But there will be a few to choose from,’ she enthused as if one of the most important decisions of the wedding hadn’t just been ripped from under her friend.
Cassie clenched her jaw and her eyes began to sting. He couldn’t let her have this one thing? This one
simple thing for her own wedding? After the way he had looked after her the night before, putting her first, making her feel special he had to ruin it with his overbearing, controlling alter ego. How could one man have two such different sides to his personality?
Vina slipped her arm around Cassie and squeezed her tight. ‘Aww, look how happy you are. You’re all teary eyed. I’m so glad you’re excited now. I was worrying there for a second.’
Shaking her head, Cassie closed her eyes briefly. ‘No… no I’m angry, Vina. He promised. He swore that I would be choosing my own wedding dress. He’s chosen the date, the venue and the honeymoon.’ She counted each thing off dramatically on her fingers. ‘What do I get a say in? Nothing? Well I get a say as to whether I turn up on the day that’s for certain. And the way I feel right now, I’m not so sure I want to,’ she blurted in a breathless rush. ‘If this is the shape of things to come then maybe I’d better think things through. He already said he wants me to obey him in the vows. Obey him! Like I get any other bloody choice. I want to go home. In fact, scrap that. I want to go for a drink.’ Her voice hit a new pitch she’d never experienced before and as the taxi stopped at a red light she scrambled around reaching for the door handle.
Vina stared open mouthed for a few seconds as if dumbfounded but coming to her senses grabbed Cassie’s arm to stop her. ‘Hey, honey, it’s nine twenty-five in the morning. It’s a bit early for alcohol, don’t you think? And please calm down. He really does mean well, you do know that, don’t you?’ Panic filled her voice. ‘Please don’t give up on him over this. You can choose whatever dress you want.’
Cassie widened her eyes. ‘Oh really? And what if I want a… a… Sally Swizzlestick dress, hmm? Do they do those in Isabella Montenegro’s shop? Hmm? Do they?’
Vina pursed her lips, clearly trying not to laugh. ‘I’m sorry, honey but I don’t think anywhere sells Sally Swizzlestick dresses.’