Accidental Wife

by Day Leclaire

  She weaved through the tables, climbing the steps to the podium in a total daze. Bill West shook her hand, then held out the crystal-and-gold award. Accepting it, she stared blindly at the graceful design, fighting for control. After the scandal had broken, she'd counted herself fortunate to have retained her status as a nominee. But she hadn't expected to win. She honestly hadn't. She looked up, realizing in dawning horror that she would have to make a speech. But from the moment her name had been called, her mind had gone blank.

  "I—I..." Her throat closed up, her self-control deserting her. Just as panic seemed her only remaining option, her gaze fell on Jonah. It only took one look at his calm, steadying features to quiet the inner tumult. Heaven help her, but she loved that man.

  Taking a deep breath, she said, "My thanks to the LJB nominating committee for both this award and the opportunity to set the record straight." She glanced at Loren and Delia. "To International Investment, I extend my deepest appreciation for their unwavering support in the face of overwhelming adversity. It was more than I expected and certainly more than I deserved."

  Her hands trembled and she'd have given anything to flee the stage at that point rather than bare her soul to public scrutiny. But opportunities like this only came along once in a lifetime. And she owed some people. It was time they knew it. "I'd like to thank my family for their enduring love and faith in my ability. They deserve this award far more than I. For such intelligent people, they took some foolish risks with their continued backing."

  Ernie and Selma beamed. Krista just shook her head with a hint of exasperation. Nikki's gaze sought Jonah's once more. "And, finally, I want to thank my husband, Jonah." She struggled to subdue the husky catch in her voice. But she couldn't. So she just said the words, allowing the emotion to spill free. "You gave me something I thought lost to me forever. Thank you for proving it's possible to trust again. Because without trust—"

  Her voice broke, destroying what little remained of her composure. The room grew hushed as everyone waited to see what she would do or say next. She caught her lip between her teeth. Never had she wanted so badly to cut and run. But she was determined to finish. Jonah deserved no less. Gripping the award so tightly she feared it would shatter in her hands, she spoke with heartfelt sincerity. "Thank you for proving it's possible to trust again. Because without trust, you can't have love."

  She didn't remember much after that. Somehow she got off the stage and back to the table. There she endured a thousand hugs and handshakes. But all she really wanted was to walk into the protective warmth of Jonah's arms and never leave. Unfortunately, she couldn't even get near him. He stood off to one side, a cryptic smile on his face, watching as she accepted the unending flood of congratulations.

  "I say we all go out and party," Krista suggested, once the room had begun to empty. "Champagne, caviar, the works."

  Eric nodded in agreement. "After all, we do have two reasons to celebrate. Nikki's award and..." He grinned, holding up Krista's left hand. A huge diamond solitaire sparkled on her ring finger. "We're engaged."

  Nikki stared in astonishment, unable to move, unable to even draw breath.

  Krista giggled, snuggling against Eric. "Your expression is priceless, big sister. I guess you didn't see that one coming."

  "Now you two don't have to stay married if you'd rather not," Eric added, his gaze moving from her to Jonah.

  Nikki's mouth fell open. "What?" she managed to say.

  "The Cinderella Ball," Krista explained. "Between us, Eric and I figured out the truth about that night. We also realized that you and Jonah must have married for our sakes—you know, so we'd get on with our lives."

  Eric dropped a kiss on his fiancee's cheek. "And we have. Although I'll bet you didn't expect us to do it together."

  Nikki darted a quick look at Jonah. If his expression had been difficult to read before, now it was utterly impossible. "I don't understand. How did you two meet?" she asked her sister.

  "I came by the office to see you," Krista explained. "But you were busy. I bumped into Eric and he invited me to lunch."

  "One thing led to another," he said, picking up the tale. "And here we are. So, although we appreciate what you've done you don't have to keep pretending." A wily grin touched his mouth. "Unless, of course, you've fallen madly in love and want to stay married."

  "That's enough, Eric," Jonah cut in. He offered his hand. "Congratulations. And I agree with your suggestion. This does deserve a celebration." For the first time, he turned to Nikki. "Doesn't it? After all, you finally have everything you ever wanted. Right?"

  Nikki tossed her coat onto the couch and carefully placed her award on the coffee table. "What are we going to do?" she asked without turning around. She was afraid to face him, afraid of what she'd read in Jonah's cool, remote gaze.

  "I don't know about you, but I'm going to hit the sack," he replied with a shrug. "You're welcome to join me if you'd like."

  "That's not what I meant."

  His sigh held an impatient edge. "If you're referring to our future, I don't think this is the time for that particular discussion."

  Dread ran an icy finger along her spine. "Why not?"

  "Because I leave for London in the morning."

  "London?" She sank onto the couch, staring in disbelief. "You never said... you never mentioned..."

  "I didn't mention it earlier," he explained evenly, "because I felt you had enough to deal with."

  She laced her fingers together to hide how badly they trembled. "Your return to London... is it permanent?"

  He stilled. And suddenly he seemed larger, harder, tougher. "You have to ask?"

  She bowed her head. "Oh, that's right. You promised Ernie and Selma you'd be here for Christmas. I assume you intend to keep that engagement?"

  "What the hell do you think?" The words sounded like they'd been torn from him. "Have I ever failed to keep a promise I've made?"

  "No," she whispered. "You've kept every one. And you've done an excellent job of it, too. Thanks."

  His coat hit the arm of the couch and tumbled to the floor unheeded. "I don't want your damned thanks," he said with barely restrained fury.

  She lifted a hand in appeal. "Then what do you want?"

  "The one thing it seems you find impossible to give, despite tonight's fine speech."

  "You want my trust?" she asked in confusion. "You have it."

  "Do I?" He ripped the bow tie from around his throat. "Prove it."

  "How?" she demanded. "You don't have a family who needs rescuing. Your reputation isn't in jeopardy. Neither is your job. You don't have any deep, dark skeletons in your past that I can magnanimously overlook. I have no way of proving myself."

  But she did, and she knew it. All she had to do was speak three simple words. Tell him what she'd kept so carefully hidden within her heart. Trust him with that final piece of herself. The words fought for escape, fought to wing free. But, in the end, fear kept them locked tightly away.

  He stood mute and aloof, watching and waiting as she waged her inner battle.

  Desperate to give him the proof he needed without having to surrender that final bit of control, she left the couch. Reaching for the side zip of her dress, she yanked it down, the black silk puddling at her ankles. She stepped over the inky pool and approached. To her dismay, he made no move to either accept or reject her overture.

  "Jonah, please..." She slid her palms along the taut muscles of his chest, wrapping her arms around his neck.

  His hands closed on her shoulders. For an instant, she thought he'd push her away. Instead, he pulled her close, holding her against him for several, silent minutes. Then he thrust his fingers deep into her hair and tugged her head back, gazing down at her as though memorizing each tiny detail of her face.

  "Kiss me goodbye, Nikki," he whispered.

  Tears gathered in her eyes. "Not goodbye," she insisted frantically. "You'll return for Christmas. You promised."

  "Let's not drag this out.
Kiss me, sweetheart."

  "But your flight isn't until tomorrow. We still have tonight."

  _ He shook his head. "I leave early in the morning, so I'll stay at one of the airport hotels for the remainder of the evening."

  She moistened her lips, searching wildly for a way to delay him. "You—you still need to pack."

  "I have a bag ready to go."

  "This is it?" Her chin quivered. "You're just going to walk away?"

  He lowered his head, the tenderness of his kiss almost destroying her. "What is there to keep me?" he asked.

  He didn't wait for a response. Releasing her, he snagged his coat from off the floor. And moments later, he was gone.

  Nikki awoke the next morning to a cold and empty bed. She also woke to discover that Jonah had kept his final promise. On the front page of the newspaper was an article reporting the arrest of Timothy T. Tucker for fraud. Credit for information leading to the arrest was attributed to an unnamed concerned citizen. But Nikki didn't need to question the identity of that "concerned citizen".

  She knew it was Jonah.

  The next several days were the most miserable of Nikki's existence. She'd thought signing the bank's money over to Bert Wyman had been the biggest mistake she'd ever made. But she soon discovered it didn't come close to equaling the one she'd made with Jonah.

  The only excuse she'd been able to come up with to explain her idiocy was that she'd been caught off guard. The shock of Eric and Krista's announcement coming on the heels of her own emotion-laden win at the award ceremony had ended in sheer, unadulterated panic. Maybe if she'd had time to calm down, she would have been all right. Just a few days in which to get used to the idea that she and Jonah had precisely one reason left for continuing their marriage.

  Love.

  And she did love Jonah, despite being unable to tell him. It had taken hours of soul-searching, but she'd finally concluded that it wasn't saying the actual words she'd feared most. It was his response to her declaration. She was terrified that he didn't love her in return.

  Yet he'd demonstrated over and over how much he cared. He'd helped her resolve her problems with Eric and Krista. He'd rescued her family from a con man and solidified their financial well-being. He'd salvaged her reputation, standing by her in word and deed when no one else would have.

  And with each and every tender touch, he'd shown the depth of his feelings.

  Prove it, he'd said. Prove she trusted him.

  Prove that she loved him, was what he really meant.

  Suddenly, she knew the perfect way. She could say the words, but somehow she suspected that wouldn't be enough. Not any longer. She reached for the phone, wondering if she'd have sufficient time to put her plan into action. It'd take a bit of work. Arranging for the fax and the plants would be the easy part. It was the Christmas gift she intended to have delivered that might take extra effort.

  But if she could just pull this off, it would be worth it in the end.

  Christmas Eve ended up being the longest day of Nikki's life.

  She went into the office, running on sheer nerves. She kept wondering if Jonah had received her fax, worrying that she'd waited too long before contacting him, and panicking over whether or not his special gift would arrive in time. The only thing she didn't question was her feelings for him.

  Or his for her.

  By early afternoon, the last of the employees had left for the holidays. The building grew silent and vacant and vaguely cold. Reluctant to return to an apartment empty of Jonah's dynamic presence, she stood in the darkness staring out the window at the bustling crowd. A bittersweet smile touched her mouth. They were all rushing to get home, to share in the warmth and joy of the season. How she wanted that, too!

  As she watched, the first flakes of snow tumbled through the inky night sky. Keli would be thrilled. She'd have a white Christmas. Nikki closed her eyes, desperately fighting to hold the tears at bay. But would all that beautiful snow delay Jonah?

  She wanted him. Heaven help her, she needed his strength and tenderness and love. Why hadn't she just told him the truth when she'd had the chance? How could she have risked losing the single most important person in her life? She bowed her head, her breath catching on a sob.

  Please, she prayed, just let him get home safely. It didn't matter if he was late. It didn't matter if his present didn't arrive on time. Nothing mattered, except that he return to her whole and healthy.

  Behind her, something hit her desk with a soft thud. She spun around with a gasp. A file lay spotlighted in the middle of the oak surface—a file that hadn't been there moments before. Hardly daring to breathe, she crept closer, struggling to read the name through her tears.

  It was the Stamberg account.

  From the darkness, a shirt came flying through the air. Then a tie. And then a belt.

  "Jonah," she cried, torn between laughing and giving in to her tears. "What are you doing?"

  "Making good on our bet, of course."

  She covered her mouth with her hand. Angels singing heavenly hymns couldn't have equaled the beautiful sound made by Jonah's rough, husky voice. "You're going to dance naked on my desk?" she demanded.

  "Unless you have a better place for me to dance naked."

  Laughter won out. "I have a much better place." Impatience lent wings to her feet and she raced around the desk, hurling herself against the wide, comforting breadth of him. "Did you get my fax?"

  "I got it. And I must say, it caused quite a stir at the office." He tilted his head to one side. "Let's see... how did it read?"

  "'Jonah, please come home. Urgent. There's something I forgot to tell you,'" Nikki quoted softly.

  "Everyone thinks you're pregnant." He snagged her chin in his huge hand. "You're not, are you?"

  "No." A minute frown crept between- her brows. "At least, I don't think so."

  "Too bad. It would have simplified matters."

  She rubbed her cheek against his palm. "I'm not very good at simple," she confided. "Somehow I always end up doing it the hard way."

  "I've noticed," he said with unmistakable tenderness. "So what did you forget to tell me?"

  She took a deep breath. "I forgot to tell you that I love you. In fact, I forgot to tell you that I love you very, very much."

  A slow smile touched his mouth. From there, it expanded into his eyes, the autumn chill melting into a rich spring warmth. "I'm supposed to take your word for that?"

  "Yes. Because—" she glanced swiftly at him from beneath her lashes "—I think you love me, too."

  He cocked an eyebrow. "You think?"

  "I know," she corrected hastily. "I know you love me. And I thought of a way to prove my feelings for you."

  He was openly grinning now. "And how's that, Mrs. Alexander?"

  "Well..." She tightened her hold on his neck, reveling in the delicious scent and sound and touch of him. "You'll have to wait until tomorrow. But I have a few ideas that should tide you over in the meantime."

  "Do any of those ideas involve getting out of the rest of our clothes?"

  She laughed. "At least one of them does. But maybe you'd rather wait until we get home."

  He heaved a deep sigh. "Haven't you figured it out yet? With you in my arms, I am home." His voice deepened, filled with a rich certainty, an unquestionable commitment to the future. "And by the way, my sweet wife, I love you, too. Very, very much."

  And then he kissed her, proving beyond a doubt that Christmas was still a time of miracles.

  When Christmas morning arrived, it proved to be the most joyous Nikki had ever experienced. Waking up in Jonah's arms, then to his hungry kiss and finally to his urgent lovemaking got the day off to a perfect start.

  Once they reluctantly left the bedroom, she showed him the changes she'd made to the apartment. Plants filled every nook and cranny. And occupying one entire corner stood a live, potted evergreen covered in lights and ornaments.

  "It wouldn't be a real home without your plants," he observed
quietly.

  "No," she disagreed, slipping into his arms. "It wouldn't be a real home without you. The plants are just to prove that I'm here to stay."

  The relatives started arriving midmorning, adding their laughter to the apartment, along with an assortment of flavorful dishes. Nikki was on tenterhooks from the moment the doorbell first rang, rushing to peek into the hallway each time she thought she heard footsteps approaching.

  "Who are you expecting?" Krista asked curiously at one point. "I thought everyone was already here."

  "They are—"

  A knock sounded at the door just then, and breaking off, she raced to answer it. Flinging it open, she called to Jonah, "It's for you. Hurry!"

  He didn't come quickly enough to suit her and she rushed to his side. Grabbing his arm, she tugged impatiently. Curious, the rest of the family followed, gathering in a loose semicircle behind him. In the hallway stood a messenger dressed in the same white-and-gold uniform that the footmen at the Cinderella Ball had worn.

  "I understood this was urgent," the messenger said with a broad grin. He handed Jonah a beautifully wrapped package. "Merry Christmas."

  "Open it," Nikki urged the instant they'd closed the door.

  With an indulgent smile, he ripped off the bright gold paper to expose a small rectangular box. He removed the lid and looked inside. Nervously, she awaited his reaction, his expressionless face worrying her. At long last, he looked up. Ignoring the eager questions from all the relatives, he closed the box. Catching hold of her hand, he towed her through the living room and out onto the balcony.

  It was freezing cold, but she barely noticed. "Jonah?" she questioned anxiously. "Don't you like it?"

  He dug a hand into his pocket and pulled out a small square package. "Maybe you should see what I bought you."

  She ripped off the ribbon and wrapping paper and slowly flipped open the red velvet lid. Inside nestled a pair of wedding bands. Very unique, strangely etched wedding bands. "Oh, Jonah," she whispered, tears pricking her eyes. "They're made from the tickets to the Cinderella Ball."