Married by Mistake

by Abby Gaines

  “First,” he said unevenly, “I need to get rid of your incredibly sexy nightwear.”

  He helped her tug the T-shirt off. For a moment, he held her hands over her head, snagged in the

  T-shirt, while he dipped his head to her breasts.

  She moaned and a low growl sounded in his throat. The T-shirt flew across the room. He reached for the waistband of her shorts and slid them down.

  He paused, scanned her body with a heavy-lidded gaze that set her quivering.

  “Your turn,” she murmured, her hand fluttering toward his shorts in sudden nervousness. He peeled them off in one swift movement, and his glorious nakedness sent a charge of desire through Casey.

  Adam touched a hand to her hip, then trailed a caress over her stomach, her breast, up her neck to her mouth.

  She reached for him, and he shuddered, the guttural sound he made almost pained. He lowered himself over her so she could feel his hardness, feel how much he wanted her.

  “My darling, you’re so beautiful,” he said.

  She was ready for him right then. But the seduction he performed with his mouth, with his hands, was tantalizingly, achingly slow. He found every inch of her, bringing her to a level of desire she hadn’t dreamed existed. And just when Casey thought she might die of it, he claimed her as his own.

  * * *

  CASEY AWOKE from the soundest sleep of her life to find herself alone in bed. She jolted upright, then relaxed again when she heard the shower running in the bathroom.

  She lay there, hands splayed on the quilt, and let memories of the night before wash over her. The intimacy, the passion that she and Adam

  had shared had been beyond all her expectations. And despite her limited basis for comparison, it had been clear Adam found it equally sublime. Enough to want to repeat the experience twice during the night.

  What next? Her body, which she’d believed to be sated, tingled in readiness. Not that kind of next, she told herself; what next as far as their marriage was concerned? She didn’t expect Adam to have fallen in love with her overnight. But surely they’d moved onto a different plane.

  The shower stopped, and Casey waited for him to appear.

  To her disappointment, he emerged from the bathroom fully dressed. Her cheerful greeting died on her lips, sent to its grave by the chill in his eyes.

  “We need to talk,” he said, and he sat on the very edge of the bed, leaving an expanse of quilt between them.

  Casey waited, suddenly not trusting her voice. Adam seemed to have trouble finding the words he wanted, and for a few moments there was only a strained silence.

  “Last night was a mistake. I know it was my idea, and I’d been pressuring you, but I was wrong.”

  “Why?” she managed to ask in a thin voice.

  “I should have realized that because you were...less experienced, it would mean more to you.”

  “While it meant nothing to you?” she asked, stung.

  His eyes darkened to indigo. “You know that’s not true.”

  Maybe he was just worried for her, and she could reassure him. She reached across the coverlet and laid her hand on his.

  He snatched it away as if burned. “Casey,” he said, “last night was incredible. But it doesn’t change anything between us. You and I still want very different things. You want a man who’ll adore you. It’s your dream, and it’s what you deserve. But...I’m not the one who can do that. Making love—having sex—just confuses things.”

  Tears pricked her eyes, but she refused to cry. “You don’t sound confused, and neither am I,” she said over the lump in her throat. She steeled herself to lie to him, prayed she would be convincing. “I don’t adore you, Adam, and I never thought you would be the man to adore me.”

  Was it relief that chased across his face?

  “I didn’t even take precautions that first time,” he said. “You could get pregnant.”

  “It’s most unlikely.” Casey didn’t bother to tell him why. There was hardly any point explaining her probable infertility when he’d just told her they had no future together.

  Again he had the nerve to look relieved.

  A surge of anger flowed through her, forcing back the heartbreak she knew would return later.

  “Leave me alone, Adam,” she said. “You were great in bed, but when it comes to relationships, you’re a washout.”

  If she’d hoped he would protest, she was disappointed. He nodded, then left the room.

  Casey heard him whistling on his way downstairs.

  She eased back against the pillows, let out a slow breath, as if by making only the gentlest of movements she could somehow keep her heart from shattering. Just as carefully, she spread her fingers on the quilt again, forced herself to take another breath in and out. The dull gleam of the wedding ring on her left hand caught her eye.

  She had more than this piece of jewelry in common with Adam’s mother. Like the woman who’d worn it before her, she had fallen in love with a husband who could never love her.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  THE LAST THING Casey wanted was to face Anna May and Henry, along with the rest of Adam’s extended family, for the lunch they’d planned. Why not just call an end to this charade now?

  Because then Dad and Karen would know the truth. Because it would hurt Eloise, and Casey couldn’t help wanting to postpone that moment. Because Adam needed more time to build his case against his father’s will.

  So they would go through with their performance.

  Fortunately, both she and Adam were too busy getting ready for their guests to have any awkward moments together. Adam planned to barbecue, and Casey had a half-dozen salads to assemble, plus Eloise’s favorite strawberry shortcake to bake.

  By one o’clock, all the guests had arrived, and the beef fillet was grilling. Casey moved between the clusters of guests, introducing her family to Adam’s, making sure everyone had someone to talk to and all glasses were filled.

  Eloise watched her, proud of her gracious yet unaffected daughter-in-law. She knew something wasn’t right between Casey and Adam, but she prayed that he would recognize Casey was nothing like his own family. That while she needed him, he needed her so much more.

  Today, with the sun shining, and the sweet scent of magnolias mingling with grilling beef, it was easy to be optimistic. Eloise smiled as she turned back to her friends’ conversation. But she had trouble focusing. Her mind was restless with thoughts of love and marriage. Unconditional love...

  For some reason—probably because he was standing not twenty yards from her—Sam kept capturing her attention.

  Adam should never have invited him to this lunch—he wasn’t family. Of course, neither were Beth and Cecile. Adam had included them because he thought Eloise would prefer their company to some of his relatives’. It didn’t help that Cecile kept giving Sam looks that could only be called flirtatious.

  Somewhat acerbically, Eloise said to her friend, “You’re rather obvious in your attentions toward Sam Magill, Cecile. It never pays to look too eager.”

  “It’s called admiring the view,” Cecile said promptly. “He’s a handsome man.”

  “Tall, too,” said Beth, who at five foot one said that about everyone. This time, Eloise happened to agree with her. “He keeps looking this way,” her friend continued. “I think he’s interested in you, Cecile.”

  Cecile straightened in her chair and sent a glance over her shoulder that Eloise considered far too sultry for a woman who’d turned sixty last birthday.

  Eloise bit back the retort that it was her Sam couldn’t keep his eyes off. Tears stung her eyes at the thought of how mean she was feeling toward her friend. What was wrong with her? With a huff of frustration that almost turned into a sob, she turned her back on Sam, trying for a joke. “You girls have been widows too long if you think Sam is anything other than a...a tedious, pathetic little man.”

  Oh dear, that hadn’t come out funny in the least. She was met by horrified silence. Whi
ch was arguably an overreaction. She’d said no worse than the others had a dozen times about men who—

  “Eloise.” Sam’s gravelly voice spoke behind her.

  Eloise gasped. Her heart in her mouth, she turned. He seemed bigger than she remembered. Only a few inches taller than her five-seven, but just...bigger all over. Not overweight, just...big. Male.

  She closed her eyes, mortified. Once, when she was a child, her mama had tanned her behind for being rude to one of their maids. And she’d been far less offensive then than she’d been to Sam now.

  “Sam, I’m so very sorry. That was inexcusable.” For the first time his gray eyes—gunmetal gray, she realized—didn’t soften. This must be what he looked like in a courtroom.

  He didn’t blush or stammer or do any of the inept Sam Magill things. “Eloise Carmichael,” he said in the stentorian tone of a judge pronouncing sentence, “you are a spoiled brat.”

  Eloise heard Cecile titter, saw Beth’s mouth round into an O of shock.

  “When you decide to keep a civil tongue in your head like the lady you were raised to be...”

  Oh, this was too much; now he was channeling her own thoughts back at her.

  “...we’ll talk about what you think of me. Until then, I’ll leave you with this.”

  Strong hands grasped her shoulders, and Eloise looked up at him in bewilderment. A moment’s stupidity prevented her from realizing what he was about to do. Then his lips met hers in a hard kiss.

  She gasped and twisted away. “How dare—”

  But his hands framed her face, forcing her back to him. Again he kissed her, smothering her protest with the hunger of a man too long denied.

  Eloise pushed against his chest, but then—gracious—she seemed to be melting into the man. Her fingers curled into the fine linen of his shirt and she heard a noise that sounded very much like herself...moaning.

  Finally, Sam released her, his face red, but not with embarrassment.

  He cleared his throat and said stiffly, “I am not James. I will never be James.” The words were a slap in the face. He took a step closer and Eloise shrank back even as a traitorous corner of her wanted to feel that mouth on hers again.

  “You know what?” Sam said. “I don’t want to be James.”

  He gave her that half bow, so much more awkward than James’s had ever been, yet in its own way...endearing. Then he turned and strode across the lawn toward the drive.

  On the way, he bumped into the sundial.

  Eloise watched him until he disappeared from view. Cecile and Beth watched, too. Then Beth said, “You see, Eloise? I told you he likes you.”

  * * *

  TO HER SURPRISE, Casey enjoyed the family lunch. Enjoyed being Adam’s hostess, making his family welcome. Even Anna May and Henry. She especially enjoyed seeing Sam stake his claim to Eloise, who left soon after Sam did, pleading a headache.

  Through the afternoon, Casey watched for an opportunity to speak to Adam’s aunt alone. Casey hadn’t discussed her plan with Adam. Now, she wondered if it was a dumb idea. Adam’s family problems were none of her business, he’d made it clear this morning she was nothing more than a one-month wife.

  But she loved him.

  Her chance came when everyone had finished eating. Most people sat around on the porch, nursing cups of coffee.

  Adam, bless his orderly heart, was scraping down the barbecue and generally getting things straightened out.

  Casey plunked herself down next to Anna May, who was watching Henry play tennis with some of his cousins on Adam’s grass court.

  “That boy is such an athlete,” Anna May said fondly, before she realized who it was sitting next to her. She scowled.

  “He’s good,” Casey agreed. To look at Henry’s stocky figure, you’d never guess he was a sportsman. But he was wiping the floor with the admittedly limited competition.

  “He’s always been talented out on the court,” Anna May said.

  “As opposed to in court.” Casey figured she might as well get right down to it.

  Anna May glared. “I’m not talking to you without my lawyer.”

  “Anna May,” Casey said. “Won’t you consider dropping your legal action against James’s will?”

  Anna May sniffed. “Certainly. All Adam has to do is promote Henry and pay us a dividend. He owes us.”

  Casey drew a breath. This was where she either screwed up big time or pulled a rabbit out of the hat.

  “I know you love Henry, and that’s why you’re fighting so hard on his behalf.”

  “Of course I love him.”

  “But Adam had the impression at one of your recent meetings that Henry’s heart isn’t in this battle.”

  The older woman blushed. “You don’t know the first thing about what my son wants.”

  “I know what it is to do things for people out of love.” She didn’t say, as a means of tying them to you. “But in the end, it’s not enough, for you or for them.” She paused. “Have you asked Henry what he really wants?”

  Anna May gaped. “Don’t be impertinent. I know what my son wants. I know what I can do for him. Stay out of our business.” She turned away to applaud, as Henry lobbed a killer serve that had his opponent scurrying for the ball.

  Casey eyed the firm set of the other woman’s shoulders with helpless frustration. She had been no help at all.

  * * *

  ADAM’S RELATIVES LEFT around four o’clock. With fewer people to act as a buffer, the strain between Casey and Adam became more apparent. They were wooden and stilted with each other, and despite Adam’s best efforts, Casey found herself drifting into brooding silence.

  She could barely hide her relief when her father and sister announced their imminent departure.

  Before they left, Karen cornered Casey in the living room. “Have you and Adam had an argument? He puts on a polite front, but I can see you’re both in a terrible mood.”

  Casey wasn’t up to pretending any longer. “Yes, we have,” she said simply.

  “Are you certain you’ve done the right thing, Casey? I don’t know how long you and Adam have known each other, but it can’t be all that long a time. If this doesn’t work out you can always come home to us.” For once, Karen’s concern sounded genuine.

  “I don’t know if my marriage will work out or not,” Casey said. “Thanks for the offer, but I won’t be coming back to Parkvale. I’m proud of you guys and how you’re doing.”

  Despite this morning’s disappointment, Casey knew an unfamiliar lightness of spirit. Finally, she’d said she wouldn’t go back, and meant it. All those other times she’d talked about leaving home, she realized now, she hadn’t been committed to building her own future. In getting away from Parkvale and writing her book, she’d discovered a kind of self-belief that all the affirmations in the world couldn’t deliver.

  Karen must have recognized the strength of her sister’s resolve. “I’m sure we’ll fix something up,” she said meekly. She hugged Casey. “Good luck. Thanks for everything. And I do mean everything.”

  And that was it. Mission accomplished.

  * * *

  “YOUR WIFE WAS TELLING ME—” Sam’s gaze slid away from Adam’s “—I should show Eloise the real me.”

  “Casey said that?” Adam drummed his fingers on his desk. It was only Tuesday, but already he wanted this week to be over so he could spend two days with Casey. Which made no sense after what he’d said on Sunday.

  “She’s the only wife you have, isn’t she? Or is this about to get more complicated?” The lawyer grinned. All through the meeting he’d been as chipper as Adam was sour.

  Adam ignored Sam’s joke. “If the way you groped Eloise in front of everyone was the real you, I’m not sure the world’s ready for it.”

  Sam frowned and cleared his throat. “You may not have realized, but I am, er, very fond of Eloise.”

  “For Pete’s sake, Sam, you all but ate her for lunch on Sunday,” Adam snapped, not interested in hearing about ot
her people’s love lives when his own was such a mess.

  Sam huffed. “I just want to warn you I intend to pursue Eloise with romantic intentions.”

  “Isn’t she the one you should be warning? Assuming she hasn’t figured it out already?”

  “I intend to do that, too,” Sam said.

  “Okay, I consider myself warned.” Adam let out a breath, and abandoned his churlish attitude. “Good luck with that.”

  The lawyer nodded, then switched the subject smoothly. “Judge Skelton is back from vacation.

  I presented our annulment petition to him this

  morning.”

  Adam stilled. “Good.” His voice sounded thin.

  “If you’re at all interested in making this marriage a permanent thing, I can ask him to hold off on his decision,” Sam offered.

  A rushing in Adam’s ears left him dizzy. “There’s no point,” he said. “Even if Casey stays, Anna May told me she’s going to argue in court that our marriage is fake, based on the TV wedding and the media coverage.”

  “I still think we can win our original argument that the will’s not legal,” Sam said. “What I’m saying is, if you and Casey do want to stay married, now’s the time to say so. Then if Anna May gets somewhere with her new complaint, we can ask the court to allow a couple of years to demonstrate that your marriage is lasting and committed. If you and Casey stay married, we win no matter what.”

  “How do we prove our marriage is genuine, without inviting Anna May into our bedroom?”

  Sam gnawed on his lip. “You have a baby.”

  A baby! Adam felt as if he’d been socked in the chest. He’d never thought about having children, but he did know he wasn’t about to have a kid just to prove a point in court.

  “It might be your best bet,” Sam said. “We’ll still challenge the will, saying your father can’t force you to get married. But a lot of judges don’t take kindly to that kind of thing. Most of them are within a decade or two of dying themselves. They don’t like the idea of someone tampering with a man’s final wishes.”

  “Casey and I aren’t going to stay married.” Adam was suddenly adamant on that point.