Dream Wedding

by Susan Mallery

  “I want to know what has made you believe in all this.”

  “I want to know what has made you such a cynic,” he responded. “Do you mean to tell me that in all your twenty-five years there hasn’t been one incident you can’t explain? One event or circumstance that makes no sense, but that you can’t deny?”

  Their gazes locked. Something flickered in her eyes. Something that called out to him and if they’d been alone…

  But they weren’t, he reminded himself. They had two very interested onlookers.

  “My, look at the time,” Chloe said. “If we don’t get these dishes soaking, they’ll never come clean.”

  With that she sprang to her feet and started to clear the table. The other two women moved to help her. Cassie shooed Arizona back into his seat when he tried to assist. His gaze followed Chloe. She was hiding something. He could feel it.

  There was a mystery behind her pretty face and he had every intention of solving it.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  “I LOOK like a bridesmaid,” Cassie complained.

  Chloe fluffed her sister’s hair. “You look beautiful. I love that dress.”

  “It’s too young. I should change into something else. Why can’t I look sophisticated, like you?”

  Chloe faced front and studied their reflections in the mirror. They stood in her bathroom, both ready to go out for the evening. Cassie wore a long-sleeved, silky dress of pale pink that fell to midcalf. Lace edged the oversize collar. Her thick hair had been smoothed away from her face, exposing the gold heart earrings she always wore—the earrings that matched Chloe’s locket—a legacy from their mother.

  Chloe was willing to admit that while Cassie didn’t look like a bridesmaid, there was definitely something virginal about her dress and her expression. She was still untouched by the ways of the world. Chloe thought about her own heartache and figured her sister was lucky to still be so unaware of the emotional pain that awaited her.

  Chloe turned her attention to her own reflection. In contrast to her sister’s innocence, she looked ready for sin. She’d pulled her long curls up on top of her head, securing them in a large clip. The ends fell to the back of her neck and danced against her bare skin. Her dress was simple. A scoop-neck, long-sleeved velvet dress. The soft burgundy fabric came to midthigh, exposing a lot of leg.

  Overtly sexy wasn’t her usual style, but then neither was a man like Arizona. She was attending a reception in his honor. She figured she needed all the help she could get just to maintain some kind of power base in the relationship. If only she weren’t so attracted to him, she might have a fighting chance. But she was attracted. She shivered at the thought of being near him again. Of seeing him and talking to him. Lord help her if he asked her to dance. She would probably become a giant puddle right there on the dance floor.

  “I hate being short,” Cassie said with a sigh.

  “You’re five-five. That’s average, not short. Besides, I would love to be petite.”

  “Me, too.” Cassie patted her hips. “Instead, I’m curvy. You get to be tall and slender and beautiful. If you weren’t my sister, I think I’d hate you. I might just hate you anyway.”

  Chloe smiled and kissed her cheek. “You know you love me. I love you, too. So we’re even.”

  The doorbell rang downstairs. Cassie glanced toward the door. “That will be Joel. You know we’re going out to dinner before we come to the reception, right?”

  “Why? There will be food at the party. You can eat there.”

  Cassie slipped out of the bathroom. “You know how Joel is. He’s concerned that with Arizona’s reputation and his world travel, the university will be serving something exotic. Joel doesn’t eat exotic things. We’ll go to our regular restaurant and join you later.”

  Chloe resisted the urge to roll her eyes. What on earth was Cassie doing with Joel? Why couldn’t she see she was simply settling? There was a whole world out there just waiting to be seen. But instead of speaking her mind, Chloe forced herself to smile. They’d had this discussion a hundred times. Cassie knew her sister’s opinion on the subject, and she was old enough to make her own decisions.

  “Don’t change your mind about coming,” Chloe said. “I really want you there.”

  “I wouldn’t miss it. I promise.” She waved, then left to meet her date.

  Chloe lingered in the bathroom for a few minutes, touching up her makeup and spraying on perfume. As a rule, she didn’t put much on her face during the day. A little mascara, sunscreen and powder. But for events like this, she went all out. At least she had the satisfaction of knowing she looked her best. She would need the confidence to face everyone at the reception.

  “It’s really dumb to lie to myself,” she said, and she collected her tiny evening purse. Okay, she would tell the truth. She wanted to look her best to give herself the confidence to face Arizona…and because she was female enough to want to knock his socks off. It wasn’t going to happen, of course, but a girl could dream.

  Thirty minutes later, she accepted the car claim ticket from the valet and stared up at the front of the hotel. The welcome reception was being held in the grand ballroom. Bradley wasn’t that big a town and most events like this were held here. She knew the approximate layout of the room, at least half the guest list and who was likely to get drunk and embarrass themselves. She was here both as a reporter and as a guest. The former role meant that she would need to spend at least part of the evening talking to Arizona.

  “Talk about a hardship,” she murmured under her breath. She made a promise to herself that no matter how good he looked in his tux, she would not swoon, then she squared her shoulders and headed for the ballroom.

  The huge room was much as she expected. Bright lights glittered from a dozen chandeliers. There were crowds of people in tight conversation groups. Her name was checked against the list of invitees, then she was admitted.

  Chloe made her way to the bar in the east corner and ordered a glass of white wine. It was false courage at best, but she had a feeling she was going to need all the help she could get.

  As she sipped the tart liquid, she glanced around. While she told herself she was just checking out who was wearing what, she knew she was actually searching for him. Damn. She couldn’t even pretend she wasn’t interested for five minutes. What hope did she have of pulling off the professional act? Well, she was going to have to figure out a way. Maybe if she walked around for a while and chatted with some other people she might figure out how to pull this off. If she—“I thought you were never going to get here.”

  The voice came from behind her, but she didn’t have to turn around to identify the speaker. Even if she hadn’t recognized him from how he sounded, her body instinctively knew. Was it his scent, his heat or something more basic than that? She wasn’t sure. All she knew was that there wasn’t going to be enough time to get her act together.

  Fake it until you make it, she told herself as she turned so they were facing each other.

  He’d had a recent haircut and shave. She filed the information away as she drank in the sight of him. Strong, handsome features, green eyes that twinkled with amusement and what she hoped was appreciation. He wore a black tux, obviously tailored, and a crisp, white shirt. He was tall, dangerous and too sexy by far. The only thing that gave her hope of surviving the evening without making a fool of herself was the fact that he seemed to be studying her as completely as she had studied him.

  “Well,” he asked and did a quick turn, like a fashion model. “What do you think?”

  “You clean up very nicely, Dr. Smith.”

  “I could say the same, but it wouldn’t do justice. You always look lovely, but tonight you’re radiant.”

  He brought her free hand up to his mouth and kissed her knuckles. The old-fashioned gesture nearly drove her to her knees. She had
to consciously remind her body to keep breathing.

  “We are,” he said as he tucked her hand into the crook of his arm, “a fabulous-looking couple. Everyone will be jealous. It’s our duty to walk through the crowd, spreading our attractiveness among them. They will expect it. They might even throw money.” He gave her a wink.

  His outrageousness made her laugh and his easy smile calmed some of her nervousness. “How noble of you,” she told him. “I’m terribly impressed by your concern for the little people.”

  He leaned toward her. “Seriously, I expect you to protect me. I hate parties like this. Everyone wants to impress me with their exotic travels. Some even bring pictures. I never know what to say. I don’t do the celebrity thing very well.”

  His confession both surprised and pleased her. “I’ll do what I can to keep you safe.”

  They began to circulate through the room. Chloe had been prepared to introduce Arizona to the local dignitaries, but he already seemed to know them. He greeted the mayor and most of the city council by name.

  “How do you do that?” she asked when they’d excused themselves to go sample the food. “How do you know who everyone is?”

  Arizona collected an empty plate for each of them and led her to the buffet line. “I met the mayor and her husband at the airport. There was a city council meeting yesterday and I attended.”

  Chloe glanced at the food spread out before them. There was nothing more exotic than some enchiladas, but Cassie had probably been right to let Joel take her out to dinner. He would have fussed over the fact that there wasn’t a steak in sight.

  “I have a terrible time remembering people’s names,” she said as she took some salad. “I keep a detailed card file so I don’t mess up at press conferences.”

  “I’m lucky,” he admitted. “It’s easy for me to remember names and faces. I only have to meet someone once and I know them. It works. People like to be remembered.”

  Especially by someone like him, she thought. It wouldn’t matter if he was at a dinner at the White House, or in some small village. He would always be the center of attention. Even now, she knew people were watching him, trying to figure out an excuse to talk to him.

  The adoration should have made him unbearable, but Arizona handled it with grace and humor. She suspected that was true for most of his life. Was there anything he didn’t do well?

  “How’s the story coming?” he asked as they settled into two chairs to eat. “Are you going to dig up the skeletons in my closet?”

  “Do you have any?”

  “No, but wouldn’t it be fun if I did? Maybe I’m Elvis.” He curled his upper lip and tried to look sexy.

  She laughed.

  He pretended to be wounded. “I wasn’t trying to be funny. If there weren’t so many people around, I would sing for you.”

  “I can’t wait.”

  “Dr. Smith?” A beautifully dressed middle-aged woman stopped in front of him. Chloe recognized her as the chairperson of the cultural council. It had joined forces with the university to sponsor Arizona’s visit and lecture series. “It’s nearly eight o’clock. The university president is about to introduce you and we’d like you to say a few words.”

  “No problem.” He stood up and set his plate on a tray, then winked at Chloe. “You’ll be able to tell which one is me up there,” he said, pointing to the small stage at the far end of the room. “I’ll be the one stuttering.”

  She smiled. “I’ll wave.”

  “Great.” He winked. “Don’t go giving all your dances away. I want one.”

  “No problem,” she said lightly, while every cell in her body screamed that he could not only have all her dances, he could have her, too. Anytime, anywhere.

  So much for acting professional.

  As Arizona was led to the podium, the crowd moved in that direction as well. Chloe found herself swept along. She caught bits of conversation around her. Everyone was talking about him. The men wanted to be him and the women wanted to make love with him. She couldn’t blame either group. He was just that kind of man—a force of nature.

  She supposed her physical reaction was something to be expected. It wasn’t a crush, exactly, but really close. Still, she could control it. At least enough to get her job done. Tonight they would dance together, and she would probably lose her head a little, but in the morning everything would be back to normal. At least that was her fantasy.

  The university president greeted the crowd. Chloe tried to listen, but her gaze kept slipping to Arizona. He was tall and powerful as he stood in front of everyone. There was an ease about him. He was the kind of man you could talk to and instinctively trust.

  It took her a few minutes to realize that she was the center of some attention and speculation. She heard her name mentioned and when she turned in that direction, the woman who had been speaking blushed and looked away.

  Chloe sucked in a breath. People had noticed Arizona with her. Of course. How could they not? He’d been at her side since she’d arrived. They were talking about them. She could feel it.

  Arizona started to speak. He thanked the crowd for attending and soon had them laughing at one of his stories. Chloe watched him with a combination of trepidation and pride. He was going to come back to her when he was done up there. He’d as much as told her and she believed him. He might have a woman in every city around the world, but for tonight, he would be with her.

  He did return, and as he did, the band started playing. He swept her into his arms without asking. She didn’t mind. Where else was there to be?

  They moved together easily, like an old married couple dancing to a familiar song. There were others on the floor, but she felt as if they were alone. Still, when they circled around, she caught interested stares and heard murmurs of speculation. One woman glared at her in obvious outrage. She wasn’t sure if she should be irritated by the other woman’s anger or flattered.

  “What are you thinking?” he asked.

  She wore pumps with two-inch heels. Even so she had to tilt her head to meet his gaze. “That I’ve never been out with the most popular boy in school before. Some of the cheerleaders are a little cranky.”

  “I don’t believe you didn’t date the football captain.”

  She liked the feel of him next to her. His body was strong and warm. It was also exactly as she remembered it from her dream, but she didn’t want to think about that.

  “You should,” she told him. “I wasn’t very popular in high school. I was too tall and too skinny. These things—” she glanced down at her modest breasts “—didn’t bother making an appearance until nearly eleventh grade. I didn’t think I was ever going to get breasts. Big eyes, big lips, too much hair. I’ve sort of grown into my looks. But it’s a recent thing.”

  “You’ve done a fine job.”

  “Well, thank you, sir. What about you? How does it feel to be the archaeological equivalent of a rock star?”

  She thought he might pretend to misunderstand the question, or give her a teasing response. Instead, he looked slightly uncomfortable and asked, “Do you really want to know?”

  “Yeah, I do.” Even though she found it hard to concentrate, what with them being so close and all. If she closed her eyes, she found herself mentally drifting back to that night in the cave when they’d made love. If she kept her eyes open, she got lost in his dark gaze and never wanted to surface again. It was a tough choice.

  He solved her dilemma by wrapping his arm more tightly around her waist and drawing her closer. His cheek rested against her temple.

  “Women have always been available,” he said. “I don’t claim to understand what combination of genes and luck make that true. It started when I was about thirteen and it hasn’t let up yet. When I was younger, in my teens and early twenties, I took advantage of that fact.”

 
He pulled back enough for her to see his face. His expression was earnest. “I was smart enough to be careful, so no one got pregnant and I hope no one got hurt. But it wasn’t my finest hour. Fortunately, it got old very quickly. I learned it was more fun when I got to know the lady in question and took the time to develop a relationship to her.”

  He pulled her against him again. She liked being close. For reasons she couldn’t explain, being with him made her feel safe.

  “A wise old woman, and I do mean that, helped me see the light. She was a shaman and had to be close to a hundred years old. Anyway, this wise old woman once told me that every time people make love, they give away a piece of their soul. If one makes love with the same person again and again, eventually they exchange souls and that is what was intended for married couples. But if one makes love with many people, one will find oneself with nothing left to give to the one who matters. Worse, we end up with no soul of our own.”

  “I hadn’t thought of it that way, but the theory has merit,” she said.

  “I agree. Now. At the time I was all of eighteen, and if I remember correctly, all I could think about was getting her great-granddaughter into bed, so I wasn’t the most appreciative audience.”

  The music stopped. They broke apart and applauded. “Let’s go get some fresh air,” Arizona said.

  She allowed him to lead her to the open patio at the far end of the room.

  The night air was clear and balmy. She reminded herself she was working and should be trying to get a story from him. But she couldn’t think about anything but the man standing next to her. There was something about him—something that called to her. If she was the kind of woman who believed in destiny, she would be willing to admit he was the one for her. But she wasn’t and he wasn’t. Still, he was a very good time.

  “You’re beautiful,” he said, leaning against the railing and drawing her against him.