Southern Seduction ; Pleasure in His Arms

by Carolyn Hector

  Kit glanced to her left and right and didn’t finish the thought. “So I want to put everyone on notice—if you’re interested in becoming the next president of SSGBP, Em and I wish it will be someone from the family. But we understand the pageant life isn’t for everyone. So we’re at least hoping to spark interest from any of you who have helped influence and shape the pageant over the years. We have a pageant at the end of the summer. You know I love a good shakeup. Everyone bring your ideas, and those of us who’ve been on the committee since day one will consider each and every one of them and see what we can work into the show. The more ideas, the better your chances.”

  Out the corner of his eye, Caden saw his brothers put their heads together. A slight rush of blood went to his head. He needed to think quickly. Standing, he took hold of his champagne. “Mama, on behalf of everyone here, I think this is a brilliant idea. You and Aunt Em have provided a legacy my brothers and cousins admire. We hope to do you proud.”

  Kit reached up and patted Caden’s hand.

  “And that’s why I hope to ease your fears with one of us stepping up. I am throwing down the gauntlet, and I’m bringing along my secret weapon—my partner.” Caden took a deep breath and smiled over at the table where Kofi sat with his eyes stretched wide and a satisfied grin spreading across his face. “My partner in life, your favorite beauty queen, Miss Magnolia Swayne.”

  Chapter 7

  “Dear,” Auntie Bren started to say in a scolding tone, “I didn’t realize things were moving so fast between the two of you.”

  Neither did I, Maggie thought to herself, but since she couldn’t get a moment alone without a reporter, blogger or even a friend of the Archibalds nearby, she decided not to say anything until she talked to Caden—or as everyone called him, her fiancé. That had been one sly move, making them a team.

  “He is coming to the wedding, isn’t he?” Auntie Bren asked. “You never RSVP’d.”

  “It’s a small wedding, and considering I’m family, I didn’t think it would be that big of a deal.” Another person stopped Maggie and asked for a photograph before congratulating her.

  Auntie Bren followed close on Maggie’s tail. How was she supposed to play this? Was she seriously going to go along with this harebrained idea of his?” At the top of the deck where the rest of the Archibalds finished their lunch and took pictures with local reporters, Caden sat next to his mom. Everyone else, including herself, had managed to wear something in a variety of yellow hues. Caden was no different, with the hint of it in his paisley tie against his blue-and-white-checkered oxford shirt and blue jacket, yet he once again managed to make himself stand out against the crowd. He also managed to avoid eye contact with her after his big announcement. Maggie figured he didn’t want to venture too far from his mother’s skirts without fearing for his life.

  The light weight of her gauzy dress combined with the river’s wind forced Maggie to walk carefully as she approached Caden. Once she got close enough, he stood to greet her with open arms. His large hands reached for hers, and with the cameras snapping, Maggie played it cool and held his hands—tight, but she still let him touch her.

  “Dear,” Caden said kissing her cheek, “I know this wasn’t the way you wanted everyone to find out, but I figured Mama would be so happy, and she was looking sad.”

  “You did look sad,” Auntie Bren concurred.

  Kit gave her friend a tight-lipped smile during the banter the two of them kept up. “And how long have you known about these two, Brenda?”

  “I’m just finding out like everyone.” Auntie Bren wedged her arm between the freshly “engaged” couple and pulled Caden in for a hug. “I swear it was just the other day Maggie started bringing you around.”

  “You could have told me about Brenda’s wedding,” said Kit, swatting Caden’s hand. “We just had a video conference.”

  “That conference,” Jason said, coming over to the foursome, “last week was during one of your all-night keggers.”

  “Bachelor party,” Caden corrected before offering a tight-lipped grin. Clearly he hadn’t thought this through. Whatever his endgame, Caden couldn’t play the engaged playboy.

  “Future Mrs. Archibald. Sweetheart?”

  Maggie glanced up at her fiancé when he touched her shoulder. Someone with a camera made a joke at her expense about forgetting her name.

  “This must be overwhelming. Shall we go inside?”

  Auntie Bren called out to them. “Oh, kids? Since this is all out in the open, does this mean you won’t be staying at the hotel with me?”

  Caden reached for Maggie’s hand. “Maggie’s staying with me.”

  She liked how she had a choice in the matter, Maggie thought silently, yet she followed Caden’s long stride back inside. The weather felt mild and comfortable outside, but the cool air inside refreshed her face. It took a few blinks for her eyes to adjust from the sun.

  Maggie leaned a step in either direction in the hallway to make sure no one was round. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

  Caden stood in front of her, already with his hands in the air for another surrender.

  “Before you light in to me,” he said through a laugh, “I just want you to know what I did out there was for the benefit of the pageant.”

  “What does us being married have to do with anything?” Maggie swatted her hand against his bicep. “Are you nuts?”

  “Hang on now, it’s a fake engagement,” Caden tried to explain. He stepped backward and pressed a button to the elevator.

  “And there’s no way in hell I’m staying here with your parents.”

  The elevator arrived, and Caden opened the door to a brass gate. The floors were marble flecked with gold and a gold letter A in the center. Maggie stood in the corner while Caden tried to process her question. It took them just a few seconds to get to the third floor. Polished cherrywood shone on the staircase and banister. Maggie assumed if she glanced over the white painted railing she’d find the foyer. Instead of looking, though, Maggie followed Caden down to the end of the hall. He must have his own wing, she sniffed. Her apartment would fit in here.

  “All right,” Caden announced, “we’ll have more privacy in here.”

  It was obvious Caden’s favorite color was gray. The walls were a dark thunder cloud and the molding slightly lighter. A four-poster California king pressed against one wall, facing a set of open French doors with a balcony overlooking one of the rivers surrounding the mansion. Maggie inhaled deeply. She could get used to a room like this.

  Off to the left, Caden had a small living room area with side-by-side theater seats facing the wall where a scaled-down movie screen hung. A table between the two chairs held a bucket of ice and few bottles of beer.

  “So how long have you planned on getting me up here?” Maggie wasn’t sure if she should be flattered or not. She didn’t drink beer. Why would he think this was okay?

  “That?” Caden chucked his thumb at the entertainment center. “Kofi and I were going to watch some basketball later, but if you prefer...”

  “I don’t, but it’s cute you’re prepared for a slumber party.”

  With a shrug and a shake of his head, Caden explained the dynamics of Kofi’s position with the Archibalds—he and his wife provided the closest set of grandchildren Kit and Ellison were going to get any time soon.

  The perpetual bachelor. Maggie turned the corners of her lips into a frown. “Can you please explain to me about this big idea you have?”

  Caden crossed the room to tap a wall, which revealed a closet. The walk-in space was filled with jackets and pants neatly arranged on hangers. Shoes lined a rack below. He stepped inside and shrugged out of his blue sports coat. The thin material of his light oxford shirt clung to his muscles.

  “We both agree my brothers would kill the pageant its first run, right?” Caden asked, coming out wearing a gray str
iped pullover that matched his slacks.

  As much as she hated to admit it, he was right. “I’ll agree with you there.”

  “All right, so us teaming up together is a good idea,” said Caden. “I am willing to bet my brothers are pairing up right now. Heath and Spike are going to have to do a world apology tour first, but Jason and Chase will give us a run for our money. Let’s sit here.” Caden motioned toward the theater seats.

  The mere mention of their names forced a snarl; fortunately she turned her back on Caden to get in the seat. “Let them try. What’s the saying? If you give them enough rope, they’ll just hang themselves.”

  Melted ice chips shifted against the clear bottles. Music still continued outside. Kit’s little conference had turned into a full-blown lawn party. More live music filtered upstairs.

  Caden placed his hand on Maggie’s kneecap.

  “Want to tell me what my brothers said or did to you?”

  “Not at all,” she said with a gulp. Because if she repeated their words, it would somehow confirm their stupid prophecy. It was bad enough she’d let what they thought of her echo in her head. “Let’s say I decide to go with this charade.”

  “You already had your chance to speak,” he said with a shrug, “or forever hold your peace.”

  At that, Maggie rolled her eyes. “I am in no mood for jokes. Despite your behavior, I wasn’t about to ruin your mother’s good time. At this moment, I like her a heck of a lot more than I like you. You’ve put me in a bad position, Caden.”

  “Because there’s some man you’re already engaged to? You’re between apartments, between jobs, and from what I gather, between trying to decide what you want to do with the rest of your life.”

  “I have commitments, Caden.”

  “Your aunt’s wedding,” Caden acknowledged. “Why didn’t you just tell me?”

  Maggie shrugged. “Why can’t you just respect what I said and accept no for an answer? No woman in her right mind likes a fake proposal. Maybe you’re right about not working with women. You don’t know the first thing about them.”

  Caden wiped his large hand down his face and sighed heavily. “I’m sorry. I’ll make it up to you on the dance floor at Auntie Bren’s wedding.”

  “Caden, let’s be serious here.”

  “Oh, I’m dead serious. I don’t want my brothers having anything to do with my mother’s dream. And I’ll do anything to keep them from messing up her legacy.”

  “So you—the man who never works with women—are going to run a pageant?” Maggie sat back in her seat and crossed her arms.

  “That’s where you come in. It’s the perfect arrangement. You know pageants. You know women. I’ll provide the behind-the-scenes help, but I’ll let you run things.”

  “How kind of you,” she said drily. “I am not saying I am going along with your plan, but I will admit it is intriguing to piss off your brothers. But I can’t let you run the pageant.”

  “How about we work on that after we knock them out of the running?”

  “You’d be so cold and callous to your blood?”

  Caden reached for a bottle and broke the seal with his hands. “All’s fair in love and beauty pageants, right?”

  * * *

  “I take it you’ve overcome your fear of weddings.”

  At the sound of Kofi’s voice, Caden pushed away from the balcony outside his bedroom window. The party continued downstairs with Kit and her friends. Aunt Em and Uncle Samuel sat at the center of the long table at the deck with a line of relatives waiting patiently to have a word with them. He guessed everyone wanted to pitch their ideas. Caden had seen enough when he watched his father try to dance with Kit.

  “There you are,” Caden said at the sight of Kofi. “I thought we were going to watch the game.”

  “I recorded it when I found out about the meeting being held today.” Kofi joined Caden on the balcony with one of the bottles. “I’m glad I didn’t miss it.”

  Caden already knew what his best friend was going to say. “I have a plan.”

  “Do you?” Kofi’s voice dripped with the same kind of sarcasm as Maggie’s. “Because it sounds more like you’re getting married.”

  The usual chill that crept down Caden’s spine at that prospect wasn’t there, and that baffled him. Ignoring why, he furrowed his brows at his partner. “Why does everyone think that?”

  Kofi shook his head. “Because that’s what people do shortly after announcing their engagement.”

  The laugh that came from deep within his belly was so hard, he rested his hand on his abs. “You’re hilarious.”

  “Caden,” Kofi said in his slow I-have-something-serious-to-say voice. “When you propose, a wedding follows. This is not a joke.”

  “I take our business very serious, Kof,” explained Caden. What was the big deal? Why was Kofi not getting onboard? “And besides, you were the one who said we needed to get involved in the takeover.”

  “Involved, not engaged,” Kofi gritted through his teeth. “How is this going to help A&O?”

  Caden glanced down below where Maggie danced with Kofi’s sons. His heart swelled. Maybe he had had too much champagne earlier. “We can discuss this later. Right now,” he said, tearing his eyes away from the dance floor, “I’m going to take my fiancée home.”

  As he passed by Kofi, he could hear a whispered, “God help us all.”

  Instead of taking the elevator, Caden jogged down the steps. Barely winded, he caught up with Maggie after a song ended. With the suave dance steps learned in the ballroom lessons his mother had forced all the boys to take, Caden entered the makeshift dance floor and took over the spin Uncle Samuel twirled Maggie in.

  “Well there’s my fiancée,” Caden said in her ear.

  In jest, Maggie glanced around the area. “Is there someone else?”

  “Nobody else but you, Maggie,” Caden whispered. She smelled like buttercream. He couldn’t wait to bring her to his home and maybe make some dessert. The pregnant pause between them lasted a few beats of the song played by the band. Her heart beat against his chest, and when he spun her under the moonlight, a lump formed in Caden’s throat. His brother’s laughter spoiled the mood when he started to dip his head lower. The moment had been perfect. Chase brought over a woman in a way too low-cut dress with a too-high hem. Caden knew his mother wouldn’t approve and was angered by his brother’s lack of respect.

  “Want to get out of here?”

  “I could go for a ride,” Maggie said.

  Without a second thought, Caden led Maggie by the hand through the backyard to where he had his car parked.

  “Your mother’s party is in full swing,” said Maggie. “Should we leave?”

  Caden opened the passenger side door and then slid in his seat behind the wheel. Flashes from paparazzi cameras blinded him for a moment. Thankfully he was used to sneaking in and out of the property as a teenager. He knew this driveway blindfolded. Once out in the streets, Caden took Maggie through the lovely Garden District just to show off his beautiful city. Maggie leaned forward to turn on the radio. He liked the way she hummed to the tunes. If his memory served him correctly, Maggie made it to the top fifteen during her stint as a beauty queen with her talent portion devoted to a dance. He wondered if she would’ve won had she sung instead.

  By the time Caden made it to his home, Maggie had dozed off. What a long day they’d had. Caden killed the ignition and turned to face her. Her long lashes fluttered against her cheeks when she realized they’d stopped.

  “Where are we?”

  “Don’t you want to come inside?”

  Maggie offered a lovely sigh. Her eyes cut to his front porch. “The lights are off. No one is home.”

  “Live a little,” Caden challenged her with a wink, letting her think they were at someone else’s house. He slipped out of the car and whi
pped around to her side. Hesitant, Maggie stiffly allowed him to escort her out of the car. Her strides along the cobblestone walkway were short and slow. Caden jogged ahead and picked up the fake rock that held his spare key.

  “Caden.” Maggie stood at the bottom step. “I’m not sure what you’re thinking, but I can tell you now, I don’t have enough money in my bank account for bail.”

  “Don’t be silly.” Caden held out his hand for her to take. “I have enough bail money for the both of us.” Caden opened the door for Maggie. She ultimately stepped over the threshold first but not without giving him a dirty look accompanied with pouty pink lips.

  Inside, he found the light switch. The hanging chandelier in the foyer brightened the walls. Thank God the remnants of the bachelor party were gone. He needed to give his housekeeper a raise.

  Tiptoeing in her heels, Maggie clasped her hands behind her back while she walked down the hall. She stopped in front of a painting. Caden hung back and smiled.

  “This is your place.” Maggie pointed to the portrait of the front of the building of the A&O Agency.

  The acknowledgment told him Maggie followed his career. Their first building had been erected in California when they graduated from Stanford University.

  “Okay, so you don’t live at home with your parents,” said Maggie. “What are you doing with all this space?”

  “Filling it with our children.” The answer came out so quick it shocked him. Her too. She stood still and blinked. “Too soon?”

  “I guess not, considering you ‘proposed’ this afternoon. I was already asked by six different women when we planned on starting a family.” Maggie turned to face him, her back up against the wall. Caden placed his hand above her head.