Colin handed over the leash and gave Mackenzie a grateful smile. “He’d love that. Thank you, Mackenzie.”
Mackenzie hightailed it out of there, completely abandoning Tiffany. What kind of friend does that? My friend, that’s who. A friend who allows her buddy to get hitched in Vegas.
Colin took Mackenzie’s seat and he released a heavy sigh. “I was worried about where you had run off to.”
“Why? Of course, I would go back to my friend. Granted, I’m not sure we’re friends anymore.” Tiffany laughed nervously.
Colin spoke softly, “She’s a very good friend and Pauly seems to be quite taken with her. And I know that he’s a fabulous judge of character.”
“What are we doing here? I mean, how do we fix this?” Tiffany asked.
“Simple. We stay married.”
“Um, no. That is not an option.”
“Why not?”
“Colin, we haven’t even dated yet. You don’t know anything about me. Like…what’s my favorite color?” Tiffany threw hands up in the air.
“Periwinkle.”
“What?” Tiffany was shocked. How can he possibly know that?
“Fine. How about favorite food?”
“That’s a toss-up. Chinese or Italian.” Colin smiled.
“Okay, those were easy. Anyone could know.”
“Tiffany, did you think those days when we spent time talking that I wasn’t listening? I find you incredibly interesting.” His voice got low and a magical light danced in his eyes. “I have been intrigued by you since the moment you fell into my arms on Owen’s boat.”
“But that’s not enough to stay married. This is not how I ever dreamed it happening, that’s for sure.
“I can understand that. Imagine my end. Think of how much I stand to lose? I don’t recall having you sign a prenuptial agreement.”
Damn. “But I would never—” Tiffany started when Colin took her hand.
“How am I to be sure? As you just pointed out, we don’t know each other very well.”
Tiffany looked down at his hand. His wedding band was still on. It was surreal. The man sitting across from her was legally her husband.
“I think we need to take this one step at a time,” Colin said softly as his thumb rubbed gentle circles on her skin. “I know you feel it, too. There’s something here. What it is I’m not entirely certain, but I do think it’s worth exploring.”
“So, what do you suggest we do, then?” Tiffany looked into his dark eyes.
This man was so impossibly handsome, so out of her league, and yet, she was terribly drawn to him. Tiffany’s heart was surrendering. Tiffany was officially way over her head in whatever madness this was.
* * * *
Several hours later, Tiffany and Mackenzie found themselves on the most luxurious private jet. Okay, it was the first private jet they had ever been on, but it was pretty damn amazing. Colin was on the phone with a client and seated diagonally from them. Sir McCartney was snoring in his own seat. It all seemed so weird and that was really the only way that Tiffany could describe it.
Mackenzie looked over at her, holding the flute of champagne that Colin had his flight attendant pass around to ease their nerves. He’d called flying a ‘senseless necessity’.
“This is crazy. You know that, right?” Mackenzie said.
“You’re telling me.” Tiffany slowly sipped her drink, enjoying the flood of bubbles in her mouth.
“So, what are you two going to do?” Mackenzie whispered.
“I’m not sure. I guess he wants us to see where this goes.”
Mackenzie smiled and laughed. “Um, yeah, marriage is usually where it ends up and you guys are already kinda there.”
“I know, but he wants us to date now.”
“Really? So, do you have your position back or what’s the deal there?”
“I have no clue. I can’t imagine that’s part of his plan.”
Mackenzie looked around the plane. “You know, you could do a lot worse. You probably don’t need to work anymore.”
Tiffany shook her head. “It’s not like I’m really his wife or anything. I mean, hell, I’m not even his girlfriend.”
“Tiff, you are his wife. Just look down at your finger if you need another reminder.”
“Yeah, but we’ve never even slept together. We’ve never been on a date or anything. This isn’t what it really is, you know?”
“I see what you mean. But no matter how you slice it, you’re married.” Mackenzie sipped from her flute. “So, you guys haven’t done the deed yet?”
Tiffany shook her head in disbelief and quickly rerouted the conversation. “Was it hard saying goodbye to Jason this afternoon?”
Mackenzie frowned. “I don’t even know what’s going on there, to be honest. He acted strange when we spoke. I think he expected me to stay longer, then he was a little more than confused by your whole situation. Nothing seems to make any sense. Maybe it’s just easier being alone, and so I told him that I think we’re better off as just friends. I mean he can’t seem to make up his mind as to what he wants, and it’s too hard to try and figure him out.” Mackenzie released a heavy sigh. “I can’t stand men. Why do we even bother, Tiff? They just make everything more complicated.”
“God, isn’t that the truth? Like a few months ago… Things were just normal. We were all single, just doing our thing in Seattle. Now it’s like I have no clue what’s up and what’s down. You’re right. Everything is crazy. Sorry that things didn’t work out between you and Jason, though.”
Mackenzie raised her glass. “Here’s to life’s unexpected moments and to having no clue how to handle them.”
“Cheers.” Tiffany clinked her glass with Mackenzie’s and closed her eyes. When was she going to wake up from this dream, because it had to be? This could not really be her life.
Chapter Fourteen
“Um, no. That’s not happening, not by a long shot.” Tiffany cemented her stance outside the black SUV that Colin was sitting in the back of.
“Get in. We’re going home.”
“I’m going to my home. You’re going to yours. It’s that simple.” Tiffany was not budging on this matter. Colin had already sent Mackenzie off in Tiffany’s car when they had touched down from Vegas, and now he was insisting they go home, together. His home was not hers. Just because they were technically wed didn’t mean they were actually a married couple.
“Tiffany, please, get inside the car.”
Tiffany walked to the driver’s side and tapped on the dark glass. The driver rolled the window down. “Sir, you may leave now. I’ll be taking another car. Thank you.” He nodded.
Colin rolled down the back-passenger window. “So, that’s it?”
“Yep. I’m going home. We can talk later. I’m exhausted, Colin.”
He rolled the window back up. The dark tint hid him as the car pulled away. A part of her already missed him, but it had been the right call. They needed to figure this out, maybe see an attorney. Tiffany wasn’t sure how any of this would work, but sleep was all that she wanted right now. She was still slightly hungover from the previous night. She hadn’t even been married for a full twenty-four hours and here she was getting into a cab all alone. Yeah, being married is everything I hoped it would and so much more…not!
Tiffany tried to close her eyes and nap as the cab drove her, but her brain wouldn’t shut off. A headache was beginning, and she let her head rest on the cool window. She looked outside briefly and took in the glittering lights of Seattle. God, this place is beautiful at night, almost magical.
The cab driver announced they were nearing her apartment as he slowed the car.
Home sweet home. Alone.
After paying the driver, Tiffany lugged her bags to the door. She had some difficulty as she fished her keys out of her large purse. She finally located them and held the small set of keys up. Mission accomplished. Once inside, Tiffany was slightly out of breath and decided to leave her luggage in the livin
g room. It could wait until tomorrow to be unpacked. She showered and dressed in her most comfy pajamas. Mr. Sprinkles didn’t seem to notice or care that she had been gone. He whined for more food then went about sleeping in his favorite spot. It was late—almost midnight—and Tiffany threatened to drop from pure exhaustion. Emotionally worn out and physically tired, she craved the warmth and comfort of her bed. She was going to sleep well tonight. Tomorrow she would get together with Molly and Mackenzie. They could sort this thing out together. Mackenzie had just called a few minutes ago to let Tiffany know she’d gotten home fine and that things would be okay. Tiffany believed her. When they put their heads together, they were bound to come up with a solution. Things would be okay. Maybe it was the sheer tiredness, but Tiffany actually felt positive about all of this. She was back home now, safely away from Vegas, a place she planned never to return to. Tiffany peeled back her comforter, a sunny yellow with black and gray flowers. It was amazing to be in her bed. She closed her eyes and began to be carried away into a deep slumber.
A noise, something had startled her. What the hell? Is someone knocking? God, what time is it? How long have I been asleep? Have I been asleep? Tiffany’s brain was confused as it shot all these questions. Then she heard it again. Someone was definitely knocking on her door. Tiffany’s vision was blurred as she tried to look at her alarm clock. She jumped out of her bed and raced to the front door. Tiffany cautiously peeked out of the peephole. Seriously?
Tiffany pulled the door opened and glared at her visitor.
Colin and a very groggy looking Pauly stood there.
“What are you doing here?”
“Well, you didn’t want to come home with us, so here we are.” Colin seemed quite pleased with himself. He made no excuses for his ridiculous behavior. He just stood there proudly.
“I see that. But, again, that doesn’t really answer my question. Why are you here?”
“Because, love, no matter which way we look at this, we’re married. Do you mind letting me, your darling husband, inside?”
Tiffany turned around and Colin followed her in. He was dragging an enormous suitcase and had a backpack slung on one shoulder. Pauly scampered into the living room and sought refuge on the couch.
“Down,” Tiffany ordered. He looked up at her with his sad, droopy brown eyes as he remained seated. “So, you and your dog just think you can move in?”
“I thought you liked him,” Colin said as he wheeled his luggage behind the couch. “Well, I wouldn’t call it ‘moving in’.”
“What would you call it, then?”
“A temporary arrangement until you come to your senses.” Colin kissed Tiffany on the cheek then surveyed the room. “Where’s the bedroom?”
She pointed to the couch where Pauly was already stretched out. Tiffany rolled her eyes. She was in no mood to deal with this. She went into her kitchen and poured herself some water. The cool drink settled her growing irritation. She walked past Colin, into her bedroom and she shut her door. Nope, there was no way Tiffany was going to deal with any more tonight. If he wanted to stay, he and his bulldog could sleep on the couch.
* * * *
The early morning sunlight was splashing warm rays into her room. She stared up at the ceiling. She’d been awake for a little while but didn’t want to leave her bed. Tiffany had slept well, a deep and peaceful sleep. It had truly been one of the best she’d had in a long time. Then she heard a soft knock on her door. Her heart skipped a beat and Tiffany panicked for a moment until she remembered that she wasn’t alone. She’d hoped that it had been an illusion or some kind of figment of her imagination, but nope, Colin was indeed here.
“Can I please come in?”
Did she really have much say? Could she just hide in her bed all day and hope he’d go away? Basically, no was the answer to the questions.
Colin opened the door slowly. Suddenly she heard something bang against it then something heavy was on her.
“Pauly, get down,” Colin called out.
The fat English bulldog was rubbing all over Tiffany and burrowing himself deeper into her covers. Gross. Tiffany could only imagine the snot and ickiness of her little snuggle buddy. Yet, he oozed nothing but love for her and it softened her heart toward him.
“I’m sorry. I guess he missed you. He has been standing guard by your door all night,” Colin explained as he tried to remove his plump fur-baby from the bed. Pauly made himself heavy and was dead weight until Colin released his hold. He scrambled to get closer to Tiffany.
“Probably protecting me from you,” Tiffany teased. “Oh, just leave him. There’s no use in fighting it. He just wants to cuddle.” Tiffany was resolved that there was no point in denying Pauly. At least, not until she’d had her coffee. Only then would Tiffany even attempt to tackle the day, not until she was properly armed with caffeine.
“You sure?” Colin joined them on the bed.
“I didn’t say you could,” Tiffany swatted Colin away.
“But I’m cuter than him,” Colin argued playfully as he kissed Tiffany on her forehead.
“Trust me. The dog is much cuter.”
Tiffany gave up then finally crawled out of bed, made coffee and breakfast. She couldn’t help but think how strange this all was. She scraped some leftover scrambled eggs into Pauly’s bowl and Colin scowled at her.
“You’ll be sorry you fed him that.”
“Why?” Tiffany asked as she began to load the dishwasher.
“You think his farts were awful before. Oh, sweetheart, you’re in for a treat.”
Tiffany filled up her mug with more coffee and just stood there staring at this foreign scene. A man—a sexy Irishman at that—was sitting at her table—a man who was now her husband. She swallowed the hot liquid, praying for it to work its magic on her tired brain.
He sat across from Tiffany as she nursed her second cup of coffee and life was starting to make a little more sense. No, it actually wasn’t, but her brain was at least able to function. Colin was now reading the paper but had spent half the morning making phone calls. She’d overheard him earlier while she’d been preparing breakfast. He’d been direct and had a commanding presence, yet he’d remained charming and she knew the people on the other end had been eating out of his hand. Colin was damn good at what he did.
“Colin, we need to really talk.” She stared at him. For sleeping on a couch and looking rumpled, he was incredibly gorgeous, maybe even more so than ever. He had whiskers along his jaw, his brown hair wasn’t perfectly combed and he sat shirtless, wearing only flannel pajama bottoms. He’d had no problem making himself comfortable in her house, but then again, this was a man who was used to always getting his way. Tiffany would be able to focus better if maybe he’d thrown on a shirt.
“I couldn’t agree more.” He lifted his mug and smiled at her before taking a sip.
“So, where do we begin?”
“Well, for starters, we need to consider other living arrangements. This place, as quaint and cozy as it is, it’s not large enough for us to co-exist. I will have your things moved over then we can begin to sort that matter.”
“No, that’s not happening. First off, you came here. I never invited you. Colin, you are not living here, nor am I moving into your place.”
“Tiffany, we’re married and if we’re to see if this will work, we need to be living together.” He winked at her. “Think of the benefits of marriage.”
She could think of a few, but that wasn’t the point. “We can’t just move in with each other. I’m not doing it.” Tiffany was firm on that. She’d seen first-hand how difficult it had been for Molly to give up all her stuff and move in with Owen and their relationship was completely different. They were actually a couple. Tiffany and Colin, though legally bound, were anything but.
“That’s fine. I’ll just stay here. I just think we’d be more comfortable at my residence.”
“You do what you want, but you’re staying on the couch.”
“You
don’t fancy sharing your bed yet?”
The sly smile on his handsome face along with his accent had Tiffany questioning her sanity. How in the hell do I expect to survive living with this man? “Colin, couch or no deal.”
“Then the couch it is, love,” he answered. “So, what would you like to do today as a happily married couple?”
“First off, we aren’t a couple, married or otherwise.”
“We kind of are, now.” Colin sipped his coffee again. “We’re married and I intend to make this work—or at the very least try.”
“I understand that, but we need to lay down a few ground rules.”
“Such as?”
“For starters, let’s not act like we’re a couple—married or anything like that.”
“But we are.”
“Why do you care so much about that, Colin? It’s only a piece of paper.”
He looked up toward the ceiling and answered, “I think it’s a little more than that. We said vows in front of God.”
“No, we said them in front of Elvis.”
“That might be the case, but we professed our love and commitment to one another, to this marriage before God. So, in His eyes, we made a promise. And I keep my promises.”
“You can’t be serious? We were drunk. This is the result of far too much rum and poor decision-making. I think God can overlook our little lapse of judgment and forgive us.”
“Tiffany, I take marriage very seriously.”
“You got married in Vegas to someone you barely know. I don’t think that says a lot about how much you value the sanctity of marriage,” Tiffany argued.
Colin laughed. “Oh, Tiffany.
“What? It’s true.”
“Hardly, love.”
“Care to elaborate?”
“No need to justify it to you. You’ll come around soon enough.”
“Really, how so?” Tiffany challenged.
“Because things happen for a reason. This has happened for a reason.”
Puppy Love Page 12