by Tina Martin
“It’s a sign. Your subconscious mind is telling you to accept my proposal,” he said, then flexed. “You know you want to.”
“That game you spittin’ doesn’t work on me.”
He smiled. He was sure it was doing something.
Mordecai emptied the bag, handing her a wrapped bagel. “Got you a blueberry one.”
“Thanks.” She spread cream cheese on it and took a hearty bite.
He proceeded to eat as well then said, “If we’re going to pull this thing off, we’ll need to get married soon—like this week.”
“Do you really want the house so bad that you’d be willing to go through with this?”
Mordecai smirked. He wanted the house—sure—but not more than he wanted her. If this house deal was a way to ensure he’d have her, why wouldn’t he go through with it?
“Yes. I think it’s worth the risk.”
“Then I have to lay down some rules.”
“Rules.” He chuckled. “Let’s hear ‘em. What you got for me, fiancé?”
“After it’s done, I’m going to continue living in my house and you’ll stay in your new place.”
Mordecai nodded. “I’m cool with that. What else?”
“That about covers it, I guess. Oh, and make sure you keep your hands to yourself. No grabbing and kissing me.”
“Are you sure, because I seem to recall you liking it. A lot.”
“I was caught off guard, and if you think I liked it, it’s probably because you’re so full of yourself, you think every woman enjoys being held captive and kissed by you.”
“I’m not full of myself, sweetie. I’m confident, not arrogant.”
Mordecai finished up his bagel, sipped coffee then said, “Let’s do it on Wednesday. Call up the seller’s agent and tell her the good news tomorrow.”
“She’s going to think I’m crazy.”
“Well, she gets a cut, too, so I’m sure she won’t be all that judgy.”
Jemisha drank coffee then released a sigh.
Marriage.
It wasn’t for her since she discovered how easily her heart could break. Carver had done a real job of carving a hole in it. Not falling for a man was her way of protecting it and now, this fake marriage was threatening her safeguards. How was she going to avoid falling for Mordecai Champion, as hot and tempting as he was? And she already knew what his kisses were like. His mouth. Tongue. The way his strong hands massaged her neck and back. And she was attracted to everything about him except his past. If she kept it to the forefront of her mind – that he was a player – maybe it would be enough to have her fulfill this fake wife role temporarily and get out unscathed.
She could only hope.
Chapter 22
On Wednesday, they sealed the deal – the real-estate marriage deal. They had the kind of marriage rebellious teens who think they’re in love had – a cute, little beachside chapel with a stranger as a witness.
It didn’t matter as long as it was done.
And it was done, done. Two o’clock on a Wednesday, Jemisha Rayford became Jemisha Champion.
There were a few things that surprised her about the whole ordeal. One, Mordecai was holding her hands when they exchanged vows, threading their fingers together, looking at her like she was a piece of double chocolate cake. Like he was really trying to sell this sham of a marriage to the one raggedy witness they had – an old man who was disturbing the minister my cracking pecans and mumbling to himself.
Two, Mordecai didn’t just buy any old ring. He slid a ring on her finger that looked like something Prince Harry had given to Megan Markle. It was dazzling and brilliant – a ring people would notice from afar.
Three, he kissed her after they were pronounced man and wife. He actually leaned down and covered her mouth with his lips, then overlapped and fed on her lips for a moment, kissing the shock right out of her. He looked genuinely happy – like this had marked the beginning to a lifelong bond of true love and happiness.
“We should go celebrate,” Mordecai said as they got into his car to leave the venue.
“Celebrate what?” Jemisha asked, eyeing up the ring he’d given her – fascinated by the way it sparkled when the sunlight touched it.
“We can celebrate closing on the house since you’re not all that excited about being married to me. Don’t you know how lucky you are, girl?”
Jemisha shook her head. Why did it seem to take forever to get to her office? “We can go out but not today. I have to get back to the office.”
“Why? To get away from me?”
“No. I—” Yes, she needed to get away from him and give herself time to recover from his kiss. From the ring. The ceremony. Him calling her Jemisha Champion. She couldn’t believe what she’d done.
At the same time, the thought of being his wife was exhilarating. It was like a test run for her. They weren’t in love. She didn’t have to risk her heart being broken. And she couldn’t deny that no matter how she tried to make herself and him think otherwise, she enjoyed his company. His foolishness. His playfulness.
When Mordecai dropped her off, she got out after saying a quick goodbye to him then floated to the office like she was having an out-of-body experience, still in disbelief at what she had done. She married Mordecai Champion for a commission on a house! A house he would one day share with the real wife and kids he liked to talk about. The ones he was speaking into existence.
After calling Joan to explain the marriage situation, Joan informed Jemisha that they couldn’t close on the house until next week since the seller was out of town.
“Bummer,” Jemisha responded, deflated. “He—I mean—we were really hoping to get this taken care of as soon as possible.”
“Sorry, Jemisha, but the seller’s on vacation.”
“Okay, well I guess there’s nothing we can do about that.”
“Nope, but congratulations on your marriage. You got the man, you’re about to get the house. Is a baby in the works?”
A baby?
“Um—” she stammered. Then falling in line with the role she was playing, she said, “No. Not so soon. We’re going to wait a while—you know—give us time to get some marriage experience under our belts. We weren’t even supposed to be married this soon, but we wanted the house so bad, we couldn’t help it.”
“Now, it all makes sense. When I told you about the marriage clause and you inquired about marriage, I was like, what are the odds that this man about to get married? But then again, if he’s serious enough to buy a house, then he’s ready to commit.”
“You think so?”
“Oh, yeah, chile. These men running around here paying rent and sleeping on other people’s couches—they couldn’t spell mortgage if you wrote it down for ‘em.”
Jemisha chuckled, surprised Joan had a sense of humor. Most agents she’d encountered were serious and uppity. She hoped people didn’t view her that way.
“But anyway, congrats to you both. You two will have a lovely home in just a few days.”
More like a full week and a half…
“Thank you. I’ll talk to you soon.”
She dialed her mother’s phone number soon after getting off the phone with Joan. Why on earth had she done that? She couldn’t get out a hello before—
“Have you had enough? Ready to come on back now?”
“Ma, why don’t you have any faith in me?”
“It’s not that, dear. You’re very headstrong—been that way since you were a little girl. You’re my baby. My only child—that’s why I want you home.”
“That’s the thing, mother. I’m not a baby anymore. I’m a grown woman making grown-woman decisions—some good, some bad. You can’t expect me to pack it up and come running back, can you?” she asked.
Hadn’t that been her plan before Mordecai’s proposal? Before Mordecai encouraged her not to give up. It was like he wanted to see her succeed. He believed in her when she didn’t believe in herself. And she hadn’t given up. She was
back on track – well, somewhat if you call marrying for real estate being on track with one’s life.
“I only want what’s best for you, Jemisha. You should know that.”
“I do, Ma, but what’s best for me may not fall into what you think is best for me. That’s what I need you to understand.”
“Yeah, I get it. Mama just being selfish, honey. I do wish you the best. You deserve it.”
“Thanks for saying that. Look—I have to go take care of some pressing business. Tell Dad I said hi.”
Chapter 23
Mordecai found himself at the gym again. Davante had seen him come in but decided the man needed his space to work off some issues. Blow off some steam. Get his mind right. Then he saw something he couldn’t keep quiet about. Was that a ring on Mordecai’s finger?
Mordecai was lifting fifty-pound dumbbells as if they were light as feathers when Davante walked over with a bottle of water.
“I figured you could use some before you passed out,” he said handing him the bottle.
“I’m fine, man.”
“What’s the deal with that ring on your finger?”
Mordecai frowned as he glanced at his finger. Crap! He’d forgotten to take it off. Or maybe that was a sign he didn’t want to. “I got married a few days ago,” he stated just to see what Davante’s reaction would be.
It was the reaction he’d expected. Davante folded over, laughing so hard, he could hardly catch his breath. “Now…now…I know that’s a joke. Good one, man. That’s a good one.”
“It’s not a joke, D. I got married.”
“To who?”
“My real estate agent.”
Davante was all set to laugh again when he glanced at Mordecai and said, “Wait—you’re serious.”
“I am.”
“What is happening?” Davante asked, holding his head. “What have you done?”
“It’s a long story.”
“I got all the time in the word for a long story,” he said, sitting on an adjacent bench. “How did you get married so fast? Why did you get married? What y’all do? Elope?”
“That’s exactly what we did.”
“I knew you were acting strange, man, but I had no idea you done ran off and threw your life away.”
“Marriage is not throwing your life away.”
Davante shook his head still trying to wrap his mind around the idea. “And how long have you known this girl?”
“I know her,” he answered. “She’s my sister-in-law’s best friend.”
Waving his index finger, Davante said, “Now it’s all starting to make sense—the early hours of working out, the dismissing other females. Hot females. You’re in love.”
“Davante, don’t you have some work to do?”
“Nah. Not right now I don’t. So, tell me about her. Tell me about this amazing woman who’s taken you off the market. I know she gotta be hot.”
“She’s smart. She’s beautiful. She’s—” Mordecai digressed since he didn’t feel he knew her as well as he should have. His goal was to close that gap this weekend.
“You married her, man?”
“I did, but it’s complicated. Everything is all tied to the house I wanted.”
“In what ways? Ol’ girl blackmailed you or something.”
Mordecai chuckled. “No. It’s—look, what I’m about to tell you doesn’t leave this room. Got it?”
“Got it.”
“Jemisha found the perfect house for me but it’s in a government-mandated property to control the flow of who can live in the neighborhood. One of the rules states that owners have to be married.”
“So, you married her to get the house?”
“It sounds bad when you put it so bluntly, but yes.”
“Let me make sure I’m hearing you right. All these available houses in Wilmington and you married this girl to get a crib?”
“What can I say? It was the right house for me. Besides, I already liked Jemisha, anyway.”
“What did your brother have to say about it?”
“He loved the idea. One of my half brothers did, too.”
“And Jemisha actually went through with it?”
Mordecai smirked. “She did. You know me—I’m a master at the art of persuasion.”
“Then you should’ve persuaded the powers that be into allowing you to get the house without jumping through so many loopholes.”
“Had I done that, I wouldn’t have my girl.”
My girl…
Dang. He was already viewing her as his but a feeling in his gut told him Jemisha was doing it mostly for the commission. Her goal was to save her business and her house so she didn’t have to go running back home to Charleston. She didn’t have any real interest in him, did she?
“Well, I’m happy for you, dawg. I really am. Even if this marriage isn’t what you would consider real—”
“Oh, it’s real.”
“Then you better find a way to keep these females off of you. Your wife certainly won’t like that.”
“You’re right,” Mordecai agreed.
Chapter 24
Jemisha walked to the closet, trying on a fourth outfit. She didn’t know what to wear. Mordecai said they would hang out at the Riverwalk, have dinner at one of the waterside restaurants down there and then head back home. She wanted to wear comfortable shoes but didn’t want to look too comfortable. At the same time, she couldn’t see herself on the Riverwalk in heels. And what about a dress? Should she wear a dress since they were also going to dinner? Or would jeans and a blouse suffice? Why was she stressing about it? It’s not like this was a real date. Mordecai wanted a house. Marrying her was a way to get it.
“Okay, I’m going with the blouse and jeans,” she said. She got dressed, slid into a pair of pink canvas wedges that matched her blouse and grabbed her keys, heading to the waterfront.
She loved it down here – the smell of water and food cooking from the various restaurants reminded her of Charleston. They were both water towns and attracted almost the same amount of tourists. There was just something about living close to the water that eased her mind. She would need that serenity being in close proximity to Mordecai.
They were meeting at Elijah’s, one of the staple restaurants in the area. She found a park and began walking that way when she felt a tap on her left shoulder. She stopped in her tracks and turned around to see Mordecai behind her. A smile beautified her face the same way it lit up his.
“What are you doing tapping me on the shoulder?”
“I didn’t want to startle you, pumpkin.”
She reached to give him a hug, a pleasant surprise as far as he was concerned, and then they walked the short distance to Elijah’s where he opened the door and pulled out a chair after they were soon escorted to a table – one on the patio – an umbrella table that gave the perfect river view along with sights and sounds of the evening – water wrestling. Seagulls squawking. Kids playing. Faint jazz music from the restaurant’s speakers. This was the kind of ambiance she could get with on a regular basis. If she didn’t spend most of her life worried and stressed out, she’d probably make more time for leisure.
Jemisha looked at the menu and said, “Ooh, what do you think about that shrimp and cheese bread?”
“Sounds good to me.”
“And for a drink, I’ll go with a…um…the Cape Fear Squall looks good. It has Bacardi Silver in it, so it has to be good, right?”
“I’ll try one, too,” he said. “Look at you ordering for me. We’re an old married couple already, huh?”
“If you call a few days old,” Jemisha responded, looking at the ring on her finger. “I’ve been meaning to ask—why did you buy such an expensive ring?”
“I only want the best for my wife.”
She glanced away from the serious look in his eyes – the same look he had when they said their vows.
The waiter brought over their appetizers and drinks.
Jemisha immediately took a si
p, hoping to take the edge off.
He sipped his. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but weren’t we supposed to close on the house yesterday?”
“We were,” she said looking up at him. The evening sun did wonders for his complexion – gave it a nice glow and then his eyes…
She had to drink more to keep from getting lost in them.
“What happened?”
“The seller is out of town. The earliest they can meet is next Friday.”
“That would be something important to let your client—well, husband—know don’t you think?”
“Yes, it would. You’re right. I actually thought I’d told you that.”
“Nope. No email, no text, no—”
“Okaaay. You’ve made your point. I dropped the ball. See—told you I wasn’t good at this.”
“Not true. I’m just giving you a hard time, sweetheart. You know what to do. You just need to apply yourself a little better. Your office is organized down to the last detail. Your website is on point and up-to-date—”
“Ah, so you’ve visited my website.”
“I have.”
“Why?”
“I was looking to hire you as an agent—wanted to check your credentials.”
She sipped more of her drink and released a deep sigh afterward. Then she peeled off a piece of the cheesy shrimp bread and began eating.
He did as well. They did this in silence, glancing up to catch glimpses of the other.
Jemisha broke the silence when she asked, “Hey, what was up with that guy cracking pecans while we were saying our vows?”
Mordecai grinned. “I don’t know but I thought it was hilarious.”
“I wonder if they paid him in nuts,” she asked.
He chuckled. “They probably did—nuts for a nutcase. He was cracking and popping them things like they were almost past the expiration date.”
Her smile slowly faded as she looked off into the distance – at the boats docked in the marina. The sunlight slowly fading away into darkness. She tried to detract from the idea that he was a player because when they were together, he seemed to be everything but that type. It could’ve all been an act. Carver, too, had been good at acting.