by Tamie Dearen
Branson sat on the couch in his suite, his fingers toying with his wedding band, as Stephanie paced in front of him. She hadn’t stopped moving for the past ten minutes, broadcasting from one side of the room, gradually coming closer, then moving to the other side of the room and back again, like a huge fuming pendulum.
“What’re we gonna do? This is a disaster.”
Bran wasn’t really listening. He was still reeling from that kiss. From the moment his hands touched her face, his heart had turned inside out. The feel of her skin beneath his fingers. The electric charge building in his gut. Her lips… so soft, so responsive. It took every bit of his power to maintain an appearance of control, while desire raged inside him. Not simply to possess her physically, but to meld with her for eternity. The emotions he’d been denying for the past two years had come rushing in like flood waters from a broken dam. He knew the truth, without a doubt.
I love her.
His soul already belonged to her, and he yearned to have hers. When he spoke those wedding vows, he’d never meant any words more in his life. While Stephanie had been shocked and horrified to discover what Finn had done to the marriage license, Bran had fought an impulse to shout for joy and kiss her senseless. At the moment, he couldn’t even drum up an ounce of anxiety about Carina and losing his opportunity to gain a controlling share of the stocks.
Her tirade continued. “I’ll lose my job. You’re going to hate me. Divorces are ugly, you know. Not that I would ever want anything from you. I just want out, that’s all. I know you want out, too. What’re we gonna do?”
She wants out. Could she be afraid of commitment? Carina had intimated the divorce was her fault, rather than her husband’s desertion. No, he refused to believe something like that about Steph.
Why didn’t she want to be married? She’d freely admitted she wasn’t repulsed by his prosthetic eyes, and she’d responded to his lips. He’d felt her tremble at his touch, heard the soft moans when he kissed her. Yet she seemed terrified of the idea that they would remain married. He couldn’t force her into a relationship she didn’t want.
“Stephanie?” he interrupted her ongoing speech.
“What?” She spewed the word out with a burst of air, like a relief valve on a pressure cooker.
“I don’t hear your crutches. Are you walking on your sprained ankle?” He kept his voice low and even, hoping to soothe her frazzled emotions.
“We have bigger problems on our plate than a stupid sprained ankle. Who cares about my foot at a time like this?”
“I do.” He rose to his feet, leaving his cane behind. He reached her in four strides and placed a hand on her shoulder.
She flinched. “What are you doing?”
“I’m doing this.” He bent to sweep his left arm behind her knees, scooping her off her feet and cradling her against his chest. She let out a squeal. She felt good in his arms—as if she belonged there. A fresh scent wafted from her hair.
“Are you using a new shampoo?” he asked, hoping to distract her, but truly curious.
“As a matter of fact, I am. It’s strawberry and—”
“Wait, don’t tell me.” He buried his nose in her hair and filled his lungs with air. He was tempted to go further and test the tender skin of her neck with his lips. Instead, he pulled away. “It’s really faint. Strawberry and mango?”
“That’s it,” she exclaimed with wonder. “You never miss.”
“Nope, I don’t.”
“Hey.” Her outraged tone was back, and she squirmed indignantly in his firm grasp. “Put me down.”
“You didn’t mind when Jarrett carried you.” He marched from the living area to his bedroom. “Why would you object when your husband does it?”
“How can you joke about this? It’s a disaster. You have to do something.”
“I am doing something. I’m making my wife follow the doctor’s orders.” Branson smiled. He liked the way the word wife rolled off his lips.
“We can’t stay married, Branson.”
Best not to mention the fact he wasn’t the least bit upset to find they were legally married. She obviously had different feelings on the matter.
“It doesn’t do any good to panic.” His knees found the side of the mattress and he set her gently on the bed. “Stay,” he commanded.
“I’m not a dog, Bran. You can’t order me around.”
He dropped to one knee and lifted her hand, eliciting a gasp of surprise. “Stephanie? Will you please stay off your foot, like the doctor asked? As your temporary husband and caretaker, I’d be immensely grateful.”
“Fine. I’ll stay.” He could hear the grin in her voice and knew he had the upper hand.
He sat on the edge of the bed beside her. “Now let’s talk about this logically. What are the facts?”
“Fact one—we’re married. Fact two—we can’t be married. Fact three—we need to do something about it, like go back to that wedding chapel and have them un-marry us before it’s too late.”
“No… fact three—there’s no such thing as getting un-married. It’s called a divorce, and it takes a while, like months.”
“What about an annulment?”
“Maybe.” Branson had hoped she wouldn’t think about an annulment. He’d done enough research with his upcoming marriage to Carina to know an annulment was quick and immediate, but each state had specific specifications to qualify. Maybe he’d luck out, and they wouldn’t meet the legal requirements for annulment in Nevada. “We can look it up, I suppose.”
“Hand me my purse, so I can get my phone,” she directed. “It’s on this end of the couch. I’ll research it right now. Maybe we can get an annulment tonight.”
“Do I look like your personal servant?” he bantered, though he followed her instructions.
“No, you look like my personal captor, who won’t let me off the bed.”
“Hmm… interesting idea,” he said, as he returned with her purse. “Your personal captor, who keeps you in bed? I like the sound of that.”
“Branson! Don’t be disgusting!”
“It was your idea. And we’re married, so we could give it a try. I never thought about that sort of thing, but if you’re into it...” He should’ve shown a bit of mercy, adding a wink or a laugh to assure her he was teasing. But her sputtering objections and shocked inhalations were too fun to pass up.
“I’m ignoring you,” she announced. “I’m looking up annulments in Nevada. Let’s see. Grounds for annulment. Number one—lack of parental or guardian consent. Nope. Number Two—insanity or lack of understanding. Does it count that I’m going crazy right now?”
“Compared to whom? You’re in Las Vegas, remember?”
“Okay, number two’s out. Three—fraud by one spouse, inducing the other to marry. Don’t think so. Four—illegal marriage due to close relations. You think we might be long-lost cousins?”
“Doubtful. I’m sure my father would’ve told me, since he can’t keep his nose out of my business. My family tree has been plotted back to the Mayflower. You see, my relatives wouldn’t enter into marriage without meticulous research of the genetic line. It’s like breeding a thoroughbred. Of course, I’m living proof that meticulous planning can still produce a botch.”
“A botch. Yeah, right,” she responded, though it was obvious her mind was on other matters. “The fifth one is that one spouse was married to another person at the time of the marriage. But my divorce has been final for years. So, I’m thinking the one about fraud is our best shot. What if Finn committed fraud when he put our names on that marriage license without our knowledge. Do you think that would work?”
“Didn’t it say one spouse had to commit fraud on the other spouse?”
“Yes, it does. Rats! I think we’re stuck.”
He pulled his lips down, in an effort to appear disappointed, though every bone in his body wanted to lift her into the air and laugh and celebrate. Or maybe, celebrate with their lips together.
“It’s no b
ig deal, Stephanie. No one knows about it but you and me. We can keep it a secret until the divorce is final, even if it takes a few months.”
His attorney could find ways to delay the process. And maybe by then, he could prove himself worthy of her love.
“But I’m not good at telling lies.”
“You won’t have to. It’s not like anyone’s gonna say, ‘Hey—are you guys married?’ No one’s gonna suspect. All you have to do is not mention it.”
“I guess you’re right.” Her tone wasn’t as confident as her words. “But what about Carina? She thinks you’re getting married right away. She’s hoping to get married before you leave here.”
Carina. No doubt, she’d find a way to destroy the marriage if she discovered it.
“I kind of forgot about her. Guess we’ll have to keep it a secret, especially from Carina. I don’t know what she’s up to yet, but we can’t let her use this as ammunition.”
“Ohhhhh. We’re doomed. I’m a terrible secret keeper. I don’t have trouble keeping things like your business details confidential, but when I’m upset about my personal life, I blabber like a drunk man.”
He sat on the edge of the bed and found her hand. “I’ll help you. It won’t be so bad.” He touched her fingers, soft and slender. Then he noticed the smooth thin band and murmured, “You still have your ring on.”
“So do you,” came her throaty reply.
Was it possible? Could she have feelings for him?
His pulse galloped as he worked up the courage to speak his heart. “I like the way this ring feels on your finger.”
“What do you mean?” she whispered.
“I wondered if we might stay married instead of getting a divorce.”
He heard a gasp. “No. You can’t marry someone just because it happened by accident. A marriage has to be based on love and commitment.”
His mouth was so dry his lips stuck to his teeth. “I agree. And I’m going to be honest with you… and honest with myself. I love you, Stephanie. I’m sure of it. I’ve tried to deny it for a long time, but I was lying to myself.”
“Bran—" She started to respond, but he held up a finger.
“Wait, let me finish. I’m not trying to pressure you. I know I’m springing this on you all at once. And I know you had a bad experience with your first husband. But, what if we keep this marriage under our hats and don’t pursue a divorce right away? Give me some time—say three months—to convince you to stay married. If it doesn’t work, we’ll end it, with no hard feelings.”
“I… I don’t know…”
He moved one hand and laid it on the side of her face. “May I?” He swallowed the thick emotion that bubbled from inside. “May I touch your face? I want to see you… really see you.”
She gave silent assent with a nod, and he moved his other hand to her face. His fingers gently traced the lines of her jaw. He let his hands move across her cheeks and felt her brows, her eyelids, her delicate nose. Then his fingers trailed across her quivering lips and down her chin to her neck. Her pulse throbbed under his fingertips.
“Beautiful,” he rasped, a rapturous feeling swelling until his chest felt it might burst open. “You’re even more lovely than I thought.”
He bent to capture her lips with his. Though he tried to hold back, he felt like a starving man. Never had he wanted a woman the way he craved her. As he deepened the kiss, she responded, her breaths coming faster.
Thud, thud, thud, thud. A deafening pounding on the front door made both of them jump. Bran sprang to his feet, his face burning hot, as if he’d been caught doing something wrong.
“Branson what’s going on?” Cole’s muffled voice came through the door. “Carina’s getting suspicious. Finn sent me to find you.”
“Coming!” Bran answered, counting the twenty-three steps to the front door before he flung it open. “Why didn’t Finn call me?”
Cole stepped inside. “Said he tried to call, but you didn’t answer. He’s on a roll at the craps table. He didn’t want to stop, so I volunteered to come.”
“How did I miss his call?” Branson retrieved his cell from his pocket and discovered the phone was set to silent. A quick check of his call record revealed several missed calls, one of them from Fordham. “Thought I had it on vibrate.”
“Where’s Stephanie?” Cole asked.
“She’s in the bedroom.”
“Maybe I should come back some other time.” With a humorous lilt, Cole raised his voice for Steph to hear. “I’ll leave you two alone so you can finish… whatever it was you were doing.”
“I’m on top of the covers,” Steph shouted. “Fully clothed.”
“That’s enough, Cole,” Branson growled, trying to listen to Fordham’s message.
“We weren’t doing anything. See?” Steph’s voice came from the bedroom door, and Branson heard the soft thumping of Steph hopping across the carpet. At least she wasn’t putting weight on her bad ankle.
Cole let out a long whistle. “You look gorgeous, Stephanie.”
Bran hung up, having found it impossible to concentrate on Fordham’s voice. He’d have to listen later.
“Thank you, Cole,” she said. “Sweet of you to say that. I have to admit, with Carina around, I can’t help feeling frumpy, especially when I’m limping around with this stupid cast on my foot.”
“Trust me,” Cole replied. “No one will be looking at your feet. That dress is stunning on you.”
Branson felt an insane impulse to punch his so-called friend in the gut. A friendly punch, just hard enough to make him double over and wish he’d never flirted with his wife. Never mind that Cole didn’t know they were married. And forget that Stephanie hadn’t agreed to stay that way. For the moment, she belonged to him, even if it was a secret.
“I think she’s stunning all the time.” Bran let his indignation show. “She’s just as beautiful without the fancy dress on.”
He realized his mistake the moment the words left his mouth.
“Too much information, my friend.” Cole pounded him on the back, guffawing so loud he sounded like he was dying of the whooping cough. “I won’t even ask how you know.”
“That’s not what I meant,” Bran mumbled.
“Cole, did you say Carina’s upset?” Steph piped in, changing the uncomfortable subject. “We should probably hurry and get down there.”
“Want me to bring you these crutches?” Cole’s voice came from the wall beside the front door, where Steph had leaned them when she came inside.
“I’ll take them to her,” Bran snapped, striding to Cole and holding out his hands. He not only wanted to keep Cole away from Stephanie, but he also needed a chance to speak to her. To settle things.
“Here you go.” Cole handed Bran the crutches, but added in a low tone, for Bran’s ears only. “Be careful. You’re giving off protective vibes, my friend. Might be confusing to Stephanie. I’d hate to see her feelings hurt any more than they already are.”
Bran responded with a grunt, snatched the crutches, and marched back to Stephanie. What did Cole know about her feelings?
“I’ll go catch the elevator.” Cole called from the hallway as the door slammed shut behind him.
Bran cleared his throat. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah,” she said, in a tremulous tone.
“You think you can handle going downstairs?”
“I don’t have much choice, do I?”
He knew she didn’t like feeling out of control. If she felt trapped into the marriage, she would reject him before he had a chance to make her fall in love with him—before he could prove he was worthy of it.
“You have a choice, Stephanie. We’ll do whatever you want. If you don’t want to be married, I won’t force you.”
“Before we left, you were furious that you needed me. Now you say you’re in love with me. How am I supposed to believe that?”
“I think I’ve been in love with you for a long time. But I never allowed myself to consider
the possibility of the two of us being together.”
“Because we’re from different worlds?” Her tone was tight. “I’ve got news for you. Nothing has changed. I’m still a nobody, and you’re still a successful, wealthy businessman.”
“You’re putting words in my mouth. That’s not what I was thinking.”
“You’re fooling yourself, Branson.” Her voice cracked. “Carina is from a prominent family. She’s beautiful and rich and educated. She probably went to Harvard.”
“Oxford.”
“Of course! Oxford.” She exhaled an exasperated huff. “Don’t you see? You’re trying to convince yourself otherwise, but the truth is you’d never be satisfied with someone like me.”
He cringed at the hurt in her voice. He had to tell her the whole truth, no matter how humiliating. Nothing less would ease her pain. He reached to sandwich her hands between his.
“Listen to me.” He swallowed a lump the size of his fist. “I thought no one could ever really love me. People show me deference because of my wealth and power, but even Carina can barely stand to look closely at me. But something you said made me think…” He paused, turning to face her squarely. “You didn’t seem repulsed. And the way you responded… I thought you might actually be able to love me.”
“Oh, Branson.” Her voice cracked. “I’m so sorry you’ve felt that way all your life. But I don’t—”
He lifted his finger to her lips. He couldn’t bear to hear it. “Please. Don’t say anything yet. All I’m asking for is a little time. Please give me a chance to change your mind. Maybe you don’t have to love me. I think I could be happy with whatever you can give me.”
He withdrew his finger slowly, holding his breath.
She responded in a small voice. “I’m afraid, Bran. Really afraid.”
He wilted. She’d rejected him. He couldn’t make her feel something that wasn’t there. “I understand.”
She spoke again, so quiet he barely heard her. “But I’ll think about it.”
Chapter 17
Steph’s mind spun in dizzying circles. She’d almost recovered from the initial shock as they sat in his hotel room, calmly discussing how to end the accidental marriage.