“Do you think of nothing but food?” she teased, relieved that it looked like everything would work out after all.
His eyes narrowed as they swept over her body, lingering on her exposed legs and her bustline, indirectly answering her question. “No, I think about other things. Right now I’m thinking it would be nice to get married in Virginia.”
She tried to keep her breathing even, but his leisurely, open assessment of her figure made it difficult. “Why’s that?”
He slipped his arm through hers and said in a low, intimate voice, “Haven’t you heard? Virginia is for lovers.”
Chapter 13
The next morning Dexter and Genevieve faced each other in the decorated gazebo at the courthouse in Alexandria, Virginia. One at a time, they repeated the vows the official stated for them. Genevieve made no attempt to stop the droning sounds in her head, finding that the noise helped her cope with the reality of what she was doing: taking sacred marriage vows with a stranger she had paid.
It took less than five minutes.
“And now,” said the official, a plump woman in her forties, “you may seal your vows with a kiss.”
Genevieve looked at him with something resembling fear in her eyes. Thanks to the buzzing inside her head, the ceremony seemed more like an out-of-body experience, but a kiss would make it all too real...
“Pardon my back, ma’am,” Dexter said politely to the official. He then turned away from her and faced Genevieve.
She had expected a quick peck on the lips, but something in his expression told her she was about to experience something very different. Her heart thudded in her chest as she took a tentative step forward to close the distance between them. Dexter did the same, and then they stood just inches apart.
Almost as in slow motion, he bent and pressed his cheek to hers, his hands rising to clutch her forearms. Genevieve closed her eyes and breathed in the clean, masculine scent she’d first become aware of on a dance floor at a Harlem restaurant over a month before. She savored the feel of his hands on her arms as they almost awkwardly made their way up from her forearms to her upper arms, holding her, her face tucked into the niche where his neck met his shoulder. How could he have known how badly she needed this, to just be held in an embrace. She hadn’t known it herself...until now.
When he pulled away, she waited expectantly, but then she felt his warm breath against her forehead and his lips brushing across her brow before she felt his cheek press against the other side of her face.
After what seemed like an eternity, but what she knew had really been no more than a few seconds, he pulled away from her again. Genevieve opened her eyes just in time to see him looking at her through heavy-lidded eyes. His hand rose and gently cupped her jaw. “Kiss me, Jenny,” he whispered, “we’re married.”
She let out a contented sigh as the tip of his tongue outlined her moist lips. Her hands, which had been resting on his waist, snaked under the sleeves of his jacket and reached up wildly to grab his shoulder as she felt his lips against hers. Once more she felt the full strength of his arms as they pulled her body close to his, his hands roaming down to the small of her back and then up again.
And then it was over, much too soon.
She’d gotten through the initial shock of seeing the usually unkempt-appearing Dexter shaved and spiffy in a navy sports coat over a collarless white shirt and white dress trousers. She managed to enjoy the picturesque drive through Washington, DC, and to sign the marriage license with a steady hand. She’d even kept cool when, on the drive to the courthouse, Dexter impulsively stopped at a supermarket and emerged with a bunch of wildflowers to serve as her bridal bouquet. But when she felt his warm, insistent lips pressing against hers, his arms wrapped around her and pulling her close, she lost it. His kiss left her...
Dizzy.
The woman smiled at them in much the same manner as the jewelry saleswoman at Kmart. “I can tell this is a very emotional moment for both of you, and I wish both of you all good things in life,” she said sincerely.
A jovial Dexter thanked her, while Genevieve, still wobbly from his kiss, barely whispered a response. She wanted to throw herself back into his arms for more.
Of course she couldn’t do that. She’d made a bargain. This marriage was a business deal, and nothing more.
But no man had ever kissed her the way Dexter just had. It wasn’t just sexual, or affectionate...it had been emotional, and reassuring as well. What would it have been like if they’d been in private and not required to show any restraint...or to stop with a kiss?
She refused to entertain that thought. Instead she sternly reminded herself that their marriage wasn’t supposed to involve sentiments of any kind. She wasn’t supposed to want to throw her arms around Dexter and kiss him with wild abandon. Those feelings had to be put on hold. First she had to become a legal resident, and then she had to become a single woman again. It would be at least three years before she could enter into any kind of emotional attachment with someone.
Three long years.
She watched, struggling to slow down her pulse, as Dexter handed the official a disposable camera. “Would you mind? We’d really like a memento of the day.”
“Of course.” The woman took the camera from him. She moved back several steps to get a full body shot. “Now, pose like newlyweds,” she urged.
Genevieve stood as Dexter moved behind her. They stood next to a sign that proclaimed Virginia’s longtime travel and tourism slogan, the one Dexter had uttered when he said Virginia would be an ideal place for their ceremony. She clutched her bouquet in both hands, and she inadvertently shivered at the feel of his arms snugly encircling her from behind, his large hands cupping her smaller ones. She leaned back, melting into him, telling herself that she would allow herself this one small pleasure.
“What a handsome couple you make,” the official said, her voice ringing with admiration.
Genevieve had to agree. She had a marvelous-looking husband.
Husband...
“Perfect! Now, look at me and smile.”
They did as they were told.
“You know, Mr. Gray,” the official said as she returned the camera, “your hair reminds me of the Seventies.”
“Yeah,” he said sheepishly, patting it, “I’d meant to get it cut before we drove down, but I didn’t have time to get to the barber.”
“I think it’s rather stylish,” she replied. “The way it coils makes it different from the old style Afros. It makes me think of that kid from High School Musical, oh, what’s his name?”
“Corbin Bleu,” he provided. “I get that all the time.”
“Yes, that’s his name. But I’m warning you, when your children see your wedding picture they’re going to tease you unmercifully about it.”
Genevieve froze as the unflappable Dexter grinned broadly. “No little rugrat of mine will get a laugh at my expense.”
“Mrs. Gray might feel differently,” the official hinted. “I know my husband and I had different views on child discipline.”
Genevieve responded with a smile that vanished the moment the official shifted her gaze to Dexter. “There’s plenty of time for that,” she said tightly. “Um, Dexter, don’t you think we need to be moving on?”
Dexter looked at the lovely woman next to him...his bride. She wore a double-breasted white linen sleeveless dress with large rounded collar and black buttons and a black belt that accentuated her small waist, along with tan-and-white spectator slingbacks. The teardrop-shaped pendant he’d noticed at their first meeting hung from her neck. She didn’t look particularly bridal, but she looked fabulous. And in the eyes of the law, she was his wife.
“Well, it’s done,” she said as they left the courthouse. “I’m legally married to an American citizen. I guess that means I’m safe from deportation.”
“No one’s going to send you back,” he said, determination making him sound almost fierce. “You’re my wife now, Jenny.” He took her hand and
squeezed it.
Both his words and his action gave her a wonderful sense of security, a feeling particularly welcome, since she hadn’t experienced it in over a year. She might not really know the man she’d just married, but the resolve she saw on his face made her feel better about this crazy thing she’d just done.
“I’ve been meaning to ask you something. Have you given me a new name?” she said with a smile.
“Why not? Genevieve—” he pronounced it in an exaggerated fashion—“is too long.”
“It’s three syllables, Dexter, just one more than your name.” She shook her head playfully. “You Americans and your lazy pronunciation.”
“Yeah, well you just remember that you’re married to an American and that you live in America.”
“I won’t deny it saved my hide.” She chuckled.
“I hope you don’t mind my calling you Jenny. It fits you, somehow. Plus it’s easier to say.”
“No, I don’t mind. I’ll just have to get used to it. No one’s ever called me that.”
“That’s another reason I like it,” he said.
Genevieve looked at him sharply, not knowing what to make of his remark. All she knew was that something about it made her uneasy.
Dexter clicked the remote to unlock the doors of the rental vehicle as they approached it, then seated her in the passenger seat and walked around. After inserting the key in the ignition he shifted his body to face her. “So, where to? We ought to do something special, don’t you think?”
“I figured you’d want to go and eat.”
“It’s not even ten-thirty. We just had breakfast before we left Maryland, not two hours ago. We have plenty of time to eat.” He looked at her knowingly. “You’re trying to fatten me up, aren’t you?”
Genevieve giggled. “All right, guilty as charged. Actually, you look like you’ve gained a few pounds already.”
“I’m sure I have. Look at what I’ve been eating this week. Meat loaf and mashed potatoes, roast chicken and rice and biscuits. You’re going to make some lucky man a great wife one day.” He laughed at his own joke, not noticing that Genevieve failed to crack a smile. “Tell you what. Let’s go back to the hotel, change out of these fancy duds and do something fun.”
She smiled at him across the console. “Why not?”
Genevieve clutched the railing of the security bar as the roller coaster at Six Flags over Maryland inched its way up the steep incline, which to her looked as high as Mount Kilimanjaro, which she’d seen once during a vacation with her parents. Dexter had said this was supposed to be fun, not life-threatening. “Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea,” she said in a small voice.
“You can’t change your mind now. In about thirty seconds we’re going down.”
“Like the Titanic,” she said fearfully.
“Just hold on tight. You’ll be fine.”
The car reached the top of the steel tracks. Genevieve felt herself growing more uneasy by the second and began to make little squealing sounds. “Ah...ah...”
His lips brushed against the tip of her ear. “Later, baby.”
She forgot her fear as she looked at him questioningly. He was acting as if...had he forgotten that theirs was strictly a marriage of convenience?
And what about her? Was she forgetting? She couldn’t help it; the sound of his whisper and feel of his pillow-soft lips against her ear had made her go moist between her thighs. He might be her husband in the eyes of the law, but he was off limits, no matter how tempted she might be. Happiness awaited her someday, of that she was sure. Going to bed with Dexter, no matter how much her body cried out for his kisses and his hands on her body, would only complicate matters, and part of the reason she’d chosen him was because she wanted something cut-and-dried. As he’d said, he wanted to help her, but what he really wanted was money for tuition. Things would get uncomfortably sticky if they started a sexual relationship and it went sour...and under the circumstances it was almost guaranteed to do just that. This three-year hold in her life was the price she had to pay for her future happiness in the United States, just as it was for Dexter to complete law school.
Genevieve had been too wrapped up in her thoughts to realize that they had stopped moving. The train of cars sat perched on a flat section at the top of the tracks, a pause she knew had been designed to increase riders’ apprehension. Her breaths came out in heaving apprehension; she actually felt her chest heaving.
Dexter winked at her. “Here we go. Hold on!”
She gave a little squeal as the twenty-car chain began a seventy-mile-an-hour descent. The narrow tracks, which held the cars by a single rail down the center, combined with the nearly vertical drop gave her the terrifying impression that she would go flying out to the ground below as they barreled down the tracks. No wonder the operators had to measure maximum as well as minimum heights; extremely long legs would make it difficult to stay in the car during the rapid and steep descent. Dexter had barely made it under the former, and had to point out to the skeptical park employee that his hair made him seem taller than his true height of six foot three.
The chain of cars immediately went into a heart-stopping succession of twists, turns, ascents, and descents that didn’t stop until the cars braked to a stop two minutes later.
Genevieve was hardly the only rider screaming, but above it all she heard Dexter’s tone of wonder. “Awesome,” he said, repeating the word several times throughout the ride.
“Have mercy,” she moaned when the ride came to an end, her eyes closed and her palm resting on her heart. “My heart feels like it’s going to jump out of my chest. I thought I was going to die up there.”
“That’s the best roller coaster I’ve ever ridden on,” Dexter said. “Even better than the old Cyclone at Coney Island.” He reached out a hand to help her out. “I suppose I couldn’t interest you in riding again.”
“Dexter, you’ve had me on five roller coasters this afternoon, and this Ride of Steel was, by far, the most brutal. “I’ll be amazed if I’m able to keep down any food after this.” She sighed. “I may never ride another roller coaster again, ever. But you feel free to ride again. I’ll be sitting on that bench right over there until my heartbeat returns to normal.”
“Can I get you anything before I get in line?” he asked with concern.
“No, I just need to sit a while. Get some strength back in my legs and my stomach to settle. Go ahead, I’ll be fine.”
Genevieve enjoyed people watching as she waited. The park outside of Baltimore was crowded this late summer afternoon. Most groups included children. She wondered if she would ever get to have children, or if she would be punished for making a mockery of a sacred institution.
Dexter reappeared nearly a half hour later. “That was fantastic.”
“You really love roller coasters, don’t you?” she said.
“Never rode one yet I didn’t like. It’s so exhilarating. Almost as good as sex.”
She raised an eyebrow.
“You know what I mean, Jenny. The indescribable way you feel when you make love to someone, right up to the moment of climax.” He noticed her uncomfortable expression. “Come on. You’re not a virgin, are you?”
“I’d just prefer we talk about something else, that’s all, if you don’t mind.”
He shrugged. “Okay, no more talk about the thrill I get from roller coasters. Let’s talk about...bagels with cream cheese from your favorite midtown deli that tantalize your taste buds.”
She glared at him. “That’s not what I meant, Dexter.”
“I know. I was just teasing. I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable.” He held out his hand. “Come on, let’s go.”
Back at the hotel, Genevieve went into the bedroom, closing the door behind her. Dexter cracked the door open a half hour later, and when he saw she was asleep he grabbed his room and car keys plus his wallet. He had plans to make for their dinner, and he wanted it to be perfect.
After all, it was their wedd
ing night.
When he returned Gen was still behind the closed bedroom door. Dexter collapsed into a chair. He flicked on the television with the remote and turned to the early news. The rush of the multiple roller coaster rides he’d taken, combined with the exhilaration of having organized a surprise for Gen had him worn out.
He stretched out on the sofa that converted into his bed and closed his eyes. He’d just nap for an hour or so, and there’d be plenty of time to dress for dinner...
When he awakened the room was dark and a sitcom was on, indicating that it was now prime time.
The red numbers of the clock at his bedside backed this up, reading 8:19. He quickly sat up. “Whoa!”
“Ah, you’re finally up!”
Genevieve’s voice came from the suite’s full kitchen, just outside his line of vision. Then she appeared, looking like a vision in a pink flowered halter dress with a full, flowing chiffon skirt. Her hair, apparently freshly washed, was pinned up in the back in a look more elegant than usual. “I was beginning to think that maybe I should order in.”
He felt a sudden lump in his throat. He hoped his awe of her didn’t show. If he were a cocker spaniel he’d be panting with his tongue hanging out. But she looked so perfect, so utterly luscious...
She obviously noticed, for she looked down at her ensemble. “Am I overdressed?”
“No. You look beautiful. But why didn’t you wake me up? You must be starved. All you had at the park was a couple of hot dogs.”
“I was giving you until eight thirty, and then I was going to get you up. I don’t mind eating late.”
He’d made reservations for eight-thirty, exactly eleven minutes from now. His first thought upon awakening was that he should have set the alarm to guarantee he didn’t oversleep, but Gen’s words made him regret having gotten up on his own. How would she have awakened him? Would she have sat on the edge of the sofa and gently shaken his shoulder while bending over him? He could have so easily pulled her to him and feasted on those succulent lips of hers. That taste he’d gotten after the ceremony this morning had only served to whet his appetite.
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