Reluctantly Married

by Lieske, Victorine E.

  The display of emotion that played out on Megan’s face brought out a desire in him to protect her. She shouldn’t have to talk about things like this in front of millions of people. What right did Leon have to do this? He was about to say something, but she smoothed out her features and smiled. “Probably the time I crashed my bike and skinned both knees. Took a week to heal.” She crumpled the paper and pushed the box toward him. “Last one’s yours.”

  He took the paper and unfolded it. “Tell your date about your first kiss.” He groaned and tossed the paper into the pile in the middle of the table. “Of course, it had to be that.”

  “What? It can’t be that bad.”

  He sucked in a breath and leaned back in his chair. “I’m afraid it is.”

  “Well, you can’t stop there. You have to spill it.”

  “Okay. I was in third grade. My best friend Jeffery dared me to kiss Emily, the prettiest girl in class. I told him I wouldn’t do it, but then he double dog dared me to.” He kept his face straight to show the seriousness of the situation.

  “Oh, no. You can’t back away from a double dog dare.” Megan picked up her water and took a sip. “What did you do?”

  “Of course I had to do it, or forever be branded as a coward.”

  “Naturally.”

  “So, during recess I told Emily there was a cool frog out behind the school. She didn’t seem interested.” He shrugged. “I guess girls don’t like frogs. Who knew?”

  Megan snorted. “You really thought that would work?”

  “What can I say? I was eight. When I changed it to a kitten, she perked up. She followed me, even though we weren’t allowed to leave the playground.”

  A smile tugged at Megan’s lips. “You rebel.”

  “I definitely was. And after we got out back, and there was no kitten, Emily turned to leave, and I panicked. I said the first thing that popped into my head.”

  “Which was?”

  He bit back a grin. “I double dog dare you to kiss me.”

  Megan giggled. “Not very original, were you?”

  “Nope. But it worked. She stopped, turned around and looked at me for a moment, like she couldn’t decide if she was going to do it or not.”

  “She must have, since this is the story of your first kiss.” Megan’s eyes twinkled.

  “You’re right. She took two steps toward me, and said, ‘Okay.’ Then she closed her eyes and puckered her lips. I planted one on her so fast, she probably thought I socked her. Then I turned to see Mrs. Zuckerman and the entire fourth grade English class lined up along the windows, watching us.”

  Megan laughed. “No way! What happened?”

  “We got in trouble for leaving the playground. But good thing it happened back then. Today I’d have been charged with sexual assault.”

  “Sad, but true.” Megan picked up her fork and stabbed a piece of asparagus. “Well, your story beats mine.”

  Curiosity piqued in him. “Fess up.”

  She chewed, then swallowed. “It’s boring compared to yours.”

  “Too bad. You have to tell it now.”

  “I was sixteen, and on my first date. Harry Davis. A skinny kid with freckles.” She picked up her water glass. “He kissed me on the doorstep after the date.”

  “That’s it?”

  “Told you it was boring.” She smiled, then took a sip of her water.

  “What a letdown.”

  She glanced at the camera. “Remind me to tell you sometime about my second kiss. Much more entertaining.”

  The gleam in her eye made him chuckle. “You got it.”

  Megan punched the pillow in her mansion room and rolled over…again. Why was she so restless? That stupid trust exercise had her stomach all tied up in knots. What was Leon thinking, that they’d really share all that personal stuff on national television? He had some nerve.

  Her stomach growled, and she looked at the clock. Three fifteen. The halibut had been delicious, but not as filling as she’d hoped. And since she had no chance of falling back asleep anytime soon, she slid out of bed and pulled on her robe. Maybe there was something in the kitchen she could snack on.

  The hallway was dark, only lit by a sliver of moonlight shining through a small decorative window high on the far wall. She padded down the back staircase and through another hall that led to the kitchen. The cold tile reminded her she’d forgotten to put on slippers.

  She opened the refrigerator, and the bright light hit her in the face. She was standing there blinking, staring at the blurry contents, when a voice behind her made her jump.

  “Looks like I’m not the only one who couldn’t sleep.”

  She squealed and turned to face Adam, who wore flannel pajamas and a smirk on his face. “Adam! You scared me.”

  “Sorry. Didn’t mean to startle you.” He took a step toward her, his hair tousled in a sexy bed-head way. “Anything good in there?”

  She turned back around, her heart hammering in her chest, not entirely from alarm. “I don’t know. My eyes hadn’t adjusted yet.”

  He grabbed the door and opened it wider, his body now so close she could sense his warmth. “Hmm. Grapes?”

  She shook her head. “No. Middle of the night snacks shouldn’t be healthy.”

  A chuckle came from behind her. “Pudding?”

  She peered into the light, still unable to see anything. “What flavor?”

  He reached past her and grabbed something. “Looks like chocolate fudge.”

  “Now you’re talking.”

  He chuckled again, and his breath brushed her cheek. Smelled like mint. What did he do, chew gum in his sleep? He handed her the cup and grabbed another for himself. “Okay. Chocolate pudding it is.”

  She closed the fridge and turned to find Adam hadn’t moved, effectively pinning her to the door. She looked up at him. For some reason he was staring at her with such intensity, she could barely breathe. She stood frozen as the seconds ticked by, his lips so close to hers she could almost taste them. But he blinked and moved back, and the moment evaporated like mist in the sun.

  They pulled open drawers until Megan found the spoons. When she handed Adam his, their fingers touched and electricity zapped through her.

  Dang. She’d better get away from him. Being alone like this was not a good idea. Not when she couldn’t trust her treacherous body.

  She leaned against the counter and opened her container. The pudding was cold and had the perfect amount of chocolate. She let it slide down her throat and soothe her nervous stomach. She clutched the cool cup and dared a glance at Adam.

  He stood staring at her, almost like he wanted to speak but was holding back. She frowned. “What?”

  “Nothing. I was just thinking about our trust exercise.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, wasn’t that fun?” She adopted a nasal voice, mimicking Doctor Lemon. “Tell everyone your deepest, darkest secrets. It will be good for you.”

  He laughed. “You do a pretty good impression of her.”

  Megan curtsied. “Thanks.”

  Adam’s face grew serious again. “You know, I never wanted a pony.”

  She stared at him, her throat tightening. “Yeah. I figured.”

  He leaned back on the counter, crossing his feet at his ankles and pushing the pudding around in his cup. “The only thing I wanted was to be with my dad again. I didn’t understand why Santa wouldn’t give me that.”

  She slid closer to him and put her hand on his back. “I’m sorry. How awful for you.”

  He shrugged. “I grew up. Learned the ways of life. Found out Santa wasn’t real, and that sometimes no matter how hard you wished for something, it wasn’t going to happen.”

  “That’s a hard lesson for a kid.”
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  “It was.” He sighed and stared at his pudding. “I’m just thankful I have my father in a better facility.” Then he turned his ice blue eyes on her. “I appreciate you doing this.”

  Guilt worked its way into her. The only reason she was doing the show was to advance her career. And even then, she’d almost refused. She hadn’t wanted to agree to a fake marriage, something that now paled in importance. “Sure,” she muttered.

  He swallowed, then shifted his weight. “Can I ask you something?”

  “Okay.”

  His gaze bore into hers. “What were you thinking of when you were asked to share your deepest secret?”

  Her chest tightened, and a chill ran over her skin. For a moment, she thought about blowing off the question, but an urge to tell him surged in her. She broke the eye contact and stared at her feet, unsure of how to begin.

  “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked.”

  “No. It’s okay. I’ve just never told anyone before. It’s kind of hard.”

  He nodded and waited for her to continue.

  She took a deep breath. “When I was six, a girl in my town was kidnapped. They found her body three weeks later, in a creek.” She raised her gaze to stare into his eyes. “I could have prevented it.”

  His eyebrows knit together. “How?” he asked, his voice soft.

  She set the empty pudding cup on the counter and folded her arms across her chest. “Two days before her kidnapping, I was playing outside in my yard. A man pulled up in a van, saying he’d lost his puppy. I knew better than to go near a stranger, but he seemed so worried. I wanted to help. The next thing I knew, he grabbed me and pulled me toward his van.”

  Adam took in a sharp breath. “That’s horrible.”

  “I was able to wriggle out of his grasp. I ran into the house and hid under my bed until Wendy came looking for me. I was so scared I’d get in trouble, I never told anyone. Then when the other girl turned up missing, I locked it up in my head and convinced myself to forget it ever happened.” Her hands shook, and she twisted her fingers together.

  He pulled her close, his strong arms enveloping her, wrapping her in warmth. “It wasn’t your fault,” he whispered into her hair.

  She trembled, unable to stop. “I know, but if I had said something…” Her vision blurred.

  He pulled back, his gaze intense. “You were only six years old. You probably couldn’t even have given them the license plate number.” He brushed a tear off her cheek with his thumb.

  Megan blinked as she processed that thought. “You’re right. I didn’t think of that.”

  He hugged her again, tucking her head under his chin. “You were so young. It’s very possible your account of the incident wouldn’t have stopped the man. You can’t hold yourself responsible.”

  For the first time, Megan allowed the guilt to subside. And while she stood in the kitchen, wrapped in Adam’s warm embrace, she finally felt at peace.

  19

  Megan stepped back, suddenly embarrassed to be so close to Adam while wearing her silky robe and pajamas. She hadn’t meant to cling to him like Saran Wrap. She raked a shaky hand through her hair. Changing the subject would be good. “Can I ask you something?”

  “Sure.”

  “What was your earliest betrayal?”

  Emotion played across his face, and he swallowed. He seemed to search for words for a moment. “Well, Mom leaving us, but I was too young to understand that. Later, I had a foster brother in one of my placements, Nathan. Something wasn’t quite right with the kid. I think his parents thought having another child around would be good for him.”

  She nodded, silently encouraging him to go on.

  “He acted like my friend, at first. He had a huge collection of Hot Wheels, and we’d spend hours playing with them on the basement carpet. The family had a pet dog. Beautiful collie named Butch. I loved that dog. I think Nate was jealous. One day I came home from school and Butch was lying on the front porch. At first I thought he was sleeping, but as I approached I saw blood. He’d been stabbed. A lot.”

  Her stomach lurched, and her hand flew to her mouth, covering a gasp. “Nate did that?”

  “Yes. They moved me to another family after that.”

  “I’d hope so.”

  “Last I heard, Nate was in jail for armed robbery.”

  She nodded, unsure of what to say. “Wow.” She’d known he’d had a rough childhood, being ripped away from his father and put into foster care, but she’d had no idea it was that bad. What a traumatic event. The thought jumped in her head to pull him close, but she pushed it away. Instead, she put her hand over his.

  He slid his other hand over hers, and squeezed. An unspoken communication passed between them. It was as if he understood why she was holding back, and accepted it. They stood for a few seconds, a feeling Megan couldn’t quite place coming over her. After a moment, Adam pulled his hand back.

  “Okay. Your turn. Most painful childhood memory. Can’t be scraping your knees.”

  “You’re right. All my painful memories have to do with my mother. She’s the one with the temper in our family.”

  “Did she hit you?” he asked, quietly.

  Megan shook her head. “No. But she threw things. Screamed at me. Told me I was no good. I wasn’t really thinking of a single incident. Life was better when she was at work, which was a lot of the time, so I was glad for that.”

  “And your dad?” His tone was soft. Understanding.

  “He always smoothed things out between Mom and me. We had a good relationship.” She blinked back sudden tears. “I miss him.”

  “You don’t get to see him much?”

  She shook her head. “No.” She could have gone into greater detail, but left it at that. With her mother being the way she was, it was difficult to spend time with her father. She forced a smile. “Okay, what about your biggest fear? It’s definitely not losing me.”

  He chuckled, and she realized she liked the sound. It rumbled in his chest, making her pulse jump. “What, you don’t think I care about you?”

  She smirked at him. “You weren’t thinking that, and you know it. Come on, spill.”

  “All right. My biggest fear is probably having Leon make a mockery of my father on national television.” A smile formed on his lips, and he put his arm on her back, sending warmth and tingles through her. “But don’t sell yourself short. You’ve grown on me. I mean, I’m going to propose soon, you know.”

  She froze, the warmth she’d felt a moment ago turning cold. Of course, she knew he was only doing it for the show. And it wasn’t real. But the thought of him proposing sent shivers through her anyway. “When?” she asked, her voice breathy.

  A devilish look gleamed in his eye. “Now, I can’t tell you that. It has to be a surprise.” He moved closer to her, bending low. She couldn’t take her eyes off his lips. Why did she have this sudden urge to kiss him? The pull was almost overwhelming.

  She glanced away to break the spell. “Well, I guess I’d better head to bed. I’ve got a date with Luc in the morning.”

  “Ah, poor man,” Adam said in a bad French accent. “He will lose at this game of love.”

  She tried not to laugh, but a giggle escaped anyway. “You shouldn’t try to speak in an accent. You might hurt yourself.”

  His grin widened. “Or maybe it’s just too sexy.”

  She poked him in the side. “You better get to bed. You’re delusional from lack of sleep.” As she left the room, she heard him chuckle.

  20

  The next three days were spent going on outings with Luc, Anthony and Adam. Every interview with Doctor Lemon grew tenser, with the fake doctor pushing Megan to admit she was in love with Adam. No matter how many times she told herself it was only a television show and she’d signed a co
ntract and she needed to say the words, she still couldn’t force them through her lips.

  While she readied for another date with Adam, she blew out a frustrated breath. It wasn’t like she didn’t feel anything for him. She did. Too much, really. He didn’t love her. He was acting, so why did she get butterflies every time she saw him? And why couldn’t she just do some acting of her own? Tell Doctor Lemon she loved him?

  The answer hit her like a sucker punch. She couldn’t say it because she was afraid it was true. Saying it would only re-affirm what she feared. She had fallen in love with Adam. Would Doctor Lemon be able to see it?

  She shook her head, not believing what was going through her mind. Doctor Lemon was a fake! She wouldn’t know a relationship from a monkey’s rear end. Of all the things she should be worrying about, Doctor Lemon finding out she was really in love with Adam was not one of them.

  She slipped into her sun dress and sandals, and finished applying her makeup. The stupid fake doctor was going to get what she wanted in this after-date interview. She’d confess her love for Adam. They were paying her a hundred thousand dollars. She had to go along with it, right? No one needed to know her true feelings.

  Having made the decision, her nerves grew into a tangled mess. Maybe she could put that out of her mind for her date. Ignore the uneasiness making her stomach clench. She stared at herself in the mirror. Who was she kidding? She was going to be a nervous wreck.

  On the way out of her room, she grabbed her clutch purse. She expected to see Adam waiting in the entryway, but it was empty. The camera man followed her as she wandered around the main floor, growing more confused as she went. When she couldn’t find anyone, she stepped out onto the back deck.

  Doctor Lemon sat on the wooden bench. A smile quirked her lips before she smoothed it out. “A car is coming for you and Adam. Please go pack your bags.”