“Connor, you can’t marry someone just to solve a custody dispute.”
“Why the hell not?” He waved one hand at the rumpled bed behind him. “Tell me that what we have together is not the best sex of your life.”
She couldn’t. Frowning at the bed, she tried not to think about what they’d been doing there so amazingly just a little while ago. “Sex isn’t a reason for people to be together, either.”
“Sure it is. And a damn good one.” He blew out a breath, folded his arms across his chest and braced his bare feet wide apart.
She was still deliberately not looking at his body.
“Dina, you’re reacting emotionally.”
“Well, yeah.”
“If you look at it rationally instead, you’ll see this makes perfect sense. We get along fine. This house is perfect for kids and will be even better after my cousin Rafe builds out a triplet suite—”
She rolled her eyes. There went his checkbook again, waving back and forth in front of her face.
“—we have great sex. I like you. You like me.”
Not right now, she didn’t. Love, yes. Like? Not so much.
Outside the windows, surf pounded against the rocks at the base of the cliffs and sounded like the universe sighing. He kept talking and his voice, low and persuasive, meshed with the sighs of the sea.
“We’ll never have to fight over the kids, Dina,” he said in a near-seductive tone. “We can share them. Share everything.”
Her gaze flicked up to his. Ice-blue eyes stared at her and she felt herself falling into those alluring depths. She loved him. She couldn’t tell him that because he wouldn’t want to hear it and she didn’t want to give him that much power over her anyway. But was one-sided love enough to make a marriage any damn good? Even a marriage of convenience?
“Think about it,” he said, skimming the fingers of his right hand along her cheek before pulling her up against his body and holding her there. He held her head to his chest, and she heard his heartbeat again. Steady, regular, calm. “Just think about it, okay?”
That was the problem. Dina was pretty sure she wouldn’t be able to think of anything else.
* * *
“Say yes.” The very next morning, Angelica Cortez smiled at her granddaughter from across the table at a local coffee bar. “Why wouldn’t you say yes?”
“Because he doesn’t love me,” Dina answered, stirring cream into her coffee and watching the clouds of white dissolve into the darkness.
“But you love him.”
Her head jerked up and her gaze fixed on her grandmother. “I never said that.”
“I’m not blind, nieta,” the older woman said softly.
The coffee bar was crowded, mostly with people coming or going from the beach. In late June it was still cool, but not cold enough to keep the surfers at bay. There was a thin coating of gritty sand on the floor and every time someone opened the front door, a brisk wind entered, reminding everyone that it wasn’t the heart of summer yet.
Dina had slipped out of the house early, thanking heaven that Louise was willing and eager to spend time with the triplets. Dina needed some time with her grandmother, the most rational human being on the planet, and she knew she wouldn’t get much talking done if she had to chase the babies around.
Connor was meeting his cousin Rafe at the house to start the renovations. And things seemed to be rolling along whether or not Dina was ready to accept them. Once he had the triplets’ suite completed, he would go for full custody—she knew it. The only way to forestall that was to marry him. But how could she do that knowing the marriage would never be what she might want it to be?
Now, looking into her grandmother’s understanding eyes, Dina sighed. “Fine. I love him. But isn’t that one more reason to not marry him?”
Her grandmother laughed, clearly amused. “Love is the only reason to marry,” the older woman told her with a shake of her head. “You and he, you love the children. You are living together now anyway...”
Amazing that having her grandmother know that she was sleeping with someone could make Dina blush, but there it was.
“Why not be married?”
“Because it would be a contract,” Dina said, taking a sip of her coffee. “A business agreement.”
“An arranged marriage,” Angelica said, nodding. “Your grandfather and I, ours was an arranged marriage also. That worked out well for both of us for forty-seven years.”
Dina sighed. “Abuela, that’s different.”
“How? You already love him, nieta. This is not a bad thing.”
“It could be.”
“And it could be wonderful. You won’t know until you try.”
“And if we try and fail, the babies suffer.”
“Then don’t fail.” Angelica reached across the table and took Dina’s hand in hers. “Many arranged marriages become unions of love. Why shouldn’t yours?”
Because Connor didn’t want a wife. He wanted a bed partner. A co-parent. And because even loving him, there was a part of Dina waiting for Connor to turn on her. To insist she be other than what she was.
“You’re not your mother,” Angelica said quietly, and still her voice carried over the clash and clang of coffee cups, the espresso machine and the muted conversations going on all around them. “Trust him. Better still, trust yourself.”
* * *
Two weeks later, Dina’s new last name was King.
The wedding was small, only family and a few friends.
Connor’s backyard was transformed with white ribbon, summer flowers and tables and chairs clustered across the wide, manicured expanse of lawn. The sun was out, music soared from outdoor speakers and their guests were helping themselves to the buffet table that Dina had prepared.
“Your new wife is a hell of a cook.”
Connor glanced at Colt, then shifted his gaze back to where Dina, in a long strapless cream-colored dress, danced with Sage clutched tightly to her. The other two kids were being passed around the family while his cousins’ kids raced through the crowd, laughing.
“She really is,” Connor said, not taking his gaze off of Dina. Her dress clung lovingly to the lush curves he couldn’t wait to get his hands on again. Her long dark brown hair flowed and swayed around her shoulders as she danced with the tiny boy in her arms. When she tipped her head back to laugh, the line of her throat was an elegant column that made him want to lick the length of it.
His body went tight and hard and he was forced to tear his gaze from her before it became impossible to hide his reaction to her.
“Couldn’t talk her into hiring a caterer,” Connor told his twin. “She insisted on doing it all herself.”
“And I for one, am grateful.” Colton picked up another miniburrito and popped it into his mouth. Grinning around it, he said, “She’s also gorgeous.”
“Yeah, she is.”
“Never thought I’d see you get married, though.”
“It’s business, Colt,” Connor told him, looking back at Dina because he just couldn’t help himself. “I explained it to you.”
“Right. Business.” Colt elbowed his twin. “That’s why you’re drooling.”
“I’m not—” Connor broke off, took a sip of a cold beer and then said, “I never wanted to get married because I’d never be able to trust a woman enough. But if this is business, then I risk nothing.” He shrugged, looked at Dina as she handed Sage off to Louise and swung Sam into the dance. Tenderness ached in his heart, but he ignored it and said, “If Dina screws up, I’ll divorce her and keep the kids. If everything goes right, we have great sex with no messy emotions. It’s a win-win.”
The idea of divorcing his brand-new bride gave Con a cold feeling in the center of his gut, but he ignored it. He still wasn’t sure what h
ad finally convinced Dina to marry him, but he suspected he had Angelica Cortez to thank for that. And now that they were married, he’d make sure divorce didn’t come into the picture. He watched Dina and felt the cold ease away into heat that seemed to be with him all the damn time now. It wasn’t just desire, it was more. It went deeper than want, richer than like, but trying to pin a name to what he was feeling only made him more uncomfortable, so he let that go, too.
Colt just stared at him for a long minute, then shook his head and scooped up a tortilla chip loaded with seven-layer dip. Taking a bite, he said, “You’re an idiot. Marriage is about more than sex, Connor. It’s about talking together, laughing together and trust. You’re already talking about divorce.”
“No, I’m not,” he argued, though a slight ping of guilt jabbed at him. “I’m just saying, I can’t lose here.”
“Sure you can.” Colt finished off the last of his food, shrugged and said, “But you’ll figure it out. I have faith. Right now, though, I’m going to go dance with my wife. Maybe you should think about doing the same.”
Ten
Dina’s life changed almost instantly.
Being married to a King opened doors that she hadn’t even known about. Suddenly, her catering business was busier than ever. She wanted to be annoyed that it was the King name, not her own cooking abilities that were getting attention. But she was too happy with the results.
Catering her own wedding hadn’t been easy, but how could she call herself a caterer and then hire someone else for her big day? So she’d worked for two days and with Louise’s help had pulled it off. Not only had everyone at the wedding loved the food, but two of the guests had called a few days later to hire her for their own parties.
But as much as her business was already looking healthier after a month of marriage, she was still on edge, worried about whether or not she’d done the right thing. Loving Connor was a part of her now. Something that had worked its way into every cell of her body, and there was no denying or ignoring it. But being in love didn’t make her blind, either.
Connor wasn’t interested in love. He’d made that plain enough. And since the wedding, she’d sometimes caught him looking at her in such a thoughtful way that she wondered what the heck he was thinking. But he remained the same man he was before. Irritating. Charming. Seductive. And when he took her to bed every night in the room they shared, he managed to banish the doubts that nibbled at her during the day.
Sitting on a quilt spread under a tree in the backyard, she watched as the trips ran in circles, laughing and babbling at each other. The three babies were happy and healthy and they loved Connor and their new home. The five of them were meshing into a unit and while she loved it, Dina worried about what would happen if it all fell apart. Still, it was moments like these when she told herself that marrying Connor had been a good decision.
From the house came thundering crashes, the high-pitched whine of saws and shouts from the crew of workmen. King Construction was busily tearing out walls and expanding the triplets’ bedroom into what would be a suite that would grow with them. The noise was deafening, but they were working at top speed and would probably be finished in another couple of weeks.
Everything in Dina’s world had changed.
And while it was exciting, it also made her feel vulnerable.
Maybe it hadn’t been the brightest move, to marry knowing her husband didn’t love her, but she couldn’t regret it. She had the triplets. She had Connor. And she had a business that was booming. She’d be crazy to complain.
Surrounded by sippy cups, cookies and bowls of sliced bananas, Dina picked up her legal-size pad of paper and her favorite pen. She loved her laptop and her tablet, but when she really wanted to feel creative and let her mind flow, she needed pen and paper.
Idly, she started sketching out menu ideas for the start-of-summer open house party at a local realty office. Glancing from the pad to the kids, she smiled as she began listing ingredients she’d need.
When she heard the heart-wrenching scream, Dina dropped everything and ran.
* * *
Connor had a stack of files to go through and sign and a lunch meeting in less than a half hour. Once that meeting was over, though, he was thinking about blowing off the rest of the day and skipping out early. He smiled at the thought, since he was always the responsible one around here. Come in early, stay late, build the business. He hadn’t really had a life until the triplets and Dina had shaken up his world. And now that he had them, he resented being away from them.
Two days ago, they’d all gone down to the beach and Connor smiled to himself, remembering. The triplets had loved the sand, the water, the seagulls. He could still hear Sadie giggling as he held her toes into the frigid ocean. Sage had been more interested in eating the sand, but Sam had loved knocking down every castle Connor and Dina had built for them.
His smile softened, deepened as he remembered Dina in her oh so tiny electric blue bikini. Oh yeah, maybe he’d leave early and they could all make another trip to the beach.
He’d never even considered getting married in the past, but so far, it wasn’t bad. Except, of course, for the growing feeling that he was becoming more and more deeply attached to his wife. Just the thought of her made him smile, and wasn’t that another worry? He’d never had a woman in his life that he not only liked but couldn’t wait to see. He’d never before felt that quick rush of excitement when she walked into a room.
It was a little unnerving to admit, even to himself, just how much her presence in his life affected him.
“Con.”
He looked up to see Colt, grim faced and steely eyed, standing in the open doorway of his office. Instantly, fear slithered down Connor’s spine like drops of ice water rolling along his skin. Pushing up out of his chair, he demanded, “What’s wrong?”
“Louise called.” Colt winced as he added, “Sam got hurt and Dina took him to the emergency room.”
Cold grabbed Connor and filled him, head to toe. He felt bathed in icy water and struggled to draw a breath. Fear. So rich, so raw, it closed his throat. An image of the tiny boy filled his mind. So easygoing. So happy. So dangerously vulnerable. Con forced his legs to work, walking around his desk, headed for the door. “How bad is he hurt? What the hell happened? Why didn’t Dina call me?”
“She tried—” Colt followed him as Con walked through the front office. “You were on the phone with a client and Linda didn’t put her through.”
“I’m so sorry,” their admin said from her desk, tears pooling in her eyes. “She didn’t tell me—”
“It’s okay.” Con didn’t have time to soothe Linda. He looked at his twin. “I’m headed to the hospital.”
“I know.” Colt slapped his shoulder. “Call me when you know something.”
“Right.” He was out the door and across the parking lot in seconds. Less than a minute later, he was on Pacific Coast Highway headed south. Thankfully, their office was in Laguna Beach, only a few short miles from the local hospital. Every one of those miles felt like a hundred to Con.
His mind filled with images designed to torture him. Sam bleeding. Dina sobbing, all alone in a sterile room, hovering over the baby boy they both loved so much. In his mind, Con heard Sam screaming and the sympathetic wails from his brother and sister.
Con’s heart jackhammered in his chest and his fists flexed convulsively on the wheel as he tore in and out of traffic, ignoring yellow lights, punching the accelerator when he had a chance for more speed. Fear snapped at the edges of his heart.
He whipped into the parking lot, parked outside the emergency room and didn’t give a damn if they towed his car. He had to get to Dina. To Sam. He hit the automatic double doors at a run, sprinted to the reception desk with a quick look in the waiting area. No Dina. No Sam. Just kids and adults, crying, worried. He knew ho
w they felt. He slammed both hands on the desk and barked, “Sam King. Cortez. Where is he?”
The older woman took one look at him and her eyebrows lifted. “Which is it? Cortez or King?”
He took a breath, summoned a semblance of calm and said, “Cortez. Soon to be King. And why does this matter? He’s a baby. He’s hurt. I’m his father.”
For a second or two it looked as though she might argue with him, but she must have seen the desperation in his eyes and taken pity. Whatever worked, Con thought wildly. Hell, if he’d had to, he’d have offered to build a wing to the damn place if it meant they’d get him to Sam.
“Exam room two. On the left.”
He spun away from the desk, ignored the stench of misery and antiseptic and headed for the designated room. He burst inside and Dina whirled around to face him, Sam clutched in her arms. The baby’s face was red and streaked with tears, his breath hitching in and out of his little chest. His black hair stood up on end and the moment he saw Connor, he reached out both chubby arms. “Da!”
Con’s already unsteady heart lurched, but he snatched the little boy from Dina and cuddled him close. Da. Sam had just said his first word and the magic of that briefly swamped the building fear. For one moment Con inhaled the soft, clean scent of Sam and let his own heart drop to a more normal rhythm as he felt the little boy’s warm, solid weight. Sam laid his head on Con’s shoulder with a breathy sigh and Con looked to Dina.
“What happened?”
Tears had left their mark behind on her face as well. Her big brown eyes were still wet with them. Her bottom lip trembled. “They were playing in the backyard. I was right there, Con. Everything was fine, then Sam screamed and when I went to pick him up, his leg was bleeding and—”
Connor shifted his grip on the baby and for the first time noticed a hastily wrapped, bloodstained bandage. Sam sniffled and Connor patted his back gently, hoping to soothe.
Shaking his head, Connor asked, “How did it happen? What cut him? Did you see it?”
Triple the Fun Page 13