April Fool Bride

by Joan Reeves

  "Hey, what are friends for if not to assist with insane schemes designed to thwart wicked stepmothers?"

  Maddie laid the gown on the bed. "You didn't think it was so insane when I mentioned it."

  "Lawyers, as you well know, are only interested in the big fees they can bill." Amy's grin faded. "Actually, I didn't think you were serious until you named Jake as a man that you thought would marry you without wanting a cut of your fortune." She turned to face Maddie. "Did you ever read that report I sent you about Jake?"

  Maddie grimaced. "No. It seemed like such an invasion of his privacy to have him investigated. I figured if something bad was in the report, you'd have told me."

  Amy nodded. "That's just what I thought. Well, you needn't worry. Nothing bad in his background. Now let's get you dressed. We're on a tight schedule if we want to make that flight to Houston later." She giggled. "I bet Jake wasn't happy when he learned he'd be taking the redeye instead of taking you to his bed tonight."

  Amy's cell phone chirped. She glanced at the name on the screen. "I'll be back in a few." She rushed out, closing the door behind her.

  Maddie showered, styled her hair so that it fell in soft waves from a side part, and applied her makeup. She imagined Jake was very disgruntled about not having a wedding night. Score one for her team. She'd slept with a lot of men for a lot of reasons. Trying to get attention from her stepmother to see if Constance cared enough to stop Maddie's self-destructive behavior. Trying to pretend someone cared for her. Trying to fill that empty hole in her soul. Mostly trying to eradicate Jake's memory. But each time morning inevitably came, and she was forced to open her eyes and see a man she barely recognized. Disgust and self-loathing always followed.

  It had taken a DUI to derail her train of destruction. She could only thank a merciful God that she hadn't injured anyone with her reckless disregard for her own safety all those times she'd driven drunk. That incident had been the wakeup call she'd needed.

  In the huge dress box, she found delicate ivory silk panties, a matching garter belt, and sheer stockings. The corset style bodice of the dress made a bra unnecessary. As she dressed in the sexy lingerie, she felt as if she were wrapping a present that was doomed to remain unopened. She stepped into high heel satin pumps that were emerald green, enjoying that touch of whimsy.

  Just as she was wondering what was keeping Amy, a knock sounded on her door. Relieved, she called out, "Come on in."

  The door opened, and Jake stood there.

  A surge of lust hit Jake. He gripped the doorknob so hard that he thought he might crush the metal. He actually felt dizzy as he stared at Maddie. Long legs. High heels. Garter belt. Next to nothing panties. Naked breasts. Round and full, tipped with nipples that tightened and flushed a darker pink as he watched. In fact, her whole body blushed. His body seemed to harden into stone. At least part of him did. Her green eyes were huge in her face. Belatedly, she raised her hands to her breasts, covering the nipples.

  In a low, breathless voice, Maddie asked, "Did you want something?"

  Yes. You.

  The words remained unspoken, but he felt the truth of them in every cell of his body. If he were honest with himself, maybe he'd wanted her since that long ago night when she'd clumsily tried to seduce him. He'd agreed to marry her as some kind of payback for what Constance had done. As revenge on Maddie. But, now, looking at her, he had to admit the truth. He wanted Maddie. He abandoned any pretense of game playing. He was deadly serious. Judging by the way the pupils of her eyes dilated, by the way her nipples had tightened, and by her rapid respiration, she wanted him too. He wouldn't be satisfied until she admitted her desire for him.

  Somehow, he managed to speak. "I wanted to tell you that I was ready to go."

  Just then Amy walked up behind Jake. "We'll be right out. Why don't you go cool off?"

  Jake wheeled and walked away. The spell was broken. Maddie shivered. Every inch of her skin felt as if he'd stroked his hands over her. Her breasts ached. Wanting his touch. The pounding pulse between her legs had her tightening her thigh muscles in search of relief. She was mortified and couldn't meet Amy's eyes. She'd never been so embarrassed. But that wasn't quite true. She'd felt the same way the night she'd tried to seduce Jake. That night, he'd looked horrified to realize she was in his bed and almost naked. Tonight, he'd looked…Oh! He'd looked as if he'd like to take her right then and there. Her face burned. She'd noticed his erection.

  When she heard Amy snicker, she hissed, "Don't say a word. I mean it. Not a word."

  Amy ignored the command. "So it begins. I'd give a nice sum to know what Jake is thinking right now." She lifted the dress and shook it out, holding it for Maddie.

  Maddie stepped into the dress. Amy pulled it up and laced the corset top. Then she handed Maddie a small satin bag. "I picked these up from your townhome."

  When Maddie saw her mother's emerald earrings, she nearly lost it. She carefully inserted each emerald earring, screwing the delicate clasp onto the post. "My dad gave my mom these earrings the day I was born."

  "I have to admit the earrings are gorgeous even if they are in an old fashioned gold setting. They're perfect for your style. Classic elegance."

  Wistfully, Maddie said, "I wish Graciella could be here. I talked to her after Jake told her we were getting married. She wants to think it's a love match."

  "Everything will work out. Don't worry so much." Amy stood back and looked at Maddie. "You clean up good. I hope you don't mind that I didn't get a veil or a bouquet."

  Maddie studied her reflection. She loved how she looked. "No. I never even expected a dress like this. I'm humbled by your generosity."

  "Oh, you silly," Amy said, blinking rapidly then waving her hand in front of her eyes to forestall an errant tear from messing up her mascara. "You can do the same for me if I ever succumb to insanity and decide to marry, which we both know will never happen. I've got an even half dozen each of stepmothers and stepfathers whose example taught me well the folly of matrimony. At least you're going into this with your eyes wide open."

  Maddie refrained from saying that it was her open heart that concerned her. With every hour she spent with Jake, her vulnerability increased.

  When she left the room, she saw Jake on the balcony. This time she noticed his cream colored suit that looked as if it had been chosen to coordinate with her bridal gown. His suit was perfect against his olive skin. He turned and Maddie again felt naked before his gaze. He was beautiful. His eyes blazed with heat, sending a wave of desire through her.

  Jake walked to her, his gaze holding her eyes. He wondered if Maddie knew how desirable she was. Desirable and beautiful beyond words. He could hardly breathe. Seeing her dressed as a bride shocked him into awareness of what they were about to do. This was his last chance to back out. Did he want out?

  Burned onto his retinas was the image of Maddie standing nearly nude in front of him. He wanted to see her that way again. He wanted to hold her close and peel those stockings down her long legs. He wanted to feel her with nothing between her skin and his. No. He didn't want out. Maybe he'd feel differently tomorrow or next week. Maybe he'd feel marriage was a high price to pay to satisfy his desire for her, but right now, all he wanted was…her.

  The strapless gown revealed her shoulders and the curve of her breasts. He imagined stroking those curves. She'd warned him that she wouldn't come willingly to his bed, that he'd have to seduce her. He could think of nothing that would give him more pleasure. "You are utterly lovely, Madeline Quinn--the most beautiful bride I've ever seen."

  Did he find her as beautiful as the dark-haired woman in his photograph, Maddie wondered.

  Amy joined them. She had changed into a tailored beige suit with a lace-embellished blouse. "Let's roll." She hummed a chorus of the old Dixie Cups song, "Going to the Chapel of Love" as they exited the hotel using the service entrance. The limo Amy had arranged waited there. The trip to the wedding chapel took very little time.

  Before she
knew it, Maddie and Jake stood at an altar that wasn't as tacky as Maddie had feared. There wasn't an Elvis impersonator in sight. She managed to say the words that bound her and Jake together in holy matrimony even though there wasn't anything remotely holy about this particular marriage.

  When the minister asked for the rings, Amy stepped up and held out her hand to reveal two plain gold wedding bands. With a lopsided grin, Jake slipped the wedding band on her ring finger, and Maddie reciprocated with the man's wedding band. She was lost in thought staring at the shiny yellow gold bands when she felt Jake pull her to him. Surprised, she looked up.

  Somehow, she'd missed the part about the minister pronouncing them husband and wife. But Jake hadn't. Before she could protest, he had his arms tight around her waist, pulling her close. She could feel him throbbing against her. His head lowered. Alarmed, Maddie stiffened and tried to distance herself as she had the other time he'd kissed her, but he just gathered her closer and bent her back until she was clinging to him to keep from falling. She just needed to be still, and the kiss would be over quickly. She held her breath, eyes closed, waiting for his kiss. When it didn't come, her eyes flew open. He was so close that his image was blurry.

  In a strained whisper, he said, "We're not leaving until you kiss me back."

  Her temper showed in her green eyes. "Fine. I'll kiss you. Let's just get this over."

  His mouth swooped down and covered hers, and his kiss rocked her world. Heat scorched her. Nerve endings sizzled. If he hadn't been holding her, she'd have fallen. Intense longing--for him, for his love--swept through her. For just that moment in time, Maddie allowed herself to respond. To kiss him. To savor the taste of his mouth, the touch of his tongue, the pulsating hardness she could feel against her.

  A ripple of laughter broke the sensual fog enveloping her. Panic hit her. Adrenaline dumped into her bloodstream demanding fight or flight.

  Flight was the only option. She drew upon her years of repressing her emotions and used all her hard-won self-control to make her voice calm and unemotional. As if the kiss meant nothing to her when in fact, it meant everything. "We need to go. Amy's got everything planned to the minute so let's get back to the hotel and change so we can make the flight to Houston."

  She refused to meet Jake's eyes. She was afraid that he would see the truth.

  After a moment, he said, "Whatever you say. You're the boss."

  Maddie flinched from his taunting words. She refused to linger over thoughts that would only make her weepy. She was grateful that Amy took care of everything because she was such a basket case, she couldn't think straight.

  A couple of hours later, they were in the air and headed to Houston. Maddie spent the flight planning how to keep Jake at arm's length. Tired and depressed, a sigh escaped her. Was it a sigh of relief that she wouldn't have a wedding night or a sound of regret? She risked a glance at Jake. Her husband.

  Jake felt Maddie's eyes on him and smiled, amused by the two women's obvious scheme to prevent the complication of a wedding night. That was okay. He had all the time in the world to woo his wife. Well, he had at least a year. Wife. Now that was a word that should strike terror in his heart.

  So why didn't it?

  Chapter 6

  Two days later, Jake felt as if the walls of the luxury hotel room were closing in on him. He was irritated by Maddie's secretiveness. She was on the cell phone constantly it seemed--always clamming up if he came near. At least he waited until he was in his bedroom to make his calls instead of making and receiving calls in her presence so he could pointedly exclude her.

  Even though he'd agreed to keep a low profile until after tonight's dinner party, he had to get out. He'd tried to work out his frustrations in the hotel's fitness center, but there wasn't enough sweat in the world to wash away his sour mood.

  "I'm going for a sandwich," he announced. "Do you want anything?"

  Maddie looked as if she wanted to tell him not to go. He figured she could tell by the expression on his face that she'd better remain silent because she only shook her head.

  When he got outside, Jake took a deep breath. The day was gorgeous. Crisp and sunny with a bit of breeze carrying the fragrance of roses on the air. He found himself unwinding as he walked pass the perfectly manicured grounds with dozens of pink rose bushes.

  The last two days had been difficult. He'd learned that Maddie had a townhome, but she wanted to stay at the hotel where they were registered under Amy's name. Maybe she just wanted the hotel suite because it had two bedrooms. They'd taken their meals in the suite, and they'd settled into an overly polite relationship that put his teeth on edge.

  Seeing her all the time without touching her was driving him crazy. Each night, promptly at eight o'clock, she'd bid him goodnight and gone to the bedroom she'd designated as hers. He hadn't even had an opening to seduce her. Last night, when he'd heard the quiet click of her bedroom door lock, he'd been hard-pressed not to yell that if he wanted in her room, a stupid lock wouldn't keep him out. Instead, he'd taken a cold shower and gone to bed feeling as frustrated as a horny teenager.

  Jake noticed the man loitering at the flower stand across the street. His lips curled in disgust. The idiot wasn't even trying to hide the camera hanging from a strap around his neck. Jake was surprised it had taken this long for the tabloids to come sniffing around. He ignored the photographer and walked on, enjoying the many shades of green offered by the lush landscape. A block later, he stopped at a cafe that bragged about their New Orleans-style Po Boy sandwiches and ordered a fried shrimp Po Boy and a large Coke. He sat at a booth away from the other diners and started making calls on his cell. First was Laura. He'd told her of his marriage. True to her sweet nature, Danny's widow hopped on the happiness train, thinking that he'd married for love.

  "Charly and I want to know when we get to meet the new Mrs. Becker?"

  Jake laughed uncomfortably. He didn't want Maddie to become a part of Laura and Charly's world because they'd be hurt if he and Maddie divorced. Jake paused. He'd meant when they divorced. Hadn't he? "Things are a little peculiar right now. Later, okay?"

  Laura sounded puzzled and a bit hurt by his response. "Sure. Just don't wait too long. You know how Charly is. She'll want to make sure this Maddie is good enough for you since she'd planned to marry you when she grew up."

  That got a laugh from him. Laura changed the subject to business and updated him on what was happening at the office. He wasn't surprised that the office was running fine without him. That was the only reason he'd planned to take several months off and get away from the city.

  "Are you taking your wife on that trip to Europe as your honeymoon?"

  "No, I don't think she'd be much for backpacking and roughing it. Everything happened so fast that we didn't even talk about a honeymoon."

  "Wow. You must have overwhelmed her with your sense of romance. And in case you don't recognize it, that's sarcasm."

  Jake laughed. "Yep. That's me. Mr. Romance."

  "So when are you coming home?"

  "I am home here in Houston. If you're talking about New York, it may be a while. We're going to stay here indefinitely. Just call me if anything comes up. If there's an emergency, if you or Charly need anything and can't reach me on my cell, you've got my mother's number."

  Laura laughed softly. "Jake, try to relax and enjoy your new wife. Charly and I are fine. In case you haven't noticed, we're standing on our own two feet and walking and talking, and we have been for quite some time now. We're not going to fall apart. Charly has adjusted well, and I have too. In fact, I…well, I'm seeing someone."

  Jake grinned. "Really? That's great news. What does Charly think about him?"

  Laura laughed. "Hold on. You're leaping too far ahead. I haven't introduced him to her yet. I thought I'd wait and see how things went. Actually, I'd planned to introduce him to you first as a trial run, but you ran away and got married."

  "Sorry, Laura. Is it serious?"

  Her voice softene
d. "Let's just say it's going really well."

  They talked about a piece of property they'd received an offer on. He approved the offer and said he'd call Vincent and Steve to get their approval too.

  That was the next call Jake made. He endured a boatload of their good-natured ribbing about his sudden wedding then they talked about the offer on the property.

  When his order was brought to the table, he ended the call and turned his attention to the food. He bit into the Po Boy. The baguette was soft and fresh; the shrimp were perfectly fried, and the remoulade sauce had the perfect kick of garlic and Cajun spices. After a few bites, he called the limo company and canceled their services. Then he called his cousin who had a Chevy dealership and made arrangements for Octavio to bring him the Camaro ZL1 that he'd bought the day after Maddie had "proposed" to him. He'd wanted one of the cars since they'd first come out, but keeping a car in New York was such a hassle. Since he planned to be in Houston for a while, buying the car made perfect sense to him. Plus, he just wanted one. He grinned. Maybe it would impress Maddie.

  In less than thirty minutes, Octavio pulled into the parking lot in a metallic red Camaro that made Jake's pulse quicken almost as much as it did when he looked at Maddie. Grinning, he greeted his cousin--one of many cousins on his mother's side--with a bear hug rather than a restrained fist bump. He hadn't seen enough of his extended family over the years, and he'd missed them. Damn, but it was good to be back home in Texas.

  Octavio tossed him the keys. "Let's talk while you take me back to my office. I want to know all about this wife that you suddenly have."

  Jake got in the car and adjusted the power seat to fit his longer legs and fiddled with the gadgets, all the while giving his cousin the "for public consumption" highlights of his marriage.

  "I'm not buying it," Octavio said. "Hey, you're talking to me. Outside of your mom, I'm probably the only one in the family who knows why you gave up your scholarship and joined the army. I know who caused that whole ruckus. Remember?"