by Sara Orwig
Dressed in a black tux, he looked incredibly handsome. His dark gaze met hers as he stared at her solemnly. If only—She stopped her wishful thoughts. He was a con- firmed bachelor, going into this marriage of convenience for the money. Think about the boys, she told herself. Think what she can do for them. This marriage was for them. Just remember, the only thing Cal Duncan wants is the money.
“Ready?” Brison said, taking her arm. His hand brushed hers, and he glanced down at her. “You’re ice.”
“I’m all right.” She looked up into concerned blue eyes.
“I know why you’re doing this,” he said, “and I’d do the same thing if I had a chance at an inheritance like that. He seems like an okay guy, but if you ever have trouble, just call.”
“Thanks, Brison,” she said, giving his arm a pat and feeling the solid muscle.
With a deep breath, she started down the aisle. She glanced at the boys who sat with a grinning Mimi, her mother, Franci, and her stepfather, Jerry Moreno. She winked at Chris who grinned and gave her a thumbs-up sign that made her smile. Quin looked solemn, his mouth turned down slightly and she felt a ripple of worry. While Quin hadn’t said anything, it was clear he was unhappy about her marriage.
Her concern vanished when she looked at Josh who waved at her. She winked at him and then shifted her atten- tion to Cal. His steady gaze was on her, and as she neared she felt as if tiny invisible sparks were passing between them. He looked solemn and a muscle worked in his jaw, and she wondered if he dreaded this marriage as much as she did.
When her icy hands were placed in his warm ones, his eyebrows arched. Surely he didn’t wonder why she was nervous. If he had qualms, they were well hidden. His hands were warm and steady. Standing at his side, she repeated her vows and finally they were husband and wife.
“You may kiss the bride.”
She looked up at Cal with apprehension. “Mrs. Caleb Duncan,” he said softly. He leaned forward to brush her lips so lightly and quickly with his. Another feathery kiss that should have done nothing, but the instant their lips met, her stomach turned over.
And then he took her arm and they walked down the aisle to gather her family and go to Green Oaks for the recep- tion.
As soon as they emerged from the rented limo, the boys raced across the lawn to the house. Red, Cal’s golden re- triever, bounded out to meet them and Chris led the dog around the side of the house. “I hope Chris puts Red in his new pen,” Cal remarked to Juliana.
“He’ll probably stay in the pen with him,” she said. “The boys adore your dog. And so does Gladys.”
A sandy-haired man stepped in front of them. “Con- gratulations, Cal. Best wishes to you, Mrs. Duncan. I’m Wynn Barkley from the Colby Sun. May I take a couple of pictures, please?”
Without waiting for an answer, he stepped back and snapped their picture.
“I’m not sure I want him doing that,” Juliana remarked quietly, glancing at Cal who was smiling at the photogra- pher.
“He’ll get pictures, anyway, so let him take a few. Elnora’s will is big news.”
“So is our wedding, I suppose,” she said as another flash went off. “How many do we have to pose for?”
“I think you’re going to be rescued. Stoddard will han- dle Wynn,” Cal said with a note of amusement as he watched the butler approach them. “I could use Stod- dard’s help in my law office. He has a way of settling peo- ple down.”
She watched as Stoddard spoke in an undertone to Bark- ley and with a shrug and a smile, the reporter turned away. “Thanks,” Wynn said before trotting after Stoddard, who disappeared around the side of the house.
Franci, Jerry and Mimi crossed the porch and went in- side. Cal took Juliana’s arm and they traversed the lawn and climbed the steps. The afternoon sun was warm on her shoulders, yet Juliana couldn’t shake the chill that had en- veloped her all morning. On the porch, Cal turned and swept her into his arms.
Startled, she wrapped her arms around his neck while he flashed her a grin. “Don’t look so alarmed. I want to carry my bride over the threshold.”
She gazed into his dark eyes, her emotions churning. This was a loveless marriage. Cal Duncan wouldn’t even con- sider asking her out on a date if it weren’t for Elnora’s will, yet he kept doing things like giving her a huge diamond and carrying her over the threshold—acts that weren’t neces- sary or even expected.
As she stared at him, he watched her and the moment in- tensified. She became aware of every inch of him as she pressed against him, of his solid chest, his strong arms holding her, his brown eyes filled with smoldering curios- ity. The world faded and her heart drummed and she forgot where she was or why. Awareness narrowed to this man and the desire flaring in his eyes.
Without taking his gaze from hers, he set her on her feet, and one arm slid from her shoulders to her waist. Juliana couldn’t catch her breath. His arm tightened, drawing her closer. His gaze lowered to her mouth, his look seductive. He lowered his head, his lips moving against hers so lightly, then settling. His tongue touched her lips and her insides felt as if she had stepped off the edge pf the world.
“Sir,” came a quiet voice and a clearing of the throat.
Cal raised his head and looked beyond Juliana into Stod- dard’s impassive face. “Sir, guests are arriving.”
“Thanks,” he said, glancing over his shoulder and look- ing down at her. “We’ll finish what we started later.”
“Not if we have good sense.”
Cal knew she was right. It was on the tip of his tongue to reply that the heart knew little about good sense, but he bit back the words. Juliana was unquestionably right. Stop kissing the woman. One year and then he would be free. He turned away to greet friends coming through the front door.
Juliana felt dazed as she smiled and greeted people and met Cal’s friends. She was separated from him until Meg took her wrist and led her to the table that held a three-tier wedding cake. Cal stood beside her while she cut the first piece. They ate a small bite and then in minutes were sepa- rated again while they talked with friends.
“You look so beautiful, Juliana,” a woman said. Ju- liana turned to look at Cal’s slender, dark-haired mother who stood leaning on a cane. Sylvia Duncan’s skin was pale and she looked fragile. Her thickly lashed eyes had been in- herited by her son. Otherwise, they bore little resemblance to each other.
“Thank you,” Juliana replied, gazing into eyes as dark brown as Cal’s.
“Cal told me about Elnora’s will and you and your boys. Of course, Cal and our family will benefit, too, but I’m happy because I think you’ll be very good for Cal. We’ve worried so long about him being alone. He needs someone in his life.” She stepped closer to brush Juliana’s cheek with a kiss. “Be patient with him. He’s a good man.”
“Juliana, you’re wanted for pictures.” Meg approached and waved at Juliana. “Mrs. Duncan, they’ll want you, too. I’ve already rounded up Mr. Duncan.”
“I see Cal standing at the end of the room,” Juliana said, spotting him easily because of his height. She walked slowly, aware of Sylvia Duncan’s slow steps. Juliana felt a strange emptiness from Sylvia Duncan’s words. She couldn’t imag- ine Cal Duncan needing anyone. He seemed totally self- sufficient, commanding, and determined to do things his way. She had been glad to meet his parents who seemed re- assuringly nice.
“You’re sweet to go slowly,” Sylvia said as they made their way across the room. “Did Cal tell you we were in- jured in a car accident four years ago?”
“No, sorry. I didn’t know.”
“His father is better now, but he’s had two severe heart attacks. Between the two of us, I feel we’re a burden for Cal.”
“Of course you’re not!” Juliana exclaimed, bringing a smile to Sylvia’s face.
“You’re sweet, Juliana. Cal!” she called softly. His dark head swung around and he turned to join them for pic- tures.
Finally, in early evening, the last guests and parents were gone. C
al and Juliana kissed Mimi goodbye last, and they were left alone with the boys, Gladys and Stoddard. While the children climbed a tree in the front yard, Cal stood be- side Juliana on the porch. “I offered you a wedding trip.”
“It seemed ridiculous and unnecessary. What would we have done to while away the time?”
His mouth quirked with amusement. “We could have traveled, seen Paris or the South Pole, or whatever you would have liked. We could have gotten to know each other. So, how would you like to spend the evening?” he asked, turning to look at her.
“Hey, guys!” Chris yelled, dropping from a limb to the ground and running toward the house. “Come play ball.”
Cal’s eyebrows arched and the corner of his mouth lifted in a crooked smile as he looked at her. “It’s up to the lady,” he said quietly. “Sandlot ball isn’t the usual agenda for a new bride on her wedding night.”
She glanced at Chris who stood waiting with his fists on his hips. He waved. “C’mon, play ball!” he yelled.
She returned her gaze to Cal. “Why not? The exercise might ease some of the tension.”
“You’re tense?”
“Yes. How can you be relaxed?”
“We’re married. We both got what we wanted. You’re not going to be carried off and ravished, so why are you tense?”
“Today we bound our lives together in a way that will change us and the boys. We can’t live together in the house a whole year and be the same two people at the end of that time.”
“1 figured we might do exactly that,” he remarked.
“Are you gonna play?” Chris yelled persistently.
“It’s up to you, Juliana,” Cal said, running his finger along her arm.
“Sure.”
He nodded and waved to Chris. “As soon as we change.”
“Mrs. Duncan,” Gladys said from the doorway, “I’ve finished cleaning now and I’m going home. Stoddard helped and he’ll be going, too.”
“Fine. Thank you, Gladys. And Gladys, just call me Ju- liana.”
Gladys nodded and Juliana suspected that Gladys would continue addressing her as Mrs. Duncan because the woman probably considered it the proper thing to do. Cal held the door, and they entered as Gladys disappeared down the hall into the kitchen. They moved in silence along the hall. At the foot of the stairs, Cal turned to sweep her into his arms. She gasped as she wound her arm around his neck to steady herself.
“What are you doing?”
He grinned. “Carrying you up the stairs,” he said, climbing easily. “It doesn’t seem quite right for a beautiful woman in a wedding dress to tell her guests goodbye and go off alone to her room to change, even in a paper marriage like ours.”
“That’s ridiculous!” she exclaimed, aware of her arm around his shoulders, her body pressed against him. At the top of the stairs, he turned along the hall.
“Cal, look!” she said, glancing out the window. Down in the backyard, the boys stood facing Stoddard. “Maybe I should go see about Stoddard.”
“You don’t have to worry about him,” Cal said dryly. While they watched, Stoddard nodded his head and Josh slipped bis hand into the butler’s as the boys and Stoddard headed across the yard.
“I think he’s going to play ball with them,” Cal said with amusement.
“My word! I can’t believe they talked him into it.” She turned and met Cal’s direct gaze and all thoughts about the boys or Stoddard vanished.
Looking into her eyes, Cal strode to the large master bedroom across the south wing that they had decided would be hers. He glanced at the four-poster bed with its pink-satin coverlet that would have only one person in it.
Cal set her on her feet, and she remembered when he had carried her over the threshold and then kissed her. Was he going to kiss her again? She wanted him to. Her pulse drummed as she looked up at him and he slid his hands to her shoulders. The dress had a wide vee neck and tiny puff sleeves that he pushed off her shoulders. His hands were warm on her skin as he looked at her.
“You were beautiful today.” He reached out to pull a pin from her hair, carefully removing the narrow band of taf- feta with seed pearls and flowers that held her veil. “I’ve never seen you with your hair down,” he said quietly, re- moving more pins and dropping them into his pockets.
Her gaze was ensnared by his while she felt her hair tum- ble across her shoulders. It was impossible to get her breath, next to impossible to remember that she intended to keep her defenses up and guard her heart. His hands framed her face and he tilted her mouth up to his as he leaned down. His lips brushed hers, then settled, his mouth opening hers as his tongue thrust against hers. Heat burst within, spiraled down and centered in her.
Her inner voice shouted a warning that she would regret rushing into a relationship with him that was anything more than their marriage contract, but she couldn’t pull away. His arm tightened around her, drawing her against his body.
Throwing aside all caution, Juliana slipped her arms around his neck while she returned his kiss, tentatively at first, and then with abandon. As his tongue played over hers, her heart pounded. She felt on fire, a magical electric- ity charging her nerves, a need awakening within her.
With a groan, Cal spread his legs, leaned over her and kissed her deeply. She was soft, fiery in his arms, all woman with her wild shower of golden hair and her hot, wet kisses that unleashed a raging storm of desire. Her tongue played over his, trailing across his lower lip and he shook with ef- fort for control. This cool, aloof blonde melted into a blaz- ing temptation. He knew he had gone into the marriage intending to keep it purely a business arrangement, yet from the moment they were declared husband and wife, he had been violating his own rules.
She pushed against him and he released her. Her eyes were wide, startled, and he wondered if her expression mirrored his own. Her kisses had held an arousing hunger and he had a sinking feeling that nothing between them would ever be the same again.
“We weren’t going to do this,” she whispered.
“No, but kisses aren’t binding,” he said hoarsely and knew it was a lie.
As she took a step back from him, he dropped his hands to his sides. “I think we agreed we’re better off keeping this impersonal. I’ll change clothes now,” she said abruptly, turning to move away from him.
He started toward the door and glanced back at her. “Need help with the buttons?”
“No!” she snapped, her eyes narrowing, and he smiled.
“As I recall, you have a row of buttons all down the back of that dress. I just thought you might need assistance. It wasn’t a ploy. That’s not my style.”
Juliana’s anger changed to embarrassment when she re- membered Meg laboring to get the wedding dress buttoned. When he left the room, she glanced over her shoulder into the oval cheval glass and tried to unfasten the middle but- tons. “Cal!”
He reappeared, his coat in his hand and tie removed, the first studs out of his shirt.
“I forgot about the row of buttons. I might need help, Meg had a dreadful time getting them fastened.”
He arched an eyebrow and tossed his coat and tie over a chair. “Sure.”
He crossed the room and she turned around, holding up her hair with one hand and holding the front of her dress with the other. She wasn’t wearing a bra because it hadn’t been necessary with the thick taffeta, the silk lining and the seed pearls decorating the bodice. As he twisted the but- tons free, she tried to ignore her racing pulse at the con- stant brush of his warm fingers against her back. He bent his knees slightly, and she could only partially see him in the mirror.
Cal pushed free another button and with every button loosened, he felt more sweat pop out on his forehead. He was too aware of her slender bare back. She was wearing nothing from the waist up and his imagination ran riot. Her skin was smooth and peach-colored and lovely. He ached to lean forward and trail kisses along her bare flesh. He straightened and looked over her shoulder into the mirror and felt his body respon
ding swiftly to her reflection.
She had her hair caught up with one hand, the other hand holding her dress in place in front. The white taffeta draped seductively over the curve of her breasts, a bit of flesh re- vealed on each side of the expanse of white fabric. The al- most-nothing bits of sleeves were down to her elbows. As she stared back at him in the mirror, her eyes were huge.
“Is that the scar from the gunshot during the bank holdup?” he asked, his gaze drifting down to a small white scar on her shoulder.
“Yes, it is,” she answered, sounding breathless. He studied her a moment and then bent his head to continue loosening buttons.
Cal wanted to finish what he’d started, to unbutton the rest of the row and push the elegant dress into a heap around her ankles. Watching her in the mirror, he slowly ran his finger down her back and saw her inhale and her lips part. He leaned down to brush a kiss across her nape. Her re- sponses to his kisses or touches were always instant and in- tense.
“I must be unbuttoned enough to do the rest without you,” Juliana said. It took willpower to step away from him. What she wanted to do was melt back against him and turn to be kissed.
“If you change your mind, Juliana, about the physical part, we could have something really good together,” he said in a husky voice, still watching her in the mirror.
“No. Absolutely not. I don’t want a casual affair even if this is a paper marriage.”
She walked several steps and turned to find him watch- ing her with a smoldering appraisal that made her tremble.
Without a word, he strode out of the room, scooping up his coat and tie as he went.
She crossed the room behind him and closed the door, sagging against it and studying her reflection in the mirror. Why did she have such an intense reaction to him? Why had he kissed her? She knew the answer to that one. What she needed to remember was that he would not fall in love. When the year was up, he would be gone out of their lives. She didn’t want a big heartbreak then or sooner. Or any ca- sual affair, because for her, it could never be casual. Yet… Her thoughts trailed away as she studied her reflection. His kisses had burned through her.