Beach Reads Boxed Set

by Marie Force

  “Oh good, you’re here.” She held out her hand him. “Will you please tell him you’re my fiancé, and you can take care of me?”

  Startled to hear the word fiancé from her for the first time, Beck stared at her.

  “Peter?”

  “Yes,” he said, tearing his eyes off her to look at the doctor. “That’s right. I’m her fiancé. I’d like to take her home.”

  “The wound was deep, and we can better manage her pain here,” the exasperated doctor said. “It’s going to be bad when the local wears off.”

  “Can you give her something for it?” Beck asked.

  “Yes, but it won’t be as effective as I.V. medication.”

  “Could we have a minute?” Beck asked the doctor.

  “Sure. I’ll be back.”

  When they were alone, Beck leaned down to kiss her. “Maybe he’s right, honey.”

  “Take me home, Peter. Take me to your home where we’ll live together.”

  Weakened by her bottomless blue eyes and pale face, he could deny her nothing. “What am I supposed to say to that?”

  “How about okay?” she asked with the smile he couldn’t resist.

  He brought her hand to his lips. “Okay.”

  They pulled up to his place in Common Fence Point just as the sun began to peek over the horizon.

  “It’s on the water,” Jessie said with a contented sigh.

  “It’s a work in progress, so don’t expect too much,” Beck said as he scooped her up to carry her inside.

  “Wait,” she said when they reached the door.

  “What?”

  “Kiss me before you carry me over the threshold.”

  He laughed as he indulged her. “That shot they gave you made you goofy.”

  “I’m not goofy.” She tossed out her arms and nearly threw him off balance. “I’m free of all worries, and I’m in love. I’ve never been happier in my whole life than I am right now. Right in this moment.”

  “Neither have I,” he said, his tone hoarse with emotion as he stole another kiss. “Ready to go in?”

  She nodded.

  He deposited her on the sofa and turned on the lights. Propping a pillow under her injured leg, he said, “It’s better during the day when you can see the water.”

  “It’s beautiful.”

  “No, honey,” he said with a smile. “Your place at The Tower was beautiful. This is just a house.”

  “This is going to be our home.” Her face went soft with emotion. “We’ll put the Christmas tree right there by the window.”

  “Whatever you want.” He couldn’t take his eyes off her as he realized how perfectly she fit in his place. He wondered if he should pinch himself to make sure he hadn’t dreamed her into his life.

  “Come by me.”

  Moving to the coffee table, he sat facing her and reached for her hand. “I just want you to know that I’m really proud of you for the way you defended yourself against that animal.”

  She studied him for a long moment. “I was going to let him. . . you know. . . the way I used to let my stepfather. It never occurred to me back then that I could resist. But I thought of you and of the baby we could be having. . . You gave me the strength to fight.”

  His eyes blurred with tears. “I love you so much. I’m sorry I didn’t do a better job of protecting you. I never should’ve left you alone all night—”

  She stopped him with a finger to his lips. “I didn’t do what you told me to. I took foolish chances, and I paid the price. If I’d listened to you, Spector never would’ve gotten close enough to grab me.”

  “But who knows how long this madness would’ve gone on? Thanks to you, it’s over, he’s in jail, and he’ll never harm you or anyone else again.”

  “I put a hurt on him.”

  “You sure did,” he said, laughing. “How’s your knee?”

  “It’s just fine.”

  He decided not to remind her that it would hurt like hell once the drugs wore off. “I never got a chance to put away my Jessica Stone swimsuit calendar, so don’t be surprised to see it hanging in the kitchen.”

  Her mouth fell open. “You do not have that!”

  “Wanna bet? I was in love with you even before I met you.”

  She cradled his hand against her chest. “You aren’t going to quit your job, are you?”

  “I guess not. Besides, Travis won’t let me.”

  “That’s good, because one of us needs to work.”

  “Travis is super generous, but we’ll never be rich. Not like you would’ve been as a model.”

  “Since I’m always anticipating disaster—or I used to until I met you—I saved most of what I made. I’ll be bringing a pretty decent dowry to the table.”

  “Will you now?” Needing to hold her, he stretched out next to her on the sofa. “So I’m marrying money?”

  She giggled. “Some.” She worked a hand into his shorts pocket.

  Beck jolted when she brushed against his package. “What’re you doing?”

  “I need your phone.”

  “Well, jeez, honey, just ask me.”

  Giggling again, she said, “It was more fun this way.”

  He handed her the phone. “You’re loopy on drugs.”

  “I’m loopy on love.”

  Rolling his eyes, he asked, “Who are you calling?”

  “My agent.”

  “Now?”

  “Uh huh.”

  Beck watched her fumble through the dialing and wondered if he should be letting her do anything important when she was high as a kite.

  She tipped the phone so Beck could hear, too. “Artie! Wake up! It’s Jessie! You aren’t going to believe it! I caught Spector! All by myself. I kicked him right in the balls!”

  Beck laughed at Artie’s exclamations.

  “I have good news and bad news.” She attempted a sober tone that failed miserably. “The good news is I’m getting married! The bad news is I’m quitting the business.”

  “But you have commitments,” Artie sputtered. “Obligations.”

  She directed a sly grin at Beck. “Tell ’em I’m knocked up. Thanks for everything, Artie. Mostly thanks for sending me to Peter. He took very good care of me.”

  “Yes, apparently. Well, darling, I wish you all the best. If you ever change your mind, you know where I am.”

  “I won’t change my mind. Bye, Artie.”

  Beck slipped an arm around her waist and nuzzled the curve of her neck as she ended the call. “Are you?”

  “What?” she asked.

  “Knocked up?”

  She shrugged. “Don’t know yet, but I figure if we get it on two or three times a day, I will be before anyone can sue me for breach of contract.”

  “I can get onboard with that plan.”

  Cracking up, she brought him in for a kiss. “Starting now?”

  “No time like the present.”

  Travis and Liana followed the sleepless night at the hospital with a Saturday full of wedding preparations and mini-crises. Liana handled each one as it arose, and by late afternoon all she wanted was a nap. Instead she went to the condo, took a long bath to calm her frayed nerves, and got dressed in the same gown she’d worn to Tom and Justine’s wedding the week before.

  As she was putting on her earrings, Travis rushed in to get changed.

  “I was just staring to wonder where you were,” she said.

  “Sorry, sweetheart.” He kissed her. “I got hung up in a meeting. You look beautiful, as always.”

  “Thank you.” She looked away from him when her eyes flooded.

  “Hey, what’s wrong?”

  “I can’t believe it’s already been a week since I teased you about my friend Marco and this dress. I’m not ready for our fling to be over.”

  He drew her into his arms. “It’s not over. It’s just getting started.”

  “I don’t want to go, Travis. I don’t want to leave you.”

  “I know.” He glanced over at her
two suitcases in the corner. “You’re all packed, though, huh?”

  “I didn’t want to waste the time we’d have together later packing. I left your Stanford shirt, the shorts you loaned me, and the North Point jacket on the bed.”

  “Keep them—the shirt and the jacket, that is. The shorts were way too big for you, as I recall. I’d like to think of you sleeping in my shirt when you can’t sleep with me.”

  She held him for another minute before she reluctantly released him so he could shower and change. As they walked hand-in-hand from The Tower to the club, Liana was hit with a sense of déjà vu. But this time, Travis didn’t stop and kiss her for the photographers. This time they kept their heads down as they struggled with the storm of emotions her impending departure was stirring up in both of them.

  A North Point staff member named Chloe waited for them in the club.

  “We have a small problem,” she said, biting her thumbnail as her eyes darted from Travis to Liana.

  “What kind of problem?” Travis asked.

  “Um, the bride has cold feet. She’s saying she wants to cancel the whole thing.”

  “Is she in the lounge?” Liana asked, referring to the room set aside for brides.

  Chloe nodded.

  “I’ll take care of it,” Liana said with a quick kiss for Travis. “Don’t worry.”

  Travis watched her go, filled with pride at the way she had blossomed over the last two weeks into a confident, productive, sensual woman. Curious as to how she would handle the jittery bride, he followed her to the lounge and listened at the door.

  Inside, Liana approached Lucy’s teary-eyed mother. “I don’t know what to do with her,” the frazzled mom said.

  “Do you mind giving me a few minutes with her?” Liana asked.

  “Be my guest.”

  Travis ducked out of the way as the mother of the bride emerged from the room.

  “You look lovely, Lucy,” Liana said.

  Lucy fiddled with the lace on her veil. “Thank you.”

  “What’s the matter?”

  “Everything just feels wrong. I can’t explain it.”

  “Are you maybe a little scared?”

  Lucy shrugged.

  “I know I’d be scared if I were you,” Liana said, tuning into Lucy’s shyness. “All those people looking at me and having to smile for hours.” Liana shuddered.

  “Yes,” Lucy said, brightening. “That’s it exactly.”

  “What about Ben?”

  Lucy’s blue eyes filled with tears. “I love Ben.”

  “And he loves you. That was so obvious to me the other day at our meeting. Did you notice that he never took his eyes off you?”

  “He didn’t?”

  “Not once.” Liana took a deep breath to calm the ache in her own heart. “If I had a man who looked at me like that, I’d want to marry him. And I’d just grit my teeth to get through the wedding so I could have the rest of my life with him.”

  Lucy twisted her hands in her lap as she thought about that.

  “It’s just a couple of hours, and then it’s you and Ben forever. You can do that for him, for your future, can’t you?”

  “Yes,” Lucy said with a firm nod and a smile. “I can do that for him, for us. Do you know anything about the big surprise he has planned for me?”

  “As a matter of fact, I do.” Liana clutched Lucy’s hand. “And it’s not something you’re going to want to miss, believe me. Your guests are gathered at the gazebo, the judge is ready, Ben’s here, and you got a beautiful, perfect summer evening. What do you say we go get you married?”

  “Okay. Thank you, Liana.”

  Liana led Lucy from the room and was startled to find Travis outside the door.

  Their eyes met, and she knew in an instant that he had heard everything she’d said to Lucy—and misunderstood it. “Travis . . .” she said haltingly.

  He forced a smile. “Let’s get this gorgeous bride to her wedding, shall we?”

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Still smarting from what he’d overheard, Travis sought out a quiet corner off the kitchen to hide out while appetizers were being served in the tent. I can’t believe she said that—if I had a man who looked at me the way Ben looks at you, I’d marry him. Have I not had my heart in my eyes every time I’ve looked at her for the last two weeks?

  He sat down on a stack of beer cases and rested his elbows on his knees. Was there anything else I could’ve done or said to show her how much I love her? For a long time he sat there and contemplated that question and several others cycling through his tired mind. Clearly, he hadn’t done enough.

  With most of the waiters working in the tent the kitchen grew quiet, and Travis tuned into a conversation two teenage girls were having as they assembled salads.

  “She’s so amazingly beautiful, isn’t she?”

  “And a lot nicer than you’d expect her to be.”

  “Yeah.”

  “I read in the Enquirer that she’s going back to work soon. I wonder if she’ll ever come back here again.”

  “Why would she? If I were her and was lucky enough to have the life she has, I’d never come back to this two-bit town again. There isn’t even a movie theater or a McDonald’s. This place sucks.”

  “But Mr. North is so gorgeous.”

  “Ew, he’s old!”

  Travis suppressed a groan. He’d just turned thirty-six!

  “He’s still gorgeous.”

  “Well, it’s not like she’s going to marry him. Why would she want to give up the life she has for this place?”

  “I love it here.”

  “Not me. As soon as I graduate, I’m so outta here, and I’m never coming back. She won’t either. Wait ’n see.”

  The girls worked in silence for a few minutes.

  Travis heard the click of high heels entering the kitchen.

  “Excuse me, have you girls seen Mr. North?” Liana asked.

  “Um, no, Ms. McDermott. He’s not in here.”

  “If you see him, will you please tell him I’m looking for him?”

  “We will.”

  “Thank you.”

  After Liana walked away, the more opinionated of the two girls said, “She won’t be back.”

  They soon moved on to another station, and their voices faded out of earshot. It was just as well. Travis had heard more than enough.

  As the waiters served cake, Travis wandered into the tent to check on things. He saw Liana consulting with the groom on the other side of the tent, their heads bent together. Travis watched her hand something to Ben and then leave him with a quick hug.

  She noticed Travis standing at the back of the tent and signaled for him to stay there.

  The eyes of every man in the tent were drawn to her as she cut through the dining area to where he waited for her.

  “Everything going all right?” he asked.

  “Yes, fine. Travis, what you heard me say to Lucy . . .”

  “Don’t worry about it.”

  “But . . .”

  The band called the bride and groom to the stage.

  “What’s going on?”

  Liana turned toward the stage. “Watch.”

  Ben helped an astounded Lucy onto a stool and adjusted the wireless microphone Liana had given him. Then Ben nodded to the band, which launched into “Unchained Melody.”

  Liana leaned back against Travis, who looped his arms around her waist.

  “Wow, he’s good,” Travis whispered in her ear just before he began to softly sing along with Ben.

  Liana turned to put her arms around his neck and look up at him.

  His entire body riddled with tension, he shifted his eyes away from hers, reached for her hands, and removed them from his shoulders.

  “Travis? What is it?”

  “I’m sorry. I just can’t do this.”

  He left Liana standing frozen in place and walked out of the tent.

  More than an hour passed before the wedding ended and
she could go after him. No one had seen him in the club, so she walked to The Tower and took the elevator to the apartment, which was dark when she arrived. “Travis?” she called. He didn’t answer, so she went into the bedroom and flipped on the light. His tuxedo jacket and bow tie were on the bed, but there was no other sign of him.

  Out on the patio his white shirt caught her eye from the living room. Opening the glass door, she stepped outside where he leaned against the safety rail that encircled the patio. “Travis? I’ve been looking for you.”

  He turned to her. “You found me.”

  “You didn’t want me to?”

  He shrugged.

  “I’m sorry for what I said to Lucy, but I was only trying—”

  “Stop, Liana.” He held up his hand. “Please. Just stop.”

  The hard set to his face filled Liana with fear and turned him into someone she barely recognized.

  “Let me ask you something,” he said.

  “Anything.”

  “After you leave tomorrow, are you ever coming back?”

  “I want to. I wish I could say what you want to hear . . .”

  He smiled, but his eyes were hard. “You’ve told me how unhappy you are in your career, how much you hate the media and the rest of it.”

  “I do.”

  “Then the only conclusion I can reach is you don’t love me enough to give it up, or worse yet, you think I don’t love you enough.”

  “That’s not true! I don’t think either of those things. You’re putting words in my mouth!”

  “If what we had together was going to be enough for you, Liana, you’d know it by now. There wouldn’t be a decision.”

  “I absolutely refuse to be pressured into making the biggest decision of my life without taking the time I need to think it through.”

  He shook his head with dismay. “We were deluding ourselves by pretending this was more than a fling.”

  “But,” she stammered, “what you said last night . . . You said you wanted to marry me and you’d wait for me. I don’t understand. What changed?”

  “I took my head out of the clouds for a few minutes and didn’t like what I saw. That’s all.”

  “And what exactly did you see?” she asked in a small voice.