Calvin rolled his eyes. Once again, his mother proved that she should have never been a parent.
“Anyway,” she said, “one thing led to another, and soon they were betting against which of their children would be the most obedient. And well, that’s how the contract was made. Max bet that his daughter would follow through with the marriage, and Jack bet that his son would be the one who followed through.”
As Calvin let the information sink in his mind, his stomach churned. “This... was all done because they wanted to see which one of us would follow that stupid contract?”
“Yes, it was. Ridiculous, right?”
Unshed tears burned his eyes, and he tried blinking them away. Growing up, he’d known how competitive his father was, but this... Why hadn’t his father realized how it could ruin people’s lives?
“So, tell me,” Karen said in a cheerful voice, “are you planning on getting married soon?”
“Yeah, it looks that way, doesn’t it?”
“Have you met Max’s daughter yet?”
“Yes.”
“Is she someone you could spend the next twelve months with?”
Rayne’s face popped into his head. In just a short time, he’d seen her angry, serious, stern, laughing, and mostly... passionate. Could he spend the next year with someone like her? Was the money worth it at all?
“That’s something I’ll have to think about.” He swallowed the emotional lump forming in his throat, realizing that from this day forth his life would never be the same. “Thanks for answering my question. I’m glad you returned my call.”
“That’s all right, dear. It’s been a while since we talked, hasn’t it? What has it been... two years?”
Sighing, he sank on the cushioned recliner with a built-in heater and even speakers near the headrest. “No. It’s actually been five years.”
“Oh, wow. Time sure flies.”
“Yeah, it does.” He held his breath, wondering if she would ask about how his life was going, or even inquire to what was going on with his brothers and sisters.
“Well, keep in touch. I’m dying to know what you decide to do about that contract.”
He should have known. Actually, he did know but, as always, had hoped she would change. “I will. Talk to you later. Bye.”
He clicked off his phone and slid it in his pants pocket. Something else in that pocket poked at his fingers. He withdrew the card and stared at it. Rayne Kennedy, owner of Rayne Drop Creations.
A strange pain tightened his chest. There was no use putting off the inevitable any longer. The quicker they could get married, the quicker they could get a divorce. Of course, somewhere during that time, he’d have to consummate the marriage...
Closing his eyes, he rested his head back on the chair. He wouldn’t think about that now. They had a whole year to worry about that problem.
FOUR
“If you love me, you’ll marry me right away.” Rayne squeezed Eddie’s hands as she sat next to him on the sofa in her apartment. “I’ve decided my inheritance isn’t that important.”
Eddie’s eyes widened and he shook his head. “I do love you, Pookey-bear, and I’ll show you by being a supportive boyfriend and wait the year for you until you’re all mine.”
Rayne was blessed with such an understanding boyfriend, but sometimes she’d like to shake some sense into him. “No, Eddie. I don’t want to wait. I don’t want to take the chance that you’ll get tired of waiting and find someone else.” She smiled. “We’ll be able to make it on our incomes. Right now, I’m not making a lot of money with my business, but soon it will flourish, and I’ll be one of the best-known designers in California. And, when you graduate with your degree, you’ll find a great job right away.” She shook her head. “We don’t need my father’s money.”
He lifted her hand and kissed her knuckles. “But you deserve this. Besides, several years down the road, you’ll blame me for not being supportive. That won’t happen if I let you marry that other guy for a year.” Eddie leaned in and kissed her forehead. “And it’s not like we won’t see each other every day. We will. And, if we have to sneak around and kiss, then we’ll do that, too.”
“Oh, Eddie. I know I’m not marrying Calvin because I’m in love, but I don’t want to cheat on him. I don’t want to take the chance of ruining my reputation. I want to be a top designer, just as Calvin wants to be a top-notch lawyer. We can’t have our names dragged through the mud just because I couldn’t wait the twelve months to be with you.” She sighed. “Both Calvin and I have powerful families, and we are in the public eye from time to time. I don’t want to ruin that.” She laid her head on his shoulders. “That’s another reason why I want to marry you and not him. I don’t want to wait a whole year without kissing you.”
She closed her eyes and tried to remember the excitement she’d felt whenever Eddie kissed her, but she couldn’t seem to forget the sensations that had rushed through her when she’d kissed Calvin. He’d held her so close, and he’d known just how to make her feel like she was the most important person in the room... or in their case, the elevator.
Eddie grumbled. “I’d hoped you would want to have an affair with your former boyfriend.” His chest shook with a silent laugh.
She playfully pushed against him. “Stop teasing. I mean it, Eddie. I really don’t want to go through with this stupid contract. I told you the real reason for it, didn’t I?”
“Yes. I was the first one you called after Calvin Gates had called you.” Eddie scowled. “But you can’t let that get you upset. I want you to keep focused on the goal.”
“Which is?” She arched an eyebrow.
“Winning! You will show your father – God rest his soul – and especially the cocky elder Mr. Gates, even though he’s lost his mind already, that you are not a quitter. You will complete the year required for you to get your inheritance, and it’ll make you a better person. And, it’ll start out our new lives together, much better, too.”
Sighing, she relaxed against him again. “I guess you’re right. I need to do this for us. For our new lives.”
“That’s my girl.” He hugged her tighter. “As much as I want to stay and hold you, I have a job that I need to get to.”
He kissed her lips briefly before moving off the couch. She followed him to the door and watched him leave. Closing the door, she realized she didn’t have the energy for any of this. The idea of marriage to the wrong man had drained her. It was difficult enough to go to work every morning, and when she came home in the evenings, all she wanted to do was crawl into bed and sleep.
If she was like this now, how was she going to get through the twelve months of marriage to Calvin Gates?
Her feet dragged to the bathroom and she peered in the mirror. Her face was colorless, and it had been that way for several days. Getting dressed for work in the morning was hard too, but mostly because she didn’t know what to do with her hair. Lately, she’d just pulled it back into a ponytail and slapped a little makeup on her face.
Obviously, she didn’t deal with depression very well.
She pulled out the tie that held her hair back and threaded her fingers through her waves. It was too early for bed, but she didn’t care, changing into pink flannel pajama bottoms and a pink T-shirt.
She slid her bare feet into fuzzy slippers before heading back into the living room to lock the doors and switched off all the lights. As she reached for the deadbolt on the door, the doorbell rang, making her jump.
Usually, the only visitors she got at home were Eddie and a couple of people from the shop. Worry clenched at her gut. If Eddie was at work, that meant that there was a problem with a delivery at the shop.
She quickly yanked the door open... but then stood frozen in shock. Standing right in front of her was the man she couldn’t stop thinking about. The last time she’d seen him, he’d worn a three-piece business suit, but tonight, he wore a casual white buttoned shirt and blue jeans with black athletic shoes.
“Calvin? What are you doing here?”
He held out a single yellow rose with a pink ribbon on the stem. “I’d like to call a truce.”
Hesitantly, she took the rose from him and lifted it to her nose to sniff. She knew her flowers and what they meant since her mother had owned a chain of florist shops when Rayne was a teenager. A yellow rose meant friendship.
Her heartbeat quickened and she smiled. “Thank you, Calvin. I think a truce is exactly what I need.” She motioned toward her couch. “Do you want to come in?”
His grin widened, and she could have sworn she saw a twinkle in his green eyes. Nah, she must have imagined it. Or it was the lighting in her living room.
She closed the door and joined him on the couch. “Thanks for the flower.” She smelled it again. “I’m not sure if you know this or not, but the yellow flower means—”
“Friendship,” he said quickly. “Yes, I know it’s meaning, which is why I bought that color. I want us to be friends. I know the situation we’re in is rough on both of us, but we have to make this work, and becoming friends is a good start.”
She held her breath. What was he talking about making this work? Did he actually want them to have a real marriage?
“Calvin, tell me your thoughts on this contract and the marriage.”
He leaned back in the couch and folded his arms. “I’m very upset that my father used me as a pawn in his competitive games.”
She nodded. “Yes, I am as well.”
“And I’ve tried to convince myself several times already that I don’t need the money, but then I realized it’s not that I need it, it’s more like I deserve it.”
She exhaled slowly, relaxing. “I’ve been going through those emotions, too.”
“And,” he said, leaning closer to her as he rested his weight on his hand, “I’m not a quitter.”
She met his challenging gaze. “Neither am I.” As soon as the words left her mouth, she realized how wrong she was for trying to make Eddie marry her now. She was also very wrong for letting her depressed feelings govern her life.
Strange, but gazing into Calvin’s eyes gave her more strength than she imagined. Perhaps she had a touch of the same competitiveness in her as her father had had.
He leaned back against the couch again. “Anyway,” he said as a gush of air blew out of his mouth, “I thought we needed to talk this out. I think if we get to know each other a little better, it would make things easier once we’re married.”
The idea of marrying someone other than Eddie didn’t sit well with her, but she pushed the emotion aside. Calvin was right. This had to be done. Now the question was... could she become friends with him and not think about their passionate kiss? And, had he thought about it, too?
“Yes, I agree.” She leaned her shoulder against the couch cushions as she tentatively met his earnest stare. “So, what do you want to talk about?”
His expression softened, and the color of his eyes darkened. His gaze dropped to her mouth before he quickly brought it back to her eyes.
“How is your boyfriend taking this?”
She laughed lightly. “Believe it or not, he’s encouraging me to get this marriage over and done with.”
Calvin’s eyebrows lifted. “He is?” He shook his head. “If I were in his shoes, I don’t know if I could let my gorgeous girlfriend marry a guy for a year.”
His compliment caused heat to rush to her cheeks. Did he just inadvertently call her gorgeous? “Well, he doesn’t think I should give up on my inheritance. And really, he’s right. That money will help us out when we finally get married.” She shrugged. “Yeah, it’s going to be hard not to want to see each other every day. He even suggested we sneak around and have an affair.” Calvin’s jaw hardened, so she quickly added, “But I told Eddie that I couldn’t do that to you, or to me. I don’t want to ruin either of our reputations, because it could eventually harm our careers.”
His face relaxed again. “Thanks. You’re right, too.”
“So,” she sat up straight, “let’s plan our wedding.”
He chuckled. “Really? You want an actual wedding like in a church?”
“Well, not really. I don’t want to stand in God’s house and marry a man unless I love him completely and want to stay with him forever.”
Calvin nodded. “I couldn’t agree more. So then let’s just run off to Vegas and get hitched.”
Smiling, she shook her head. “Or let’s just make it a little more simple and find a justice of the peace, and get married right here in town.”
“Okay. That works. Which day do you want to get married?”
“The sooner the better.” She clasped her hands on her lap. “How soon could we obtain a marriage license?”
“It’ll take a few days, but I’ll try to pull some strings and see if we could get it done sooner. Also, one of my friends’ father is a justice of the peace. That’ll speed up the process, too.” He tapped his fingers on the couch cushion. “So, since Valentine’s Day is next week, why don’t we have our wedding on that day?”
She held her breath. Did she really want to marry him on that special day, especially when the marriage wasn’t one she’d wanted in the first place? But then, it really didn’t matter as long as they were married and got the ball rolling for their inheritances.
She sighed. “Valentine’s Day is fine.”
“Do we want to invite family and friends?”
“I’d rather not invite extended family. Maybe just a few friends that know our situation.”
“Good idea.” He shifted on the couch, facing her more. “I’d like to invite my brothers and sisters, though.”
“Okay. I’ll invite my best friend and a few people from the store.”
He was silent for a few awkward moments. His dreamy gaze moved slowly over her face. She couldn’t believe the fluttering going on in her stomach or the way her heartbeat raced. This was all wrong. She should not be feeling this way about him.
“Do you want me to get you a ring?” He winked. “I’m sure you’ll want to save that engagement ring on your finger for Eddie.”
She twisted the silver band wrapped around her finger. “Yes, you’re right. But we can get cheap rings. After all, we’ll only be married a year.”
“Okay, one more thing we need to discuss.”
“What’s that?” she asked.
He sat up straight and loosely grasped her hands. “There’s one last thing we need to decide, and I think if we decide before the wedding, it’ll help things go more smoothly.”
Rayne was almost afraid to ask, only because of the way his gaze seductively locked onto hers and the softness in his fingers as he gently stroked her knuckles. She was afraid she wasn’t going to like this. Or... maybe she would, and that worried her, too.
“What is it?” she said in a tight voice.
“We need to decide about the wedding night.” He waggled his eyebrows and grinned. “I say we just do it and get it over with. What do you think?”
Inwardly, she groaned. What did she think? The thoughts suddenly running through her head were images she should not be thinking about at all, especially with this man! Because now she was going to think about it every day until they were married.
This was absolute torture!
FIVE
What’s wrong with me? Plain and simple, Calvin couldn’t think straight when he was around her. Her beauty had him breathless and had turned his mind into mush. Silently, he berated himself. Why did he always say the wrong things around her? He wanted her to think he was a good guy, not a player. But as he watched her face grow red and her eyes widen, he expected a slap across the face at any second.
“Tell me,” she said slowly and in a tight voice, withdrawing her hands from his grasp, “that you’re joking.”
He laughed uncomfortably. “Of course, I am.” He really needed to break the ice block she’d suddenly placed between them. “I was just joking. You know,” he nodded, “that’s something you’re
going to have to get used to.”
“And what’s that? Your lewd way of joking?”
The bristle in her tone was unmistakable. He really needed to do something to make her relax. “I’m sorry, Rayne. I realize now that it was the wrong thing to say.”
She stood and moved toward the door. Her back was stiff as was the rest of her body. Gads, he was such a dope!
“Yes, it was the wrong thing to say.” She peeked over her shoulder at him. “But unfortunately, it is something that needs to be discussed, but not now.” She faced a picture and stared at the scenic drawing of mountains. Her chest rose and fell quickly, and she fisted her hands beside her.
“Rayne, it’s a very delicate subject,” he said, raising from the couch and taking slow steps toward her, “but you know what? Let’s not even think about it right now. We’ll worry about that after we’ve been married a little while and we’re used to each other’s way of teasing.”
When he reached her side, she turned toward him. “I want you to know right now, that this is something I don’t want to do.”
“I realize that.” He folded his arms and sighed. “In fact, if my father was in his right mind, I might be tempted to punch him.”
She chuckled and nodded. “Believe me, I’ve been thinking the same thing about my father.”
“Hey, don’t worry,” he took hold of her hands. “We’ll get through this. And hopefully, when the year is over, we’ll part as friends.”
Calvin could see she was more relaxed because when she smiled, her eyes were so pretty. At least she wasn’t going to slap him.
“Friends. Yes, I’d like that.”
“And...” he stepped closer, “we’ll somehow prove to our good-for-nothing fathers that we are better than they are.”
Her laugh came out louder this time, and he grinned. He loved hearing her laugh. It sure was a lot better than when her glare threw daggers at him.
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