by Parker, Ali
Four dresses later, I paused as I peered in the slim mirror in the dressing room. I was instantly in love with the satin gown that had an open back with a pretty row of beads that draped over my back.
I walked out of the dressing room, meeting Amber’s eyes. Her hand covered her mouth, tears filled her eyes. “Hannah.” She gasped.
I stepped in front of the mirrors that formed a semicircle that gave me a great view from almost every angle. The dress was perfect. I couldn’t stop staring at it. I ran a hand over my waist, loving the way the fabric hugged my body.
“I like it,” I whispered.
Amber stood up and smiled. “It’s perfect. Absolutely fucking perfect.”
“Do you think?” I asked.
She nodded. “Absolutely—and your ass looks great!”
I burst into laughter. “Grayson will be so pleased.”
Donna returned a few minutes later, stepped behind me, and placed a veil on my head. It completed the look, making it feel real. I suddenly felt tears welling in my own eyes. It all felt so sudden—so real.
“I’ll give you two a few minutes,” Donna said, discreetly excusing herself.
Once she was gone, Amber looked at me, a huge smile on her face. “This all seems to be happening really fast.”
I nodded. “I know it is, but it’s what I need to do. It’s the right thing to do for my life. I know it isn’t exactly conventional, but it’s happening.”
“Do you love him?” she asked.
I turned to the mirror, staring at myself in the dress. “I don’t know. I mean, I feel like I am, and I know I shouldn’t, but it’s hard to describe.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean the sex is off the charts. He treats me like a queen.”
“Good. You deserve to be treated like that, but what about love? You deserve to be loved.”
I sighed. “Maybe, I don’t know. I feel like there is something there. I know he’s holding back. I don’t know what, but something.”
Donna came back into the room. “Well, what do you think?”
“I’ll take it,” I said firmly.
Donna smiled. “Perfect. I’ll have someone come in shortly, and we’ll get you fitted. It will take a couple weeks for the alterations.”
“As long as it’s done by the wedding,” I said with a smile.
“It absolutely will be.”
Donna left the room again, leaving me and Amber alone.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Amber asked.
I nodded. “I am sure.”
I was lying. I wasn’t sure of anything. I wasn’t sure I wanted to marry him, and I was absolutely not sure I wanted to have his baby. There were so many questions lingering in the back of my mind. I needed to clear it up with him. It was just not a subject I knew how to broach.
He talked a lot about the baby and what kind of life our child would have, but he never actually talked about us parenting the child together. It was more about vacations, but nothing in between. I wasn’t sure he planned to let me be a part of the child’s life on a daily basis. Could I live with that? Hell no. I would never be able to leave my child in the care of a man who I knew to be rather cold. I wanted my child to feel loved and cherished, even if I had to be the sole parent. What if he got me pregnant and never touched me again. I knew that was his endgame. I knew I was probably confusing lust with love. I knew better. There was no way I could stay married to him if we had no connection. If we didn’t have sex, what did we have?
“Hello?” she asked.
I blinked, completely lost in my own world. “What?”
“Do you want to pick the bridesmaid dress while we’re here?” she asked.
I nodded. “Yes. We need to get as much done as possible. We’ll have to get something off the rack to ensure it will be ready in time.”
It wasn’t long before Donna returned with a woman who had a measuring tape around her neck. She ordered me to stand still while she measured and pulled the dress.
“We’d like to see some bridesmaid dresses while we’re here,” I announced.
Donna’s eyes lit up. “Absolutely! What style?”
Amber looked at me. “I like that. Is it inappropriate for my dress to be the same style?” she asked.
Donna shook her head. “Not at all. It will be perfect. What color are you looking for?”
I looked at Amber, a grimace on my face. “Uh, I don’t know. What do you think?” I asked her.
She looked thoughtful. “Blue? Black? Beige?”
“You’ll want to start with the wedding colors,” Donna jumped in.
I nodded. I didn’t know what the wedding colors were. “Uh,” I said.
Amber burst into laughter. “She hasn’t exactly picked colors.”
Donna’s eyes went wide. “You haven’t? Well, the dress should complement the wedding colors.”
I shook my head. “I meet with the wedding planner on Monday. I’m sure she’ll tell me what the colors should be.”
Amber and Donna both looked at me with horror on their faces. “No!”
“What?” I asked, wondering what I had said wrong.
“You pick your colors. Your favorite color is blue. You could go with a blue and beige, or blue and white, what do you like?” Amber asked.
I thought about it. “I don’t know. What do you think?”
Donna was nodding. “Hold on. I’ll be right back.”
She disappeared, returning a minute later with what looked like a photo album.
“What’s that?” I asked.
“These are some pictures of weddings that we’ve helped outfit. Take a look through there and see if you like any of those color combos.”
I took the book, standing with Amber by my side as I thumbed through the album. “Is it weird that I like the blue and black?” I asked.
Amber shook her head. “Absolutely not. I love it. That royal blue is stunning against the black. I like it and I could see myself in a dress like that.”
“Perfect. That’s what we want,” I told Donna.
Donna nodded in agreement. “I’ll be back in a few. You can change now,” she instructed.
“Thank you.”
I walked back into the dressing room. It was all feeling a little too real. I was suddenly feeling overwhelmed. I was going to marry a man who didn’t love me. I was getting married as part of a business deal. Could I really accept that? It didn’t matter. I had to. I had to marry him if I wanted to make my dreams of continuing to run my own company come true.
Somewhere, deep down, I was still hoping I could find a way to melt the man’s icy heart. I was a person who thrived on a challenge and Grayson definitely fit that description. He might have been too much of a challenge for me. I wasn’t sure I was up for it. The whole thing was making me a little uneasy. The thought of actually marrying someone I didn’t love was insane. What the hell was I thinking?
Chapter 40
Grayson
I wasn’t the typical groom and I knew it. The wedding was six weeks away and I wished it were tomorrow. The sooner I made her my wife, the sooner we could get started on the heir. Hell, maybe by some chance she was already pregnant. That would be perfect! I could practically feel the win in the air. I was going to beat Jack to the finish line. I was finally going to officially inherit my family’s estate, like I should have from the very beginning.
I was dreading the evening, but knew it had to be done. I had to get the family thing over with. I wanted my mom to be a part of everything and didn’t even mind my other brothers, but I knew Jack would be at dinner tonight. Seeing Jack and Hannah together was not something I was looking forward to. I would keep my eye on things. The first sign of any funny business and I was going to lose my shit. I would not give Jack a second chance to ruin what I was trying to do.
I waited in the car in front of Hannah’s flagship store. We were riding to my mother’s together. When she walked out of the building, smiling as she chatted with
one of her employees, I had to acknowledge I was a very lucky man. She was a beautiful woman and I was thrilled to have her on my arm as my wife.
“Hi,” she said with a nervous smile as she got into the car, greeting me with a friendly kiss.
“Hi.”
We were off and all I could think about was seeing Jack. I had a stylist meeting me at my mother’s house to outfit my brothers with their tuxes for the wedding. They were “honorary groomsmen,” a term my mother insisted on giving them since they weren’t in the actual wedding party.
The moment we stepped into the foyer, I could hear Jack’s voice. I knew Hannah could as well. Her hand squeezed mine a little tighter as we strolled to the den where they were all enjoying their cocktails. We walked in and everyone stopped talking. There was a brief moment of tension before my mother walked to us, greeting us both with open arms.
“It’s good to see you again,” my mother said, hugging Hannah.
“Thank you. It’s nice to be here again.”
“Guys, he needs to get everyone’s measurements,” I said, pointing to the stylist who seemed a little overwhelmed to be standing in a room full of Bancroft men. I guessed we could be an intimidating lot. We were all big and some of my brothers were a little rowdy. Jack looked at me once before following the stylist into another room to begin the measuring process.
Colt was the first to return to the room. “I can’t believe you’re getting married to this beautiful creature,” he said, taking Hannah’s hand in his and kissing the back of it.
“Believe it,” I barked, not appreciating the lingering look he was bestowing on my fiancée.
Hannah looked mesmerized. It was the damn dimples. Colt had a boyish charm that all the ladies loved.
“Can I get you a drink?” Colt asked Hannah.
“She already has one in her hand,” I pointed out.
Colt looked at me and grinned. “Testy, aren’t you. No one is trying to steal your lady, big brother. We can all appreciate a beautiful woman—no harm done.”
“Mom’s calling you,” I said, staring him down.
Colt laughed as he walked away. “He’s nice,” Hannah murmured.
“Don’t let that innocent look he’s got going fool you,” I warned.
“Here comes another one. I don’t remember his name. Actually, I don’t remember any of their names really,” she said, embarrassment on her face.
I looked in the direction of the door and saw Channing walking in. “That would be Channing, number five in line. Stay away from him. He’s a player. The first thing he is going to do is ask if he can photograph you.”
She laughed. “Thanks. Believe it or not, I’ve been able to fend off men’s advances before.”
I shook my head. “Not from the Bancroft men.”
“Good evening, gorgeous. I see you in white, on a beach at sunset with the sun highlighting those light-golden streaks in your hair,” Channing said in his smooth tone.
“No,” I said firmly.
“Grayson, come on. Think of it as a wedding gift for you. A picture of your bride to hang in your office.”
“That’s very sweet,” Hannah said with a smile.
“No, it isn’t. Go away, Channing.”
Channing threw his head back and laughed, showing off those perfect white teeth of his. I glared at him until he finally moved away.
“You know, I’m going to have to talk to your family at some point,” Hannah said with a grin.
I shrugged a shoulder. “No, you don’t. I barely do and they’re my family.”
She laughed softly. My mom showed up and asked to speak with Hannah. I watched her lead my fiancée away and immediately missed her by my side. Jack strolled into the room. Hannah looked away as if she didn’t want to make eye contact with him. I thought that was a little strange. I didn’t give Jack the chance to talk to me and excused myself from the room, heading toward the dining room.
It wasn’t long before everyone followed, each of us taking our seats, Hannah at my side and Jack directly across from us. I wasn’t sure if that was my mother’s doing or Jack being a dick. I didn’t like it. I watched Hannah squirm in her seat. She was going out of her way to ignore Jack, which made me suspicious. She was trying too hard.
“Everything okay?” I whispered close to her ear.
She looked at me and smiled. “Yes, of course.”
“You look uncomfortable.”
She shrugged. “I’m not used to big family gatherings.”
I nodded, reading the expression on her face and wondered if she was lying. I glanced over at Jack and caught him watching us. I narrowed my gaze at him, silently telling him to back off. I felt like I was sitting and eating dinner with the enemy. Hannah was trying like hell to pretend Jack wasn’t there, which was odd. If they were friends, why wouldn’t she at least acknowledge him. It made me think they were trying to hide something. She thought she was fooling me by not talking to him at all.
Midway through dinner, I heard a vibrating noise and realized it was coming from Hannah’s purse under the table.
“You didn’t silence your phone?” I hissed.
“Sorry, I forgot it was on,” she said, her face turning red as all conversation stopped.
She reached for her purse, pulled out the phone, and looked at the screen.
“What is it?” I asked.
“I have to take this,” she said, excusing herself and leaving the room.
My eyes immediately went to Jack. He watched her walk out of the room. I wondered if this was some code between them. If he got up to go to the bathroom or left the table at all, I would kick his ass for conspiring with her after I had explicitly warned him to back off. My mind flashed to Maddy Tilton, my high school girlfriend. I had thought I was in love with her. One night, we were at a party and she had gone off in search of a new drink and didn’t return. I found her by the pool kissing my brother. I would never forgive him for that or trust him again.
She returned a few minutes later, sliding the phone into her purse as she sat down. “I’m so sorry, everyone. It was the florist.”
My mom smiled, obviously buying the story. I didn’t. I could feel her hiding something. I suddenly had the sinking feeling she was setting me up. This could have been her ultimate plan. She only accepted my proposal the second time in order to screw me over. Jack was watching me too closely, like he wanted to see me crack. I felt as if I were losing it. I didn’t know who to trust, who to believe.
Hannah’s hand rested on my thigh under the table. I glared at her and she quickly removed it.
“I trust you’ve handled the floral emergency at eight o’clock on a Tuesday evening?” I said dryly.
“Yes, I did. Remember, this is your wedding too. It doesn’t put itself together,” she snapped.
I nodded, not replying. If she was planning to sabotage the wedding, I would find out. I would never forgive her for playing me. I would make her life a living hell if she dared cross me in front of our families, friends, and colleagues.
“How’s the wedding planner working out?” I asked in a low voice.
“Fine. Good, actually, but some decision I have to make,” she said in a much calmer tone.
“Are you two getting nervous for the big day?” my mom asked from the head of the table.
I smiled, putting on my happy groom face. “Not at all. Hannah is taking everything in stride. How she manages to run the company and plan a wedding at the same time is beyond me.”
My mother beamed. “Women are skilled multitaskers.”
I nodded. That was precisely what I was afraid of. She could be planning the ultimate revenge while keeping me in the dark without batting an eye. I focused on getting through the dinner. I was ready to get the hell out of there. I felt like I was in a pit of vipers. I didn’t know who to trust. All of my brothers stood to lose if I inherited. Any one of them could be plotting to steal her away or stop the wedding altogether.
As we were getting ready to leave,
my mother insisted she show Hannah something she had found in a magazine. That left me wide open for Jack’s approach.
“What do you want?” I snapped.
“Can we talk a minute?” he asked, pulling me away from the others.
“There’s nothing to say.”
He took a deep breath and shook his head. “Grayson, there isn’t, nor has there ever been, anything between me and Hannah. I don’t know how to say it any other way. It wasn’t like that with us. I find her attractive, but I’m not attracted to her, if that makes any sense.”
I shrugged a shoulder. “It doesn’t make sense, but I don’t care. I believe her when she says there is nothing between you two.”
Jack sighed with relief. “Good. I want you to be happy. She is a good woman and if you let her in, she will make you happy, I’m sure of that.”
“Let her in?” I questioned.
“You know what I mean. You keep everyone at arm’s length. Let her get close to you. I can see she feels something for you.”
“Thanks for the advice. Did I mention we’re getting married? Wouldn’t that qualify as close?” I quipped, walking away from him.
I didn’t like the way he was trying to tell me to open my heart to her. Was that part of their plan as well? They weren’t going to be satisfied with ruining me and taking my company. They wanted me to suffer from a broken heart as well.
Somewhere deep inside, there was a little niggle telling me Hannah was genuine. I wanted to believe I could trust her. I couldn’t let myself. I wasn’t sure I was strong enough to survive a broken heart and I knew damn well if I let myself fall for her and she did screw me over, it would be painful. I wanted to save myself pain and heartache and keep things at surface level. It was self-preservation. I couldn’t let my emotions get involved if I wanted to win this game I found myself playing with Jack. I didn’t lose. I played to win, and I only managed to be successful at everything by being ruthless.
Chapter 41
Hannah
Six weeks later
Now that the day had arrived, I was feeling the nerves. I was getting married to the handsomest man in the world. It wasn’t exactly the fairy tale little girls dreamed of, but it was my fairy tale. It wasn’t perfect. I wouldn’t want it to be. I liked the idea of having to work to make something great. Our relationship had started off on the wrong foot, but it had evolved into where we are today.