Skies Over Caledonia: A Small Town Marriage of Convenience Romance (The Highlands Series Book 4)

Chapter 7

I’d visited Inverness many, many times. In fact, I was in the process of showing my glasswork at the finest art gallery in the city. Michelle, the owner, had been selling a piece here and there for the last few years, and last year she finally talked me into doing an entire show. The big event was just a month away.

In being fairly familiar with the capital of the Highlands, I’d somehow assumed that the registry office we’d marry in (goodness, just thinking that thought knocked the breath out of me) would be in an older building within the city center.

Instead, Jared had brought our long (it was only an hour but it felt like forever) and tense car journey to a halt outside the city center. We’d traveled down a road along the River Ness, passing a football field and a skate park before stopping in front of a building of contemporary design.

We’d called ahead yesterday to book an appointment to get married.

Now here we were, standing next to each other as a kind-faced registrar married us and two staff members acted as witnesses. The registrar eyed me with concern and I tried to smooth the nervousness off my face. Jared didn’t look nervous. Nor did he look ecstatic or excited.

So far, we were not doing a very good job of pretending.

I kept thinking about the wedding party that departed the room before us. The bride wore a beautiful white gown, the groom a gray kilt, and they had bridesmaids and groomsmen. They had guests. And more importantly, they looked so happy together.

The weather agreed with the previous couples’ mood, the sun shining brightly through the large windows of the ceremony room. I’d dressed in an off-white summer dress with a simple silhouette and thin straps and I’d worn my long hair down in its usual beachy waves. Bright pink platform Mary Jane shoes completed my attempt to look somewhat nice for my wedding.

Sweat slicked my palms as I held the small bouquet Jared had surprised me with that morning. They were wildflowers he’d picked from his own fields and bound in twine. Little did he know how perfect they were for me. I was not the fancy flower type.

I’d spent the night at his place because I didn’t want Sloane or Aria to discover what I was up to. Jared let me sleep in Sarah’s old room. It had been weird and tense between us at the farmhouse and a prelude, I imagined, to how it was going to be living together.

Jared showing up in his living room that morning in his three-piece suit did make me question all my life choices. My bridegroom was hot. Jared looking like a movie star instead of a farmer in his sexy suit was actually of great concern. I did not need to lust any harder for my fake husband. Thank God he hadn’t worn a kilt.

“Jared, please repeat after me,” the registrar said. “I do solemnly declare that I know not of any lawful impediment why I, Jared McCulloch, may not be joined in matrimony to Allegra Emma Howard.”

I tensed beside him, looking up at his handsome profile as he easily repeated the words I’d already forgotten. Shit, what if I couldn’t remember what I was supposed to repeat?

Concentrate, girl, concentrate!

“Allegra.” The registrar zeroed in on me and I nodded, wide-eyed, trying to focus. Her eyes glinted at my expression, but she continued, “Please repeat after me. I do solemnly declare that I know not of any lawful impediment why I, Allegra Emma Howard, may not be joined in matrimony to Jared McCulloch.”

Nope.

Did not hear a damn word.

I cleared my throat, my voice a little shaky as I replied, “I’m sorry, can you repeat that?”

She nodded kindly and just as she opened her mouth to do so, strong fingers slid between mine, grasping my hand and squeezing gently. Surprised, I looked up at Jared and found him gazing down at me in concern. Even though we didn’t know each other that well, I somehow knew what his eyes were saying.

We don’t have to do this if you’re having second thoughts.

For the first time since he’d strolled into the living room that morning, I didn’t feel alone. I remembered we were in this together.

It centered me.

I squeezed his hand back, enjoying (too much) the feel of his calloused palm against mine.

When the registrar asked me to repeat the words, Jared kept holding my hand and I repeated the words without a hitch.

“Now, turn to each other, please.”

We did so and I reached for Jared’s other hand so we held them between us. I gave him a mischievous smile that lightened his expression for a brief second.

“Jared, repeat after me …” She declared the words for Jared to repeat.

His big hands tightened around mine, and I found myself staring at his mouth as he said in that rumbly delicious voice of his, “I call upon these persons, here present, to witness that I, Jared McCulloch, do take thee, Allegra Emma Howard, to be my lawful wedded wife.” His fingers squeezed harder around mine upon the word wife. I dragged my gaze off his lips to meet his and there was something intense in his eyes I couldn’t quite decipher. A shiver skated down my spine.

A few seconds later, I found myself repeating, “I call upon these persons, here present, to witness that I, Allegra Emma Howard, do take thee, Jared McCulloch, to be my lawful wedded husband.”

Husband.

This man was seconds from becoming my husband.

Holy shit.

My stomach flip-flopped so aggressively, it stole my breath.

The registrar offered us the rings. I took the gold wedding band I knew had been Jared’s grandfather’s and tried not to get emotional about it for him. When he’d presented them to me last night, he’d told me the rings belonged to his grandparents and that they’d suffice for the ruse. I’d asked him if he was okay with that, and he’d just shrugged and said aye. I wasn’t so sure, but we didn’t have any other options.

I trembled as Jared slipped his grandmother’s simple gold band onto my finger. And a possessiveness I knew I had no right to feel swelled in my chest as I slid his grandfather’s gold band onto his. Both of the rings were a little big for us, but it didn’t stop the weird primal urge to jump him at the sight of the symbol of our marriage.

“I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride, Mr. McCulloch.”

Oh shit.

Yeah, I forgot about this part.

He gave me a questioning look and I returned it with a barely perceptible nod.

Then he kissed me.

And I mean, he KISSED me.

He released my hands to wrap one of his around my nape, yanking me none-too-gently against his hard body before pressing his lips over mine.

I gasped in surprise at the move, allowing his tongue to lick over mine.

Desire flooded me, my skin burning hot, my fingers curling into his suit jacket as I returned his voracious kiss. Jared McCulloch kissed like it would be his last. It was the kind of kiss that made you want to fuck.

His hand tightened on my neck seconds before he pulled back, gentling the embrace, and he released me with a shivery brush of his mouth over mine.

My lips felt swollen and I was pretty sure the strapless bra I wore just barely concealed my pebbled nipples.

Holy fuck.

Had I ever reacted to a kiss like that in my life?

Nope.

No.

In fact, kissing had always been low on my pleasure scoreboard when it came to sex. I’d always preferred the main event.

Until now!

Oh no.

This was a big, big mistake.

My hands rested on my lap as we drove back to Ardnoch, and I couldn’t stop staring at the gold band on my finger.

After we’d signed all the necessary documents, we’d bid the registrar and the strangers who’d acted as our witnesses goodbye. Their names were Carol and Susan. Susan had given me a hug and whispered in my ear, “You know, for a moment there, I was worried you were being blackmailed into the marriage. Until that kiss. Woo!” She’d waved a hand over her rosy cheeks with a chuckle.

I’d laughed, flushing at the memory of Jared’s mouth hungrily taking mine. Of the tickle of his short beard against my skin. I wanted to feel it between my thighs.

My fingers curled against the fabric of my dress as I threw that image out of my mind. We’d already decided there would be no funny business between us. In fact, I should be pretty pissed at him for that kiss.

Why did he have to kiss me like that?

The question suddenly blurted out of me.

Out of my periphery, I saw Jared’s hand flex around the wheel. Then he replied gruffly, “The registrar looked suspicious. If by some chance Immigration interviews her, I wanted to leave her with a lasting impression that helped to not betray us.”

So he’d kissed me like he wanted to fuck me and it was as fake as our marriage?

Stupid disappointment filled me. “Right. That makes sense.”

“Sorry if … sorry if it made you uncomfortable.”

“No. Nope. It was fine.”

At his silence, I turned to find him glowering out at the road ahead of us.

“You regret this, don’t you?”

He glanced sharply at me. “Do you?”

“No.” And I actually didn’t. “I get to stay now.”

Jared nodded. “Look … I’ve been thinking and I know you’re not going to like this because I don’t like it, but I think we need to lie to everyone.”

“Everyone?”

“Sarah, Aria … your parents. Everyone.”

No. It wasn’t possible. “They’ll know we’re lying.”

“Even if they do, if we don’t tell them the truth, it protects them legally. It might hurt us to lie to them and for them to know we’re lying to them, but once it’s all over, we can explain.”

Shit.

“Shit, shit, shit.” I pressed my head back against the car seat and heaved a sick-feeling sigh.

“I take it that means you agree?”

“Yes, unfortunately, that means I agree.” And it meant I was about to make my relationship with Aria worse than it already was.

“Fuck.”

Jared chuckled, but it wasn’t a happy sound. “You’ve got a mouth on you.”

“Well, you would know,” I quipped.

He flashed me a dark look before returning his gaze to the road. Noting the white of his knuckles, I apologized.

“It’s fine. I just … hope you know that kiss was all for show.”

Anger was better than the hurt I felt at his continued need to prove he didn’t want me. Keeping my tone light, I replied, “I know you find me repugnant, Jared, so don’t you worry your pretty little head that I’m going to catch feelings here.”

A muscle ticked in his jaw, but he didn’t deny it.

And I racked my brain wondering what it was that I had done that had turned him off so much. Then I reminded myself that whatever it was wasn’t my fault, that Jared was merely a tool to get what I wanted, and it didn’t matter what he thought of me otherwise.

It did matter what Aria thought of me.

Dread filled me the closer we drew to Ardnoch.