Chapter 2
A nnie lifted her veil with a triumphant smile as she looked straight into his face. Conrad’s strong jawline and piercing blue eyes made her gasp. She didn’t know what to expect, but not that. For some reason, she had imagined him to look more like a younger version of her dad, round, baldy, and with a second chin. Instead, the man in front of her was at least six inches taller than her, in a fitted jacket that suggested well-maintained firm muscles. The slivers of grey in his hair and the bushy eyebrows, together with smile wrinkles around his eyes, made him look mature, but in a way that made Annie’s heart race.
He looked back at her with a glint in his eyes and a mischievous smile, almost as if her presence amused him.
“You look absolutely stunning.”
His deep voice made her all tingly. Despite her efforts to focus on the job, his big working man’s hands confidently holding hers made Annie imagine them expertly—without a doubt—exploring her body and finding pleasure points she didn’t know existed. Annie licked her dry lips, forgetting about the artificial taste of the lip balm she had probably all eaten by now.
What was wrong with her? She shook her head and tugged her hand away from his grip. It must be the hormones. It had to be. Never—not even in the best of times—had she had thoughts like this about Darren.
He must be a real jerk.
With a face and body like his, this was the only reasonable explanation for his being single. As hard as it was for Annie to admit, this man could have any woman he desired, especially with his money. She could bet he had a new girlfriend every weekend to show off around, one prettier than the other. But here he was, marrying a woman he didn’t know.
Maybe he’s the controlling type?
She frowned, her stomach tightening at the thought. Men like Darren always seemed perfect on the surface, too. Charming smiles and big gestures didn’t always mean kind hearts. Annie’s fingers brushed her wrist absentmindedly, the ghost of an old bruise she’d hidden from the world for far too long.
Is he hiding a darker side as well?
The priest cleared his throat, interrupting her spiralling thoughts, and raised his hands. The organ music stopped abruptly, the silence enveloping the room like a cosy blanket.
“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today in the sight of God, and in the face of this company of witnesses to join together this man and this woman in Holy Matrimony.”
As he spoke the words, his voice seemed to echo in the high ceilings.
Annie glanced toward her parents, hidden from Conrad’s view. Her mother’s expression made Annie chuckle. Mother would break the farce any second now. But her father’s unyielding smile and hushed whispers to her mother left Annie feeling uneasy.
Would she?
Why was this still happening? Someone should have been able to tell she was not the right person; surely, she looked nothing like her sister. Annie scanned the faces of people gathered in the church, many distant relatives she only remembered from the photographs. A few met her gaze with a delicate, encouraging smile, but none showed any sign of surprise.
Oh, come on!
The priest’s voice filled the chapel once again, solemn and dignified.
“Conrad, will you have this woman to be your lawful wedded wife, to live together after God’s ordinance in the Holy Estate of Matrimony? Will you love her, comfort her, honour and keep her in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others keep you only unto her as long as you both shall live? ”
Annie’s mouth opened in protest, but no sound came out as Conrad took her hands in his, making her heart beat faster while her knees threatened to give out beneath her. His gaze locked onto hers, his eyes the colour of the ocean on a clear day, and she found herself lost in their depths.
His full lips kept moving, but Annie couldn’t hear what he said. She stared at him like a teenage girl on her first date, betrayed by her own body’s physical response. This had to end, now. But she stood there unable to pull her hands away like they were tied with his by an invisible thread, a thread made of thoughts she should never have in the church.
“Louise?”
Her sister wasn’t there. Why would the priest call her name? Annie cocked her head and blinked. The priest repeated, “Will you, Louise?”
Annie realised he was talking to her. “Yes?”
“I’m now pronouncing you husband and wife.”
Wait? What? How did that happen? Annie’s brows furrowed in confusion and dismay. It wasn’t supposed to go that far.
She sensed his fingers on hers as he slid a cold ring onto her finger. A glance down confirmed it—a gold wedding band shimmered in the muted light.
Her throat closed up from panic, and she couldn’t make a sound. Her eyes darted around the chapel, looking for someone to help her, but all she saw were smiling faces and cheering guests.
“You can kiss the bride.”
Those full lips met hers, silencing anything she might have wanted to say until a wave of dizziness washed over her. In desperation, she tried to free herself, but it only made him pull her closer, his hands on the lower of her back, searching. His greedy lips exploring hers and her own body responding, betraying her.
Oh, screw it.
Annie parted her lips, letting him in, her cheeks burning, with an ache in her belly for more, like a force awakened from a long sleep. She only tasted a little before he released his grip and the pressure on her mouth weakened, taking away this gorgeous dessert.
The crowd erupted into cheers, drowning out the organ music.
For crying out loud.
This was the hormones talking again. She came here to end this malarkey, not indulge her fantasies, about being swept off her feet by a handsome stranger.
Conrad’s firm hand on her upper back propelled her toward the exit. The noise in the chapel rose to a deafening roar as the guests shouted their congratulations to the couple.
“I need to tell you something!” The chanting drowned her voice.
Shaking his head, Conrad pointed to his ears, leaned toward Annie and put his arm around her, closing the distance between them without breaking his pace.
Painfully aware of his fingers caressing the skin on her bare arm, short of breath, Annie managed to utter, “Wait, it wasn’t supposed to happen.” But she couldn’t even hear herself in the cacophony of raised benches and boots stomping on the stone floor.
Conrad shook his head again and pointed at the chapel exit doorways as he released his embrace.
Annie wobbled without support and latched onto his arm as her heels slid on the uneven floor. She managed to stay upright, resisting the urge to feel up his upper arm muscles flexing under her fingers. As they burst through the doors, the sun’s rays hit Annie’s face, blinding her for a second.
Blinking rapidly, she inhaled and opened her mouth to tell him she wasn’t Louise, but he got out his words first.
“It wasn’t that bad, was it?”
She knitted her eyebrows. Did he think she was afraid? Or anxious about the wedding?
Squinting in a blasting sun, Annie released her grip on his arm. Then, shading her eyes, she marched toward the balustrade at the end of the platform marked by a row of Roman columns. To the right, the wide stairs led down to the park she had seen from the window of the dressing room. With her left hand firmly on the rough cold stone of the balustrade, she turned away from the sun to face the ajar chapel doors in the background and Conrad, right in front of her, with eyebrows raised like he was still waiting for an answer.
“No, no. It wasn’t. Look, we need to—”
“Good! I knew you wouldn’t bail on me.” A wide cocky grin brightened his face, and he rested his back on the balustrade, leaning over to Annie, and wrapping his arm around her like they were close buddies celebrating a job well done. “Trust me. You wouldn’t get a better deal.”
What? She narrowed her eyes. She wouldn’t get a better deal? Annie shook off his hand like it was a sleazy snake.
What was he thinking? That she was some desperate old woman who had to latch on to the first handsome guy she met?
I had better than you, Mister.
And they all were equally despicable, so no, thank you. As her experience taught her, men, especially those great-looking, were after money or control. Or both. They used women to stroke their egos as an extension of their wealth. No respect.
Annie balled her fists, took a step away from him, and gritted her teeth as she fought the urge to punch Conrad in that smug face. And to think that a moment ago, she fell for his charm. She couldn’t get a better deal!? What was she, defective merchandise?
She smirked, pursing her lips in a thin hard line, then hissed, “Oh, really?”
***
?
“S o, you think you’re such a catch?” His wife’s cheeks were flushed, a warm and rosy hue accentuating her anger. She jabbed Conrad straight into his chest with her index finger. “You had to buy your way into that marriage.”
The blinding glare of the sun made it difficult to see Louise’s face clearly. Conrad squinted and tugged at the tight knot of his tie, which constricted against his neck, making it hard for him to breathe.
That fire.
Certainly not what he expected at this wedding. He thought the most excitement he would get would be from choosing the food at the reception, as he had no clue what Maureen and Richard prepared, but he could imagine it would be a feast.
“You’re underestimating me, my dear.” He grinned and ran his finger against her smooth jawline. A tingling sensation of her soft skin under his touch made his heart race.
“Oh, I know your type!” She flicked his hand away and took another step back.
He caught her hand and stepped closer, only inches between their faces. She smelled of coconut and jasmine, a scent that made Conrad’s head swim.
With her back against the Roman column, she had no way to go, but it felt like he was the one in danger. Who would have thought that the timid girl he had met a few weeks ago could be so fierce?
“And what type is that?”
Her hair escaped the elaborate plait, whipped by the wind. Conrad extended his hand to tuck away a loose strand, but then rested it on the smooth marble of the column behind her. She might have bitten his fingers if he touched her again.
“The I-have-money-so-I can-have-it-all type.”
He chuckled. Nobody who knew him ever accused Conrad of being someone like that.
“You think a woman is just another item you can buy to add to your trophy collection?”
Her eyes could put a forest after the rain on fire, but she couldn’t be more wrong than that.
“But I’m not one of them, Mister. You can’t buy me.”
That made him chortle. He leaned closer to her, his leg pressing against the hem of her dress, feeling the warmth emitting from her body.
“I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you married me a moment ago.” He pointed at the chapel entrance, filling up with loitering guests.
“That should have not happened.” The dramatic tone of her voice made him narrow his eyebrows. “Let go of me.” Louise pressed her hands against his chest, but instead of letting go, Conrad took them into his hands, pulling her even closer.
This was getting weirder by the minute, and he didn’t need a scene right now.
“Stop making a scene. People are watching.” He nodded toward the beaming guests. “They expect a happy couple here, so behave for a moment, and it’ll be all over soon enough.”
“You can bet on that!” She smirked, giving Conrad a one’s over. “It will be over sooner than you think.”
Conrad lowered his head, almost touching hers. “Look, I don’t know what this is supposed to be, but you knew damn well that this was nothing but a financial transaction.”
“Oh, really?” Her voice shook a little.
“Yes, really. We talked about this in the coffee shop not that long ago, and I asked if you were okay with this. Or maybe you forgot about that as well?”
“Well, no.” She licked her lips. They looked so soft and inviting. He swallowed, feeling the rush of his blood, her scent overpowering him. How could he have missed that on the coffee date? This here, this was unexpected. Exciting but dangerous. Why would she play this game with him, though? Maybe she wasn’t aware of what she did to him?
He took a step back, creating more space between them.
“But if I had a choice, you would be the last person on Earth I would have married.”
The stubbornness was back, and he struggled to keep his mind on the conversation, especially so confusing.
“You had a choice. I asked.” They were getting nowhere. “And why the hell did you say yes if you didn’t want to?”
“Well ... ” She stared at him, batting her long eyelashes. That foot of distance between them wasn’t enough, as with every inch of his body he ached for her, the touch of her skin, the taste of her tongue. He had to move away from her before he lost that shred of control he still had.
The crowd surged forward, and the air vibrated with the sound of their voices rising in unison.
“Kiss. Kiss. Kiss.” The guests’ voices blended in a jumbled mess of sound, a symphony of chaos.
A kiss?
He grinned at his wife.
“Don’t you dare!” she growled at him, her eyes an emerald inferno.
Surely a game. The hell with caution. “The wedding guests demand it. My hands are tied.”
Pressing fingers to her waist, Conrad pulled his wife closer, then, unable to resist, he slid his hands a little lower over the curves of her hips, which made him ache for the first night. Although, judging by the events so far, it wouldn’t go the way he’d like. But they had time.
Lowering his head, Conrad pressed his lips against hers. She tried to move away, but he persisted, tasting every inch of them, circling with his tongue. Her lips, stiff at first, became soft and tender. His wife parted them a little for a split second, or maybe he had imagined it, then yanked her head away. The taste of Louise’s lips lingered on Conrad’s tongue for a little longer. Sweet and intoxicating.
Clapping and cheering erupted, echoing off the columns and walls of the chapel, creating a deafening roar.
“You bastard.” Louise hissed into his ear and wriggled free, making him wobble and use the column as support while she broke free and stormed off toward her parents, her heels clicking against the stone floor.?