Chapter 10
Maybe this was all Zander’s fault. Maybe he’d done something to deserve this. Duke was the one always muttering the Bible’s “lead me not into temptation” prayer.
It felt a little too late for Zander to start reciting it now. He was playing the groom on wedding night with his supposed bride. And now—the entire honeymoon!
He had to get out of this.
The limo awaited them, and as Zander leaned down to help Kat in, he spotted the camerawoman seated inside. Good. Perhaps they wouldn’t be left alone. At least, not right away. If he could somehow sneak a text to…
“Mr. Benton,” a voice came from behind. Zander glanced back to see Marsha standing there with her hand out. “Your phone?”
His brow furrowed. “My phone?”
Marsha, effortlessly composed compared to her co-producer, nodded. “As per your contract. We already got Kat’s. Now we need yours.” When he paused, she elaborated. “No contact with the outside world during the honeymoon. This shouldn’t be a surprise.”
She was right—that tidbit shouldn’t have been a surprise. Still, Zander couldn’t get himself to move even a face muscle. His mind was too busy scrambling for a way out. Thank heavens he’d snatched his wallet out of the groom’s room at the same time; they couldn’t take that from him.
“It’s for your own safety,” the woman added. “Your wedding was live, remember? They know you’re headed somewhere, and people are dying to know where. Especially considering your status.”
“But what about my family? What if something goes wrong and they need to contact me?”
The woman puffed out a breath. “As stated in the contract you signed, family can contact us through the network, providing there’s an emergency.”
There was an emergency, all right.
Zander’s phone grew heavy and hot against his heart.
He tucked a hand past his collar, snatched the phone from his inner breast pocket, and rested it in the producer’s palm.
Yet just as the woman’s fingers curled around the small device, a beat of panic snuck in.
What if a text came in from Duke? Or a call?
Locked or not, it would show on the screen. And what about work?
“Oh,” he said, taking it back into his grip. He tapped out a quick text to James.
Please tell Linda that I won’t be in this week and to reschedule my appointments.
After hitting send, Zander pressed the power button and gave the producer a warning look. “I assume there’s a privacy policy regarding this?”
She nodded. “Of course. On your paperwork you asked that we give it to your brother, Zander, during your honeymoon. We’ll place it in his care as soon as he’s back from his trip.”
A chuckle sounded low in his throat. “Figures.”
“I am very sorry, again, that Zander wasn’t able to come.” Marsha held his gaze, an almost knowing look in her eye.
Zander’s face filled with heat. No, she didn’t know. He was just being paranoid.
“Thanks,” he said. “Me too.” With that, he climbed into the limo where Kat waited. The window beside her rolled down as he settled into the seat, and the guests started chanting.
“Kiss, kiss, kiss…” they cheered.
Zander spotted the photographer and videographer waiting beyond the limo, ready to catch the action as the crowd urged them on.
Kat’s guests raised arms as they chanted.
Michael’s excitement exceeded theirs, his wild cheer fit for the super-bowl while Mom shook her head.
The rest of his family joined in, but with a lot less enthusiasm.
He scanned the crowd until his eyes settled directly on Grandma Lo. He’d seen her speaking to Randall just after they cut the cake. She’d likely figured out then that Zander would be stuck going on the honeymoon.
So what did she think of it all?
Grandma lifted her chin once her gaze met his. Slowly then, with obvious intent, she lowered her head in an approving nod. He could hear it now, what her inner voice was saying. Go ahead. Do what you’ve got to do.
What he had to do in that moment was kiss the unbelievably sexy woman at his side.
Well, if he must…
A hot streak of adrenaline ripped through him. Grandma’s approval was the opening of a colossal floodgate. And as exciting as those waters might be, Zander felt as if he’d fallen in without a life vest.
Suddenly Kat reached over and curled her fingers around the collar of his suit coat, seizing his attention in a blink.
“Guess we should give them what they’re asking for.”
Zander shifted his gaze back to her. If he was at risk of drowning, this woman was the goddess of water herself. Capable of luring him into dangerous ocean-depths with her gaze alone.
The word kiss, kiss, kiss echoed throughout the limo’s cab. His gaze dropped to her lips, fanning an onslaught of desire he couldn’t wait to give in to.
With that, he moved in slowly, the anticipation climbing with every breath. He grazed her lips gently at first, like a whisper, and felt the effects all the way to his knees. He moved in once more, this time for a longer, lingering kiss.
Kat trailed her fingers down the side of his jaw, causing a small, helpless plea to sound in his throat.
He was in trouble now, there was no doubt.
The crowd cheered.
“Right here,” the photographer called once they ended the kiss. “One last picture.”
Kat nestled up to him, her soft cheek grazing his as she grinned.
Zander squared a look at the lens, inwardly cursing Duke and his family for what they’d done. He was in way deeper than he imagined. Heck, they were headed to the honeymoon now, and there was no stopping it.
Unless… a frightening thought came to mind. One that made his already-racing heart spike with a new dose of adrenaline.
Unless he came clean. Told—at least Kat—who he was and why he’d said otherwise.
Kat waved out the window as they pulled away. Zander fixed his gaze on her smile. As the chapel faded in the distance, that gorgeous grin remained, wide and satisfied.
Knots tangled and twisted in his gut. This was decision time. He could do one of two things.
One—tell Kat the truth once they were alone and risk the backlash that was sure to come. Not only in the public eye as the Bentons wound up in the tabloids yet again, but backlash from the network’s legal team. That is, assuming she spoke up about it. Which she likely would.
Lawyers loved deep pockets, and not many went deeper than the Bentons. The network could go after the whole family for covering it up. As far-fetched as it might sound, more ridiculous claims had scored victory.
Could Zander really put them all at risk like that? Was there even an alternative?
Yes. Option two: Go along with it. All the way through the honeymoon, then meet back up with Duke once they were back.
He could catch his brother up on everything, give him all the details, and hope that they could cover up the sham. At least until decision day, where they chose to either stay together or get divorced during a live production, of course.
So what would it be?
Perhaps Zander didn’t have to make that choice just now. In fact, maybe there was a third option. Once he figured out where they were headed, he might be able to contact Duke and share the location. Duke could fly out and replace Zander during the honeymoon.
Something didn’t sit right with the idea, but he knew it was an option all the same. So the decision was to, well, wait and see which was best.
He could do this. Whether it was a few more hours or a few more days, Zander could play the part of Kat’s groom. When the opportunity came, he’d let Duke step into his rightful place.
He repeated the thought as they made their way to the airport. And once they stepped onto the private flight as well. This predicament was temporary.
But for a reason Zander couldn’t explain, the assurance did very little to ease his nerves.