Stealing the Groom (10 page)

Taking the stairs two at a time, he reached the door of his bedroom and stopped with his hand on the door handle. What on earth was that ear-splitting sound?

He shoved open the door to find Amelia dancing around in the middle of the room while a screechy ’80s rock song blared from the radio beside his bed.

Bad taste in music. He’d known she suffered from that. He could live with that.

However, he would not, could not, live with what she was wearing, not if he wanted to keep their relationship from setting them both on fire.

Amelia wore a pair of light-purple cotton shorts that barely covered the tops of her thighs and a dark-purple tank top. Her hair swung about and caressed her back with each move of her hips. The thin gold ankle bracelet shifted above her ankle, drawing Chad’s gaze to her neon-pink toenail polish.

Her outfit wasn’t traditionally sexy, per se. Very in line with her tomboy personality. Yet somehow she seemed almost indecent in it.

DEFCON level 3 sexy.

He. Was. In. Trouble.

She spun around, saw him, and danced to where he stood. “Dance with me,” she said, raising her voice to be heard above the music. She wiggled her fingers at him.

Major trouble.

“Amelia.” He bypassed her outstretched hands and strode to the radio to shut off the music. The silence was as loud as the song had been. “You told Smith that you were sleeping in here?”

“Did I?” She arched an eyebrow.

“Don’t give me that innocent look. You changed the sleeping arrangements. I already told you, we don’t cross that line.”

“Chad…”

He didn’t let her finish. “No good comes from crossing the line. How many times do I have to repeat myself before you finally get it?”

“Chad, listen to me. You were right about me not staying with my sisters and I’m right about this.” She waved a hand indicating the room. “We can’t have separate rooms because the staff will talk and then the truth—the very truth that you seem hell-bent on keeping secret—will get out.”

Damn it. She was right. He hadn’t thought about that.

“Besides, it’s not the first time we’ve slept in the same bed. And it’s not like that mammoth bed isn’t big enough to accommodate the both of us without us even touching. I’ve heard of a California king-size bed before, but that’s like, a King Kong size.”

“We’re not kids anymore.”

“We slept in the same bed at the cabin and nothing happened,” she pointed out.

When was he going to learn that arguing a point with her was useless? He blew out a breath. “You’re right. You’ll have to stay here. I’ll sleep on the floor.” He ran his fingers across the back of his neck, trying to find release from the tension in his muscles, looking around the room at everything except his wife.

“Don’t be a ridiculous ass. You don’t have to sleep on the floor. I’m not going to pounce on you, husband,” she laughed. “I do have
some
self-control.”

He quirked his brow. “Did you just call me an ass?”

“No.” She smiled sweetly. “I called you a ridiculous ass. Big difference.”

He rolled his eyes. Didn’t she realize that her self-control wasn’t the one he questioned?

“You want the bathroom first?” he asked. He unbuttoned his shirt and pitched it toward a chair. It missed.

When he made no move to retrieve it, she said, “Don’t think picking up after you is going to be one of my wifely duties.”

“I don’t expect that.” He watched the way her eyes roamed his bare chest and caught how quickly she looked away. “What I expect, what I
deserve
as your husband”—he hid a smile when her eyes narrowed—“is for you not to snore like a damn train.”

“That’s mean. You know I don’t snore.” She threw a pillow at him.

He caught it and threw it back. “I can be mean. I’m a ridiculous ass, remember?”

She hugged the pillow against her chest. “You could never be mean. Not to me anyway.”

“You take all the hot water and I might just surprise you with how mean I can get.”

“No cold showers for you, huh?”

“Not as long as you behave.”

Grabbing her toothbrush, she sauntered closer and stopped before she brushed by him. “That’s debatable.”

He swatted her on the butt as she darted into the bathroom. The sink water started and Chad sat on the edge of the bed to wait until she was finished doing whatever before-bed ritual she had.

The bed was big, that was true, but as far as he was concerned, the entire state wasn’t big enough for him to sleep next to her. Not without introducing him to never-ending cold showers.

He raked a hand across his face. He knew he had a struggle ahead of him dealing with her as his wife, but during the day at least, they didn’t have to be in the same room. He could add business meetings that took him away from home until late in the evenings. Push himself harder so that when he was ready for bed, sleep would be the only thing his body was interested in.

He was so lost in thought he didn’t realize she’d finished up in the bathroom until she was standing in front of him makeup-free.

So. Damn. Beautiful.

“You ready?” she asked.

He attempted to banish thoughts of just how ready he was. “You mean the bathroom?”

“What else would I mean?”

Chad rose, stifling the urge to release his inner Tarzan and swing her onto the bed to break every last one of his rules. “I’ll try not to wake you when I get out.” He moved to the dresser to take out some shorts to sleep in.

“I know you have certain needs so go ahead and wake me if I’m asleep.”

Chad spun around so fast he was sure he got whiplash. “Needs?”

“You need a certain side of the bed and you need a certain pillow, right?”

He stared at her for a long second. “Are you trying to get under my skin?”

“Oh.” She laughed. “You thought I was talking about…”

“Ugh. You’re killing me, Ame. I’m going to take a shower.” What the hell was wrong with her? Innuendos about sex? Pushing every damn button he had? Didn’t she have any idea how alluring she looked? What a tenuous hold he had on his self-control?

Unless…she wasn’t doing it on purpose. Did she want him the way he wanted her?

Chad went into the bathroom and reached for the water control. Without hesitating, he turned it full blast on the cold side.

Chapter Nine

The next morning, Amelia caught Chad before he could leave the bedroom. She put her back against the door to block his escape. If she was going to teach him how to be more spontaneous and how to enjoy life, she couldn’t let him run off to the office every second he got. “Let’s go to the festival.”

Every year, Sweet Creek threw a festival to celebrate the coming of the summer months. There were rides, craft vendors, and the most delicious food Amelia could remember tasting. When they were teenagers, they never missed a chance to attend.

“I’ve got work to do.”

“And you’ll still have that same work waiting for you tomorrow.”

“I can’t.”

“You’re not expected in today. While you were in the shower, I called your secretary and told her you were spending the day with me.”

He didn’t look thrilled. “Amelia, I’m not someone you can lead around by the nose and I don’t appreciate this.” Putting his hands on her arms, he gently shifted her away from the door. Yanking open the door, he stepped out into the hallway.

“People will start gossiping about the amount of time you spend away from me. They’ll think that you can’t stand to be in my company,” she said quietly.

“You’ll know that’s not true, so don’t let it bother you.”

“Yeah. Sure.”

“I’ll see you tonight.”

“Fine.”

He hesitated and she sent him a forced smile and then closed the bedroom door.

Well, that didn’t work. Digging her cell phone from her pocket, she called her sister Ann since she knew Abby would be at the diner already. “You want to go to the festival? Okay, I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

She hung up and grabbed a pair of flat-heeled shoes. If her so-called husband wanted to spend this beautiful day trapped in an office, he could. She was going to enjoy herself. As soon as she grabbed her purse, she left the room and ran lightly down the stairs.

“Chad left?” Henry stopped her at the foot.

“He has work to do.”

A shadow crossed the older man’s face. “I did this to him,” he muttered.

“Pardon?”

“Er…nothing. Where are you headed?”

“To the festival. You want to come along?”

“No, dear, you go on. Have some cotton candy and an elephant ear for me.”

“It’ll be tough, but for you, anything.”

Henry laughed. “Take any car you’d like from the garage.”

Amelia leaned up on her tiptoes and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Thanks.”

When she went into the garage, she whistled at the gleaming cars and chose a sporty model that looked like it cost more than a chunk of prime real estate in New York City.

Once she was on the road, she lowered the windows and let the warm air blow through. How could Chad not see all he was missing out on? She sighed and pushed the thought away. Maybe he’d had the ability to have fun surgically removed when he’d graduated from business school.

Arriving at Ann’s small house, she blew the horn and waved at the elderly postwoman she’d startled. “Sorry!”

Ann tugged open the passenger door and dropped down onto the seat. “Wow. Cinderella’s coach has undergone some changes.”

Amelia took off once Ann was situated. “This is a far cry from a fairy tale, believe me.”

“Uh-oh. Trouble in loveland?”

“Possibly.”

Ann gave a delighted grin. “So what’d you do? Find a twelve-step program that helped you admit a friend is more than a friend?”

Easing the car into the left turn lane, Amelia sighed. “Chad is incredibly good-looking.”

“Mmm-hmm.”

“And he’s got a really hot body.”

“Mmm-hmm.”

“When he kisses me, I don’t want to stop.” Amelia shrugged. “I know I care more about him than can be defined by friendship.”

The light changed and Amelia eased the car through the intersection, heading toward the fairgrounds. “But I feel chafed at the thought of being tied down.”

“It would never work between the two of you. You never see eye to eye on anything that matters in keeping a marriage together,” Ann said.

“You don’t know that for sure. We like a lot of the same foods. And sports. We root for the same team.” Amelia bit her lip and pulled the car into a parking spot, careful to park where she hoped the car wouldn’t get dinged by other car doors. Shutting off the engine, she added, “Life is…I don’t know…sunnier when he’s around. Is that a cliché?”

“No, that sounds like love.”

“Nah.” She saw the expression on Ann’s face and got out of the car. “It can’t be love.” She fell into step beside her sister.

“Why not?”

“It’s not written in Chad’s day planner.”

“I’ve noticed his love of rules.” Ann laughed. “What is up with that?”

“He’s got tons of rules that suck the life right out of him. He’s so serious a lot of the time.” Amelia brushed her hair away from her eyes.

“You never met a rule you didn’t want to break. I’ll bet you drive him crazy.

“No more than he drives me crazy.”

“But you’re together and if you want my opinion, it’s because you loved him enough to try to spare him from what you saw as a bad future. He loved you enough to go along with your wacky snatch-a-man idea.”

“We can’t love each other. His life is here and mine is…” Amelia paused to search for the right word.

“On the run.”

Amelia groaned. “Not you too.”

“You can’t outrun love, sis. It sneaks up on you, builds slowly, and it’s in your heart before you even realize it.”

They reached the ticket gate and Amelia paid the entrance fee for them.

Ann looked over her shoulder and then smiled brightly. “I see some friends. Do you mind if I go with them instead?”

Amelia’s mouth dropped open. “You’re ditching me?” She turned around and spotted Chad jogging toward them. He’d changed from his suit and wore a pair of snug-fitting blue jeans and a black dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his forearms.

“See you two later,” Ann said and darted off.

“You finished up your work already?” Amelia asked when Chad reached her side.

“I didn’t even go in. I drove all the way there and then realized that I needed to be here.”

Her heart danced and Amelia realized that while she might not be full-blown in love with her husband, she was well on the way. The thought made her feel afraid and exhilarated.

“I’m sorry I blew you off this morning.”

“It’s okay. Feed me food that’s totally bad for me and we’ll call it even.”

“Letting me off the hook easy.” He paid his entrance fee and they walked through the gate.

Instantly, the sounds of children laughing and dozens of amusement rides running assailed them. The aroma of hot dogs, elephant ears, and boiled peanuts wafted along the main walkway.

“The last time we were here, we got stuck on the Ferris wheel,” Chad said.

“And you were wishing it was Sandy Garret you were with.”

They got in line for the Ferris wheel. “Not even close,” he denied.

They shuffled forward until it was their turn. He waited until she sat on the chair before joining her. The attendant secured the bar and then moved on to other chairs.

“So you were secretly glad it was me.”

“I was. You were larger than life and everything was always better when you were around.”

The Ferris wheel jerked and then slowly began moving. Amelia held on to the bar. “One of my bucket list items happens on a Ferris wheel. Number nine.”

“Yeah?”

“I wanted to be passionately kissed at the very top.” She smiled when he looked at her in astonishment. “Give me a break. I was fifteen when I wrote that list.”

“Have you completed it?”

“No. Why? You volunteering to help with that one?”

…

Chad couldn’t believe his own ears when he opened his mouth and said, “I could make that sacrifice. Kiss a beautiful woman on a Ferris wheel.”

Her eyes flashed and his stomach tightened. Kissing her would be as smart as running naked through a village full of cannibals. Definitely not smart. But he put his arm around her shoulders anyway.

“Umm…I did say passionately.” Her voice was breathless, husky. “Think you’re up for that?”

“It’s for a good cause, right?” He lowered his head and brushed his lips over hers. The pounding began in his head, throbbing as his blood heated up. Looking into her eyes, he saw the same urgency, the same need he knew was in his own. Damn, but he wanted her. He buried his lips against hers, sucking gently on the sweet fullness.

She twisted in the seat, giving him greater access to her lips, and Chad took advantage of that. Slipping his tongue between her lips, he traced the inner edges. When her tongue touched his, he thought he would go insane from the need driving him. He needed to stop before it went further and he got them both banned from the festival for life.

Forcing himself to break the kiss, he slowly moved away from her. His fingertips traced the side of her face. “Passionate enough?”

“I was thinking it’s a good thing that I didn’t share what number eleven was on the list.”

“We’re in a public place.” Chad laughed.

“Because otherwise, you wouldn’t be able to stop yourself, right?”

She was teasing. He knew she was teasing, but still, his laughter faded. He swallowed hard. She had no idea how right she was. “You’re right.”

She gasped. “Chad?”

“But this union is finished in six months and I will walk away. We won’t ever be more than friends. So I won’t use you just to quench a thirst. It’s not fair to either of us. Agreed?”

She crossed her arms. “What if I told you that it’s taking all of my willpower not to fall in love with you?”

He hated to admit it, but said, “I would tell you that it’s the same with me.”

She looked at him. “What are we going to do about it?”

“We’re going to enjoy the festival, pig out, and then go back home where we slip back into friendship-only mode.”

The Ferris wheel slowed to a stop. “If that’s what you want.”

“Isn’t it what you want?” His mouth went strangely dry while he waited for her response.

“Maybe. I don’t know. But I do know that I want an elephant ear, so…” She held out her hand and he took it, closing his fingers over hers.

She didn’t know?
He’d been so sure that what he’d struggled with internally about the two of them was all on him. Knowing she had the same struggle made his much worse.

The elephant ears were hot out of the oil when they reached the booth. Chad ordered two and once the vendor sprinkled the tops with powdered sugar, he carried them to a picnic table beneath a large canopy.

Amelia took hers and gingerly broke off a piece, setting it aside to cool. “First love?”

“Elephant ears?”

“Not food. What
girl
was your first love?”

“Oh.” Chad thought for a second, then decided to be honest. “You.”

Surprised, she stopped with a bite halfway to her lips.

“That day in the park when we swore we’d always be friends. I loved you as only a kid can love the first girl who’s kind to him.”

Depositing the bite back onto the plate, she said, “And you were my first crush.”

“Which is why you asked me to be your first kiss,” he said, finally understanding. Reaching across the table, he covered her hand with his. “Believe it or not, that night I wanted to head back to your house and tell you I’d changed my mind.”

“Then why didn’t you?”

He grinned sheepishly. “I started watching the game and forgot.”

She laughed. “Glad to know my asking rocked your world.”

“You always rock my world.” He pointed at her plate. “If you’re not going to eat that, I will.”

She scooted her plate away. “Don’t even think about it or this friendship is over.”

“We’re married. I’m entitled to half.”

“Isn’t that a divorce motto?”

He polished off the last bite of his treat. “For some poor saps. I know you’d never take a penny other than what was yours.”

She leaned across the table, capturing his eyes with hers. “If you trust me with your money, then why are you so afraid to trust me with your heart?” Her tone was light…unlike the words.

“I can make more money.” He crumpled his plate up and tossed it into the garbage can. “Besides, I could turn that around and ask why you’re so afraid of not running away.”

She got up to put her plate in the trash. “Truthfully? When I’m stuck in one place, I feel like I can’t breathe. I need to be able to take off on a whim and go wherever I want.”

“Now you see why I could never trust you with my heart? You would only run with it.”

“Or maybe I’d finally have a reason to stay still.” She covered her mouth with her hand. “I didn’t mean to say that out loud.”

Chad got up and put his hand on the small of her back to help guide their way through the crowd. “Forget it,” he said, knowing he wouldn’t be able to. “Let’s head to the games. I’ll win you a stuffed monkey or something.”

Halfway down the walk, Chad found a game tossing baseballs through a clown’s nose. He hit every throw and won an oversize gorilla. When he gave it to Amelia, she said, “Is this your way of saying you’re bananas over me?”

He groaned as they started walking again. “You were always terrible at jokes.”

“I know. Good thing I kept my day job.” She sent him a glance from the corner of her eye. “So is this a great date or what?”

“This isn’t really my idea of a date.”

“Then what is?” she asked, stopping before the peanut vendor to grab a small bag of peanuts.

“The usual. Dinner out. Maybe a movie.”

“Uh-huh. And if it was the unusual? If you dated someone like me?”

“It would have to be something cheap so I could afford bail money.”

She laughed. “I’m serious.”

“Let’s see.” He took a handful of the peanuts. “Someone like you…I’d take you to a karaoke place.”

“Neither of us can sing.”