Chapter 12

“The fallout from the doctor’s suicide and his letter caused minimal damage.”

“Can we spend the rest of the evening not talking shop?” Marcel asked mildly, looking over to where his wife was holding court with several of his club members” wives. He was proud to note that she stood out among a group of beautiful women.

The dress, if it could be called that, was a shimmery metallic gold color that clung to her slender curves and highlighted her shape. It was dipped low in the back and tied around her neck with shoestrings.

Her hair had been flat ironed and was almost at her waist. The thick, dark brown curls were glowing with health.

The magnificent outdoor area of the Plaza Hotel was ablaze with lights and old-fashioned sconces hanging from the high arched ceiling. People had spilled out onto the beautifully landscaped grounds of the hotel, where chairs and tables dotted the surface.

White-suited caterers interspersed the guests, carrying glasses of champagne and exotic and sumptuous finger foods that were being consumed by the minute.

The women were decked out in their fineries, the colors of their expensive gowns adding to the colors of the flowers blazing in the gardens.

It was an annual charity event where the generous donations collected would go to several charities.

Wendy and Julia, along with several of the women on the committee, had been in charge of the planning and had been congratulated on doing a very good job.

“You are right,” his father agreed, slapping his son on the shoulder. They were still not comfortable, but over the past few days, they had been forced to put aside their differences. James could see that his son was happy. He could not take his eyes off his beautiful wife.

A frown touched his brow as he glanced at Peter, who seemed to be having an argument with his wife. As far as his sources had informed him, Marcel had not been in contact with her since he met her at the diner.

He was hoping that the woman finally accepted that she was married and that Marcel was out of bounds.

“Your wife is coming this way.”

“It’s like she can read my mind.” He said with a grin. “Excuse me.”

James watched as he walked over to meet her, guiding her onto the dance floor.

“You look happy.” He had been so caught up in the beautiful picture they had taken that he had not heard his wife coming up to him.

“I have reasons to be.” Smiling down at her, he drew her hand through his. “You outdid yourself.”

“It was a team effort.”

“Of course it was.” His eyes wandered over to Peter and his wife again and saw with a frown that the woman was now alone and staring at Marcel and his wife on the dance floor.

“What is it?”

“I have this suspicious feeling that Peter’s wife has something up her sleeve.”

“Why?”

James shook his head. “Things are going so well between Marcel and Nikki; I would hate to see anything spoiling it. They look happy.”

“They are.” Wendy acknowledged, turning her head to look at the couple. “I love the way they are getting along.”

“He is in love with her.”

“I think he is. Why don’t you take your wife out on the dancefloor and let us forget everything that might go wrong?”

“Good idea.”

*****

“What’s that look for?” His hands drifted down her bare back and lingered there.

“Why? Am I not allowed to look at my handsome husband?” Lifting her head, she examined his handsome face.

“If you continue to look at me like that, we will find a private corner and do something about it.”

“Like what?” She asked softly, loving the feeling of ease between them, even when the sexual urges were powerful.

“Like-” Bending his head close to her ear, he whispered something. Something that had her shivering, her nipples going rigid.

“It’s—” She had to clear her throat and swallow the lump. “That’s very interesting.”

“Only interesting?” He quirked a thick brow at her, a sensuous smile curving his lips. He was stroking the bare skin of her back in a slow, gentle rotation that was stirring her senses.

“Marcel-”

“Yes, darling?” He whispered as he twirled her slowly around the floor.

“I am not feeling well.”

His smile vanished immediately. “What’s wrong?”

“What’s wrong?” She croaked. “What’s wrong is that I am so horny right now that I am completely wet. I am dripping.”

His body went rigid, and her words had him missing a step and stumbling a little.

“You witch,” he whispered thickly.

“Shall we make our excuses?”

“I think it’s time.”

*****

Simone watched them leave; her hatred and fury were so overwhelming that she wanted to hurl her champagne glass at the couple. He was refusing to take her calls, and it was evident that he was now into that bitch.

She had seen them on the dance floor, behaving like they needed a bed. She had also seen the pitiful glances and whispers from the people in their society. Peter had told her that she would have to pull herself together or face consequences.

“He looks right through you,” Peter hissed. “The man is happily married. And if you do not see that, then you must be blind or deluding yourself. Whatever it was between you two is over. Move on.”

But she couldn’t. Peter was fifteen years her senior and was competent in bed. He tried to make up for what he lacked in expertise with enthusiasm.

But she had been with Marcel, and the way he made her feel was unlike anything she had ever experienced before. The very idea that he was doing that to that bitch he married every night was beyond comprehension.

She could not forget that he had dumped her. He pretended to be with her when she was free from Peter. Now he was with someone else and was ignoring her. He had not even glanced at her once; his eyes were only for that woman he was married to.

She could not stand it. Plucking another glass of champagne from the passing waiter, she took a huge swallow and plotted her revenge.

*****

Rolling over, she threw a thigh over his and watched as he fought to get his breath back.

“Do you think your family believed us when we told them the oyster had turned against us?”

“I don’t much care.” Fisting his hand into her tumble of curls, he brought her head down so he could crush her mouth to his.

“You almost killed us in your haste to get us here.”

“Good thing, traffic was so light on the freeway.”

“You ran a red light.” She pointed out impishly.

“Think I am going to get a ticket?” he asked with a grin.

“The Hadley’s have a few judges and more than a few precincts in their pockets, so that’s highly unlikely.”

His brows lifted. “I don’t like what you are implying, and it so happens you are a Hadley too.”

“Who is implying?” Using a long, elegant finger, she traced a path from the hairs at his temple to the side of his straight nose. “And I should take advantage of my position as Mrs. Marcel Hadley.”

“In what way?”

“Running a few red lights.”

“Don’t even think about it,” he warned with a laugh.

“I have something to tell you.”

“Uh oh. What have you done?”

Bending her head, she trailed her finger down his throat and then his chest.

“Nikki?” Using his index finger and thumb, he lifted her chin.

“What is it?”

“I wanted the best nursing home for my mom.”

“I know that.”

Her eyes bored into his as if she wanted him to see the truth of her argument. “I was prepared to take out a loan to make it happen.”

“Instead, you got an offer from my dad.”

She nodded. “That was not the only reason why I married you. I know you will find it difficult to believe, but since I started at the firm the first time, I fell in love with you.” Pushing ahead even at his skeptical look, she added.

“You wore a hunter green sports jacket over a lime green shirt and herringbone tie. You came into the associates” bullpen to ream out an associate who had misplaced a file and had the poor guy trembling so much; I thought he would pee his pants.”

“I remember. I had given the kid a chance to prove himself, and he screwed up.”

“You didn’t notice me, but I noticed you. After that day, I took an interest in your cases and studied them. You were arrogant and uppity and pretended that we did not exist.”

“Senior partners usually don’t have anything to do with lowly associates.” He reminded her loftily, his expression curious as he stared at her.

“It did not matter to me. I knew it was completely insane to ever entertain the thought of us being together, but the more I saw of you, the more I was drawn. First, it was your absurdly pretty face, and then it was your brilliant mind, and I was hooked.”

“You badmouthed me and called me an entitled prick,” he said wryly.

“I wanted to stop wanting you. I told myself that it was a damn pipe dream and I should stop thinking about you.”

“So, you decided to alienate me instead.”

“Yes.” She nodded, her expression sober. “I had enough on my plate. A sick mother and a career I had worked my ass off for. I could not allow anything to make me lose my focus. I never dreamed I would ever be able to get your attention, much less get you to go out with me.”

He stared at her, unsure if he believed what she was saying. “You are telling me you have been in love with me since the beginning? And that’s the real reason you agreed to marry me?”

“I know it sounds farfetched-”

“Try incredible.”

Closing her eyes briefly, she twisted her chin out of his hand.

“Nikki-”

“No.” She shook her head. “I am in love with you, and what you choose to do with it is up to you. I just thought you should know.” She started to climb off him.

“Where are you going?”

“I need to get some sleep. We have that tennis match tomorrow with those new clients, remember?”

“Is that it? You dropped that on me, and now you are opting to go to sleep?”

“What do you want me to say, Marcel? I humiliated myself by baring my soul. What? You don’t believe me, and I can’t say I blame you.”

“Why not?”

“From where you are standing, it seems like I am into this thing because of what was offered. It’s fine-”

“Is it?” He asked her mildly. “Am I allowed to have my say now?”

Staring at him, she nodded.

“Good.” His arms were loose around her narrow waist, his amber eyes holding hers in an intense gaze. “I decided a couple of weeks ago that I wanted this marriage. Do you know why?”

She shook her head.

“I was always attracted to you, Nikki. Ever since you kissed me at that function to make a point, I was hooked, and no matter how damned hard I tried to fight it, I couldn’t. On our honeymoon, I tortured myself, but I was pissed at being manipulated by both my father and you, so I decided to make a point.”

Lifting a hand, he cupped her cheek tenderly. “When I came up here after our fight and I saw you standing by the bed, naked, I realized that I wanted this to be real, and I did not care why you became my wife. I am in love with you-”

He stopped when tears slowly trickled down her cheeks. “Hush, baby,” he whispered, drawing her closer to him so that he could capture her tears with his tongue. “This is supposed to be a happy moment.”

“It is.” She whispered achingly, leaning into him. “Marcel?”

“Darling?”

“I love you so much.”

“I love you too, my darling.”

“Do you believe me?”

“Yes.” Twisting her head around, he took her lips in a kiss that seared her flesh and had her clinging to him.

*****

“Enough!” Gary Addleston called out, holding up his hand in defeat. “If I had a white rag, I would be waving it now. Marcel, you never told us your wife was a beast at this game.”Marcel smiled and tossed him a bottle of the sparkling water provided for them. “She is constantly surprising me.”

“And she is hardly out of breath.” His wife, a petite, attractive brunette, observed in admiration. “Where did you learn to play like that?”

“In college.” Tugging off the headband that kept her hair from falling over her forehead, Nikki stretched out on the chaise and twisted the cap off her bottle before taking a deep swallow. “I am very competitive, and I actually like tennis. Thanks, darling.” She gave her husband a warm gaze as he handed her a towel.

“I will be over by the pool as we try to recover from the workout you put us through.” Bending at the waist, he kissed her lingeringly on the lips.

Both women watched him walk away, his long legs bare from the lower thighs down, showing the strong muscles of his legs and the dark hairs covering them.

Turning her head, just as Beth sighed, Nikki grinned at her. “I am not offended in the least.”

“Believe me, darling, I am completely in love with my husband, but that man of yours is too gorgeous for words.”

Beth turned her head to look at the woman lying on the chaise lounge. Nikki had played several vigorous sets of tennis, and there was a healthy sheen of moisture on her exquisite face. She had twisted her heavy hair into a ponytail, and several strands clung to her cheeks.

She was not wearing makeup, but her skin was dewy and flawless. The set of whites she was wearing contrasted with her caramel complexion. Beth had also seen the way her husband watched her during the game.

“You two are in love.”

“We are.” Tipping the bottle to her mouth, Nikki finished the water and put the bottle aside.

“That’s a plus.” The woman turned to look at the men gathered around the small tiki bar, a frown touching her forehead.

“Are you okay?”

Swiveling her head around, Beth offered a smile. “I was deciding whether or not to say anything.”

“You are free to say whatever is on your mind. I am not easily offended, and we just signed a contract with your husband to represent your very lucrative company.” Nikki reminded her.

Beth nodded, her green eyes a little troubled. “I am an acquaintance of Simone Wellington.”

Nikki kept her expression neutral with incredible difficulty.

“Acquaintance?”

“Yes. We are in the same Pilates group, and she has been spreading these rumors.”

“About?”

“Your husband. You.”

“And these rumors- what are they?”

“That you two got married because of some arrangement.” Beth stared at her anxiously, wondering why she had brought up the topic in the first place. “But looking at the two of you, I can see she is lying.”

“She is not lying.”

Beth blinked at her. “Pardon?”

Smiling whimsically, Nikki angled her head to stare at the man leaning against the bar. Marcel was wearing all white, and the tennis shirt bearing his initials was stitched above his left breast, flattering his broad shoulders.

She had seen him working out in the gym in his apartment downstairs and had even started working out with him. Last night, they had been honest with each other and promised that from now on there would not be any secrets between them. She did not care what that spiteful bitch had to say.

“Nikki?”

“We entered into the marriage because we wanted something from each other. I am not at liberty to go into the intricacies of it, and even if I was prepared to do so, it’s no one’s goddamn business.

We entered into an arrangement, and now we are in love, so Simone Wellington can take out an ad, go to the top of the highest building uptown, and spin her venom; it doesn’t matter. You can tell her I said that.”

Beth stared at the woman with new respect. “My husband told me you are one hell of a lawyer, and I am starting to believe it,” she said with a smile. “The only reason I brought it up was to warn you.”

“About what?”

“About her.” Beth turned her head to look at the men at the bar. “She is bitter and feels that you are standing in her way.”

“She is delusional.”

“That might be the case, but you should watch your back.”

*****

She pretended to be asleep during the ride back to the townhouse, closing her eyes and turning her head away from him. After the conversation with Beth, her day had gone to hell. Unsurprisingly, he had felt the need to tell his mistress the terms of their arrangement, but she was human enough to feel betrayed and humiliated.

She had told Beth she did not care, but that was a lie. How many people knew, she wondered. It was unsettling that the woman was still carrying a torch for him. Nikki had seen her at the charity function last night and deliberately ignored her. Beth had warned her to watch her back, and she had no idea what that meant.

“You were napping.” He teased as soon as they got out of the car. “Nice of you to keep me company on the drive back.”

“I was tuckered out, ” she said lightly as they made their way up. “I think we should eat on the patio.”

“I was thinking the exact thing myself.” They had already showered and changed at the club. “Why don’t you set up while I go and call Matthew? Let him know this thing is in the bag.”

She nodded and watched him bound up the stairs. Turning into the kitchen, she took out the pot roast the housekeeper had left in the warmer, and even the delicious aroma did not entice her.

Automatically carting the things out, she set the table and selected a bottle of Cabernet from the rows of shelves in the pantry. She was just putting the salad bowl down when he came out.

“It’s ready.”

“First,” Snagging her hand, he turned her around to face him, golden eyes scrutinizing her face. “What is it?”

“What is what?”

Cutting off an impatient sigh, he cupped her face between his hands. “We made a promise last night to get everything in the open. What is bothering you?”

“Can we sit?”

“Sure.” Letting go of her, he went to pull her chair out and then took his seat across from her.

Taking a deep breath, she began. “Beth is an associate of Simone Wellington.”

“I see.” Stretching his legs out, he gave her a bland look. “And?”

“They attend the same Pilates class.” She fiddled with the silverware and avoided his eyes. “It seems she has been talking-” Lifting her eyes to his, she continued. “About the reason we got married. You told her.”

He did not deny it. “Not the specificity of it. I told her it was an arrangement. That’s what it was to me, and I was pissed.” He gave her an assessing stare. “It bothers you.”

“It shouldn’t.” Reaching for the bottle of wine, she was about to work the cork out when he took it from her. They waited until he had removed the cork and poured the liquid into the two glasses before resuming the conversation.

“Does it matter?” he asked quietly as he handed her the glass. “I would like to think that we are past that now.”

“Were you in love with her?”

Taking a sip of the wine, he stared at her over the edge of the glass, contemplating his response. “I thought I was. She was vulnerable, or I thought she was. She needed me.”

“And that’s important to you.”

“I thought so.”