Читать книгу Platinum Grooms: Pregnant at the Wedding - Sara Orwig - Страница 10

How many times was he going to surprise her? Stunned again, she stared for a moment at the sparkling, enormous diamond on a wide gold band, surrounded by a spray of smaller diamonds.

“Great heavens!” she exclaimed. She pulled her hand away to look down at the ring, which dazzled her. “That’s magnificent!” she exclaimed, glancing up at him. “I don’t understand.”

“What can’t you understand?” he asked, momentarily frowning. “I want you to be my wife. I’ve given you an engagement ring to seal the promise.”

“It’s worth a fortune, and there’s not one shred of love between us.”

“Stop reminding me,” he said somberly, and grasped her hand once more. “Look, I’ll ask you again to give us a chance to let love flourish. I wouldn’t do this otherwise.”

She wished she could believe him, but she couldn’t. “Ryan, if I weren’t pregnant, you’d pull out of this engagement so fast I’d be in a spin.”

Something flickered in the depths of his eyes, a confirmation to her of what she’d just declared. “I don’t know what I’d do, because I like the idea of marriage to you,” he said. “But that’s beside the point. There’s a baby to consider. Now, let’s make some plans.”

Shaking her head, she looked down at the ring, which was beautiful beyond her wildest dreams, and yet what she longed for, what was a lot more important than diamonds or a ring was his love.

Their waiter came and placed crystal plates with tossed greens in front of them.

As soon as they were alone again, Ryan took her hand once more. “Even if we break it off later, this will give the baby my name and a heritage. It will give me more rights to my child,” he said quietly, and she heard a note of steel in his voice that chilled her.

“Are you going to try to take this baby from me?” she asked, wondering about his intentions. Now that she’d discovered he had a ruthless streak, she found him an enigma.

“Never. I couldn’t ever hurt a child by taking it from its mother. This is my baby, and I’ll love it. You should know that much about me by now.”

“I know very little about you!” she exclaimed, and realized she needed to keep her voice down. Yet in spite of the remark she had flung at him, his statement relieved her beyond measure. “We didn’t spend that weekend in chitchat.”

“You know plenty about me,” he reminded her, his tone changing immediately. His voice dropped and his words were slower, and she knew he was recalling their weekend together. “You’ve learned what excites me. You know how I look naked. You know—”

“Don’t remind me!” she interrupted, wanting to stop words that conveyed their own magic and shifted the way she viewed him. “I don’t have any idea what you truly care about. I don’t like what you do when you’re out of the bedroom. I don’t know about your life or your family. That’s more important.”

“The prospect of learning about each other, and living together, I find fabulous. We’ve already started this and we’ll build our relationship. That’s a lifetime project.”

“Ryan, does everything in your life go the way you want it to?” she asked. He reeked of success, and she wondered if failure was ever a concern for him.

“Of course not. Life doesn’t unfold that way for anyone. But I get a reasonable return on my expectations. Now, let’s set a date and make it soon. Before the wedding, you’ll want to meet my father and brothers, and I need to meet your family.”

She stared at him while her anger returned. She wanted to refuse and tell him to stop meddling. Instead, she looked down at the ring on her finger, which seemed like a shackle that bound her, heart and soul, to Ryan.

“I leave town tomorrow, but I’ll be back late Friday night. That will give us the weekend to meet each other’s family. When would you prefer to go see yours? Or would you rather have them come to Dallas?”

“We’ll go there. I want you to see the farm. I’ll call them first, of course. Saturday with my family would be a good time. It’s a long drive, and I know them, they’ll want us to stay the night,” she said, realizing Ryan was going to charge right into marriage.

“We can stay, or I can drive back. I don’t mind night driving. Do what you want.”

“I can’t believe you’re even letting me decide,” she said.

“I can yield on things.”

Ashley shook her head. “Not on anything that really matters. But I’ll probably want to return to Dallas. Let’s try to arrive in late afternoon, because they eat supper and go to bed early.”

As she talked, she watched couples circling on the dance floor, and others quietly eating. She felt caught in a dream that she couldn’t wake from, yet it wasn’t a dream. She glanced at Ryan, and when her attention shifted to his mouth, she realized she wanted to kiss him and feel his lips and tongue on her. She looked up again to see his knowing gaze.

“So what do you prefer to do?” he asked with a thicker voice, and she suspected that he had making love on his mind, too.

She tried to get back to his question and make a decision before Ryan did. “Let’s go see your family on Sunday.”

“Excellent,” he replied, as he finished his salad and set his fork on his plate.

She had little appetite. His dark eyebrows arched in question. “You don’t like your salad?”

“I’m not too hungry,” she replied.

“Want to eat somewhere else?”

“Heavens no! This is a wonderful place. I just don’t feel like eating.”

“Okay,” he said, withdrawing a slim cell phone. “Let’s call and make arrangements. You can use my phone,” he said, flipping it open.

Shaking her head, she got out her own phone. “I’ll use mine. When I tell them I’m bringing a friend home, they’ll know it must be someone special. But I’m not announcing this marriage over the telephone.”

He smiled. “Whatever you want to do.”

She glared at him, but then heard her father’s voice and spoke softly, making arrangements to visit. Returning her phone to her purse, she waited while Ryan made his calls, watching his hand holding the tiny phone and remembering his hands on her.

“Grandma wants us there for supper Saturday night. I told her we’d try to get to the farm by five o’clock.”

“Fine with me,” he replied. “I’m looking forward to meeting them. My family will be at Dad’s place Sunday evening about seven. We’re set and this is good. At our wedding, I want my dad to be best man, and my brothers and Jake and Nick to be groomsmen. Is that too many for you?”

She shook her head. “No. I have Katie, Jenna and my cousin, and also a lifelong friend who still lives in my hometown.”

“Now, let’s pick a date. We might as well have this wedding soon,” Ryan added.

She rubbed her forehead. “Will you slow down?”

“Why wait? You’re pregnant, and the sooner we’re wed, the better. What is there to wait for?”

“There are a million things,” she snapped, clutching the tablecloth until her knuckles were white. “Like getting to know each other, for one.”

He shrugged and waved his hand, dismissing her remark. “That’ll happen. It’s already starting. What weddings do you have scheduled next weekend?”

Her head reeled and she sat back, closing her eyes. “Next weekend!” she whispered. Why hadn’t she guessed that Ryan would charge ahead full steam, like a barreling freight train?

“Ryan, I’m not getting married next weekend!”

“How about the weekend after that?”

“I have a night wedding.”

“Can’t your assistant manage, since you’ll have advance notice? We’ll be through with ours in time for her to go to the night wedding.”

Ashley put her head in her hands and thought about her schedule and her meetings and the weddings, and what she would have to do. “September won’t work?” she asked.

“There’s no good reason to wait until September. How about the weekend after this?”

“Of course, why not?” she exclaimed. “You’re getting everything else you want!”

He smiled and stood, taking her hand. “Let’s go dance and cool down. Our dinners should be here when we return.”

She went with him, again shocked by the speed with which Ryan was changing her life. “You’re right on one thing,” she said as they danced. “It’s better to get out here and move around.”

“Far better to hold you in my arms,” he said softly, leaning down so his breath brushed her ear. “You look gorgeous tonight, Ashley.”

“Thank you,” she said, admiring the way the huge diamond on her finger caught and reflected the light. She turned her hand so she could stare at the ring, amazed he would give her such an expensive gift. “When did you get my ring?”

“This morning.”

“You’re rushing things, Ryan. I don’t want to have sex right away. At least we can get to know each other before we do that.” She leaned back to look up at him, and wondered what he was thinking.

“If that’s the way you want it, that’s okay. I can wait,” he said. “I won’t want to, but I can.”

“Good. That’s what I want very much. You’ve rushed me about marriage and the wedding, but sex is something that can come when we both want it. I’ve regretted my impetuous weekend with you.”

“I’m disappointed to hear that, because I haven’t had one shred of regret,” he stated firmly. “Far from it. I thought it was the greatest weekend possible. That’s why I couldn’t forget you,” he added.

His compliments flattered and warmed her, but she didn’t care to encourage him.

“I have a request. I’ll wait to have sex, but can we make an exception for our wedding night? This is my first, and hopefully only, wedding. It’s a one-time event that I’ll remember the rest of my life, and so will you. We can’t ever go back and really do it again. So can we have a real wedding night?”

Her heart thudded and then raced. Two weeks until their wedding. Two weeks until they made love again. But if she succumbed and agreed to that, would she be able to resist him on other nights, before she got to know him better? Until they began to fall in love, or saw whether this sham marriage would explode in their faces and end as abruptly as it started?

She knew he was waiting. She thought again about what he’d said: “… first, and hopefully only, wedding …” Would it really be the only one? Did she want to have another night of sex with him, this time when he’d pushed her into marriage? She wanted patience and courtship and love. Instead, she had arrogance and a take-charge male who was determined to get his way. Was that who she wanted? Yet in fairness, she knew that tonight she was having courtship and romance from him. He was doing wonderful things for her family.

They danced around the floor in silence. Finally, she looked up at him. “All right, Ryan. We’ll have a real wedding night.”

“Fantastic!” he exclaimed. His eyes glittered with eagerness and he gave her a dazzling smile with a flash of white teeth, creases bracketing his sensual mouth. “Aah, I’ll try to make you thrilled about that decision. I know I’ll be happy.” He pulled her close.

An actual wedding night. She thought about the tempestuous weekend she’d had with Ryan with all inhibitions gone, and her cheeks burned.

“Ashley …” He leaned back, starting to say something, and then his eyes narrowed as he looked at her. “You’re remembering our weekend together, aren’t you?” he asked in a husky voice.

She inhaled deeply and looked away. He tilted her chin up and gazed at her intently, with pinpoints of flame in the depths of his eyes. “I remember, too, and I want to love you by the hour. Ashley, this marriage can be damn good.”

She closed her eyes, hurting inside. She wanted to shout at him that she needed love, not lust!

She pulled away from him and left the dance floor, hurrying to the table. He caught up with her immediately.

“Still angry with me?” he asked.

“Of course I am! Ryan, what we’ve got is lust and nothing much else.”

“If I really thought that, I wouldn’t go through with this marriage. But there are moments when your feelings for me do a complete turnaround. I think we can fall in love if you’ll give us half a chance.”

They ate in silence for a few minutes, and then he put down his fork. “Ashley, I’ll pay for the wedding. I want to. I have enough money that you can hire who you need to get this pulled together in two weeks. Besides, since that’s your area of expertise, it should be easy for you.”

Her appetite was gone, anyway, so she placed her fork in her plate. “I assume we’ll have a big wedding.”

He nodded. “Afraid so. I have a lot of people I think I should invite.”

“Our church at home isn’t large. It probably holds about five hundred.”

He rubbed the back of his neck. “I’ll make a list, but I’m guessing about a thousand guests. Do you mind having the wedding at my church here in the city? We can go Sunday and you can look it over.”

“It’s all right with me. My family will understand. So will our friends, and a lot of them will think it’s fun to come to Dallas for a wedding.”

“I’ll put your family, other relatives and attendants in my hotel, whoever is in the wedding party or close to you. Whoever you want.”

“That’s generous, Ryan.”

He smiled. “I’m happy I can do something you like.”

The man was a charmer, and she couldn’t resist him. Already her anger wasn’t as intense as it had been this morning. At least at moments it wasn’t.

“The thought of doing it in two weeks makes my head spin.”

“You’re a professional wedding planner. You’ll have all the money you want at your disposal. It shouldn’t be too difficult for you,” he remarked dryly.

“How do you know you can trust me not to bankrupt you?”

He smiled. “I suspect you’re way too practical, far too honest and fair and unaccustomed to living lavishly.”

“You’re right,” she said in surprise, and he grinned.

“See, Ashley, I’m getting to know you. If you’d set aside your anger, you’d get to know me.”

“Oh, I’m getting to know you. Arrogant, self-assured—”

“I remember your description,” he said, interrupting her as he stood and shed his coat, draping it over the back of his chair. “Since we’re not going to eat, let’s dance again.”

He took her hand and led her to the dance floor for two fast numbers. She danced around him, watching his sensual moves, remembering his lovemaking, knowing exactly what he looked like beneath the brown slacks and snowy shirt.

At one point he reached out and pulled the clip from her hair so her blond locks tumbled across her shoulders. Dropping it into his pocket, he continued to dance, never taking his gaze from her.

How could she keep resisting him? she wondered. Even on the dance floor he was seductive, moving his hips in a sensual manner, while longing burned blatantly in his eyes. A band had appeared, replacing the piano player. The trumpet was loud and the drums had a throbbing beat that made her want to be as tempting to Ryan as he was to her.

Then it was a Latin number, and his sexy dancing intensified as she circled him. Sweat dotted his brow and his gaze undressed and caressed her, while she forgot her anger and the wedding and their future. There was only music and Ryan. Locks of his black hair fell over his forehead and he unfastened the top buttons of his shirt, loosening his dark brown tie slightly. Every move he made was evocative and she was on fire.

With a crash of drums, the song ended, and Ryan caught her, hauling her against him and leaning over her while he looked into her eyes. “I’m going to love you until you are drowning in need,” he whispered, making her blaze with desire.

The band began a slow ballad. He swung her up and she moved into his embrace. Breathing fast, their thighs brushing, they held each other tightly. Fast and slow, the music played, and they continued to dance for another hour. Ashley was barely aware of anything around them—the other diners, the waiters, their table being cleared. Even the wedding had been temporarily forgotten.

Finally, when a number ended, Ryan took her hand. “If you want to get back to Dallas, we’ll have to go now. Of course, if you want to stay the night, this is my hotel and we can have a suite.”

She shook her head. “Let’s get back to Dallas.”

They returned to the table so she could get her purse, then left the hotel and rode back in the limo to the plane. As the jet lifted over Houston and she saw the splash of twinkling lights, her gaze shifted to the diamond on her finger. In one unforgettable day her life had changed forever, taking a turn she’d never dreamed would happen.

She was still stunned by all that had occurred, unable to lose her apprehension over Ryan’s arbitrary ways. His profile, his straight nose and firm jaw indicated his determination to get what he wanted in life.

He was gazing out a window. He’d shed his coat and pulled off his tie, and had his shirt partially unbuttoned. She could see tufts of dark hair on his chest, and inhaled, remembering vividly how it felt to kiss and caress that chest.

With his long legs stretched out and his thick hair tangled by the wind, he was blatantly attractive.

She was marrying this man in two weeks! Whenever she thought about it, the realization stunned her. When he wanted something, he went after it exhaustively, and she’d better remember that. In this case, she knew it wasn’t a wife he wanted, but his baby. She was merely a means to an end. But she had believed him when he told her he wouldn’t ever try to take away her baby. Was she being foolish and gullible to accept that as truth and take him at his word?

One more reminder that she was marrying a stranger. Yet she was getting to know him. Most of the time their evening together had been exciting, and she’d had a great time.

She had to plan a large wedding for herself in two weeks. And then she would have a real wedding night with Ryan. Every nerve in her body tingled each time she thought about it.

As if he could sense what was on her mind, he shifted to face her and leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees. “What are you thinking?”

“The wedding,” she said, hoping he couldn’t guess that she had been thinking about their wedding night.

“Shall we get back to some planning?” He glanced at the monitor and saw he could take off his seat belt. Standing up, he disappeared toward the front of the plane, to return a minute later with a legal pad and a pen. He handed them to her.

“You can make notes if you want. Monday, I’ll give you a list of guests. I suspect you know everyone in that town you’re from.”

She nodded. “We just about do, but I don’t intend to invite all of them.”

“Do what you want. Get the dress you want. You can take care of all the details. I’ll handle the honeymoon.”

“Honeymoon?” she asked, startled. “Why? We’re not in love, and I’ve asked for no sex after our wedding night. I can see the wheels turning in your mind. You expect to seduce me!” she declared.

“We’ll get off by ourselves and get to know each other,” he replied, leaning back in his chair. He looked as if he owned the world and expected everyone to do what he wanted them to. “Plan on a week.”

“A week!” she sputtered. “Well, I’m not even going to argue with you about it,” she said in exasperation. “Pick someplace warm and sunny. I don’t like snow.”

His enticing smile coaxed her to relax and stop fighting him. “See, we’re getting to know each other.”

“You don’t have to continually remind me,” she said. “What time of day shall we have the wedding?”

“Morning, and later we’ll feed everyone lunch and have a blast. Then we’re off on our honeymoon. How’s that?”

“Fine with me,” she said. “Rehearsal Friday night.”

‘You’ll need help getting out invitations, won’t you?”

She shook her head. “I can do it through my office and send you the bill.”

He nodded, and she wondered if he was going to object to any plans she made, and suspected he wouldn’t, no matter how exorbitant the price tag.

“Just remember, I have the baby’s best interests at heart.”

‘You mean, you have Ryan Warner’s best interests in mind,” she snapped, and he leaned forward to put his hands on the arms of her seat.

“I have your concerns in mind, too. I promise you’ll see that I do.” His face was close, and her anger warred with her craving. Being with him was an emotional battle, while physically, there was only one response—desire. She looked at his mouth and thought about his kisses, and in spite of her anger at him, wanted to lean those last few inches closer and kiss him.

He moved nearer and his lips brushed hers. She shut her eyes and relaxed. When he covered her mouth with his, she moaned.

Snapping open the buckle of her seat belt, he pulled her to him, sitting back in his seat and lifting her to his lap, to hold her close while he kissed her hard. Ashley’s heart pounded and her breathing became erratic. Forgetting their disputes, she wound her arms around his neck and kissed him in return, wanting so much more.

As they kissed, she knew time was passing and desire was growing more intense by the second. To slow things down, she pulled away reluctantly.

“You’re irresistible, Ashley,” he said gruffly, touching her throat.

“You know how I react to you,” she replied, moving off his lap and straightening her clothes, sitting down to smooth her skirt and buckle up again. His steady look made her heart thud. Struggling for composure, she stared out the window at the black night, the pinpricks of lights occasionally showing in the distance.

“I don’t know how you’ll react,” he replied solemnly after a few minutes’ silence. He reached over to caress her cheek. “But I intend to learn how you respond to each touch and kiss.”

“You’re coming on strong, Ryan,” she whispered, finding his words as effective as a touch. “Let’s get back to some other topic. The wedding, if you want.”

With a long, intense look, he shrugged. “We didn’t discuss where we’ll live after we marry. How about my condo? Then we can build a house, so we’ll have more room when the baby comes, or soon afterward.”

Astounded, she stared at him. “I hadn’t thought about where we’d live,” she said, thinking about his sprawling, plush condo in an exclusive, gated area. She also thought about her own place, which was smaller, far more simple. “That’s fine, Ryan. None of this seems real to me.”

“It’s real,” he said. “Come back over here in my lap and I’ll convince you it’s real.”

She shook her head. “My mind boggles over all the abrupt changes. Things I never expected to have happen are occurring one right after the other.”

“Also, in the next week, find a decorator. Do my bedroom over—colors, new furniture—so the place is both of ours. We should start married life with a new bed. Spend whatever you want.”

She stared at him in consternation and amazement. “You can be so strong willed and then so generous.”

“Maybe you’ll discover that I’m really a nice guy.”

“I know you’re a nice guy,” she said. “Until you want something.”

He smiled. “You can do any other rooms over in my condo, too—or all of them if you want to.”

She laughed. “You plunge full steam into everything you do! Okay, I’ll look at your bedroom. A new bed for us would be great,” she said, and the thought made her breathless.

“And I can’t wait to try it out with you.”

“You’ll make me blush.”

“Just makes you look even more gorgeous.”

He fished in his billfold and handed her a card. “Charge everything you want to this.”

“Ryan, you’re being generous.”

“You’ll be my wife, Ashley. It’s like doing it for myself,” he answered casually. “Another thing we haven’t discussed is your job.”

“See?” she said. “This is what I was talking about. I knew you would step in and take charge of everything.”

“I believe we’re agreeing on most all of this. You know we have to make each one of these decisions. And I’m leaving a lot of the wedding plans solely up to you.”

In fairness, she knew he was right. “So what have you decided about my job?”

He gave her a fierce look that made her draw another sharp breath. “If you want to quit immediately, that’s fine with me.”

“No, I don’t want to stop working yet.”

“You have to before you have the baby. How about three months before, at the latest?”

“How about two?”

He nodded. “If that’s what you’d like. As long as you’re in good health, that’s fine with me. And don’t do any heavy lifting. I can send a man to help with any moving or carrying, since it’s just you and two other females.”

“I don’t think we need a man,” she said, smiling.

“Who carries those tall candlesticks and things like that for weddings? Who loads them into a truck and then into the church?”

She shrugged. “All right, I do or my assistant does. But I can’t afford to pay some guy to hang around and carry stuff.”

“I’ll pay him. Give him some odd jobs around the place. I’ll get someone who’s young and strong and going to college, so he’ll be part-time for you. How’s that?”

“Fine, Ryan,” she said, knowing it was useless to argue, and that it would be a big help to her. “Actually, I’ve thought about trying to get someone part-time for that very reason. It’ll be good. I just didn’t see how I could justify his pay.”

“Now you don’t have to.”

“Thanks, Ryan,” she said quietly. “You’re being incredibly generous.”

He shrugged. “I can afford to be, and we’re going to be family soon.”

She drew a deep breath and wondered how long it would take her to adjust to her new status. They rode in silence for a time, until he asked her about growing up on the farm.

“What happened to your mother?” Ryan asked.

“She died in a fire in the barn when I was sixteen. She did a lot of farming, just like Dad. She loved it and so does my brother. What happened to your mother?”

Ryan smoothed his trouser leg over one knee. “We couldn’t afford health insurance and she kept saying nothing was wrong. She had a stroke and died.”

“How old were you?”

“Eighteen. Damn, I hated it.”

“When that happened, you had your close friends, Nick and Jake, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, and their friendship saved me. Emotionally and financially. We swore we’d help each other—I think I told you all about that.”

“You did and it was amazing. All of you have success.”

“Yeah, it’s gratifying. Life has been generous to all of us. I don’t ever want to be poor or hungry again. When I was growing up, we had some bad moments. But we were a tight family and all got along, and that’s more than a lot of families have.”

“Yes, it is. So did we, and I’m thankful for my family. Jeff, my brother, is twenty-one, four years younger than I am,” she said. Ashley recalled that the weekend she’d met Ryan, she’d learned he was thirty-two.

They talked as they flew back to Dallas, and when they finally returned to her apartment, she faced him at the door. “It was quite a day and night, Ryan,” she said solemnly, looking at her hand. “The ring is beautiful.”

He brushed long strands of her hair from her face. “This marriage will work, Ashley. You’ll see.”

“You are the most supremely confident person I’ve ever known.”

He shrugged. “I have strong feelings about our marriage.”

“Our marriage, our baby … I can’t get accustomed to everything that’s happened. Thank you for dinner. The ring is spectacular, Ryan, but this is just crazy. You’ve given me this gorgeous ring, taken me dancing in Houston, and we’re standing here politely saying good-night.”

“You have other options,” he said.

She shook her head. “I’m not ready for them.” She slipped her arm around his neck, stood on tiptoe and brushed his cheek with a light kiss.

Instantly, he wrapped both arms around her and covered her mouth with his. His tongue stroked hers and she clung to him, all arguments and differences dissolving. In their place was a white-hot yearning—for more of his kisses, all of his passion, those hands and lips that could give her ecstasy. For a few minutes she gave free rein to her feelings, yielding to her hunger for him. When she finally pushed against his chest, he released her.

“That’s all tonight, Ryan,” she whispered. “Thank you, and I’ll see you Saturday when you get back in town.”

He nodded and took her key from her fingers to open her door for her. She stepped inside, switched off her alarm and faced him.

“Good night, Ashley,” he said. In long strides he headed to his car. She watched until the motor started, and then she closed and locked the door. Leaning against it, she held up her hand, looking at the huge ring. Sadness, anger, amazement all filled her. With a ring on her finger and a wedding to orchestrate, she should be ecstatically happy, but she wasn’t. She couldn’t brush aside the concern she felt about Ryan for his high-handed ways.

Ashley wasn’t tired yet, so she sat at her desk, writing memos, making notes, jotting numbers to call to make arrangements about flowers, food and music for the wedding. When she crawled into bed later, she lay in the dark, thinking about her future.

At least she could tell her family about the baby. She guessed all of them would be overjoyed.