Читать книгу Suiteheart Of A Deal: Suiteheart Of A Deal / My Place Or Yours? - Wendy Etherington - Страница 14

“WHO HAS THE RINGS?”

The marriage of Rainey Ann Miller, only child of Laura and Jonathan Miller of Toronto, to Beckett Lee Mahoney, youngest child of Martha and Earl Mahoney of Edmonton, took place at 4:00 p.m. on the third Saturday in September, in Rainey’s apartment. The bride wore beige silk. The groom wore gray flannel. There were no flowers and no bridesmaids. There would be no babies, and definitely no minivan.

Charles T. Longhorn, chief commissioner of the town of Bragg Creek, officiated. Freda Norman and Hollis Harriman, also of Bragg Creek, served as witnesses. When Mr. Longhorn asked if anyone present could say why this young couple should not be joined in holy matrimony, Rainey and Beck simultaneously spun around and glared at the witnesses.

Withering under their collective heat, Mrs. Norman and her twitching sidekick struggled to maintain straight faces. Hollis quickly lost the battle and collapsed into a fit of giggles. Scowling, Mrs. Norman jabbed him in the ribs. “Get a grip there, Holly!” As he doubled over in pain, a little smile tugged at the corner of her own lips.

“Who has the rings?” Mr. Longhorn asked again. Beck fished in his pocket for the plain gold bands they had hastily purchased that morning at the local jewelry shop. Fumbling slightly, they managed to get them on.

When Mr. Longhorn announced, “You may now kiss the bride,” Rainey turned nervously toward Beck. Make it good, her eyes told him. People are watching. In truth, she didn’t care who was present. If ever she had an excuse to kiss Beck, this was definitely it.

All too happy to oblige, he put his arms around her and drew her close. She followed suit. While the others smiled benevolently, they joined lips, gently at first, then insistently. Beck’s right hand came up to cup the back of her head, and his tongue snaked into her mouth. Rainey moaned softly. Oblivious of their bug-eyed audience, they let the kiss go on for a very long time.

At one point, Beck actually pulled back for air, then, moaning and whispering gibberish, kissed her again, even more deeply than the first time.

Out of patience, the commissioner cleared his throat and solemnly intoned, “I now pronounce you man and wife.”

The bride and groom ignored him. They were drowning in the depths of something so strong, so powerful, that when they finally did pull away, it left them both panting and trembling.

“Wow!” Beck exclaimed. “Maybe we should get married again tomorrow!”

In the front of her mind, Rainey thought, Hmm, now that’s a kiss. In the back, she thought: Take that, Trevor! You rat!

After the ceremony, Mr. Longhorn offered best wishes for a long and happy life together, which prompted another round of giggles, then showed himself out. Mrs. Norman and a still-twittering Hollis went back to work. Alone with Beck, Rainey suddenly grew self-conscious.

“Well,” she stammered, avoiding his eyes, “I guess it’s time to clear out of here.” She walked into the bedroom and began to gather her loose things. As she was dropping them into the biggest of her two suitcases, Beck leaned against the doorjamb and folded his arms.

“So,” he said, utterly, predictably, true to form, “we’re on our honeymoon.”

Rainey looked up sharply. She had been expecting this little scene—though not quite this soon. “Oh, no, we’re not, Beck Mahoney. This is strictly a business arrangement. You know that.”

“Hmmm.” He went on watching her, his eyes sliding provocatively over every inch of her. Rainey could feel them undressing her, even from across the room. Goose bumps formed on her skin.

“You know, I’m not opposed to mixing business with pleasure,” he said quietly.

Okay, that was enough. “Look Beck, we made a deal. Separate bedrooms. You agreed.”

He snorted. “Well, I don’t know, Rainey. I mean, agreed is a pretty strong word. I went along with it. I’ll give you that.”

“Uh-huh, and you’re going to continue to go along with it.”

“Tell me you’re not attracted to me,” he teased.

With an exasperated sigh, Rainey closed the suitcase, picked it up and walked toward him. “Beck, there isn’t a woman alive who isn’t attracted to you.”

He wagged a finger at her. “That’s not an answer.” He took the suitcase from her and set it down behind him, barricading both of them into the room.

Hands on hips, she stared him down. “Okay, then, I’m not attracted to you.”

“Liar.” He grinned.

“I am not lying!” Actually, as much as Rainey resisted the idea, she was attracted to him. Hopelessly. But so were nine-tenths of the women around here. And, attraction could be a deadly thing. Nobody knew that better than she did.

He nodded toward the living room. “We generated a little heat in there, Rainey. You felt it, too. I know you did.”

Oh, for heaven’s sake. Was there no limit to his arrogance? Maybe they shouldn’t have just plunged into this thing. Maybe, in addition to the prenuptial agreement Nate Frome had drafted, they should have drawn up another contract. One that spelled out the guidelines. Defined the parameters. Laid down the rules. Of course, how could they? As far as Nate and everyone else was concerned, there were no rules.

More importantly, hadn’t she asked Beck to play easy with her heart?

Fighting tears, she said, “I’m lonely, Beck. I’m in a new town and I don’t have any friends here. I’ve got a new job, and I don’t even know if I can do it. And I got married today, to a man I hardly know.”

“Hey,” he said softly, his arms reaching out for her. Anguish clouded his handsome features. “I’m sorry, Rainey. I didn’t mean to rush you like that.”

Functioning on autopilot, Rainey walked into his arms and sighed as they enveloped her. She put her arms loosely around him and he stroked her hair. “It’s okay, Rainey,” he murmured. “I’ll be your friend. And I know you can do the job. I have complete confidence in you.”

She relaxed against him. There was nothing carnal about his embrace. On the contrary, it was friendly and soothing.

For about two seconds.

Before either of them knew what was happening, the heat they had generated earlier regenerated itself with even greater intensity. Slowly and sensuously, Beck began to stroke Rainey’s silk-clad back, his fingertips skimming downward from the tops of her shoulder blades to her waist and back again. Rainey felt a stirring in her loins, and before she could stop them her hands had begun to caress his back.

“Rainey,” he whispered hoarsely against her hair.

Mesmerized, she tilted her head upward to receive his kiss. When their lips were just whispers apart, Beck ran the tip of his tongue across the full width of her upper lip, then her lower. From there, he trailed across her cheek. When he landed, soft and wet and warm, on her earlobe, Rainey’s breath caught sharply in her throat.

Not even the shrill ringing of the telephone got through to them—until the answering machine clicked on and Rainey heard Dana’s chirpy voice. A blast from the past, it brought her smartly back to reality.

“Dana!” she yelped, abruptly pulling free from Beck. Sidestepping the suitcase, she ran into the kitchen, Beck close on her heels. Her shaky hand paused near the telephone. She looked at Beck. “Oh, no! What I am going to tell her?”

Beck was flushed and disheveled, still in a trance. “Who’s Dana?”

“My best friend!”

Caught up in her panic, he cried, “I don’t know! Tell her the truth!”

While they eyed one another with frenzied uncertainty, the message played on. “Rainey? Are you there? If you’re there, pick up, sweetie. Sorry it’s taken me so long to get back to you. I was away at a conference and—”

“But what is the truth?” Rainey pleaded.

“Tell her you got married this afternoon.”

“I can’t do that! She’ll think I’ve gone mad!”

Calmer suddenly, Beck folded his arms and declared, “Well now, that is pretty close to the truth, isn’t it?”

Her hand still hovering above the receiver, Rainey made a sour face at him. Arghhh! Obviously she should have thought this through a little better. Trevor she definitely planned to tell about the marriage. But what about the others? In her rush to make her ex jealous, she hadn’t paused to consider that, sooner or later, everyone would have to be told about the ludicrous pact she and Beck had struck. Her mom, her dad, her best friend. Everyone!

Oh, dear. It would have to be later. She just couldn’t deal with it right now.

“Anyway, sweetie, it’s obvious that you’re not there,” Dana said as Rainey stared helplessly at the machine. “Call me when you get the chance. I miss you. Bye now.”

The machine clicked off and Rainey looked at Beck. He was grinning. “When at first we do deceive…”

“You’re not being very helpful!”

“And you’re not being very realistic. Call her back. Tell her the truth.”

“I can’t. Not—not yet, anyway.”

Beck shrugged. “It’s your call, so to speak.” With that, he went into the bedroom and retrieved the suitcases. On his way back, he paused in the kitchen doorway. “I’ll meet you in the car. Call her, Rainey. Call her right now.”

After the apartment door clicked shut, Rainey took several deep breaths to calm herself and dialed her old friend’s number. Dana picked up after the first ring and sang a cheerful hello.

“Dana!” Rainey practically shrieked. Oh, dear, she had to get a grip. This was going to be hard enough.

“Sweetie! How are you? I miss you so much.”

“I’m fine. Terrific, really. I’m—I’m sort of in the middle of something right now, and I can’t talk for long. I just wanted to let you know that I’m okay.” Actually, I just married a perfect stranger. But don’t worry, I’m fine.

“I’m so glad to hear it. I won’t keep you. I just…Rainey, there’s something I…”

“Dana,” Rainey interrupted, “I’m moving. Today. To a house.”

“Really? Why? I thought you had an apartment at the inn.”

“I do. Er, I did. It’s kind of a long story. And, ah, I’m going to have a—a roommate!”

“You’re kidding. Boy roommate or girl roommate?”

“Boy. His name is Beck Mahoney. He works here at the inn. He’s a masseuse.”

“A masseuse. How convenient. Is he cute?”

Despite everything, Rainey laughed. “Oh, yeah. He’s cute, all right.” He’s a hunk, Dana. You have no idea.

“What’s your new number?”

Rainey recited the number. As Dana was jotting it down, she glanced anxiously out the window and spotted Beck putting her suitcases into the trunk of the Fairlane.

“Listen, Dana, I really have to run. He’s waiting for me.”

“Okay, okay. It’s just that…there’s something I really want to talk to you about. In fact, I was thinking about coming out there.”

Coming out here? Oh, no! “Dana, that’s not a good idea. Not right now. I’ve hardly had time to get settled. My new job, this move, honestly, everything is crazy right now.”

There was a brief pause. “Ah, sure. I can come out later, I guess.”

Was it Rainey’s imagination, or did her old friend sound a little anxious? Maybe even frightened. They knew each other through and through. Oh, well, whatever was troubling Dana, it would just have to wait. “Can I call you later, Dana? Honestly, I’m rushed.”

“Okay, I give. Take care, sweetie. And do call me.”

Rainey promised she would.

After hanging up, she took a few moments to gather her wits, then took one last look around the apartment. She would be seeing it again, but not like this. Soon, Lilly’s things would be cleared out and the renovation would begin. This felt like goodbye.

Her whole life was starting to feel like that.

RAINEY GASPED. “Beck Mahoney, you call this a cottage!”

“Well, it was a cottage, originally. I’ve added a little space to it over the years.”

A little space? Rainey couldn’t believe her eyes. All along she had pictured a cozy cabin with two rooms and a thatched roof. Something Goldilocks and the Three Bears might inhabit. This was a house and a half.

Laughing with delight, she scrambled out of the Fairlane and gazed up at it with awe. It was a two-storey mansion of Laurentian design, similar in many ways to the inn. Built of cedar and stone, with tall windows and steeply pitched gables, it easily competed for glory with the tall, ancient spruce trees surrounding it.

The trees swayed gently in the wind, birds chirping from within the depths of their wide, sweeping branches. Casting her eyes downward, Rainey spied a rabbit, half white, half brown, making haste to evade the sudden intruders.

“So what do you think?” Beck asked, his voice full of pride.

“I can’t wait to see it!” Rainey cried with a little more enthusiasm than was appropriate under the circumstances. She glanced nervously at Beck, but he, too, was looking at the house with awe. Rainey understood now why he couldn’t risk losing it. It was everything to him. In a way, it was the love of his life.

On the ride here, he had been strangely quiet. Shy, almost. He seemed stunned. Blown away, Rainey assumed, by the fiery passion that had welled up between them this afternoon. Heaven knew she was surprised.

Could two people with practically nothing in common get caught up in the throes of a physical attraction so powerful it rendered them both deaf, dumb and blind? Sure they found each other attractive. But Beck was the hunk of the century; that was Rainey’s explanation. What was his? He had more women than Carter’s had pills. Surely there was nothing special about her?

Oh, boy. Beck’s women. Now there was a problem she hadn’t even considered.

“Let’s go in,” he suggested, breaking into her thoughts. Inside, the house was even more impressive than outside. The living room soared to the full height of the structure, along with the massive stone fireplace that formed its magnificent centerpiece. Overlooking the living room was a big, open kitchen with stainless steel appliances and a generous work island. Behind it, Rainey found two small bedrooms, a laundry room and a half bathroom. Beck was using one of the bedrooms as a store room, the other as an office.

Looking around, she saw that most of the furniture was old and cheesy. Real guy stuff. A retro, plaid sofa. Mismatched chairs. A wobbly kitchen table that looked like it had been salvaged from a junkyard. The wagon wheel coffee table was just about the ugliest thing she had ever seen. Men. Honestly.

“Your room is upstairs,” Beck said. “Across from mine.”

Rainey braced herself for the inevitable smart remark. Normally, Beck would make the most of announcing something like that—wink at her, or poke her in the ribs, or do that goofy thing he did with his eyebrows. Not this time. His face was blank, his manner strangely remote. He grabbed her bags from their resting place by the front door and carried them up the wide staircase. Rainey followed him, her eyes helplessly glued to his adorable butt.

The two bedrooms on the second level were huge and shared a big bathroom. A very messy bathroom. Terrific, thought Rainey. A bathroom slob. Frankly, the whole house was dusty and messy, though she sensed that Beck had scrambled to tidy up for her benefit.

“I hope you don’t mind sharing the bathroom,” he said in the flat, impersonal tone of a boardinghouse landlord renting out a room. “It’s a long hike downstairs in the middle of the night.”

“I don’t mind at all,” she replied. Good grief. The way they were acting, you’d think they really were just roommates. Well, of course, that’s what they were. Oh, dear, surely she wouldn’t have to remind herself of that?

While Rainey unpacked and took in the stunning view beyond her bedroom windows, Beck went into his own bedroom to change. She heard him whistling and breathed a sigh of relief. Once again, he sounded like the happy, overgrown kid he was.

Lord, she was exhausted. The past few days had whizzed by in a blur. It was amazing, she marveled, how much preparation even a meaningless wedding required. She looked forward to a long, hot bath, followed by a quiet evening. Maybe they could light a fire and enjoy a snifter of brandy together. Get to know each other a little better. After all, they were married—for real or not. Humming softly to herself, she changed into jeans and a baggy sweater and bounced down the stairs.

In the living room, she stopped dead in her tracks. Beck, too, had donned jeans and a sweater. But he was also wearing a jacket. Avoiding her eyes, he scooped up his car keys and put them in his pocket.

Rainey was appalled. “Surely you’re not going out!”

“Actually, I am.” He fidgeted unnecessarily with the zipper on his jacket, then raised his guilty eyes to hers. “I thought I might head up to Banff. Play a few hands with Nate and the boys.”

“A few hands?”

“Yeah. Poker. Five card stud. Winner takes all. Or, in my case, loser gives all.” He chuckled lamely.

Rainey didn’t laugh. “But—but it’s…” She trailed off there, awash in feelings she didn’t understand and couldn’t explain. She had almost said, “It’s our honeymoon.” But that was just nonsense.

“Look, Rainey,” Beck grumbled. “You said it yourself. It’s not a real honeymoon. So it shouldn’t make any difference if I stay or go. Right? Besides, don’t you want to relax? Get settled in?”

Anger welled up inside Rainey, but it was stupid, inexplicable anger. She struggled to get it under control. Beck was right. It wasn’t real. Any of it. “It makes no difference at all,” she lied.

Beck left and Rainey went to the window overlooking the driveway. As the Fairlane pulled away, spitting gravel, she suddenly recalled the fuming redhead who had screamed at him on the street that day in Banff—the day they had first met with Nate Frome.

“Humph!” she snorted, steaming up the glass. “Poker, my foot!”