Delicious (30 page)

She shoved the corset into her bag, then donned a white lace bra and

a matching thong. From a hanger she‟d left on the wall, she drew on a

chocolate suit with a simple white blouse. After changing shoes, removing

her veil, and packing up, she marched outside.

Luc talked in hushed tones with his parents near the door. The few

remaining guests milled around outside Bonheur‟s doors. Beyond the

sidewalk, she saw Luc‟s new Jaguar.

At her approach, he looked up, and her belly pulsed nervously. When

she‟d merely wanted him sexually, she‟d been so full of confidence and

swagger. Snaring a man for a night was easy.
Keeping
him when her heart

was on the line . . . All her self-assurance had vanished. What the hell did

she do now? Tomorrow? And every day after that?

Taking her bag in his hand, Luc guided her back to his parents. They

looked somewhere between reserved and resigned. She knew Luc had told

them about the baby—and suspected he‟d told them about Sexy Sirens.

But Alyssa couldn‟t afford to be embarrassed or apologize. What would it

change? Everything probably looked worse because she had no family at

the wedding. They likely assumed her family had shunned her. In a way,

she supposed they had.

What would her mother have thought if she‟d been here today?

Alyssa shoved the thought away. While the woman who had died just

a few months ago had given birth to her, the years and issues separating

them had made her a virtual stranger.

“Thank you for coming a long way on short notice,” she said to them.

“I‟m thrilled you could be with us today. I know it meant the world to Luc.”

Luc‟s mother, Clarissa, looked up at his father, Anthony, who sent her

a vaguely warm smile. “We wish you and Luc every happiness.”

It wasn‟t exactly
welcome to the family
, but it was a start.

“Thank you.”

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Shayla Black

“What time is your flight tomorrow?” Luc asked.

In a few short moments, he made arrangements to pick them up for

lunch, then see them off to the terminal. Hugging and kissing their son, they

shook her hand politely, then left.

She looked around the room. The guests had all gone now. Inside

Bonheur, dirty linens needed washing. Certainly there was a stack of

dishes in the kitchen she didn‟t want to think about now. The floors were a

mess and would have to be cleaned. She‟d tackle all that in the morning.

First, she and Luc had a wedding night to get through.

“Ready to go?” he asked softly.

No. God, no. What do I know about making a marriage work?

Alyssa drew in a shaky breath. “Absolutely.”

LUC clearly wasn‟t driving back to her house. As he headed west,

beyond Lafayette‟s city limits, Alyssa hesitated. The silence in the car was

thick, expectant. She hated to break it, but . . .

“Where are we going?”

He sent her a black-eyed gaze that scorched her to her toes. Lateafternoon shadows lent an expectant, intimate feel to the car‟s interior.

Alyssa caught her breath.

“It‟s our wedding night.”

Meaning he had something planned? “I—I thought we‟d just go to my

house.”

Luc shook his head. “We should celebrate our first night as husband

and wife.”

They hadn‟t talked about this. Being alone with Luc for a whole night—

as his wife? Nerves clenched her stomach into a big knot. They‟d have sex;

that was a given. But he made this sound like . . . more.

Then again, he‟d arranged their romantic wedding dance, made the

cake, bought her this huge and totally unexpected ring. Why? What did all

of this mean to him?

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Shayla Black

Of course, he‟d married her, at least in part, for the baby. And for the

sex, too? If so, she knew exactly what would happen once he tired of it.

She saw those men in her club every night. So why plan something special

tonight? The wedding had been a show for his parents; she understood

that. Now that they were alone, what was with all the romance?

“You keep staring at your ring.”

His observation startled her. “It‟s beautiful.”

Luc paused. “It reminded me of you.”

Alyssa tried not to let his words melt her. “Thank you. You didn‟t have

to—”

“Yes, I did. I wanted to and, while our marriage was quick, that was no

reason not to have solid symbols of our union.”

She bit her lip. Luc said all the right things . . . but something troubled

her, some hint of anger. Or maybe it was just her nerves.

“Where was your family today?” he asked. “I know your mother is gone

. . .”

God, where had that question come from? “I‟m an only child, and I

haven‟t seen my father since he left. I was four.”

Luc frowned. “Aunts, uncles, cousins?”

She shook her head. In truth, she hadn‟t thought about them in years.

She hadn‟t dared contact them. Her cousins were likely married, had

children. Her aunt Anna was probably retired from teaching school.

“None. Could we drop it?”

He looked ready to say something, then closed his mouth. A long,

silent minute passed before he finally said, “If you ever want to tell me

about your family, I‟d love to listen.”

“You said yourself we needed to look forward, not back. I think that‟s

an excellent suggestion.”

Sighing, Luc gripped the wheel. “Are you hungry? You didn‟t eat much

lunch.”

No, but she was starting to feel weak. Since becoming pregnant, she‟d

noticed that she couldn‟t skip meals the way she used to. And most days

until about two, she lived on crackers and apple juice.

“I should eat.”

He smiled. “I‟ll take care of it.”

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Shayla Black

Like he‟d taken care of things this week. Most men would simply have

asked when to show up. Instead, he‟d arranged the invitations, luncheon,

cake, rings, photographer. She‟d barely mentioned the things on her to-do

list before they were done. Alyssa couldn‟t fault his taste. Everything had

been elegant, likely chosen to please his reserved parents. She‟d had only

to buy a dress off the rack and order flowers.

She nibbled the inside of her cheek. She‟d feel so much better if she

could just figure out
why
he married her. Just for the baby . . . or something more.

“We haven‟t had a chance to really talk about the baby.” He broke the

silence again. “How has the pregnancy been so far?”

A safer topic
. “Other than being really tired, not bad. The vitamins are

finally helping. I‟m doing better about getting in my fruits and vegetables at

dinner. Can‟t eat much the rest of the day so far. I don‟t have morning

sickness, but food sounds bad until later in the afternoon.”

“You‟ll tell me if that changes.”

It wasn‟t a question, but she couldn‟t miss the concern in his voice.

She should pull back and protect herself . . . but that voice warmed her too

much. “I will.”

A few minutes later, they reached a bed-and-breakfast in a nearby

town. The sun was setting on the grand old brick house and the

surrounding cottages that stood in the distance. It was gorgeous,

reminiscent of a bygone era. Romantic. Her heart caught.

Theirs was a marriage of convenience and unrequited love. He‟d done

so much already
and
brought her here for a real wedding night . . . The

man overwhelmed her. Which was stupid. He was probably just making the

best of their situation. Still, tears stung her eyes.

She breathed, trying to suppress her feelings. “It‟s beautiful. Thank

you.”

Luc parked in the driveway. “Wait here. I‟ll be right back.”

When he returned, it was with a big brass key ring; then he drove

down the dirt road behind the main house to a little blue cottage with a

quaint little porch, complete with rocking chairs. The sign on the door read

SWEET SURRENDER.

Alyssa‟s stomach curled up tighter. Her pulse rocketed.

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Shayla Black

He unlocked the door and pushed it open. Before she could peek in,

Luc swept her up into his arms. She shrieked.

“Tradition,” he chided, then carried her in, kicking the door shut behind

him.

Inside, the cottage had a homey feel, braided rugs over aged

hardwood floors. Wainscoting and cheerful paint covered the walls. Quilts,

lacy drapes, and country-style furniture all added charm.

He set her down on a distressed leather sofa, then knelt to remove her

shoes, his palms lingering on her calves. She shivered at the heat in his

eyes.

“I can tell you didn‟t sleep much last night. Rest. I‟ll fix dinner.”

No one but Luc had ever taken care of her like this, and it was heaven.

She should balk, insist on doing for herself. But this special treatment likely

wouldn‟t last, and leaning on him was so tempting.

“Close your eyes,” he demanded.

Finally, she complied. If the past was any indicator, she‟d need all the

energy she could get for later.

Minutes later, she woke when he set chicken pasta and a salad

brimming with vegetables in front of her. As with every day this past week,

by dinnertime, she was famished and demolished every bite. “That was

incredible.”

Luc finished off his own plate. “I have dessert, if you‟re ready.”

Amazing
. . . “When did you make all this?”

“This morning. Deke and Kimber delivered it earlier.”

He‟d thought of everything—and gone the extra mile to make it

special. Again, the ever-present question slammed her brain: Why?

Without waiting for her reply, he rose and disappeared to the little

kitchen. He returned moments later with a bottle of champagne and one

flute, popped the cork, and poured. She supposed he was drinking without

her, since she couldn‟t have the alcohol. Before he took a sip, he

disappeared again, then returned with two heaping cups of chocolate

mousse and a tray of chocolate-covered strawberries.

“That looks scrumptious. You didn‟t have to go to this much trouble.”

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Shayla Black

“Since I only plan to be married once, I did.” He looked solemn as he

picked up the glass to toast her. “To a beautiful bride and the beginning of

our lives together.”

Ask or leave it alone
?

“Do you really believe that, Luc? Other than the fact I‟m carrying your

child, we have nothing in common but great sex.”

Luc raised a dark brow and fingered the rim of the glass for a long

moment. “When you were driving to Dallas last week, were you at all

excited to see me? Had you missed me even a bit?”

Alyssa hesitated. But why lie when she sought the truth? “Yes.”

“I‟d missed you, and when you walked through the door, I was damn

glad you were there. There‟s . . . something between us.”

Her breath caught. Hope rose. Was it possible he could someday fall

in love with her?

What are the chances, really?

Hope crashed. It almost hurt too much, but she couldn‟t shake the

fear. Like a splinter in her psyche, it festered. When had anyone ever

wanted her beyond the bump and grind?

She had to stop borrowing tomorrow‟s trouble and live in today‟s

moment. Despite his vows and words to the contrary, all too soon, he could

be gone.

Luc raised his glass and took a sip, savoring the champagne. Then he

frowned. “This could be better.”

“In what way?”

His sensual mouth lifted in a smile. “It would taste better on you.”

That was all the warning Alyssa got before Luc dipped his finger in his

glass, then traced the liquid over her lips. She barely had a moment to

smell the tang, feel the tickle of the bubbles, before Luc rose over her, eyes

a blazing black, before he devoured her in a scorching kiss.

Air left her body in a rush of sizzle and need. She swayed toward him,

and he pulled her in tighter, slanting his lips over hers again and sinking

deep into her. So deep. It was as if the last seven weeks of separation had

never happened. Her body
knew
him, dampened, ached, opened, yearned.

Moaning, Luc pressed closer, conquering the last of her resistance

and wits with his fervent kiss. Without conscious thought, her hands found

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Shayla Black

their way into his hair, tied neatly at his nape. She needed to bury her