Her Prince Charming: An Inspirational Romance (7 page)

I
stared
at the phone on the table as if it were a snake, poised to strike. It remained silent and dark, nothing more than metal, glass, and plastic. Before it could come to life with another creepy message, I turned and left the room. Whatever was going on, I didn’t want to know. Not right now.

I wanted to walk out of that room in my fabulous dress, wearing fabulous heels, and go to my sister’s rehearsal dinner with my unbelievably hot date. That phone, and the powder keg of drama it suddenly represented, was staying behind. Nothing was going to ruin my night with James.

I was so focused on closing the door to the cottage, I didn’t see James until he was standing right in front of me. The guy was knee-weakening handsome, normally. Standing before me in a classic black tux, he might have stepped right out of a romantic movie.

More than his good looks, or the way the tux fit his broad shoulders, it was the look on his face that did me in. Possession, affection, and admiration swirled in his eyes, telling me that I didn’t look as good as I thought I did, I looked better.

Holding out his hand to me, he said, “Come here.” I crossed the distance between us, smiling as he drew me into his arms.

“I won’t ruin your lip gloss,” he said, his mouth coming down on my cheek. I appreciated his consideration, but part of me wished for the dizzying sensation of his lips on mine. But now wasn’t the time.

“Are you ready to go?” he asked when he’d lifted his head. I was turning back inside to get my purse when he stopped me with a hand on my arm.

“One more thing,” he said.

He produced a velvet-covered box. My stomach pitched with nerves and apprehension. All of these clothes were one thing, but jewelry was another entirely. I knew that the necklace and earrings I wore with the dress weren’t sophisticated enough.

My pearls were okay, but I was wearing a designer dress. A simple strand of cheap pearls didn’t cut it. Still, anything James had in that box would be far more extravagant than what was appropriate. The dress alone went beyond the realm of acceptable gifts from a man I’d known only a day. Reading my mind, he said,

“Don’t be stubborn.”

“James, you can’t -”

“And don’t tell me what to do. That was the deal. No arguing if I want to buy you nice things.”

“If you don’t want any arguing, you’ve got the wrong girl,” I said.

“I’ve got exactly the right girl,” he said, opening the black velvet box to reveal a thick gold choker that gleamed in the evening light. Beside it sat matching earrings and bracelet. “I was tempted to go for diamonds. But those are for tomorrow’s dress. This one calls for gold.”

“When did you even have time to get these?” I asked, standing frozen as he fastened the choker around my neck. Without protest I took the earrings he handed me and began to put them in.

“I remembered them from the display in the lobby. I had them delivered.” Stepping back he surveyed me from head to toe, eyes satisfied. “You look like a goddess. Not that it matters, but your sisters are going to choke with envy when they see how gorgeous you are.” He set the box inside the door, picked up my purse and closed the door behind us.

“That shows what you know,” I said. “With sisters, it always matters.”

“Not with those two. They should be beneath your notice, Sara. Until they appreciate you for who you are, they aren’t worthy of your attention.”

I needed to write some of this down. When James was out of my life, I could pull out his outrageous flattery to prop up my sagging ego. No man had ever seen me the way he did–as if I was special, extraordinary, exactly as I was.

Not sure what to say in response, I walked down the path beside him in silence, enjoying the glow of his company and bracing to spend the evening with my sisters. With any luck they’d be too busy with wedding stuff to bother with me. Then I could relax and enjoy being with James.

I
was
in over my head with Sara. Half of the things that came out of my mouth with her were unplanned. That wasn’t me. I thought things through. I was methodical, calculating, and I always got my way.

With Sara, I felt like I was struggling my way upstream, off balance and never getting as far as I wanted. I’d known her barely a day, and it felt like years.

She fit with me. Maybe not on the outside, but where it counted. This afternoon was a prime example. My plan had been simple. Have lunch, do a little work, get dressed, then go to the rehearsal dinner.

Instead, we’d ended up sitting at the table talking about our jobs. I had things I needed to get done, emails to answer, and problems to sort out. But I’d found myself caught up in our conversation. I’ll admit, I started out wanting to impress her when I told her what I did every day as one of the heads of Drake Enterprises.

But, she was genuinely interested in how I ran the business. Her questions were both curious and insightful, a compelling combination. Her passion for her own work was equally appealing.

I never thought I’d say that hearing the details of an accountant’s nine to five would have me riveted. I should have been fighting sleep. That was Sara, turning everything I thought I knew on its head.

Yes, she was gorgeous. That was a given. Call me shallow, but I’d never been drawn to ugly women. She was curvier than the current standard of beauty, sure, but she fit my standards to perfection. That she had a sharp brain was an unexpected bonus.

I’d gone into this looking for a solution to the problem of my tarnished reputation. The way I’d had to talk her into the whole thing had been half the fun, at first. I liked that she wasn’t another easy conquest, that she was attracted to me but wasn’t ready to jump on board just because I was reasonably attractive and rich.

I was something special for her. It really hadn’t occurred to me that she would end up being the same for me. Not like this.

The change hadn’t hit me until she’d tried to leave that morning. At the sight of her, teary eyed and edging for the door, panic had seized my chest. I never panicked, not over business, not over my life. Not the time Will, Ryan, and I were caught in a flash flood camping in the desert. And not ever over a woman.

Yet there I’d been, commanding her to stay while my heart pounded at the thought that she’d walk out. What was wrong with me? Sara was different; I’d figured that out. Beautiful, smart, funny. But she was just a woman. There were thousands of those, hot and available, right outside my front door.

Why was this one so important? She thought I was a cheater?
Fine, then get out.
That’s what I should have said. Instead, I’d soothed her, and taken her to breakfast.

That brought me back to everything being upside down. Normally it was a challenge to scrape these girls off. I’d talked Sara into staying. Because I needed time for her to fix my reputation? Or because I couldn’t stand the idea of watching her leave?

I
’d love
to say that seeing my sisters’ jaws drop at the sight of me didn’t give me a rush. To say that I was mature and confident all on my own, without the dress and jewelry, without James on my arm. That I didn’t need to feel, for just one night, like I had the upper hand after years as the butt of their jokes. But I’d be lying. I’m not a saint.

Knowing that I was wearing more than they’d ever be able to afford, and I looked fantastic in it, felt like a victory after years of their cruel taunts. Never mind that I couldn’t afford it either.

My heart was getting all tangled up with James, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t appreciate that the point of our arrangement, at least my side of it, was working out better than I’d hoped. I didn’t just have a date for the wedding, James had turned me into a princess.

A princess who was very distracted by her prince. While I was greeting the other guests, nodding along to introductions and shaking hands, I was acutely aware of James’s hand on my shoulder, the heat of his palm branding my bare skin. The dress I wore was demure, but his innocent touch made me feel as if I were a femme fatale.

I reminded myself that I wasn’t going to forget years of virtuous living over a man I’d only met the day before. No matter how perfect he seemed. Greg had seemed good too, at the beginning. Besides, even if I was willing to take our physical relationship further, I wouldn’t know what to do.

Kissing was the extent of my bedroom skills and I wasn’t even very experienced at that. Despite my concerns about our deepening intimacy, I wondered when he was going to kiss me again. So far our kisses had been mostly chaste.

Somehow I didn’t think they’d stay that way forever. Part of me urged caution, but the daring part of me was eager for just a little bit more. How long would it be until we were alone again?

Now that I’d gotten to know James, I didn’t want to waste our time together on this wedding. Knowing Christie, she’d be getting married again in few years. I’d never get another chance to be with a man like James.

As soon as the thought formed in my head, I chastised myself. Christie could be awful, but I shouldn’t be spiteful about her issues with marriage. There were times when I thought she was God’s way of testing my compassion. Just in case I got too comfortable thinking I had a good heart, my thoughts of Christie popped up to remind me that I was as petty as the next person.

The cocktail hour was a blur of cheek kisses and polite hugs until we made our way over to Christie and Tim. They stood in the back of the room beside my mother, holding court as if they were visiting royalty.

I smiled at my mother when she caught sight of me. Her eyes went comically wide before she called out my name and rushed forward, enveloping me in a tight hug. We were so different, my mom and me. She was bright colors and exuberance while I was understated and quiet. But wrapped in her tight embrace, the strong and familiar scent of her perfume in a cloud around us, my eyes got wet.

“You look so gorgeous, baby. Like a dream.” She pulled back to cup my face in her hands, her eyes on mine, beaming with adoring love. “My beautiful girl.”

Yep, no matter that we might be total opposites, I loved my Mom. Leaning in to kiss her cheek, I said, “You look great, too, Mom.” She really did. Her little black dress had an emphasis on the ‘little’ and her cleavage was the opposite, but she looked great, especially considering she was the mother of three grown daughters.

She tugged me to her side, separating me from James, who was promptly claimed by Christie and Cathie. He sent me a wink before turning to them. Oddly, I wasn’t worried about him being alone with my sisters. From the things he’d said earlier and the night before, he despised them and liked me. Nothing those two could say would change that.

“Did he take you shopping?” my Mom half-whispered into my ear. She’d backed us a few feet from the crowd so we could talk in relative privacy. I knew what she was getting at.

Susan Cunningham (I still couldn’t get my brain to adjust to any of her more recent last names) knew clothes. Depending on her current husband, she didn’t always have the budget to shop as well as she’d like to, but she always knew the latest collections. So I wasn’t the least bit surprised when she said, “I know that dress. De la Renta, from two months ago. And those sandals are Rene Caovilla’s. I tried them on at Saks. He’s not shying away from spending money on you.”

“Mom, this isn’t what you think.”

“Sara, no man spends twelve thousand dollars on a woman’s clothes if he’s planning on walking away. Trust me.”

I choked on my champagne. Twelve thousand dollars? I’d known the dress and shoes had to be expensive, but that was crazy. And she didn’t know about the jewelry. As if she’d read my mind, she said,

“My guess is that necklace and the matching earrings and bracelet are his work as well. I’d give you an estimate on those, but I don’t want you to pass out in the middle of your sister’s rehearsal dinner.”

“Mom,” I whispered, “Stop. Seriously. You’re freaking me out. I don’t want to think about this.”

“Well, you need to. That man looks at you as if he wants to protect you from everyone in the world except himself. Pay attention and don’t let him get away.”

“Mom, really -” I stopped when she raised her hand in front of my face. Did she just give me the hand?

“Sara, just keep your eyes open. That’s all I’m saying. Men like James Drake don’t come along every day. I should know.” She glanced across the room at Christie and Cathie. “Now I’m going to go save your man from your sisters before they scare him away. I swear, he looks like he wants to kill them already. I love all my girls, honey, but your sisters could try the patience of Mother Theresa.”

With that, she walked away, her perfume trailing behind her. I meant to follow, but I was still reeling from everything she’d said. Twelve thousand dollars.

Not counting the gold I wore around my neck, my ears, and on my wrist. I’d been agonizing about Greg stealing ten grand and James had dropped more than that in one day, on clothes I didn’t even need. Adding in the other evening dress, shoes, dresses, and accessories, I didn’t want to even want to try to guess how much he’d spent. It was probably enough to pay off half my mortgage. I didn’t know what to think about that.

Was my mother right? Was he really planning to be with me longer term? He’d said he needed to show the world that I was his girlfriend. Apparently this was how he treated his serious girlfriends. My mother just didn’t know the whole story. And it was impossible to tell how much if this was how James really felt and how much of it was for show.

I was so distracted, an arm slid around my waist before I noticed anyone nearby. I didn’t have to look up to know it wasn’t James. The bad cologne was enough to clue me in. Tim. I tried to ease away without causing a scene, but his fingers tightened on my waist.

“You’re looking uncharacteristically sexy tonight, Sara. Who knew you had it in you? You usually dress like an accountant.”

“I am an accountant, Tim.” I pulled back on his arm, trying to move away. His arm didn’t give. Dipping his head to my cheek, he said,“Once the new guy gets tired of you, I’ll be here. I can take care of you too, Sara.”

“You’re marrying my sister,” I hissed, leaning back. This guy was disgusting. How could my sister be marrying him?

“Christie is a practical woman. As long as I can keep her credit card bills paid, she doesn’t ask questions.”

I didn’t want to draw attention, but I couldn’t take another second of his slimy hands. As subtly as I could, I jammed the spike heel of my sparkly gold sandal into Tim’s instep. His arm loosened, and I stepped away, trying not to cringe at the trail of his fingertips along my waist. Yuck.

“Don’t be so rude, Sara,” he chided, only slightly favoring his foot as he stepped back. “When this guy dumps you, you’ll be on your own. I could be a good friend.”

“Go away, Tim.”

Not an original come back, but I was too grossed out to be witty. I whirled around, just wanting to get away from him. The sad thing was, I believed him about Christie. Not that she’d be okay with me being her husband’s mistress, but that she didn’t ask too many questions.

I wondered how many late meetings and business trips he had. I was betting it was a lot. The thought depressed me. I didn’t really like my sister, but she was my sister. A marriage of convenience with Tim wasn’t a happy prospect.

This time when an arm wound around my waist, I relaxed into it, recognizing James by instinct, even before his clean, masculine scent hit me.

“Sorry you got stuck with the evil twins while I talked to my Mom,” I said.

“That’s okay. You can make it up to me later.” The promise in his voice was enough to heat my blood. “What did Tim want?” he asked.

“Nothing.” No way was I going to tell James what Tim had said. I had a feeling he wouldn’t take it well. And Tim wasn’t worth pissing James off. I could handle Tim.

“I didn’t like him touching you,” James said, his mouth moving against my ear in a whisper of a kiss.

“Neither did I,” I admitted.

“You’re mine. No one touches you but me. Understood?”

“James,” I said, pulling away so I could face him. “I didn’t want him to touch me. I got rid of him as fast as I could.”

“I know.” James took my shoulders in his hands and turned me to face him. Dipping his head to mine, he said, “I know you didn’t like it. And I know you were being polite. Next time, don’t be. No one touches you but me. Ever. That’s more important than being polite. Now tell me you understand.”

“What if I don’t want
you
to touch me?” I couldn’t help asking. James kissed my temple.

“If you don’t want me to touch you, we’ve got bigger problems than your brother in law getting in your face.”

“Okay.” That was the best I could come up with. My brain had scattered at the touch of his lips.

“Good. He touches you again, he answers to me.”

“Okay.” My brain clicked back into gear. “If it bothers you so much, why did you leave me with him?”

“I wanted to see what you would do,” James said. I lurched back, suddenly angry.

“What?” I screeched. He’d left me to handle that pig as a
test
? James’s arm slid around me, pulling me in close. People turned their heads to look.

James grinned down at me and pressed a kiss to my temple, whispering,“I’m buying you ten more pairs of heels just like that. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him leaving tracks of blood. You did a good job, sweetheart.”

I didn’t want to, but I melted—not just at him calling me sweetheart, but his praise. Testing me was high-handed and annoying. His being proud of me was hard to resist.

Before I could think of what to say, Tim announced that it was time to go into dinner. Good. One meal, and hopefully not too many speeches to get through, and I’d be alone with James again.