The Perfect Candidate (39 page)

Michael craned his neck to look up the aisle.  Someone hissed at his to turn around, but the second he saw Ashley he couldn
’
t possibly have looked away, even if his life had depended on it!  She was beautiful- but she was so much more than beautiful, in fact, beauty didn
’
t even begin to describe the vision of loveliness that was floating down the aisle towards him, as far as Michael was concerned at any rate.  She was everything that he had ever wanted and more.  It was as if someone had looked into the secret hopes and desires of his heart and crafted a woman from what they had found there.

The spell was somewhat broken for Michael however when he realized that Norm seemed to be having some sort of an attack in the pew behind him.  Michael glared at the man and shook his head sharply, not exactly sure what he was trying to communicate.  He didn
’
t actually know what the hell was going on after all!  But he didn
’
t want Norman ruining it!

When Ashley drew nearer his side, Michael realized that she was shaking.  He tried to smile at her, he
wanted
her after all, but he couldn
’
t quite manage it.  He was just too overawed.  He couldn
’
t quite believe she was really here. Had she misunderstood her instructions?  Was she going to run out on him in the middle of the ceremony?  Michael honestly didn
’
t have a clue!  But, if there was a way for him to drag the marriage vows from Ashley
’
s lips then he was determined to find it!

The Priest spoke, and Ashley stayed, the chosen hymns were sung, and Ashley stayed, the marriage vows were started, and Ashley
still
stayed. 

Michael stared down into her face, and began to trust that she was really going to stay until the end of ceremony- until the Priest asked if their was anyone present who knew of any reason why they couldn
’
t be joined together in holy matrimony, and then Michael was gripped by fear that one of two things would happen, either Ashley would bolt, or Norman would blow the whole thing
.

Nothing
happened though, nothing at all. There was blissful silence, and then the moment of terror was over. 

Michael had been such a mess of fear, confusion and hope, that he hadn
’
t been able to pay attention to very much of anything that he had said
…
but when the Priest beamed and pronounced them husband and wife and told Michael that he could kiss his bride he knew exactly what to do.  He covered Ashley
’
s lips, bestowing a deep soul-stirring kiss that sealed the promises that they had just made to one another.

Mine
… Michael thought to himself, as a deep, a male satisfaction sweeping through his body.  He didn’
t have a
clue
what had just happened, but Ashley was his wife now, she was wearing his ring
…
she
belonged
to him.  As these thoughts flashed through his mind, he couldn
’
t help but notice that she also looked incredibly dazed.

“Michael?”  He heard her croak, as they followed the Priest with their witnesses to sign the register.  She sounded as terrified as he had felt throughout the ceremony. Michael laid a possessive hand on the small of her back and kept her moving forwards.  He did
not
want to hear that she regretted it or that it had been some huge mistake.

“Later,” he whispered, hardly moving his lips.  He fixed a broad smile in place, it wasn’
t that hard to maintain.  He was inordinately pleased with how things had turned out,  and he was going to work extremely hard to make sure that Ashley
stayed
his wife- just as soon as he figured out how that had even come about.

They didn
’
t have an opportunity to speak alone however, once they had signed the register they were hurried outside for a photo shoot.  Michael hadn
’
t been aware of the crowds when he entered the church, he had been rather preoccupied, but he couldn
’
t fail to see and hear them now.  There were
thousands
of people outside cheering!

“Michael?” Ashley whispered again.  There was a desperate sort of urgency to her voice, and the fear was still there too, Michael noted.

“Smile,” he murmured, as the cameras flashed.  He didn’
t know what she wanted. Reassurance, maybe?  But then he was hoping that
she
would be the one with all of the answers!

They posed for more photographs than Michael could imagine that they would ever need, and then they were allowed to climb into a waiting limousine, and were finally accorded some privacy.

Michael sank back into the comfortable leather car seat, trying to work out exactly what he wanted to say to Ashley, but he couldn
’
t find any words!  He stared at her, taking an extra few moments to work out exactly what it was that he was feeling. Relief was one of the strongest emotions that he was experiencing.  He had really thought that he
’
d lost her!  Complete and utter confusion was also pretty high on the list of things that he was feeling.  Could they truly be married?  It hardly seemed to be real!

“Say something then?” Ashley whispered shakily.  She was looking over at Michael with wide, frightened eyes.  He frowned when he realized that her back was practically pressed up against the door, ensuring that she was as far away from him as was physically possible.

“What would
you like me to say?
”
he asked, neatly dodging the question, although he feared that he had just wasted a prime opportunity to confess to Ashley how he really felt about her.  He shuffled across the seat, reached for his
wife
and tugged her into his arms.

Michael
’
s frown stayed exactly where it was when he didn
’
t feel Ashley soften in his embrace.  She was as rigid as an iron girder.

“I’
m sorry!
”
she cried, and Michael saw that her eyes were swimming with unshed tears. 
“
I didn
’
t- I couldn
’
t- I
’
m
so
sorry, Michael!
”
she wailed. 

“Aww, hell, Ash!” Michael swore roughly, searching his tuxedo for tissues or a handkerchief, something that he could wave in her direction in an attempt to stem her tears.  “
Please
don
’
t cry?
”
he begged.

“I c-c-can’
t help it!
”
she sobbed. 
“
You
married
m-me!
”

Well, if that wasn
’
t a verbal equivalent of a kick in the gut he didn
’
t know what was,
Michael thought miserably!  He cleared his throat awkwardly. 
“
You didn
’
t want me to marry you?
”
he asked slowly. 
“
I thought-
”
but he suddenly didn
’
t want to tell her what he had thought about her changing her mind- about them being able to have a
real
marriage. 
“
You came to the church,
”
he pointed out baldly. 
“
I don
’
t see what else I was meant to do given the circumstances.
”

“I kn-know!” Ashley wailed.  Michael waited for her to add something further, but she didn’
t, she just cried into the serviettes that he had found and pressed into her hands.

Michael sighed heavily.  A glance out of the window told him that they were almost at the Art Institute of Chicago, and a glance at his wife told him that they weren
’
t at all ready to get out of the car!  He pressed the button for the intercom to talk to the driver, and requested that they drive around the block again
…
slowly.

Ashley managed to look at him when she heard that- her cheeks had turned a delightful pink. 
“
People will think that we-we
’
re
…”

“I know,” Michael smirked.  Personally he would rather that people thought that than for them see his bride with an obviously tear-stained face.  “Dry your eyes,” he said gently, frantically trying to work out how he was going to turn this situation around into a positive. 

Ashley was his wife,
he
was still pleased about that, but she didn
’
t seem to be terribly happy about it!  He wondered if her parents had somehow forced her down the aisle?  He hadn
’
t met Ashley parents, his in-laws, but he supposed that he couldn
’
t discount that possibility.  Something had clearly forced Ashley to wed him against her will!

“My make up i
s ruined, isn
’
t it?
”
Ashley sniffed weakly.

“You look beautiful,” Michael told her.  She did still look beautiful.  His gaze swept over her hungrily.  He wished they could skip the reception.  He wished he knew if he was still welcome in her bed.

“Why are you being so nice to me?” Ashley squeaked, looking at him as though she didn’
t quite trust his behavior.

Michael smiled, he had a feeling it came across somewhat bitter, but he couldn
’
t help it- he was hurting! 
“
Because you
’
re my wife,
”
he murmured, unable to keep a possessive edge out of his voice. 

“But I-!” Ashley started to argue.