Unexpected Marriage (5 page)

Jake strode in to his study, his movements angry as he started up his computer and ran a rough hand through his short hair. He knew that it wasn’t Kaycee’s fault that she felt the way she did, after all they had only known each other two days and it wasn’t as though either of them had chosen to get married but for some reason it just felt like the most natural thing in the world to him. Being married to Kaycee and waking up next to her every day for the rest of his life? Yeah, he could really see himself being happy with her. So, why couldn’t she at least give them a fighting chance instead of simply fighting him?

It had come as a surprise to him too when he had realized that he actually had feelings for Kaycee. She was only supposed to have been part of his bet, a one-night stand, and yet something about her intrigued him. He felt protective of her and not just because he had been her first lover. It was more than that and he felt it since he had met her.

They were similar in so many ways, both of them wanting a love they had never really known. His mother may have been there for him but his father had rarely spent any time with him and when he had it had always been to criticize him, maybe that was why he had rebelled at such a young age and become such a womanizer.

Normally after a few days with a girl he was bored of her and ready to move on and as a rule he never spent the full night with any girl. Yet Kaycee was different, he didn’t think he could ever grow bored of her, she was constantly changing and showing a different side of herself. Sometimes he looked at her and saw just a prickly shell waiting to attack him, other times he saw how fragile she really was and how easily she had been hurt in the past. Every time he saw her she was changing in some small way and he didn’t think even she noticed the difference.

Her family had really done a number on her and yet she had survived and even excelled where they had doomed her to failure. Maybe that’s why he felt so guilty about what he had to do. But he couldn’t just let her go, she was his wife and he had no intention of letting this marriage just slip through his fingers. They could be so good together and he was determined to give them that chance.

Kaycee sat for a few moments frowning at the doorway Jake had gone through as she let the guilt sink in. It was unfair of her to blame everything on him she knew that. After all he had not forced alcohol down her neck or dragged her in to the chapel and forced her to say yes. But somehow it was easier to blame him than admit that she had made a mistake. After being so perfect for so long how was it possible that she could have made such a disastrous decision that could ruin her life forever? She’d had plans and they didn’t include marrying some playboy billionaire.

That’s what had been so perfect about Rob. He was easy! He didn’t make demands on her time; he just fit neatly in to her schedule. It hadn’t been fair on either of them, she realized now. But it had seemed so simple at the time. She had plans for her future, plans to prove that she was more than just another demand on her father’s time and he could actually be proud of her. Those plans hadn’t included a demanding husband who would get in her way and distract her from her goals. Rob had never demanded anything from her, had never demanded that they have sex, not once in all the time they were together. He had never had expectations out of their relationship, had never wanted her to be at his every beck and call. She had thought she was in love with him, had expected that one day they would get married and have kids because that was what everyone else would want but she had never really felt any real passion with him. Not like she did with Jake!

And that was when it hit her! She was in love with Jake!

It was so obvious to her now, Rob must only have been with her for her money of which he must have been disappointed because she had never lived off her father’s money and she had never felt anything for Rob beyond a basic like, never mind about love or even lust.

And yet how could she trust Jake with her heart when she didn’t even trust him not to mess up all her plans?

“I’m sorry!”

Jake frowned at Kaycee as he entered the kitchen to find her not only cleaning it but also with an apology on her lips, something that had been unheard of the past few days.

“You’re sorry?” he repeated unsure that he had actually heard her right. Surely his prickly wife couldn’t be apologizing to him.

“Yes! I was wrong to have said what I did. You were just trying to be nice and I totally over-reacted. I’m sorry.” Kaycee said choosing her words carefully and he smiled at her, a full watt completely natural grin that showed all his pearly white teeth and knocked the breath from her at the sight of it.

“And I’m sorry too,” he said making Kaycee frown.

“What are you sorry for? You didn’t say anything wrong. Or is this an apology for the kidnapping? Which, by the way I am still not happy about!” she said and he laughed.

“I’m sorry that you can’t take a compliment and that you think so little of yourself when you are the most amazing woman I have ever met.” Jake told her and just when she was beginning to melt he added “And no, I’m not sorry that I kidnapped you,”

“You can’t keep me here forever Jake. I mean I get it okay? We could have something, maybe even something amazing but I have a life, I have friends, and a family and a job that I love.” Kaycee told him trying to make him realize that he couldn’t just keep her here.

“And you can’t run from this forever Kaycee. I get it okay? You have friends, family, and a job. But you know what? I can live without all of that as long as I have you, can you say the same?” he asked making Kaycee blush as he threw her words back at her.

“Please just give me some time to get used to this, to get used to us,” she pleaded and he shook his head firmly.

“I can’t Kaycee, don’t ask me to let you go because it’s the one thing I can’t do!” he said making her force her heart to harden against his puppy dog expression that made her want to agree to anything he said as long it would soothe the hurt look he wore like an old security blanket.

“You can’t keep me here, eventually I’m going to leave and then we won’t have anything. At least if you let me go we can see where this is going,” she urged and Jake shook his head sadly.

“I didn’t want to do this Kaycee, but it’s the only way. If you want to go, then do it but be warned you hold your father’s life in your hands,” Jake informed her and Kaycee paled.

“What is that supposed to mean?” she demanded in disbelief.

“It means that you’re free to leave if that’s what you want. But I will never give your father a single penny and the state his business is in at the minute, it will collapse within weeks leaving your entire family out on their asses without a penny to their name. So, it’s up to you, love. What’s it to be? Your freedom or your family’s livelihood?” he asked and Kaycee stared up at him with tears shining in her eyes as he shattered all her hopes that she had for them with that one sentence. For how could she deny her family anything?

“You’re a cold, heartless bastard!” she told him furiously and he gave a frown.

“Was that a choice?” he asked and she cursed.

“Yes, damn you. We both know that I would never let you hurt my family. But I want you to know that I will never forgive you for this! You hear me Jake? I may stay with you but I will never love you and I will make you regret the day you met me!” Kaycee flung at him before she turned and stormed out while the tears ran silently down her cheeks.

Jake really felt like the bastard she accused him of being. He was definitely the lowest of the low. Who blackmailed their wife in to staying with them? Apparently he did!

He didn’t know what it was about Kaycee that bought out his worst side, but for some reason he couldn’t help himself. He wanted her to be happy but he just couldn’t see how she could be happy without him. She would realize that they belonged together. He hoped she would realize that they belonged together!

Kaycee sat in one of the rooms staring out at the sea beyond the window, she had always loved the sea, had always found it soothing. How strange that the one time she needed that calmness Jake had bought to somewhere near the sea. It was just a coincidence, she told herself but it was still a really sweet coincidence. Even from this distance she could feel the calm washing over her, telling her that everything would be fine and that she would survive this.

It was there that Jake found her; he hadn’t even had to go searching for her but had instinctively known exactly where she was. She looked so sad that it was almost his undoing and he regretted putting her in this position and yet at the same time he loved what a beautiful picture she made laying there. She was so irresistible and if they had time he would have shown her just how irresistible he found her but instead he approached cautiously not sure whether she would be upset by what he was about to tell her.

“You wanted something?” she asked and he noted the weariness in her voice, like she had given up and that tone broke something inside him.

“I just thought it might be a good idea for us to go and visit my parents,” he suggested and she nodded slowly.

“Right, of course. Because your father can’t give you his business until you show him your wife.” She acknowledged and he frowned for that had not been his intention at all.

“That’s not…” he began trying to tell her that he wasn’t bothered about the business or about the money. He just wanted his parents to meet the woman he was going to spend his life with but she beat him to it.

“It’s fine, we should go. Do I need to change?” she asked as she got slowly to her feet still with that defeated tone that made him want to shake her back to herself.

“No, you look fine. Amazing actually!” he offered and she gave a curt nod as she exited ahead of him.

“We should go then, we don’t need to keep them waiting. I’m sure they have more important things to do!” Kaycee said and he frowned at her. He highly doubted they had anything more important to do than meet the one woman who had turned his whole world upside down.

The journey was conducted in silence as Kaycee feigned sleep rather than talk to him and he worried the whole journey about how he was treating her. Was he wrong to want her to be with him? Maybe he should just let her go and hope that she came to her senses, but then what if she didn’t? It was all so confusing!

And so both of them stayed silent both in deep thought, both worrying about the future and what it held for them.

As they pulled up outside a small cottage Kaycee frowned out the window. It was a picturesque little place but not somewhere that she ever imagined the Wentworth’s would live.

“This is where your parents live?” she asked stunned and he nodded.

“Yep, all their lives. My mom loves this cottage. Don’t get her started on it, she has a million stories about the place and she can’t stop once she starts,” he warned and Kaycee gave a small smile. She didn’t know what she had been expecting but this was certainly not it.

She was even more stunned when the people who answered the door were dressed in casual clothes. Her father and stepmother would rather die than greet anyone wearing anything less than a designer label. But Jake’s parents looked so at ease in their casual clothes that it was hard to believe they were rich at all.

“Mom, dad. I want you to meet Kaycee!” Jake introduced and she smiled at each of them as she held out a hand only to be pulled in to a hug by his mother followed by his father. It was not the sort of welcome she was used to and it made Kaycee blush but with pleasure.

“It is absolutely wonderful to meet you!” his father said and Kaycee smiled shyly up at him as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear nervously.

“Do you know that Jake has never bought a girl home before? You must be special to him,” his mom said as she led Kaycee in to the house and she glanced back at Jake who was talking quietly to his dad, no doubt telling him about their wedding.

“Never?” Kaycee asked and his mom laughed in a high tinkly voice.

“Never! We usually hear about his latest conquest through the media, very rare we actually get to meet any of his friends!” she said with a smile and Kaycee smiled back for there was something very likable about the older woman and it wasn’t just that she didn’t try to be something she wasn’t.

Kaycee had lived in the world of money since she was born and she though that she had seen them all. The goldiggers who lived to spend and who often spent the lot trying to keep their aging youth, the upper class bitches like her stepmother who lived simply to look down their noses at those less fortunate, the easily led like her sister who went where the money was and those like Jake who lived for the thrill of it all. Never before though had she ever met two people who were less like the people who belonged in her world.

Mr. and Mrs. Wentworth could have been anyone you would meet on the streets. Mrs. Wentworth grew her own vegetables out back, Mr. Wentworth loved to read and they spent most of their day wearing casual clothes and going for hikes in the countryside. Apart from the fact that Mr. Wentworth owned and managed the biggest hotel chain in the world you wouldn’t even realize that they were any different from anyone else.

It simply amazed her that two billionaires could be so happy and so settled right here in this beautiful patch of countryside.

“What are you thinking?” Jake asked as he slid one arm around her waist and pulled her against him.

“I was thinking that I wish I could be this happy!” she revealed and he frowned down at her.

“Why can’t you be?” he asked confused and she shrugged lightly.

“Because I have a plan. And It doesn’t include living in a cottage somewhere!” she tried to explain but his frown said he didn’t understand at all.

“Not even with the man you love?” he asked teasingly and she shook her head.

“My plan doesn’t include a man at all. I mean it did but not really!” she told him and Jake frowned again.

“Plans can change,” he murmured against her and ear and she shivered but shook her head firmly.

“Not mine! I’ve known how I wanted my life to go since I was five years old and it is not going to change just because of one drunken mistake!” Kaycee told him firmly as much for herself as for him because it seemed she needed the reminder, she missed the hurt look on his face though as he buried his face in her shoulder and breathed deeply inhaling her natural scent of vanilla and almonds.

“You should ask my mother to show you her garden. She’s more proud of that than anything else, including me I think!” Jake told her and Kaycee laughed even as she took him up on that request and followed his mother out to the gorgeous gardens that were filled with every kind of flower imaginable while Jake and his father talked business inside.

“Wow, this smells amazing! What is it?” Kaycee asked and Jake’s mom smiled at her.

“Lilly of the Valley! It’s quite beautiful, and it’s Jake’s favorite flower too. You know I’d always hoped I’d have grandchildren by now!” she confided and Kaycee glanced at her startled.

“Jake’s not even thirty yet, I mean there’s plenty of time for grandchildren!” Kaycee offered and his mom nodded.

“I know that, I mean he’s thirty next year and there is plenty of time. But I won’t be here forever and sometimes I just despair that I will ever have a daughter-in-law or grandchildren. It may seem wrong of me but sometimes I actually wished that one of his women would accidentally become pregnant with his child,” she said sadly and Kaycee froze in dismay.

“Accidentally get pregnant?” she repeated and his mom laughed.

“I know it’s a foolish idea and would have been cruel for the poor girl, but you know these things happen and I have no doubt that Jake would be a great father, I just hope he settles down before it’s too late!” his mom said as she bent to examine some flowers while Kaycee stood frozen, stuck on the last things she had said.

“Accidentally pregnant?”

It couldn’t be possible. They had only been together three days, there was no way that she could be… could she?

She placed her hand over flat stomach and prayed though for what she wasn’t sure. She didn’t want to be pregnant; god knows this would be the worst timing ever! And yet… What if she was? The image of a tiny Jake appealed and she didn’t know if she was really hoping that she wasn’t pregnant or wishing that she was!