Free Contract to Wed by Holly Bush Page B

“You
were masterful tonight. The room, the flowers, the dinner, everything. You made
everything perfect.”
    “That’s why you married me. That’s why I’m worth the money
you parted with.”
     
    * * *
     
    How dare he! How dare he kiss her,
and in front of guests when she could not respond! She could barely answer when
Emma Jean asked her how they met. She’d gone over the explanation in her mind,
but she was flustered as she spoke and wondered if the McCastors noticed.
Jolene took a long drag of the brandy and closed her eyes while it burned its
way down her throat. She thought back to Turner’s death and how she’d wished
she could start again and had begun to think that her new life here in Texas may
suit her, may actually be a soothing change that would allow her to calmly face
the years to come. But now she could see Maximilllian’s face coming closer to
hers and felt her breath quicken just as it had early in the evening. She would
not allow complications in her new life. She would not.
    And Maximillian Shelby would be a complication. He had some
innate charm that made those in his circle hang on his every word. He was so
very comfortable with himself and had such an easy confidence in who he was,
with no pretention or regrets, it seemed. It had been natural to laugh with him
and smile back at him while they entertained the McCastors. For just a second
it felt like what she thought happy people must feel like. It had been a
charade for her, but what had he thought, she wondered.
    There was a knock at her door, and she rose from the chaise
and pulled on her pink satin robe. She wondered why Alice hadn’t come through
the door in her dressing room to check on her one more time before she retired.
    “Come in,” she said and picked up her brush from her vanity.
She wanted to think, and she didn’t want to make small talk or even acknowledge
that someone else was in the room. “You may go to bed, Alice,” she said as she
turned.
    Maximillian Shelby stood in her doorway. She gasped. “What
are you doing in here?” she said as she cinched her satin robe. “What do you
want?”
    But he just stood there staring at her. It was disconcerting
and strangely provocative. She was covered but felt as if she was naked in
front of him. She could feel the cool shimmery satin against her breasts. One
strap fell away from her shoulder under her robe, and she forced herself to let
it alone. He swallowed, cleared his throat, and walked within inches of her
until she had to look up at him.
    “You are the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever set eyes on.”
    With those words, Maximillian wrapped his hands around her
upper arms, touching the sides of her breasts as he did. Every bit of her being
was focused on the pressure of his fingers where he held her.  She was
aware of herself . Sensually aware that she was taking short breaths and
that her lips had parted and her eyelids had drooped. Her mind was screaming
that she should twist out of his grasp, but she made the ghastly error of
looking at his face, at his tanned skin with a shadow of a beard, dark brown
eyes and a well-defined mouth filled with even white teeth. He was breathing
hard, too, and she could smell the whiskey on his breath. He was magnificent.
    Maximillian growled low in his chest, pulled her tight
against him and covered her mouth with his. He released her arms and slipped a
hand around the small of her back, while the other tangled in her unbound hair.
She could feel the outline of his sex against her stomach, and he angled his
head to deepen their kiss and touched his tongue to hers. Her arms hung at her
side until she slowly slid them up the cotton of his shirt, and her palms lay
flat against his upper arms, wide and thick and hard. She was completely and
utterly limp in his embrace and wondered briefly if she had the strength to
stand on her own, let alone resist his attention.
    Maximillian broke the kiss and scanned her face up and down
as if seeing her