Invitation to Love (7 page)

She
darted a quizzical glance at him for a second. There’s an attraction—of course.
But, it goes no further, and that’s already a mark against them. It wouldn’t be
long before resentment, impatience, and loathing crept in, and before you know
it, you’re checking that box that reads ‘irreconcilable differences’ on those
divorce papers. Has he even thought of that? She swerved around and eyed the
figure waiting for her to say something.

“Do
you know what you’re asking?” she walked back to him. “Surely, you’d rather
share your life with someone you love, and want to express that from your
heart. We barely know one another. Words of love don’t even enter our
conversations. I’m a widow with two children. A ready-made family is not an
easy life for a bachelor. You don’t deserve that; You deserve to start fresh
with children of your own. I can’t take that away from you.”

If
she meant to deter him, it failed. He simply smiled—a slight wounded one—and
then spoke.

“A
long time ago, I was engaged to someone I thought was the woman of my dreams.
But, my chances of this perfect life you just painted, walked out years ago,
and I’ve moved on. I care very much for you and the twins. It the two of us try
hard enough, we can make this work. If not for our sakes, then for Remi and Rachel’s.
If it doesn’t work out, well, that freedom will be there for you to take.” The
hush between them lasted as long as the sigh that expired from him. “Whatever
you decide, I’m here for you.”

“A…and
if I agreed to this? Where do we go from here?”

“You’ll
live with me in California; And you’ll never want for anything, I promise. I’ll
arrange to have this house put on the market, or you can rent it out. That way,
when you decide we’ve been married long enough, you’ll have a place to come
back to.”

She
couldn’t help but feel sorry for the man standing there so self-assured as he
rolled out the mental blue-prints of his well-structured plans. Yesterday, his
life was uncomplicated and carefree.

Today, he’s offering to push
aside his status as a successful bachelor, and the choice of any woman, to
become an instant family man with all the responsibilities that come shackled
to it.

“I’m
not going to lie to you, Taryn,” his voice cut into her thoughts and garnered
her full attention. “I’ll be able to benefit from this, also.”

“How?”

“I
don’t know if you’re aware that I’m being hounded by the media from all sides.
There’s been rumors in the tabloids about me. It seems that since I’m not a night-club
addict with a different woman on my arm every week—even one—then I must be
hiding my true sexuality. We may live in the twenty-first century, but the
majority of my clients are old-fashioned. And they prefer those who do business
with them to be settled down in a stable family environment. Three of my
biggest clients are based in Japan. If they questioned my ethics for one
moment, they’d take their business and drop it on the desk of my nearest
competitor. Marriage will put those rumors to rest. Not only will they breathe
a lot easier, but the tabloids will lose interest in me.”

“I
see.” Now she was feeling that maybe her sympathies were lost on him after all.
(He’s sharp) A main quality one needs to be successful. What other cunning
abilities lie beneath those good looks?

“Do
you need some time to think about it? You have four days until your deadline.”

Now
that someone else would benefit from this, she had to be careful about her
answer. It’s not just about her keeping the girls anymore. Michael’s career is
at stake. True, saying yes would mean her old struggles being supplanted by
newer ones—that of a rush to marry, for one. But if she said no, then his
chance to negate the reports about him will slip away. Either way, she gets to
keep her girls. This man is willing to take on the entire judicial system for
her. Now, it’s her turn to be the friend he needs.

She
inhaled a deep, determined breath, then, “I’ll marry you, Michael.”

His
eyes closed, and there was a hint of a smile. He made a move toward her, but
promptly quelled his action. “Thanks. I can take care of everything if it’s
okay with you. We can be married by Thursday, unless you have something else in
mind; Something more formal.”

“No.
The quicker, the better.”

“I
can have a realtor drop by this evening to put the house on the market. That
leaves you three days to pack all your belongings. Think you’ll be ready by
then?”

“Oh,
yeah.”

“I
have to leave for L.A. in a couple of hours to take care of things from my end.
I’ll be back Thursday morning.”

She
was amazed at how he seems to know exactly where to start and in what direction
to go, while she’s still standing in the middle of her maze—Which is fine. She
can’t even begin to think of how to take care of all that needs to be done by
the end of the week. Of course, there’s one thing she’s sure he hasn’t thought
of. And, it’s best to get it out in the open, now.

“Michael,
since you have everything so well laid out. What about us?”

He
tilted his head to one side, his brows drawn reflective. “Us?”

Taryn
swallowed her cowardice back down. “What I mean is, will you expect us to
be—you know—husband and wife all the way?”

His
soft laughter made her feel somewhat regretful at having asked that. She looked
away from the merriment now lighting his face. (Did she even consider that such
an idea would be laughable to him? That she fits nowhere near the high-class,
sexually appealing women in his social circle?)

“As
far as I’m concerned, this marriage is for good, Taryn. Surely, you can’t
expect me to live with you that long and not want to touch you.” His eyes
addressed every curve of her body before he spoke his next words. “You’re a
very desirable woman. And, I’m a man in every sense of the word. But, I’m also
a patient man. When you decide to share my bed, I’ll be waiting—eagerly. And,
you won’t have to worry about any extra-marital affairs on my part, either. For
as long as we’re married, I’ll remain faithful; You have my word.”

Her
heart pounded all the way to the center of her ears. (Did he say he finds her
desirable? And the way he formed that word ‘eagerly’)

“Should
we tell the girls, now?”

“Huh?
Oh, yeah.” The girls. This
is
for them, right? “I’ll go get them.”

“I’m
glad you’re marrying Momma,” Remi left her seat beside her mother on the couch,
slid onto Michael’s lap, and wrapped an arm around his neck. “I like you.”

“Me,
too,” Rachel sat plastered next to him.

Taryn
chuckled privately. Poor Michael. He’s already drowning in females. What was
that joke he made in Florida? He’s so single, he doesn’t even have a shadow.
Now, he’s surrounded by two. And once they get a really good firm hold on him,
he’ll forget that he even has a shadow.

“Can
we go tell Nicole, Momma? She’s outside waiting for us.”

“Well,”
Michael said after they ran out. “I have a plane to catch.”

She
stood and followed him to the door. “You’re sure about this, Michael.” She felt
she had to offer him yet another chance to back out before he finds himself
sitting on the plane later, and one of Victoria’s Secret Angels walks pass him;
Too late for second thoughts, then.

He
turned to face her once they reached the door. “Are you having second thoughts,
Taryn?”

“No.
Of course, not.”

“Neither,
am I. Bye. I’ll call you.”

“Have
a safe trip,” she extended her hand as was their custom whenever they parted.

One
brow lifted as he just looked at it, his mouth crooked to a grin. “I don’t
think handshakes are appropriate, anymore. Do you?”

“What
do you mean?” she dropped it back to her side.

“Well,
now that we’re to be wedded soon, I don’t think it would be too forward of me
to kiss you when the need arises. That’s going to be necessary for appearances
sake.”

“Oh.”

“Is
it okay if I kissed you—Taryn?”

The
question knocked her senseless, suffocating her ability to answer. He took it
as a yes, reached out and gently drew her against him. He leaned forward,
causing her eyes to close in heady expectation. The warmth of his mouth
lingered on hers before skillfully coaxing them to yield. His tongue touched
and caressed the tip of hers only for a few seconds. But, it was enough to send
a volt of ecstasy to every hungry part within. Her fingers strangled the
sleeves of his shirt to keep them from inching up his strong arms, and clasping
him tighter to her. After all, this
is
part of their deal; An act to
fool the world, namely, his clients, her in-laws, and anyone else they needed
to convince. An act that has awakened an appetite she’s been ignoring since the
day they met. One last caress to her lips, then he released her and stepped
back.

“Good-bye,
Taryn,” his tone was soft—entrancing.

She
kept her head lowered, not daring to look up. A shy, mumbled good-bye was all
she could offer. She heard a soft chuckle, then the screen door creaking shut.

Only then, could she look up
and watch as he walked down the porch steps to his car. The force of that kiss
was still thumping through her, having long melted her iceberg vow of celibacy.
Michael just took her beyond anything she’s ever imagined—and with a kiss. Think
of what it’ll be like when—.

She
marched over to the couch and sat with her head in her hands. He expects them
to be man and wife all the way. Is that wise after what she just experienced? She
shook her head with a resounding NO. Her sanity is at stake. Moments of
touching and kissing will have to be few and far between.

That
night she sat on her bed, explaining over the phone to Nora what had happened.
To say that she was flabbergasted is an understatement. After she recovered
from the shock, questions upon questions flowed from the other end. Without
revealing the hard core of the truth, Taryn simply mentioned that Michael had
flown into town to see them. And, it was then they realized their feelings for
one another. There was no sense in telling her the real reason for her sudden
engagement, she would only fall apart. (She still hasn’t been the same since
the death of their parents)

In
the middle of the night, she lied in bed, eyes staring through darkness. When
she finally managed to force the kiss from her mind, she reflected on all she
had to accomplish in just a few days. And, when she drifted off to sleep near
dawn, it was at a tail-end vision of being in his arms.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

“I
still can’t believe it,” Nora tuned from taking the glasses out of the cabinet
early the next morning to gawk directly at her sister. “I mean, this is not
like you, Taryn.”

Taryn
stood by the kitchen table, carefully placing a stack of plates into a moving
box. “What’s not like me?” she paused to look at Nora.

“After
your miserable life with Collen, you vowed never to get involved with another
man, again. You said Michael was just—a friend,” she added with finger quotes.
“But, he makes a surprise trip here to see you and, boom, the next thing I
know, you’re getting married. This puts a whole new meaning on whirlwind
romance.”

She
burst out laughing at her sister’s wide-eyed amazement. “What can I say? Love
is powerful.”

“Well,
if it makes you happy, then I’m all for it. I just wish you weren’t moving so
far away.”

She
laid the crisp sheet of moving paper back on its stack, shuffled over to Nora,
took her by the shoulders, and turned her around from the glass she was
pretending to fold away. Traces of moisture lined her lids. “Me, too. But, he
makes his living there. And besides, we’ll be calling and visiting back and
forth. You won’t even know we’re gone.”

“I
guess it would be nice to spend a few weeks in sunny California now and then.
Taryn?” she cradled her face in her hands and stared deep into her eyes. “I
hope this man loves and cherishes you the way you deserve. But, promise me, if
he even begins to treat you the way Collen did, you’ll come back to us. You’ll
always have a home with me and Jerry. Promise.”

She
blinked back her own need to cry and kissed her cheek hard. “I promise.”

“Now,”
Nora took a deep breath and resumed packing the glassware. “What about your
furniture and stuff? Will you be taking all that with you?”

“No,
I have no need for them anymore. Michael’s house is already furnished. I talked
to him this morning, and he’s arranged for all of our trunks of clothes and
personal things to be shipped to his place. The furniture is going into
storage.”

“Well,
talk about your strong type.”

“Yeah.
I don’t have to worry about a thing. He’s taken care of it all. The realtor’s
coming by today to put the house up for sale.”

“You’re
not going to rent it out?”

“No,”
she glanced around the homely kitchen with its fading wallpaper, and the back
door worn from Remi and Rachel’s overuse of it. “I’m saying good-bye to the
past and starting my life over. It’s time to move forward.”