Runaway Groom (18 page)

Authors: Sally Clements

BOOK: Runaway Groom

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She stepped away. “I really don’t want to get into this.”

“You need to know the reason why.”

“If I wanted to know, I would have answered your phone calls.” Her hand clenched into a fist at her side. “I didn’t. I don’t. “

“You’re going to hear anyway. I’m not leaving.” He pulled out a chair and sat.

April puffed out a frustrated breath. “Fine.” She sat across the table from him, like chess grandmasters engaged in a monumental battle.

Matthew’s hands rested on the table. She stared at his knuckles. Those long fingers had gripped hers, had traced every inch of her body, over and over again.

“Going to the wedding would mean something to everyone there. They’d think I’d moved on from June, moved on to you.”

Her gaze flickered up.

“What’s between us is nobody’s business.”

“So you didn’t want to make our affair public? Were you ashamed of being with me?”

His mouth twisted. His head shook in vehement denial. “I’m not ashamed of anything. I’m damn sick of having my motives analyzed by people who haven’t given me the time of day for years. I don’t need to prove anything to those people. I don’t need their approval.”

“I defended you.” At least her voice didn’t waver. “I told all my relatives you and I were together. I said you’d be there.” She gritted her teeth. The day of the wedding had been bad enough, but the following morning…having to make a stupid excuse for his absence and seeing the pity in her family’s eyes had been a lot worse. “You hadn’t contacted me for days. I didn’t even know where you were. Until you called for phone sex.”

His eyes flashed blue fire. “I didn’t call for phone sex.”

Her brows rose.

“I called because I couldn’t stop thinking about you. You’ve become an obsession I had to try and break.”

“Why?” the word was dragged from her by a compulsion to understand. “What’s so bad about…”

“Loving you?” he bit out. “You said it was lust. I can do lust. There’s no expectations. There’s no risk.”

“You love me?” April’s foolish heart fluttered.

“I damn well love you.” His hands clenched into fists. His body was rigid with tension. “It makes me weak.”

His declaration flowed through her body like a shot of some powerful drug. But his furrowed brow—the tense set of his shoulders—filled her with trepidation.

He met her gaze like a man before a firing squad, waiting for the hail of bullets.

April’s heart pounded. Her mouth was dry and she felt lightheaded, as though she wasn’t getting enough Oxygen.

She reached out and touched his hand. “What if I told you I love you too?”

Heat flashed in the depths of his eyes. “You don’t have to say…”

She stood and walked around the table. Slipped between his parted thighs and the table. Rested her hands on his shoulders. “I love you. I hate what you did, but I love you.”

He pulled her onto his lap, and kissed every other thought from her mind.

Chapter Fifteen

“This is decidedly gross.” April wiggled her toes in the chilled water.

“Gross, but effective.” Amy peered into the depths. “They’re loving it.”

The thought of tiny mouths nibbling at her feet made April queasy. The sensation was pleasant enough, a faint tickling on her soles, and apparently the benefits of a fish pedicure were well worth it so she tried to put the thought of tiny stomachs filled with dead skin from her mind.

“After this, we’ll have a massage and a hot stone treatment.” Amy leaned back on her outstretched arms a look of bliss on her face. “You can’t believe how much I need pampering.”

“How the heck did you end up in Guatemala anyway?”

Amy had been decidedly evasive about her latest trip since Matthew picked her up from the airport. In the past couple of days they’d talked about everything except Amy’s latest adventure, and April was so curious she thought she might burst.

“There was a man involved.”

“A gorgeous man?”

“Unfortunately.”

Amy was as open as a blue sky, so her close-lipped response was puzzling. “Couldn’t he help when your money was stolen?”

Amy’s mouth turned up. “He stole it.”

April’s jaw dropped. “He…”

“Gorgeous but deadly. I thought…” She shook her head. “He’s really not worth mentioning. Tell me more about the show tomorrow night. What are you wearing?”

April resolved to winkle the rest of this story out gradually. “I whipped up a little something.” She’d sourced some fabulous fabric from her supplier and had created a new dress that was bound to blow Matthew’s socks off.

“Black or white?”

“Shades of green.”

“To go with your new hair. Good thinking, Batman.”

The oft-used phrase from their teens made April smile. Red hair, green dress, was she channeling Poison Ivy or what?

*****

June didn’t make the catwalk show. But her wedding dress did.

As a surprise, Michael had extended their two-week honeymoon to a month’s cruise around the Caribbean, so the wedding dress had been sent to London brideless. Luckily, April had just the solution.

April stood backstage and gazed out at the darkened theatre. Large glistening chandeliers cast list onto the catwalk that stretched like a runway into the audience.

Marie waited her turn clad in June’s shimmering wedding dress.

“If I fall over…” Her face was white. Her hands shook.

“You won’t.” April hugged Marie tight. “You’ll be perfect.” When June bailed at the last moment Marie had generously agreed to take her place.

It was almost time. “Now. Go!” April stepped back and watched Marie strut her stuff down the runway at the finale of the show. Her entire body fizzed as though it was filled with sparkling fireworks. The reaction to the show was electric. Already, her favorite designer had sought her out, mid-show, and asked if she would be interested in a job.

April had clutched the little white business card tight as she’d promised to call.

Marie reached the end of the catwalk, turned, and sashayed back.

April’s heart was in her throat. The models clustered around her, ready for their final appearance before the crowd.

“April Leigh!” the compere shouted.

She linked arms with Marie and followed the models down the runway to the sound of applause.

Only the first row was visible from the stage. Amy, Eliza, her mother, father and Inez were all in the front row, cheering wildly. As was Matthew.

He stood and handed her a deep red rose as she drew level. Blew her a kiss.

The crowd went wild.

A balloon of happiness floated in her heart. In the past couple of weeks Matthew had met her friends. They’d travelled to Ireland, and spent time with her mother and his family. They were still living apart, but spent the nights together at her house or his apartment. His presence at her show was the icing on the cake. They might not be happy-ever-after, but they were certainly happy-for-now. They loved each other, she didn’t need more.

*****

Everything was ready. Logan Advertising’s team were ready at the start line with their monitoring equipment, which had been rigorously tested over the past week.

“Go.” Jason pushed Matthew’s arm. “We have it covered.”

“Wish me luck.” Jason knew of Matthew’s plan for today.

“You won’t need it. She’ll love it.” Jason grinned. “You’re a brave man though. I wouldn’t have the balls to do what you’re going to do.”

“Sure you would, for the right woman.” What they had was almost perfect. They met up every evening for a run, and then after went to his house or her apartment to spend the evenings together. But it wasn’t enough. Wasn’t perfect. He wanted her to know the depth of his love. Wanted everyone to know. There was only one way to show her he was serious. Publicly.

The streets were packed with spandex-nistas. The air buzzed with estrogen as eager runners lined up ready for the off.

“I better go.” Matthew searched the sidewalk for a way through. “The girls will be waiting.”

A thumbs up from Jason, then he was cutting through the crowd to the staging post where the supporters stood, clutching signs before a bank of cameras.

Marie, Eliza and Amy jumped up and down as they saw him coming. Amy had slotted right back into April’s life as if their time apart had never happened.

He walked right into the little group. “Are we ready?”

Wow, girls really do squee…

“I’m so excited!” Eliza gripped his arm so tight it almost cut off his blood supply. “She’s going to love it.”

“Nobody tipped her off?” He fixed each in turn with his give-it-up-glare.

“No way.” Marie shook her head. “We wouldn’t ruin this for anything.”

“They’re off!” Amy shouted. “Get ready!”

There was no way of seeing April in the crowd, no way to judge her reaction to what was to happen. Matthew’s stomach clenched tight as he logged in to the race’s URL and typed in the RFID tag number from the tiny device tied onto her shoelace tracking her position.

“She’s left the starting grid.”

Along the course, there were five mats which registered a runner’s progress around the course. It shouldn’t take long for her to pass over the next mat. Her time had increased substantially since they’d started training. If it hadn’t been a women only event, he’d be right there running with her.

Spending each evening running, talking along the way was his second favorite way of getting hot and sweaty. Showering together after their run was fast becoming addictive.

Last week, she’d had her hair cut into face-framing layers, and tinted warm red.

She looked great with her hair any color, but red was fast becoming a favorite.

The emerald dress she’d worn at her fashion show made her look so hot he’d been gasping for air. She’d received so many compliments she was already gathering brightly colored fabric swatches for her next collection.

“Look.” Amy pointed at the tablet. “She’s pinged.”

Matthew picked up the first sign.

Go, April Go!

She’d told him she loved his makeshift sign the first time around, so he’d had signs professionally produced with the words he wanted to say printed large.

He held it up in front of his chest, grinning like a fool as he imagined the effect seeing it would have.

*****

April’s lungs burned as she rounded the corner. The last screen was just up ahead, and she couldn’t wait to see what sign Matthew would be holding up when she reached it.

The steady rhythm she’d set since the start of the race meant her time would be more than respectable—the hours of training with Matthew had paid off big time. She’d never thought running would become such a satisfying pastime, in fact, she’d only started because Matthew loved it so much.

She liked sharing his passions. Loved the changes running had gifted her body. She’d always been lean, but honing her muscles had streamlined her look, and increased her stamina.

Stamina was good.

The first sign, “Go, April Go,” had made her smile.

The second “I’m giving you a massage when we get home,” had made her giggle.

The third “I love you,” had brought a tear to her eyes, especially when she saw the look in Matthew’s eyes.

He’d told the world.

Her pace picked up as she approached the sign.

The image of her friends and lover filled the screen. Amy, Eliza and Marie were jumping up and down; she could only imagine the sounds they were making by watching their mouths open and close.

Matthew stood dead center. His face was somber, serious.

The moment she saw the sign she stopped dead and stared.

“I won’t run. Will you?”

Emotion blindsided her as she fought for breath. She swiped a hand over her face, feeling the dampness of tears on her cheeks.

“No,” she whispered. “No.”

He waited at the finish line, with the sign at his feet.

“Help me out here,” he muttered as she ran straight into his arms. “Say you won’t run.”

Her gaze tilted up to his. “Only to you.”

Matthew pulled her close. He slipped a circlet of gold on her finger, sparkling diamonds and sapphire chips glinting in the sunlight.

“Eternity starts now.”

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