For the Sake of His Heir Page 7

  The tense worry pulling her eyebrows tight wasn’t exactly what he’d been going for.

  “What’s wrong?” Shoving over the display case, he shifted to sit on the ottoman across from her so he could see her better. “You’re not having second thoughts, I hope.”

  Unease dimmed his excitement. He’d already filed for the marriage license. He needed her to go through with this for the sake of his grandfather’s will and to bolster his position with regard to custody of his son. But more than that, he wanted Brianne in his life. The attraction they’d been ignoring wasn’t going away this time. Spending the last twenty-four hours together had only strengthened their connection, something she must recognize, too.

  “Not exactly.” She shook her head, the dark, damp strands of her hair swishing against her white sweater. With no makeup and fresh from the shower, she looked the way she did at the start of so many work mornings, except she hadn’t tied back her hair.

  Natural. Unaffected. Beautiful.

  He laid a hand on her knee, a privilege he wouldn’t have allowed himself just last week.

  “Is it your family? Are you worried about anything?” He had tried to make things as easy as possible for her the night before, but she wouldn’t hear of leaving her grandmother at the ER alone and he didn’t blame her.

  “We agreed to the marriage for our own personal reasons, and they still stand.” She set aside her plate. “Already, you’re helping me so much with my grandmother, and I couldn’t be more grateful. But I woke up this morning thinking about Jason. How’s this going to affect him? We’re going to get attached to each other...” She blinked fast. Shook her head. “That is, Jason and I—we’ll spend a lot of time together this year. And where does that leave him twelve months from now?”

  The concern in her voice, the worry in her eyes, should have touched Gabe. He knew that—and somewhere inside, he was moved by her thoughtfulness. Her ability to put Jason first. But more than anything, her words lit a new fire under the old resentment at Theresa for never voicing any such concern about her own defection.

  With an effort, he swallowed back that bitterness in order to reassure Brianne.

  “The fact that you care how he’ll feel means you’re going to handle it the right way.” He let his thumb stroke the top of her knee. “Every parenting book I read says that as long as you’re caring and trying, you’re ahead of the curve. And I know you’ll do both those things, Brianne. You care, and you’ll try to make any separation easier for Jason.”

  Her gaze slid from his down to where he touched her, but he couldn’t pull away. Not until he knew she understood.

  Slowly, she lowered her hand to his and held it, effectively stilling his movement. Or taking comfort from him? He couldn’t tell with Brianne. She’d asked him not to press the attraction, but they were still friends. Still capable of offering one another comfort.

  “I had a lot of people walk away from me when I was a kid, and I know how much it hurts,” she confided, her dark eyes bright with emotion.

  “I would never stop you from seeing Jason afterward.” He wanted more relationships for his son. “I want love in his life, Brianne.”

  “Thank you.” She blinked away the tears in her eyes, seeming to tighten the reins on her composure. “That helps.”

  How often did she do that? he wondered. Hold a piece of her heart back for safekeeping?

  “And don’t forget, not everyone walked away from you when you were a kid. Yes, your grandmother sent you away,” he reminded her gently, “but did you ever doubt her love for a minute?” He didn’t need an answer from her since the truth was obvious. “Kids feel it when the grown-ups around them are trying to do the right thing. They sense that care and connection.”

  She nodded. “I know what you mean.” She smiled slightly. “Nana’s pretty great, isn’t she?”

  “Yes. Just like you.” He gave her fingers one more squeeze and then let go, turning to pick up the ring box again. “So let’s not worry about the future anymore and focus on important things like diamonds and breakfast.” He handed her back the white china plate while he slid free the ring closest to her, holding it up to the daylight through the window. “What do you think of this? A round diamond is supposed to be the most stable in a setting. I thought you’d like that since you work with your hands a lot.”

  “Gabe.” She pointed her fork at him between bites. “Those diamonds are all outrageous. You have to know they are too over-the-top for a down-to-earth girl like me.”

  “Carat size is nonnegotiable.” He liked that teasing light in her dark eyes. But he set down the ring with the round diamond. “How about this one? The jeweler told me it’s technically called a rose cut, which is an old-fashioned way to polish a diamond, apparently.” He held up another ring for her to see the facets. “I thought you might like it as a nod to your grandmother. Another Rose.”

  He had her attention now. She set down her plate again and leaned closer.

  “I’ve never heard of a rose cut.” Taking the platinum set piece from him, she tilted it this way and that.

  “I hadn’t, either, until this morning, when the jeweler dropped these off.” He popped another ring from its satin slot. “This one is a pink diamond that’s rose cut. Double the roses.”

  “It’s stunning.” She ran one fingertip along the band, her hand brushing his.

  She studied the ring and he watched her. He could tell this one was the winner, and liked that she’d chosen something so overtly feminine.

  “Would you like to try it on?” He took the first ring from her hand and set it on top of the case, keeping her fingers captive all the while.

  “Are we really doing this?” Her breathless voice skipped along his senses like a tentative touch.

  “Yes.” He rolled the platinum band back and forth between two fingers, the pink diamond glinting. “We absolutely are.”

  He needed this marriage.

  And even more? He wanted this woman.

  “Then I guess it can’t hurt to try it on.” The grin spreading over her face made him smile, too.

  Damn, but he wanted to make her happy.

  The urge to kiss her was strong. Any other time, with any other woman, he wouldn’t have thought twice about giving in to that urge. But Brianne had asked him to hold back.

  So he would. At least for a little longer.

  Turning his attention to her hand, he lifted her ring finger and slid the pink stone into place. Outside the office, he could hear Jason banging on pots in the kitchen while Nadine tried to sing accompaniment.

  “A perfect fit,” he announced, admiring the way the jewel looked against her deeper skin tone. “Like it was made for you.”

  “How did you know what size?” She peered up at him, her dark waves taking shape as her hair dried.

  “Last night in the emergency room, I held your hand for a minute and got a feel of that topaz ring you were wearing yesterday.” The move hadn’t been calculated, but feeling the band around her finger had reminded him he needed to seal their bargain with an engagement ring. “When I let go, I drew what I thought the size was on a piece of paper from the nurses’ station. The jeweler matched up the drawing with a real size after I sent it over this morning.”

  “I guess that shouldn’t surprise me. You’re always superdexterous when you’re working with wood.” She flexed her fingers back and forth, as if getting used to the feel of it. Her gaze darted self-consciously toward him for a moment before she lifted a miniature sweet roll from her plate and took a bite, chewing thoughtfully. “You’re very good with your hands.”

  Because he was staring at her, he could see the moment the comment took on a sensual dimension in her thoughts. Her eyes widened. Two fingers covered her lips as if she could still catch the words she’d just uttered.

  “I’m glad you’ve noticed.” He imagined applying
that skill set to his bride’s luscious curves. Envisioned the slow stroke of his hand up her thigh. Over her hip. “I hope you’ll consider putting my hands to work for the common good in the months ahead.”

  “The common good?” Skepticism dripped from her words. “I’ll keep that in mind if I need any historic woodwork restored.”

  “Surely you can be more imaginative than that,” he replied, enjoying the way the heat spiked between them. Wanting her to consider the possibilities this marriage offered. “You work in a creative field, after all.”

  “Wicked man.” She straightened in her seat and faced him head-on even though her cheeks were flushed pink. “I’m not sure my job is all that creative, but landscaping definitely has taught me how to wade through...BS.”

  He had to laugh at that one. “It’s not BS if I mean every word.” He stood, not wanting to pressure her when he hadn’t yet completed the primary objective: marriage. “But how’s your schedule look for tomorrow afternoon? I spoke to the same court clerk who married Jager and Delia, and he said he could make a trip out here if we’re ready for the wedding ceremony by noon tomorrow.”

  “Really? So soon?” Blinking, she shoved to her feet and seemed to take a few calming breaths. She tugged her phone from the side pocket of her cargo pants. Pressing the button to light up the screen, she glanced back up at him. “That would make us husband and wife in twenty-four hours.”

  “Why delay?” He couldn’t afford to lose the advantage now that she’d said yes. “I had a few gowns brought in this morning along with some flower options. Would you like to see?” He’d had the household staff hopping from the moment he’d rolled out of bed this morning, but it turned out his half brother employed extremely competent help.

  Then again, Ian’s personal assistant had seemed glad for the work after managing a quiet apartment for the past week. Which was a good thing, since Gabe wasn’t letting anything stand between him and Brianne, or their wedding.

  “You’re serious.” Brianne shook her head. “I don’t need to see the gowns now. I’m just surprised how fast everything is coming together.

  “As promised.” He’d made additional arrangements to leak the news of the wedding so that Theresa would hear.

  Not that she would care one way or the other, but Gabe wanted his ex—and her lawyers—to know that Jason was living in a secure, two-parent home. Sooner rather than later.

  “I’d hoped my grandmother could be one of our witnesses, but I’m not sure she’ll feel up to it.” Brianne worried her lower lip.

  Fixated on the movement, he wished he could swoop in and capture her mouth with his, saving her lower lip from the torment. But he didn’t want to push her more off-kilter when he needed to nail down plans for a wedding.

  “We can see how she feels in the morning. But it might be easier to get a couple of staffers to be our witnesses so Rose can rest. The nurse was going to ask her doctor about increasing the pain medications for a couple of days so your grandmother can get some extra sleep and recover.” His phone buzzed with an incoming message and he picked it up to check it.

  “I’ll go upstairs and speak to the nurse right now.” Brianne didn’t move, though. She put a hand on his arm. “Is everything okay?”

  Inwardly cursing the frustrating news he’d just received on the phone, Gabe mentally reworked his plans to accommodate the sudden turn of events. He turned off the screen.

  “Just a note from Ian, the half brother I was speaking to when you first came in.” He huffed out a breath of irritation as he pocketed the phone. “Apparently my grandfather won’t be returning to New York until he can convince his estranged older son to see him.”

  “Even though you traveled all this way to meet with him?” She tilted her head, the same way she did when she stared at a new landscaping space, as if she couldn’t quite take its measure.

  He was having a tough time figuring it out himself. But he’d come this far to solidify his son’s legacy. He wasn’t going to turn around and go home or let Malcolm McNeill off the hook. He planned to meet the man face-to-face. Become an irrefutable part of this family to protect Jason’s interests.

  “He’s an old man in failing health. He wants to conserve his resources and minimize his own time in the air.” Gabe only hoped Brianne would be on board with the plan B taking shape in his mind.

  He’d simply have to go to Malcolm.

  Brianne frowned. “I don’t understand. How long will we stay in New York to wait for him?” Her dark eyes searched his.

  “We could avoid waiting around if we went to him. Your grandmother has around-the-clock nursing care, and Jason is in excellent hands, so we’re not needed here for a few days.” He couldn’t deny there was a whole lot of appeal to having Brianne all to himself. “What do you say to a honeymoon in Wyoming?”

  * * *

  Twenty-four hours later, Brianne was so nervous that the delphinium petals in her wedding bouquet were jiggling in her hand as she waited beside her grandmother’s bed. She’d spoken to the nurse about increasing Nana’s dose of pain medication for the next few days so she could heal and sleep. Brianne approved of the plan wholeheartedly, except she sure wished she could get Nana Rose’s blessing before she said her vows in Gabe’s half brother’s living room.

  What a crazy few days it had been.

  “Nana?” Brianne sank to the edge of the bed. Her grandmother’s face was peaceful, her bandaged arm resting on the cream-colored linens.

  Was it wishful thinking, or did her color look a little better today? Nana had been so weary by the time they returned from the emergency room, her skin pale and breathing shallow.

  “Try again, honey,” the gray-haired nurse, Adella, urged from the doorway, her starched white uniform bearing little resemblance to the colorful scrubs the ER staff had sported. “I’ve been holding off her next dose so she has a chance of hearing you.”

  “Nana?” Brianne said again, louder, lowering a hand to her grandmother’s thin shoulder.

  Already, she could hear Nadine calling for her from downstairs. No doubt they were waiting for her to start the wedding ceremony.

  “Brianne,” Nana replied in a scratchy voice from the bed. “What’s wrong?”

  Her grandmother hadn’t even opened her eyes. Brianne squeezed her hand, careful to touch only the uninjured arm. Behind her, she heard Adella intercede with Nadine to wait another minute before interrupting them.

  “Nothing’s wrong, Nana. Can you open your eyes?” She really wanted her grandmother to see her in the outrageously beautiful gown made of imported Italian lace and satin. “I’m getting married to Gabe today, and I wanted you to see me. You’re the closest family I have.”

  With a slow flutter of lashes, Nana’s eyelids lifted.

  “Oh, child. Look at you.” Rose’s eyes roamed Brianne from head to toe. “Stand up so I can take a peek at that dress.”

  Brianne couldn’t help a twinge of self-consciousness even as she got to her feet. She was romanticizing this when the ceremony was a formality for a marriage that would end one year from now. But what if she never married again? A wistful piece of her heart wanted to savor the joy of twirling in this beautiful lace minidress and matching jacket. She’d left her dark hair down to fall over one shoulder. Her pale blue sling-backs echoed the deep indigo of the delphiniums she carried. She had never placed much importance on appearance, often dressing to deflect attention after her stepmother’s criticism during her preteen years. But today, she felt beautiful.

  Gabe had given her that.

  “I’m getting married downstairs.” And then she was hopping on a plane again, to share a honeymoon in Wyoming with her outrageously sexy former boss. “The city clerk is already here, Nana, but I wanted you to know.”

  Nana’s smile was fleeting as her eyes closed again. For a moment, Brianne thought she’d fallen back asleep, but then came a whi
spered rasp from the bed.

  “Be true to yourself, Brianne.” Nana Rose mumbled the words, her lips barely moving. “You can’t make anyone else happy until you’re happy.”

  Brianne’s throat burned a little at the advice that didn’t quite apply since she and Gabe were marrying for very particular reasons. She wished she wasn’t deceiving the person she loved most in the world. But she’d done what she’d come here to do.

  Now it was time to get married.

  “Thank you, Nana. I love you.” She kissed her grandmother’s forehead. “I’m going to take a honeymoon for a few days, but I’ll be back before you know it, and Adella is going to stay with you.”

  “Love you, too, Bri. And don’t you dare rush home to sit with your granny when you have a hot-looking husband to enjoy.” Her eyes opened long enough to give Brianne a sly wink. “Go on and have fun, honey.”

  “I’ll...um. Okay.” She didn’t have a response to that one when she had no idea what a honeymoon for a contract marriage would be like. Platonic, right? Her heart beat too fast; she was fairly certain she was lying to herself. She might have used up all her restraint where Gabe was concerned while he’d been married to someone else.

  Especially now that it was clear she had his full attention. The attraction was undeniable.

  “Bri?” Nana stirred again. “Wendy is breaking in to the apartment when I go out. If you want anything out of there, better lock the windows before she takes what little I have left.”

  A moment’s horror made Brianne almost trip. No wonder Nana’s apartment had been so bare. Anger burned through her that someone who’d married in to their dysfunctional family could be so cruel. The strains of a violin drifted into the room, the lilting classical composition at odds with the dark implication of Nana’s revelation.

  “I’ll make sure she doesn’t take anything else.” Brianne would ask Gabe if they could have the apartment contents cleared and moved to a storage facility until it was time to move her grandmother to Martinique. “Should we ask the police to get involved? I’m sure we can recover—”