Marriage of Convenience Read online

  “Oh, I intend to follow through. We need to talk. You have something I want, and I won’t stop until I get it. I’ll have a car at the south entrance to the park in one hour.”

  Caroline laughed. She didn’t know if this prank was Gloria or Sarah’s idea, but after the last surprise, she wasn’t falling for it.

  “And if I refuse?” she asked, laughing.

  “You don’t want to do that. Not if you value your new family.”

  Caroline stopped laughing. “Hey, if that’s supposed to be funny, your sense of humor stinks.” Where had they found this guy? Not only would she talk to the girls about this, but she intended to find out which service they used and give this guy’s boss a piece of her mind.

  “Does it sound like I’m laughing? One hour.” The line went dead, and Caroline was again starring at the receiver. What the hell was this all about? The girls had really outdone themselves this time. She was going to have to consider appropriate payback.

  Shrugging, she replaced the hand set and sauntered back to the patio. Where had she left her husband? Oh, yes. Caroline straddled his hips and smoothed her hand over his stomach, raising his shirt so that her hand was warmed by his skin underneath. “I had a great time last night,” she said. “Your mother would be proud.”

  “And my father would roll in his grave,” Malcolm said with a smile of satisfaction. They’d slept late this morning in part because they hadn’t gotten in until almost 4:00 in the morning. They’d overseen the caterers dismantle their displays and the gallery owners secure their art before leaving the new women’s center. They’d locked the doors and had dragged themselves to the waiting car only after everyone had filed out. They’d promptly fallen asleep on the car ride home and had stumbled to the elevator only with the assistance of the doorman.

  Last night had been the grand opening of the Graysan Potter Woman’s Center. The City was no stranger to centers and organizations determined to make a positive difference in the lives of countless abused, abandoned, and neglected women. But given the amount of inheritance Malcolm received as a result of his wedding, he’d been able to recruit the most amazing assistants to make his dream a reality. He’d sought out women with pasts similar to his mother’s to design everything, from the building to the services they would specialize in. They in turn had hired women like themselves to take on the responsibilities necessary to create and operate a center with an endowment larger than most Ivy League colleges. Malcolm had hired only one person beyond the initial core group of women to act as his liaison, so he was certain the center was indeed addressing those issues he thought his mother would approve.

  The women had started by purchasing an old industrial condo downtown. The bottom floor was open and airy, and the upper floors offered plenty of room and board space as well as conference rooms and auditorium spaces for education classes.

  In celebration of their achievement, they’d hosted a fundraising soiree with the money to benefit a college fund available to the children of the women who had already begun applying for services. For the affair, the staff had cleared the lower level of the building of any office related furniture and had brought in cocktail tables. They’d kept the affair light on decorations and instead had simple lighting highlight the magnificent natural beauty of the 19th century building. The lower level was completely open space save a few half walls. The ceilings were thirty feet high, and the exposed rafters above seemed to add another foot and a half to the measuring eye below. The plaster had been removed to make the room sound less like an auditorium. The exposed brick and hardwood rafters gave color and warmth and the added benefit of sound absorption. The floors were the original wide hardwood planks. Floor to ceiling windows allowed the glow from the candles to light the sidewalk, welcoming more than 500 guests.

  To raise money for the college fund, the staff had arranged a two part collection. Though the affair was by invitation only, those who accepted also agreed to a $500 per plate donation. While enjoying cocktails, guests had the opportunity to peruse and purchase art on display by some of the world’s most talented up and coming artists. Gallery owners from across the world had been offered exhibit space. The college fund received 25% of each sale.

  The atmosphere had been supportive, the music enchanting, and the food delicious. Caroline had provided the centerpiece cake, and many guests commented on her contribution to the art world. Malcolm couldn’t have agreed more. All in all, his plans to honor his mother had begun very well. He’d arranged for a board of volunteer trustees to manage the day-to-day existence of the center. And he had complete faith in the women who were hired to manage the center’s in-take, counseling, education, and legal services. He looked forward to seeing the results of the center’s good works.

  “Thank you for all your work and support. I don’t think I could have done it without you.” He kissed Caroline’s head and squeezed her closer.

  “Well, not without your father’s money anyway.” She grinned.

  “True,” he said. He could have begun the center without his inheritance, but there was something poetic about taking someone’s most prized possession and using it for the thing they hated the most. In this case, taking his father’s money and using it support the independence and education of women.

  ****

  “Isn’t it ironic that we met and married through the will of someone who didn’t support the sanctity of marriage?”

  Malcolm smiled. “I had that thought even before we met. My father’s desire for me to marry before I could inherit always seemed off somehow. I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop.”

  Caroline raised her head and eyed him quizzically. “You don’t think…?”

  “I don’t know. It just seemed a bizarre requirement. Since when did he care about being married or other people’s happiness for that matter?”

  She laid her head back down. After a few minutes she shrugged. It didn’t really matter, did it? They were married; they’d created a wonderful organization to commemorate his mother, and life would go on.

  “Let’s go sailing.”

  “Today?” Malcolm seemed to ponder the idea, but then turned to her with a slight frown. “I was hoping we could, you know.” He waggled his eyebrows and gave her body a slow once-over. “It’s been hours.”

  Caroline laughed. “So I noticed.” She brushed her lips against his chest, smoothing her hand over the front of his jeans, feeling the evidence of his arousal. Since the honeymoon, the sex between them had changed. It was still hot and incredibly sexy, but there was tenderness to it. A concentration on the process as much as the result. Caroline felt goose-bumps form on her arms as she thought about how wonderful it was to spend hours together, appreciating each curve, dip, and peak.

  Malcolm pulled her body onto his, running his hands up and down her back. Caroline reciprocated, pulling his shirt free and working her hands beneath the material. His skin was silky and warm against her palms, the muscles shifting smoothly. Eager to feel more of him, she moved her hands down his waist to his belt. Fumbling with the clasp, she finally freed it and undid the button. Sliding down the zipper, she worked her hand inside.

  Malcolm’s shaft was hot and firm against her hand, and she stroked him. His hips automatically flexed in response, and he dug his fingers into her shoulders. Capturing her mouth with his, Malcolm kissed her deeply, plunging his tongue into her warmth, mimicking the actions of his hips.

  “Caroline, I need you.”

  She nodded and kissed him thoroughly before taking on the buttons of his shirt. They disrobed quickly, and Malcolm turned them on the chaise so that he was settled on top. She loved the weight of his body pressing down on her, dominating her. Moving her splayed fingers across his shoulder, she wanted to experience every inch of him. She slid her foot up and down his thigh while tracing the indented path of his spine with her fingers. Slowly, she skimmed her hands around his waist, before moving lower to squeeze and pull at his buttocks, urging him to move closer to her ac
hing center.

  As she explored his body, Malcolm tenderly kneaded the soft flesh of her breasts, flicking her nipples with his thumbs until they stood at attention. He replaced his hands with his mouth, nipping and suckling first one and then the other until Caroline whimpered in pleasure.

  He moved to her neck, and she raked her fingers through his hair. He moaned in approval, and she smiled, pleased to give as well as receive.

  His breath was ragged against her ear, sending shivers down her spine. She was so close already. “Can you feel how much you please me?”

  Caroline, unable to speak, only nodded. Malcolm raised himself up on his elbows and looked down at her.

  “Every whimper, every shudder, every sensation is amplified with you.”

  Malcolm trailed his finger tips down the length of her body, barely making contact with her skin, but still causing her to shiver in delight. Raising her arm, he brushed delicate kisses down its length until he reached her fingers. Then, one by one, he sucked on each finger, using his tongue to tease the sensitive skin of her palm.

  He offered the other arm the same treatment, watching Caroline as she watched him with half hooded eyelids.

  Shifting lower, he laid a trail of butterfly kisses over her stomach. He traced the shape of her navel with his tongue while delicately kneading her bottom with his hands. Gently, Malcolm nibbled her hip bone and soothed kisses over the pinked skin.

  Having explored and claimed his new wife’s lovely body, Malcolm gently pulled her jeans down and pushed her knees apart. Caroline could already feel the tremors building inside of her. The mere thought of what he might do to her had her hips restlessly shifting on the chaise, silently acquiescing and pleading for it start.

  Malcolm slid his finger over her sensitive flesh and dipped one and then two fingers into her, causing her to clutch the sides of the chair and raise her hips. Rhythmically, Malcolm moved in and out of her. With each stroke, her breath caught, and she struggled to maintain sanity. When his hot tongue began to tease her tender flesh, she was lost, tumbling uncontrollably over the edge.

  Her heart hammering in her chest, Caroline let her legs fall to the side. Rising to his knees, Malcolm obviously had no intention of letting her relax. Lifting her legs, he raised them hip-high. “Wrap your legs around me,” he said, his voice gruff even as he thrust inside her.

  Caroline’s eyes widened as he filled her. They rocked back and forth, allowing the tension to build until they were both beyond control. Caroline cried out as she came, her body squeezing around his. At the same time, Malcolm emitted a cry and allowed his body to relax over hers. Slowly reality overtook the foggy warmth that enveloped them, and he began to shift off her, bracing himself with his forearms.

  “No, stay.” Caroline tugged him back into place until he covered her once again. She wrapped her arms around his glistening chest.

  “I don’t want to hurt you,” he said.

  “But it keeps the feeling alive. Just for a few more minutes.”

  Caroline felt him relax into her body, burying his face in her hair as she leisurely rubbed her hands up and down his sweat-slicked back. He was still inside of her, and she wished they could stay this way forever. She felt possessed by him and never wanted to feel any other way.

  With a sigh, she pushed against his shoulder, and he rolled onto his side, drawing her close to cuddle her against him. “That was amazing,” he said with a satisfied sigh, kissing her lightly on the crown of her head. She snuggled closer and laid an arm across his stomach. With his hand on her arm, it wouldn’t have been possible for them to be physically connected any more than they were. The physical closeness resembled the mental and emotional closeness that had grown between them over the last few weeks.

  Though she still thought of her goal, Caroline felt herself vacillating a little more each day toward the idea that she could have everything. A loyal husband, an exciting job, a beautiful home, an adventurous life, and a wonderful baby. She dared not think about it too much, but once the notion tumbled into her brain, it was difficult not to watch it grow and blossom with each passing day.

  Stretching out beside her husband, Caroline warmed herself in the sun. They hadn’t made love on the patio yet, and she relished the cool breeze as well as the warm sun. Her stomach growled, reminding her that before they’d devoured each other, they’d been waiting to have lunch.

  Sitting up to reach the house line, Caroline turned back to Malcolm to confirm their sailing plans. Malcolm checked his phone for messages and pages and then nodded in the affirmative. Caroline asked Geoffrey to pack their sandwiches and then turned her face back to the sun. Today would be another wonderful day.

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  An accomplished City girl, Caroline traveled to the shop by subway. The shop wasn’t directly on the line, so she walked the remaining few blocks from the station. She supposed she could catch the bus, but unless the weather was uncooperative, the walk was pleasant enough. This morning the sun peeked through the light clouds and promised a comfortably cool, but sunny fall day. The morning walk gave her time to review her schedule and mentally prepare for the day. The evening walk gave her time to unwind and release any pent-up emotions that had gathered during the day.

  She knew she would have plenty to kick around this evening’s walk as she arrived to find her shop surrounded by New York’s finest.

  “Ma’am, you can’t go in there. Please stay back off the sidewalk.” A young officer placed his arm in front of Caroline’s path, preventing her from entering the side door. He was smooth-faced and too polite to have been on the force long. She imagined he was saddled with this duty as a result of someone else pulling rank and refusing to be the crime scene bouncer.

  “Why can’t I go inside?” Her mind was reeling from the shock of seeing the cops at her door. She wanted to assess the damage and understand what she was seeing. The sidewalk, which was cordoned off with yellow tape, was covered in broken glass. The same glass from the large plate glass windows that used to separate her cafe sitting area from the rest of the City. Polyester stuffing floated in and out of the gaping hole created by the broken glass, but because the main part of the window and sitting area turned the corner, she couldn’t see the full extent of the damage.

  “I own this shop. Please let me in. What happened? Was anyone hurt? Who did this?” Tears pricked her eyes, and she fought to maintain she composure. Pressing her lips together, she took a deep breath through her nose and closed her eyes. She had insurance, so there wouldn’t be a problem with replacing the broken glass or the smashed furniture. As far as she was aware, however, her policy didn’t cover emotional breakdowns or mental collapse, regardless of how violated she felt as a result of someone so callously invading her life and destroying her dream.

  “Ma’am, if this place is yours, those guys over there are going to want to speak with you.” He pointed to a pair of men in street clothes standing just inside the side door. “If you’ll wait here, I’ll see if they’re ready to talk to you.” He trotted off without a response.

  It was just as well. Caroline was fairly certain her vocalization skills were weak at best. Her hands had started to shake, but as the young officer ran off, she pushed passed the onlookers and onto the sidewalk. Slipping under the yellow tape, she walked around the edge of the sidewalk and around the corner. On this side of the street, she had a full view of what had been a beautifully arranged sitting area. A customer could sit in a cocktail chair at the short stretch of bar and people watch, read in one of the overstuffed chairs she’d personally scouted, or work on a laptop at a long, wooden farm bench. She’d had the tables especially made with a trench running down the center to hold cords, pencil cups, files, and books. Each space had a cup holder, so drinks didn’t accidentally get pushed over, and a raised plate shelf, so papers didn’t get mixed in the food.

  “Ma’am, I asked you to wait over there.” The tone in the young officer’s voice was that of a parent to a petulant chil
d.

  Caroline didn’t respond. She couldn’t, even if she’d cared about straying from her spot. The cocktail chairs were missing their seats. The chair backs were slashed through and the stuffing pulled from the seats. The tables listed at odd angles as their legs had been splintered and broken. Their surfaces had been gouged and burned. Shards of broken glass sparkled on every surface.

  “Ma’am? Please come back this way. You’re standing in the crime scene. Did you touch anything?”

  Turning to the insensitive public servant, her mouth agape, words failed her. Tears streamed down her face. Even if she could replace the material losses, would she? The damage was extensive and brutal. Deliberate.

  “Did you touch anything?”

  Caroline, head hung low, shook her head.

  “Come with me, please.”

  She followed without question, numbing to the scene in front of her. Surely she was going to wake up any moment. She was really snug in her bed, Malcolm snoring gently beside her. She’d open her eyes, see his handsome face and enjoy the wonderful coffee aroma filtering in from the kitchen. She’d wake Malcolm slowly, enjoy a shower with him, skip breakfast because they’d spent too much time in the shower, and take her coffee on the run. The day at the shop would be busy but productive, and she’d return to the house in the evening ready to regale Malcolm with stories of demanding brides and unrealistic deadlines.

  “Caroline? Oh, God, are you all right? What the hell happened?” A chorus of voices reached out from the crowd. Caroline’s head popped up at the familiar voices. Oh, to be near someone who could understand her devastation. She detoured from the young officer’s path and reached out to her staff.

  “Caroline! What happened?”

  “Who did this? Why did they do it?”

  “What should we do? Caroline, tell us!”