Page 55 of Reckless Kiss

“Oh, don’t worry, Archer is blind and clueless to a two-bit actress like you. Let me be very clear. You have committed to being his wife. That ring on your finger has been in the family for hundreds of years. You will see this marriage through and never seek a divorce. I will have it added into my will that if you divorce Archer Turner, he and his siblings will lose their entire inheritance.”

“I don’t understand?”

“The Turners marry for life immaterial if it’s a love match or not.”

“I’m a divorcee,” Erica said.

“That information was clear on your report. I understand he had an affair and is having a child with another woman. If Archer strays, you will turn a blind eye.”

“The hell I will.”

“Think about Archer, his inheritance, and what he wants to do for his siblings. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree Miss Taylor or is it Mrs Potter?”

“Taylor is my maiden name. Potter was my married name.”

“And Turner will be your next and final name.”

“This is the 21stcentury.”

“Then give the ring back to me now. I’ll break the news to Archer, and you can scurry off the island in the morning.”

“I’m not going anywhere.”

“Glad to hear it, dear,” she said, patting Erica’s hand and walking up the staircase to the upper floor.

Erica felt tiny in the grand foyer, wondering what she’d got herself into. When she agreed to marry Archer, she thought it would be just them. But, to have the head of the Turner family dictating what she would put up in a marriage made it very real that she was making a lifelongcommitment. Archer had told her she could walk away as soon as they were married. Did he know she was locked in for life if he was to secure his sibling’s future?

“Everything okay?” Archer asked, approaching her from across the hall.

He’d worn a navy suit with a white shirt and matching blue tie. In his hand was a napkin. When he stood in front of Erica at the bottom of the staircase, he opened the corners of the bundle of fabric to show her half a dozen chocolates.

“You moaned like you did last night when you ate your chocolate. I want a private audience as you eat these,” he said.

“Archer,” she said, holding back her tears.

She couldn’t handle his thoughtfulness, kindness, and observation of her enjoyment of the chocolates. The coldness coming from his aunt had been a bucket of ice water over her entire body.

He brought her into a tight hold, crushing her to him, carefully keeping the chocolates out of the way. “Whatever she said to you, ignore her. Please tell me you’re not having second thoughts.”

“She’s from another world. I feel like I’m in a tailspin.”

Archer brought her to arm’s length to look at her. Erica saw his concern etched all over his face and her throat burned from his aunt’s words. Her diva persona wanted to yell up the stairs that she had an academy award but stayed mute as the older woman dictated to her.

“What the fuck did she say?”

“Nothing, nothing Archer, it’s all good. I haven’t changed my mind. I’ll be at the altar in a white dress and be your wife. Nothing to worry about here.”

“That’s three nothings in one speech. It sounds like to me you’re going to bolt as soon as I turn my back.”

“I have no reason to lie to you, Archer,” she said, patting the flat of her hand on his chest.

The heat from his shirt made her keep her hand on his pectoral. She swished her hand to the left and then groaned. He was too delicious for words. Archer put his hand on top of hers, curling his fingers around her hand, and stepped closer.

“Are you feeling me up, honey?” he said in a low voice that set her insides on fire.

“You’re insanely handsome. My hands have a mind of their own. I should get back to my cottage.”

“Am I invited? A nightcap perhaps,” he asked, inching nearer, dropping his head to touch his lips to hers.

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