Page 18 of Now and Forever

Jared was nowhere to be found, so I went upstairs, intending to go to my bedroom until I realized the door across from mine stood ajar. Curiosity piqued, I entered the bedroom and found him there, standing on the balcony, deep in thought as he gazed into the English-designed garden and the Greek-style pool below.

“Do you need me to prepare the room so you can rest for a while?” I carefully suggested with his back facing me while I reprimanded myself for why it hadn’t occurred to me that he could be exhausted after a long journey. Since I was ensconced in the jet’s room, I had no clue if he managed to get any shuteye. Jared always functioned efficiently, never showing signs of exhaustion, not in the last nine years I’d known him.

Without twisting his body, he softly spoke. “Thomas suggested I use this room to put my belongings in.”

Oh. Thomas had to conveniently choose this room when there were four others to choose from. Was he in cahoots with my father? I wouldn’t put it past them. They were closer in age, so my father tended to divulge thoughts, particularly regarding me.

Slowly, I crossed the bedroom threshold, only halting against the frame of the French doors that led to the balcony. It was past noon; the sun was at its height, but the soft breeze caressing my skin felt cool and marvelous. For a brief moment, calmness temporarily pacified the heavy ache in my chest.

Jared began to turn to face me, hands in his pockets, eyes fixed on my serene face. “You don’t mind sharing a bed with me, do you?”

My heart stopped functioning the moment the word bed escaped his lips. Breaking eye contact, I tried to subtly release a breath. “I don’t mind at all.”

Magnetic eyes trained on me. “Since you’re here, I’d like to let you know we’re set to marry tomorrow.”

“That quick?”

“Yes. Unfortunately, everything has to move at a speedy rate.”

Try not to panic; it’s better to get it over now than later.This was for Papa. I’d give anything for him to attain as much peace as possible before he departed from this life.

With that in mind, purpose settled within. I mustered the courage to look Jared straight in the eye. “Where’s the ceremony taking place?”

“Here,” he duly informed before his eyes diverted towards the garden below again. “It’s the securest place to be in. No word will get out.” He had thought of everything, as expected.

“Of course.” It was no wonder his attention was fixated on the garden; he probably loathed the sight of it.

“Thomas arranged tomorrow’s preparations, so there’s nothing for you to worry about except your dress.” He paused. “I’ve also invited my mother if you don’t mind.”

His mother? I thought he had wished this to be a secret? Having her here would make it awkward, on my part, anyway. “Why would you do that?”

“So she stops nagging me to get married. What else?” He shrugged. “Thought it better to kill two birds with one stone, so to speak.”

Rose won’t be meeting mommy dearest anytime soon, then…Jared would be leading a double life. Did he know what he was signing on for? Was he even up to the challenge?

Rose. I had a feeling she’d be a thorn in my side very soon. My life sure wasn’t getting any easier. While my friends enjoyed the rest of summer, daydreaming about our first year at Stanford, my life, on the other hand, was far from exciting. At only eighteen, I was faced with problems I wasn’t sure I had the proper tools to fix. I dreaded what life at twenty-five would be like.

I was on the verge of losing my father, overwhelmed by my impending marriage, and the very image of my fake husband-to-be spending carnal nights with Rose left a sour taste on my tongue.

The imperative word to continuously drill into my hazy, lovesick mind was fake—and don’t I dare ever forget it!

“Papa wants us to join him for dinner at seven. Will that be good for you?” I straightened my stance, dejected, as I readied to leave him be.

He glanced at his watch. “Sure. I have to stop at the headquarters for a little bit, but I’ll be back before dinner. Will that please you?” Vibrant blue eyes drew me in, holding me entranced.

My throat ran dry. My sight flickered to his lips, and I unintentionally constricted my vaginal muscles. Oh, the things that pleased me…if only he knew. Well if he did know, he’d run for the hills. How was that for irony? “Whatever makes it easier for you, Jared,” I blandly said before readying to leave him in his reverie, but before I managed to take a step, he took hold of my arm, halting me altogether.

Confused, my eyes snapped to his face where a soft smile tugged at his lips.

“I think you and I will be fine, Gisele.” He gently placed a hand on my shoulder, pulling me close to him as he intently gazed down on me. Intense cerulean blues held me in place, momentarily rendering me stupid. “This is a difficult time for all of us. I want you to know I’m here for you, too. You can vent and air out all your worries; I won’t mind it at all.”

My God, those powerful hypnotic eyes…I could drown in them forever.

Things were falling apart around me, and yet, right this very moment, all I could focus on was how my body reacted to him in the most wanton, licentious manner.

He then did the most unexpected, surprising me with a soft kiss on the forehead. “Ease up, you’re stiff as a board. You’re going to be my wife tomorrow, so you have to get used to me being close to you.”

His wife. In name only. But still, something primal stirred within me when I heard him say his wife. Like I was some sort of property. Under normal circumstances, I was all for feminism and what not, but that didn’t apply where Jared was concerned. The thought of him manhandling me wasn’t appalling; it actually turned me on. So, what did that make me? You’re just like any other hormonal, oversexed eighteen-year-old woman.

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