A Perfect Bride For Christmas (28 page)

stampeding sensations.

“I can’t do this, Alex.” She dropped her lashes over her eyes to blind herself to the perfect shape of his mouth. All it would take was one step closer to taste him, to feed on heaven.

His finger tipped her chin up. “Look at me. Did you mean what you said yesterday?”

She couldn’t lie to him. “Yes.”

The blue eyes searched hers with an intensity

that left her breathless. “How the hell did we end up like this?” his words came out in a harsh whisper.

Zoe turned away, unable to bear his scrutiny. “I said it before. Wrong time, wrong place, wrong

woman.”

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“Someday, I’ll make this up to you. I don’t know how, but I promise I will.” He came up behind her, hands on her shoulders, his chin resting on her head. “I don’t deserve your love.” She could feel his throat work. “Five years ago, I was a different man. I took everything you had to give and give you nothing but heartache. You were the only person I could turn to when my relationships went south. I unloaded all my garbage on you. I never had to worry about

someone taking you away from me because of your weight.”

His words cut deep. Zoe tried to struggle out of his hold.

“Shhh. I’m a selfish bastard. I was so angry that day in Vegas because my best friend, not Tommy, but you, had taken advantage of me. I felt betrayed.”

“This is ancient history.”

“I’m screwing this up.” Alex let out a sigh and moved away to lean against the counter. He jammed his hands into his jeans pockets. “You know, when I watched the video of you and the kids, I really hated your husband.”

“Why?”

Alex paused for a few seconds, his gaze focused on his running shoes. “James got to love you. Really, deep down love you.” He shook his head. “I could see it from the way he looked at you, even with the extra weight, he loved you.”

“Yes, he did.” Zoe nodded. “I count myself

fortunate to have known him.”

“He never would’ve let you go like I did.” Alex voice became gravelly. “I don’t think he would’ve abandoned you just because someone else thought you didn’t stack up to the other corporate wives.”

Alex rubbed his nose and glanced up with a ghost of a smile. “Frankly, I think you would’ve smoked

them—left them in your dust.”

Zoe smiled back but didn’t know what to say.

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“James Bennett was the man I should’ve been,

more of a man than I’ll ever be.” The muscles in his jaw bunched. “He raised a pretty high bar for me. I don’t think I’ll be able to be anything like him.”

“All you have to do is to be a father to the girls.”

“That’s not what I mean.”

Zoe’s fingers fumbled on the lid one of the

sample boxes. The conversation hit too close to the heart. A stab of guilt sliced through her chest. She’d loved James but not in the way she loved Alex.

“What has this got to do with us?” Zoe opened a couple more containers, slipped them into the oven and set it to warm. “We’re parents together, nothing more. You don’t have to live up to James. I’m not asking you to.”

“I don’t know why I’m going through this

charade. This whole wedding is a wa
s
te of time.”

Alex swiped his hand over his face. “I’m going to call it off with Sydney.”

Zoe didn’t say anything, couldn’t. A fist of

emotion strangled the words.

“Did you hear me?”

She nodded. Her emotions tumbled in freefall.

Hope and anger warred with each other until she wanted to scream with frustration. Where did all this leave her and the girls? Alex never kept his attention focused on anyone or anything for long.

“I can’t marry her.” Panic threaded through the desperation in his voice.

“What do you want me say, Alex?”

“That you’ll give me another chance.” Hope and

longing burned bright in his eyes, but she knew his track record.

“What if you get tired of me or the girls? Will you leave us like you left all the others? I thought Sydney was your perfect bride—what, less than two weeks ago?”

“I did, but I fell for an image not the real person.

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She’s not—”

“Perfect? None of us are. You aren’t.” Zoe untied her apron. “You didn’t want me because I didn’t fit into the image of what you wanted. I can’t keep feeding off scraps. I told you, no more.” She pulled in a shaky breath. “I meant it.” She threw her apron on the table, unmindful that it fell into a plate

swimming with syrup.

“Zoe.”

“You need to figure out what you want to do

with your life, but you damn well better make sure my—our—children don’t suffer. I will stand between them and hellfire to keep them safe from everything, everyone, including you. Do you understand me?”

Desolation filled his eyes. “Yeah, I understand.”

He surveyed the food covering the countertop. “Just pick out something, anything, and give Mom a quote.

I’ve got some stuff to do.”

Alex left without looking back.

Zoe held on the edge of the counter. Her legs

refused to hold her. She leaned over the sink,

watching Alex through the kitchen window. He

trudged through the shin-deep snow towards his

Hummer, his back hunched over. Zoe stuffed her fist in her mouth to hold back the sobs burning inside her chest. They screamed for release, but Zoe forced them down until they were belly deep. She’d cried over the man for the last time. He had to work out his own life before she could let him in hers. The girls were different, they loved him

unconditionally—Zoe had to protect her heart.

****

to catch up on a few loose ends concerning Keeley.

He shut down his netbook and leaned back in his chair. Christmas lights glimmered on the pines

outside the windows; a few flakes fell in a lazy slide from the night sky. Christmas-card perfect.

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Except nothing was perfect.

He might as well go with the flow and marry

Sydney. A partnership in the firm should’ve soothed away any lingering doubts but now it tasted more like a consolation prize rather than a promotion. Not that it mattered. Zoe made it clear she didn’t want to give him another shot, so what did he have to lose besides his sanity?

He could make it work with Sydney. They would

go to Paris, spend New Years there. She’d like that.

He’d use the time during their honeymoon to

reconnect and work on her insecurities.

Alex let out a sigh.

Then there were the children. God knew, he

hadn’t a clue about how to handle that situation.

Alex smiled with pride. They were good girls—who could fail to love them?

He went to the credenza to pour himself a drink.

The thought of the girls brought him right back to Zoe. His whole body strained and itched with need.

Right now, he didn’t care if he pulled out the

bourbon or scotch. He had to dull the driving ache with anything. He closed his eyes as he took the first sip, letting the burn hit his belly, the taste linger on his tongue as he waited for the metal anesthesia to take hold. Instead, his brain and body went right for the heart and a foot or so lower. It replayed the images of Zoe in the warmth of her bed, her legs tangled with his, the rise of her body as she met his thrusts. He could still taste the faint salt of the skin under her chin, the way she moaned in pleasure—

pleasure he’d given her that one afternoon. The only time he’d been free.

“Fuck.” He slammed the heavy glass down on

the credenza and paced the room. He’d turned into a mental yo-yo. Life with Sydney would insure the goal he’d worked for his whole professional life, if not more. Alex knew the crowd she ran with and how

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Sydney’s father hoped marriage would change that, would have a calming effect on his daughter. Sydney would revert to her fun loving self once the stress of the wedding had passed.

No more messing around, he had to deal with

his feelings for Zoe. She’d said she still loved him, yet refused to have anything to do with him. The girls had to be his priority. The soft scent of Zoe’s skin, the feel of it under his fingers came to him unbidden.

His cell phone rang, jerking him out of his

suckfest. It was Keeley’s number on the caller ID.

“Alex King here.” He didn’t feel like getting into any fancy legal footwork this evening, not after the day he’d had.

“Keeley Jacobs. I apologize for calling you so late but I wanted to let you know I made my flight and I’m at the hotel. I’ve already talked with Amelia and we plan to meet on the twenty-first.”

“Good, good,”

“You sound a bit distracted. Is anything wrong?”

“Why should you care?” He heard Keeley’s

intake of breath. “I’m sorry. It’s been a bad day and you stepped in right on cue. There was no excuse for that remark.”

“I’m not used to dealing with baby brothers,

either.”

He had to laugh at her dry dig at his earlier
big
sister
remark. “I’m thinking about running away to a desert island with all the rum I can drink. Do you want to come with me?”

“Don’t tell me I’ve driven you to drink?”

“No, sorry to say, you’re on the bottom of the

totem pole.” He sat down in his father’s chair and swung his feet on the desk. Something that, if Dad were alive, would’ve resulted with a loving swat on the shoulder. He looked down at the paperwork on his desk. “Did you get the copies of documents?”

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“Yes,” she said and hesitated. “Would it be too much trouble to show me around later? I’m meeting with the attorney and appraiser to set up times to go over the property.”

“Is it possible to do that after Christmas? It’s only a few days away.”

“My people have given me until the first of the year.”

“Tell you what. If there’s any sort of hang-up, I’ll take care of the financial end of things. Hell, I’ll even give you the money as a short term loan if they want it sooner.”

“You’d do that for me?”

“Yes. I’ve got this situation that came up, oh, by the way, you’re now the proud aunt of three little girls. But the whole thing made me stop and rethink a lot of things. Oh, by the way, the wedding is back on.” “What? Did I fall in with a crazy family?”

“It’s a long story. I’ll tell you once we’re able to get together. “

“All right.” She sounded dubious. “Thank you,

Alex, and goodnight.”

“Goodnight. Let me know if you need anything.”

They ended the call and Alex stared at his

phone, marveling at how he didn’t feel this sense of doom any longer. Whatever the problems, they

would work it out. Now, if only he could get Clint and Heath up to speed. Especially Heath.

He got back to work, going over the papers he’d put together for Keeley’s inspection. The documents gave her a complete listing of all the assets owned by the family as a whole and his mother in particular.

He made sure every financial aspect of the King’s was at her disposal, per his mother’s request.

The library door opened.

Sydney’s attempt at seductive walk turned into

a drunken totter across the room. “Hi, I wanted to 228

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say good night, maybe see if you’d like to sneak up to my room.” She gave him a wicked leer, along with a giggle, and perched on the edge of the desk.

Alex took in her over-bright eyes and red cheeks.

“You look like you need a cup of coffee more than fun and games.” She’d gone out with the Houseman’s

again—no telling what else she’d had to boost her high. “Besides, I’m a little preoccupied with some family business.”

“No, I want some time with you.” She slid from

the desk into his lap. “You’ve been so distant lately.”

Sydney’s fingers slid through his hair, her mouth brushed his, filling it with the taste of whatever exotic drink she’d had with her friends. “We don’t have any privacy here.” Her lips moved to his jaw, her teeth nibbling at him and then plucking at his earlobe.

“What did you expect?”

She pulled back with a frown. “I thought you’d

want me here. We could be together—do all the

things brides and grooms do before the wedding.”

“You knew I’d be helping my mother and trying

to work from here. I don’t have time to spend

running around getting things ready for a wedding.”

He gave her a half-hearted smile.” That’s your job.”

Sydney laid her head against his chest with a

sigh. “I love you. Don’t ever leave me.”

“I’m here, aren’t I?”

“Ummm.” Sydney snuggled in closer. “I think

I’m a little drunk.”

“Come on.” He hauled Sydney to her feet. “Let

me get you upstairs and into bed.”

Sydney perked up. She raised her arms, but he

caught them before she could coil them around his neck.

“Alone.”

“You’re being mean.”

“Why would I do that? Besides, you’re in no

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shape for roll in the hay.”

For an instant, the mutinous light filled her eyes before her lashed dropped over them. She pressed her palm against her forehead. “My head hurts, I can’t think. I don’t know what to do.”

“I don’t believe that for a moment. You’d give

Machiavelli a run for his money.”

Sydney blinked, her face a mask of confusion.

“Machia-who?”

“A great manipulator. One of the best.” Alex

opened the library door and motioned her out. “Go upstairs, pop a couple of aspirin. By the way, I told Zoe to pick out whatever she’d recommend for the reception.”

“Zoe Bennett can go to hell,” Sydney snarled as she squared her shoulders and tossed back her hair.

Her steps were precise and well considered as any drunk’s. “And those brats of hers, too.”