A Promise for Her Love (3 page)

Authors: Elaina Lee

CHAPTER THREE

Six months ago, Rick had found himself standing in the exact same place he stood now. In front of Caylie's bedroom door, his stomach knotted with anxiety. After she'd taken the prenup and disappeared upstairs, she hadn't returned to the festivities. While he'd been a little upset with her, he couldn't blame her need to be alone.

Now he wondered whether leaving her up here to pine had been the best idea. Unlike last time, this venture might not prove to be successful. However, with so much riding on the line, he couldn't ignore the situation any longer.

Thankfully the room next to hers was vacant. Within the week, the entire upstairs and the game room downstairs would be full. He wouldn't get away with sneaking into her room for much longer. With a faint tap, he announced his intentions before entering.

Caylie glanced up from the e-reader he'd given as a gift for her birthday. The smile of greeting on her lips didn't quite reach her pretty blue eyes. A fluffy pink robe covered a t-shirt and cartoony pajama pants. He imagined when they were married she wouldn't wear so much to bed... The collar of his shirt seemed to tighten, and he angled his neck to try and ease the discomfort.

"I hope I'm not interrupting you," he said and then cleared his throat at the strangled way his words sounded.

The e-reader dropped to the bed, and the smile she gave not only lit her face, but held a vixen edge. "I hope this isn't going to be your typical greeting in the bedroom."

The air rushed from his lungs, and he wondered at the sanity of coming to her room so late. Temptation didn't really need much more fuel on the fire.

"I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

She swung her feet over the edge of the bed and then slid down onto the floor. The tie of her robe slid through her fingers as she made her way toward him. "I'm sorry. I should have come down, but I didn't trust myself to be very good company."

"I told them you weren't feeling well, having spent most of the day in the car."

"Thank you. I appreciate that." She stopped before him and wrapped her arms around his waist. "I'm sorry for my reaction to the prenup. I shouldn't have been so surprised."

Despite trying everything but to look at the bed, his gaze kept wandering to the large, soft mattress. Her body pressed tightly to his. Even through padded layers of clothing, the curves of her figure weren't lost to him. Oh yes, visiting her had been a very bad idea.

"Maybe we should step into the hall."

Her brows drew together, and she separated from him just enough to look up. "Why?"

Perhaps he was the only one being affected by the knowledge they were very much alone, in a bedroom of all places. They had nothing to prove by waiting, except they could and their relationship deserved the honor. Still, even the rational thoughts warring in his mind did little to curb his desire.

Clearing his throat, he put more distance between them, taking her hand. "Why don't we just go for a little walk?"

"A walk?" she asked with a raised brow.

"Yeah, why not?" He smiled and laced his fingers in hers.

"Do I need shoes for this walk?"

He glanced down at his own socked feet. "Nope."

"All right." She leaned in closer, her free hand resting on his forearm. "Just for the record though, any room is likely to be as dangerous as this one."

The heat of her touch clouded his already one-track mind. Sweet peppermint mingled with the warm vanilla tones of her lotion, wreaking further havoc on his frayed nerves. "Did you find a wayward candy cane?"

She inched closer, a dangerous action if he ever knew one. "Kyle brought it to me earlier this evening."

Before they could contemplate, or alter their course, their arms were wrapped around one other. Caylie rose on tiptoes and their lips met. Feverish with the need to be closer, his mouth slanted over hers. His tongue explored and took from her what the rest of him couldn't dare.

A little whimper escaped her throat and was almost the end of his barely-contained self-discipline. The soft fluff of her robe tickled the back of his neck; her fingers dug into his hair. To keep his hands from going places they shouldn't, he fisted them into the thick fabric. As if reading his mind, she broke the kiss.

"We should take that walk now," she said breathless and pressed her lips to his jaw.

"And not stop."

She gave him another quick kiss and nodded. "Not stop for anything."

Hands laced tightly together, they fled the bedroom and headed down the long, wide hallway to the stairs in the center. Only the silver moonlight filtering in from the windows lit the vast, dark expanse downstairs. Carefully they picked their way down. Worried about waking someone, Rick kept glancing over his shoulder. He had to smile. Not far from his thirtieth birthday and his world felt like high school all over again. Sneaking around, hoping not to get caught, withholding from the forbidden.

He guided her to what would be the most lit area of the downstairs with its large windows, the sitting room. Unsure if any of the kids had decided to camp out in the recreation room already, he didn't want to chance alerting anyone to their presence with light.

Shadows of naked trees spread across the room and filled the sky outside the window. Patches of snow in the yard practically glowed. The room and the view were peaceful. Perfect, he figured, for easing the worries of a very agitated fiancÃ©e.

He stopped and reached for her other hand. When she faced him, he pressed a kiss to her cool fingers. "I owe you an apology."

"For what?" she asked, her nose scrunching.

"I shouldn't have given you the agreement yet, I should have waited."

"There wasn't exactly a good time to give that to me," she said with a soft chuckle. "I shouldn't have been so surprised."

"I could have at least waited until after Christmas. You're under a lot of pressure with my family, and Kyle having just turned eighteen. I added to your stress."

She glanced up at the ceiling and gave a playful nod of her head. "Yeah, maybe just a little."

Taking a deep breath, he squeezed her hands. "I also should have presented it a little differently."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, prenuptial agreements aren't a bad thing. They don't mean our marriage is going to fail or that the world doesn't believe in us. It just protects us from the ugly realities and makes sure everything is done fairly in the unlikely event we do part ways."

"I don't want to take anything from you, Rick, even if we don't work out."

Sighing, he rested his head against hers. "I know, but what about our kids. I want kids, don't you?"

"Of course I do. You know that already."

Yes, he did. She'd trusted him with her hopes, dreams, and a future he had every intention of providing for. "The prenup includes them, to make sure they're provided for regardless. However, I want you to do me a favor."

"All right."

"I want you to read it, but don't sign it. Like I said, I want to present it in a different light. If you see anything you don't agree with, let me know by week's end."

Her teeth worked her bottom lip, and then she nodded. "Okay, but I'm not sure how you can
fix
it."

"I need you to trust in us."

The pale light from the moon accented the troubled shadows on her face. "I never meant to make you think I didn't trust you or our relationship. I just don't like to think failure has already been stamped on our marriage before it's even begun."

His hold tightened around her hands. "I swear it's not."

"All right, do your worst, Mr. Marshall," she said with a chuckle.

Wrapping his arms around her, he brought his mouth close to hers. "I plan to, future Mrs. Marshall."

***

The put-together woman staring back at Caylie from the mirror appeared on the outside as confident, mature, and worthy of the Marshall name. On the inside, Caylie's inner-child cowered, little knees knocking together with a
do-I-have-to
pout. Caylie narrowed her gaze and nodded. "Yes, you do," she said to herself. "And yes you can."

She wrapped a pink knitted shawl around her neck and then picked up a matching toboggan, complete with a yarn pom-pom on top. With a smile to herself, she bopped the fluffy ball and then pulled the hat down over her ears.

A light flurry of snow outside promised a cold adventure as the family went in search of the perfect wild Christmas tree. Kyle had told her over breakfast he thought the tradition
boring
, but he couldn't hide the glimmer of excitement in his eyes. They'd always picked out a tree at the local hardware store with their parents. Caylie couldn't afford a live tree, so over the past several years, Kyle had made do with a small fake one.

For the first time since the loss of their family dynamic, Kyle and Caylie were about to enjoy warmth and laughter over the holidays. And Caylie, in her fear, was going to miss out if she didn't pull herself together. Taking a deep breath, she left the room, determined to forget her fears and enjoy a family again.

"So, you rejected the prenup, did you?" a bitter voice said the second Caylie stepped out of her room. "I figured as much."

Blinking, Caylie set her gaze on Ms. Jill Marshall, dressed perfectly in a powder blue pantsuit. A sheer, peach silk shawl fell in soft folds nearly to her knees. The ivory satin shirt and peach pearls around her neck accented the wealth already portrayed by the outfit. As usual, Caylie was severely underdressed beside her soon-to-be mother-in-law. In superstore jeans and a down jacket, with a shawl and cap her grandma had made for her when she was sixteen, Caylie looked every bit the poor bumpkin.

Determined not to be cowed and have her morning ruined, Caylie straightened her shoulders and closed the bedroom door. "I didn't reject it. Rick asked me to wait to sign."

"Only because you weren't satisfied." She took a step closer, her green eyes growing colder. "Don't think I'm unaware of the little games you're playing with my son. If you think for a second I'm going to let you get your hands on his money, you are mistaken."

"I'm notâ"

Before Caylie could argue against the atrocious accusations, the infernal woman kept talking. "I made sure minimum years of marriage are required, regardless of children."

Caylie gasped, thankful for the now closed door to lean against. "How would I raise kids alone?"

A silver brow arched. "Who says you would get them?"

With that, Jill sauntered off. Tears of disbelief burned Caylie's eyes. They'd take her babies away if she and Rick failed at making their marriage last? When a hot streak slipped down her cheek, Caylie swiped it away and felt for the knob. Maybe the witch was bluffing. Surely she didn't really think Caylie was just marrying Rick for his money and planning on leaving the first chance she could. Why would anyone think that way?

Her focus went straight to the blue folder on the dresser. Rushing across the room, she reached for the contract. Heart pounding to the point of pain, she began to flip through, searching every line for the clause Jill spoke of.

As an amendment to when alimony would be paid, a new clause in bold had been added to include child support. If Caylie couldn't afford to maintain the children's lifestyle to raise them on her own, custody would be granted to Rick. To make the clause
fair
, the same rule applied to Rick. However, Caylie didn't see how fair it truly was, considering they knew full well she'd never reach his worth, not even if she won the lottery.

How could Rick find any part of this fair? He said to her face he'd read through and everything was standard. Taking a deep breath, she closed the folder. The contract was only legal if she signed it. And now, more than ever, she had absolutely no intention of doing so.

With the prenup in hand, she left the room. Rick had some explaining to do.

***

"What is this?" Caylie asked, storming into Rick's office and taking him surprise, her cheeks red with indignation.

The prenuptial agreement came fluttering at him from across his desk. Confused, he grabbed it before it could hit him in his chest. "What's wrong? I thought we talked about all this last night."

"That was before I found out I would lose custody of our kids because I'm poor!" she shouted.

Having been raised to keep arguments as private as possible, Rick leapt up from behind the desk. He crossed the room and then checked to make sure she hadn't drawn any unwanted attention. The last thing he wanted was everyone gossiping over Christmas about his relationship.

"Calm down," he said, closing the door. "I don't know what you're talking about. I read that before I gave it to you. There was nothing in there about you losing anyone. You would receive child support at the very least, Caylie."

"No, your mother decided if we weren't married for at least ten yearsâ if I couldn't raise the kids on my own without your helpâ I'd lose them."

He balled his hands in anger. His mother did
what
? "She can't do that, regardless of what a contract says. There are state laws that protect kids and make sure child support is granted. Show me where it says that though."

For a moment her eyes closed, the anger seemed to deflate from her frame, her shoulders sagging forward. "I was so angry and hurt, I didn't even think about state law."

"Unless you've dealt with a separation before, you wouldn't have."

He rounded the desk and began flipping through the pages. The delicate scent of sweet floral notes invaded his senses as she came to stand beside him. Her finger slid down the page, and he attempted to keep his focus on finding the disastrous clause his mother had snuck in.

"So even if this had made it in, nothing would have happened?" she asked, glancing at him curiously.

"Well, not exactly." He leaned down and studied the wording carefully. "While this isn't in anyway legal, by having it in here, they can hold things up. They could also use it, possibly, as leverage against you if there was a custody battle."

A shaky hand rose to her chest. "I certainly hope that will never be an issue."

He wrapped an arm around her waist and drew her close. "It won't."

"You know what," she began, her ribs expanding with a deep breath. "I'm tired of this thing." She closed the folder and then turned to face him. The puffy padding of her jacket bumped into his chest as her arms wrapped around him. "When can we go get a tree?"

A soft
tink-tink
against the glass panes drew his attention to the windows. Snow fell lazily from a bright gray sky, adding to the nearly two inches they'd received the previous night.

"If you're willing to brave the freezing cold, I guess we need to go now. We're supposed to be getting a heavy snowfall by six tonight."

In a gentle stroke, her hand slid along his arm to the wrist he had resting against her back. She pulled his arm around and looked at his watch. "It's only ten. We have plenty of time."

A low growl escaped his throat. "If that's how you check time, I'm in trouble."

Before he could kiss her oh-so-tempting lips, turned up in a seductive little smile, a knock pounded on the office door. Her head dropped to his chest. Her fingers fisted in his shirt.

"What are you guys doing in there?" Kyle's muffled voice came from the other side of the door.

"Big people stuff. Go away!" Rick shouted.

Caylie laughed, her shoulders shaking. "That isn't going to work."

"What do you mean?" Rick listened, and when no other knock or voice sounded, he shrugged. "Must have worked. He's gone. Now, where was I?"

Another giggle sounded when she raised her head, her blue eyes sparkled with mischief. He cupped her jaw and touched his mouth to hers. Her soft laughter turned into a throaty moan. What little control he had began to slip, and he realized a little too late what a bad idea kissing her in a locked room had been.

The tight hold she had on his shirt caused the fabric to pull taut over his shoulders. Ignoring the discomfort, he deepened the kiss, wishing the thick layers of clothing between them were a little less.

Reverberation made his attention waiver. The noise grew louder. Rick pulled his mouth from hers and glanced over his shoulder. In the fluttering snow outside, wearing nothing more than a hoodie and jeans, Kyle's palms pressed flat against the window panes. His nose was smooshed into the glass.

"What are you doing?" he shouted through the window, fingertips dancing on the surface. "I can see you!"

Caylie released hold of his shirt and stepped back. The puffed fabric of her jacket had risen in their embrace, and she pulled it down while walking to the window. She slammed her palms into the pane where his nose pressed against. He grabbed his face and fell backward into the soft snow.

Caylie shouted, "Don't you spy on me again!"

Sibling behavior had always been a curiosity for Rick. An only child, he rarely understood the interaction between them. Even his cousins, whom he'd grown up with, mystified him. The ability to treat another person with such disregard and little-to-no consequences was astounding.

Before he could comment on what she'd done, the doorknob jiggled. A key slid into the lock and a second later the door swung open. Regal as ever, his mother swept into the office. If he hadn't been so annoyed at her presence, or the fact that she'd let herself into his office, the wide-eyed shock on her face would have amused him.

Hands braced on the desk, Rick inquired, "Were you expecting a difference scene, mother? Or can I help you find something?"

Caylie's cheeks bloomed a pretty shade of pink, and with a soft excuse she fled the room, barely giving his mother enough time to clear the doorway.

"Well," Jill gasped, holding her scarf to her stomach as the ends fluttered after Caylie. "You need to have a talk with that girl about manners, son."

A snort escaped before he could stop it. "Please. You are the last person to stand there and tell me about manners after what you did."

"Excuse me?" She closed the door softly. "You too must learn some manners. Children don't speak to their parents this way."

Rick slid the prenuptial agreement across his desk. "I don't really have that great of a reason to be polite to you right now. The manners card can go both ways."

The sheer peach fabric slipped through her hands. A sugary smile crossed her painted lips. "I am not going to let a poor girl, who's in over her head with debt, come into this family without a little insurance."

"A little? This is
illegal
."

She waved a hand and rolled her eyes. "Legality is what you make it. Enough money can make anything legal."

"I can understand your reservations about Caylie, especially after what Marissa pulled. She was your choice if you'll recall."

"I don't flounce all your past mistakes."

"Yes, you do."

Her jaw slacked. Then she cleared her throat. "Marissa did open our eyes to how greedy a desperate woman can be, and I can't allow that to happen again."

"Again, I understand, but you do
not
bring children into it. Those kids will be mine too, and I will support them as I see fit. That isn't your choice. Not now, and not ever."

"I just wanted the court to see, without your full financial support, she probably wouldn't be able to care for them."

All the anger of her actions came to the surface as he rounded the desk. He slid the folder into his hand and then shoved it at her. "If you pull a stunt like this again, I will make sure it's
you
who never sees my kids. Am I clear?"

The color drained from her face, leaving the vibrant makeup harsh in the morning sun. "Y-yes."

Straightening his jacket, he nodded. "I am going to marry Caylie. Sabotaging my relationship is not a good idea."

"Clearly," she said, the word shaky.

"Just a little support from you would be nice, but if you can't give it, then I'll take acceptance."

"I'll work on it."

"Work fast."