Father & Son: Book two of the Jensen Family Series (36 page)

She spotted him as soon as she stepped out
of her car. Hands in his pockets, rocking from his heels to his toes as he
stood on the top step of the church, an unlit cigarette hanging from his lips,
hair being ruffled by the breeze.

He stopped rocking as she approached, his
eyes never leaving hers. He stepped back, giving her space to join him on the
step. She slipped her hands beneath his jacket and around his waist, pressing
her cheek to his chest, listening to the hammering of his heart as she held him
and was held in return.

Paul released her while he was still able
to do so and turned to lean on the handrail, looking over his shoulder at her
as she leant back against the same handrail and regarded him.

“You look edible.” She smiled.

He barked out a laugh. “I’m surprised you
came.”

“I’m hardly likely to miss the wedding of
the decade now am I?” She scoffed. “Are you actually going to smoke that?”

“That’ll depend on whether or not you have
a light.” He took the lighter she produced from her bag and took a deep drag as
he handed it back to her. “Ahhhh, can’t tell you how much I need this.”

“Nervous?” She asked.

“Second thoughts.” He confirmed.

She nodded to the car park. “My car is
just there.” She offered.

“I wish it was that easy.” He shook his
head. “But at least I don’t have a poufy dress to try and squeeze in to it
huh?”

Not beating around the proverbial bush at
all, she asked. “So what’s the deal with you and the society hottie?”

“You know me far too well. It’s unnerving
at times. I have a mega contract that I need to keep. I signed a clause to
prevent me from creating any sort of scandal or negative press and everyone
knows how well I do scandal. She has something on me that could negate that
contract. It’ll cost me millions to lose it so here we are. Wedding day.”

“She has something on you? She really
didn’t strike me as being all that bright when I met her so it’s something
personal. Hmmm.” She tapped her lips in thought, drawing his gaze. Her eyes
narrowed as she looked at him. “You knocked her up didn’t you?”

Pushing off from the handrail and dragging
his fingers through his already messy hair, he nodded and shrugged before
offering his arm to her as he turned into the church. “Yeah. I did it again.”

“Even I can’t get you out of this one
lover.” She patted his arm.

His hand closed over hers where it rested
on his arm. “I got myself in to this, I’ll get myself out of it. A few years, a
quiet divorce, it’ll all be cool.”

“Only you would be planning your divorce
on your wedding day.” She shook her head.

“How is married life by the way?” He
asked, turning the subject to her.

“Boring. He’s old school in the women
shouldn’t work department so I sit at home all day looking pretty. I have a few
private customers who he thinks are close friends of mine so I maintain my own
money but for the most part I am so freaking bored.”

He stopped by a pew and guided her in to
it. “Looks like we both excel at making lousy decisions.” He said as he stepped
back. “Save a dance for me Suzie.”

Matt was fiddling with something in his
pocket as Paul stepped up beside him and gave him a quizzical look. Matt rolled
his eyes at the suggestion of anything inappropriate and pulled his hand from
his pocket to reveal two plain gold bands. His eyebrows shot up as Paul
snatched the larger band away and pocketed it. “I told her I wouldn’t wear a
ring.” He said. “Back me up on this and say you lost it ok?”

“Yeah. Of course. Sorry, I didn’t know.
She didn’t say.” He paused. “Do you want a mint?” He asked, pulling a battered
packet from his other pocket. Paul shook his head “Dude, you stink of
cigarettes.” He whispered as the wedding march began to play.

Paul grinned. “I know. No-one said I had
to make this easy.”

Eve didn’t react to just the one ring
being produced. She had banked on Matt being blissfully unaware of his brothers
abject refusal and hoped upon hope that when presented with a ring at the alter
Paul would go with the flow and allow her to slip it onto his finger.

   She had underestimated the relationship between the
siblings and in retrospect, as Paul moved in to kiss his new wife and she
caught the smell and taste of cigarettes, she realised she should have known
better. Presented with a ring in front of a church full of people, Paul was
more than capable of making a scene and he wouldn’t suffer a guilty conscience
about doing it either.

Paul reached out and grabbed Matt by the
shirt front as they moved to a side room for the signing of the register. If
Eve was going to kick off, he wasn’t going to take it alone.

Straightening his shirt as the door closed
behind them, Matt looked up to see Eve’s parents glaring at Paul and his mother
looking rather tense.

Eve turned on him the second she saw him
look in her direction. “I gave you two rings.” She hissed.

Matt shrugged. “Looks like I misplaced one
of them.”

“Some best man you turned out to be.” She
sniped.

Matt laughed, “That’s rich. You should
have told me he didn’t want to wear a ring, I wouldn’t have had to lose it then
now would I? I owe you nothing. My loyalty will always be with him. I don’t
know what the hell you have on him to make him go through with this but I will
always have his back, don’t forget that.” He snarled.

“Matthew!” Monica gasped. “I raised you
with far more manners than you are currently displaying.”

“It’s ok Mum. It’s not undeserved.” Paul
spoke.

“And you!” Eve shrieked. “You reek of
tobacco and you were supposed to get a haircut.”

Paul grinned, messed his hair up further
and shoved his hands in his pockets. “You wanted me. You got me in all my
glory. I didn’t feel like spending my birthday doing as I was told so I did
what I wanted instead. If you think from here on in it’s going to be an easy
ride. Think again.”

“What on earth is going on here?” Monica
asked.

Niles stepped forward, too close to Monica
for either brother to stand. Matt bristled and moved to his Mother’s side, Paul
put a hand out and stopped the advance of his new father in law.

“Your irresponsible son got my daughter
pregnant then refused to have anything further to do with her.”

“That last part is not true.” Paul
murmured.

“He forced her hand, she nearly had to go
public with the knowledge which I understand would have been quite costly for
him.”

“Although probably still cheaper than this
wedding.” Matt chipped in.

Paul couldn’t help the laugh “True that
bro.”

Monica stepped past Matt and brushed
Paul’s hand away from Niles’ chest. “My son impregnated your daughter all on
his own?” She asked. “It of course had nothing to do with her spreading her
legs for him and both of them neglecting to take precautions.” She hadn’t
expected a reply from the stunned man as she turned to her youngest child. “You
have made your bed son, you had better make a damn good show of lying in it.
Sign the bloody register and let’s get on with this charade.”

Game faces firmly in place. The bridal
party made their way up the aisle and out of the church where the photographer
waited. Paul stood still for precisely one photo before he made his way through
the guests and to the waiting limousine, leaving his wife standing in the
stunned silence that followed his departure and refusal to stand for
photographs.

Eve found herself escorted to the car by
Matt who was grinning broadly at his brothers’ behaviour. He sneered at her as
he held the door open for her. “You have no idea what you’ve let yourself in
for sweetheart. Good luck.” He was still chuckling as he slammed the door and
instructed the driver to take off.

The journey to the reception venue was
silent and Paul hit the champagne big time once they arrived. He hadn’t even
looked in her direction but steadfastly refused to be present to welcome the
guests as they arrived when she mentioned it. He sought out a bar and switched
to whiskey, trying as quickly as possible to numb the desolation he was
feeling.

By the time the guests were seated, he had
removed his jacket and tie and had rolled up his shirtsleeves, may as well be
comfortable. Speeches made and with the meal being served, Eve leaned into him
and drew a breath, it hitched in her throat as she took on board the venom
filled look he gave her.

“Unless you are going to tell me that you
agree this is a bad idea and we should annul this farce of a marriage, I have
no interest in anything you have to say.” He growled. “I will play along with
this charade and make us look good to your society friends but don’t think for
one second I actually want anything to do with you out of the public eye.”

“But?”

“But nothing. I agreed to be married to
you. I didn’t agree to anything else so if you thought we were going to play
happy families you were very much mistaken. As soon as I know for sure this
contract of mine is so far along that backing out for them under any
circumstances will be a costly exercise and one they aren’t willing to take, we
will be divorced and you will not contest it.”

“You must really hate me.” She breathed.

“I’m getting there.”

Eve had to console herself with being
surrounded by her family and society friends as she watched Paul drink and talk
to his friends. Monica had left early after what appeared to be a stern talking
down to her son. With his mother gone, Paul had promptly left her side. He had
his arm draped over the shoulder of his brother while he chatted to a large
group of his friends, amongst them were his sister who she actually got on very
well with and two women Paul had admitted to have had sex with the last time
the group were together.

She followed the blond he had shared a
number of dances with to the ladies room. Timing it just right so she was
correcting her make up as the other woman came out of the cubicle. She smiled
brightly at the petite, curvy blond before re-applying her lipstick.

“Lovely dress.” Suzanne commented. “You
must be very happy. Paul is quite a catch.”

Nodding and turning to face her Eve let
rip with her best bitchy smile “I understand you’ve caught him a few times.”

Oh so this is how you want to play it
Suzanne thought,
ok, game on.
“I have known
him for an incredibly long time. It was inevitable we would bump privates given
our mutual attraction.” She smiled, a wide, genuine smile. “I have many good
memories.”

“Look. Susan is it?” She knew it wasn’t
but she was sure the other woman would let it slide.

“Suzanne.” Came the correction.

Ok, so she was wrong. “He’s with me now
and that’s how it’s going to stay.”

“Are you really giving me the stay away from
my husband speech?” Suzanne asked. “You do know I’m married? I will admit I do
still have very strong feelings for Paul but I won’t cheat on my husband so you
have no fear of he and I falling crotch first for each other.”

Eve fanned her face, embarrassed and
relieved. “Excuse me. I’m sorry. He just seems so at ease with you. It’s an odd
feeling to watch the man you’ve just married be more comfortable around another
woman than he is with you. He’s been a little off today.”

“That tends to happen when you blackmail
someone in to marriage.” Suzanne stated to Eve’s shocked expression. “Yes sugar
plum, I know about the bun he’s put in your oven. I have no doubt you did
everything you could to facilitate it being put there. What you need to
understand is that every time Paul and I are in a social situation at the same
time, we imagine each other naked and writhing together. I was his first, I
took his virginity and I have no doubt whatsoever that I will be his last, so
my advice to you is, enjoy him while you can because you don’t have what it
takes to hold him.” She opened her small clutch bag and drew out a bottle of
perfume. Stepping closer, she spared a small spray to the blushing bride before
dousing herself. “Enjoy your wedding night. He might be fucking you, but with
that scent, he’ll be thinking of me.”
Bitch,
she thought as she left.

Making sure to be wrapped in Paul’s arms
by the time Eve composed herself enough to depart the ladies room, Suzanne
showed the other woman exactly what a bitchy smile should look like as he
pulled her closer.

Paul saw Eve walk across to her friends,
all of whom were gaping at how close he was holding Suzanne. She was flushed,
her shoulders stiff and, yes, she was shaking, probably with anger. Deciding he
had paid her enough attention, he focused once again on the woman in his arms
and how good she felt there.

“Is there something you want to tell me?”
He asked.

Looking into his twinkling deep brown eyes
and knowing his capacity for mischief matched her own, Suzanne let out a breathy
laugh. “I was given the stay away from my husband lecture while I was washing
my hands.”