Runaway Bride (Across the Stars: Book 2) (16 page)

“I remember.  I had to sit with her during the ceremony while she grumbled under her breath about it.”

Chuckling, he massaged her shoulder.  “Yeah, she didn’t look too happy, but I thought it was because Chris and Caitlyn didn’t do the wedding the way she wanted it.”

“She grumbled about that, too.” Lexie giggled and shrugged.  “I just do what I can to make her happy.” She sighed.  “I’d like to have a baby, Mark.  Even if the pregnancy ends up being shorter than nine months, I’d like to stop taking the birth control pill and conceive when the time is right.”

Relieved, he kissed her.  “If your mom gives you any grief, I’ll deal with her.”

“Okay.”

His stomach rumbled and he checked the clock.  “You think we should get some lunch?”

“The sooner we get back, the sooner we can get back to bed,” she replied, giving him a teasing grin.

Wondering if he could maintain an erection when he wasn’t about to ejaculate, he willed himself to get hard.  To his extreme relief, he could.  Even if he couldn’t ejaculate, he wanted to make love to her.

Glancing down at his body, she said, “Unless you want to do it again right now.”

As tempting as it was, he knew it would be better to eat first.  He willed his erection to cease and it did.  Good.  It was nice to know he had control over his erections when he wasn’t ready to ejaculate.  “We should get something to eat.  We’re going to need our energy for what’s to come.” Giving her a sly grin, he kissed her then helped her out of bed.

Chapter Eighteen

On Tuesday, at around five in the afternoon, Lexie waited for Mark at the beach.  They had returned from Las Vegas on Monday evening and had decided to go to his apartment since she didn’t want to risk her mother finding her.  She hadn’t been ready to face her mother.  Even now, she wasn’t ready.  But Mark was right.  The sooner they got it over with, the better.

She shifted on the towel she was sitting on and glanced at the parking lot to see if Mark had arrived yet.  He hadn’t.  Sighing, she turned her attention back to the waves as they gently rolled onto the beach.  There were times when all she wanted to do was drift out to sea and find solace on a deserted island.  She’d love to go there now, except she’d take Mark with her.  The one thing she loved most about Las Vegas was that it’d been just the two of them.  For the first time in her life, she’d been able to be who she truly was.

Taking a deep breath to help settle the butterflies in her stomach, she looked down at her lacy white tank top and jeans.  Her mother hated jeans, but Lexie had wanted to own a pair ever since she was in high school and yesterday she finally got up the nerve to buy a pair.  They were comfortable and showed off her curves, something Mark commented on.  Her face warmed at the reminder of how he’d rubbed her behind when she put the jeans on that morning.  If he hadn’t had to go to work, they would have ended up back in bed.

Smiling, she removed her pearl headband from her hair and dug through her beach bag until she found her brush.  She pulled it out and ran it through her hair, glancing once more at the parking lot.  When she saw Mark’s car, her heart sped up in anticipation.  She quickly threw her brush back into the bag and put her headband back in her hair.

She tried not to appear too anxious as she headed toward him, but her excitement hurried her pace.  By the time he opened the car door, she had reached him.  She gave him a big hug and rested her head on his shoulder.  It was too bad she couldn’t stay in his arms through the entire day.

“I can’t believe how long today was without you,” Mark said and kissed the top of her head.

“I missed you, too,” she replied, smiling at the thought that he hated being away from her as much as she hated to be away from him.  Reluctant, she pulled away from him.  “Do we really have to see my parents?”

He cupped her face in his hands.  “We have to at some point.  It might as well be today.” He kissed her.  “It’ll be okay because we’re going to do this together.”

She reached for his hands and squeezed them.  “Alright.  Let’s go.”

“I’ll follow you.”

After he gave her another kiss, she went to her car and hopped in.  She turned the ignition and wondered if she should turn on the radio but decided to enjoy the silence for a change.  If nothing else, it would give her a chance to remember every wonderful moment of her whirlwind honeymoon with her husband.

She drove out of the parking lot and turned onto the main street, checking the rearview mirror to make sure Mark was behind her.  He waved at her and her grin widened.  In some ways, the whole thing seemed like a dream.  She had to keep looking at her wedding ring to make sure it was real.  Earlier that day, she had mailed Nick the engagement ring he had given her, insuring the package and paying for the delivery confirmation.  She had no idea what Nick was going through but hoped he wasn’t too upset.  He would surely find another woman, one who was a better fit for what he needed in a wife, someone who would be happy doing the things she had dreaded.

Lexie glanced in her rearview mirror again and chuckled when Mark blew her a kiss.  One thing was for sure.  Her life would never be boring with him.  On impulse, she blew him a kiss in return and giggled when he pretended to catch it.  He definitely took the edge off having to face her mother.  By the time she pulled into her parents’ driveway, she wasn’t as nervous as she’d been while on the beach.

She turned off the ignition and waited for him to get out of his car before she walked over to him.  “Well, we’re here.”

He put his arm around her shoulders and led her toward the front door.  “Relax.  I got it all under control.”

His confidence did help her, but she still experienced a slight wave of nausea as they stopped in front of the door.  He rang the doorbell and gave her a light squeeze.  She slowly released her breath and clasped her hands in front of her.  She heard footsteps approaching and her heartbeat picked up in fear.

Her mother answered the door.

Before Lexie could say anything, Mark let go of Lexie and turned to her mother.  “Mom,” he wrapped his arms around her and gave her a big hug, “it’s so good to see you!”

Lexie’s jaw dropped.  Of all the things she imagined Mark doing, this hadn’t been anywhere on the list and from the shock on her mother’s face, her mother hadn’t expected it either.

Lexie’s father came to the door and smiled.  “Hey, kids.  Come on in.”

Mark finally released her mother and shook her father’s hand.  “Good to see you, Dad.”

Her father chuckled.  “Good to see you, too.”

Lexie envied Mark’s ability to act so carefree.  She couldn’t even look her mother in the eye, though she did manage to do so with her father and knew everything would be fine with him.

Her father turned to her mother who was moving her mouth but was too stunned to actually say anything.  “You know, I can’t remember a time when you were this flustered.  Maybe being in the sunroom will help.” He took her by the arm and led her down the hall.

Though she glanced over her shoulder at Mark and Lexie, she still didn’t say anything.

Mark took Lexie’s hand and winked at her.  “Always take the offensive when dealing with a formidable opponent,” he whispered as her parents rounded the corner of the hallway so she could no longer see them.  “It knocks them off guard.”

Well, she couldn’t deny it worked wonders.  At least her mother hadn’t screamed at them.

Mark nodded toward the hallway.  “We only have to stay for about fifteen minutes.  We have something important to do in an hour.”

Heat rose up to her cheeks at his meaning.  “So it’s every eight hours that you’ll need to…?” She didn’t dare add the word “ejaculate” in her parents’ house.

“Yeah, until you conceive,” he whispered.  “We don’t want to keep your parents waiting.”

Tightening her hold on his hand, she joined him and entered the house.  At least they were finally getting this over with.  In the future, maybe it wouldn’t be as awkward to stop by for a visit.

“Which way to the sunroom?” he asked as he shut the door.

“Down the hall and to your right.” They walked forward, and she added, “They added it to the house when I was little.  My mom insisted we have one after she saw one in a magazine and fell in love with it.  Dad was opposed to it, but she kept on and on about it until he offered a compromise.  If he got a billiard room, she got the sunroom.”

“Chris mentioned the billiard room.  It’s his favorite part of coming for a visit.”

They rounded the corner of the hallway and took two steps down into a small room with large windows.  Her parents sat on the plush white couch, leaving two matching chairs for them to sit in.

Lexie’s dad poured pink lemonade into the crystal glasses and motioned to the chairs.  “We’re glad you came by.”

“Are you?” Lexie asked, glancing warily at her mom, whose hands were clasped on her lap.

“Relax, honey,” her father told her mother.  “Pink lemonade is her favorite drink,” he told Mark and held a glass to her.  She shook her head, so he placed it on the oak table.  “Well, it’s there if you want it.”

He rose to his feet and handed Lexie and Mark their glasses before he sat back down.

Biting her lower lip, Lexie settled into the chair, Mark doing the same in the other chair.  She took a tentative sip from her glass, barely tasting the sweet drink.  Her mother was upset.  Not only was her spine stiff, but her knees were clenched together and her expression carefully controlled.  She shouldn’t be surprised.  She ran off and married Mark without warning her.

“So, Mark,” her dad began, leaning back on the couch, “Chris says you work with him.”

Mark drank some of his lemonade.  “Yes, though he tends to do more of the preliminary stuff while I see the project through to completion with a group of others.”

“Have you known him for long?”

“Not really.  We met on our way to Florida.”

“Where did you meet?”

Lexie’s eyebrows rose and she looked at Mark, wondering if he’d tell her parents that he was from another planet.

“Just outside the state line,” Mark replied.  “But I think the length of time you’ve known someone isn’t that important.  The best relationships are based on the quality of the person you know rather than how long you’ve known them.”

“I agree,” Lexie added, her heart racing in anxiety.  It was the closest she’d ever gotten to speaking her mind in front of her mother.  Her hands trembled, so she quickly set her glass on the table between them, keeping her gaze directed at her father who smiled at her.

“I also agree,” her father said.  “There’s no sense in wasting time when you’re with the wrong person.  Just like when I met your mom.” He rubbed her mother’s back.  “I was dating someone else and it was serious enough that I was ready to propose.  But then I met your mom and decided not to buy the ring after all.  You remember that, don’t you, honey?”

She sighed.  “Of course, I remember.  I was the one selling the jewelry in the store you went to.”

Mark’s smile widened and he chuckled.  “Were you really?”

Though she offered a nonchalant shrug, Lexie thought she saw a slight smile on her mother’s lips.  “I’ve always had an appreciation for jewelry.  I didn’t realize his brother owned the store.”

“It was fate,” her father said.

“Coincidence.”

“I don’t believe in coincidences.” He turned his gaze to Mark.  “Do you?”

“No.  I think there’s a reason for everything,” Mark replied after he finished his glass of lemonade.  “What was it about her that convinced you to give up the other woman?”

“Rachel told me that if I truly cared about my girlfriend, I’d be willing to spend at least three months’ salary on the wedding ring.”

“It’s a simple fact that every man should know, not my opinion,” her mother insisted.

“No, it’s not a fact.  It’s an opinion by the jewelry companies who want to make as much money as possible,” he playfully argued.  “But your comment made me aware of two things.  One, that you would let me know exactly what was on your mind and after being with a couple girlfriends who liked to play mind games, I found your straightforward approach very refreshing.  And two, if I didn’t care enough about my current girlfriend to give up everything for her, then I shouldn’t marry her.” Glancing at Mark and Lexie, he added, “Back then, three months salary was all I had to my name.”

Surprised, Lexie asked her mom, “And you went out with Dad even though he didn’t have much money?”

Her mother crossed her arms.  “I wasn’t aware we were going to spend this time talking about me.  I was under the impression you and Mark were here so we could find out something about him.”

Her dad gave her a pointed look.  “I think we’re learning that Mark and I share a lot of things in common.”

Lexie was used to her father figuring out a way to win an argument with her mother, but she hadn’t seen this tactic coming and couldn’t help but be impressed with him.  Her mother stared at him, her expression indicating she had no idea how to respond to that, though she wished she could and desperately wanted to.

“In that case,” Mark told her father, “you have good taste in women.”

“I’m sure Rachel wouldn’t argue with that.” He patted her knee affectionately.  “She’s not always quiet like this, Mark.  Usually, she talks a lot.  Sometimes she even laughs.”

At that, Lexie chuckled.

“Lexie was telling me that she decorated this room,” Mark began.  “It looks great.  I especially like how she angled the furniture.  The sun doesn’t hit anyone in the eyes.”

“Rachel’s always had a good eye for detail,” her father agreed.  “Well, we don’t want to keep you two.  I remember what it was like to be a newlywed.” He squeezed her knee.  “Good times, right honey?  Though I can honestly say, things only get better with time.”

Her mother blushed but didn’t say anything.

“I’ll walk the kids to the door,” he told her and rose to his feet.

As Lexie and Mark stood up, she dared a look at her mother who also looked at her.  She wasn’t sure if she read the expression on her mother’s face right, but she thought she caught a hint of sorrow there.

“Lexie?” her father asked.

She turned her gaze to him.

“You can come back later,” he softly said.

With a nod, she followed him and Mark out of the sunroom, aware that her mother was watching her.  She was tempted to go back and find out just how disappointed her mother was in her.  But did she really want to hear it?

“Do you play pool?” her father asked Mark.

“I haven’t had the pleasure yet,” Mark replied.

“We’ll play next time you’re here.  If you’re half as good as Chris, then I don’t stand a chance.”