His Dutchess

chapter 8

The plane reached cruising altitude and the pilot told them they could remove their seatbelts for the forty-five minute flight to Las Vegas. Blake took advantage of the freedom to move about the cabin of his private jet and open a bottle of champagne.

Samantha said very little once they boarded. After she had agreed to be his wife for a year, he solidified his plans for a wedding chapel visit in SinCity. He believed a seemingly romantic wedding in Vegas would appear more legitimate to Parker and Parker than a drive to city hall.

When he glanced at his fiancé, he noted how her hands twisted in her lap.

Funny, he was the one with everything to lose, but she was the one fidgeting.

“Here, maybe this will help.” He handed her a tall flute and sat across from her in the oversize, plush leather chair.

“Am I so obvious?”

“The white knuckles give you away.”

Samantha swallowed half the wine in one drink. “I never wanted to be an actress.”

“I’d bet the studios would pay top dollar for you to do voiceovers.”

She shrugged. “If I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard that.”

He could only imagine. “You do have an amazing voice.”

Samantha’s eyes scurried away from his and her cheeks started to take on a rosy glow. “I think this marriage thing will work out better if we didn’t find anything about the each other amazing. Nothing personal, anyway.”

“You’re probably right, but being honest is something we both agreed to. And your voice is sexy as hell.” Watching her squirm under his compliment was worth him showing his cards. She wore a full-on blush now and it was nothing short of adorable.

Just like that, her glass was empty. “I’m not sure if I should thank you or encourage you to be less shallow.”

“Ouch.”

“You wanted honesty.”

He watched her toe off her high heels and tuck her legs under the seat. Some of the color started to return to her fingers.

Obviously dissing him put her at ease. He wasn’t sure how to take that. “The only person in my life who’s called me shallow is Carter.”

“Your best friend?”

“My one real friend.”

“Really? I’d think a man with your wealth would have an entourage of friends.”

“Money brings people, not friends,” he said.

“Amen to that. I take it Carter knows about us. Our arrangement I mean.”

“He does.”

“What about your girlfriends? Do they know?”

Now it was his turn to squirm. Even though their marriage would be a sham, talking about his lovers with his wife didn’t feel right.

“Telling my girlfriends, as you call them, would be equivalent to calling the Inquisitor and giving them a full page interview.” Blake finished his wine and stood to refill their glasses.

“You don’t trust them?”

“Not with this.”

“How do men do it?”

“Do what?”

“Sleep with women they don’t trust?”

Samantha thanked him for the wine and sipped it slowly this time.

“It’s called attraction.”

Laughing, she said, “It’s called lust.”

“That, too.” Blake’s insides started to warm. When was the last time he’d held a conversation with a woman about the motivations of men? Never. He found he liked it.

“So what did you say to your… what do you call the women in your life, lovers?”

The title of lovers started to feel too personal. “I haven’t told them anything… yet.”

She lifted her manicured eyebrows high. “I’d like to be a fly on the wall during that conversation. Oh, darling, by the way… I got married over the weekend.” Samantha laughed at her own joke.

“I don’t think I’ll tell them like that.” He wasn’t sure how he would break the news and honestly hadn’t given it a second thought.

“You do realize you stand the risk of losing them both, right?”

“How did you know there were two?” He shook his head and put a hand in the air. “Never mind. I forgot about your intensive background check. You don’t have to worry about either of them. You’ll never meet.”

Samantha placed a hand over her chest and smiled. “Shallow and a tiny bit naive.”

Lord, there she was calling him names again. “Excuse me?”

“If you and I were dating, and you suddenly up and married another woman, as much as I’d hate myself for doing it, I’d figure out a way to meet the woman I didn’t measure up to. Women are emotional creatures, Mr.Har… Blake. I might fight that gender trait with a nine iron, but still can’t beat down certain impulses. I highly doubt Vanessa and Jackie—”

“Jacqueline,” he corrected.

“Excuse me, Jacqueline, are any different. Which one is most likely to be heartbroken?”

The honesty thing was going too far. Even if the casual trek through his personal life was lifting the edge of unease from his fiancé’s frame, he wasn’t comfortable. Samantha had tucked her feet under her bottom and was relaxed for the first time since he’d met her. The smile on her face didn’t look forced and her green eyes glistened with a spark of mischief. He would have liked to put her in

this mood by something other than a discussion about his previous lovers, and

previous is what they’d have to be. He thought for a moment what Vanessa and

Jacqueline would say once told of his marriage.

Vanessa would be prone to slapping him and walking away. Jacqueline wouldn’t be as dramatic, but continuing his relationship with her would be risky. “Both women knew about the other.”

“But which one wanted more?”

“I can’t believe my fiancé is asking me these questions.”

“Which one, Blake?”

Samantha was relentless.

“Vanessa. Though I doubt she’d seek you out. Besides, she lives in London and only visits New York for short periods of time.”

“Right, and Jacqueline lives between New York and Spain.”

The pilot’s voice sounded over the loudspeaker announcing their approach to

the Nevada airport. “You’ve done your homework.” Blake moved to the seat beside to her.

“Always.” She looked proud of herself.

“You’ll inform me if either of them end up on your doorstep?”

Samantha straightened her legs and clicked her seatbelt. “You’ll be the first to know.”

The jet started to descend and Samantha glanced out the window. Between the wine and the conversation, she no longer looked like she’d run from the altar. Blake took her hand in his and felt her jump. “You might try to control that,” he suggested.She glanced at their hands and took a deep breath. “I’m trying.”

Blake left his hand on hers and made a mental note to hold it often. Did she jump because his touch bothered her, or because she liked it? Maybe she liked it and that bothered her. Oh well, he mused, she’d have to grow used to it.

As the plane descended from the sky, and the wheels skidded on the runway, Blake watched a play of emotions cross over Samantha’s face. Her pouty pink lips that had been smiling moments ago grew into a straight line. With any other woman, he’d lean over and kiss the worry away. The unexpected desire to do just that welled inside him. How would she taste? Sweet from the wine he decided. The thought of her sexy voice whispering into his ear, encouraging him to do more than kiss her, surged to his groin. He forced his gaze away from her face and squeezed her hand.

When the pilot told them they were clear to unbuckle, Blake turned to Samantha. “Ready to get married?”

She turned her hand over and laced her fingers with his. “What the hell, I didn’t have anything better planned for today.”

Blake tossed his head back and laughed.

****

After a short limo ride to the newest resort hotel on the strip, Samantha stood at the altar holding Blake’s hand. He’d given her a ring to give to him and gasped when he’d slid a four-caret diamond encrusted sapphire on her finger.

“For his Duchess,” he’d said. Even the minister gaped at the ring. Somewhere

between the limo and the ring, Samantha realized that Blake would likely kiss her at the completion of the ceremony. Why wouldn’t he? If the lawyers questioned the minister and the witness, Blake would want them to believe that they were madly in love and eloping. So, instead of considering her marriage vows, vows neither of them planned on keeping, Sam couldn’t stop thinking about Blake’s impending kiss.

The room started to feel too warm, and her palms started to sweat. Samantha repeated her vows and listened to Blake promise to forsake all others.

“… I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride.”