His 24-Hour Wife

Everyone was chatting in twos and threes, catching up on each other’s news. But it was time to face the music. Adam’s gut clenched tight.

He turned to Callie and quietly said, “Ready?”

“As I’ll ever be,” she answered, her expression not giving away much.

Bracing himself to lay out his mistake in front of the people whose opinions counted the most, Adam cleared his throat. His family quieted and turned to him, waiting.

“Thanks for adjusting your schedules so you could come out here on short notice. I needed to introduce you to Callie Mitchell. Callie is taking over the PR for the Hawke Brothers’ Trust.”

Both his brothers raised eyebrows at him, but Jenna jumped right in. “I’m thrilled to meet you, Callie. You probably already know, but I head up the trust, so we’ll be working together.”

Callie smiled back. “I’m looking forward to it.”

“However,” Liam said, his head cocked to the side, “this raises the question of why you’re introducing her to all of us and not Jenna.”

Dylan held up a hand like a stop signal. “Are you about to try and talk us in to some crazy-ass PR stunt like the bachelor auction?”

Adam snorted. “As I recall, that stunt seemed to work out well for you.” He looked pointedly at Dylan’s hand holding Faith’s—she was the person who had bought the package of three dates with Dylan at the auction.

Dylan grinned, acknowledging the point, and then leaned in to kiss Faith’s cheek, which had turned pink.

“So why are we all here, then?” his mother asked.

Adam drew in a breath and cast another quick look at Callie, to ensure she was coping with his family’s antics. Besides being a little tense—which was to be expected under the circumstances—she seemed fine.

“Callie and I...” he began, wishing he was anywhere but here. “We knew each other before she took this account.”

Dylan made a sympathetic sound. “Callie, sweetheart, if you’ve dated my brother, let me apologize now. He can be a little—”

“Uptight,” Liam interrupted.

“Yeah,” Dylan said without missing a beat. “Let’s go with uptight.”

Adam pinched the bridge of his nose. His life was unraveling and they wanted to take the opportunity to rib him?

“She didn’t date me,” he said when he knew his voice would be even again. “She married me.”

After a moment of stunned silence, the room erupted into questions, each being called more loudly than the one before. Even the babies, Jenna’s daughter, Meg, and Liam’s daughter, Bonnie, joined in on the action, laughing and waving their arms around.

Callie looked over at him, her eyes wide. He didn’t know much about his wife, but from her reaction he guessed she didn’t come from a boisterous family. This was a baptism of fire into the Hawke clan.

“Sorry,” he said, and offered her a tight smile. He loved his family, but they tried his patience at least half the time. He turned back to the horde. “If you’ll give me a chance, I’ll let you know what happened.”

The noise immediately stopped, and Adam could breathe again. “Callie and I met at a conference in Vegas several years ago. We’ve spent time together at the same conference for three years running and at this last one, we made a spur-of-the-moment decision to get married.”

Liam was first to find his voice. “I assume alcohol was involved?”

“Please tell me there was an Elvis impersonator officiating,” Dylan said, clearly loving the entire debacle.

Adam kept his voice even. “Alcohol on both sides, and no Elvis impersonator.”

His mother leaned forward in her chair. “From the fact that this is the first we’re hearing about it, you clearly didn’t plan on staying married. So why are you telling us at all? Are you hoping to make a go of it now?”

“Hey!” Dylan said before Adam could reply. “I just realized why you refused to be part of the bachelor auction. You were already married.”

Adam winced. The auction had taken place just after he’d arrived home from the fateful weekend in Vegas. He might not have been telling the world about the wedding, but neither would he lie and pretend to be a bachelor. However, he ignored the question and turned back to his mother.

“Callie was given this account by the partners of her firm without them knowing about our connection. Unfortunately, a colleague of hers found out and is hoping to blackmail her into handing the project over to him so that he can get the promotion when it’s completed.”

“That’s awful,” Faith said. “I hate petty politics like that. Can’t you tell the partners?”

Callie leaned forward. “I could, but the story would probably get out anyway, and I think with Adam’s connection to Larsland’s royal family through Jenna, combined with his profile here in LA, the tabloids would have fun with the story.”

“And,” Adam added, “that could be disastrous for the trust. Donations could dry up. Not to mention the impact it could have on the coverage of Liam and Jenna’s wedding.”

Both Liam and Jenna opened their mouths to speak, but Callie got in ahead of them. She was a quick study in how to deal with his family, and he appreciated that.

“It’s okay,” she said. “We have a plan.”

Callie looked to Adam, as if for permission to explain. He nodded—it was her idea, so it was only fitting that she explained it.

“We’re going to take control of the story and announce our new relationship. We’ll speak to some journalist friends of mine and have it run in the media, complete with photos. The story will then be about an unconventional start to a sweet relationship. Hopefully, the interest will die down and we’ll be able to go back to normal sooner rather than later.”

“New relationship?” his mother asked hopefully.

Adam almost laughed. Of the entire crazy story, that was the phrase his mother had focused on.

“Sorry, but the story is fake. Callie and I will wait until any interest has blown over, then quietly get a divorce. The only ones who will know the truth are the people in this room and Callie’s family.”

His mother looked disappointed, but there was nothing he could do about that. Besides, she’d soon be gaining two new daughters-in-law. She was doing well enough without him having to add to the count.

“I’m worried you’re doing this for us,” Jenna said with a hand on Liam’s thigh. “You don’t have to—we’ll be fine.”

They might be fine, but he’d be damned if he’d let his drunken mistake hurt his brothers or Jenna’s family. It was his mess and he’d clean it up.

“Callie and I have discussed the potential ramifications on your family, Jenna, but also on the trust and Callie’s career. We’ve agreed this is the best course of action.”

“What can we do to help?” Liam asked.

“We have the situation in hand,” Callie said. “All you need to do is play along and attend the wedding.”

Faith sat up straighter, as if she’d had an idea. “I can do a story on the wedding flowers on my TV segment if that will help.”

Faith had recently started a job with a nationally syndicated gardening show, doing regular segments on flowers and floristry. The job was based in New York, and now she and Dylan split their time between New York and LA.

Jenna nodded. “Liam has a new flower, a snow-white tulip, almost ready to go. Instead of an event for this one, we could use the wedding as its launch. That will give the media something else to focus on besides digging for the truth.”

That could help. Liam’s work breeding new strains of flowers had been part of the reason their company had made a mark in the world of flower retailing. Jenna had organized red-carpet launches for the past two new blooms, and Faith’s skills as a florist had ensured the most recent, the Blush Iris, had been presented to best effect, garnering them maximum exposure.

“It’s gorgeous,” Faith said, turning her excited gaze to Jenna. “Since you weren’t firm on a name yet, perhaps we could tie it in? Call it the Bridal Tulip.”

Jenna and Faith fell into a conversation about the flowers, while his parents took the opportunity to welcome Callie into the family, even if only temporarily. Adam watched, until his brothers approached him, blocking Callie from view.

Liam pulled Adam to his feet and clapped him on the back. “I can’t believe you’ll be the first of us to get married.”

“Will be?” Dylan said. “He already is married. We’re going to have to watch his drinking from now on.”

Despite knowing it was a good-natured joke, Adam bristled at the thought of having to be watched like a child by his younger brothers, of all people. He tried to move away, but his brothers had boxed him in.

“You know,” Liam said, pretending to think, “I don’t remember the last time I saw him drunk.”

Dylan grinned. “Now we know why. It makes him feel matrimonial.”

Ignoring them, he shouldered his way past, reached for Callie’s hand and then raised his voice to be heard over the din. “Much as I’d love to stay and enjoy Liam and Dylan’s brand of support, Callie and I have to leave. We’re meeting with her family, as well, tonight.”

Within a few minutes, they had extricated themselves and made it to the car. Yet, even as he started the engine, his shoulders wouldn’t relax. No one liked to have their screwups made into a joke, but still, it had rankled more than it should have for his family to witness the consequences of the only time in years he’d lost control.

And this farce was only just beginning...

* * *

Callie glanced over at her husband’s strong profile, and a shiver raced down her spine. She’d spent most of the day with him, but there was something different about being in close quarters together in the dark cabin of the car. More intimate than a large, bright office and much more personal than a room with his entire family.

She felt the pull of him more strongly here, with nothing to claim her attention but his masculine beauty. His scent. Him.

His hands were firmly gripping the steering wheel and he seemed unsettled.

“That went okay?” she ventured.

“Sure, if you like publically admitting to your drunken mistakes and having them turned into wisecracks by your brothers.”

At the words drunken mistakes, she cringed. Her reaction was stupid since she already knew Adam regretted their marriage, but still, she couldn’t help it. It was like a slap in the face.

No point being squeamish now, especially when it was her job that was forcing them to make their situation public. She sat up straighter. “Let’s put your brothers behind us and move on.”

“Fine with me,” he said, rolling his broad shoulders. “Fill me in on your family so I’m prepared before we arrive. Are they likely to mock? Chase me with a shotgun?”

“No, it’ll be all safe and calm. My parents are both teachers, happily married and loving parents. They’ll want to know the details, but ultimately they’ll support whatever I choose to do.”

“Siblings?” he asked as he smoothly overtook a car full of teenagers who had their music up loud. She tried not to be mesmerized by the way his hands and arms worked to control the car.

“One sister, Summer. She’s also my roommate.” And best friend. In fact, Summer was the only person Callie had told about Adam when she’d returned from Vegas. She’d spilled the beans on the spontaneous wedding, her toe-curlingly handsome new husband and her hope that it might grow into something more one day. A hope that had turned out to be in vain.

“Will she be there tonight?” His voice was deep and rumbling, almost a physical presence in the car.

“She said she’d come for moral support. She already knew about Vegas, and I filled her in on the phone this afternoon, so she’s up-to-date on the plan.”

She and Summer had always been inseparable. Even since she was ten and Summer was eleven, they’d had a plan to conquer the world. As they’d grown up, the plan had changed a few times, but their ambition hadn’t wavered. By the time they’d reached college and found they both had a flair for PR, they’d decided that they’d one day open their own firm, Mitchell and Mitchell. In the meantime, they were working in different firms so they could gather a broader range of skills and contacts. Either one of them making partner would give them the best springboard into their own firm, so it had always been a priority.

Along the way, they were both supposed to find men they loved, but who were also movers and shakers. Men with power and social influence. Men somewhat like the man sitting within touching distance from her now. Her husband.

The remnants of a child’s idea of a successful life could still be seen in their life plan, but it was more than that. It was the American dream. Their parents were comfortably middle-class, and happy with their lot, but Callie and Summer had always dreamed of more.

That she had accidentally ended up married to someone who didn’t want to stay married only set their life plan back a little. But she and Summer would get through this and get back on track after Callie was free to divorce Adam Hawke.

As they neared her parents’ house, she gave directions until they finally pulled up in the driveway. Summer’s car was already here, so they were all systems go.

“What a nice home,” Adam said, his tone polite.

Callie looked at the modest, single-story brick house, conscious of how it must seem to him. The gardens were bursting with flowers, but to Adam’s expert eye, they would be nothing special—daisies and other plants that were easy to grow. And, though she knew he’d come from humble beginnings, it must have been a long time since he’d been inside a house that wasn’t luxurious and stylish. She wondered what he was thinking, but his expression gave nothing away.

“Come on,” she finally said. “Let me introduce you to my family.”

* * *

By the time the mission was complete and they were on their way back to Adam’s car with Summer walking beside them, almost an hour had passed.

“That went quite well,” Summer said brightly.

Callie returned the smile but couldn’t match the wattage. “I think they’re disappointed in me.”

Adam whipped his head around to face her, his dark brows drawn together. “They should be proud of you. Any parent would be proud to have a daughter like you.”

Callie stilled. It was the first compliment Adam had given her since the night of their wedding. And even then, he’d been light on the complimenting front. It sent a happy buzz through her bloodstream, to her fingers and toes, and she was appalled. She couldn’t let a simple compliment from Adam Hawke affect her this much. It would be granting him power over her.

She braced every muscle in her body, bringing her reaction to him under control.

“Thank you,” she said through tight lips.

Without looking at her, Adam gave a quick nod, and then thumbed the keyless lock.

Summer watched the exchange with a thoughtful expression before she added, “They’re not disappointed. They’re just surprised. It will take them a little while to process it all, but they’ll be fine. It will take everyone a little time before it feels natural. Including you two.”

“We don’t have a lot of time,” Callie said.

“That’s true.” Summer folded her arms under her breasts and regarded them both. “I’m just going to come out and say this. You two don’t look like a couple in love.”

Adam shrugged. “If you’re looking for someone who gushes, you’ve got the wrong man.”

Summer shook her head. “It’s more about how comfortable you seem around each other. Or, more precisely, how uncomfortable.”

“We’ll be fine when the curtain goes up,” Adam said dismissively.

Callie bit down on her lip. Summer was right. No one would believe the story they were going to try to spin if it wasn’t backed up by nonverbal communication between them, and she and Adam weren’t in the least at ease in each other’s company.

“What do you suggest?” Callie asked.

Summer tapped her index finger against her lips and considered them. “A bit of rehearsal time should do it.”

Callie suppressed an involuntary shiver at the thought of practicing touching Adam. Since she’d arrived in his office this morning, they’d barely touched. But memories of touching him freely—of being touched by him—were burned into her brain. No one had ever made her come alive like Adam. She might have been under the influence of alcohol when she said her vows, but she’d been equally influenced by the man himself. By his touch. By his hands. By his mouth.

Even now, in her parents’ driveway, she felt her heart pick up pace at the prospect of experiencing his touch again.

Adam, however, seemed unmoved. His decision about their marriage must have been mainly a result of the alcohol. If she wasn’t careful, she would make a fool out of herself while they rehearsed. What she needed was a chaperone. Someone to remind her that this was all make-believe.

“Will you help?” she asked her sister.

Summer smiled. “Of course. How about now? We could grab some takeout and go back to the apartment.”

“I don’t think it’s necessary,” Adam interjected, everything about him screaming reluctance.

Callie took a step closer, until she was a hand span away, and reached up to cup the side of his face with her palm, ignoring the part of her that demanded she take it further. His jaw was lightly stubbled, and his skin was warm and enticing.

Adam’s eyes widened with surprise and his spine went ramrod-straight.

With great effort, Callie took a step back and met his gaze, hoping that nothing in her own betrayed her. “That’s what Summer’s talking about. We need to be comfortable enough with each other that our reactions to unexpected touch won’t give the game away.”

Adam blew out a breath and leaned against his car. “And you’re suggesting we practice.”

Callie nodded. “Don’t worry. It will be aboveboard. Summer will be there as our outsider point of view. If we’re going to do this, we need to do it properly.”

“Okay. How about you go back with Summer. Give me directions to your place and I’ll pick up some food on the way.”

As Callie told him how to get to her apartment, her stomach fluttered. She was going to spend the evening practicing touching Adam Hawke.

Or, more precisely, she was going to spend the evening pretending to be unaffected while her husband touched her. And she wasn’t even sure that was entirely possible.

Three

Adam shifted the bags of food to one hand and pressed the buzzer for Callie’s apartment. When he’d woken this morning, he’d grabbed a quick coffee before heading for the gym. His head had been full of thoughts about the day ahead: a meeting with a potential supplier and some paperwork he needed to catch up on. Not once had he even come close to imagining how the day would truly unfold.

Less than twenty-four hours since Callie had crashed back into his life, his schedule, his family and his life were all in a mess.

He was used to being the one who solved problems, not the one in the middle of the trouble. But one day with Callie Mitchell had turned the tables on him.

And worse, he might be getting ready to participate in a sham of a marriage, but he’d learned one thing today—his desire for his wife was anything but imaginary. It threatened to overwhelm him anytime she was near. But he had to keep any reaction to her buttoned down. If he was to survive what was coming with his sanity intact, he’d need to keep a very clear line between what was real and what was part of the PR plan.

The door buzzed and opened, and he headed into the foyer and took the elevator to the sixth floor.

Callie was waiting in the doorway to her apartment, giving him a nervous smile, and his shoulders relaxed a little. He was glad he wasn’t the only one uncomfortable about the situation.

He held out the bags in offering. “I wasn’t sure what you liked, so I got sushi, Chinese and pizza.”

Summer popped her head around the corner. “Great. I call dibs on the sushi.” She grabbed the bags and headed back into the apartment, leaving him in the doorway with Callie.

She’d changed into jeans and a sky-blue top, and her long, caramel hair was caught up in a sleek ponytail. She looked understated and utterly desirable.

“Look,” she said, digging her hands into her pockets, “I just want to say how sorry I am that you’re caught up in this.”

He frowned, not quite following her thinking. “I signed the marriage license right beside you.”

“But no one would ever have known if it wasn’t for my job. And my slimy coworker.”

“Still not your fault,” he said dismissively. “Besides, you never know what journalists would have found once they started digging for dirt when Liam and Jenna’s wedding drew closer.”

If anyone was to take the lion’s share of the blame, it should be him. Among his brothers, he’d always been the one who could be relied upon to be the most responsible, a trend that had started when they were kids and his parents would leave him in charge of Liam and Dylan. It was one of the reasons they’d voted him CEO of the entire Hawke’s Blooms company.

Whenever he’d relaxed his guard too much in the past, bad things had happened. Like when he was thirteen and making out with his first girlfriend behind the sheds after school, and a ten-year-old Dylan had wandered off and been missing for two hours. Adam had been frantic. He’d eventually found Dylan safe, but with cuts and bruises from a fall. Adam had been more careful to watch his brothers after that.

Then there was the time he’d let himself get rolling drunk on a trip to Vegas and wound up married...

He followed Callie into the spacious apartment and across to the kitchen. Summer had pulled out some plates and cutlery and she handed them to him to take to the table.

As he watched the sisters work together, a thought occurred to him. “Have either of you had to do this with clients before?”

Callie’s brows drew together. “Pretend to marry them?”

“Ah, no,” he said as he put down the food. “I meant coach people to act like they were...”

“In love?” Summer observed, and he gave a curt nod.

Callie pulled out a chair and sat across from where he was standing. “No, this is a first for us.”

He should have been disconcerted by their lack of specific experience, yet part of him was glad. If she’d been a professional at being able to fake adoration, while he was an amateur, the situation would have been too uneven. He hated feeling like he was in someone else’s hands.

“Actually,” Summer said, “we should be starting now. You two sit beside each other.”

His instinct was to keep more distance between Callie and him—to keep out of arm’s reach—but the suggestion was reasonable. A couple in love would take every opportunity to be close. He crossed around to the other side and sank into the chair beside Callie’s.

This close he could smell her coconut shampoo. It immediately brought back memories of his fingers threaded through her glossy hair. Of it spilling across the pillow while he was above her. His skin heated and suddenly his tie was too tight around his throat. He loosened it and tried his best to appear impervious, which was easier said than done.

He glanced casually at his wife as he spooned fried rice onto his plate. “I assume your plan is that we spend some time near each other so we become accustomed to the other’s presence.”

“Pretty much,” Callie answered. “Though we should do some deliberate things, as well, not just passively sit beside each other.”

He stilled. He was only just coping with sitting this close. “Define deliberate things.”

Callie shrugged as she grabbed a sushi roll from the platter. “Occasional touches. Holding hands. Just so when we do it for the cameras, neither of us flinches. We need to seem used to it.”

He relaxed again. That made sense and didn’t seem too intimate. As long as he had his reactions to her under control, it wouldn’t be a difficult task.