Married In Name Only

Paisley had dealt with brides who wanted all the bling and poof, while other brides preferred short and simple. Some wanted a veil while others preferred a simple flower or even a sparkling headband. Paisley loved her job and that each customer brought unique opinions and ideas for their special day.

Unable to resist, Paisley hung the second gown up and pulled the zipper down. She parted the plastic and slid her fingertip over the intricate beadwork. Each time she mentally planned her wedding, she volleyed back and forth between wanting an intimate wedding with a little simple, body-hugging strapless dress or a lavish cathedral wedding in an elaborate gown with a train that trailed the aisle behind her, à la Princess Diana.

Regardless of the dress and the venue, the man and the marriage itself were all that mattered. One day she would marry, she’d have kids and live happily ever after. She didn’t think that was a fantasy at all. She made her living off believing such realities and truly felt with her whole heart that there was someone out there for everyone.

Her someone wasn’t Lucas Ford. She’d once thought he was, but if that were the case, they would’ve ended up together before now. She didn’t think fate threw her the curve of taking her mother away only to give her back the one man she truly loved.

“That’s a beautiful dress.”

Paisley startled and spun around, her hand to her heart. The devil himself stood before her, only there were no horns and a pitchfork. Only a black Stetson and a shiny belt buckle for this one.

“I’m not open yet,” she informed Lucas.

With that black suit and black shirt, he looked absolutely perfect amid these crisp white gowns. Like the mysterious cowboy coming to sweep away his bride. If only her life were that simple and utterly romantic. Her heart fluttered at the idea.

“Door was unlocked,” he replied as he leaned a shoulder against the back door leading to the storage room.

Paisley tucked the dress, and her fantasy, away and turned her full attention to her unwanted guest.

“My sign says Closed,” she retorted. “But I assume you don’t follow rules. So, what do you want?”

“You left my office without an answer to my proposal.”

Paisley snorted and resisted the urge to roll her eyes—barely. “Any other man would have taken my silence and dramatic exit as answer enough.”

“Other men don’t know you like I do, Tart.”

“Would you stop with that?” she demanded.

“Why?” he asked, pushing off the door and stalking toward her. “You don’t like remembering us?”

“There is no us.” No matter how much she’d wanted them to last. Back then her dreams had included Lucas. Now she had new goals and none of them involved an old boyfriend.

“Listen. If you’d get your pride out of the equation, you’d see that marrying me is the smartest move for you.”

He took another step toward her until he stood way, way too close. That expensive, masculine cologne wafted around her, pulling her tighter into his web of charm and seduction.

Hell, at this point she didn’t need all of those past memories tugging her into submission. The man Lucas had grown into was doing a fine job of that on his own.

“You’ll owe me nothing for finding the truth about your father,” he started, those bright blue eyes holding her in place. “I’ll make sure your business doesn’t fall victim to Sterling, as many others have, and you’ll never have to worry about money again.”

“And I only have to sell my soul to obtain all of that?” she asked.

Lucas’s eyes raked over her, then landed on her mouth. “It’s not your soul I’m after.”

Despite Paisley’s best attempt at trying to ignore his suggestive remark, a shiver crept through her. Her entire body tingled and her common sense and her hormones were waging their own battle and she knew—she just knew—which would come out on top.

“We’re not the same people we once were,” she reminded him. “We’re not even close.”

“We could be closer.”

He smirked and reached for her, but she skirted around him.

“Would you stop with the charm and one-liners that you think will get me to drop my panties?”

“You wear panties? I recall a time you didn’t.”

Paisley gritted her teeth and reminded herself violence was not the answer. Regaining control of this conversation was the only way to show him she was not so vulnerable that she’d marry him. She didn’t need someone to ride to her rescue, damn it. She just needed someone to find out the truth about her father and, unfortunately, Lucas was the best in the field.

Paisley headed toward the front of her store. Standing amid stunning wedding gowns while staring down a tempting proposal was not helping her sanity. And she was tempted...but that was just the memories reminding her how perfect they’d been together at one time. No matter what happened between them, their chemistry could never be denied or forgotten.

She’d tried to forget. Life would have been so much easier if she could’ve erased the feel of his touch, the comfort of falling asleep in his arms.

“I’m not marrying you,” she stated, hoping one of these times he’d believe her...and she’d convince herself not to fall for his charm. “If Sterling is my father, I won’t need your money. Sterling will want to take care of what’s his and I deserve for him to give back after what he did to my mother. I just need to stay on my feet now that everything’s been pulled away.”

Paisley moved to the entrance and arranged the blush-pink throw pillows on the white sofa. They were perfect, but she needed to do something that didn’t involve looking or touching Lucas.

“You’d rather take that bastard’s money than let me help?”

If she didn’t know better, she’d say he sounded almost hurt. Paisley steeled herself against any emotions. That was not what this was about and they’d gotten too far off track.

“All I need from you is to find the truth,” she reiterated, spinning back around after beating her pillows. “Do you want to take the case or not?”

Lucas rocked back on his heels and shoved his hands in his pockets as if he hadn’t a care in the world. Must be nice to not worry about the possibility of losing your business or potentially finding out your father was a murderer. Not to mention trying to mourn the loss of your mother. There was only so much heartache a person could take without breaking, and Paisley refused to break in front of Lucas.

“Do you really think Sterling will recognize you as one of his own and just welcome you into the fold?”

Well...yeah. She did, but what if he didn’t? What if he didn’t care? He already had plenty of children and it wasn’t like he needed her for anything. Paisley was just...irrelevant.

“Regardless of how he reacts, I want the truth.” Paisley turned and crossed to the front door. She flicked the closed sign to Open and tugged on the antique doorknob. “I’m not for sale, so unless you’re here to plan a wedding to someone else, we’re done.”

The antique etching on the knob dug into her palm, but she kept her grip tight. Her nerves were shot and she hated how Lucas thought he could manipulate her into some absurd binding commitment.

She stared straight ahead at the wall of mannequins, each draped with an elegant gown. She would not let him win this round. If she had to work to find the truth herself, so be it.

His feet scuffed across the hardwood floor as he drew closer. Lucas stopped just beside her and leaned in. That warm breath of his washed over her collarbone, her neck, sending shivers up her arms she couldn’t afford to relish.

“When you come to your senses, you know where to find me.”

She closed her eyes as he walked by, and attempted to hold her breath so she didn’t have to inhale that sexy scent of his. But, even after he was gone, his presence lingered. A powerful man like Lucas knew how to make an impact without saying a word.

But she’d gone to him initially, so she had no one to blame but herself for awakening the beast.

Still, taking the risk had been necessary because there was no one to tell her the truth and Paisley deserved to know who her father was. It wasn’t like she could just march into the jail and demand Sterling tell her what he knew...if he even knew anything to begin with.

Lucas was the best P.I. He would and she believed could find the truth so the benefit of the outcome would far outweigh the pain of marrying the only man she’d ever loved and lost.

Blowing out a sigh, Paisley moved through her bridal boutique and headed for her white antique desk toward the back. She often did consultations here, but today she needed to check her emails and make sure her incoming orders were on time. Timing was everything in this business with jittery brides and deadlines.

Paisley took a seat at her desk and pulled up her messages on her laptop. The most recent one stopped her heart.

No. This could not be happening.

She read through the email once again, praying she’d read it wrong. Her hands shook as she tried to clasp them in her lap. Tears burned her eyes, and her breath caught in her throat.

The thirty-five-thousand-dollar gown she’d ordered for a bride was now no longer needed. The wedding had been called off and the mother of the bride was refusing to pay the remainder of the fee she’d agreed to pay. She was sure Paisley would understand and could return the gown.

Sure, in theory that sounded great, but in the real world a gown with that price tag couldn’t be returned like a pair of shoes.

Paisley didn’t know if she wanted to just sit there and cry or throw a tantrum. Her eyes darted to the minibar she kept for brides and their guests. Mimosas for morning guests and rosé for the afternoon and evening crowd. Paisley had never indulged while at work, but today was proving to be worthy of a good buzz.

Once she got home, she’d open the bottle of Reisling she’d been saving for a special occasion; after all, she’d given up on something special actually happening.

Slouching back in her seat, Paisley wondered how she’d ever recover from not only the Sterling debacle, but now the major setback with the gown that she would be stuck with. A gown that cost more than her car. A blow like this could absolutely destroy her business and her livelihood.

Dread curled low in her belly. There was a temporary answer to her problems. She just didn’t want to admit it even to herself.

But at this point, she didn’t have much of a choice. She was going to have to marry Lucas Ford.

Three

Sterling Perry sank on the edge of his cot and rested his elbows on his knees. This was no way for a man of his standing to live. He was Sterling Perry, damn it. When he spoke, people snapped to attention and obeyed his every command.

Whoever the hell had framed him would regret the day they ever crossed him. This was no accident. Someone outside these prison walls knew the truth and they’d yet to come forward. He wasn’t a damn murderer.

But here he sat, still in this blasted cell, all because he’d made a few minor mistakes and then a body had been found at one of his construction sites once the floodwaters receded. The body hadn’t even been identified, so how the hell did they even have a motive to pin all of this on him?

Sterling had been locked up too damn long, having been denied bail. According to the powers that be, they considered him a flight risk.

Bullshit. He wasn’t going anywhere, except maybe to see his son, Roarke. One would think a crusading attorney son would come to his father’s defense, but not Roarke.

What the hell did a man have to do to earn a little respect?

According to his attorney, there was another chance to petition for bail coming up. Sterling needed out of this place and he needed to get back to the Texas Cattleman’s Club because he sure as hell had every intention of becoming the president of the newest chapter.

Sterling came to his feet and blew out a sigh. He wouldn’t be in here forever and the time he’d spent so far had only got his gut churning and mind rolling. Roarke had never approved of Sterling’s business dealings, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that he hadn’t come to his father’s aide.

But was he even Roarke’s father? Because Sterling had some serious doubts about his late wife’s fidelity.

Maybe there was a way to get that rumor out there without sounding like a jaded husband. Shouldn’t Roarke know the truth? There was that period where Sterling’s wife had been sneaky, distant. He’d always suspected an affair.

He wouldn’t be surprised one bit if Roarke was a love child.

Sterling couldn’t help the smile that spread across his face. Soon. Very soon people would know just how powerful and mighty Sterling Perry truly was. If they thought he was a shark before, they’d better watch out. Even these bars couldn’t hold him back.

The murderer needed to be found, and Sterling needed to secure his position at the club and find the truth about Roarke. There was too much to do and he had run out of patience.

* * *

Lucas didn’t even try to hide the smile as he waited for the penthouse elevator to slide open the next morning. The security guard for his building had already notified Lucas of the petite blonde heading his way...and according to Nyle, she didn’t look too happy.

All the more reason for him to celebrate. If Paisley was here and in a bad mood, that could only mean one thing. Wedding bells would be ringing soon.

Lucas hooked his thumbs on his belt loops and whistled. “Here Comes the Bride” seemed appropriate, but there was no need to completely piss her off so he went with an old country song instead.

The door whooshed open and Paisley stepped into his penthouse. That narrowed gaze and set jaw said more than any words could. Yes, definitely not the time for “Here Comes the Bride.”

“Beautiful morning for a visit,” he called out to her.

Paisley shot him a glare and Lucas bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing. He hadn’t been out at all, but the sunshine beamed through his wall of windows.

“Stop looking so damn smug,” she stated, marching farther into his penthouse. “This is not going to go the way you think.”

As she brushed past him as if she had every right to barge into his home, Lucas chuckled. Oh, he had every intention of getting exactly what he wanted—Paisley in his bed and her having his child. That didn’t seem like a high price to pay for all he would be doing for her.

Lucas spun on his heel and followed those swaying hips into the living area.

“First of all,” she started, spinning around with her finger pointed right at him like a dagger, “we will get married, but make no mistake, this isn’t some happy-ever-after. Don’t think that I love you or I have some fantasy that this will be some fairy tale.”

Love and fairy tale? No, none of that had entered his mind. What did love have to do with marriage? Thankfully, she knew exactly what this was and wasn’t.

Well, there was one thing she didn’t know, but he’d save the heir talk for a bit later. He had her here now and he needed to keep her since he was making headway.

“Any other stipulations?” he asked her.

Lucas felt it best to just let her think she called the shots. So long as he got what he wanted out of the deal, he didn’t care what she thought.

He wanted a child of his own and justice against Sterling Perry. And Paisley could give him both.

“I want a prenup and everything we agree on in writing,” she added. “There will be no surprises at the end of our marriage and my business will not suffer.”

Lucas couldn’t help but admire her for putting their past, and her emotions, aside to keep her dream alive. He had his own dreams, but they were quite different from hers.

“What brought you here now?” he asked, crossing his arms over his chest and leveling her gaze.

“There was a...minor setback at the boutique.” She fidgeted with the strap of her bag resting on her forearm. “I just realized that I can’t do it alone and as much as I hate being here, I’m not going to let my business fall simply because my pride got in the way.”

Another notch up on the scale of admiration. Maybe she had changed from the girl who had been too afraid to face their difficulties head-on.

Regardless, they were different people now and nothing about their past played a role in this situation. He wasn’t the same naive boy he was back then, young and in love—or what he thought was love. Lucas had a lucrative business and while he might not believe in love in the terms of marriage, he did believe in love of family and he wanted one of his own. He wanted to have that security of passing a legacy down to his children.

Lucas dropped his hands to his sides and closed the space between them. As he grew closer, Paisley tipped her head back to stare up at him and that perfect mix of colors in her eyes never failed to punch him in the gut with lust.

Lust he could handle; in fact, he welcomed it. Having Paisely again wouldn’t be a hardship.

“Just so I have everything clear for my attorney to draw up the proper papers, you want me to make sure your business is set to continue to prosper, you need me to find out the truth about your father and you want all of this to have an expiration date.”

She pursed her lips as her eyes darted away. That slight slip of her resolve had him swelling with the knowledge that she might come off as headstrong, but she still had that underlying vulnerability he remembered.

And that was the damn crux of the situation. He wanted to be the one to save her. Even after the ridiculous way things ended and all the time that had passed, he couldn’t deny the ego trip at the fact she’d come to him for help. Which only meant she’d been thinking of him.

At some point, he’d want answers about the past. Not that it would make any difference, nor did he want to relive everything, but he did wonder. And that bit about his dad going to her? Lucas wasn’t so sure that was the whole truth.

“Are you even going to ask what I want out of this?” Lucas couldn’t stop himself. He reached out and trailed his fingertip down her creamy cheek and along her jawline. “Or are you just going to trust me?”

She licked her lips as she continued to stare. “I...um. I assume you’ll tell me.”

Easing his thumb over her moist bottom lip, he smiled. “I want you in my bed. For as long as we’re married, we will be man and wife in every way. There’s no way I can live with you and not touch you, not want you. Not have you all to myself.”

Paisley’s eyes widened as she gasped. “You know I’m not staying forever. Why would you want to pretend this is real?”

Lucas was done playing games. He framed her face with both hands and covered her mouth. The bag she had on her arm bumped his abdomen, then fell with a thud to the floor.

Paisley let out a little squeak as he all but consumed her. She opened for him, just as she always had. Some things never changed. She’d never hesitated with her response to him and now was no different. She gripped his biceps as if she needed to hold on or hold him in place—either way was fine with him.

Damn. She tasted just as sweet as he remembered. Lucas threaded his fingers through her hair and tipped her head back. Paisley arched against him as he nipped at her lips and slowly pulled away.

“Was that you pretending?” he asked, his voice surprisingly stronger than he actually felt. “Because I just want to make sure I don’t get confused about what’s real or pretend.”

Paisley took a step back, then another, until she bumped into the curved staircase. Her shaky hand went to her lips and she closed her eyes.

Lucas was having a bit of a problem keeping himself in check. He wanted nothing more than to strip her bare and take her right here in his living room. But that was how they’d been when they were younger. They’d been all over each other. Young love had carried them so far, but ultimately, not far enough.

Still, having her in his home stirred something primal in him and he was positive he didn’t want her leaving. Call him selfish, but he wanted Paisley and he wanted her right here.

“Chemistry doesn’t mean anything,” she retorted.

If there had been any conviction in her tone, he might believe her. If she hadn’t arched that sweet, curvy body against his, he might think she didn’t want more. But he knew better. She’d come to him, pride aside.

She could have chosen anyone else to help her, but she wanted him. Despite everything that happened in their past, they still had a bond and he knew she trusted him with her case.

Lucas reached for her, sliding his hand across her cheek and up into her hair. “You want to end the marriage, I get that. Do you have an expiration date?”

Those hazel eyes never wavered from his. “If Sterling turns out to be my father and recognizes me, then I want out. I don’t want someone to take care of me forever. I want to stand on my own. But I’m not stupid enough to ignore the fact that I need help, because I won’t let my business suffer. It’s all I have left.”

So, it all came down to money. Most things in life did, he realized. Plus, he understood the need to protect something you’d built. Wasn’t that the reason he wanted a child to pass his business down to? All she wanted was to keep her shop running and live comfortably—which she could right here in his penthouse.

“Fine.” Lucas leaned down, brushed his lips over hers once more before stepping back. “You will be in my bed every night. Nonnegotiable. We’ll marry in Vegas, have our honeymoon and I’ll get to the bottom of the letter about your father.”

“Vegas?” she asked, quirking a brow. “That doesn’t sound like you.”

“It’s fast, simple.” Lucas smiled. “Unless you wanted to prepare and plan. A cathedral wedding would be fine, and actually not bad for my reputation. We could invite the press and—”

“Vegas it is.” She narrowed her eyes. “One more stipulation. You’re buying the gown of my choosing.”

Lucas could care less about the gown—more what was beneath. He’d have something sexy and sheer ordered for her for their wedding night and have it waiting in their suite.

He’d also have his jeweler get a stunning rock sent over as soon as possible. Their marriage might not be traditional, but Lucas wasn’t going to have his wife walking around with anything less than the best.

“Done,” he finally agreed.

Paisley stared at him another minute, cautiously keeping her emotions guarded, which he didn’t like. The Paisley he used to know had always been an open book, and she kept slipping into that state, but he could also see the independent woman she’d worked so hard to become. She was strong, she was resilient...and she was his.

Finally.

She’d have his ring on her finger and her body in his bed. This might not be the way he’d imagined they’d end up together, but they were going to be together nonetheless. They’d both get what they wanted.

Lucas had been naive years ago to think love would carry them through all their happy days and into old age. Then life smacked him in the face with a dose of reality and he finally saw that love didn’t exist. Money, power, careers—those things lasted and could be controlled. Love was nothing but a made-up emotion for people who lived in a fantasy world.

Love wasn’t for him...and never would be.

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