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At least Jess saw who she was getting as a husband. Matt wasn’t an old man, who required a young woman to care for his needs, give him an heir before he died, and left her to live out her life as a widow. He was young, handsome, rich, and virile. He had many decades ahead of him to bring her pleasure. More than that, she was able to see what he could give her just by looking around her. She’d have everything money could buy.
Jess was almost there. A few more short steps and she’d be standing at his side. He had already caught the scent of the bouquet she held in her hands and the perfume she wore, both of his choosing. Her smile was so pretty, so soft, but also hesitant and faltering. It was obvious that she was still apprehensive about going through with the wedding, but her steps were firm. Her bravery came through quite clearly. She wasn’t going to run away and leave him standing there all alone.
As Jess reached the altar, the room became quiet, the music stopped abruptly, and the rustle of clothing of those who attended could be heard as they sat back in their seats. Other than that, the sound of the gentle air that was going in and out of his lungs and his heartbeat reached his ears. He wondered if Jess’ heart was racing as fast as his, and if it was, there would be a difference. His was racing out of joy and eagerness, whereas hers was probably doing so out of fear of the unknown. He was sorry for that, but it couldn’t be helped.
Jess acknowledged his unasked question of whether or not she was ready with a small nod of her head. She turned and handed Annabeth her bouquet as per tradition, then, finally, she allowed him to take her hands in his.
Her palms were soft, smooth, and just so slightly damp while her hands were lay loosely in his grip, and they trembled. He gently squeezed them to reassure her everything was going to be fine, and he thought she squeezed back but couldn’t be certain. She bravely looked into his face as the ceremony began.
17
This was insane. The whole idea of this wedding was crazy. Matt was a lunatic. Jess felt like she was living in theTwilight Zone.Coming to Monte Carlo for a honeymoon without a husband was the ultimate form of insanity. Worse, she’d pushed the whole thing a step further into lunacy by getting drunk off her ass and losing money she didn’t have. She had to be unhinged or demented to think the best way out of her mistakes was to make a new one, one that was supposed to last forever.
Yet, here she was in a bridal gown she hadn’t chosen, carrying flowers also not of her choosing, as she was about to walk down the aisle of a chapel to marry a gorgeous, sexy billionaire who was a virtual stranger to her. This didn’t happen in the 21stcentury or in any century that she could think of. Did they even have billionaires in the 1800s or farther back?
A gambler, a professional gambler, was what Matt called his profession. How was that a real job? Though it had to be because he had the big bucks and the power to prove it. He’d used some of that power to get her right where she was, hadn’t he?
Matt had watched as she’d gotten pissed face drunk and lost everything she had and more. He’d stood by as she was taken to a holding cell to sit around and become distraught and afraid over what was going to happen to her. He’d let her stew in her own negative thoughts, then come to her aid in the strangest way possible. Marriage? Really? He’d offered her a way out of being locked up that was actually a kind of prison in itself. Didn’t some men refer to their wives as the old ball and chain? That was a definite prison reference.
Sure, this particular prison had some special perks. Her warden was to be the handsome, sexy, heart-stopping rich part-owner of the hotel. Her jail cell included designer sheets, a minibar, a bed the size of a small pond, and a bathtub she could swim in, then there was the extra perk of her roommate. Her warden was going to share her bed, at least she figured he would. Why else would he bother marrying her? A girl was easily led to do worse. Hadn’t she fallen for Spencer?
The thought of Spencer twisted her guts into a knot. This wasn’t the time to bring him to mind. In fact, it was one of the worst. What woman in her right mind thought of the man who’d dumped her at the altar when she was about to marry another man? Then again, maybe it was the perfect time to remember him.
He’d be shocked to see her now. It was going to royally piss him off when he found out she’d gotten married on what was supposed to be their honeymoon. She’d gladly toss it in his face, then step up and rub it in. She’d give him every detail of the wedding, making sure to let him know about the designer dress she’d been gifted to wear and the champagne that had been in her room to sip on while she’d gotten ready to walk down the aisle. Lastly, she’d freak him out with the news that her husband was a billionaire! He’d never get past that news.
The music began, startling Jess back to reality as she stood in front of the doors to the chapel.
“Jess, it’s time for me to walk in. Will you be okay? Can I count on you to take the cue for your turn?” Annabeth asked.
“I’m fine. Better than fine. This is my wedding day, and you helped make me look gorgeous. I won’t miss my cue. I promise,” Jess replied and was surprised to realize she meant it.
Annabeth kissed her cheek. “For luck,” she whispered and walked into the chapel leaving Jess to take a deep breath.
“This is your wedding day, a day you’ve looked forward to since you were three years old. You’re going to pay attention to every detail of this day, so you’ll remember it when your great-grandchildren ask about it. Maybe, you’ll leave out the part about not really knowing their great-grandfather. It might be best if they didn’t think it was okay to follow your lead,”Jess told herself.
The wedding march began, and the hotel attendants swung open the doors to the small chapel. From her vantage point, Jess saw the candles glowing all along the sides of the walls while white roses seemed to be everywhere—on stands, between the candles, at the altar, and on the ends of the pews, where they hung artfully.
The small group gathered to witness the marriage rose from their chairs in honor of her, the bride. It was lovely to watch them stand and turn just for her sake. It gave her courage, which until that instant, she hadn’t realized she needed.
Jess discovered she liked the intimacy of this wedding venue. It felt more personal to have a small number of guests. Somehow, it gave it all more meaning and focused on the true purpose of the occasion and how important it was.
Her own wedding, the disastrous one, as she now thought of it, was a large one. There were supposed to be too many guests to speak to and a lot who she didn’t personally know in attendance. It was a show put on to make Spencer appear as important as he thought himself to be. The actual meaning of the day would have been lost in all the pomp and circumstance. It was slated to be more of a circus than a celebration of two people in love. She saw that now, though it had eluded her at the time.
This simple, low-key version of a wedding was better. It didn’t stress her out, yet it was elegant and classy. The beauty of it was in its simplicity. It was perfect except for one thing—her heart ached because her parents weren’t there to see her take her vows, her father wasn’t walking her down the aisle to give her away to the man of her dreams, and her mother hadn’t been there to help her dress or to stick tiny flowers into her hair. There would be no photos of them with the bride and groom. She wasn’t going to get the traditional father/daughter dance nor was Matt going to take her mother out onto the dance floor and make her feel special.
Otherwise, everything was just as it should be. Matt obviously didn’t need a circus or hundreds of gawkers to make him feel like a big man. He knew what and who he was without having to prove it to anyone else. She liked that about him. She was finding that she quite liked a bit about this stranger she was about to marry, even if she’d decided he’d lost his mind.
When she caught sight of him standing at the altar, she almost lost her breath. He was magnificent. There was no other way to describe him. She didn’t have that kind of vocabulary, so ‘magnificent’ would have to be good enough.
She’d never forget his proud stance or the way his eyes followed her down the aisle. His tux was perfection. It fit him as if he’d been born wearing it. She liked his hair, which she believed he had freshened up while she dressed. He hadn’t shaved off his scruff, and that made her happy. For her, it made him appear more human and more approachable. It also brought attention to his regal cheekbones that, for some reason, she wanted to kiss.
His eyes swept her from head to toe. For a moment, she wondered if he’d be disappointed in the way she looked, then she saw the gleam of approval come into his eyes. There was more, too. Behind the approval was a heat, one she recognized as lust. The dress and its nude underlayment had done their job. He was imagining her naked and getting turned on by it. The idea of her ability to do that made her stand taller. She wasn’t rich or some famous star, but she could give him this, her beautiful body.
Each step brought him closer. Before long, she’d be able to reach out and touch him. Was she strong enough to keep going? Yes, she was. She handed her bouquet of roses twined with pearls and baby’s breath to Annabeth and allowed Matt to take her hand.
His hands were warm, whereas hers were icy. His were dry, and hers were damp. She shook while he remained steady as a rock. They were different in hundreds of ways, but he wanted to marry her anyway. He could have had his pick of a hundred different women—rich, stars, well-bred, or models—but he’d chosen her. It boggled her mind.
As the ceremony began and the words flowed from the officiant’s mouth, she stared into Matt’s eyes, and her eyes became trapped in his. She found her safety net there. As long as she didn’t look away, she’d get through this without faltering or stuttering. She definitely didn’t want to embarrass herself or Matt by stumbling over her vows.
