Looking for Love (Boxed set) (22 page)

Jenna marrying that pediatrician.

Hissing his frustration, he summoned his courage.

She would not marry another man. No, dammit. Jenna Barrett was his.

Determination set in, and he straightened his tie, smoothed back his hair, and opened the door to the chapel. Still his legs felt weak, so he grabbed the backs of the choir pews for support as he staggered to the front of the church.

The scent of fresh lilies assaulted him and he swallowed, battling another dizzy spell as the room began to spin. Then the soft strains of piano music broke into his consciousness, wafting through the candlelit space, and he realized the "Wedding March" was almost over. Damn. He was late for his own wedding.

He caught his brother's glare and hurried to his place, clenching and unclenching his clammy hands by his sides, determined to watch his brother eat crow when the ceremony was over. Then he glanced up and saw Jenna walking down the aisle.

Suddenly his nervousness vanished, and in its place, excitement burst in his chest along with a sense of calm. A sense of rightness.

Jenna looked absolutely radiant. Her long white satin gown had been tapered to fit her perfect body, a heart shaped neckline dipped enticingly low teasing at her breasts, those off-the- shoulder straps emphasized her creamy skin, and a soft, sheer veil framed her face and hinted at the sexy woman beneath.

His breath caught and locked in his chest, and his body stirred with primitive arousal.

Once the ceremony was over, they would have the party. They would dance and he could hold her close, nuzzle her neck, and sneak some kisses. Then, finally, they could leave for their honeymoon. Six days and nights in Jamaica.

Six blissful, heavenly days and nights where he would have Jenna to himself. He would tear that dress off of her and drive her wild with his wanting. He would love her in every imaginable way—morning, noon, and night.

Suddenly he couldn't wait to get married.

His gaze met hers, then she blessed him with her provocative smile, and his heartbeat sped to triple time.

How could he have ever had any doubts about the two of them? About this marriage?

Jenna was perfect...

She reached the end of the aisle, the preacher spoke, then her father handed her to him. The moment Jenna took his hand, Zack's throat clogged with emotions.

He had found the woman he would love the rest of his life.

The room grew hushed as they recited their vows.

"Will you, Zack, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

"I do." Zack repeated the rest of the vows in a throaty voice, his hand gripping Jenna's in a silent pledge of solidarity.

Finally, it was time to kiss the bride. Zack slowly lifted the veil from Jenna's face. Tears glittered in her gorgeous green eyes as he captured her mouth with a soul-deep kiss that promised her all the passion in the world.

Then a small humming sound erupted with the song, "Here Comes the Bride."

Zack threw his head back and laughed. The day before he'd sent Jenna a wedding gift, the his-and-hers bridal underwear from her store.

Jenna was obviously wearing hers.

He remembered his slogan with a chuckle, "It's What's Underneath That Counts."

His body hummed with arousal. He couldn't wait to show her what he was wearing beneath his tux. Something he'd custom ordered just for her.

Then she kissed him again, and he forgot about everything but holding her in his arms, and loving her, and that she was finally his wife.

And for once, he didn't even feel nauseated at the thought.

The End

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Here Comes the Bride

The Special Author's Cut Edition

by

Rita Herron

Dedication

To my own mirror image twin, Reba—the sweet one!

For all those twin switches we pulled,

and for the ones we
didn't.

Love, Rita

Chapter 1

"He's paying you two thousand dollars to do what?" Kimberly Turner tapped her cell phone to make sure the connection was solid, then pressed the phone back to her ear. What had her identical twin gotten herself into this time?

Marci's soft laughter echoed over the line. "To be his fiancée for the weekend. But Kim, something's come up and I need you to switch. Go pack."

"His fiancée? Switch?" Kimberly took a deep breath while her sister's words registered.

"Yeah," Marci rattled on. "See, this great guy named Tank's taking me to Vegas—"

"What?" Kimberly massaged her temples as a headache threatened. "Marci, slow down. My mind's still on the fact that you accepted two thousand dollars to spend a weekend with a man. What kind of kook would pay you to pretend to be his fiancée?"

"He's not a kook," Marci said. "Actually he's pretty handsome, in a stodgy sort of way. You know, a business type." She paused as if in thought. "Actually, Kim,
you
might like him."

"Marci, you're not making any sense."

Marci's earrings tinkled in the background. Kimberly pictured her sister standing with her hip hitched out in the too-tight, too-short jean shorts she wore at her waitressing job while she examined her long red nails. "It's a long story, sis. I'm sure he'll fill you in—"

"Look, Marci, I haven't agreed to anything."

"But you have to do it," Marci pleaded. "This is a chance of a lifetime for me. And Tank's waiting right here!"

Kimberly's heart felt like a balloon about to explode. "Marci, you can't expect me to spend a weekend with a man I've never even met. And pretend to be engaged to him."

"You said you needed money to fix up the children's center. This will solve your problem." Marci went silent as if there were nothing else to say.

Kimberly dug her neatly trimmed fingernails into her palms. "I know we've switched before, but you're twenty-four years old, you've got to learn to be responsible. You made the deal, you keep it."

Marci sighed dramatically. "Listen, Kimmie, if you're worried about sex, I think—"

"I am not worried about sex." Was she? Should she be?

"He's one of those workaholic types. I doubt he even
thinks
about it. He probably sleeps with his laptop."

"Marci, I can't do it. I'm exhausted. I was up all last night at the children's center."

"Kim, please, think about the money," Marci begged. "You can redo the kids' game room, even buy a computer."

Kimberly could use the money for lots of things for the center. The repairs needed to bring the building up to code were endless. "You're not playing fair, sis."

She couldn't let Marci blindside her this time. The last date she'd agreed to serve as Marci's fill-in had been horrible. The guy had shown up with a tattoo of a snake on his arm, and he'd taken her to a strip show and wanted her to dance for tips to pay their bar bill.

"Marci, this guy might be some kind of weirdo—a mass murderer or a pervert."

Marci laughed. "Tank's not a pervert."

"I don't mean Tank," Kimberly said in frustration. "I mean the guy who's paying you to be his girlfriend."

"Don't be ridiculous," Marci said. "He's one of my regular customers, a great tipper. I think he's some kind of architect. In fact, now that I think about it, he hasn't come onto me once. Maybe he’s gay."

Kimberly hedged. If he was gay, that might explain the reason he was hiring a fiancée. And she would be safe.

Tank's voice echoed in the background, then Marci piped up, "I gotta go, Kim."

"Wait—" Kimberly said in a panic.

Marci giggled, and Kimberly rolled her eyes, disgusted with her sister when she heard smooching sounds in the background. "He'll pick you up at the apartment—"

"You gave a stranger directions to my apartment? Are you crazy?"

"He's not a stranger. I told you he's a regular customer of mine. He'll be there at five."

"Five o'clock
tonight
?" Kimberly pressed her hand against her chest, certain she was having heart palpitations.