Their Virgin Hostage, Masters of Ménage, Book 5 (2 page)

“Hey. I’m...”
Having
really cold feet and wishing my sister would shut the hell up.
“Fine.”
Kinley
forced herself to grin back.

No sense in dragging Belle into her misery. Besides, her
friend would only pounce on it.

Kinley
glanced back at the Louis
Vuitton vintage luggage that had been a gift from her fiancé. It was beautiful,
and she’d gasped and
teared
up a little when he’d
first given her the two trunks, two roller bags, and a brand new oversized
shoulder bag that had a name, the Metis. She’d liked the jeans and blouses he’d
sent along with them, although it wasn’t what she normally wore. Someone with
an ass her size didn’t need to draw attention to it with a bunch of bling all
over the back pockets. But her trunks and cases were all packed up and lined in
a row. The Metis had a little stowaway in it, too.

“Yes, everything’s packed and ready to go,”
Kinley
answered dutifully. She’d spent an enormous amount
of time packing. Greg had left her a list and then there was Gigi to think
about. Gigi had a very sensitive stomach. She wasn’t about to hope a tropical
island had the food her dog was used to. If Gigi missed a meal, the world knew
it.

“And you’re taking everything Greg asked about?” Becks asked
with a frown. “You don’t want to disappoint him on your honeymoon.”

Her husband-to-be had given her a list of essentials that he
expected her to pack. “I’ve got everything. I’m a good girl.”

“Yes, you are. Ta-ta, sister.” With a jaunty little wave,
Becks slipped out and closed the door behind her.

“You know I call her
Skeletor
behind her back,” Belle said with a grimace.

Repugnance shone in her dark eyes, hidden behind chunky
librarian glasses. She tucked back a strand of her raven black hair. “I would
say it to her face, but I tend to avert my stare. I’ve heard some Medusa-like
stories about looking into your sister’s eyes.”

“You are so bad, Belle.” She held her hands out, and Belle
took them immediately. Becks might be her sister by blood, but Belle was the
sister of her heart. Since they’d been little girls, Belle had stood beside
her. Even though
Kinley’s
family had been Belle’s
mother’s employer, class hadn’t meant anything to either one of them.

“She’s the mean one,
Kinley
. You’re
just too good to see it.” She stood back and shook her head. “You look so
beautiful. If your mama could see you now, she would have cried.”

Kinley
had really needed to hear
that today. “Thank you. I have to admit, I’m going to be really happy when this
whole wedding thing is all over.”

“I would be happier if we left and headed for Vegas right
now. Come on. Let’s
Thelma & Louise
this sucker.”

“And drive off the side of the Grand Canyon?” The thought
horrified
Kinley
.

“It would be better than marrying Greg Jansen. Before you do
this, I really wish you would just meet with the private investigator—”

“No! I’m getting married in less than an hour. Don’t bring
this up again. I’m marrying Greg.” She had to.

Belle sighed. “Has Mike called lately?”

She should never have told Belle about him. “He’s just a
work peer. Sort of.”

“You talked to him for three hours one night, and I doubt it
was all about tax exempt status and donation channels. I think you like him.”

She did. “But that’s no reason to call off the wedding,
Belle. Come on…”

Her rapport with Mike had started out all business with a
few calls. She’d talked about how her mom had set up Hope House and what it had
meant to her to help her mother with a cause so meaningful. Before long, Mike
told her about his military service and his desire to start a charity with his
brothers for wounded soldiers and their families. After a couple of talks that
strayed more into the personal, she’d begun looking forward to hearing his
voice over the line.

One night she’d spent three hours on the phone with him,
rapt and fascinated. He’d admitted that he wasn’t married or even dating now
because what he really wanted was a woman to share with his brothers.

Kinley
had been shocked. And
utterly intrigued.

And she couldn’t even think about this again. She had to
marry Greg. Her father’s chemo bills were stacking up, and he didn’t need the
added stress of wondering where the money was going to come from. He was so
embarrassed by his weakness and distressed about it all that he wouldn’t even
allow her to go with him to his therapy sessions. And with her charity about to
go belly up,
Kinley
needed the money, too. She
couldn’t allow years of her mother’s good work to end.

So she had to sacrifice and do what thousands of women had
done before her. She had to keep her chin up and make the best of things. “I
love Greg.”

She couldn’t tell Belle that she was basically prostituting
herself. Besides, if she said it enough, maybe she could make it true.
Kinley
was a great believer in affirmations. If that didn’t
work…maybe Becks was right, and no one was really happy in marriage. Maybe all
a woman could do was put on a smile the same way she affixed her makeup.

“Sure you do.” Belle rolled her eyes, then looked around the
room. “Where’s Gigi?”

Her little Yorkie baby had shown her deep disdain for the
proceedings by crawling into
Kinley’s
Louis Vuitton
bag and settling down for a nap. Gigi had taken an almost instant dislike to
Greg and everyone on his side of the wedding party. At first,
Kinley
had thought it would be fun to include her little
dog in the ceremony, but Gigi had refused to go anywhere near her fiancé.
“She’s asleep. She had a rough night.”

“Yes, she did. She growled at Greg all through the rehearsal
dinner. Your dog is very smart.”

Kinley
wanted to cry. She was
utterly and completely alone, and arguing with her best friend in the world
sent her into a tailspin. “I wish you could accept that Greg is going to be a
part of my life.”

Belle leaned in. “Are you doing this because you need a man?
I can get you one. If you’re not interested in California Mike, I can find you
the hottest man who will rock your world. Then you will forget you ever heard
the name Greg Jansen. As a matter of fact, I could find you two or three
amazing guys. I could get them here really fast, too.”

She wondered what Mike and his brothers looked like and
wished she could see them just once and indulge in a moment of fantasy before
she had to face reality again.

Kinley
turned back to the mirror
because she couldn’t stand to look at Belle when she was lying through her
teeth. “I only want Greg.”

Two or three hot guys might light up her world for a night,
but all her responsibilities would still be waiting the next day. She just had
to accept that sexual desire wasn’t in the cards for her.

“
Kinley
, I don’t understand. When
we were kids and we were planning out our weddings, I ask you to describe your
groom. Do you remember that?”

“I remember that you wanted to marry Leonardo
DiCaprio
.” They had watched
Titanic
about a hundred times that year and she’d cried every
single time. What would have happened to Rose and Jack if he’d lived? Would she
have regretted leaving the money behind? Would Rose have been able to live with
the ruin it would have brought her family?

Or would she have been happy to have lived with her soul
mate?

There were tears in Belle’s eyes as she forced
Kinley
to turn. “Yes, I was very picky back then. But you
weren’t. You only had one requirement. Do you remember?”

“I said it didn’t matter how he looked or how much money he
had as long as he was a good man.” Which just showed how young she was. Naïve.
God, she wanted to be that little girl again.

“Greg Jansen is not a good man,
Kinley
.”
She whispered the words as though they had some kind of power, as though she
prayed they would make their way into
Kinley’s
heart.

She couldn’t let them in.

Kinley
broke away and turned back
to the mirror, forcing down the need to cry. She didn’t want to lose Belle, but
it looked like she might. “The feds cleared Greg of all charges. And I don’t
care about how good he is. He’s going to be my husband. Have you seen all the
gifts he’s already given me?”

A long sigh came from Belle and her oldest friend hugged her
from behind. “I’m not stupid.” She put her head on
Kinley’s
shoulder. “I wish I was more than a secretary so I could bail you out of this
mess.”

Relief swept over her. Maybe she didn’t have to tell Belle a
thing. “You understand?”

Her best friend’s face softened. “I know you feel like you
have to marry him. I think it’s wrong and you deserve better.”

“Then why are you here?” She sniffled a little. It would be
horrible if Belle walked out.

Belle took her hand, giving it a hearty squeeze. “Because we
made a promise. I will love you forever. You are my best friend and that will
never change. I will forgive you for the stupid things you do and I will be
there to help you hide the bodies. God, Kin, call me when you need to bury
Greg. I will come with a shovel and a bottle of tequila.”

She laughed a little but shook her head. Once she said “I
do,” she was in it for life. No matter what Becks or Belle said,
Kinley
was going to make her marriage work. Even if she
worried that her husband was a major douchebag.

Belle peered closer at her. “You look pale. You’re not
eating, are you?”

“I had a light breakfast.” Of course it was almost three
o’clock now, and all she’d had today was a grapefruit. With a little bit of
sugar, and she’d felt guilty about that.

“I speak
Kinley
so I know what
that means. You had next to nothing. I’m calling room service.” Belle moved
toward the phone.

“Don’t. I’m getting married in an hour. I can’t eat.”

“Eating is normal. You have to do it or you’re going to pass
out.”

She did feel a little faint, but... “I will after the
ceremony. It’s just…Becks said the dress looks too tight. I don’t want to be
the fat bride.”

“You’re not. Becks planted that idea in your head because
she’s a heinous bitch. You’re perfect the way you are. Seriously, you have a
whole ceremony and pictures to get through. It could be hours before you get to
eat again, so I’m going to make sure you do it now.”

“Belle, I—”

“Damn it. I’m your best friend. I’m going to watch out for
you.” She picked up the phone. “Yes, we’re in suite 2010. That’s right the
Presidential Suite. We need a couple of burgers.”

“A salad.” If she ate a burger, she would split her dress
open. But a burger sounded so good. “No dressing.”

Belle rolled her eyes. “A salad with grilled chicken and
vinaigrette on the side. And a burger, medium with fries, and two Diet Cokes.”
She hung up. “I will get some of those fries down your throat.” She stopped for
a moment. “You know I love you, right?”

“I know.” She counted on it. Sometimes the only thing in the
world she could count on was Belle’s friendship. “Please understand that we all
have to do what we feel is best.”

Her lips turned down in an almost sad expression. “That’s
true. I just need you to know that I want only the best for you.”

Belle’s cell trilled.

“You should answer that,”
Kinley
said. Belle called herself “just a secretary,” but
Kinley
knew that she valued her job—and the three lawyers she worked for. She ran
their office like clockwork and had for the last year.

“It’s
Kellan
,” Belle said
apologetically. “I’m sorry. We’re working on a big murder case. Do you mind?
I’ll probably have to run back to my room because my files are there.”

“Go.” She was glad Belle had a career she loved.

The door closed behind her best friend. Someday one of those
three lawyers she worked for was going to wake up and see what a huge catch
Belle was. She’d met
Kellan
, Eric, and Tate. They
were gorgeous and smart, and any one of them would be a great husband for
Belle.

Or all three.

Kinley
let her head fall back. She
had to let that notion go, but the idea of those three hot lawyers just played
in her head. It wasn’t that she thought they were right for her—they had their
eyes on Belle—but the idea of being surrounded by strong men just did it for
Kinley
.

She loved her dad. She really did, but she’d watched her mom
have to be the strong one all her life. Certainly, it wasn’t wrong to wish for
something more…

Was Greg capable of loving and protecting her? She worried
about that…

Staring at the woman in the mirror,
Kinley
acknowledged that she was his entrée into old-money society, a second chance
for Greg Jansen. His first wife had been a model. Carrie Anthony had been
beautiful and successful. As far as
Kinley
could
tell, she’d become a star. Then mental illness had tragically cut her life
short.

Two months after their marriage, she’d killed herself.

But
Kinley
wasn’t that girl. She
was strong. She didn’t run away from her responsibilities. Once she said “I
do,” she would be there forever.

Kinley
turned back to the mirror
and straightened her dress. It was almost time to start the rest of her life.
Nothing could save her from it now.

* * * *

Through the hidden cameras they’d planted in the suite the
night before, Dominic Anthony stared at the blonde in the wedding dress on the
screen. After a few minutes of surveillance, he knew that the gorgeous bride
had a pretty heart-shaped face and a juicy hourglass figure. Too bad she was a
money-grubbing whore.