LITMIR.BIZ

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      Neither was his kiss. She’d thought that he would just give her a perfunctory peck on the lips, a token gesture to seal the deal. But he’d done so much more. Kissed her in a way she hadn’t been kissed in forever.

      Their kiss had been short, but tender. When he’d touched her jaw, he’d done it almost reverently, his fingers drifting over her cheek, tangling in her hair. He’d leaned in, captured her gaze and waited long enough for her heart to begin to race with anticipation before he’d kissed her. When had a man ever taken such time for something so simple?

      It left her wondering what it would be like to really be Finn’s wife. Would he kiss her like that at the end of every day? Before he left for work in the morning? For just a moment, she wanted to hold on to that fantasy, to believe that this was real, and not just a means to an end.

      Even if it was.

      Finn was right—it wasn’t every day that she got married, and she wasn’t sure she was quite ready to go back to her ordinary world, and all the questions this was bound to raise. They still had to settle on their story, and deal with other practical issues, like where they were going to live afterward.

      Whatever little thrill she might have felt faded in the light of reality. This wasn’t a date, it wasn’t a celebration. It was business, pure and simple.

      And nothing more.

      “You did what?” The shock in Riley’s voice boomed across the phone connection. “You got married?”

      “Uh, yeah, but it’s not …” Finn was about to tell Riley it wasn’t a real marriage, then he glanced across the sidewalk at Ellie, standing in the shadowed circle beneath an oak tree. She was talking into her cell phone with someone at her office, her hand moving to punctuate her words. Little bits of sunshine dappled her blond hair, kissed her delicate features and gave her a slight glow.

      He had seen hundreds of beautiful women in his lifetime, but none that had that whole package of incredible looks and incredible personality. The kind of woman any man in his right mind would be proud to call his wife.

      Except, this was merely a way to resurrect his business. Besides, he didn’t need the complication of a relationship, the heady distraction of a romance. He liked his life as straight as a ruler. And he’d continue to keep it that way.

      “It’s unexpected, is what it is,” Riley finished for him. “What were you thinking?”

      “I wasn’t.” That was true. He’d thought he was challenging her offer, then once they were standing in front of Charlie, he’d stopped thinking about the pros and cons of what he was about to do and just … done it. Eloped. He, of all people. He hadn’t thought about the incongruity of that when he was in Charlie’s office. All he’d seen was Ellie’s smile.

      “I thought you were all antimarriage. Especially after the Lucy thing.”

      “I was. I am. This was …” Finn paused. “Different.”

      “Well, congratulations, brother,” Riley said. “You’ll be all the talk at the next family reunion.”

      Finn chuckled. “I’m sure I will be as soon as you get off the phone and call Brody. You spread gossip faster than a church picnic.”

      Riley laughed with him. “So, where are you guys going on your honeymoon?”

      The word honeymoon conjured up images of Ellie’s lithe, beautiful body beside his. He glanced at her across the way from him, and didn’t see the daffodil-yellow dress, but instead saw her on some beach somewhere. Her skin warmed from the sun, all peaches and cream and pressed against him. Taking things far beyond a simple kiss in the judge’s chambers.

      Damn. That was not productive. At all. He shook his head, but the images stayed, chased by the memory of kissing her. The scent of her perfume. The feel of her in his arms.

      Again, he forced them away and tore his gaze away from Ellie.

      He’d come close to that kind of craziness when he’d dated Lucy. Granted, most of their relationship had been practical, staid … predictable. Then he’d had that moment of insanity when he’d rushed out to buy a ring, run over to her office to propose—

      And found out she was stealing his clients behind his back.

      No more of that. He’d gone off the rails for five minutes, and it nearly destroyed his business and his career. A smart man approached marriage like any other business deal—with clarity, sense and caution.

      “Uh, we don’t really have time for that right now,” Finn said, reminding himself that there would be no honey moon. Not now, not later. “Work schedules, meetings, that kind of thing gets in the way of the best laid plans, you know?” He made light of it because for some reason, he couldn’t bring himself to tell Riley the whole thing was a temporary state. That most likely by the time their schedules opened up enough that they could plan a joint vacation, they would be filing for divorce.

      “You are going to celebrate at least a little, aren’t you? I mean, if any occasion screams having a party, this is it.” Riley paused a second. “Hmm … I wonder if it’s too late to throw you a bachelor party?”

      “I don’t need one of those, and yes, it is too late.” Finn shifted the phone in his grasp. “Actually that’s why I called you. I was thinking of taking her out for drinks and dinner. But …”

      “You realized that idea sounds about as lame as a picnic in the park?”

      “Hey!” Then Finn lowered his voice. “What’s lame about a picnic?”

      Riley laughed. “Don’t tell me. That was your second idea.”

      Finn didn’t want to admit that it had actually been his first idea, but then he’d thought about bugs and sunshine, and proposed a restaurant instead. Damn. He was a hell of a lot rustier at this dating game than he’d thought. Not that this was a date—at all—just his effort to make this business alliance a little more palatable. “It’s a nice day. We could grab some sandwiches—”

      “Last I checked, you don’t get married every day. So don’t do an everyday thing to celebrate it. Here’s what I would do,” Riley said, then detailed a plan for Finn that far surpassed anything Finn had thought of. A few minutes later, Riley said goodbye and Finn ended the call. At the same time, Ellie tucked her phone away and crossed to Finn.

      “Sorry about that,” she said. “Duty calls.”

      Finn chuckled. “Believe me, I understand. It calls me all the time, day and night.” At the same moment, Finn’s phone began to ring. He fished it out of his pocket, about to answer, when Ellie laid a hand on top of his.

      “Don’t.” Her fingers danced lightly across his, an easy, delicate touch, but one that sent a shock wave running down his arm. “Let’s put our phones away. I don’t want to deal with work for now.”

      “Me, either.” He pressed the power button, turned the phone off, then slipped it into his jacket pocket. “Besides, I have plans for you, Mrs. McKenna.”

      Her eyes widened at the use of her married name. “Plans? What kind of plans?”

      “You’ll see,” he said, then said a little prayer that he could execute Riley’s plans as well as his brother would have. Because just for today, Finn wanted to woo the woman who was now his wife.

      Tomorrow was soon enough to get back to business—and stay there. For as long as this practical, contracted arrangement lasted.

      How he’d done it, Ellie didn’t know. She stared in wonder at the tableau laid out before her. Chubby terra cotta pots held thick, lush flowering shrubs, lit from above by soft torch lights on bronze poles. A pair of squat white wicker chairs with fluffy striped cushions flanked either side of a matching table, already set for dinner with floral plates and crystal wine goblets. Candles flickered in the soft breeze, dropping a blanket of golden light over everything.

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