Married In Name Only. Jules Bennett

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      “You left a damn note.” A note he’d held on to for too long until he’d finally tossed it into his fireplace and watched it burn while he’d downed copious amounts of his favorite bourbon. “After all we’d shared, I deserved better. Or maybe the serious relationship was only one-sided.”

      “You know that’s not the case,” she defended with a layer of hurt in her tone. “I had to let you go, Lucas. Your father...”

      Intrigued, and maybe a little pissed at the fact she was even here, Lucas crossed his arms over his chest. “My father, what?”

      Paisley licked her lips and tucked her hair behind her ears. A slight nervous habit she’d clearly never outgrown. An instant later, she squared her shoulders and tipped her chin.

      “Your father told me I was holding you back,” she stated. “You were all set to head off to Harvard with a full scholarship and, well, he was right. I would’ve held you back. You would have put all your goals on hold to stay with me.”

      Gritting his teeth, Lucas thought back to the night he’d found her letter on the seat of his truck. Upon reading it the first time he’d thought it was a joke, but then he’d read it a second and third time, knowing full well his Paisley had gotten scared and hadn’t trusted what they had...she hadn’t trusted him.

      Ultimately, that had been what hurt the most. She hadn’t had enough faith in him and the fact he would’ve conquered anything to be with her. Forever.

      But he hadn’t known the bit about his father until just now. That was a new pain. The betrayal from his own father who witnessed how distraught Lucas had been and kept urging him to move on with his life and put adolescent relationships in the past.

      Pushing aside the raw memories, Lucas dropped his arms and shrugged. “That’s a nice story. Maybe it’s true, maybe it’s not. Doesn’t matter at this point.”

      Paisley opened her mouth as pain flashed in her hazel eyes. Then she merely nodded as if she couldn’t even come up with a plausible defense, which just proved his point that she didn’t have one. Seeing her again did bring back a rush of memories, but even more maddening was the fact that her standing before him had his body stirring.

      Damn it. He could block out the hurt, he could even block out how foolish he’d been to think they were a forever thing, but he couldn’t block out the way she’d felt lying against him or how her warm breath washed over his torso as she eased down his body.

      Lucas muttered a curse and circled back around to take a seat at his desk. If he didn’t get these lustful thoughts under control, this impromptu meeting would turn embarrassing real fast. He prided himself on being the best, taking on elite clients, and one proverbial blast from his past threatened to turn him back into a horny teen.

      “Coming here was a mistake,” she murmured as she took a step forward and reached for the letter on his desk.

      Lucas snaked his hand out to cover hers, waiting until her gaze met his. The instant she looked at him, Lucas knew he had her. She was in a bind and he could help...with a price. He didn’t want to be a dick about this, but he also had his own wants and needs. No reason they couldn’t help each other, right?

      Besides, he’d given up on fairy-tale thinking long ago. He knew love was just a four-letter word people tossed around to benefit their own needs.

      “The only mistake would be you walking out again, Tart.”

      Her lips thinned. “If we’re done with the past, then stop calling me that.”

      She was still so damn sexy when her cheeks tinged pink when she got angry. Every part of him wanted to give her hand a yank until she stumbled down onto his desk where he could give her a proper reunion.

      But business came first. She’d taught him that valuable lesson.

      “I’ll help you,” he told her, keeping his hand on hers. He slowly rose to his feet and leaned across the desk. “I’ll discreetly dig into this story about Sterling being your father and I’ll save your bridal shop because I know you’re on the brink of financial ruin.”

      Paisley’s lids lowered, out of shame or frustration he didn’t know. “And you want something in return. What is it?” she asked, focusing back on him.

      Lucas released her now and tucked that wayward strand of honey-blond hair behind her ear. “Marry me.”

       Two

      Oh, he was the most infuriating, arrogant man she’d ever met. Of all the things he could’ve asked for...

      Was he mocking her and the life they’d had all planned out?

      Or did he honestly believe marrying him would solve all of her problems? As if Lucas Ford had some magic wand that came with a marriage certificate and he’d wave it around like her sexy fairy godfather and she’d see stars and hearts.

      Okay, that all sounded fabulous, but even he wasn’t that powerful. And if he could manage all that, there was no way in hell she’d marry him. Her life was a mess and she wasn’t in the mood to play games.

      That was why yesterday she had simply snatched the letter from his desk and marched out of his fancy office without a word. She’d told herself she’d figure this all out on her own...somehow.

      First, her bridal boutique, Lilac Loft. Paisley slid two ball gown wedding dresses down the rack to make room for the new beaded A-line that had been a special order. Each wedding was special and each bride was treated like she was the only customer. Paisley prided herself on giving each wedding the time and attention it needed. She’d had one part-time employee, but Paisley had to let her go when the whole financial debacle happened, thanks to Sterling.

      Talk about feeling terrible. Paisley had hated letting Margaret go. The young girl had been so sweet, but the extra expense was just pushing Paisley to a position she wasn’t comfortable with.

      Paisley slid her hand down the clear bag that protected the beaded gown and couldn’t help but let her daydreams get the best of her—an occupational hazard.

      One day she’d have her own fabulous gown from her own store. She’d walk down the aisle lined with her favorite flowers—lilac—to the man of her dreams waiting at the end. A man that was not blackmailing her into marriage simply because they shared a past.

      What was his angle, anyway? Did he just want to prove that he could get her? Did he just want her in his bed?

      Paisley turned and pulled another plastic-wrapped, embellished gown from the shipment box. Each dress that passed through her store had the ability to make any woman feel like royalty, or a freakin’ warrior if that’s what she chose. Wedding gowns were the pinnacle of each ceremony. And while the focus should be on the happy couple, everyone knew all eyes were on the bride and what she wore. That second she stepped to the beginning of the aisle was like her own little red carpet moment.

      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.

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