nephew happily married.”
Jared swallowed. “Um…well…”
“Okay,” Madison said, before she knew what she was doing. “Two weeks. We’ll be able to pull a wedding together by then.”
Jared looked like he had eaten a live frog.
Irene crossed the room and pulled the two couples into a group hug. “Well, then, we’d better get busy. We’ve got a double wedding to plan!”
Chapter 7
J ared couldn’t believe how far things had gone. There was no way he would marry that woman to make his aunt happy. Madison was a fruitcake. A nutcase. She made Paris Hilton look sane. Even if she did look good in those jeans. Then he made the mistake of glancing at her. Yep. She looked good in those jeans. But she was definitely a wack-job.
Irene babbled about flowers and catering, and the urge to end this charade overtook him.
“Excuse me. I need to tell you all something.”
Madison knew it was coming. He could tell by the way her eyes got wide and her mouth formed a little ‘o’.
“This is not my fiancée.”
There. He’d said it. Gotten it out. Cleared things up. He folded his arms across his chest and stared at the confused faces around him. Why didn’t he feel better?
Madison threw her arms around his neck. “Of course not officially, sweetie, since we don’t have the ring yet. But how important is a ring when we have our love?” She stood on her tip toes and kissed him. A quick peck, but it left him with the warm feeling of her lips against his. Then she whispered, “Don’t worry. I have a plan.”
He shook his head to clear it. That’s all he needed. To follow another one of Madison’s deranged plans.
“No. That’s not what I meant.” He pulled back and Madison dropped her arms. “I mean I’m not getting married—”
“Without a prenup.” Madison interrupted, looping her arm through his. “I know it’s important to you, darling. And I’m all for it.”
Patricia gave him a dirty look, but his father nodded. “Smart boy.”
“How can you think of money at a time like this?” Patricia threw him another scowl and clasped Shelly’s hand.
“No. That’s not it. I just—”
“Excuse me,” a nurse with a raspy voice said behind him, “We need to run more tests. I’m afraid everyone will have to come back later.”
“Wait. I need—”
Madison tugged him toward the door. “Hush. I said I have a plan.”
At a complete loss as to what else to do, he let her usher him down the hallway and around the corner. Her eyes flashed with anger. “Why did you do that? You could have ruined everything. I have an idea that will solve all of this.”
“So do I. It’s to tell the truth.” He stared back at her, arching one eyebrow.
“No, that’s no good.” She dismissed it with a wave. “Your aunt wants to see us married.”
“I have news for you. We’re not getting married. We’re not dating. I don’t even like you.” The moment the words left his mouth he regretted them. Hurt showed in her eyes, and she stepped back. He didn’t even mean what he’d said. He did like her. The thought startled him. When did he start liking her?
She blinked, and for a second, he thought she would cry. He couldn’t stand it. Even her fake crying had made his stomach clench.
Then he spied Mark down the hallway. Without thinking, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her. He told himself it was because Mark was watching, but he knew it was a lame excuse. Madison’s lips were intoxicating. Ever since yesterday’s five-alarm kiss, he’d been pushing away the urge to do it again. And her little peck in the hospital room had only reminded him how good it felt to have her lips on his.
It didn’t take long before Madison responded to his gentle probing. The kiss deepened, and electricity ran through him. She tasted like cherry lip balm, and he found himself wanting to buy a case of it. He’d never tasted anything so good.
When she finally broke the kiss, a questioning look came over her
Jared swallowed. “Um…well…”
“Okay,” Madison said, before she knew what she was doing. “Two weeks. We’ll be able to pull a wedding together by then.”
Jared looked like he had eaten a live frog.
Irene crossed the room and pulled the two couples into a group hug. “Well, then, we’d better get busy. We’ve got a double wedding to plan!”
Chapter 7
J ared couldn’t believe how far things had gone. There was no way he would marry that woman to make his aunt happy. Madison was a fruitcake. A nutcase. She made Paris Hilton look sane. Even if she did look good in those jeans. Then he made the mistake of glancing at her. Yep. She looked good in those jeans. But she was definitely a wack-job.
Irene babbled about flowers and catering, and the urge to end this charade overtook him.
“Excuse me. I need to tell you all something.”
Madison knew it was coming. He could tell by the way her eyes got wide and her mouth formed a little ‘o’.
“This is not my fiancée.”
There. He’d said it. Gotten it out. Cleared things up. He folded his arms across his chest and stared at the confused faces around him. Why didn’t he feel better?
Madison threw her arms around his neck. “Of course not officially, sweetie, since we don’t have the ring yet. But how important is a ring when we have our love?” She stood on her tip toes and kissed him. A quick peck, but it left him with the warm feeling of her lips against his. Then she whispered, “Don’t worry. I have a plan.”
He shook his head to clear it. That’s all he needed. To follow another one of Madison’s deranged plans.
“No. That’s not what I meant.” He pulled back and Madison dropped her arms. “I mean I’m not getting married—”
“Without a prenup.” Madison interrupted, looping her arm through his. “I know it’s important to you, darling. And I’m all for it.”
Patricia gave him a dirty look, but his father nodded. “Smart boy.”
“How can you think of money at a time like this?” Patricia threw him another scowl and clasped Shelly’s hand.
“No. That’s not it. I just—”
“Excuse me,” a nurse with a raspy voice said behind him, “We need to run more tests. I’m afraid everyone will have to come back later.”
“Wait. I need—”
Madison tugged him toward the door. “Hush. I said I have a plan.”
At a complete loss as to what else to do, he let her usher him down the hallway and around the corner. Her eyes flashed with anger. “Why did you do that? You could have ruined everything. I have an idea that will solve all of this.”
“So do I. It’s to tell the truth.” He stared back at her, arching one eyebrow.
“No, that’s no good.” She dismissed it with a wave. “Your aunt wants to see us married.”
“I have news for you. We’re not getting married. We’re not dating. I don’t even like you.” The moment the words left his mouth he regretted them. Hurt showed in her eyes, and she stepped back. He didn’t even mean what he’d said. He did like her. The thought startled him. When did he start liking her?
She blinked, and for a second, he thought she would cry. He couldn’t stand it. Even her fake crying had made his stomach clench.
Then he spied Mark down the hallway. Without thinking, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her. He told himself it was because Mark was watching, but he knew it was a lame excuse. Madison’s lips were intoxicating. Ever since yesterday’s five-alarm kiss, he’d been pushing away the urge to do it again. And her little peck in the hospital room had only reminded him how good it felt to have her lips on his.
It didn’t take long before Madison responded to his gentle probing. The kiss deepened, and electricity ran through him. She tasted like cherry lip balm, and he found himself wanting to buy a case of it. He’d never tasted anything so good.
When she finally broke the kiss, a questioning look came over her
Similar Books
