The Wedding Deal by Marie Kelly

several studios, all offering the best tuition for children, and with a contented sigh, she felt the warm glow of satisfaction, that that vision was within her grasp. With a small frown she had remembered Alexis, biting her lip softly. His expectations were that she be a dutiful wife to him, did that also mean that he expected her to give up her work? Groaning, she had pushed the bed clothes away from herself, moving into the kitchen for coffee. The realisation once more filling her that neither knew the other, yet they were to be married within 2 weeks. This thought filling her with panic.
    As she had looked around the small flat, which she had personalised as her own, she had felt sadness at leaving it, her first real home of her own. She had taken jobs which had seen her moving constantly, first as a model and then as a dancer on cruise ships, never staying long enough in one place to call it home. This truly had been the first place of her own that she had known. There had been one other place she had felt safe and happy in, the memory of which had make a soft smile touch her lips, but looking around again she had thought how this place had made her feel secure and safe. Lifting her coffee cup, she had looked into the hot steaming liquid thoughtfully, saddened by the knowledge that from that day on she would have to live a lie. A loveless marriage to a man who was a complete stranger to her, a small shiver passing down her spine as the memory of his hands holding her had once more entered her mind.
    The ringing of the doorbell had pulled her from her reverie. Frowning down at her night clothes, a skimpy night vest top and matching pants, she had moved to answer the door, hiding behind it as she had opened it expecting to see the mail man. However, with a gasp she had been shocked to see Alexis stood on her doorstep holding back the small moan of desire seeing him dressed in a suit, exuding an aura of power and sensuality.
    “I …I didn’t expect you” she had stuttered, her whole being in shock.
    “I realised I had not let you know the arrangements for you moving in…….so thought I would come and inform you personally”
    Tessa could feel the goose bumps of awareness prickling her whole body, as she had fought to control her breathing at seeing him there.
    “May I come in?” he had asked gently.
    Stepping aside, and suddenly wishing she had pulled on a dressing gown she had ushered him into her home, feeling under dressed and vulnerable for some unknown reason.
    “I was just having a coffee…….would you like one?” she had asked, trying to cover the disquiet in her voice.
    “Thank you” he had replied softly. As he had followed the woman to what appeared to be the kitchen, once more feeling the overpowering need for her, surprising himself at the strength of it. Alexis Demitri was both powerful and attractive and women had always fallen at his feet, thrown themselves into his bed. He had enjoyed them as much as they him, but Tessa Jones, had held back from him. He had felt the passion and fire in her, but unlike others, she had tried to fight her desire, and this excited him more. Looking at her back his eyes had flicked over her. Wearing the skimpiest vest top which hugged her body like a second skin before showing her bare midriff, the low pants sitting on her hips revealing her small slender waist and flat belly he had felt his tightening awareness of this woman. As she had turned to face him, he could see how flushed she looked, her nipples hardening under his scrutiny, as she had tried to move her hands to cover her body, to hide from him her own longing so visible before him.
    With a small masculine note in the back of his throat he had moved forward towards her, pulling her into his arms, lifting her high, as her arms had instinctively flown around his neck, her legs moving around his waist. Their kiss was raw and frantic, her fingers pulling at his hair as they scraped through the thick black