“Share that pretty bride of yours. I’m calling the first dance after my brother,” another voice hollered with a chuckle.
“You can back off and find your own wife Mark,” Alex said, with jealousy in his tone.
“Doesn’t feel so good to be on this side of the ribbing, huh little brother,” Lucas said and then thumped him on the back.
Alex knew he deserved the teasing. He’d given Lucas hell, not that long ago when his big brother started dating Amy. Lucas had been trying to fight his attraction towards Amy, so Mark and he had decided to push their brother’s buttons. They’d both planted a kiss on her in front of Lucas and flirted. She’d known they were kidding, trying to get a rise out of their brother but now Alex felt bad for what he’d put Lucas through because he sure as hell wanted to punch out Mark at that moment.
A shudder ran through Jessica’s body as she watched the interplay between the brothers. They were all so virile and appealing. She only had eyes for Alex though. He was the sexiest man she’d ever been around and in any other circumstance she would’ve been swooning to be held and kissed by him.
Jessica glanced over to where her father was laughing at something Joseph said. She tried to stay mad at both men for manipulating the whole situation but she really did love them. She knew they only wanted what they deemed best for her and her son. She just didn’t like the methods they took to get their own way.
As if the men knew she was thinking about them, they both turned and gave her a smile. She was too frazzled at the moment to even pretend to smile back so she turned away and let her thoughts continue to run.
Things could be a lot worse, she decided. Alex was a sexy, incredible man and it was obvious he was already in love with his son. She could’ve been forced into a marriage where the man not only resented her but her son as well. She knew no matter how Alex felt about her, he would always love Jacob.
“Time for photographs,” she heard a voice call. She grimaced until Alex looked at her, with their precious son resting in his arms. For one moment they shared a real smile. Her mask fell away. The love she had for her son and the love starting to grow for Alex was shining through her expression. His breath seemed to catch and he was about to say something, when the camera flash snapped them both out of the moment.
He turned from her and spoke so no one else could here. “Let’s get these pictures over with. We don’t need to announce to everyone in the room this is a shot gun wedding.” He placed her arm through his and headed towards the rest of the family.
“Come on Alex, everyone here knows why we did this so I don’t see why we need to have this huge masquerade. We could’ve just as easily taken care of our marriage in a courthouse and not put on a big show.”
“There’s no way my father would ever allow one of his sons to get married that way and I’m sure your father feels the same. Jessica, this marriage may be happening because of our son but we’re married now. It needed to be started this way. Something about our relationship needed to be done correctly,” he finished.
Jessica gave in without any more protest and allowed the photographer to place her in many different poses with Alex and her family members. She felt as if her cheeks were going to crack, she’d been holding the same expression so long. All she had to do though was look at her son and she was able to continue.
Jacob may have been an unexpected surprise she didn’t even know she wanted but she couldn’t imagine her life without him. There was nothing she wouldn’t sacrifice for him. She would give up her entire world to make his better. She could live in a loveless marriage because that meant her son was with his father and would be loved, cherished and spoiled.
The photographer was finally happy with the shots he’d captured and Jessica was able to step away and gain control of herself once more. She heard a hearty laugh and glanced up to see Alex slapping his brother on the back, as his features lit with mirth. She sucked in a breath at the beauty of the man.
Alex was the most handsome man she’d ever known. From his dark, silky hair, piercing blue eyes and devastating smile, to his rock hard stomach and sculpted arms. When you added in the confidence, which was as second nature to the man as breathing, he was every woman’s dream come true.
She knew there were plenty of women who would love to be in her place. They wouldn’t have even cared if Alex loved them or not. They would just love to have him on their arm. He was a trophy for sure. The thought caused a small giggle to bubble up inside of her. She’d heard of all the men with their trophy wives. Well, it looked like she’d snagged herself a trophy husband.
“It’s time to head out back for the reception,” Joseph said in his booming voice, which could be heard by everyone. The announcement made Jessica’s head snap up to attention. She thought this was the reception. Why did the wedding keep getting bigger and bigger?
She saw Alex hand their son over to his mother, then he was at her side. “I know you’re tired but in a few more hours we can get out of here and rest,” he reassured her.
They walked through the huge Anderson mansion and as they crossed through the patio doors, her breath was once again taken away. The backyard had been transformed into a fairytale. She looked around in awe. She’d grown up wealthy but what the Anderson’s had made her family look like middle class.
There was a white carpet laid out from the back door to a group of tents. Thousands of cascading lights looked like diamonds raining from the sky. Tables were set up with beautiful settings and waiters were at the ready, loaded down with trays of champagne and appetizers.
A small orchestra was playing in the center of the whole affair, with a beautiful dance floor waiting for people to occupy its space. As they walked out she noticed more people were at the reception than had attended the wedding. She knew some but not all of them.
“Do you like everything?” Joseph asked, seeming to appear from nowhere.
“It’s amazing but you really didn’t need to go to this much trouble. Some cake and champagne would’ve been fine,” she said.
Joseph let out a hearty laugh and then leaned down to kiss her cheek. “Only the best for my boys and the beautiful women they choose to marry,” he said before he walked away to visit with some of the guests in attendance.
“Try not to feel too overwhelmed. I got really flustered when I walked out these same doors on my wedding day but now I will cherish those memories forever,” Amy said. Jessica was surprised to see Lucas’s wife standing there with her
Jessica knew the story of Lucas and Amy’s rocky start. Amy had been working for him and found herself pregnant with Lucas’s child. They’d married for the sake of the unborn baby but things had seemed to work out great for them. It was obvious to anyone around them they loved one another. It also seemed Alex was following in his brother’s footsteps and getting married due to an unplanned pregnancy.
They had one daughter who was over a year old and obviously loved. Amy was also looking very pregnant with baby number two on the way. Their marriage had ended up working out perfectly, which sent a bout of sadness through her. She didn’t see how her and Alex could end up with the happily ever after Amy had gotten.
“You startled me,” Jessica finally managed to say. “This whole thing is a little bit overwhelming.”
“I know how you feel and it doesn’t seem like it right now but you will appreciate all of this someday. You’ll have the pictures to pour over and the memories of the perfect wedding to tell your children,” Amy said comfortingly.
Jessica didn’t think she would ever be appreciative of the wedding but she wasn’t going to voice that to her new sister-in-law so she decided to change the subject.
“How far along are you?” Jessica asked.
“Six months now,” Amy said, beaming. “I couldn’t be happier. I love Lucas, Jasmine and this entire family so much. I was in a similar circumstance as you, not that long ago but it worked out so much better than I could’ve ever imagined. This family loves big and I’ve seen the way Alex looks at you. I know you’re scared now but know I’ll be there for you if ever you need a woman to talk to. Things do get better,” she finished and then gave Jessica a hug before joining her husband.
Jessica watched as the other couple embraced like they’d been apart for months instead of mere minutes. She felt slight jealousy at the obvious love radiating from the happy couple. She didn’t expect to ever have Alex look at her the way Lucas was looking at Amy. She shook herself out of the mood and decided to enjoy her evening, since she wouldn’t be able to get out of it.
Once Jessica decided to let go of her worries she found herself enjoying the reception. The cake was incredible. It had five layers with water cascading down the center. There were tiny flowers and butterflies created from frosting and she was almost afraid to cut it and ruin the great work of art.
Alex swiped a piece of the frosting and stuck his finger in his mouth, making her stomach churn with desire. How watching a man lick a bit of frosting off his finger could be so dang sexy, she’d never know?
When Alex’s hand fit gently over hers, they cut the cake and her worries fell away. Whenever he touched her, the rest of the world could tumble down and she wouldn’t notice. She looked up into his eyes and forgot what they were doing. He leaned down and kissed her intimately, to the delight of the crowd. His mouth tasted sweet from the frosting and she could feel shivers running down her spine.
The laughter pulled Jessica from her thoughts. She gently fed him and the look of lust in his eyes as her fingers grazed his mouth made her knees go weak. She started to tremble, praying the rest of the audience didn’t notice. Then he fed her a small piece of cake and heat shot throughout her body. She sucked his finger into her mouth and the lust instantly in his eyes was enough to drop her to her knees.
When he wiped a piece of frosting from her lips and then licked the tip of his finger, she actually swooned. She thought swooning was just a Hollywood movie moment but if he hadn’t been there to pull her close she would’ve fallen into the table.
His eyes smoldered to a dangerous level and he pulled her close, kissing her with far less restraint than he’d exhibited earlier. She wrapped her arms around his neck and gave into the passion she’d been feeling since he’d first stepped through her door.
“Well, I guess that’s some great cake,” she heard the chuckling voice of her father.
Jessica’s head snapped back and she stared at her husband with horror. She couldn’t believe she’d kissed him like that in front of so many people. He smiled down at her and turned toward the guests.
“We need to get this over with. I want my wife to myself,” he said with laughter.
“Here, here,” she heard Lucas shout, as he lifted his glass to toast the couple.
Jessica heard the sound of Jacob letting his mom know it was time for his own dinner and was relieved to get a few minutes of privacy, as she took him into the house to eat. As she rocked Jacob, she reflected on the overwhelming day.
