Forbidden Contract (The Birmingham Brothers Series) (28 page)

“That will be all thank you.” He said as he reached across the table placing his hand on Baileys to settle the matter. The waitress noticed and gave Bailey another look as if trying to understand what she had before she walked away.

“I hope that means she doesn’t plan on spitting in my food.” She said looking at Beckett.

“When she arrives we’ll switch plates. If she protests we’ll know.” He grinned. “So you were about to explain why you prefer my looks.”

Bailey rolled her eyes hoping he would have forgotten. She looked down at the hand he still had over hers and he felt her pulse hammer beneath his finger. He was pleased she was as
affected by the contact as he was.

“So?” He pressed on.

Bailey sighed. “Well you obviously know you are good looking.”

“But what is it about me you like?”

Baileys face flushed and she bit her bottom lip as she tried to think of the words to say.

“I can tell you what I liked about you.” He said trying to make it easier. Her eyes looked up to meet his and
his breath caught in his throat by their color. Never had he met a woman with violet eyes unless they wore contacts. Hers were now the color of the heather fields he saw when he flew to Scotland with Macy the year before. “Your eyes are by far the most striking….I like the way the change color with your moods…..right now, they remind me of the heather fields in Scotland…they get that way when you’re embarrassed, just before that.” He smiled now touching her cheeks. “Just before you blush….I love that about you.”

“I hate it….it makes me feel like some adolescent teenager.” She complained.

“It’s incredibly sexy….just like the way you bite your lower lip. It’s like an invitation to kiss you.” Her blush deepened. “I love the way your hair smells, like lemon grass on a summer’s day. You never seem to feel the need to wear heavy perfumes the way so many women do thinking it would attract a man. There’s always just a hint of your shampoo and an exotic musk…it’s extremely appealing. Your body, well that goes without saying, its perfection.”

“No
it’s not…my legs are too long and no matter how many hours I put into a gym I never could get abs.”

“Men like curves….I like you soft….I like the way you fit into my body when I hold you…I like the taste of you when I kiss you…a hint of
honey blended with your natural flavor.”

Baileys was now blushing at his compliments and when the waitress arrived with their food he regretfully had to release her hand. When she placed their food in front of them Beckett lifted the plates to swap them. When the waitress frowned he replied.

“We changed our minds.”

When she didn’t object he looked back at Bailey. “You know….I changed my mind again.”

Bailey smiled at the confused look on the waitress’s face and tried to hide her giggle as the woman walked away assured her customers had lost their mind.

“So…your turn.” Beckett said again as he buttered his bread.

Bailey stalled as she first poured the salsa over the chili then added the sour cream. Unlike Macy who would push her food around her plate Bailey dug in and smiled as the flavors blended in her mouth. He liked that she had a healthy appetite yet still managed to maintain her figure.

“You have the body of a baseball player. You’
re tall but lean….I like your muscle definition. The way they flex when my fingers run over them….your perfect.”

“Now you are going to make me blush…I’m far from perfect.”

“Now you’re digging for compliments….you have the body artist’s sculpted and the face women swoon over.” She said honestly. “Your hair is just that length where I have to keep my hands from running through it. You make a five o’clock shadow look good and your face would rival any aristocrat with your straight nose, high cheekbones and ….firm mouth.”

“You describe me like an artist would…..what about my mouth?” He asked staring at her intently. He didn’t realized how her words could affect him physically.

“It was made to drive a woman wild….possessively taking whatever it wants yet so gentle when the moment requires.”

“Then you enjoy my kisses?”

“Very much so.” She admitted to his surprise.

“If you’re not careful I might just kiss you here.”

“And what if I told you I wish you would?”

He
r comment caused him to inhale sharply. Disregarding the rest of the patrons he stood up and slid into the seat next to her. Cupping her face in his hands he kissed her, soft at first then deeper till both of them were left trying to catch their breath. Instead of returning to his seat he pushed her plate over to hers then pulled his plate before him. He liked the feel of her body presses against his side but he remained mainly to hide the evidence their kiss had created. It took a moment before Bailey lifted her fork to take a bite and he smiled knowing she was feeling the same effect as him.

After breakfast they drove over to the house he was purchasing for her. The realtor had left him the key beneath the mat and he unlocked the door then held it open for Bailey to enter. After the kiss both had finished their breakfast deep in thought and on the ride over neither had talked. He flipped on the light as Bailey looked around the foyer. She moved with a grace from another era and for a moment as he watched
her he saw the house as it had once been in 1855. Bailey was no longer dressed in jeans and a sweater but in a fitted gown that hugged her waist before flaring in folds of material to the floor. Though she wore long sleeves the dress was cut low revealing the cleavage that the corset allowed. Her hair was pinned up with a few wistful strands framing her face and when she turned he saw the sorrow in her eyes. Beckett frowned blinking his eyes as reality returned.

“Beckett….are you ok?” She asked standing now before him.

“Yeah…sorry…I guess I just got caught up in the structure…it’s easy to imagine how it looked when first built.”

“I know….I can feel it…there’s a sadness here….” She said looking around. “Do we know anything about the original owners?”

“No, but I’m sure if you ask Ethan he’d be happy to help….he’s the computer geek among us.”

“I think I will…..do you think it’s haunted?”

“There was nothing mentioned in the disclosure papers.” He said still affected by what he had seen. “Most people won’t admit if it was they would be afraid of scaring off potential buyers.” He said grabbing his tape measure and clip board. “Would it change your mind if it was?”

“No….in fact I wish it was….it wouldn’t be the first haunted place I’ve lived in.”

“Really?” He said turning to her.

“After my mother died…the first place I rented was built in the early 1900’s.
There was a woman in red that lived there. They said she committed suicide when her lover was killed in the war. Things used to disappear and at first I thought it was Alexis. They would reappear a few days later. Once my keys went missing and I couldn’t get to work on time. It turned out to be a good thing because had I left on time I would have been on the freeway at the same time there was a fifty car pileup due to the fog. My friends said I might have been in that collision. That’s when I began to notice things disappeared like a warning.”

“How so?” He asked suddenly curious.

“One time a coworker set me up on a blind date. I couldn’t find my favorite earrings and the ones I wore kept falling off. One fell off in the bathroom and when I noticed I went in search for it. While I was in there a junky came in and held up the patrons. When I got home my earrings were right in the jewelry box where I kept them. Another time I was shopping and my wallet wasn’t in my purse. I never took it out of its zipper compartment. I thought it fell out into the car and while I was searching for it a car plowed into the convenient store killing the cashier. My groceries were still on the conveyer belt. My wallet was sitting on my dresser when I got home.”

“So you had someone watching over you.” He said amazed.

“You don’t seem skeptical…..Matt used to tell me it was just coincidence.”

“I don’t believe in coincidence….why didn’t you marry him?” He asked

Bailey was surprised by his question. She had just recently learned Matt had wanted to marry her and she wondered how he knew. Tristan must have told him.

“He never asked me.” She said figuring honesty was the best response.

“And if he had?” He asked needing to know her response. He realized it mattered now to him what her answer would have been. The idea that she may have married someone else or that this mystery man might reappear in her life and she might regret being married to Beckett despite the pretense bothered him more that he wanted to admit. Bailey met his gaze and he held his breath till she responded.

“I would have said no.” She said. “I cared for him deeply. I knew he loved me and if I married him it would have made our life so much easier.”

“Then why say no?”

“I didn’t love him…not like he wanted, not like he deserved. I don’t know. Maybe if things were different. If I didn’t have the pressure of raising Alexis and Tristan, always making sure I had a roof over their head and food for them to eat. I might have looked at our relationship differently, gave it a shot. But I couldn’t
; not then.”

Beckett wondered but was afraid to ask her would she feel differently now that she didn’t need to worry about the kids. Now that she was free or at least would be when the year was up
would she reconsider him then? Deep inside himself Beckett felt the possessive need to make her his. The idea they would spend a year together, pretending to be married, pursuing the possibility of a relationship only to have Matt swing back into her life at the end of the year angered him. He would be damned if he allowed that to happen and it only deepened his resolve to make her his.

Suddenly the room seemed too small as she looked at Beckett. They were alone in the house he had purchased for her and his presence was too close. The way he now looked at her as if she was all he wanted disturbed her. Making an excuse to explore the other rooms she fled
upstairs before he could see how he affected her. She had enjoyed their morning but Bailey found the more time she spent with him the more she was being drawn to him. It would be so easy to fall in love with him. So easy to give him the heart she held protected behind the barriers. When he had kissed her during breakfast she had felt herself desiring more. She had been disappointed when he pulled back and spent the rest of her breakfast realizing how it must have looked to the others in the diner. She found when she was near him she wanted him to touch her. When he touched her she didn’t want him to stop. When he kissed her he awakened feelings inside her body she had never experienced. She didn’t have the experience Macy or the other women in his life had. Would she be enough or would he eventually tire of her? Could she risk taking that chance?

When she entered the master bedroom she was overwhelmed by the sadness there.
It seemed to match her uncertainty about her relationship with Beckett. She felt as if the room had already determined their fate and she was consumed with doubt. The room was large with French doors that overlooked the garden outside that was deeply in need of tending. A side door led to a smaller room which had been converted to a walk in closet but she guessed at one time may have been a nursery. The other door in the room led to the bathroom and when she walked in she looked beyond the chipping paint and cracked counter to envision a retreat where she could soak in a claw tub lit only by candles. Leaving the master bedroom she wandered throughout the rest of the house determining which room to give Tristan and which Alexis. There would also be a spare room for guest who wanted to stay and while Tristan and Alexis would share a bathroom and the guest would have their own. Walking back downstairs she stopped in the main living room where she found Beckett hard at work taking measurements and writing down notes on a blueprint he had laid out on the floor. He looked up as she entered and she could see the excitement on his face.

“I wanted to check out the kitchen.” She said as if to explain her presence.

“Of course, I thought I might convert the room off the parlor into a study, maybe add a piano, do you play?”

“Yes but it’s been awhile.”

“They say you never forget and if I recall your grandmother has a fine instrument in music room.”

“I’
ve seen it; I haven’t had the opportunity to try it out though.”

“Then you should today.” He smiled as he followed her into the room. “I thought I would line the walls with book shelves…..
you can put two matching chairs there in front of the fire place. A desk over there where the kids can work on their school work.” Beckett said painting a picture of the room for her. “You can put a sofa there so guest can enjoy either the music or a good book.”

“Sound nice.” She said walking over to the window.

The room had a lovely view of the front of the house and the yard. As with the garden it was in need of grooming. The house was a good hundred yards from the street and had plenty of room for the kids to play. Once the lawn was mowed and the hedges cut back she pictured an area where she could plant roses as well as seasonal flowers.

“
I’ll have to redo the decking, replace the bannister.” Beckett said coming to stand beside her. “If you want I can put doors here instead of the window so it can be opened during the warmer weather.”

“I’d like that….
the yard is quite large…..do you think I can have a power lawn mower.”

Beckett laughed. “You don’t have to worry, I’ve already contracted a gardener; he should arrive here next week to start cleaning up this mess.”

“Beckett, that wasn’t necessary.” Bailey protested thinking of the cost.

“There’s too much for you to keep up with, I’ve already given him instructions to plant you a garden over there.” He said pointing to the exact patch she had considered. “He’ll bring you samples of the roses I requested as well as a listing of the bulbs he’ll plant. My mother always looks forward to her bulbs coming up every spring to add color to the house
and I remember your mother had bulbs. If you find you would rather plant something else he’ll be able to take you to the local nurseries to look around.”

Bailey looked at him and noticed he was studying her reaction. She was moved beyond words for his consideration. For a moment she thought he was going to kiss her and she waited, hoping to feel his lips on hers. She tried to hide her disappointment when he turned instead walking over to the fireplace.

“The wood here is rotting.” He said touching the mantle. “I’ll have Trent build a new one…more in line with the original design. We’ll also add crown molding throughout and if you don’t mind I would prefer to rip up the carpets and go back to hardwood flooring.”

“I’d love
that; I could always add rugs to rooms if necessary.”

“In the kitchen I plan to update the oven and stove. Do you prefer gas or electric?” He said as they headed for that room.

“I like gas, it’s easier to control.”

“Good…
I should be able to fit a six burner stove there, I’ll put a double oven in that wall….my mother told me when they got their first home it was difficult cooking with only one oven.”

“If you are entertaining.” Bailey admitted.

“You’ll have a double door fridge here, the rooms big enough and you need extra counter space so we can put an island here. Now as for the window, I was thinking of knocking it out for a bay window.”

“Oh that would be perfect, will it have shelves?”

“If you would like.”

“Then I can keep my herbs there.” She smiled as she followed him into the formal dining room. “I thought we would just have one long table in here, with maybe a hutch over there
and a buffet table there. That way when your family comes we will have room to seat everyone.” She said then suddenly blushed when she realized she had gotten so caught up in the plans she forgot the marriage wasn’t real.

Beckett seemed to sense her discomfort and tried to put her mind at ease.

“I think it’s a great idea, did you want to look over the back yard or did you want to wait till the gardener has cleared it?”

“Why don’t we
wait?” She said heading back to the main room. “There’s so much work to be done inside, I haven’t even looked at the rest of the rooms down here.”

“I figure we will start upstairs first
. That way you will be able to move in while we’re still renovating the ground floor. We can go over the blueprints when we get back, I’ll show you my ideas for your rooms then my suggestions for the rooms downstairs.”

“Alright…are you ready to leave then?”

“Yes.” He said as he rolled up the blueprints.

Once outside he locked up the door replacing the key under the mat. As they headed for the car Bailey got the impression she was being watched and when she turned towards the upstairs window she thought she saw a woman in the window but when she blinked she was gone. She must have had an odd look on her face because when Beckett opened the door for her he asked.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing…….I thought I saw something….must be my eyes playing tricks.”

“What did you see?” He asked curiously as he looked back towards the house.

“A woman in the window.” She said looking back at the house. She turned and looked at Beckett expecting to see his amused expression but he was serious.

“I thought I saw her earlier too….when we first arrived….I didn’t want to say anything because I didn’t want to influence you.”

“Who do you think she is?”

“I don’t know….but I’m sure Ethan will find out.” He grinned. “Well, looks like you got your wish about a haunted house.”

Bailey slid into the car and watched as he came around to his side. She found it unusual he was so casual about it. Matt had always tried to find a reasonable explanation for things. When he looked at her he raised an eyebrow in question.

“Why don’t you have doubts?” She asked.

“She wouldn’t be the first ghost I’ve run across. One of the homes we redid was haunted by several. Trent used to get pissed off because they would scare off his workers by playing stunts on them.
Like you we seem to attract them. As long as they don’t delay our work I don’t mind. They are actually good for the business for the Bed and Breakfasts we remodel. Gives them something to advertise and they draw a certain clientele.”

Once back at the house Beckett showed Bailey the blueprints and went over the plans he had for remodeling. She was impressed with his eye for detail and loved that he wanted to restore the home to its original design while incorporating some modern amenities in both the
bathrooms and kitchen. He also showed her the photos of the historical homes they had remodeled and Bailey could not find fault in the final results.

“My mom has already been making a list of the stores and websites for you and her to explore. Trent told her she could have you one day a week, more once the workload is caught up. I told her if you two needed more time I would deal with Trent.”

“One day during the week should be fine; I could spend weekends and nights searching the websites.”

“Not for the next
few weeks.” He reminded her. “Your grandmother has us booked up each night till the party. She left us this weekend free but I figured you would want to spend some time with Tristan and Alexis.”

“I would…..so much has been happening
that I feel as if I’m neglecting them.”

“
They have been so busy themselves I don’t think they’ve noticed.”

“Tristan wanted to learn to ride…maybe this would be a good time…would you like to join us?”

Beckett hesitated too long and Bailey realized he had other plans. Why wouldn’t he, it was his first weekend of freedom. By his uncomfortable stance Bailey suddenly remembered he was seeing Macy this weekend. He had told her he would be breaking it off but she now began to wonder had it only been words. Trying to hide her disappointment and the pain that now gripped her heart she quickly changed her mind.

“Actually, it might be best if I spent this weekend alone with them. I’m sure you have plans of your own. If you will excuse me I need to replay to some emails before the
Remington’s arrive.”

Beckett called to her as she reached the door stopping her from a clean exit. She squared her shoulders and lifting her chin a little hire turned to face him. She saw confliction in his face and for a moment expected him
to fabricate an excuse. She was surprised when he looked at her as he explained.

“Macy
had already planned on coming to town this weekend. She and I need to talk.”

“You don’t owe me any explanations Beckett.” She said
trying to control the emotions that now stormed within. He had told her he had planned on breaking off the relationship earlier but just now he told her they needed to talk. There was no mention now of breaking it off. Was he reconsidering their relationship? Why wouldn’t he when Macy could offer him her body? “Your relationship with Macy was understood when I met you. Please, enjoy the weekend.”

Beckett looked like he wanted to say more but she didn’t give him the opportunity. She turned and left leaving him alone in the study. Fearing he might follow her she ran up the stairs and once in her room locked her door. Leaning back against it she fought the tears that threatened to fall. She had allowed herself to believe there was a chance for them. She was a fool thinking he would
really give up Macy for her like he said. She had been only too willing to let him kiss her. She had even thrown herself at him not once but twice and both times he had rejected her. He wasn’t doing the honorable thing as she thought. Her insecurities overrode everything he had told her. He was only concerned about the contract. Why would he ever want her when he had Macy, a supermodel who graced almost every fashion magazine? As she walked over to her desk she realized how close she had come to giving him her heart. Today she actually fantasized about a life with him in the house. She couldn’t risk letting him see she was falling in love with him. Images of him lying in bed with Macy, the two of them laughing at her and her naïve concept of a possibility Beckett would want a life with her filled her head. She fought back the tears as she stared now at her computer. For the first time since arriving she felt alone and isolated. She needed to talk to someone who cared. Someone who knew her; understood her fears and never let her down. She opened her email and looked at all the unread messages from Matt. She had felt guilty for leaving as she did and hadn’t opened one of his messages fearing it would add to her guilt. Clicking on the first she began to read needing to feel connected again to someone who didn’t have an agenda. She spend the next few minutes reading the messages he sent to her and with each one she read the concern he felt.

Where are you?

From: Matt

To: BaileyCMontgomery @ yahoo.com