Promises (18 page)

A short while later the battered car pulled up outside her
mother’s house. The front door was open and there appeared to beehive of activity inside. “Come on into the fire.” Alex said and clasped Sol’s hand as they entered.

“
Thank God, Alex, about time you got here. You know you’ve got to have your hair done. And this dress, what do you think?” Fiona gushed, her words flowing out like lava from a volcano. “Sol, I hope you’re not wearing those.” She glanced down at his jeans in dismay.

“Mother
, don’t be so rude!” Alex said. “And no, he’s not, but he’s hardly going to wear a suit for the drive. The wedding isn’t for hours.” She felt his hand squeeze hers.

“Good, and
make sure he’s wearing a carnation.” Fiona spun around, turning her wrath on the next person she saw. “Yes, fetch it through and be careful for goodness sake,” she shouted at a young girl carrying a large box of flowers. Fiona pointed to the table. “Put them there.” She paused from her manic flight and said out loud to no one in particular, “I wonder how Val is getting on?”

P
ulling her mobile out, Fiona punched in the number. “How is the bride coping, everything on schedule?” She nodded, and looked across at Alex. “Yes, she’s here, just arrived. I’ll send her over. Sol can help me. Yes I know, I haven’t forgotten.”

“Will you be ok
ay here?” Alex turned to Solomon, worried about leaving him alone with Fiona, who was sure to fit in another interrogation.

“Stop
worrying about me. I’m more concerned about you.” He linked his fingers through hers.

“Wel
l, the butterflies have stopped. I’m just feeling sick now.” She gave him a shaky grin. “Oh well, better get over to Val’s. God only knows what’s in store for me.”

“Go on
, Alexandra, you’ve got to have your makeup done as well,” cried Fiona, shooing her out the door.

“See you later
.” Alex raised her eyebrows and shook her head, wishing she’d told her brother no.

S
olomon sat alongside Fiona in the small church, letting the music wash over him. It echoed around the high-domed ceiling, the coloured stained glass glinting in the play of sunlight that shone through. He glanced around at the large crowd and the masses of flowers, their heady scent filling the air. Then he looked over at Max, who was fiddling with his tie.

Obviously nervous.

Sol was at home and comfortable in his dark suit, aware of the looks he’d received from a number of women seated behind him. He wondered how Alex was coping; he wished he could be there to support her, give her confidence a boost.

Fiona interrupted his thoughts
. “I do hope Alexandra will be all right. She gets in such a state about things like this. I really don’t know why.” She gave Solomon an appreciative glance. He was dressed immaculately in a dark Armani suit, his shirt white against the darkness of his skin. Her eyes narrowed as her gaze riveted on him. She glanced around; it wasn’t just her attention he was attracting.

“She’ll manage
.” Instinctively he knew she would. He couldn’t suppress a smile when he thought back to his conversation with her mother.

“Do you like babies?” she
had probed after Alex had left.

“They’re ok
ay, I suppose, couldn’t eat one all at once though,” he teased, his joke sailing over her head.

“Don’t be flippant
. Alexandra isn’t getting any younger. Do you intend to stay with my daughter? If so, I’m sure we can fit in another wedding. It hasn’t got to be lavish. A simple registry office will do. We can pencil in a date.” She looked him up and down with smug satisfaction. “I hope you’re not using condoms,” she continued without coming up for air, then added, “That’s a rather nasty cough you have.”

Sol
raised his eyes heavenward and wondered if she’d consider a job on his board of directors. One trait Fiona excelled in was tenacity; when she had a goal in mind she went for it.

“And throw her pills down the toilet
; that way she’s got no excuse.” Fiona glared. “Just make my daughter pregnant. Now, that isn’t a lot to ask, is it?”

“Well I’ll try my best, but
I can’t give any guarantees,” he lied, anything to get some peace.

“Good,
and don’t forget that old saying ‘practice makes perfect.’ ”

W
ith the number of times they’d been doing it, Solomon thought, they were experts already.

T
he music changed and the scuffling of feet as the congregation rose brought him back to the present. Solomon stood, craning his neck for a glimpse of Alex.

He caught his first
glimpse of the bride walking slowly down the aisle, accompanied by a bald-headed man wearing a wide smile. Following them was Alex, and he sucked in his breath, unable to believe it was her.

Her hair was pulled off her face
and tiny tendrils framed her pale cheeks; he could see her glancing nervously around. When her eyes found him, they widened and he detected a semblance of a shaky smile.

Sol gave a
brief nod of his head. His gaze, hot and intense, skated over the dress she wore. The dress was a shimmering green that made it look almost alive. It was plastered to her body, her breasts almost bursting out of their confines. The material flowed over her hips—hips that only this morning he’d held tight and thrust against—before flaring out to the floor. He could see her hands trembling as she held the small posy of cream flowers in a death grip, her head bowed as her brother and his new bride recited their vows.

K
nowing what this was costing her, he wished he could go to her. His gaze never wavered, and he knew then he wanted it all with her. Marriage, babies, boring evenings fighting over the remote control. Only first he had to explain who he was, why he’d lied, and the reasons behind it. And he dreaded it, remembering her reaction when he’d been just a few days late.

“I now pronounce you man and wife
,” the vicar said to the beaming couple in front of him.

I
t was then that Alex looked up, turning to Sol, and smiled.

At last, it was over.
The wedding party trickled out into the sunshine for the obligatory photos. Solomon moved easily through the crowds, his focus wholly on Alex.

She stood to the side
, watching the photographer take the shots of her brother and his new wife. Sol crept up behind her, circled her with his arms, and nuzzled her neck.

“You look stunning
.” He stood close to her, quashing the instinct that urged him to take off his jacket and cover her up. He was only too aware of the looks spinning her way. Hot and sultry from the men, cold and jealous from their partners.

“So do you
.” She smiled, her eyes skimming over him. “You don’t look like my Sol. Instead, I could almost imagine you as a stranger, a high-powered business man.”

Sol was glad she
had turned back to watch the bride and groom and couldn’t see the look of horror on his face. He snatched in a worried, ragged breath.

“H
ow did you cope with Mother?”

“Told her I was going to try my best
.” With a smirk, he looked down and almost groaned at the amount of her flesh that was on display.

“At what?”
She frowned and looked up quizzically.

“At giving you
a baby.” He laughed at her shocked expression. “She told me practice makes perfect.”

“Oh my word, what is she like?”
She closed her eyes, already knowing.

Fiona approached them at that precise moment.
“Come along, Alexandra. You too, Solomon. I want a photo of the both you … to show my grandchildren when they put in an appearance.”

Solomon wrappe
d his arms around her waist. Alex stood in front of him. Their hands entwined, the sun glinted off their hair, and the background was a vivid mass of green. The camera clicked.

* * *

“Mother is behaving herself, thank goodness,” breathed Alex with a sigh of relief. Sipping from her wine, she stood close to Sol in the crowded reception.

“There’s still plenty of time
,” he laughed and glanced around, eyeing up the tables groaning with food. There were plates of sandwiches nestled alongside a variety of cold meats, jacket potatoes, a variety of salads and rice. Centred on the table was the impressive wedding cake, a multi-tiered confection decorated with edible flowers.

“Come on, let
’s get a seat. My feet are killing me.” Alex glared at a tall blonde leaning against the wall, her attention so obviously on Solomon.

Turning
, he grinned when he saw her reaction. “My, you’re a jealous little thing, aren’t you?” His voice was low and teasing. His tongue slaked in one lush lick across her throat.

“Mmm
, nearly as bad as you,” she countered. She’d spotted him almost spitting feathers earlier on when a good deal of male attention was focused on her.

An hour later they both leaned back in their chairs, empty plates
before them. Neither had eaten all day, Alex because of nerves and Sol because the opportunity never came up.

“Glad you did it now?” he asked
. “Because I think you make a beautiful maid of honour.”

“It wasn’t as bad as I thought, but
I won’t be agreeing to that again,” she said with certainty. “I can’t cope with the attention, to have all those people looking at me.”

“Why?” he asked
, throwing up his hands in confusion. “I still don’t get it. Why can’t you see what other people can?”

“Well
, come on, I’m not exactly pretty, and men are only interested in my chest.”

Sol shook his head
. “I don’t know how the hell you can think that. You’re the most beautiful woman in this room.”

“You’re biased
,” she giggled. “And besides, I don’t mind my boobs now, because you love them. So I guess that’s good enough for me.”

“You’ve really go
t a bad case of low self esteem. I’m going to have to work on you.” His eyes narrowed. “I’m going to show you how to get over your lack of confidence. To start with we’ll work on your irrational fear of storms.”

“Well how are my two love birds
?” interrupted Fiona. Slightly tipsy on celebratory champagne, she flopped down into the nearby chair. Without waiting for a reply she continued, “One down, one to go!”

“E
r, what are you talking about?” Frowning in confusion, Alex shrugged at Sol.

“
You’ll be getting married next.” Fiona tapped her chin thoughtfully. “Wonder if we should book this venue now. I mean, there is a waiting list.”

Solomon almost choked on his drink
. “I think you can leave that to us.” He looked up at her. “If we get married it will be our decision and our planning, not yours.” His gaze flicked back to Alex.

Alex
smiled, glad that he was standing up to her. Someone bloody needed to and it wasn’t her. She’d tried and tried, but Fiona would always wear her down in the end.

“Oh well, think I’ll mingle
.” Fiona spotted a potential victim and moved away.

“She is ridiculous
,” said Alex, listening to the slow music. ‘Have I Told You Lately,’ a favourite of hers, was playing and she hummed along to it.

Sol
watched her unconsciously swaying to the music. The dance floor was rapidly filling. “You know, we’ve never danced together.” Rising, he held his hand out.

She
felt his arm slip round her waist and his fingers thread though hers. He held her close, swaying to the music and listening to her sing softly. “Have I told you lately that I love you?” she sang, gazing up into his eyes. He bent his head, their lips just touching.

“Prove it
,” he whispered. “Because I’m going to show you exactly how much I love you, honey.”

“Looking forward to it
,” she said, feeling his arm slip lower and his hand rove over her backside. She clasped it and put it back around her waist. “Behave, we’re in public,” she whispered. “You can do what you like to me behind closed doors, though.”

Solomon threw his head back
and laughed. Once the dance finished, he kept holding her.

“What?”
she asked, turning to go back off the floor.

“Listen
.” Sol had put the request in when the disc jockey first arrived.

O
ver the crowd the disc jockey announced, “A special song for a special lady.”

Alex glanced up
, wondering what he was up to.

“This is for Alexandra from Solomon with all his love
. It’s Joe Cocker, ‘You are so beautiful.’

Alex flushed deep red at the sound of applause as So
l took her in his arms. She trembled, a wave of love engulfing her. She looked up with tear-filled eyes. “Thank you, my Sol,” she whispered, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling his head down. She kissed him deeply.

U
naware that they’d stopped dancing, oblivious to the cheers and wolf whistles, they stood there wrapped in their own private world where only they existed.

Fiona looked on with approval. S
he nudged the woman next to her. “Mark my words, I’ll have my first grandchild within the next nine months.”

Max crossed the floor
and stood alongside them. “So,” he said, has my mother been going on at you to make an honest woman of my sister?”

Alex giggled.
“Three guesses what she’s nagged for.”

Sol stood
with his arm wrapped around her waist. The driving need to be close to her overshadowed everything.

“Babies?”
asked Max, relieved that she’d left him out of her grand-parental plans.

Sol rolled his eyes and nodded, and the three of them burst out laughing.

Their mother’s gaze lit on her only two children, chatting amiably, and she smiled.

* * *

It was late when they arrived back at the hotel. They’d intended to leave earlier, but each time some distraction delayed them. In the end they had just snuck away, determined to enjoy the rest of the night alone.

Solomon leaned back against the door to their suite, relieved to shrug out of his shirt and tie
. He threw them on the nearby chair, his gaze intense and hungry as it devoured Alex.

“You look so dam
n sexy in that dress, honey. When I first saw it all I wanted to do was cover you up.” He padded up to her, his torso tanned and bare, as were his feet. Only his trousers remained and Alex knew he wore no pants. She licked her lips in anticipation.

“You weren’t like my Sol tonight, almost a stranger
,” she whispered. “A handsome one, but not one I’d feel comfortable with.”

“Why?
”
Shit, another thing for me to worry about
, he thought with frustration. When they got home he’d have to come clean. Sit her down, lock the doors, and explain the whole sorry mess.