Runaway Bride (Across the Stars: Book 2) (20 page)

As Chris headed for the hallway, Mark sat in the chair next to Lexie.  “We’re glad you came.”

Lexie cleared her throat and shot another tentative glance in her mother’s direction.  “Yes, we are.”

Her mother turned her eyes toward her and Lexie thought she detected a hopeful spark in them.

“We’re happy to be here,” her dad said.  “And it sounds like you have everything planned.  All we have to do is enjoy ourselves, right Rachel?”

Just as her mom began to nod, Chris and Caitlyn walked into the living room.  Lexie couldn’t help but notice that Caitlyn’s face had the same anxious look she always wore whenever there was a family get-together.  She hoped this weekend would go as well as Mark hoped.  Otherwise, she didn’t think Caitlyn would be willing to do anything with her or Mark in the future.  After all these years, she was finally getting to know her sister, and she was turning into a good friend.

“We were thinking of either making you dinner here or treating you out to the restaurant of your choice,” Mark spoke up.  “Does anyone have a preference?”

“Let’s eat out,” Caitlyn said before anyone could respond.

Mark glanced at Lexie and her parents who indicated their agreement, so he nodded.  “Sounds great.  Anyone got a preference on which restaurant we should go to?”

Everyone directed their attention to Lexie’s mother whose eyes grew wide.  “Why is everyone looking at me?” she asked.

“Because you usually have an opinion on something like this,” her father replied.

Her gaze swept over everyone, and her cheeks grew pink.  “Are you saying I control what we do?” When no one replied, she sighed.  “If you feel that way, then suggest something.  I’ll eat anywhere.”

After an uncomfortable silence, Caitlyn said, “Okay.  How about the all-you-can-eat-buffet Chris and I passed by on the way here?”

Her mother cringed for a moment but stopped and smiled.  “That’ll be fine.”

“Good,” Mark replied and rose to his feet.  “Let’s get ready for the symphony, and then we’ll go out to eat.”

Caitlyn’s eyes widened.  “Symphony?”

Mark nodded.  “You brought a nice dress, right?”

“Yeah,” she slowly replied, glancing at Chris.  “Did you know about this?”

“No,” Chris assured her.

“Does it matter?” Mark asked, concerned.

“I hate symphonies,” Caitlyn told him.  “They’re boring.  I’m expected to sit there in the audience and watch a bunch of people play string instruments.”

“It’s classical music,” her mother said.  “You’re not supposed to just watch the musicians play their instruments.  You’re supposed to soak in the experience of being in the presence of musical masterpieces.”

With a sigh, Caitlyn shook her head.  “The definition of a musical masterpiece is subjective.”

“Many people—people who are experts—have classified certain types of music to be classics.  They are passed down from one generation to another.  They have been appreciated around the world.  They signify man’s greatest achievement.”

Caitlyn groaned.  “They’re called classics by snobs who refuse to see any merit in music you can get excited about dancing to.”

“You can dance to classical music.”

“That kind of dancing is for old people.  I listen to music to have fun, not put myself to sleep.”

Mark held up his hand to stop them from arguing.  “I’m sorry I didn’t warn you about the symphony,” he told Caitlyn.  “I made the assumption that everyone would enjoy going to one.  You and Chris don’t have to go.”

Chris turned to Caitlyn.  “We’ll find something else to do after dinner, okay?”

Though she sighed, Caitlyn nodded.  “Alright.”

“I made reservations for you, Lexie, and your mom to go to a spa,” Mark told her.  “But you don’t have to go to that either.”

“I wouldn’t mind going to a spa,” she replied.

“Do you like watching musicals?  I bought tickets for
Oklahoma
.”

“That’s not so bad.  At least there’s humor and romance in it.”

“Good.  Then it’s settled.” Mark’s smile returned and he held his hand out to Lexie.  “We’ll get ready for dinner?”

Lexie accepted his hand and stood up.  “I’ll be ready soon.”

“And so will we,” her father said as he and her mom rose from the couch.

Lexie ventured another glance at her mom who cleared her throat and faced Caitlyn.  “I’m sorry.  You’re right.  Taste in music is subjective.” Without looking at anyone, she went to her bedroom.

Everyone stared at each other, jaws dropped.

“Did she just apologize?” Caitlyn whispered.

“Yeah, she did,” Chris replied.

“Well, in that case, I guess I can sit through a symphony,” she said.  Taking Chris’ hand, she added, “If I fall asleep during the performance, pinch me to wake me up,” as she led him to their bedroom.

Lexie’s dad smiled and patted Lexie on the shoulder.  “See?  It’s not as bad as you fear.  Your mother’s not impossible.”

Lexie nodded as he headed for his bedroom.  She looked at Mark and noted the pleasure on his face.  Maybe the weekend would reap the rewards that he was expecting after all.  She certainly hoped so.  Placing her arm around his waist, she went with him to their bedroom and to dress for the symphony.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Halfway through the symphony, Lexie had to use the restroom.  She squeezed Mark’s hand and gave him a smile before she rose to her feet.  Next to her, Caitlyn had her eyes closed and was leaning against Chris who also seemed equally sleepy.  She gently nudged them awake since she knew Caitlyn didn’t want to be caught sleeping while their mom was near enough to notice.  Caitlyn jerked awake and shook Chris’ arm until he straightened in his seat.

Lexie left them and headed down the aisle.  Once she went to the bathroom, she washed her hands then brushed her hair.  The door swung open, and she glanced over her shoulder in time to see her mother enter the restroom.

She stopped brushing her hair and offered a tentative smile.  “Hi, Mom.”

Tears sprang to her eyes.  “Lexie.” She spread her arms and hurried over to wrap her in a tender hug.

In that moment, Lexie knew everything was going to be okay between them.  Unable to stop the tears from coming to her own eyes, Lexie laughed and held her mother closer to her.  “You’re not mad at me?”

Her mother pulled away from her and brushed the tears from Lexie’s cheeks.  “No.  I admit I was at first.  You didn’t tell me you were going to marry Mark.  You just ran off and eloped.” She retrieved some tissues from the sink and handed some to Lexie so she could wipe her eyes. “But then I realized you tried to tell me you didn’t want to marry Nick.  I did a lousy job of listening.”

“You thought I was having wedding jitters.”

“Even so, if I had taken the time to really listen to you, you would have felt comfortable coming to me and telling me you wanted to be with Mark.” She sighed and sat on the settee, motioning for Lexie to join her.  After Lexie did, she took Lexie’s hands in hers and squeezed them.  “I thought you and I shared a special relationship.”

“We do,” Lexie assured her.

“There’s something wrong if we can’t be open with each other.  I don’t even know how to begin to explain how sorry I am for forcing you into a relationship with Nick.”

“You didn’t force me into it.  I wanted to be married and have children.  Nick came along and seemed like the perfect man.  The fact that you liked him was a plus.” She released her breath and shrugged.  “Honestly, I was afraid I’d never get married if I didn’t accept his proposal.”

“Why did you think that?”

“Well, Caitlyn was married as soon as she graduated from high school.  All of my friends from high school have gotten married and moved on.  I began to feel like it would never happen for me.”

“Lexie, that’s crazy.  You’re beautiful, kind, intelligent.  Your problem is that you don’t understand your own worth.”

“Nick didn’t love me, Mom.  He was going to marry me because his coworkers were impressed with me.”

Her mother nodded.  “I know, honey.  The day after you eloped, he called me up to explain that.” She released Lexie’s hands and brushed back a stray strand of hair from her face.  “When you and Mark came over after you returned from Las Vegas, I saw the way he looked at you.  Nick never looked at you like that.  It was the same look Randy used to have for Caitlyn.  Now it’s the same look Chris has for her.  And it’s the same look your father gives me.  There was so much I wanted to say that day, but I had made such a mess of things, I didn’t know where to begin.”

Though Lexie couldn’t stop her tears, she laughed.  “You have no idea how glad I am to hear you say that.  I wanted to talk to you too, but I didn’t know where to start either.  I picked up the phone so many times to call you.” She choked up, unable to continue.

“I kept picking up the phone to call you, too.” She cupped Lexie’s face in her hands and wiped the tears from her cheeks.  “I know it hasn’t seemed like it, but I love you and want what’s best for you.”

“I love you, too.”

“I’ll try to be better in the future about listening to you.  I don’t want anything to come between us again.”

Lexie hugged her.  “Thanks, Mom.  Thanks for understanding why I married Mark instead of Nick.”

Her mother chuckled and rubbed her back.  “There’s no denying that Mark has excellent taste.  I couldn’t have planned a better weekend getaway.”

“Mark does have good taste.” She pulled away from her.  “You know, Dad had a good point.  He and Mark are alike.”

“They are.  They have a sense of humor, know the right thing to say at the right time, are romantics at heart and are very sweet.”

“I’m glad we finally talked.”

“I am, too.  We’d better get back to the symphony before everyone comes searching for us.  But first, I need to check my face.”

Feeling much better, Lexie rose to her feet and joined her mother at the mirror.  “Mom?”

“Yes, Lexie?”

“What about Caitlyn?”

Her mother searched through her purse for lipstick and selected the shade she wanted.  “Is something wrong?  She and Chris aren’t having problems, are they?”

“No, nothing’s wrong with her and Chris.  I was wondering about you and her.  Things between you two haven’t been good for as long as I can remember.”

With a sigh, she turned her gaze to Lexie.  “I love your sister, but there’s been something in our personalities that’s never meshed well together.  She gets along better with your father.”

“But aren’t you going to talk to her, just like you talked to me?”

“Yes, I am.  I just knew talking to you would be easier, so I decided to do that first.”

Satisfied, Lexie turned her attention to the mirror and finished brushing her hair.  Hopefully, she and Caitlyn could work things out, but she knew better than to press her mom until she was ready to talk to her.

***

The next morning, after Mark, Chris and her father left to play billiards, Lexie’s mom picked up the spa gift certificates from the kitchen table and turned to Lexie.  “It was nice of Mark to treat us to a day where we can pamper ourselves.”

Lexie put her cup of orange juice into the refrigerator and shut the door.  “It was.  I didn’t even know he’d planned it.  In fact, I didn’t even know he arranged for you and Dad to come here until you showed up yesterday.”

“I’m glad he did.  It was a thoughtful gesture.” She smiled.  “I can see why you married him.  He’s a good man.  It’s a bonus he has such good taste.”

Pleased by the compliment, Lexie hugged her.  “I’m glad you think so.”

Her mother returned her hug.

“So, was Dad really about to propose to another woman when he met you?”

Ending the hug, her mother nodded.  “Yes.  I didn’t know about it until we’d been dating for three months.  But she ended up marrying someone else and is happy, so it all worked out.”

Caitlyn entered the kitchen, rubbing her stomach.  Lexie wondered if her pregnancy would be as fast as Caitlyn’s.  She wasn’t pregnant yet, but from what Mark said, it sounded like she’d be due to conceive soon.  She wondered what it would be like when it was time.

“Do we have any chocolate in this place?” Caitlyn asked.

“Yes, we do,” Lexie replied and opened the nearest cabinet.  Chris had warned them that Caitlyn had strong cravings for chocolate, so she made sure to stock up on the stuff.  She took out a box of assorted chocolates and handed it to her sister.  “Here you go.”

“Thanks.”

Their mother cleared her throat, so they looked at her.  “When I was pregnant, I craved ketchup and ice cubes.  Not necessarily together, though there was one time I mixed them into a cup.”

She offered a slight chuckle and Lexie realized that her mother was nervous.  All this time, Lexie had assumed it was only Caitlyn who felt that way.

Caitlyn opened the box and picked out a piece of chocolate.  “Yeah, well, I like to eat chocolate on everything.  Mind if I take this with us to the spa?” she asked Lexie.

“All the chocolate is for you,” Lexie told her then glanced between her and her mother.  “Is everyone ready?”

Her mother picked up her purse and nodded.  “I’m ready.”

Caitlyn went to the cabinet and collected three more boxes of chocolates.  “I am, too.”

Lexie hid her laughter as her sister balanced the four boxes in one arm while digging out two pieces of chocolate.  She had no idea cravings could be that powerful.  Retrieving her own purse, she followed her mom and Caitlyn out the door, vaguely aware of a tingling sensation in her lower abdomen.  In fact, it wasn’t until they were stepping out of the elevator on the first floor that she gave her full attention to it.

She paused as her mom and sister headed for the door.  What was causing the strange sensation in her abdomen?  She hadn’t eaten anything unusual the previous day.  Besides, the sensation wasn’t uncomfortable.  It was warm and pleasant.  In some ways, it was if Mark was stroking her core with his fingers.  She hadn’t experienced anything like it since they went through the bonding ceremony.  She wiped her forehead with her hand.  Was she really sweating?

Caitlyn and her mom stopped when they realized she was no longer with them.  “Did you forget something?” Caitlyn asked as she picked out another piece of chocolate then plopped it in her mouth.

“Uh…” Lexie glanced at the closed elevator doors and wondered if she should go back to the room.  But that was crazy.  Mark wasn’t even in the building.

Frowning, Caitlyn went over to her and lowered her voice so their mother couldn’t overhear them.  “I know you want me to talk to Mom, but do you really think it has to be done without you in the same room?”

Ignoring the way her heartbeat accelerated, she forced her attention on her sister.  “No, it’s not that.”

“Then what is it?  You don’t like spas?”

“I do like them.” Her gaze went to the front door.  She didn’t know how or why, but she felt that Mark would be coming soon.  “I don’t know how to explain it, but I think I need to stay here.”

Her shoulders slumped.  “Seriously?”

“Yes.”

Lexie shifted from one foot to the other, noting the way her body throbbed in anticipation for Mark’s touch.  As much as she didn’t want to think it could happen at such an awkward time, she suspected the link between her and Mark was alerting both of them that it was time to conceive their child.  The sensations were way too similar to the bonding ceremony for her to think otherwise.

“Caitlyn, what was it like for you when it was time to conceive your child?” she whispered.

“Great.  I mean, it was pretty powerful.  A lot like the bonding ceremony.  When it was time for me to conceive, Chris came in to the diner and whisked me off to the bathroom.  Granted, it wasn’t the best place to do it, but I had to drop everything to be with him.  I’m just glad no one caught us.  That would have been a disaster.”

“And you had to do it.  There was no choice?”

“It’s not like being with a man from Earth.  Something in the Pandoran DNA requires you to go through with it.  I don’t understand how it works.  I just know how intense it is.”

“Right.” Lexie shot her a meaningful look.  “I can’t go with you and Mom.  I might be able to meet up with you two later.”

Caitlyn’s eyes grew wide.  “Oh!  You really can’t go.”

Taking a deep breath to help slow down her racing heart, she nodded.  “I feel like I’m tied to this building.”

“I know.  Sometimes being married to a man from Pandoran isn’t convenient.” She glanced at their mother.  “For all of us.”

“I think she’s aware of what she’s done wrong.  Promise me you’ll be open to hearing her out?”

Though she groaned, she nodded.  “I’ll do my best.” She selected a piece of chocolate and headed back to her mom.

Lexie turned to the elevator and selected the button that would take her back up.

The doors opened and as she stepped inside, she felt a strong pull to look back.  When she did, she saw Mark enter the lobby.  His gaze met hers, and a surge of excitement rushed over her.  There was no denying the intent in his eyes.

Caitlyn took her mom by the elbow.  “See you later,” she called out as she led her mom out the front door.

Lexie held the elevator doors open until Mark joined her.  “It’s time,” he said as he pressed the number that would take them to their floor.

“Yeah, I figured that when I realized I couldn’t leave the condo.”

Without another word, she wrapped her arms around his waist and kissed him.  A shot of pleasure rushed through her as he backed her up to the wall of the elevator.  She wrapped her legs around his waist, groaning as his hips moved in an all-too-familiar rhythm.

“Someone might come in here,” she gasped as he kissed her neck.

He slid his hands under her dress and cupped her behind, his fingers finding their way under her panties, stroking her moist flesh.

Breathing heavily, she tried not to completely lose herself in the moment, which was proving more and more difficult by the second.  “Mark,” she whispered then moaned when his finger slid inside her.  “We can’t,” she moaned again as he stroked her core, “do this,” she shifted her hips so he could slide in deeper, “here.”

She bit her lower lip, muffling the urge to cry out in pleasure.  She couldn’t believe how amplified the sensations were.  She swore she would climax at any moment.  How could she go from a mild desire for making love to an extreme need to do it in such a short span of time?