Accidental Bride (Beaufort Brides #3) Read online

  Since she was on a roll, she went on, “If there’s something I can do that will help or support you, then I’m going to do it. I hope you’ll…you’ll let me.”

  “Kelly,” he said huskily, raising his free hand to brush a strand of hair back from her face. “I want that. I really do.”

  Her breathing accelerated. “Do you? Even if it means relying on someone else occasionally?”

  He leaned forward, his eyes hot and tender and fierce all at once. “If it means relying on you.”

  She was still trying to process the words when he closed his mouth over hers, claiming her lips in a soft, deep kiss. She responded to him as instinctively as she always did, reaching up to tangle her fingers in his hair and easing her body closer to his.

  The kiss went on longer than it should have—on a bench in the middle of a public park. Soon, Kelly’s heart and head and body were all throbbing with her need for Peter.

  “Can we go home?” he asked hoarsely, pulling his lips away from her just long enough to speak. “Or somewhere else? I don’t care where we go, baby, but we have to go somewhere, or else I’ll have to just take you right here in the park.”

  She choked on amusement and desire both, clutching at the lapels to his jacket. “Home is the closest. But when did you get to be such an alpha male?”

  “I don’t know. It must come from being married to you.” He’d been pressing more kisses against her mouth and skin, but he finally pulled away with a groan and stood up. He reached a hand down toward her, pulling her up beside him. “Let’s go.”

  They walked the two blocks back to the old house quickly, but instead of leading her in the front door, Peter walked her around the house to the summer house in the back garden. “We’ll have more privacy here,” he murmured, pulling her inside with him and closing the door.

  Before she could question this choice—since she’d never imagined having sex in the summer house in her own backyard—Peter pushed her back against the wall and kissed her again.

  All of her other thoughts scattered when she felt his lips on her again, his hot, hard body pressed snugly against hers. She twined her arms around him and fisted her hands in the back of his jacket, moaning low in her throat as pleasure and excitement rose together inside her.

  They kissed until they were both aroused. He was pushing his groin into her belly, letting her feel how hard he was, and she’d raised one of her legs to wrap it around his thighs. Kelly felt wild and a little sleazy, making love to him like this in the summer house, but there was no way she wanted to stop.

  No one was around. No one but her and Peter.

  They were rocking together against the wall, mimicking the motion of sex, until Kelly’s body throbbed so intensely she couldn’t keep quiet.

  “Please,” she begged, clutching at his back. “Please, Peter, now.”

  He groaned and started to push up her skirt as she fumbled to unfasten his pants. “Condom,” he gasped, when she’d pulled his erection out from his underwear.

  “In my purse.”

  Her clutch was looped on her wrist, and she let Peter open it, find the condom she’d stuck in on a whim, and unwrap it. He rolled it on and then parted her legs, lifting one of her thighs so he could position himself at her entrance.

  Then he was pushing inside.

  She cried out softly, helplessly, at the feel of him inside her. It took a little adjusting for them to get into a position where he could thrust, but even the shifts and maneuvers sent tingling pleasure through her body.

  Then he was kissing her again, pumping his hips against her as she kept one leg wrapped around him tightly. She was off balance, so she held on tight, and the precarious position just made the whole thing hotter.

  Peter was grunting out, “Kelly” and “Yes,” as he built up his rhythm, and Kelly’s vision blurred as she tightened herself around him, everything feel so good, so deep, so intense, that she thought she might actually black out.

  It wasn’t long before she was coming, biting her lip to muffle her cry of release. Then Peter was coming too, moaning helplessly against her mouth as his body jerked and shuddered.

  They were both panting as he pulled out of her and she was finally able to lower her leg. Her knees buckled and she almost slid to the floor as she pushed down her skirt and tried to pull herself together.

  When Peter had taken care of the condom and pulled up his pants, he took her in his arms, holding her tightly, burying his face in the crook of her neck.

  Neither one of them spoke. They just held each other. And Kelly had never felt so known, so cared for, so protected in her life.

  He wasn’t just her friend. He was her husband. And she wanted both of those things to be true.

  To remain.

  “I guess that’s what a regular guy does when he morphs into an alpha male,” Kelly said, a lilt in her voice as she tried to find her normal manner again.

  Peter chuckled and lifted his head so he could kiss her very gently. “I guess so.”

  “Let’s go back in, if that’s okay. I think I need to lie down.”

  “Me too.”

  They were both laughing softly and holding hands as they discreetly entered the house. If her grandmother was still up, she wasn’t anywhere in sight as they went down the hall toward their room.

  Kelly was thinking that they still had a month left of this marriage, and she was going to enjoy it as much as she could. Because afterwards, her life would return to the familiar one she’d always had, where things like this never happened.

  ***

  Twenty minutes later, Peter stepped out of the shower, feeling exhausted and sated and embarrassingly thrilled.

  He hadn’t started the evening thinking they’d have sex at the end of it, but Kelly had obviously been as overwhelmed and needy as he’d been.

  Things were going well. Better than he could have expected.

  Kelly wasn’t in the bedroom when he walked out. He had no idea where she was. So even though he just wore his pajama pants, he opened the bedroom door and took a few steps down the hall.

  He heard voices from the parlor.

  It was late. Almost one in the morning. Her grandmother shouldn’t still be up, but evidently she was.

  “I hope you remember who you are.” That was Mrs. Beaufort. The voice was unmistakable.

  “What is that supposed to mean?” Kelly asked, rather sharply.

  Curious and a little worried by Kelly’s tone, Peter walked a few steps closer to the opened door of the parlor.

  “It means you’re a Beaufort, and I expect you to act accordingly.”

  “I’m actually a Blake. I’m married, remember.”

  Peter’s breath hitched. He couldn’t believe she’d actually said that.

  “As if I could forget. But I have no concerns about the marriage lasting for very long. You’ll always be a Beaufort.”

  “What do you mean the marriage won’t last long? Why wouldn’t it last long?”

  “That boy is not an appropriate match for you.”

  “He’s not a boy. He’s a man. It’s not right for you to treat him so badly.”

  Peter had tensed at Mrs. Beaufort’s insulting comments about him, but his heart was racing wildly as he registered Kelly’s responses.

  “When have I treated him badly?”

  “You always treat him badly. You act like he’s nothing. But he isn’t nothing. He’s my husband. And there’s no reason for you to assume he’s not going to stay that way.”

  “You will come to your senses soon.”

  “Stop it.” Kelly was angry now. It was evident from her voice. “Just stop it. We’ve tried to be patient, since I know this was sudden, but I’m really tired of you talking about him that way. He’s amazing. He’s the best guy ever. He doesn’t deserve for you to treat him like that.”

  “I treat people in the way I feel most appropriate. You know that. Why should I change now?”

  “Because you’re supposed to love me. A
nd if you love me, then you’ll accept that I love him.”

  Peter flattened his hand against the wall, hardly believing what he was hearing.

  “Don’t be foolish,” Mrs. Beaufort said from inside the room.

  “I’m not foolish. I’ve known Peter for a long time. I know him better than anyone. I’m not some little girl who isn’t thinking clearly. He’s my husband, and I love him, and I don’t want you to treat him so badly anymore.

  “He’s not family.”

  “I know he’s not family, but that doesn’t change anything. Why are you so set against him?”

  There was a long silence before Kelly’s grandmother finally replied, “I have my ways.”

  “Well, your ways need to change a little. Please, Grandmama. If you love me.”

  Peter couldn’t see either of their expressions, but it felt like something had happened between them in the room.

  Then Mrs. Beaufort said in her normal cool tone. “You look a little feverish, dear. I think you should go lie down. Get that husband of yours to get a cool cloth for your face.”

  It sounded like Kelly laughed. “I will. Goodnight.”

  She left the parlor before Peter could react, and she pulled to a stop when she saw him there.

  He stared at her, wondering if he’d just imagined the conversation he’d heard.

  She was taking his side—against her grandmother. It was like some sort of miracle had happened.

  He opened his mouth to say something, but she raised a finger to her lips to keep him quiet. Then she took his hand as they walked back to their bedroom.

  Peter wanted to say something as she closed the door. He wanted to say everything. But he wasn’t capable of speaking at the moment.

  So he pulled Kelly into a hug.

  She returned the embrace, burying her face against his shoulder for a minute. When she lifted her head, she was smiling. “You shouldn’t eavesdrop, you know.”

  He couldn’t help but chuckle. “Just don’t tell your grandma.”

  Ten

  A week later, Kelly stretched out on a chaise by the pool at James and Rose’s house, where the family was gathered for the afternoon and a cookout. It was too early in the spring for Kelly to want to lay around in a bathing suit, so she was wearing a knit sundress over her suit. But she was still enjoying the mild air and sunshine.

  Rose had just settled herself in the chaise beside her, which was no small feat, since Rose was now almost seven months pregnant.

  “You may have to rent a crane to get me up,” Rose groaned, rubbing her rounded belly.

  Kelly laughed. “I’m sure we can manage. Among us, there are at least five able-bodied persons, and we’ll have the two girls and Grandmama to supervise the lift.”

  “Thanks a lot.”

  Kelly’s eyes were focused on the activity in the pool. Julie and Jill, Rose’s stepdaughters, were playing Marco Polo with their father, James, and Peter. They were evidently all having a great time, if the screams, laughter, and splashing were any evidence.

  Peter was grinning widely as he launched a mock-escape from Jill, who was flailing toward him with her eyes tightly shut, screaming “Marco!” over and over again at the top of her lungs. Peter could easily have ducked under the water and swum past her without getting tagged, but he let her catch him instead, sending her into ecstatic squeals of victory.

  Rose chuckled, her eyes fond as she watched the little girl. She’d been the girls’ nanny before she became their stepmother, and she loved them as much as if they were her own.

  They were her own, in every way that mattered.

  Kelly felt the strangest surge of envy as she saw her sister’s expression. She wondered what it would be like to feel that way toward a child. She wondered if she would ever know. She’d never been particularly interested in kids, and she’d thought it a good possibility that she might never have them. So she wasn’t quite sure where the feeling came from.

  Rose glanced back over and caught her looking. “Peter is great with kids, isn’t he?”

  “Yeah.” Kelly turned her eyes back to her husband. He was now hamming it up, moaning out “Marco,” and making wild swings toward the others who responded, “Polo,” in a way that guaranteed he’d never reach them. Both girls were giggling like crazy at his dramatics, easily revealing their location if Peter had seriously been trying to catch them.

  “I’m sure Julie, Jill, and this one would love a couple of cousins,” Rose teased, patting her stomach.

  Kelly blinked. “Oh. No. No! I don’t think so.”

  Rose looked a little surprised at the vehemence, but she didn’t call her out on it. “I guess it’s kind of early to be thinking in that direction yet. I mean, you haven’t even graduated from college.”

  That was true, but it wasn’t the issue. Not at all.

  Ridiculously, it felt like a loss—that Kelly couldn’t have a baby with Peter. She didn’t even want to have kids any time soon, but the knowledge that it would never happen felt like a loss just the same.

  “What’s the matter?” Rose asked, lifting her head to peer at Kelly in concern. “Did I say something stupid?”

  “No. Of course, not. It’s nothing.” Kelly smiled, brushing the poignancy away.

  Rose obviously didn’t believe her. “Is everything all right between you and Peter?”

  “Sure. Why wouldn’t it be?” Kelly didn’t like lying to her sisters. She almost never did. But she and Peter had agreed to act like theirs was a real marriage, and she wasn’t going to break her word to him.

  “I don’t know. It just looked like something was wrong. There are always ups and downs. James and I are crazy about each other, but we still argue over stupid things. Last night, it was about him not rinsing out the sink after he spits his toothpaste.”

  “Oh, no. I’m with you on that one. I’d get so annoyed about all the dried gunk leftover.”

  “That’s what I say! He says sometimes he’s in a hurry and it’s no big deal, since we each have our own sinks. But I still have to see it all over his sink! So Peter rinses out the sink?”

  Kelly had never thought about it before. Just one more thing to love about Peter. “Yeah. Yeah, he does.”

  “He sounds like a keeper.” Rose was smiling, her eyes on James, who was swinging Julie around in the pool playfully, after having caught her. “Anyway, my point was that no marriage is smooth-sailing all the way.”

  “I know it’s not.”

  “But you still look like something is wrong.”

  “Nothing is wrong.” Kelly really wished Rose would drop the subject. Afraid she was going to spill everything if the interrogation continued, she searched her mind for something true that would also be not quite the core of the problem. When her eyes landed on her grandmother, who was across the pool deck, fixing a pasta salad with Deanna, she thought of a perfect excuse. “Although Grandmama still doesn’t like him. It’s really obvious, and it makes it difficult for both me and Peter.”

  “That doesn’t make any sense. I thought she’d be thrilled about him being a Blake. I mean, she planned that big party—”

  “Yeah, she was happy about the party, but she’s not happy about Peter. It doesn’t seem to matter that he’s a Blake. She just doesn’t want me to be married to him.”

  Rose’s lips turned down thoughtfully. “You know how she is. Maybe she’s just giving him a hard time.”

  “I thought so at first, but she doesn’t change, even when I called her on it and asked her not to do it. She doesn’t want me to be married to him.”

  “But you are married to him. You’ve got to do what’s best for you and Peter, even if she doesn’t approve. You probably need to move out of the house pretty soon.”

  “Grandmama needs—”

  “She needs someone with her, yes. But there are other options.”

  “I guess.” Kelly sighed. She couldn’t even imagine moving out of the house, leaving her grandmother alone. Especially not for a marriage that had
an end date. She’d never let her world change that much. “We’re not going to do anything until after graduation, though.”

  “That makes sense. But just let me know if you need any alone time. I can always come over and stay with Grandmama for the evening while you and Peter get away.”

  For the last week, since their walk after the party, Kelly and Peter had been finding alone time. Just this morning, when her grandmother had left to have brunch with a couple of friends at the country club, Peter had dragged Kelly into the bedroom and made love to her until she was limp and hoarse.

  That night, after the party last weekend, they’d somehow come to an unspoken understanding—that sex was a good possibility, as long as Grandmama wasn’t in the house.

  The game in the pool had evidently dissolved into a contest over who could make the biggest splash with a cannonball. All the votes were on James—since his daughters had full confidence in their daddy—but it was now Peter’s opportunity to beat him.

  Kelly gazed at Peter as he climbed out of the pool, water streaming down his lean, tanned body. He was gorgeous, she realized with an unexpected pang of ownership. And he was so much more than just gorgeous.

  “Deanna said you guys were thinking about buying a house up north for a bed and breakfast,” Rose said, breaking into Kelly’s thoughts.

  Kelly gave a visible jerk. “Oh. Not really. I mean, Peter was kind of interested, but it was too expensive.”

  “I thought Deanna said that Harrison Damon had approached him about investing.”

  Kelly swallowed and glanced away from her sister. She hadn’t known the news had gotten around. That would make Peter very unhappy. “He did. But I don’t know if anything will come of that. Anyway, I can’t—I mean, I don’t want to leave Savannah.”

  “North Georgia isn’t that far away.”

  “I know.”

  “It’s not Grandmama, is it? Because you can’t let her keep you from doing what you want to—”

  “I’m not. It’s not that. I just don’t think it’s the right thing for me.”

  “For you and Peter,” Rose corrected.

  Kelly was washed with guilt and confusion and frustration. “Right. For me and Peter. It doesn’t feel quite right.”