"What are you thinking?"
"Nothing."
"Nothing is a lot when you're the groom, and it's your day." his brother commented.
Stephen watched Megan float among the guests. She stopped to speak with Conrad and his wife and accept congratulations.
"Be careful." Parker murmured, following the direction of his gaze. "At this rate, you'll be falling for her all over again, and she'll have you eating out of the palm of her hand."
"Not gonna happen."
He wanted Megan, but he was done with surprises coming out of left field. This time he was in control.
He scanned the guests, then gave his brother a lopsided smile. "I pulled this thing together in a week. I'm getting good at it. Think any of our other siblings wants a spur-of-the-moment wedding?"
Parker groaned. "Don't even think it. It's bad enough Brittany thinks she's getting hitched to a Jefferies."
"Speaking of which." Stephen responded, spying Brittany and her fiance Emilio Jefferies. "Looks like some guests are heading our way."
"Yeah Jefferies" Adam grated as he joined them from where he'd been standing a few feet away.
Parker turned in the direction of their gaze, and watched, too as their younger sister approached with the darker of the Jefferies brothers.
Stephen had gotten a chance to size the man up when Emilio had crashed Parker and Anna's wedding. Unlike his brother Emilio was dark haired and olive skinned, his green eyes a startling contrast to his complexion.
From an investigative report that Parker had ordered Stephen knew Emilio had been adopted. His mother had been the Jefferies nanny, and he'd been born in Cuba.
"Hola." Brittany said, smiling as she came toward them holding Emilio’s hand.
Emilio in contrast, looked as guarded as he and his brothers probably did. Stephen noted.
"We just wanted to say congratulations. Stephen." She stepped forward and brushed his cheek with a quick kiss.
"Thanks kiddo." Then he looked up and said in acknowledgment. "Jefferies."
Emilio held out his hand. "Congratulations."
It was a bold move, and after a split second, he reached out to grasp Emilio’s hand. "Thanks."
He and his brothers had their suspicions, but while signs pointed to corporate espionage by the Jefferieses, they'd yet to uncover the trail and more importantly, find the culprit.
In the meantime, it was clear Emilio was devoted to Brittany, and Stephen figured that had to count for something—at least for a cool but civilized exchange of pleasantries at a wedding. And if there was one thing he'd learned in the corporate world, it was never to let the competition see you sweat.
Parker looked narrow-eyed. "Good to see you, Jefferies."
Adam nodded his head in acknowledgment.
Brittany beamed, and Parker caught the look.
"It's easy to be charitable when this is one wedding Emilio isn't crashing." Parker said to his sister wryly.
Adam coughed to hide a laugh, and. if he wasn't mistaken Stephen thought, a glint of humor appeared in Emilio Jefferies's eyes.
As he turned to say something more to Brittany, however, he spotted one of his hotel employees wheeling in the table with the wedding cake.
He grasped his brothers' arms, and nodded at his sister and Emilio. "You'll excuse me. Business—of the pleasant variety—calls."
She’d visited Stephen's private estate near South Beach four years ago, but this time around it was home—and Megan found herself adjusting to the idea.
She and Stephen had agreed shed give up the lease on the cute little house in Coral Gables and move into his four-bedroom Spanish Mission-style home. She knew the grounds of the estate included a pool, while the house itself had a gym and a home theater.
Even a little girl as active and rambunctious as Jade would have a hard time making a dent in such a place.
Megan consoled herself with that thought now as she prepared to get out of her wedding gown and get ready for bed in the bedroom next to Stephens.
Her room and Stephens were separated only by a connecting bathroom, and Stephen had explained that while his bedroom was the master suite, hers had been set up as a baby's room by the houses previous owners. Since Jade was occupying the third bedroom, which was ideally configured for use as a child's room, and the fourth was being used by Stephen as a guest bedroom upstairs office, there was no place else for her to stay.
She sighed now as she looked around the room, toying with the bouquet she’d held earlier in the day as shed walked down the aisle.
The room was outfitted with Spanish colonial-style furniture, in keeping with the houses architecture. Rich, sturdy wood furniture contrasted with white walls and wrought-iron accent pieces.
Four years ago when shed spent nights at Stephens estate, she’d imagined this room one day being used as a nursery for their child. Now Jade was already past the need for a nursery, and she and Stephen wouldn't have any more children.
The thought inexplicably depressed her, just as the entire day had been an emotional maelstrom for her.
After the wedding reception, she and Stephen had headed back to his estate and put a very tired Jade to bed. Jade had promptly fallen asleep in her new bedroom, down the hall from hers and Stephens.
There hadn't been time to move all their possessions from the Coral Gables house to Stephens place before the wedding, but since shed already paid the current months rent, she knew she had some time to move out though she’d given notice shed be giving up the lease.
With any luck Jade would settle right into their new routine. She’d still drop Jade off at preschool, and Tiffany would pick her up and babysit until Megan or Stephen got home from work.
Her thoughts were interrupted by Stephen’s appearance in the open doorway of the connecting bathroom.
His eyes were shadowed in the low lighting afforded by her bedside lamp, and though she couldn't read his expression, her breath caught.
His tie hung loose around his neck. "Need some help?" he asked.
She dropped the bouquet of roses onto the bed. "Even if I did. asking you would be like asking a wolf to shepherd a lamb."
He flashed a smile and sauntered into the room. "Are you a lamb?" he murmured. "You're dressed in white...but not devoid of sin from what I recall."
She tossed her hair, and moved to the bureau to remove her watch and earrings. "Spoken like a true scholar of the subject."
He laughed. "That's my girl."
"What do you want, Stephen?"
"In a word, you."
A tremor went through her at his words, despite her best attempts to steel herself against him. "Do I already need to remind you this is a marriage in name only?"