Rush to the Altar (20 page)

It was empty.

“Where…” she began.

The Stepford woman turned, smiled and motioned her to follow. “In first class, dear.”

Oh. Of course. She’d never flown in first class before. It seemed a waste that the team took up the entire plane just to use the first class section. Maybe they weren’t all here yet.

A red curtain separated the cabins. The airline attendant pulled it aside and then squeezed back so that Maddie could pass through. “Enjoy your flight,” she said with warmth.

Maddie struggled to get her carry-on around the woman and stepped inside.

It took her a minute. Took a moment for her brain to explain what her eyes were seeing. Every seat was covered with snow-white roses. Petals, half-closed stemmed flowers to full-blown blooms covered every first-class seat. They were scattered across the floor like snowflakes, like a church isle at a wedding, like a virginal runner of pure white—the soft petals were strewn as if they were as easy to come by as snow itself. As if they were common, but they weren’t common, they were extraordinary. She looked across the immense show of lavishness to the only other being in the space—Jake.

Jake stood at the far front of the plane, holding a huge bouquet of red roses in his hands, looking at her with something in his eyes that she’d never seen in a man’s face before…so intense, so hopeful, soulful, remorseful, wanting…so wanting.

She compressed her lips together, trying to hold back the emotion, trying to be sane and normal and know how to handle this extravagant love show.

“What have you done?” she whisper-gasped.

“Decided not to let you go. Not without a fight, anyway.”

She slowly shook her head back and forth. “Why? Why me?”

Jake walked up to her, gently put the roses down on the nearest chair and clasped her hands in his. “Because I don’t want to live without you.”

“Jake…”

“I know. I know all the reasons you keep telling yourself that this won’t work. But for the next two days I want you to let me show you why it will. Just give me this weekend, Maddie. Give me this one chance.”

What could she say? Why was it that when she was trying so hard to grow up and be responsible and think of Max and guarding her heart and his, that she had to meet someone like this man, who was so much stronger and surer and capable of blowing her reasonableness into the far corners of the earth, like so many rose petals on a summer’s breeze. She was trying so hard to do what was right…this wasn’t fair. She didn’t want to fight this.

“There’s no game, then?”

Jake smiled a kind smile, patient and waiting for her to catch up. “There’s no game in New York. There is only you and me.”

“But where are we going? What are we going to do?”

“It’s a surprise.”

Maddie didn’t like surprises. Had always been the kind of child to ferret the identity of her Christmas and birthday presents out of her loved ones before unwrapping the gift. She was the kind of mom that had gotten the ultrasound to learn that Max was a boy. Had prepared her heart for whatever was coming so that she could…well, be prepared. But here, in the deep gray-green eyes of this man, were many surprises and she found that she couldn’t spoil his joy by demanding to know them.

“I don’t like surprises.”

“You’ll have to trust me then. Can you do that?”

“I…”

“It’s a choice. And only you can make it. If you can’t put your trust in me then we’ll never have a chance. Will you take this chance?”

If she turned her back on this, Jake would let her go. She saw that. Or, she could take the risky road, follow her gut and her heart, and learn this man and let him discover her. The thought of that thrilled her far more than the roses.

 “Okay.”

Two hours later, Maddie peered out the window to see the New York City skyline. She’d been to the city once before, as a high school student coming by bus, but she’d never seen it from the air.

Jake squeezed her hand, looking down over her shoulder. “I’ve only been here for games. I can’t wait to really experience the city with you.”

In that moment, with his quiet declaration, she decided to suspend all her fears and fully enjoy every minute of it with him.

They landed at JFK Airport, a huge, sprawling edifice that seemed never ending, and waited for their luggage. Jake’s eyes grew big and round as Maddie grasped her huge upright and heaved it off the belt.

Jake laughed, grasping the handle to the luggage and the carry-on, hefting his one and only bag on his other shoulder. “What did you pack? Your entire closet?”

Maddie shrugged, her boots clicking across the floor as they made their way to the doors and the street. “I wasn’t sure what was going to be expected of me, so I brought a little of everything. It’s a good thing now! I’ll have lots of options for this weekend. I even brought my bikini.” She gave him a sideways glance, teasing anticipation in her eyes.

He chuckled. “I might be able to find a reason for that,” he said in a low, husky voice.

A limousine awaited them, their names drawn with unfamiliar handwriting on a square white card, just like in the movies. Maddie couldn’t help her excited laughter as they fell in, Jake reaching for a bottle of champagne and pouring them both a glass.

“To New York.” Maddie lifted her glass, her gaze roving over Jake’s face as if she hadn’t really looked at him in weeks, which she hadn’t.

“To New York. And second chances.” His eyes held hers as they tilted their glasses and took a long, cool swallow.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

I
t had snowed the day before and all of New York City—the streets, the trees and buildings—were cloaked in white, like a winter wonderland of huge proportions. Fashionable people in blacks and grays with an occasional splash of color bustled with the energy of the dealmakers and breakers of the world. With excitement and anticipation, feeling a bit overwhelmed, Maddie tried to capture it all from the comfortable seat of the limo.

The Hotel Grand took up an entire end of a block, towering over them as they were helped from the limo. Maddie stood on the sidewalk, steam from a manhole rising beside her, feeling like she was in a movie, staring up and up toward the top of the building, seeing flags and then higher up, balconies with fancy cornices and iron work on the building’s corners. Jake grinned at her reaction, then placed his hand at the small of her back, guiding her inside, nodding to the doorman to follow with their luggage.

The entrance stole her breath. The lobby was decorated in gold—gold walls, shining gold pillars, enormous, cone-shaped bronze and gold flowerpots, twice the height of Jake, filled with tall, delicate white flowers. Light gray to pewter colored chairs formed intimate seating groups where world travelers could read a newspaper or just sit and people-watch. The carpet was thick and plush in bronze, gold and green. A marble fountain lent the relaxing sound of cascading water and stood to the side of the long, golden reception desk. As she looked up, wall after wall of glass went on as far as she could see.

Jake checked them in, explaining in a warm rush in Maddie’s ear that they would share a suite but that it had two bedrooms. They rode the elevator up to the 48
^th
floor to their suite.

When Jake opened the door Maddie stepped inside, delight filling her. It was like a beautiful apartment of their own. A full kitchen, an intimate dining area which opened into a living room, complete with a giant flat-screen television. Two simple but elegant modern-style bedrooms were parallel with a huge bathroom connecting them. It was all done in shades of cream, brown and blue, from teal to royal, with accent pillows and vases in bronze. The huge marble tub was chocolate with bronze flecks, complete with jets, the towels aquamarine and so thick she couldn’t help touching one.

Jake caught her doing that and laughed. “Do you like it?”

“It’s wonderful.”

He held out his hand. “Come see the balcony.”

She took hold of it, realizing how much she had missed this handholding thing he liked to do, letting herself be led onto their own private balcony overlooking the busy 42
^nd
Street. There were wrought-iron chairs, but they ignored them, walking instead to the railing and looking out over the city decorated for Christmas.

“I still can’t quite believe you did this,” she said softly, looking into his eyes.

“This is only the beginning.” He brought her hand to his lips and kissed the back of her fingers, slowly pulling her closer to him, his eyes locked with hers. She held her breath waiting, thinking he would kiss her.

They stayed like that for what seemed an eternity, each straining toward the other, Maddie not wanting to make the first move in this precarious place where she was letting down her guard. He made a low noise from his throat, low and soft and masculine, and then let go of her hand and pulled her into his arms.

The kiss was different from the other ones, like he’d made a decision, like he was coming from a different, certain place. She might be unsure, but he was very sure of what he wanted. She could feel it in the confident way he was claiming her for his own.

She determined to let go, did so by degrees, letting her body meld against his, letting her mind free-float, allowing only the sensation of his mouth against hers to overtake her. He smelled good, he tasted good, like the champagne they’d been drinking mixed with something tangerine, a fruit from the fruit bowl in the room perhaps, or a mint she’d not seem him take, some thoughtful planning-ahead thing. She allowed her hands to wander where they wanted, feeling the hard muscle of his shoulders beneath his coat. He felt very solid, very real.

Would he break her heart like Brandon? The thought inserted itself like a poisonous dart.

He pulled back suddenly, breathing hard. “Maddie, you kiss like no other.”

Maddie felt instant heat fill her cheeks. No one had ever said anything like that to her before. “It must have something to do with whom I am kissing,” she said, ignoring her fear.

He pulled her into his side, looking out over the city. “We should change for dinner soon. I have reservations.”

“Oh. How much time do we have?” Maddie thought through the contents of her suitcase.

“About an hour. Did you bring a dress?”

Maddie laughed. “A few. A cocktail dress and a black mini-skirt. Will one of those work?”

Jake laughed. “I forgot you had enough luggage for a week. Probably the cocktail dress. We’re going to the Babbo.”

“Good thing I pack for anything,” she said, grinning, thinking that she was quick to contribute to her own capitulation.

They arrived at the restaurant, Maddie wearing a designer dress in sapphire blue, with ornate beading in the middle of the neckline, negating the need for a necklace. She had diamond-drop earrings and a sapphire bracelet on one wrist, completing the elegant look. Her one splash of decadence was, of course, the shoes. Delicate, high-heeled, silver sandals with straps that wrapped around her ankles, they made her legs look longer than anything else she owned.

Jake walked out of his bedroom just as she was smoothing down the back of the skirt and turning, looking at her back in the mirror. A slow grin broke out onto his face. “Wow. You look amazing.”

Maddie stood still, a little uncomfortable under the intense gaze of those smoky eyes. He looked good too. Something about the way a suit coat hung from such broad shoulders always reminded her of a male model, and bigger than life.

They slipped into their coats and then Jake said, “Shall we?” He held out his hand.

She nodded, taking it in hers, feeling his warm fingers wrap around with just the right amount of pressure—a perfect fit.

They rode to the restaurant in a cab. Jake pulled her close to his side as they leaned together toward one window to sightsee. They arrived, both a little breathless from the close contact, Maddie ready to make the evening one to remember.

Maddie ordered black spaghetti with jumbo lump crab, throwing inhibition to the wind, while Jake had the ribeye steak. She talked and laughed, recognizing how easy the conversation was between them. She felt like she’d known him forever.

“Tell me about your husband,” he said suddenly. “I want to know this past I’m fighting.”

At the mention of Brandon, Maddie’s heart sank. Was it time to tell him? It might ruin their trip and yet, she had to tell him sometime.

“He seemed perfect,” she said succinctly, not knowing a better phrase for her life. “We were happy. I was…grateful, every day, that I had my life.”

“He died in an accident, right?” Jeff asked.

 She shrugged trying to be nonchalant but failing, feeling the weight of the question, drowning in it for a moment and then rising to the challenge. She was determined that it wouldn’t destroy anything else in her life…that it wouldn’t ruin this.

“I don’t know. I thought I knew everything about him. But I didn’t. Jake, I recently learned that he was living a double life with a mistress. He financed it by embezzling money from his job at a bank.” She took a deep breath. “And…they think he might have killed himself and made it look like an accident.” She looked down at her plate, her appetite gone. “He wasn’t the man I thought he was at all. Our entire life was a lie.”

Jake reached across the table and grasped her hand. “Maddie. Why didn’t you tell me? When did you find this out?”

“The weekend after we went to church together. His mistress called me and told me everything.”

“And you didn’t call me? You must have been…devastated. You should have called me. I would have—”

“There was nothing you could have done, Jake. I needed to be alone and sort out my life, my emotions. That’s why I had to break it off. I didn’t know if I could ever love or trust a man again.” She stared up at him, hoping he could understand.

Jake squeezed her hand. “I’m not that man. I’ll never be that man. Anything you want to know, I’ll tell you. Anything. The things I barely admit to myself…I’ll tell you those things so you’ll know me. The good, the bad and the ugly. You can know me better than I know myself. I promise you that.”