She forced herself to look away from the dress, worried she might cry, and his hand slipped to her hip, and he guided her in his direction.
“Ella, I—”
“Jesse McAdams and Ella Mae!” Her mother’s voice boomed through the room, cutting off Jesse’s words. He dropped his hand from Ella’s hip. “A wedding.” Her mom strode across the room, panic-stricken. “Henry Rochella just knocked on my door to congratulate me and to ask if we needed anything for the New Year’s Eve wedding.” Her mom’s hands banded tight across her chest as she looked back and forth between the two of them. “After I picked my jaw up from the floor and wiped my drool, because well, he’s rather dashing, I had to recover from shock and act like I knew what in the blazes he was talking about.”
“I can explain.” Ella stepped forward. But how? How do I explain?
“Is that why A.J. looked like he was going to deck you earlier?” her mom asked Jesse. “You told him you two were getting married.” She shifted her attention back to Ella, and before Jesse could summon a lie, she said, “I don’t understand.”
Right. Our conversation in the stables doesn’t add up now.
“After dinner, Jesse proposed. And since I said yes to Rochella, and I’m leaving for Paris after New Year’s, and with everyone already going to be here for New Year’s Eve, we thought, why not? Let’s just do it. Beckett can officiate.”
Her mom’s gaze journeyed over Jesse as if she couldn’t decide whether to cry or hug him. “Are you telling me you finally got your head together because of Paris?”
“I . . .” Jesse looked at Ella, and she held her breath because it was now or never. He could either say yes, making it official that he agreed to her plan of becoming his fake wife in order to lure out the psycho, or he could say no. In which case, her mom would badger him with questions and want to know what the hell was going on. And Ella knew that was the last thing Jesse wanted. “I, um.” He pinched the bridge of his nose for a quick moment before turning to Ella’s mom. “I have to ask your husband for Ella’s hand first. If he says yes, then yes, consider my head firmly removed from my ass, ma’am.”
Jesse must have noticed she was two seconds from collapsing because he secured a hand around Ella’s arm and pulled her tight against him.
Husband and wife.
Fake husband and wife.
But only because someone wants me dead.
The tears streaming down her mother’s face might as well be the death of Ella. She’d be breaking her mom’s heart soon enough.
Her mom gathered her in her arms for a quick hug, then grabbed hold of Jesse. “I have a lot to do. And we have no time to do it.” She swiped away her tears with the backs of her hands.
“Please don’t tell anyone outside the immediate family,” Ella quickly told her. “We want it to be a surprise.”
“Well, you know I love a good surprise party, but a surprise wedding? Even better.” She slapped her hands together, and Ella could see the wheels turning so fast in her mother’s mind she was afraid her head might fly off. And then her attention moved to the wedding gown. “Oh, Ella, you’re going to be the most beautiful bride the world has ever seen.”
Great. Now how could she not wear that dress?
“A wedding. Paris. This is a bit crazy,” her mom tossed out in a breathy voice.
“Tell me about it,” Jesse said under his breath.
As soon as her mom bustled from the studio muttering decorating plans, Jesse faced her. He let go of a deep sigh as he stroked his jaw, a contemplative expression crossing his face. “A.J. is gonna hit me when we tell him the plan. And my team at Falcon may not approve.”
“Good thing it’s my life and not theirs.” Ella shrugged, trying to pull off nonchalant when she was anything but.
“We’ll need extra security at the party in case word gets out ahead of time. I don’t think we have anything to worry about, but I’m not taking chances.” Jesse blinked a few times as though trying to figure out how he’d gotten strong-armed into this crazy plan. Ella had to admit that if her mom hadn’t burst in all aflutter with hearts and tears in her eyes, Jesse might not have given in. “There is one thing we’ll need to take care of before our, um, fake wedding.” He rolled his tongue over the seam of his lips, his eyes moving to her mouth. “The kiss after we say our I do won’t be fake. And I’ll be damned if the one thing Brian’s had that I haven’t happens for the first time in front of an audience.”
Her.
Heart.
Stopped.
Ella placed a hand to her chest when her heart jump-started and began to beat a mile a minute. Not because of what he said, but how he’d said it. His voice was rough and deep, and she was back in that hotel room three years ago, his mouth against her ear ordering her not to come until he gave his permission. She shuddered, chills covering every inch of her body.
“What?” she mouthed, a bit lightheaded.
“Brian. He’s had your mouth,” Jesse said darkly, slowly drawing his gaze back to her eyes. “I don’t like that.”
“But Brian—”
Jesse slowly shook his head in warning. “I don’t want to hear his name,” he cut her off, his eyes darkening to match the timbre of his voice. “He’s lucky he never made it to my hit list because if he’d ever hurt you, he’d be long dead.” He closed the space between them. “Just remember that about me,” he rasped. “Remember what kind of man you’re fake marrying. Remind yourself of who I am.” He brought his face closer to hers, and her heartbeat was out of control. “We’re playing pretend, Ella Mae, but there’s nothing fake about who I am. And who I will always be. A danger to you.” He paused and took a step backward as if not ready to claim her mouth yet. “Now, excuse me while I go get punched by three of your brothers after I ask your father for your hand in marriage.”
Chapter Seven
“Let me get this straight,” Rory said while plopping down on Jesse’s living room couch next to Ella. “You and my brother, the man you’ve dreamed of marrying for years but now hate with a passion, are getting fake married. Sure, why not? What could possibly go wrong?”
“Sounds like the plot to a romance novel,” Savanna chimed in, sitting opposite Ella and Rory in the leather armchair by the fireplace.
Jesse had decided it’d be best for Ella to stay with him, and so, she’d spent the night there. Rory and her husband, Chris, were staying at Jesse’s too, which helped ease Ella’s nerves. But sleep had been off the table after the day she’d had, and she’d tossed and turned all night.
And the next day, she and Jesse were getting married. How could this be her reality?
Ella peered at Savanna, who seemed uncharacteristically anxious. She’d crossed her legs, no doubt in an attempt to look casual, but her foot on the floor tapped nonstop while her other leg swung back and forth. “Is this the first time you’ve been at Jesse’s since . . .”
“Since men stormed the property hunting me down, and Griffin saved me by shooting a man in the face while we fled for our lives?” Savanna noticeably gulped and nodded. “Yeah, first time back. I’m okay, though. I promise. Just as long as we don’t have a repeat of that horror show. I don’t want anyone after you.”