Reluctantly Married (17 page)

21

A
dam knew exactly why Megan
looked like she was going to throw up as they boarded the plane. She’d guessed the purpose of the trip, and it obviously scared her to death. After the first misunderstanding, he decided to make a game out of it. Before breakfast he wadded up a napkin and stuck it in his shirt pocket, making it look like a ring box bulge. Every time he patted his pocket, Megan’s face blanched. When he finally reached in and took out the napkin, her wide eyes narrowed and the familiar ‘I’m going to kill you’ look came into her eyes. But then she relaxed, and a hint of a smile played on her lips.

As they walked along the pier, he knelt down on one knee, only to tie his shoe. She laughed at that one, and relaxed even more. By dinner, she was back to her old self, carrying on normal conversations and throwing her usual zings his way when he got under her skin. That was when he decided it was time.

The setting sun set the perfect backdrop. A light breeze blew as they sat on the deck of the restaurant and ate the most amazing grilled seafood. Megan sat back in her chair, staring at the streaks of pink and orange that lit up the sky.

He leaned forward and took her hand. “Megan, dating you has been an experience like no other.” A suspicious look passed over her face, but she replaced it with a smile. “From fine dining off the kid’s menu, to surprise karaoke, I never know what I’m going to get with you.”

Her smile turned into something more akin to a smirk, and she appeared to be biting the inside of her cheek, trying not to laugh.

“But through it all, I’ve grown closer to you.” He drew her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles. “I’ve grown to love you.”

Her eyes widened, but then she relaxed, a knowing look on her face. He slipped from his chair onto one knee, pulling out a ring box from his pants pocket. “Megan Holloway, will you marry me?”

She blinked a couple of times, as if what he’d said hadn’t sunk in yet, then she gingerly took the box and opened it. She stared at the gigantic rock that ABC had purchased, a stunned look on her face. Then she plastered on a stiff smile and threw her arms around his neck. “Yes, I will marry you!” Then she elbowed him and looked at him through her eyelashes. “I thought you’d never ask.”

Her reaction was totally fake. He knew it was going to be, but it still sent a small thrill through him to have her say yes to his proposal.
His pretend proposal
, he reminded himself. This wasn’t real. He had to keep that in his mind, otherwise he’d lose himself in this fantasy of marrying Megan.

But he couldn’t do that because Megan was not into him. She was playing a part. She’d made it perfectly clear the marriage was not going to be real.

And if he wasn’t careful, he’d end up with a broken heart.

As soon as Megan accepted Adam’s proposal, they whisked her away and reminded her that she had signed a contract promising she wouldn’t reveal the outcome of the show or she’d have to give back the hundred thousand, be responsible for other fees for damages, and give up her first born. She hid the ring, and she and Adam weren’t to be seen together. Even their morning show went to reruns.

Being out of the public eye for a couple of months helped Megan relax. It was almost like she wasn’t even engaged. She was flown to LA in a super-secret jet for a gown fitting, but other than that, she had nothing to do with the wedding planning. The rest of the summer flew by, and before she knew it, the show was on the air.

Megan was amazed at how, through editing and camera angles, they were able to make Adam look like he was completely smitten with her. Even she found herself rooting for Adam to win her heart. They had also managed to make Luc, Anthony, and Kyle look like real contenders. They had cut and spliced until the kisses with each guy looked heated and she appeared to be struggling to decide between them. When Kyle left the show, they made that into a huge cliff-hanger episode, implying that the reason he left was because he was in love with her and didn’t think he could win above Adam.

The show skyrocketed to the top of the charts, and Megan found herself in a whirlwind of activity. She was suddenly faced with the kind of popularity she’d never dreamed possible. People recognized her everywhere she went. Her email box quickly filled, and her phone rang constantly. It seemed absurd, but she decided to hire a personal assistant to handle all the requests for interviews and appearances.

The day after the proposal aired, she and Adam were flown to LA to hit the talk show circuit. Suddenly, they had to act like a happily engaged couple. Megan found herself backstage at the Ellen show, twisting her engagement ring nervously as she waited for them to usher her in front of the cameras. Adam was already talking to Ellen, but she couldn’t hear what they were saying.

A guy with an earpiece and black T-shirt motioned for her to follow him. She stepped out onto the stage, the bright lights and screaming fans hitting her. She forced a smile and a polite wave. The cheers grew louder.

Adam stood and crossed the stage. He pulled her into an embrace, and whispered into her ear, “You okay?”

She nodded, even though it was a lie.

He pulled back, grinned, then kissed her. It started out normal, but soon a passion grew, a hunger in his kiss she’d never felt before. Her pulse raced, and electricity tingled through her. When he broke the kiss, she raised her eyebrow in an unspoken question, trying to catch her breath.

“I’ve missed you,” he said in his sultry tone, much to the delight of the crowd, who went wild with hoots and cat calls. They made their way to their seats, her head still spinning from the kiss.

Ellen laughed. “You have had to keep your engagement a secret until today. How has that been for you?”

Adam slung his arm around her shoulders. “It’s been torture. I’ve wanted to shout out to the world, ‘She’s mine, so get your slimy French lips off her!’” He winked, and a blush touched Megan’s cheeks.

Ellen grinned at that. “He was good looking. It must have been hard watching her date and kiss other men. Especially when they all looked like that.” She pointed behind them, where a photo of the guys from the show splashed on screen. They were posed, putting all the models from GQ to shame.

Adam’s arm tightened around her. “Yes. But I really didn’t get to watch what happened on their dates until the show aired.”

Megan was surprised how pained his expression came across. Dang, he was a good actor. He actually looked upset. If he only knew what had really gone on, how disgusting Luc’s slobbery kiss had been, or how juvenile Anthony was. The cameras had made him look like a smooth rock star. She bit back a giggle and tried to pay attention to what Ellen was saying.

“Now you’re engaged, and the wedding is only two weeks away. How romantic, getting married in Acapulco.”

Two weeks. That was all there was left before the fake wedding. She swallowed the lump in her throat. Strike that. The wedding would be real. A real minister…a real marriage certificate. She glanced down at her hand. Even a real ring. And though she didn’t want to admit it, she couldn’t deny her love for Adam was real as well.

She shook her head. What did she think she was doing?

Show after show, Megan came onstage to be greeted with a kiss by Adam. And each time, the kisses knocked her off kilter. Why did he have to do that?

Listening to the audience, she knew why. They loved it when he kissed her like he wanted to devour her for dinner. She, however, was coming undone. If he didn’t stop, she was going to inject her lips with Botox to numb them up so she could keep her head on straight.

The one nice thing about her busy schedule was the fact that she had no time to fret about the wedding. When it finally arrived, she hadn’t even worked herself up over it. She’d been too busy.

But now, staring at herself in the mirror while a zillion people buzzed around her yanking her hair and applying makeup, it finally sunk in. Today she would get married. To Adam.

When they finally had her hair and makeup perfect, she slipped into her dress. Some designer had made it especially for this event. It was gorgeous, of course. Form fitting until it flared out below her waist, with pearls and lace, and a material that shimmered. She felt like a beauty queen wearing it.

Someone attached a train to the back and a veil to her head, and she was ushered into a room for photos. Apparently they were afraid she wouldn’t look as good after the ceremony, because they spent an excruciatingly long time capturing her image in a zillion different poses. Then she was shoved into another room for a live pre-ceremony interview.

She sat on a hard wooden chair and stared at Doctor Lemon, trying her best not to smack the smug look off her face.

“So, Megan, today is your wedding day. How do you feel about marrying Adam, after all that’s happened?”

The question paired with the look on the woman’s face startled Megan. What was she doing? Was this when she would confess to being a fake? When everyone would laugh at Megan for being so gullible? She gritted her teeth and took in a deep breath. “It’s my wedding day. How do you think I feel?”

Doctor Lemon laughed. “You’re right, wedding days are full of crazy emotions.” She clasped her hands together and rested them on her knee, studying Megan. “It took you a long time to admit to having real feelings for Adam. When did you realize it?”

The past few months flashed through Megan’s mind. Honestly, she’d fallen for him on that first stupid date. Watching him eat that macaroni and cheese with his chocolate milk. And then that kiss. She’d been in trouble from the beginning. But she couldn’t say that. “It became clear to me while doing the show that Adam was the one for me.”

A slight frown crossed Doctor Lemon’s face, but she smoothed it out. “What do you like most about Adam?”

There were too many things she liked about him. That was the problem. His deep, sexy voice. The way his dimples made the butterflies in her stomach multiply. The way he’d set her at ease for his fake proposal. His knee-weakening kisses. That masculine smell of his—she cleared her throat. Best not to think about those things. “The way he thinks of me first.”

That seemed to please the faker. “Any plans for after the wedding?”

Yes. Megan planned on getting as far away from him as possible. She forced a tight smile. “We’re honeymooning here in Acapulco. Then…” she shrugged. “I guess we start normal married life.”

Doctor Lemon ended the interview soon after. Then they shoved her into a lobby to wait for the ceremony to begin. She knew it was an outside wedding, but that was all she’d been told. As she waited with the camera man for someone to come get her, the door opened and her father emerged.

“Daddy?” Megan’s throat closed. She couldn’t believe it. It had been over two years. He opened his arms, and she ran into his embrace. He wore a stylish black tuxedo, and his salt-and-pepper hair was a lot more salt than the last time she’d seen him.

“I wouldn’t miss my baby girl’s wedding.”

His face blurred, and she blinked back the tears. “I didn’t know they were bringing you here.” Emotions surged through her, constricting her heart. No matter how old she got, or how accomplished she felt, being with her father turned the clock back and she became Daddy’s little girl again.

“They wanted me to surprise you.” His gravelly voice melted over her like butter. Even though her wedding was a sham, she still appreciated having her father to walk her down the aisle.

“And Mom?” She held her breath, surprised at how much she wanted her mother there. Their relationship had always been rocky at best.

His gaze flickered down, which said it all. “She couldn’t come.”

“More like she didn’t approve.” Megan clenched her hands into tight fists. She’d never been able to earn her mother’s approval.

Her father patted her on the back. “She tries.”