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“I’m sure everything is going to be okay,” Max answered. What he didn’t tell Kelly was he was aware that in an obviously traditional family setting such as the O’Rourkes’ appeared to be, and his own, for that matter, a free-spirited woman like Kelly, and her name, needed all the protection she could get.
He turned back to the man who had just become his father-in-law. “We’ll be along directly, Mr. O’Rourke.”
“Don’t be long,” the senior O’Rourke warned. “We’ll expect you before sundown. Come on, boys.”
As soon as the door closed behind her family, a distraught Kelly turned on Max. “You don’t really expect us to spend the night at my house, do you?”
“I’m afraid we have to.”
“Instead of giving in to my father’s wishes, why aren’t you out trying to find a wedding license or a marriage certificate?”
“I’ve been trying to ever since I woke up. It’s been one damn thing after another. And now your family shows up. I haven’t had a moment’s peace today, so don’t you start.” Max headed for the room-service cart. “Coffee?”
“No, thanks.” Kelly paced to the window and stared out at the busy Las Vegas thoroughfare. “There ought to be something we can do.”
“I’ll go to the marriage-license bureau first thing tomorrow morning and check the records.” Max reached for a blueberry muffin. “Are you sure you don’t want something to eat?”
“The way I feel, I don’t think I could handle anything. You go ahead and eat if you want to,” Kelly answered without looking back.
“Suit yourself,” Max said. “I’m going to get cleaned up before we head out to your place. In the meantime, you might practice being a wife.”
“Practice being a wife?” Obviously affronted, Kelly swung around. “I don’t intend to be a wife at all.” With her squared jaw and set lips, Max was inclined to believe she meant what she said. Not that it mattered. As his mother often said, they’d made their bed and they had to lie in it. This time—worse luck—platonically.
Chapter Three
No one was home to welcome Max and Kelly when they reported to the O’Rourke residence on Nellis Air Force Base. Max was relieved. Maybe he and Kelly would finally find time to plan their next move. Then, tomorrow, he intended to head over to the marriage-license bureau and do some checking.
Things might have been different, even desirable, if he and Kelly cared for each other. Instead, circumstances forced them to pretend they were madly in love. Sure, they were attracted to each other, but so far they couldn’t seem to carry on a sensible conversation without winding up in an argument.
As he followed Kelly into the bedroom, he took heart in knowing they would soon go their separate ways. All he needed to do was persuade Kelly’s father he intended to take her on a honeymoon. With a little luck, he’d be a free man by tomorrow night.
Her bedroom reminded him of his dorm room back at college. The bed, covered by a patchwork quilt, was pushed against one wall. A small maple desk and chair, an ancient leather lounge chair and a reading lamp were positioned under a window. A matching maple chest of drawers crowded a corner. There were plenty of homey touches—family photographs on the walls, two heart-shaped pillows, a hand-hooked rug.
Max wasn’t surprised. In his experience, a woman’s bedroom reflected her personality. Under that sexy exterior he’d encountered last night, he had an uneasy feeling Kelly was a hometown, traditional woman. The kind that wanted to nest. Thank goodness she apparently didn’t want to nest with him.
He gazed doubtfully at Kelly’s single bed. The bed might do for a woman her size, but it didn’t look big enough to accommodate the addition of a six-foot-two-inch, one-hundred-and-eighty-five-pound man. Sharing the narrow bed wasn’t going to be easy. The worn beige and brown leather chair didn’t look very inviting as an alternative, either. He was beginning to understand what Kelly meant when she’d told him he didn’t know what he was letting himself in for.
“Not exactly a palace, is it?” he asked.
“No, it’s not,” Kelly agreed. She glanced around the room and shrugged. “You can’t say I didn’t try to warn you.”
“I thought you were talking about your father,” Max protested. “I figured I could handle him later. Sleeping in a bed that size with you wasn’t exactly what I was expecting.” He gazed at the bed with a jaundiced air. “Maybe I can change your father’s mind when he comes home.”
“Fat chance,” Kelly answered wearily. “I’ve never been able to change it once he’s made up his mind.”
“Come on, Kelly. Don’t blame it all on your father. You’re the one who insisted we were married.”
“Maybe so,” she agreed, “but since it was pretty obvious we’d slept together, I said we were married to keep him from taking a shotgun to you. Besides, from the way Patrick was eyeing you, I was afraid he’d haul you off to jail if I hadn’t jumped in to stop him.”
“Jail? Be serious. For sleeping with you?” Max swallowed a grin when Kelly blushed. Maybe he shouldn’t have been so blunt, but it seemed to him, if ever there was a time to call a spade a spade, this was it. Married or not, they had slept together. As far as he knew, it wasn’t a local offense.
“No, for vagrancy, or some other charge.” Kelly bit back a rueful smile. “My brother Patrick thinks like a policeman. After he took a good look at you, I could tell he was looking for a chance to run you in.”
Max looked down at his navy-blue tailored pants and blazer, shirt and tie. “What’s wrong with the way I look?”
“That’s easy.” Kelly held up her left hand and counted off on her fingers. “You’re obviously not Irish, in the military or on the police force. I’m sure Patrick will come up with a few more reasons as soon as he’s had a chance to check you out.”
Max began to believe he’d somehow wandered into a special place peopled by a tribe of weird O’Rourkes. “Who in heaven’s name made up rules like that?”
“Dad,” she answered succinctly. She tossed the bouquet and bridal veil on the desk. “He’s been preaching those rules to me ever since I had my first date. And that was with either Damon or Patrick and their dates in tow. I was lucky Dad didn’t insist on coming along, too.”
Max bridled. “What’s the matter with someone like me for a husband? I’m not exactly a bum.” He pumped up his chest. “I’ll have you know I own Taylor Fitness Centers.”
“The gyms?” As Kelly asked, she recalled DeeDee telling her when she’d regaled Kelly with Max’s attributes. “We’re a great match, then. I teach aerobics on the base.” She shrugged. “But as long as you aren’t Irish, I’m afraid you’re not on Dad’s list of eligible males.”
The thought that he could end up in jail, even for twenty-four hours while Patrick checked him out, struck Max as ridiculous.
About as ridiculous as the entire situation. The more he thought about it, the more he didn’t know what to believe.
He raked his fingers through his hair and stared at Kelly.
What he was beginning to believe was that Kelly represented everything he was beginning to feel was missing in his life; spontaneity, independence, dynamism, fun. And that he was more attracted to her than he’d realized.
To complicate matters, without a wedding license or marriage certificate, he couldn’t be sure of anything, let alone his own sanity.
Kelly sighed her exasperation. “I told my father we were married to get him off your back, and sure, I wanted him off mine too. I’m not worried about Dad. I think he’s willing to believe me. It’s the way Patrick and Damon looked that worries me.”
“As a matter of fact, me too.” Max looked around for a place to stash his suitcase, but there didn’t seem to be an empty place. “Especially when I caught Patrick looking for your wedding ring. Maybe I ought to go out and buy you a ring before your father gets back.”
“Don’t bother.” Kelly dropped onto the bed, kicked off her shoes and peeled off her silk stockings. “We only have tonight to worry about.” She frowned at the bridal veil. “What am I doing with DeeDee’s bridal veil?”
Max tried to clear the cobwebs from his mind. “Beats me. Maybe she loaned it to you when we got married.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Kelly scoffed. “In spite of what I told my father, we’re not married. Never have been, never will be. I remember almost everything that happened last night and applying for a wedding license wasn’t one of them. So, in spite of what happened last night, we couldn’t possibly be married.”
“In that case, I guess I’m out of here,” Max responded with a twinge of regret that surprised him. “I’m not looking forward to being your brother Patrick’s target.” Max hoisted his suitcase. “Well?”
Kelly sat up with a look of alarm. “You can’t leave now! I need you to back up my story!”
“Some story,” Max muttered. “Just remember, you can’t have it both ways. Either we’re married, or we’re not.”
“Just for tonight, Max. Please?”
Max felt a pang of sympathy at the near panic in her voice. There was that growing attraction he felt for her. And her reputation with the family was shaky, at best. “Okay. But if you keep changing your mind, no one is going to believe you. Including me.”
He looked around for a place to put his suitcase. “I don’t know about you, but it’s beginning to look to me as if we’re in a hole so deep, we’re never going to be able to dig our way out.” Do you really want to? Where had that thought come from?
He tore his gaze from Kelly’s slender right leg that had caused all his trouble. “Er…I’m sure that bed is too small for the two of us. Maybe we can try for some other sleeping arrangements?”
Kelly looked around her bedroom, then shrugged. “I doubt it. I don’t think Dad would let us get away with not staying here tonight, or with your sleeping on the couch. It would be a dead giveaway. I know the house isn’t very big, but it’s been home for the last year for Dad, Sean and me.”
“Your brothers?”
“Damon lives in the bachelor-officers’ quarters. Patrick has an apartment in Las Vegas, but they’re in and out all the time. They’ll probably show up later.”
Max sighed. “Okay. Just for tonight. Where can I stash my suitcase?”
“I’m afraid you’ll have to try under the bed. The closet is full.”
Max contemplated the logistics of sliding his suitcase under the bed with Kelly’s hips inches away from his eyes. The spicy fragrance surrounding her reminded him of the exotic bathroom at the Majestic Hotel. The effect the scent had had on him was back, big time.
He studied the bed one more time. It looked as if a platonic night was going to be shaky. “How do you expect me to…” He caught himself before he asked the burning question that was bothering him. How was he going to keep his hands off Kelly if they had to share that bed? He fought the urge to turn on his heel and make tracks.
“Expect you to do what?”
He felt himself flush. But what the heck, they had to face facts sooner or later. “I meant to ask, how do you expect both of us to manage with such a small bed?”
Before Kelly could answer, a small furry bundle raced into the room. The dog ran past a startled Max, jumped into Kelly’s arms and licked her face furiously.
Max backed away before the animal came at him. Kelly’s attention last night had been welcome, but canine kisses weren’t his idea of affection. “Yours?”
“Mine,” Kelly agreed happily. She hugged the wiggling cocker spaniel. “Her name is Honey.”
Max was bemused at the airy kisses Kelly showered on the little animal. “I’ve never had a pet of my own. We weren’t allowed to have pets at boarding school.”
“You don’t know what you’re missing.” Kelly laughed happily and returned the dog’s frantic kisses. “I left her with the family next door yesterday. She must have come in the doggie door.” Another hug. “Honey is my best friend. We move so often, everything and everyone else seems to have passed through my life like a moving train.”
“That must have been hard on you.” Max studied Kelly thoughtfully, aware of her for the first time as a person instead of only as a desirable woman. No wonder she needed someone like Honey in her life. As for himself, where would he fit in? “My family has lived in the same house in Boston for generations.”
“You’re lucky. We’ve lived in places like this all over the world. That’s part of the reason I got into teaching aerobics. It’s flexible. Anyway, if you’re a military brat, you have to get used to being a loner. As for a residence, every house and every bedroom on every air force base looks like this one.”
Max heard the unhappiness in Kelly’s voice. His own life was predictable, scheduled to a gnat’s eyebrow on a strict agenda—even as a child. What would it be like to be uprooted from schools and friends every few years?
“Ever think of busting loose?” he asked tentatively.
“Sometimes,” she answered wistfully. “Especially whenever I thought Dad and my older brothers were unreasonable and too controlling.” She buried her head in Honey’s fur and crooned softly.
Max felt a pang of envy as the dog licked Kelly’s nose. Maybe Kelly’s background was the answer to last night. Had it been a time she had decided to cut loose, to make love with a man of her own choice? Or did she really care for him? Strangely enough, he was beginning to wish she did.
Kelly set the dog on a heart-shaped pillow. “Sit!” When the dog obediently froze, Kelly smiled at her pet approvingly. She gazed down at her bridesmaid’s gown. “I’m beginning to feel as if this dress has been glued to me. I’ve got to change.” She rummaged in the small chest and came up with jeans and a dark green plaid woolen shirt.
Glued to her was right, Max mused. The velvet dress clung to her curves as if it had been sewn on. He cleared his throat. “Go ahead. I’ll just get rid of this thing.” He bent to stow his suitcase under the bed but retreated at Honey’s low growl. “Okay, have it your way,” he muttered, “but you’re going to have to let me get near that bed sooner or later.” He’d be damned if he’d get into a territorial dispute with a dog.
With a smile he hoped Honey would interpret as friendly, Max studied an O’Rourke family picture hanging on the wall. Her father was dressed in a military uniform with a lieutenant’s insignia on its shoulders. A sweet-faced, dark-haired woman, Damon and Patrick, serious even at a young age, stood at her side. A smiling young Kelly and a small dark-haired boy sat on the floor in front of them. “The woman in this picture—your mother?”
“Yes,” Kelly emerged from the closet with a pair of sport shoes. “We lost her about five years ago.”
“Sorry,” Max answered. “That must have been rough.” His gaze swung to the faded heart-shaped pillows, the handmade quilt that was on Kelly’s bed and hooked rug. They’d probably been made by her mother and kept close no matter how many times the family had moved. Under Kelly’s feisty bravado obviously beat a sentimental heart.
“Mostly on Sean, I guess, since he was so young. He and I have always been close. Since I was the only woman around, I guess you could say I helped raise him.”
“The kid seems to have turned out okay. I’d say you did a good job.”
“Thank you.” Kelly laughed. “It’s always been the two of us against Dad and my other brothers—we’re different. Dad wants Sean to be more like Damon and Patrick, to go into the military or law enforcement. Or almost any career that requires a uniform. Dad insists public service is character-building. Poor Sean, he’s not the type. He’d rather study computer animation when he gets out of high school. He’ll do it, too. He’s a born rebel.”
“Like you?”
“I guess so.” She laughed again. “But he’s quicker on his feet and in his head than I ever was. With three controlling males in my life, I couldn’t get away with anything.” She disappeared through the bathroom door, but not before she shot him a dazzling smile. “Maybe now that I’m married, things will be different.”
Married? Was she kidding—or did she honestly believe they were married? Max was totally bewildered. About the only thing he was certain of was how impossible it would be to share a bed with her and still keep his hands to himself.
Through the closed bathroom door, he heard Kelly muttering her frustration.
“Need some help?”
“Not unless you can undo buttons with your eyes closed.”
Max swallowed his grin. “Come on, Kelly, we shared a great deal more than buttons last night. So, what would be the problem if I saw your back now?”
“The problem is, Maxwell Taylor,” she called, “I don’t think either of us was responsible for what we did last night. But if you hadn’t started flirting, or if the champagne punch hadn’t been so strong, I would have made it through the night okay. What was your excuse?”
Max thought for a long moment. How could he tell her he’d been so taken by her saucy smile, he’d deliberately flirted with her? Or that he’d worked until nine o’clock the Friday night before the wedding and had caught a red-eye into Las Vegas. The end result had been to leave him half-awake and vulnerable to the same champagne punch she’d complained about. “I’m afraid I don’t have a good excuse, unless you’re willing to accept I was suffering from jet lag.”
“Yeah, sure. Ouch!”
Max swung around. “What’s wrong?”
“Darn. I’ve caught my hair in one of the buttons.”
“Come on out here,” Max coaxed, turning his thoughts to a more platonic problem than his growing attraction for Kelly. “This sounds like a real emergency.”
“It sure is.” Her hair caught on a button, Kelly slowly backed her way out of the bathroom.
Under Honey’s watchful eyes, Max gingerly untangled the tangled lock of red hair. Her scent, the silken feel of her soft skin, turned his thoughts back to the moment he’d awakened that afternoon and found her sleeping beside him.
Buttons be damned. What he wanted was to taste her lips again, fold her in his arms again, and bring last night’s memories to life. And maybe even to consider the possibility of a future with her.
Where are these thoughts coming from? he asked himself. He didn’t know, but suddenly he didn’t feel the need to examine their origin anymore.
He slowly undid the remaining velvet buttons on Kelly’s dress, lingering longer than he should have.
“Max?”
Max took a deep breath to clear his head. “In a minute.” With Kelly’s strong appeal, her winning smile and yes, even her flashes of Irish temper, he was afraid he was in deeper than he’d intended to be. If this kept up, he was going to wind up being married to Kelly for real. Damn! He had to find that license or certificate soon or he’d go out of his mind.
Out of the corner of his eye he noted Honey’s watchful eyes. With Kelly’s lock of hair finally untangled, he stepped back. “Maybe I ought to wait outside while you finish changing. We can make our plans later.”
Kelly blinked. “What plans?”
