What Happens In Vegas

That, finally, made Amelia smile, and relief washed over him all at once.

Her eyes narrowed at him, her lips twisting in deep thought. “Okay, fine,” she said at last. “We’ll give this relationship a trial run. I will date you, Tyler, but there are some ground rules I want to lay down first. Number one, no one is to know we’re married, or that I’m pregnant. Especially not your family. Did you tell anyone?”

“No,” he said quickly. He’d never thought their marriage would last as long as it had. His family loved Amelia, but he wouldn’t get their hopes up for nothing.

“Okay. My three coworkers found out this morning, but they’re the only ones and that’s how I want it to stay. Number two, I’m putting a time limit on this so it doesn’t drag on too long. You’ve got thirty days to win me over. And I mean it. I want to be wooed, Tyler. I want romance and passion and excitement. You’re not going to get off easy because we’re friends. I’m going to be harder on you because you should know what I want and need.”

A wide grin broke out across his face. Tyler never backed down from a challenge, and this wouldn’t be any different. He could win her over in thirty days, no problem. He knew her better than he knew himself. She just had to let him try. “That’s fair.”

Amelia turned to look across the coffee shop and survey her surroundings. She sighed heavily and shook her head. She seemed disappointed by everything that had happened. Worn down. He didn’t like seeing her that way. If there was one thing he loved the most about her, it was her optimism when it came to love. She believed—really, truly believed—in the power of love. But she didn’t believe in them. He would change that. To make it happen, he would lift her up, make her smile, make her believe this was the right choice for them both, even if he wasn’t entirely sure of it himself.

“All I’ve ever wanted,” she said softly, “was a marriage like my grandparents have. They’ve been happily married for fifty-seven years, and they’re just as in love today as they were the day they got married. That’s what I want, and I’m not going to compromise that for anything or anyone.”

Tyler took a deep breath, wondering if she was on the verge of changing her mind. He knew all that about her. She’d always talked about her grandparents and how she wanted a love like theirs. That was a high bar to set, but he was up to the challenge. If she didn’t fall in love with him, it wouldn’t be for lack of effort on his part.

No, he wouldn’t even allow the negative thought. Amelia would fall in love with him. There could be no doubt of his success.

“At the end of thirty days,” she continued, “we’ll decide how we feel about each other. If we’re in love, you’ll propose again—properly—and we’ll announce our engagement to the world. I want to get remarried with the big ceremony and all our family and friends there. And if one of us doesn’t want to continue, we quietly agree to end it.”

“And then what? Are we just supposed to go back to how things were and pretend it never happened? That will be pretty hard with a child.”

“If we divorce, we make the best of things. I hope there won’t be any animosity between us. We stay friends, okay?”

“Okay.” Tyler knew failure wasn’t an option, but he was comforted by the idea that he would have her friendship no matter what. She was notoriously picky when it came to men. He refused to become just another guy thrown onto the reject pile with the rest. “Anything else?”

“I think that’s it,” she said with a smile that betrayed she already knew it was too much.

“Okay, then, I have one demand of my own.” If she was only going to give him thirty days, he needed to make them count and get every advantage he could. That meant proximity. There was no way this was going to work if they went to dinner a couple times a week and went to their separate corners when it was done. He couldn’t disappear to Antwerp or work eighteen-hour days. If they wanted to figure out whether they could cut it being married, they needed to go all the way. “I want us to live together the whole time.”

He watched Amelia frown into her lap with dismay. “My apartment isn’t really big enough for two people. It’s just a one bedroom, and my closet is already overflowing.”

Tyler had zero intention of living in her tiny little apartment with her. There was a difference between proximity and being locked in a cage together for thirty days. He was certain only one of them would make it out alive. “I’ll get us a new place,” he said simply.

“I have a lease.”

“I’ll pay the fee to break it.”

She sighed, obviously irritated with his ability to shoot down her every concern. “And what if at the end of thirty days, we’re not in love? I’ll be pregnant and homeless.”

He sighed. “You will be nothing of the sort. If we don’t work out, I’ll help you find a new place that’s big enough for you and the baby. I’ll buy you whatever you want.”

“You don’t have to buy me a house, Tyler. I’ll just keep my apartment for the month, stay with you, and we’ll figure out what to do about it when we’ve made a decision about us.”

He chuckled, knowing there wasn’t much sense in continuing to argue about this when that wasn’t how it was going to end. “Fine, but you’ve got to get used to the idea of someone else helping out. You’re having my child and I’m taking care of you. That point is nonnegotiable. Have we got a deal or not?”

“It’s a deal. Congratulations, Tyler,” she said, holding out her delicate manicured hand to shake on their agreement. “You may now date your wife.”

Game on.

He took her hand, shaking it for only a moment before pulling her knuckles to his mouth to kiss them. She was soft and warm against his lips, reminding him of how he’d spent an entire night kissing every sensitive curve. His skin prickled where it touched her, the sudden rush of need to have her again rocketing through his veins like a shot of adrenaline.

Amelia’s reaction was just as potent. Her lips parted softly and she sucked a soft gasp into her lungs. Her eyes fluttered closed for a moment as his lips pressed to her skin and she leaned in to him.

He was going to enjoy this challenge. Pulling her hand to his chest, he leaned close. The air was warm and charged between them, her eyes widening and her pupils enlarging as he neared her. Her breaths were short and rapid, and her tongue moistened her lips on reflex. She wanted him to kiss her. Winning her over might be easier than he thought if she reacted to him so easily.

He pressed his lips to the outer shell of her ear and whispered in a low, seductive tone, “What do you say we seal the deal with a real kiss?”

When he pulled back, he noticed that a smile had lit Amelia’s eyes and curled her lips. She moved ever so slightly closer to him, placing a hand on his cheek.

“Sorry,” she said with a shake of her head. “I don’t kiss on the first date.”

Three

Amelia watched a flicker of emotion cross Tyler’s face before he leaned back and sighed. He seemed tired. The familiar blue eyes she’d looked into a million times were lined with fatigue, and the muscles in his neck and shoulders were tense. She didn’t know if it was the early flight, the stress of their marriage or the pressing worry of impending fatherhood that had him tied in knots.

She wanted to reach out and rub his shoulders to loosen him up, but she realized that probably wouldn’t help. She might be the reason he was exhausted, as she was refusing to play by his rules and making everything harder than he probably thought it needed to be.

“If you won’t let me kiss you,” he said at last, “will you at least let me buy you another cup of tea?”

“No,” she said, shaking her head. She didn’t want anything else in her stomach. Right now, she felt okay, but she didn’t know how quickly the balance could tip. “I could actually use some air. This coffee shop is a little stuffy.” The combination of the heater and the smell of roast coffee were verging on overwhelming. Amelia loved the scent of coffee, but her tolerance was limited today.

She could also use a little breathing room from Tyler. She should’ve known he would shoot out from the starting gate at the proverbial sound of the gun, but she hadn’t prepared herself for the sudden assault. Nor had she been prepared for her body’s response to him.

“How about a walk?” Tyler suggested. “I know it’s a little chilly today, but the sun is out.”

That worked for her. Amelia always thought better when she moved anyway. Of course, that meant she might take three steps and realize she was a fool. If she was honest with herself, she already knew that. As she watched Tyler devour the last of his cinnamon roll and toss their empty cups into the trash, she felt the worry pooling in her already tumultuous stomach.

She had very nearly kissed her best friend just a moment ago. She’d covered her weakness with a joke, but for a second, it had been a very real impulse. The skin of her knuckles burned where he’d seared her with his mouth. Her heart was still thumping at double the speed. The goose bumps continued to stand tall across her arms. Fortunately, she was able to hide all that beneath her blouse and the jacket he was currently helping her into.

Kissing Tyler shouldn’t be a big deal considering she’d let him do a hell of a lot more only a few short weeks ago. But this time she was stone-cold sober, and she still wanted him. She supposed she should be happy about that fact. That was the path they were on now. She’d agreed to date him. Move in with him. They were having a baby—the best thing she could do was fall in love with Tyler. That would make everything easier.

But if she knew anything about relationships, it was that none of it was easy. Amelia wasn’t the kind to slip and fall in love. She was too analytical, too driven to find just the right guy. With over seven billion people in the world, the odds of running across the one who was meant for her were astronomical. Yet every day, happy couples came into From This Moment, ready to get married. Were they settling, or had fate really brought them together?

Fate had certainly thrust her and Tyler together. Did that mean he was the one she was meant to be with? She didn’t know. But whether dating him was a good idea or a bad one, she’d given her word to try. And almost immediately, she’d found her body was on board with the plan, even if her mind was resistant.

It was official—her life had spun out of control. Could she blame her reaction to him on pregnancy hormones?

Tyler opened the door of the coffee shop and they stepped out onto the sidewalk. It was a beautiful day. The sky was a brilliant robin’s-egg blue with no clouds to be seen. There was a cool breeze, but the warmth of the sun on her face made it worth the chill. Winter had been rough this year, pounding them with uncharacteristic snow and ice storms. Her coworker Bree had even been trapped in a Gatlinburg mountain cabin by a wicked winter storm just a few weeks before Amelia went to Las Vegas.

The weather in Nashville was usually pretty mild, but she was certain today was the first time she’d seen the sun since November. Having a taste of it made her look forward to the summer. She couldn’t wait for flowers, ice cream trucks, sandals, cute pedicures and spending a little time cooling off in her bikini at the pool of her apartment complex.

Wait, she thought. Summer might be very different this year. For one thing, she’d be four or five months pregnant, so the bikini was probably out. And based on their discussions, she wouldn’t be living at her apartment much longer. She was moving into a place with Tyler. At least for thirty days. After that, who knew?

Tyler tugged his leather jacket over his navy blazer. They were barely half a block down the road when she felt his fingers reach for hers.

They held hands a lot—in a goofy, best friend sort of manner. She and Tyler had always been physically affectionate in a nonthreatening way. At least, nonthreatening to her. The guys she’d dated had never cared too much for the male best friend she talked about all the time. They’d never believed her when she insisted they were only friends. Perhaps they’d seen something in the two of them that even she couldn’t see.

Amelia laced her fingers though his until they were palm to palm. As much as she didn’t want to admit it, holding his hand felt different somehow. Maybe it was the soft shudder that ran through her when his warm skin pressed against hers. Perhaps it was the occasional whiffs of his cologne that drifted past her nose. Or her sudden awareness of his body so close to hers. It was most likely that all three were combining to remind her of that night together—the one when she’d realized what he was hiding under those expensive suits, and that she couldn’t wait to explore every hard, muscular angle of it.

“This area has built up a lot since I was here last,” Tyler said, oblivious to where her thoughts had strayed.

“Yes. None of this was here when we first bought the land to start building From This Moment. Fortunately, it filled in with a nice residential area and some higher-end shopping centers. I wish I could afford to live closer to work, but we found a good spot between two really expensive residential areas, so it’s not happening. There’s not even an apartment complex anywhere around.”

“It’s nice. I like it. Close to the interstate, but not too close. Nearby shopping and restaurants. Not too congested. What do you think about looking for a place around here?”

Amelia turned to look up at him with a frown. “Did you miss the part where I said it’s really expensive?”

“Did you miss the part where I auctioned off a thirty-one-carat canary diamond at Christie’s auction house last month?”

He had mentioned it, but she hadn’t thought much of it. He was constantly buying and selling stones. “But it’s not like you made pure profit. You’ve got what you paid for it originally, company overhead, insurance, fees to Christie’s... If you got it recut, there’s that expense, too.” There had been a time in Amelia’s life when she’d known nothing about the world of jewels and gemstones. There had also been a time where she hadn’t owned any jewelry worth more than fifty dollars. Tyler had changed all that.

Every year on her birthday, or for Christmas, he sent her something. The large teardrop amethyst around her neck had arrived on her twenty-sixth birthday. She also had sapphire earrings, a ruby-and-diamond tennis bracelet, an emerald ring and a strand of pearls. She never dared to ask how much he spent. She didn’t want to know. She just bought a small fireproof safe to store it and increased her jewelry insurance policy every year.

“Of course I have expenses,” he argued. “My point is that we don’t have to rent a tiny place in a cheaper neighborhood on the other side of Nashville. If you’d like to live around here and be closer to work, I’ll have a real estate agent start looking.”

The average home in the area ran about half a million. A good number of them were twice as much. She couldn’t imagine what the rent would be on a place like that. “You can look,” she said with a tone of disbelief, “but I doubt you’ll find something that works in this area. We don’t need a four-thousand-square-foot mansion with a five-car garage and an indoor pool.”

He shrugged, leading her down the sidewalk as though discussions of multimillion-dollar real estate transactions were nothing to him. “You don’t know that. I live in Manhattan. Real estate is at such a premium that some people live in apartments the size of a dorm room. The idea of a ridiculously large house—with private parking—sounds awesome to me. Why not? You might like having an indoor pool.”

“Get real, Tyler,” she said with a wry chuckle. “We may only live in this place for a month. Even if we stay longer, we need at most a three-bedroom house with a decent yard. Maybe a good-size kitchen so I can cook. And that’s only if we like the place enough to put in an offer to buy it. Right?”

“Right,” he said, looking thoughtfully off into the distance.

Amelia knew him well enough to know he wasn’t paying any mind to what she said. He’d pick whatever caught his fancy, regardless of price or practicality. All she knew was that if he picked a massive house, he’d better hire a housekeeper to go with it. It would be a full-time job keeping it clean, and she already had one of those.

They paused at an intersection, waiting for the light to change. “I’ll see what I can find. But like you, I’m not going to compromise, either. This isn’t just about finding a place to stay for a few weeks or months—it’s about finding a home where we can start our life together. It’s the house to which we’ll bring our child home from the hospital. It’s where he or she will take their first steps.”

Tyler had only known about this baby for an hour, but it didn’t matter. It was still an almost abstract idea in her mind, and yet he’d already revised his entire strategy to accommodate and care for his surprise family. He couldn’t just settle for a house to spend the next few weeks. He wanted a home for his family. He wanted to take care of her and their child. She didn’t understand how he could roll with the punches like that.

“You know, you don’t have to be so confident and positive about everything. You’re allowed to be upset and scared by the prospect of what’s happening. I threw a grenade at you and you’re just standing there holding it with a smile. I know that you don’t want to be tied down, and a family wasn’t on your radar. I’m freaking out. Tell me you’re freaking out, too, so I’ll feel better.”

Tyler turned to look at her with a frown. “What good would it do to get upset? Worrying just wastes valuable time. When I’m feeling uncertain, having a plan to go forward and executing it is the only thing that makes me feel better. No, a child wasn’t what I was expecting or wanting. Yes, a part of me wants to get in my car and disappear. But I won’t do that to our child. I have an obligation to step up and take responsibility for my actions, and I’ll do whatever it takes to make it work.”

It wasn’t a romantic declaration, but she’d asked for his honesty and gotten it. Having Tyler’s child wasn’t her plan, but she knew she would be hard-pressed to find a better father for her baby.

“You’re only thinking short-term, Ames, but I have no intention of us getting divorced in thirty days. Successful people plan for success, so I’m going to find the perfect house for us. We’ll rent until we’re sure we love it, and then we’ll see if we can convince the owner to sell it. It will be the place where you and I will raise our family.”

His words should’ve been reassuring, and yet she felt a cold chill run through her as the concept started to sink in. He wasn’t resigned to his obligation or even optimistic about their future together. He was treating this like a challenge to be overcome.

Until that moment, she hadn’t fully realized that she’d waved red in front of a bull. Laying down a thirty-day challenge to Mr. Overachiever wasn’t very smart if she didn’t want to be with him in the end. Whether or not his heart was in this, he would likely get his way, be it with the house, their child or their relationship.

She felt a sudden pressure against her chest; the air clamped down in her lungs. Suddenly, a thirty-day trial period had just changed to the rest of their lives.

What had she really agreed to?

* * *

“I’m serious about us making this work, Ames. Our baby deserves it,” Tyler said. Before he could elaborate, he noticed a bit of the color draining from her face. She was fair complexioned, but she was approaching the shade of a sheet of paper. “Are you okay?”

She grimaced a little but didn’t answer, making him wonder if she was battling morning sickness again. “Are you going to be sick?”

“No,” she said with a shake of her head. “Suddenly, I’m just a little tired. I didn’t sleep well this weekend and it was a big wedding with three entrée choices. I think it’s just catching up with me.”

He had witnessed two of his older sisters’ pregnancies, and their biggest complaint was always exhaustion. It started earlier than you’d expect. Taking her elbow, he led her to a bench around the corner.

Tyler sat her down on the wooden seat and crouched at her knee. He looked up at her, realizing for a moment that he was in the same position he’d been in when he’d proposed to her on a sidewalk along the Las Vegas Strip. The memory made him smile despite his concerns for her. He wasn’t sure what had made him remember their teenage pact that night, but it had seemed like the perfect remedy for her frown. In that moment, he would’ve done anything to cheer her up. He’d never dreamed that their adventure would ever go this far. He’d never even expected them to consummate the marriage, much less have a baby together. Would he have gone through with it if he’d known? That was a question with an irrelevant answer, unless someone had invented a time machine he didn’t know about. He returned his focus to her.

“Can I get you anything? A bottle of water? Or do you need something to eat? There’s a convenience store across the street. I can bring you anything you want.”

“Stop fussing,” Amelia said, although her eyes were pinched tightly shut as she spoke. “I’m fine. I just need a minute.”

“Are you sure I—”

“I’m pregnant, not helpless, Tyler. I just needed a little break from walking around.”

Tyler ignored her, jogging across the street to the store and returning with an ice-cold bottle of water. He pressed it into her hand.

Amelia sighed but twisted off the cap to take a sip anyway. “Are you going to be like this for the next eight months? ’Cause I don’t think I can take you hovering over me all the time. It reminds me too much of my dad.”

“Hey, now,” Tyler argued in an offended tone. “There’s a big difference between trying to take care of you because I want to and doing it because I think you’re incapable of taking care of yourself. I’m not your father. And you’re not your mother.”

Visiting Amelia’s home when they were kids had been an eye-opening experience. In Tyler’s home, everyone pitched in. Both his parents worked. The older kids helped take care of the younger ones. The boys and the girls all did their share, equally. That was the only way they could get by, day to day.

Then he went to Amelia’s house and watched with surprise the way Principal Kennedy fawned over and protectively guarded his wife and daughters. He treated them as though they were delicate and helpless, a perception Amelia’s mother worked hard to create. She was fragile and often ill with headaches or other ailments, although Amelia insisted there was nothing actually wrong with her. It didn’t matter. Amelia’s father took care of everything. He made all the decisions, earned all the money. He hired a cleaning woman to come a few days a week and relieve her mother of that burden. The two Kennedy girls were expected to do nothing but be pretty and shop, just like their mother.

It had made Amelia crazy growing up. She was far from helpless and fragile—she had a spine of steel. She was smart and independent, but her father never gave her enough credit for anything she did. He expected her to marry well and carry on the way her mother had.

And he supposed she had done that, even if she hadn’t meant to. Tyler was successful. His business in gemstones and antiquities was amazingly lucrative. The markup on diamonds was insane. A quick trip to his suppliers in India or Belgium would set him up easily with a stash of high-quality stones at an amazing price. On any given day, he could have a quarter of a million dollars in precious gems tucked into his lapel pocket. If Amelia wanted to quit her job, he could take care of her and their child for the rest of their lives.

But he knew she would never allow that. He wouldn’t even suggest such a thing for fear of bodily harm. She wasn’t her mother. Not even close. “You might not like it,” he continued, “but I’ve got a vested interest in your welfare. For one thing, I haven’t had a chance to get a life-insurance policy on my wife yet.” He grinned wide and was pleased to see her reluctantly smile and roll her eyes at his joke.

“And for another,” he said, getting to his feet and sitting beside her on the bench, “that’s our kid you’re hauling around in there. It’s my job to make sure both of you have everything you need to stay happy, healthy and safe. You can complain all you want and it won’t make any difference.”

Amelia searched his face for a moment, looking for something he didn’t understand. Then she nodded and placed her hand over his, squeezing gently. “Thank you for that. I’m sorry for being difficult today. I feel as though my whole life has been hijacked and shifted off course. I’ve gotten used to being on my own and taking care of myself. It may take a while for me to adjust to anything else. But I do appreciate it. You. No matter what happens between us, I know you’ll be a good father.”

Tyler watched a bright red lock of hair slip from its clip and curl around the curve of her heart-shaped face. The peachy tones of her skin had returned, beckoning him to reach out and caress her velvet-soft cheek, pushing the hair behind her ear. Today, he would do it because he could.

He reached out to her, letting his knuckles softly graze across her cheekbone as they swept the errant curl away from her face. The pale peach of her skin was replaced with a rosy pink as her cheeks flushed. Her dark eyes watched him, but she didn’t pull away from his touch.

“I’ve always wanted to do that,” he said.

“Really?” she said, her voice betraying the disbelief that reflected in her eyes.

“Absolutely. You’ve got the most beautiful hair I’ve ever seen. It’s like liquid fire.”

“Tyler,” she began, hesitating, “I know I can be difficult in a relationship, and you know that better than anyone. Part of me has begun to wonder if I’ll ever...” Her gaze dropped into her lap. “Do you really think you can fall in love with me in thirty days?”

Tyler didn’t want to lie to Amelia, but he knew he had to. If he told her that he had no intention of ever falling in love with her—or anyone, for that matter—it would all be over. If he wanted to succeed for their child’s sake, he had to play along and keep those dark secrets inside. He couldn’t let his own doubts spill over and taint Amelia with his negativity.

As it was, he was stunned by her fears. How could a woman so smart, so beautiful, so talented have any doubt that a man could love her? At least, a man capable of opening himself up to loving someone?

“Are you kidding me? You are incredible in a hundred different ways. Your cooking is the best thing I’ve ever tasted. You tell better dirty jokes than any guy I’ve met. You’re strong of will and spirit. You care so deeply for others that I don’t know how you don’t get your heart crushed every day. You amaze me in a new way every time I’m with you.”

Amelia listened to him speak with silent tears welling in her eyes. He couldn’t bear to see her cry, ever. He opened his arms to her and pulled her tight against his chest. She rested her head against his shoulder, allowing him to press a kiss into the silky strands of her hair.

“I didn’t want to make you cry, but you need to know how important you are. I measure every woman I date against the bar you’ve set, and each of them has fallen miserably short. You’re the best thing that ever happened to me. You need to think like a winner and erase all those doubts. Then you need to ask yourself, how could I not fall in love with you?”

When he finished speaking, she sat back and looked up at him. She studied his face with a curious expression that wrinkled her delicate nose.

He didn’t know what she was thinking, but he was hyperaware of how close she was. The scent of her body lotion perfumed the air with tropical flowers. He breathed it into his lungs and held it there, remembering that scent from their night together. The muscles in his neck tensed as the memories rushed into his mind and flooded his veins. It would be so easy to touch her. Kiss her. And he wanted to, first date be damned.

As though she’d read his mind, Amelia reached up and rested her palm against his cheek. Then she leaned into him. She closed the gap slowly, her eyes focused on his until their lips touched and their eyes closed. Her mouth was soft and hesitant against his own. He tried not to push too hard or too fast, applying just enough pressure, but letting her take the lead this first time.

It was hard. The sweet, gentle kiss was enough to start a hum of electricity traveling through his body. Tyler wanted to tug her against him and drink her in. He wanted to caress her silken tongue with his own and press his fingertips into her ample flesh. But he knew she was testing the waters. If he pushed too hard, he would lose valuable time trying to coax her back to this place.

She finally pulled away and he reluctantly let her go. Tyler opened his eyes to find her looking up at him with a dreamy smile curling her lips. She took a deep breath and sat back, tugging down at her tunic. “I’ve, uh...” She stumbled over her words. “I’ve really got to get back to work.”

“Okay.”

Tyler swallowed hard, trying to suppress the heated need she’d built up inside him. His every muscle was tense, his fingertips tingling with the need to touch her. It would have to wait. But not for too much longer. She’d kissed him. That was an important first step on the road to success.