Irrevocable (Fated series (can be read as a standalone) Book 3) Page 5

  ‘You ready, Jass?’

  ‘Bring it on, little brother,’ I shouted back. We had joined in with the water aerobics already, like two disobedient children in the back row we had laughed all the way through it, much to the obvious disgust of the poor instructor. Our game of volleyball started out OK, but it very soon became just an excuse for who could splash each other the most. I had just managed to smash the ball right in front of him, sending a huge wave into his eyes, when I noticed probably the tallest, hottest man I had ever seen. I stood still like I had been paralysed. Not one part of me wanted to concentrate on anything other than him.

  I watched transfixed as the large man, wearing only black running shorts, entered the deck and started his run around the pool. He was like the epitome of one of my dreams or the male protagonist in the books I loved to read. I finally managed to move and lowered my hand that had been waiting for the return of the volleyball. I placed my hand on top my other arm and pinched myself slightly.

  As he ran, I tried so hard not to stare or turn my head around to follow his progress around the pool. It was a struggle as he was simply mesmerising. His dark hair was swept back, and was either wet or held with a product of some sort. I couldn’t see his eyes beneath his sunglasses, but I was absolutely desperate to. I tried hard to concentrate on the game in hand as I saw him reach the end of the pool out of the corner of my eye. He cornered easily, not breaking or slowing his stride, his long muscular legs ate up the turn. I knew he was going to be behind me soon and I took in what would probably be my last view of his tanned, toned and very muscular body. I knew I couldn’t turn my head unless I missed the return shot that Jack was about to send.

  It was a done deal. Good plan. Mentally I high fived myself.

  I deliberately stepped out of the way of the ball and then legitimately turned to retrieve it. I managed to get a close-up view as he ran towards where my dad sat at the table reading his newspaper. His face was pure masculinity, but with high cheek bones running to a square jaw. He was as broad as a doorway and his chest was well developed, it was evident that as well as running he worked out regularly. I felt a flush of heat consume the whole of my body. I took in the glisten of sweat on his muscles as they rippled with his exertions. I was grateful that I was in the cool pool as I felt my nipples harden and a dull ache start to spread between my thighs.

  If I had believed in fate, I would have said he was here just for me.

  ‘Jass…, Jassy! Come on, return the bloody ball.’ I looked up at my brother and remembered what I was supposed to be doing. ‘You need to put your eyes back in their sockets,’ he added slightly quieter and with a teasing tone to his voice.

  I jumped up as high as I could manage and smashed my closed fist down as hard as I could, sending the ball spinning quickly towards the grinning face of my brother. He knew exactly what had grabbed my attention, I wouldn’t live it down later that was for sure. I was almost willing the ball to hit the smug grin off his face.

  ‘Take that, you tease.’ I watched as Jack fell backwards with an over-exaggerated stumble in the water. By moving his arms over his head, he managed to splash water all over mum, who shrieked in enjoyment. She may not have been able to swim but she had always enjoyed taking part with us, even from the side-lines. The disturbance gave me the opportunity to swim to the edge of the pool. I lifted my arms up onto the side, folded them across each other and rested my head on them. I pretended to be relaxing in the sun as I sought out the figure of the gorgeous man who had just passed by me.

  I found him man-hugging Brent at the bar. He could only be Edwards.

  So, it appeared their boss had arrived.

  I begrudgingly forced my eyes away from him as he started to make his way back towards where we had all congregated. I was aware that my dad and Jack had suddenly stopped talking and I heard the scrape of my dad’s chair as he stood up.

  Every single cell in my body sprung to attention as he confidently strode straight towards me. I felt every hair stand on end on my suddenly very exposed skin. I managed to raise my eyes from the floor as he squatted down in front of me. He placed one very large forearm on one of his bent knees and his other hand he lowered down so his long and well-groomed fingers could hold on to my trembling chin. The whole of my body was being charged with electrical surges, they pulsed up and down as I struggled to control my breathing, or even breathe at all. All from just that small, and what should have been totally insignificant, touch. I lifted my eyes further, following the line of his sternum as it met with a deep hollow at the base of his neck, and over the gold chain that lay there. I swallowed and forced my eyes to move upwards once again, in time to see him lift away the black lenses and place them on top of his head. I was so not prepared for his eyes; they were an almost indescribable colour. Turquoise or maybe aqua-green, they were cool, calming and seemed bottomless. As our eyes met for the first time I took a deep breath, strangely it felt like I had been looking into them in my dreams, all my life.

  ‘Play along with me… do you understand?’ he ordered rather than questioned.

  I nodded, grateful that no actual speech was required. I was completely mesmerised by his long eyelashes fluttering slightly as I submerged myself in his turquoise pools.

  Awestruck, I watched as his beautiful face slowly lowered to mine. My lips parted upon a silent command and I waited to be kissed. It wasn’t a passionate kiss, but where our bodies fused together that first time my lips tingled. The gentle, reserved kiss became so much more as we both seemed to naturally answer each other’s hungry need and more and more force was applied to that tiny connection of our fused lips. I felt his hand move to cup my neck. He held me in place as our bodies took over and our lips parted slightly. I felt the first sweep of his tongue on my lips and my body melted into the hard edge of the pool. I wanted more, so much more, but this was an act to him, a pretence of some kind. Realising that, I pulled away from his hold and felt my whole body consumed by a blush that ran from my toes to the roots of my hair. Although he let me break the kiss, he continued to hold me close to him with the hand that cupped my neck. I was close enough to smell his sweat, mixed with the fresh citrus fragrance of a body wash that had obviously recently been used.

  ‘I very much appreciate the way you pretend, Jasmin… and as much as I would like to continue, I need you out of that pool and covered up.’ He placed his hands under my armpits like he was lifting a small child. I was pulled easily from the water’s grasp and into his waiting arms. Every part of my body was pressed tightly against the rock-hard man in front of me. I trembled from head to foot at the nearness of him.

  ‘There you are, love.’ My mum interceded and wrapped a large towel around my back. I felt bereft as he stepped away from me, just far enough to allow him to pull the towel tightly around my body. He dipped his head to place a tender kiss on my forehead and only then did I wonder what the hell was going on. As we started walking away he tucked me under his arm and held me tightly against his bare torso.

  Looking around I could see Brent, Rik, Brad and Mike had gathered around my family. Like sheepdogs gathering up their sheep, we were rounded up and steered back to my cabin.

  The door closed behind us as we fanned out in my large suite. I was embarrassed as I saw the man who had just kissed me, take in the state of my messy room. I may not have had many clothes, but it looked like every single one of them were strewn around my large but untidy space. My mum tutted and shook her head as she began to quickly gather my things up.

  ‘Please sit, Mrs. Carpenter,’ he asked gently, recognising her discomfort at the fraught situation. He waited a moment until she complied, clutching my clothes tightly to her front. ‘My name is Edwards, John Edwards. I’m the head of security for the Blackmore family.’ His deep voice reverberated and filled my empty chest cavity. I pulled the wet towel closer around myself and shivered, which was surprising as I wasn’t cold. My mum who had sat down next to my dad now grabbed his hand.

  ‘OK�
� first off, Bella and Nathan are fine. I spoke to them yesterday and everything is going as planned.’ He shifted himself to lean against the closed door and crossed his arms over his bare torso. I was struggling to maintain my attention on his words, all my focus was on the man himself as he took over my room with his sheer presence.

  He was breathtaking.

  I really need him to put on some clothes.

  ‘I’ve been called in, as you appear to have company on board. Some men that Brent and the team are unhappy about embarked in Lisbon a couple of days ago. For your protection, I have decided that we now need to be a stronger, more cohesive group.’ He moved away from the door and walked towards us, then his gaze rested on me as I sat still shivering on my bed. ‘Jasmin, you and I are going to get married in less than two hours.’ He glanced briefly away from me to the large pretentious watch on his wrist. It was one of those watches that would probably scratch his arse for him if he demanded it to. He was so matter of a fact, that I thought I had misheard his earlier statement.

  ‘MARRIED?’ I questioned.

  ‘It gives us all a cover for being here… I have arranged everything, it will be a Spanish civil ceremony because of where we’re docked. Your dress and other bits you may need are waiting for you in your wardrobe…’ He bent down again and pulled my hands into his large ones. I watched as my hands were completely engulfed by them. ‘Can you do this?’

  I looked around at the shocked faces of my family. I didn’t hesitate, my family were everything to me. Of course I could.

  ‘Yes… of course I can do it.’ I stared into his deep pools and saw a smile light up the whole of his features. If I had thought he was beautiful before, every part of me recognised it wholeheartedly now.

  ‘OK, everyone, we have a wedding to prepare for, and the bride-to-be has exactly one hour and forty-two minutes to get ready. I think we need to leave the ladies to create their magic.’ He stood up and moved to the door.

  ‘You have got to be joking? How can marrying my daughter be the only plan you can come up with?’ My dad leapt up to his feet and stared at Edwards.

  ‘Dr. Carpenter, my priority here is to keep you all safe. Everything else is just superfluous. Everything else can be put right further down the line… if we’re all alive to do so. Wouldn’t you agree?’

  My dad didn’t answer, he just stared at Edwards.

  ‘Dr. Carpenter, I understand your uneasiness, but this isn’t your show… it’s mine. The two things I need you to do are to walk your daughter down the aisle today and make sure you do it with obvious pride and happiness shining on your face. The body language you displayed earlier around the pool could threaten all of us.’ With that Edwards turned on his heel and left.

  The men began to file out behind him, going across the corridor. My dad and brother, however, stayed.

  ‘Jasmin?’ my dad questioned, slightly red in the face with anger at being put in his place.

  ‘Dad, I’m OK… let’s do what’s necessary to keep us all safe, shall we?’

  ‘Is this necessary?’ my dad replied, opening his arms in question to us.

  ‘William, I’m sure they know what they’re doing. Now go, and let me get on with preparing our daughter.’ She calmly gave him further instructions on what she needed bringing to my room. I watched, taking in her calm, unflappable poise. She was the foundation that held us all together, our family’s lynch pin and I loved her even more for it now.

  I wanted my mum’s sense of calm to wrap itself around me, but I could feel the panic beginning to settle in my stomach. I was sat wondering what on earth could possibly be happening, that meant my family’s only way out, was for me to marry a man I had literally known for all of fifteen minutes.

  I stared into the full-length mirror, taking in the vision of myself in a wedding dress. It was the picture that I had, on many an occasion, wondered if I would ever see. I didn’t know who had chosen this exquisite dress, but it fitted my body like a glove. I caught a glance of my tear-filled eyes as I stared into the mirror and I smoothed my hands down over my hips.

  For God’s sake! Get a grip… this picture in front of your eyes is merely a mirage. It isn’t real!

  The dress was off-white and had a fitted, strapless, satin under-dress with a sweetheart neckline. It hugged my body as if it had been made-to-measure, and finished just at the top of my thighs. The antique lace over-dress had long sleeves that came to a point on the back of my hands, a full skirt that finished at the middle of my calves and a very demure round neckline. It was fastened with tiny pearl buttons that trailed from my neck to the base of my spine. The lace was so heavy I could only assume it was handmade. Even if I had gone shopping myself, I couldn’t imagine having chosen anything more exquisite. It was simple but stunning, perfect for a civil ceremony. Although it was a strange feeling, knowing I was getting married but that I hadn’t had anything to do with the arrangements. The underwear provided was simply gorgeous, I had never owned anything so expensive, sexy or breath-taking. It was a pale pink set, with cream lace edging and consisted of a strapless balcony bra and thong, which had ornate pearl beading on the fine shoestring straps. I kept my newly tanned legs bare, not being able to face enclosing them in the thigh highs that had been so thoughtfully provided.

  Mum had pulled my naturally blonde and highlighted hair back, and had proceeded to design a loose plait, interweaving small flowers into it and pinning it loosely in place, pulling a few curls out here and there. My make-up was natural, a quick swipe of mascara, a little blusher, eyeliner, and an enhancing lip-gloss that made my full lips pop.

  ‘Jasmin… I don’t know what to say, you look so beautiful.’

  I moved my gaze to the left and looked at my mum’s reflection in the mirror as she stood on tip-toes and peered over my shoulder. She rubbed gently on the top of both of my arms, offering her solidarity.

  ‘I scrub up pretty well, don’t I?’ I smiled at her. ‘Mum you should open a beauty salon, I can’t believe the magic you can weave, with such little time.’

  I had showered and shaved off every hair on my body. Then mum had re-shaped my eyebrows, washed and loosely curled my hair and slipped into one of her own dresses in an hour and a half.

  ‘My only problem is…’ I moved my head down to look at my bare feet, the only thing they had on them was my purple nail varnish. I felt my mum freeze as she followed my gaze downwards.

  ‘It’s a good job we’re the same size; we must have something you can wear between us.’ She started to move away to the suite’s phone. I knew she meant she must have something, as she knew just how little I owned.

  ‘I could always wear my jewelled flip-flops,’ I stated, as I lifted my eyes up to her own horror-filled ones, thinking of my latest purchase from the charity shop. She began to shake her head as she waved a dismissive hand at me.

  ‘Yes…those are the ones, thanks, yes see you both in five minutes.’ She finished the call to my dad and came over to me once again.

  ‘Never, I repeat never, be with a man who only warrants flip-flops. Always be with a man who deserves heels. That’s my advice to you, my darling, as you get married today. That man out there waiting for you, take it from me, he deserves the best bloody heels you have.’

  ‘Mum, you have remembered that this is all pretence, haven’t you?’

  ‘Mmmm.’ She slowly moved her head from side to side as she pondered my question. ‘I only know what I see, Jasmin, and I, my love, have always seen more than I let on.’

  A loud knock on my suite door snapped me out of my thoughts. My mum rushed over to let in my dad and brother. I stood holding on to a small bouquet of “just swept up” lilac and cream wild flowers. I knew there was more to it than that, but they looked so natural it was the only way to describe them.

  My dad rounded the corner first and stood stock still as he took me in. It was Jack, who appeared behind our dad, who broke the deafening silence with a loud, piercing wolf-whistle.

  ‘Sis, yo
u look gorgeous.’ I watched as Jack, looking resplendent in smart, grey suit trousers and a pale blue, button-down collared shirt, crossed his arms over his chest and took me in, from my bare feet to the pins in my hair.

  ‘Beautiful, Jasmin. Just beautiful…’ my dad added.

  I used my hands, pushing them down in the air to placate the rising emotional situation.

  ‘Family, family… can we please remember that THIS is not real.’ I gesticulated down the front of my ensemble and then back up again, watching as their eyes followed me. The charged emotion in the room began to calm as my dad came out of his trance and handed my mum the nude heels she had requested.

  ‘They’re the best we have, not ideal, but the best we have.’ I lifted one foot at a time as she bent down and placed her shoes on my feet, feeling a little like Cinderella as she met her Prince Charming.

  Snap out of it Carpenter! This is not real!

  I was finding it harder and harder to actually recognise that myself.

  ‘Thinking on it, love, you have everything that’s traditionally required to get married, well nearly.’ My mum’s musings came out of her mouth. ‘The dress is very obviously old lace; your underwear is very much new. My shoes are borrowed and your purple nail varnish is nearly blue.’