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CHAPTER NINE: THE COMPROMISE
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The Marriage Conspiracy CHAPTER TEN: THE SIZZLING CHEMISTRY
“No, don’t say anything, please. I know I look terrible,” Jake growled at his best friend as if it was all his fault.“Oh, I wasn’t going to put it so cruelly but you do look … terrible!” Ash told him helpfully.“Thanks,” Jake answered derisively.“What’s with you?”“I couldn’t sleep last night.”That was only an understatement. He felt bad, really bad and damned if he knew why. He was miserable and hated wallowing in his self-pity mood.Last night, he had still been unable to get a decent sleep so tortured had he been by erotic images of Rachel. He had felt a desperate need of a cold – icy cold shower but hadn’t because he had to go through the master suite, the room where Rachel slept. He had ordered another bed and was sleeping in the guest room and the bathroom downstairs was not ready yet. He had seen no point in fixing the water supply in the bathroom downstairs and had been regretting his decision last night.As an alternative, he had gone to the balcony where the cool breeze h
The Marriage Conspiracy CHAPTER ELEVEN: LOVE CONQUERS ALL
“Rachel, I want to know if there is an ‘us’,” Jake asked her.She laughed.“What?” asked Jake uncertainly surely not expecting that kind of reaction from her.“Nothing. I thought you said… What did you say?”“I asked whether there is any chance for us to be together.”“Why?” she asked wanting to know the reason why he wanted the affair. Shut up! her heart told her. Grasp the chance that you are being given. And she truly wished she could. But she did not want to build her castle in air.“Why what?”“Why do you want us to get together? Now? Because we have slept together? There is no need to be so chivalrous you know. My virginity had to go one day or another. No big deal.”“The hell it is!” he rasped and sat up.What the hell was wrong with her? If he wanted an affair for whatever reason, why should she bother? She should be accepting readily.“I want to give our relationship a try.”“Sure. We still have two weeks left for our marriage to end,” she agreed readily not daring to hope t
The Marriage Conspiracy EPILOGUE
A private meeting reserved for special people only…“Everything is going on as planned,” Devin informed his three accomplices rubbing his hands gleefully. “I’ve received another mail from the two lovebirds and they still not willing to get back!”Nash smiled indulgently. “Let them enjoy. They’ve well deserved the holidays after the ordeal you have put them through.”Devin chuckled wickedly. “You’re right. Nash, I think we’d better start planning a second marriage. What do you think of Kyra Hart, Rachel’s best friend?”Nash’s eyes got as big as a saucer. “The school teacher?”Devin nodded. “The very one.”“Fair enough but I’m already telling you that I won’t do it.”Devin frowned at his best friend and opened his mouth to protest.“Why not?” Sean asked before Devin could get the words out.“It’s pretty obvious. I’m already happily married. You imagine me hurting Sue?”The other two stared at him for a long time and then all three practically howled with laughter.“Oh God Nash! What a g
The Marriage Conspiracy PROLOGUE
A private meeting reserved for special people only…“Congratulations,” Devin Richard Crighton said gleefully rubbing his hands together. “The project ‘Double J’ has been finally launched. This asks for a celebration. Where’s that champagne?”“It’s not that I was getting cold feet but I’m glad it’s all over,” the practical lawyer, Sean Palmer commented handing Devin his glass of champagne. “Oh come on Sean! You have to admit that it was fun,” Devin rebuked playfully while sipping his drink. “I think I agree with Sean, Dev. The battle between your son and you has been going on for quite a long time now,” put in the third accomplice, Doctor Nash Cooper. “Well, I was getting pretty desperate myself after the failure of ‘Project Barnes’.” “I know. You could hardly wait for Rachel to turn twenty-five,” replied Sean with a benign smile. Ever since college, Devin has been the leader of their group of four, including the late Trevor Lloyd. “Yeah. It was as if our ‘Emergency Plan’ w
The Marriage Conspiracy CHAPTER ONE: THE TRAP
“What?!! What the hell are you talking about? Have you gone out of your mind?” Jake Crighton shouted at his father at the other end of the phone. Jake simply could not believe his ears. He’d thought that at the age of thirty-one, he was through with such kind of shocks. But apparently he’d been wrong! “Look son, why don’t you just calm down?”“How do you expect me to calm down when you’ve…” he paused and sighed outrageously “… announced such news to me!” he spat making it clear what he thought of the ‘news’ his father had just given him out of the blue. “Come on, son! Be a sport. You’re acting as if I’m going to commit a great crime. For Heaven’s sake, I’m only getting married!” “Well, yeah. I guess it’s a question of opinion,” Jake sneered derisively. “How can you even think of getting married at this age, dad?”“What do you mean at this age? Here is not question of my age. I told you I want a heir-at any cost,” he added in a tone that was all too familiar to Jake. He alw
The Marriage Conspiracy CHAPTER TWO: THE FACE-OFF
“So you see I was really desperate,” Rachel concluded after having explained her current situation to her best friend since high school, Kyra Hart. “Well not that desperate I’m sure,” drawled a familiar voice from behind which she would have recognized anywhere. Her heart slammed against her ribcage so hard that she feared anyone could hear it. Closing her eyes briefly for a moment of recluse, she took a deep breath and whirled around with a jerk. There he was! Her worst nightmare. Jake Crighton. With much difficulty, she tried to control her erratic breathing. God! Anyone hearing her heartbeats would think she’d run a marathon. In one glance, she took in greedily his appearance. His hazel-green eyes. His high cheekbones. Aristocratic nose. Wide shoulders. His long lean legs. Muscular model-like body under an immaculate suit emphasizing his stance and status. No, he had not changed. Not one iota. He was still as impressive as ever. It was only then that she realized
The Marriage Conspiracy CHAPTER THREE: THE WEDDING CEREMONY
“What the hell is going on here?” Rachel whispered to Jake. “Beats me,” the latter shrugged and she believed him, as he appeared as confused as she was feeling. A week had gone by since they had their latest discussion. And their plan had been working perfectly or so had thought Rachel until she’d received a call from Jake. He’d sounded disturbed and had briefly told her that Devin had summoned both of them. Apparently, Devin was not satisfied with the way things had turned out. That was maybe the reason why he’d called them. Too bad for him!Nothing was going to change. Whatever it takes, vowed Rachel silently. They were both prepared for any of Devin’s strategies. There was no way he could manipulate them into something they didn’t want, not for a second time. Once bitten was twice shy, wasn’t it? And in this case, she couldn’t even count the times they’ve been bitten.Nevertheless, Rachel couldn’t shrug off completely the sense of premonition engulfing her as she followed
The Marriage Conspiracy CHAPTER FOUR: THE HONEYMOON
“I should have sensed something like that coming!” Jake exclaimed, his voice thick with frustration as he impatiently raked a hand through his hair. Rachel was simply dumbstruck. Shocked, she could only stare fixedly at the sight that lay in front of her eyes. Petals of red roses were scattered all over the silken black sheets on the ‘matrimonial’ bed invoking an atmosphere of hot passion. She opened her mouth to protest but only a pathetic squeak came out. “It seems that words are failing you. Not something that happens very often,” Jake teased her in attempt to lighten the atmosphere. Rachel knew he was trying to make feel less embarrassed as he’d always done when she’d been a teenager. It had been that particular consideration of his that had made her fall for him in the first place. And it was working again. Briefly, she wondered who could have done such a vile thing and only a name popped into her mind. Devin, of course. Who else? As if he hadn’t done enough already,
Latest chapter
- The Marriage Conspiracy EPILOGUE
- The Marriage Conspiracy CHAPTER ELEVEN: LOVE CONQUERS ALL
- The Marriage Conspiracy CHAPTER TEN: THE SIZZLING CHEMISTRY
- The Marriage Conspiracy CHAPTER NINE: THE COMPROMISE
- The Marriage Conspiracy CHAPTER EIGHT: THE DEAL OR ORDEAL?
- The Marriage Conspiracy CHAPTER SEVEN: THE TEMPORARY SOLUTION
- The Marriage Conspiracy CHAPTER SIX: THE CONTINGENCY PLAN
- The Marriage Conspiracy CHAPTER FIVE: THE COUNTERACT
- The Marriage Conspiracy CHAPTER FOUR: THE HONEYMOON
