{"id":141,"date":"2015-09-02T02:15:21","date_gmt":"2015-09-02T02:15:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rachelbailey.com\/?page_id=141"},"modified":"2015-09-12T08:36:03","modified_gmt":"2015-09-12T08:36:03","slug":"his-24-hour-wife-excerpt","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/rachelbailey.com\/index.php\/books\/his-24-hour-wife\/his-24-hour-wife-excerpt\/","title":{"rendered":"His 24-Hour Wife: Excerpt"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wc-shortcodes-row wc-shortcodes-item wc-shortcodes-clearfix\">\n<div class=\"wc-shortcodes-column wc-shortcodes-content wc-shortcodes-one-third wc-shortcodes-column-first \">\n<p>His 24-Hour Wife is the third book in The Hawke Brothers. They are:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\"><em>The Nanny Proposition<\/em><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\"><em><a href=\"http:\/\/rachelbailey.com\/index.php\/books\/bidding-on-her-boss\/\">Bidding on Her Boss<\/a><\/em><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\"><em><a href=\"http:\/\/rachelbailey.com\/index.php\/books\/his-24-hour-wife\/\">His 24-Hour Wife<\/a><\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Read Excerpt<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/rachelbailey.com\/index.php\/books\/his-24-hour-wife\/his-24-hour-wife-reviews\/\">Reviews<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/rachelbailey.com\/index.php\/books\/\">Back to Books<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Buy from <a href=\"https:\/\/itunes.apple.com\/us\/book\/his-24-hour-wife\/id985548895?mt=11\">iBooks<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/His-24-Hour-Wife-Hawke-Brothers\/dp\/0373734190\/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1441159548&amp;sr=8-7&amp;keywords=rachel+bailey\">Amazon<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.barnesandnoble.com\/w\/his-24-hour-wife-rachel-bailey\/1121319020?ean=9780373734191\">Barnes &amp; Noble,<\/a>\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.harlequin.com\/storeitem.html?iid=60566&amp;cid=2869\" target=\"_blank\">Harlequin<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/rachelbailey.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/9780373734191.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-46 size-wcfixedheight\" src=\"http:\/\/rachelbailey.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/9780373734191-316x500.jpg\" alt=\"9780373734191\" width=\"316\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"http:\/\/rachelbailey.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/9780373734191-316x500.jpg 316w, http:\/\/rachelbailey.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/9780373734191-190x300.jpg 190w, http:\/\/rachelbailey.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/9780373734191-648x1024.jpg 648w, http:\/\/rachelbailey.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/9780373734191-250x395.jpg 250w, http:\/\/rachelbailey.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/9780373734191-550x870.jpg 550w, http:\/\/rachelbailey.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/9780373734191-800x1265.jpg 800w, http:\/\/rachelbailey.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/9780373734191-114x180.jpg 114w, http:\/\/rachelbailey.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/9780373734191.jpg 838w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 316px) 100vw, 316px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wc-shortcodes-column wc-shortcodes-content wc-shortcodes-two-third wc-shortcodes-column-last \">\n<p>One<\/p>\n<p>Callie Mitchell straightened her skirt, took a deep breath to calm the butterflies in her stomach and followed the receptionist to Adam Hawke\u2019s office on the top floor of a downtown LA office building. The central operations of his company, Hawke\u2019s Blooms, took up the entire floor and, as CEO, Adam had a corner office, which had to have killer views.<\/p>\n<p>In hindsight, it had probably been a bad idea to stop on the way for a little Dutch courage\u2014especially because it had been alcohol that had started this whole crazy mess\u2014but she\u2019d needed some help. It wasn\u2019t every day a woman had an appointment to see her secret husband.<\/p>\n<p>In fact, she hadn\u2019t seen him once in the three months since their wedding day, so this was quite the momentous occasion. They\u2019d met at an industry conference in Las Vegas just over two years ago and spent an amazing night together, then had hooked up again at the following year\u2019s conference. Third time had been the charm\u2014this year they\u2019d added vows to their rendezvous.<\/p>\n<p>The receptionist opened the door and waved her through and suddenly Callie was standing in front of him. The man she\u2019d spent the most explosive twenty-four hours of her life with. The rest of the world faded away, leaving only him. The oxygen must have faded away as well because suddenly she couldn\u2019t get her lungs to work.<\/p>\n<p>The receptionist had slipped out and closed the door behind her, leaving them alone, but Callie couldn\u2019t find a word to say. Although Adam wasn\u2019t saying anything, either.<\/p>\n<p>He was as perfect as she remembered, which was a surprise\u2014she\u2019d been certain her imagination had embellished things over the years, that no man could be that gorgeous. Yet here was over six feet of proof standing before her. His green eyes were as intense, his frame as broad and powerful as the image she had in her mind\u2019s eye. But he was wearing a suit with a crisp white shirt and dark blue tie. Most of her memories were of him stretched across the Vegas hotel sheets wearing nothing but a smile.<\/p>\n<p>He cleared his throat. \u201cYou look different as a brunette.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She\u2019d gone back to her natural caramel-brown about three weeks ago, but instead of telling him that, she heard herself say, \u201cYou look different with clothes on.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>His eyes widened and she covered her mouth. That Dutch courage had been a very bad idea.<\/p>\n<p>Then he laughed, a low rumble that seemed to fill the room. \u201cI\u2019m starting to remember why I married you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd what drove you away again,\u201d she said and smiled. After a day spent in bed, gradually sobering up, Adam had suggested a divorce. She\u2019d been having so much fun\u2014and was, in all honesty, so dazzled by the Adonis who\u2019d proposed to her\u2014that she would have given their marriage a shot. But she\u2019d had no rational argument for staying together, so she\u2019d agreed.<\/p>\n<p>Still, after three months, neither one of them had ever started those divorce proceedings. She didn\u2019t know Adam\u2019s reasons, but there was a small kernel of hope, deep in her chest, that maybe he wasn\u2019t quite ready to cut all ties with her yet.<\/p>\n<p>He indicated two upholstered chairs near the windows, which, sure enough, offered a premium view of Los Angeles below. \u201cTake a seat. Can I get you a drink?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She knew he probably meant coffee or tea, but still she winced, remembering the gin she\u2019d stupidly had before coming. \u201cNo, I\u2019m fine. I won\u2019t be here long.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He nodded and took the chair across from her. Then his expression turned serious. \u201cWhat do you need, Callie?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>For a moment all she could focus on was the sound of her name on his lips. His voice was deep and still sent a warm shiver through her. Three months ago he\u2019d whispered her name in the heat of passion. Had murmured it when she\u2019d kissed the smooth skin of his abdomen. Had shouted it as he\u2019d found his release. More than anything, she wanted to hear him say her name again. Then his question registered, and she straightened her spine.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy do you think I need something?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>His forehead creased into a row of frown lines. \u201cI just assumed\u2026\u201d He let the sentence trail off. \u201cAfter all this time, I figured if you were contacting me, you must\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t need anything,\u201d she said, holding up her hands, palms out. \u201cI\u2019m here as a courtesy, to let you know something.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>His jaw hardened. \u201cYou\u2019re getting married?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The way his mind worked was intriguing. She remembered that from their short time together\u2014she\u2019d been constantly fascinated by the things he said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo, I\u2019m up for a promotion.\u201d Her PR firm had finally given her a chance to make partner\u2014something she\u2019d been working toward for years\u2014and she wasn\u2019t going to let the opportunity go.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCongratulations,\u201d he said. \u201cSo how does this involve me?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey\u2019ve given me an assignment. If I handle this project well, I\u2019ll make partner.\u201d At twenty-nine, she\u2019d be the youngest partner in the history of the firm.<\/p>\n<p>He raised one eyebrow. \u201cWhat\u2019s the assignment?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Hawke Brothers\u2019 Trust.\u201d His company\u2019s new charity raised money for homeless children; it had already made a splash with various events, including as a bachelor auction, and was now ready to move to the next level. Something Callie was looking forward to being a part of.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAh,\u201d he said, and rubbed the back of his neck. \u201cI didn\u2019t realize Jenna had brought in your company.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Adam\u2019s future sister-in-law, Princess Jensine of Larsland, had helped to create the charity and was in charge of day-to-day operations. Callie had suspected Adam wasn\u2019t aware that her company had become involved. Which was why she was here, warning him, before she started work on the project.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere was a good chance we\u2019d run in to each other in a meeting or something, and I wanted to give you a heads-up before that happened.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI appreciate it. So,\u201d he said, offering her half a smile, \u201chow have you been?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Despite being married, they didn\u2019t really know each other well enough to catch up. They had no basic information to catch up on. So she said, \u201cGood, and you?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGood,\u201d he said, nodding.<\/p>\n<p>It was awkward, so she took a breath and refocused. \u201cI was thinking that maybe we should have our stories straight in case anyone puts two and two together.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He rubbed a hand over his chin. \u201cYou mean about us being married?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSince I\u2019ll be working with members of your family, it\u2019s a possibility.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt won\u2019t happen. They don\u2019t know I\u2014\u201d He swallowed. \u201cThey don\u2019t know what happened.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou didn\u2019t tell your family that you got married?\u201d She hadn\u2019t expected he would brag about a short-lived Vegas wedding, but equally, she hadn\u2019t expected that he\u2019d keep it a secret from his two brothers. In the short time they\u2019d spent together, he\u2019d mentioned he was close to his younger brothers.<\/p>\n<p>He shifted in his seat. \u201cDid you tell your friends and family?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI didn\u2019t tell everyone, but I told my sister.\u201d She moistened her lips. \u201cYou seriously didn\u2019t tell anyone?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>His face was unreadable. \u201cI don\u2019t generally telegraph my mistakes to the world.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Asking her for a divorce had pretty much shown he had thought of their wedding as a mistake, but still, there was something in the way he held himself tall in the chair\u2014and in his tone as he said it\u2014that had made her feel small and insignificant. She\u2019d thought of their time together as something wild and crazy, something out of character, where they just went too far. She hadn\u2019t thought of herself as someone\u2019s mistake. It hurt more than she would have expected.<\/p>\n<p>But now that he\u2019d made his feelings crystal clear, the stupid part of her needed to let go.<\/p>\n<p>She took a breath. \u201cWhile I\u2019m here, we really should talk about a divorce.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAlready underway,\u201d he said without hesitation. \u201cI\u2019ve filled in the paperwork and was just waiting for my brother\u2019s wedding to be over before filing it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh, right. Good.\u201d Everyone knew Adam\u2019s younger brother was marrying Princess Jensine of Larsland, so Callie could see that he wouldn\u2019t want to draw attention when the media could be hunting for stories.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI didn\u2019t want my alcohol-fueled decision to have ramifications for him.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Flinching, she stood and hitched her bag over her shoulder. \u201cI should go. Let me know when you\u2019re ready to file the divorce papers.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCallie.\u201d He reached out to her as he stood, and then let his hand drop. It was the first time his voice had held a note of tenderness since she\u2019d entered his office. He\u2019d been the only man who\u2019d ever affected her with merely his voice and she wobbled. \u201cI\u2019m sorry,\u201d he said. \u201cThat was probably harsh. I don\u2019t want us to part on bad terms.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s fine,\u201d she said, summoning a polite smile. \u201cBut I\u2019ve taken up enough of your time. I just wanted to give you some forewarning and I\u2019ve done that, so I\u2019d better get back to promoting the Hawke Brothers\u2019 Trust.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He held her gaze for a heartbeat or two, searching her eyes. Then he nodded and stepped back. \u201cOkay. Let me know if you need anything.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Callie smiled and slipped out the door. Halfway down the corridor, her cell rang and she paused in the reception room to answer it. A colleague\u2019s name flashed on the screen: Terence Gibson. He\u2019d recently been up for the same promotion as Callie and his competitiveness had bordered on excessive. Since she\u2019d been offered this project with the chance to win the promotion if she did well, she knew this wasn\u2019t going to be a congratulatory call.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHi, Terence,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI can see why the partners gave you this assignment,\u201d he said, not bothering to hide the malice in his voice.<\/p>\n<p>She punched the elevator button. \u201cAnd why is that?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBeing married to one of the clients will certainly give you an edge.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She froze.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh, you mean they don\u2019t know about your marriage to Adam Hawke? Oh, dear. I wonder what upper management will say when they find out. It will hardly make them feel as if they can trust you, and I hear they value open and clear communication in their partners.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The elevator arrived but she ignored it, sagging back against the wall. \u201cHow did you\u2026?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou really need to work on your poker face, Callie. The expression when they told you it was for the Hawke Brothers\u2019 Trust would have told anyone watching closely enough that you had some sort of connection. The question was only about which brother. After a bit of searching I found that you married one of them three months ago. Although I couldn\u2019t find a record of a divorce anywhere. I assume that\u2019s where you are now? With your husband?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Her stomach clenched tight. \u201cWhat do you want, Terence?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Despite asking the question she had a pretty good idea of what the answer would be.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cStand back from this assignment and let them hand it to me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It was what she\u2019d expected him to say, but still, the gall of the man, the entitled arrogance, was staggering. \u201cYou know I won\u2019t do that. It would be handing you the promotion as well.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThen I\u2019ll sell the story to the tabloids,\u201d he said, his voice almost gleeful. \u201cI\u2019m sure you can imagine what a PR disaster that will create. They\u2019ll love an expos\u00e9 about the future prince\u2019s brother having a drunken wedding in a tacky Las Vegas chapel.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d It would overshadow her assignment and ruin her chances of the promotion.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThen step away now and give me a clear shot at the partnership.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>So either she stepped back and let Terence have the partnership, or she stayed and he caused a scandal, meaning he\u2019d probably get the partnership instead of her anyway. Neither of those choices was appealing, but she especially didn\u2019t like giving in to blackmail. She needed time to think. To find a third option. She had to stall him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGive me a few days to think about it. Even if I tell the partners I can\u2019t take the assignment I\u2019ll need some time to come up with a believable reason.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou have one day. Twenty-four hours.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The line went dead.<\/p>\n<p>Callie blew out a breath, turned on her heel and headed back to Adam Hawke\u2019s office.<\/p>\n<p>*<\/p>\n<p>Adam stood when Rose, his receptionist, buzzed to tell him Callie Mitchell wanted to see him again. It had barely been five minutes since she\u2019d left. He told Rose to let her through, and then had a look around the room for something Callie had forgotten. He couldn\u2019t find anything. But then, he was hardly focused enough to be sure.<\/p>\n<p>Since she\u2019d first made the appointment yesterday, he\u2019d been unsettled. He\u2019d dreamed about her last night, about their time together. About making love to her. Though that wasn\u2019t uncommon\u2014he regularly dreamed about making love to her.<\/p>\n<p>Which just showed how bad she was for his equilibrium. Control over himself and his life was important to him, and Callie made him feel off-center\u2014a feeling he disliked intensely.<\/p>\n<p>Then from the moment she\u2019d appeared through his door this morning, he\u2019d barely had two functioning brain cells to rub together. Hell, he hadn\u2019t even greeted her, just made some inane comment about her hair. Though her reply had been memorable\u2026<\/p>\n<p>He prayed this would be a short visit so he wouldn\u2019t make a fool of himself by blurting out something worse than what she\u2019d said.<\/p>\n<p>After a knock on his door, there she was again, as if conjured from his dreams, her rich, caramel-brown hair hanging sleek around her shoulders, her olive skin smooth. He knew from experience the taste of that skin and his heart skipped a beat as the memory flooded his senses.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDid you forget something?\u201d he managed to ask.<\/p>\n<p>She shook her head, her silver-blue, almond-shaped eyes serious. Something had changed.<\/p>\n<p>She tipped up her chin and met his gaze squarely. \u201cWe have a problem.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He was careful not to touch her and set off more memories as he moved behind her to shut the door and lead her to one of the chairs they\u2019d occupied only minutes before.<\/p>\n<p>Once they were settled, he said, \u201cOkay, tell me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA colleague of mine,\u201d she said, her emphasis on the word colleague telling him much, \u201cnoticed my surprise when I was given this assignment and started digging. He\u2019s found our marriage license and is threatening to tell the tabloids.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Adam swore under his breath. \u201cWhat does he get out of it?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe wants this promotion and he wants me out of the way. He thinks the media coverage of your secret Vegas wedding will overshadow any PR work I do for the trust, and he\u2019s probably right. He wants me to refuse the assignment and let him have it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLike hell.\u201d There wasn\u2019t much that Adam hated more than a bully, and he refused to let Callie become the victim of one while he had any power over the situation. \u201cThe trust won\u2019t work with a man who\u2019s blackmailed his way to get the role.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf I step back and you refuse to work with him, he\u2019ll probably still plant the story out of spite. We\u2019d both still lose.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Callie\u2019s entire demeanor was professional, but underneath she had to be rattled. Every protective instinct inside him reared up, ready for whatever needed to be done.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGive me one minute.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He stood, strode over to his desk and pressed the buzzer for his receptionist. \u201cRose, cancel all my meetings for today.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCertainly. Do you want me to give a reason?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJust that something unexpected has come up. Then reschedule them as soon as you can.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cConsider it done.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He grabbed a legal pad and pen and returned to his wife. It wasn\u2019t just Callie\u2019s job in danger, though that alone would be enough to make him take action. No, he wouldn\u2019t let his stupid mistake create trouble for his brother and future sister-in-law. The entire Vegas trip had been out of character for him, and since then he\u2019d taken the consequences seriously\u2014he hadn\u2019t let himself drink more than a glass or two of alcohol at a time, and rarely let his control slip even an inch. This was just another consequence that needed addressing.<\/p>\n<p>And he could fix this. That was what he\u2019d always done in his family\u2014fix things. The only difference was that this time, Callie was the one with the PR expertise.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo, how do we handle the PR fallout when the story hits the press?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A tentative smile crept across her face. \u201cYou want me to stand up to him?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWell, I certainly don\u2019t want you to give in to blackmail.\u201d He frowned, searching her features. \u201cWhat did you expect me to say?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t know. Thing is, I don\u2019t really know you that well, so it\u2019s a pleasant surprise that you\u2019re willing to stand behind me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She might not know him as well as, say, his brothers did, but surely she at least knew this much of his character? \u201cCallie, I know our history is a little unconventional, but don\u2019t ever doubt that I\u2019ll stand behind you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThank you,\u201d she said, and for one brief, shining moment he recognized the passionate woman from Vegas who\u2019d snagged his attention from the moment he\u2019d laid eyes on her in the bar. \u201cThat means a lot. And it goes both ways.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI appreciate it. Now, what\u2019s our first move?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She tapped a bright red fingernail against matching red pursed lips as she thought. \u201cWe need to get ahead of the story. Be on top of it, and create our own story.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSounds good,\u201d he said. \u201cHow do we do that?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe need to come up with our own version of our wedding.\u201d She rose to her feet and started pacing, her words coming rapidly. \u201cCreate a new truth\u2014it was love at first sight. Make it a sweet story, not the sleazy version that the tabloids will want to print, and get that new truth in the media ASAP to beat the other story. My contacts will help get it out quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Adam made a few notes, and then looked them over. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t seem like enough\u2014it will be one version versus the other.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTrue,\u201d she said, holding up an index finger, \u201cbut that\u2019s only step one.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He smiled. \u201cGood.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe second part is to give them the current story.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He made another note on the legal pad and asked without looking up, \u201cWhat sort of current story?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSomething about us.\u201d She stopped pacing.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAbout us being together?\u201d he asked warily.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat would be best.\u201d She rested her hands on her hips, her mind obviously going at a million miles per hour. \u201cPerhaps that we\u2019re ready to have a real wedding.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He hid the instinctive flinch. If they were to find a workable solution, he needed to be open to all ideas in this first brainstorming phase. \u201cHow does that help?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThen, the story of our Vegas wedding becomes a very sweet, love-at-first-sight beginning to our current relationship and can\u2019t harm my career or your family. I\u2019ll let my bosses know before the story appears, and apologize for not disclosing the fact sooner, saying we\u2019d agreed not to tell anyone before the announcement.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA wedding,\u201d he said, this time allowing his skepticism to show.<\/p>\n<p>She shrugged one slim shoulder. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t have to be forever, just until the story dies down and we can quietly separate and go back to our normal lives.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow do we explain the intervening months?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m not sure. Give me a moment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Again she tapped her nail against pursed lips and, as he watched, he sat back. She was even more beautiful in real life than she\u2019d been in his dreams last night. They\u2019d been back in the Vegas hotel bed where he\u2019d kissed that same lush mouth, and covered her naked body with his. His blood began to heat. He stared at the light fixture in the ceiling as he brought his wayward body back under control.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOkay,\u201d she said, gracefully sliding back into the chair across from him. \u201cWhat if we say we gave it a go at the start but circumstances tore us apart. However, we never lost touch and recently we\u2019ve begun to work through our problems and can finally announce that we\u2019re ready to begin a life together as husband and wife.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He released a long breath, mentally checking all angles. \u201cThat roller-coaster history will feed in to the explanations when we break up again afterward. What will it take to convince them that we didn\u2019t just make this story up as a stunt?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBesides the story itself, which we\u2019ll give to an entertainment journalist I trust, I\u2019ll have friends leak details to key journalists. We\u2019ll also need to appear in public together, and do some media interviews. Then we\u2019ll have the wedding.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The last item on her list caught him off guard. His mouth dried. \u201cYou really want to go through with an entire wedding?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Callie, on the other hand, seemed entirely unfazed by the prospect. Apparently she had nerves of steel. \u201cWe\u2019re already married, so it won\u2019t change anything legally. Either way, we\u2019ll still need to get a divorce at some stage.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Adam swallowed hard. She was right. Besides the cost of a wedding, which would barely make a dent in his bank balance thanks to the success of Hawke\u2019s Blooms, marrying her again wouldn\u2019t make any important difference\u2014they were already married. But being around her, spending significant amounts of time near that lush mouth, just might change everything\u2026<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>His 24-Hour Wife is the third book in The Hawke Brothers. They are: The Nanny Proposition Bidding on Her Boss&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":131,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/rachelbailey.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/141"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/rachelbailey.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/rachelbailey.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/rachelbailey.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/rachelbailey.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=141"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"http:\/\/rachelbailey.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/141\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":489,"href":"http:\/\/rachelbailey.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/141\/revisions\/489"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/rachelbailey.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/131"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/rachelbailey.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=141"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}