Taming Clint Westmoreland - Brenda Jackson [54]
Alyssa stared at Casey, wondering how she could make such an assumption. The only excuse she could come up with was that since Casey was happily married and in love she thought everyone should be the same way. Alyssa decided not to argue, and to let Casey continue to think whatever she wanted to believe. But Alyssa was fully aware of the real deal surrounding her marriage to Clint and that at the end of thirty days he expected her packed and ready to leave.
Two nights later Alyssa lay in Clint’s arms after thoroughly being made love to. The sound of his even breathing let her know he had gone to sleep, but she was wide-awake…and thinking.
All of Clint’s relatives who were attending tomorrow night’s ball had arrived and she found all of them to be extremely nice and friendly. The house was full and without it being verbally expressed, Clint looked to her to be his hostess and instinctively she had taken on the role. When he introduced her, he simply said she was Alyssa. He didn’t give her last name or what role she played in his life. She could only assume the masses thought she was his live-in lover since she wasn’t wearing a wedding ring and it was obvious they shared the same bed. But what was confusing was that when the relatives talked among each other in her presence and his, she was referred to as Clint’s wife and he did nothing to correct them.
She guessed in a way it didn’t matter what they thought since all of them would be leaving on Monday. And then she would leave less than a week later.
Less than a week.
Boy, how time flies when you’re having fun, she thought. And she was having fun. Returning to Waco didn’t have the appeal it once did. She had bonded with Chester and the men who worked for Clint, and she thought he had a very special family. They were so different from hers. Even his father, Corey, and stepmother, Abby, were absolutely wonderful. She could feel the closeness and the love among everyone. Those were two things that her family lacked.
“Alyssa.”
Clint had whispered her name in his sleep and she snuggled closer to him. She would miss this. Going to bed with him every night and waking up to his lovemaking each and every morning. But as someone once said, all good things must one day come to an end. Over the week she would prepare for the heartbreak she would encounter the moment Clint drove her away from the ranch to the airport. To prepare for that day she needed to start distancing herself from him and she would do so once his family left and it was just the two of them again. It would be for the best.
Alyssa glanced around the huge ballroom filled with people. Chester had been right. Everyone important from all over Texas was attending the charity benefit to give their financial support to the children’s hospital. It was even rumored that the President and First Lady would be making an appearance.
She had to admit that she was rendered speechless when they arrived and Clint introduced her to the host and hostess as his wife. Alyssa figured the reason he had done so was to not cause her any embarrassment later. So far no one had questioned his sudden acquisition of a wife. And a few times when one or two people referred to her as Mrs. Westmoreland, she had to stop from stating that wasn’t her name.
Another thing she noticed was that the Westmorelands seemed to run in a pack. All of them were standing together in one spot and it was obvious they were a family. All the men in the family resembled one another in their facial features, height and sex appeal. And the Westmoreland women—sisters, cousins and wives—were all beautiful. They made stunning couples. There were Clint’s cousin Jared with his wife, Dana; his cousin Storm with his wife, Jayla; his cousin Spencer and his wife, Chardonnay; his cousin Dare and his wife, Shelly; his cousin Thorn and his wife, Tara; and his cousin Ian and his wife, Brooke.
The group also included Clint’s brother Cole, who didn’t bother to bring a date; his cousin Reggie, who hadn’t brought a date, either; Casey