If I Loved You (Hollywood Hearts 1) Read online

  “I hope you don’t mind, I already set up the dinner.”

  “You’ve thought of everything.”

  “You’ve been working so hard and under so much stress…I thought you might like me to take over for a bit.”

  “So right. My brain is exhausted.”

  After the waiter popped the cork and filled the flutes, he was replaced by another waiter bearing two shrimp cocktails. Chaz proposed a toast. “To us…forever.”

  Meg clinked her glass with his as a slight heat crept into her cheeks. Forever…would so love to marry him…

  Digging into her shrimp cocktail to satisfy her rumbling stomach, she found it to be so delicious that they ate in silence for a while. Meg noticed Chaz avoiding eye contact. First, he fiddled nervously with his fork, then folded and refolded his napkin. She frowned. What’s wrong?

  After the waiter removed the empty plates, Chaz put up his hand to signal the waiter inside. He raised his gaze to hers. His brows knitted in a look of worry as he picked up his napkin and placed it on the table. As if in slow motion, Meg noticed his hand go into his pants pocket, and him sink to one knee on the ground next to her. It can’t be…not possible…can it?

  He took her hand in his and then opened the box to reveal a four-carat, round cut diamond ring. Oh my God…it’s happening…it’s really happening…I don’t believe it.

  “Meg, I love you with all my heart…will you marry me…please?”

  She gazed down into his handsome face and saw a fleeting glimpse of a lonely little boy with anxious eyes. She took his face in her hands and kissed him. “I will…yes…I will…I love you too.”

  With fingers shaking, Chaz took the ring and slid it onto the fourth finger of her left hand. With one swift movement, he leaped into the air and shouted, raising a fist. Startled dinner guests looked up at him.

  “She said ‘yes!’” He hollered.

  A round of applause brought the heat of embarrassment to Megan’s cheeks. Her smile seemed to stretch from shore to shore, matched only by his. She gazed at the ring with unbelieving eyes. Fairy tales don’t come true, do they?

  Chaz leaned over and kissed her as the waiter brought plates loaded with steamed lobster and lightly grilled fresh vegetables. His nervousness passed, Chaz dug into dinner with relish while Meg was too excited to eat. She picked at her food until Chaz encouraged her to eat it.

  “If you’re going to marry me, you’ll need all the strength you can get.”

  His warm smile encouraged her, and she found she was hungrier than she thought. They finished their plates and sat back, satisfied. Chaz reached for her hand. “I was counting on you saying yes, so I did something…I hope you won’t be mad.”

  She looked at him and narrowed her eyes. “You have that guilty look. What did you do?”

  “Well, our situation being…what it is…different, I thought, rather than plan some big shindig and try to hide it from the press…” He paused to take a sip of his champagne.

  “Go on.” Meg’s gaze rested on his face.

  “Well…if you agreed…I uh…took the liberty…thought I’d save us a whole lotta grief…”

  “What did you do?”

  “I arranged for us to be married here, tonight, now, before dessert.” He spit out his plans in one long, rapid-fire sentence.

  “Now?”

  “Here. Now. No press, no photographers, no hiding and running. We elope…get married right now. There’s a judge waiting, see, right over there.” Chaz pointed to a man standing near the kitchen with a book in his hand.

  “Oh my God, you mean it!”

  “Of course. You don’t joke about something like that. Come on, Meg. I know I’m robbing you of a long engagement, but think of the horror show trying to get married without the press. Let’s do it now. The press will leave us alone because we’ll be an old married couple, definitely yesterday’s news.”

  “You’re not marrying me to get the press off your neck, are you?”

  “Silly girl! Of course not! I’m marrying you because I adore you, can’t live without you. And if we do it now, then it can be a private, meaningful ceremony instead of a three-ring circus. Please, my darling little chick?”

  His eyes pleaded with her and his logic was faultless. This will definitely be a more meaningful ceremony here and now without the press. He’s right. And it’s so romantic here.

  “Yes,” she said, quietly.

  Chaz jumped up and signaled the man to come forward. He plucked the small bouquet out of the vase, dried it off, and then handed it to her. She took the flowers but then her mouth hung open.

  “Wait a minute!” She put up her hand and Chaz stopped dead.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “This dress…the sapphire necklace…something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue…”

  “Yup. Penny insisted on that tradition or she was going to blow the whole thing.”

  “Penny and Mark knew?” Meg sank down into her chair.

  “Of course. I couldn’t do this without telling them. Mark would kill me!”

  “Right about that!” Meg smiled at him. “You put this all together behind my back.”

  “I wouldn’t put it like that…it’s a surprise. Come,” he said, extending his hand.

  “It’s like a military maneuver.”

  “Organization, that’s all.”

  Meg placed her small hand in his, and they walked to where the judge was standing. Chaz laced his fingers with hers and smiled down at her.

  Fifteen minutes later, they were husband and wife.

  * * * *

  It wasn’t long before the media got wind of their marriage, and the island was swarming with reporters and photographers who followed them everywhere. One morning, Chaz rented a boat and they packed food, sneaking out at daybreak for a day of privacy. He located a tiny island and pulled the boat up on the little beach. They’d managed to give the press the slip.

  "We don't need bathing suits here," Chaz said as he ripped his t-shirt over his head. Meg blushed when a wicked grin spread across his face.

  "How did you find this place?" Suddenly shy, she crouched behind a bush to undress.

  "I slipped Martin, the concierge, twenty bucks and he drew me a map. The paparazzi will never find us here."

  Stripped down to his boxers, Chaz offered one hand to Meg while shielding his dark eyes from the sun with the other. She emerged from behind the bush wearing only panties and a smile, her free-flowing brown hair brushing her shoulders.

  "Alone. Finally." Chaz' gaze settled on her chest momentarily, and then his hand closed over hers.

  "Come on." They stopped at the narrow shoreline to drop the rest of their clothing.

  With her small hand clasped in his, they ran into the warm, clear water, making the only splashing sounds for miles and miles. The hot sun bounced off the water and heated their skin. Chaz fell backward into the calm surf, and Meg flopped on top of him. His arms twisted around her, pulling her flush against him, and his mouth claimed hers possessively while one hand gripped the back of her head.

  They broke apart only when they sank below the surface and had to come up for air. Gasping, they burst out laughing. Meg wound her legs around Chaz’s waist and he took them deeper, wading out until the water lapped against his shoulders. They kissed again and he palmed her bare bottom, securing her.

  “Will we always have to find a place to hide…never be alone?” She sighed, winding her arms around his neck.

  "You’ll get used to it, little chick," he murmured between kisses.

  * * * *

  They made love on the island before eating their lunch and talked about their plans, which started with getting their own place to live. Meg was sure they were out of reach of cell reception but was surprised to hear a text message being delivered to Chaz.

  The couple shaded their eyes from the glare of the sun and read the message together. It was from Quinn Roberts.

  When are you coming b
ack? Annemarie is leaving her baby with me. Help!

  “He doesn’t mean Annemarie Fremont, the actress, does he?”

  “That’s exactly who he means.”

  *THE END*

  About the Author

  Jean Joachim is an author, married, a mother of two boys and owner of a rescued pug named Homer. She writes contemporary romance and has more than a dozen contemporary romance books published with more scheduled to be release within the coming months. Jean has been writing non-fiction for over twenty years and fiction for three. Her review column, "Movie Choices for Kids" has been syndicated on parenting newspapers websites for the past 12 years. A native New Yorker, she still lives in New York City. Her website address is: http://www.jeanjoachimbooks.com.

  More Books by Jean C. Joachim

  Now and Forever 1, a Love Story

  Now and Forever 2, the Book of Danny

  Now and Forever 3, Blind Love

  The Renovated Heart

  Love Lost and Found

  Call of Duty (anthology)

  Secret Cravings Publishing

  www.secretcravingspublishing.com