Switched at the Altar
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Metsy Hingle
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Right Bride, WRONG GROOM STOP THE WEDDING! Maybe his brother was easily swayed by the wiles of a Southern vamp, but not steely Alex Stone. He had managed to tiptoe around the commitment trap. But from all appearances his younger sibling was newly engaged to sultry Desiree Mason, and Alex was sure she was just another heat-seeking marriage missile aimed at the family wealth. Alex knew that the surest way to keep his brother out of the bridal suite was to lure this honey-voiced vixen into his bed. But "saving" his sibling could mean losing himself to love.
Chapter 1
His brother was a dead man. Or at least he would be dead, Alexander Stone vowed, the moment he got his hands on him. Jerking open the door, he stepped inside Magnolia House. The lazy breeze of a ceiling fan stroked his skin like a womanâs fingers as he moved into the entrance hall and out of the Louisiana heat.
Still cursing his younger sibling for causing him to make the trip from Boston to this backwater town outside of New Orleans, Alex marched over to the reception desk. He scowled at the sight of the unmanned desk before slapping the bell for assistance.
Temper curled like a fist in his gut as he waited and recounted the morningâs discoveries. Not only had Kevin failed to show up for any of his summer law school classes for the past week, but he hadnât been seen at his apartment for even longer. Learning that his brotherâs mail was being forwarded to Magnolia House in care of Ms. Desiree Mason had done nothing to improve his mood. Nor had it eased his rising temper. No wonder he hadnât been able to reach Kevin by phone for the past three days. The young fool had evidently moved in with the Mason woman.
The newspaper clippingâshoved under his nose by a former lady friend whoâd come by to show off her engagement ringâflashed into Alexâs mindâs eye again.
Even if he didnât have a genius IQ, Alex fumed, it wouldnât have been difficult for him to figure out that the scheming Ms. Desiree Mason had gotten her hooks firmly into his kid brother.
Well, heâd see how anxious the little gold digger was to marry Kevin once she found out that he was the one who controlled his trust fund.
Where the devil is everyone? Five seconds stretched into ten, obliterating what little patience he had left. Annoyed, Alex slapped the bell on the desk again.
Nothing. No one.
âAw, the hell with it,â he muttered. âIâll find Kevin myself.â And when he did, he was through being a marshmallow where his younger brother was concerned. Heâd been making that mistake from the day a nine-year-old Kevin had been deposited on his doorstep while their respective parents went off with their next set of spouses. In the thirteen years since then, heâd fought any and all objections to send Kevin away to military school, had even suffered their grandfatherâs anger for refusing to do so. But heâd been determined, hell-bent, on providing his brother with some semblance of a normal family, to give him a more nurturing childhood than the one heâd known.
And youâve certainly done a fine job of it, Alex admonished himself silently. Look what a mess Kevin had gotten himself into now. And it was, at least partially, his fault. He should have known something like this would happen. Should have expected it. Kevin was a good-looking, wealthy young manâand far too easily swayed by a pretty face. Just as their father had been, Alex admitted. By giving in to Kevinâs request to attend law school down south, heâd all but thrown Kevin to the wolves. And heâd allowed his brother to become the target of every sweet, magnolia vamp south of the Mason-Dixon line trying to land herself a rich husband.
And evidently Ms. Desiree Mason had scored a bullâs-eye.
Alex gritted his teeth. The womanâs name alone should have set off alarm bells the first time Kevin had mentioned her. His kid brother was no match for some conniving, Southern belle with a honey-voiced accent. Well, Ms. Desiree Mason would have to find herself some other young fool to marry, because he had no intention of letting his brother make the biggest mistake of his life.
As of right now, Kevin was going to be made to toe the line. And he was going to start by going back to law schoolâin Boston, not New Orleansâand forgetting any foolish thoughts he might have about marrying Desiree Mason. With that idea in mind, Alex started down the hall in search of his brother. He froze mid-stride at the sound of an all-too-familiar tune. It was the one song that he had sworn both of his parents had adopted as their personal favorite, the one song that still made him break out in a cold sweat whenever he heard it.
The wedding march!
Panic sent adrenaline rushing through his body, and Alex sped down the length of the hall toward the sound of the music. The last cords of the tune faded just as he jerked open the massive double doors to a ballroom.
âDearly beloved...â
Alex bit back an oath at the sight of bridesmaids, groomsmen, a minister holding a bible. His gaze darted to the back of the shapely redhead in the wedding dress and stared at bare shoulders, the color of rich cream, that flirted beneath a whisper of lace. Swallowing hard, Alex dragged his gaze from the bride to the groom standing beside her. His heart stopped and then started again as he looked at the familiar back of the tall, dark-haired man about to be marriedâhis brother, Kevin.
âWe are gathered here today to join this man and this woman in the sacrament of holy matrimony,â the minister continued. âMarriage is aââ
âStop,â Alex shouted. Heedless of the surprised gasps and curious looks directed at him, he raced down the aisle. âI demand you stop this wedding at once!â
The bride whipped around. Her blue-green eyes widened with shock. Twin spots of color climbed her cheeks. Alex stared at those rose-colored lips rounded in surprise. Crazily, for the space of a heartbeat, he wondered what it would be like to sample that mouth.
âHow dare you?â she demanded.
âQuite easily,â Alex shot back, shaking off his strange reaction to the woman. He curled his hands into fists at his sides as he realized that in another two minutes he would have been too late. âThereâs no way Iâm going to allow you to marry my brother.â
Dismissing the round of gasps that went up and the furious look the bride cast his way, Alex shifted his attention to his brother. He waited, braced for Kevinâs outburst.
âOh, that was perfect!â
Alex yanked his attention back to the bride at the same time that she launched herself at him. Not stopping to think, he caught her in his arms, holding on to her at the waist. But instead of hitting him as he expected, she proceeded to curl her arms around his neck.
He snagged her wrists, sure she was intent on strangling him. âListen, ladyââ
She cut off his protest with her mouth. Alex sucked in a breath at the feel of those soft lips brushing against his own. Desireâunexpected and unwantedâput fire in his belly, raced to his loins.
Suddenly she was pulling her mouth free and staring at him. Judging by her stunned expression and the confusion in those blue-green eyes of hers, he wasnât the only one whoâd felt as though heâd just been whacked by a thunderbolt. It was insane, Alex told himself. But he couldnât stop himself from sliding his gaze to that ripe, lush mouth of hers again. Desire, sweet and aching, bit at him once more.
As though sensing his thoughts, she tugged her wrists free and eased back one step, then another. She gave him a lazy smile and followed with a single âWow!â
âWowâ was right, Alex thought. Still reeling from the unexpected kiss and its effect on him, he shook his head to clear the sensuous fog that seemed to have ensnared him.
âHey, that was pretty good,â one of the bridesmaids called out.
Good? Good didnât even come close to describing that kiss or the strange way it had made him feel. And since when does a bridesmaid critique a kiss delivered to the intended bride by a stranger?
The bride spun around, presenting him with another view of her back and more cream-colored skin where her dress dipped along her shoulders. She headed toward the critiquing bridesmaid. âDidnât I tell you guys that Bernie would come through for us?â she exclaimed in a voice that was decidedly huskier than it had been a few moments ago.
A voice that reminded him of sultry summer nights and hot sex, Alex decided. He sucked in a breath. What in the hell was wrong with him? Lusting after the little gold digger whoâd been about to marry his brother.
His brother! Alex nearly groaned. Oh, Lord, heâd forgotten about Kevin. He jerked his attention back to his brother. But instead of getting ready to charge over and tear into him for interfering, Kevin had one arm draped around his kissing bride and the other one around a bridesmaid and was chatting with them as though nothing had happened. Frowning, Alex started toward him. âKevââ
The minister blocked his path. âYou cut in too soon,â the reverend admonished, pointing an accusing finger in his face. âWhy didnât you wait for me to give you your cue?â
Alex frowned at the portly clergyman. His cue?
âYeah. You were supposed to wait for your cue,â the best man informed him.
âHey, theyâre right, pal,â the groom added as he came over to join them. âYou cut in before I got a chance to deliver my lines.â
Alex sucked in his breath as he stared at the face of the groom. The guy was dark-haired, brown-eyed and just about Kevinâs height and size. He even had an endearing choirboy grin that was similar to his brotherâs.
Only he wasnât his brother.
Relief rushed through Alex like water overflowing a swollen creek. Kevin hadnât been on the verge of marrying the sexy redhead after all. But on the heels of that revelation came an equally disturbing and surprisingly disappointing one. The woman heâd been lusting after for the past sixty seconds was about to marry someone.
And heâd just interrupted her wedding.
âAre you OK?â the bride asked him as she came back to stand before him. âYou look... upset.â
âNo. Itâs just that I thought... That is, I didnât realize...â Alex clamped his mouth firmly shut, chagrined to be stumbling over his words like a tongue-tied teenager in the throes of his first crush. After a moment, he tried again. âIâm terribly sorry.â
âWhatever for?â she asked in that soft, honeyed voice. âYou were great.â
He was great? âIâm afraid Iââ
She smiled at him again, and Alex forgot what heâd been about to say. Cursing himself, he took a deep breath. He had to get out of here. âIâm sorry. I can see now that I made a mistake. Please accept my apologies for the, um, interruption. Iâll just leave you and your...your...â
He flicked a glance at the groom heâd mistaken for his brother. The man appeared to be making time with the bridesmaid. Alex swallowed. âIâll just get out of your way and let you get back to your wedding.â Without wasting another moment, he turned to leave.
âWait!â She caught his arm before heâd managed to take the first step. âListen, I know I said you were great, and you were, but I still think it could use some work. Why donât we try it again? Just do everything exactly the same way you did a few minutes ago.â
Alexâs jaw dropped. His body tensed. He couldnât help it. His gaze fell to her lips and he felt that slap of heat again. âYou want me to kiss you again?â
âWell, yes. That, too.â She gave him another of those lazy smiles that did strange things to his brain and made it difficult for him to think clearly. âBut this time, be sure to wait for your cue.â
Alex blinked. âMy cue?â
âYes. When the reverend asks if there are any objections, thatâs where youâre supposed to come in. Otherwise, do everything exactly the way you did it a minute ago,â she instructed him. âYour inflection was perfect, and I loved the ad lib, by the way. It was a nice touch. You can go ahead and leave it in.â
His inflection? The ad lib? What in the hell was she talking about?
âOh, and be sure to do that steely-eyed thing that you did with your eyes again. For a minute there, you even had me believing you were serious about stopping the wedding.â
âI was serious,â Alex countered, growing more confused by the second. âI thoughtââ His tongue twisted in his mouth as she curved her lips into another one of those smiles and sent fire singing through his veins. âDamn!â
Her smile slipped. âWhat is it? Whatâs wrong?â
Alex took a long, measured breath and struggled to regain control of the situation and of himself. âLady, I donât have a clue as to what youâre talking about.â
She tipped her head and eyed him curiously. âWhat is it you donât understand?â
âI donât understand anything youâve said. I donât know a thing about any cues or ad libs or steely-eyed looks. If I was convincing when I came in here and demanded you stop the wedding itâs because I thought I was stopping a wedding.â
âYou thought this was a real wedding?â
âYes.â
She narrowed her eyes. âAnd just whose wedding did you think you were stopping?â
âMy brotherâs.â He squeezed his eyes shut a moment, mortified to have made such a mistake. For a smart man who was considered to be great when it came to assessing businesses, he had just scored a big, fat zero in assessing this situation. If heâd been the least bit astute, he would have noted earlier what he saw nowâa stage at the far end of the room, drapes drawn across that stage and a sign tacked to one curtain that read Wet Paint.
âI see,â she said, sighing. âThen I guess Bernie didnât send you after all.â
Exasperated, Alex dragged a hand through his hair. âI donât even know anyone named Bernie.â
âI was afraid of that. I donât suppose thereâs any chance that youâre an unemployed actor looking for work, is there?â she asked hopefully.
Alex almost laughed at the notion, and he would have if he werenât feeling as though heâd wandered into the Twilight Zone. âHardly. Iâm an attorney. My nameâs Alex Stone.â
Desiree nearly choked. This was Alexander Stone? This giant of a man with the eyes of a warrior and the face of a dark angel? This man whose kiss had made her blood spin? He was Kevinâs uptight, stuffy, older brother?
Desiree caught her bottom lip between her teeth as she studied him more closely. Of course, she could see his resemblance to Kevin now. And if she hadnât been so wrapped up in the play and her reaction to him, maybe she would have spotted the similarities sooner. After all, the two men did share those same dark, good looks. But where Kevinâs hair curled a bit and brushed his collar, Alexâs was stick straight and shorter, making that sharp jaw of his appear even sharperâand for some reason more appealing to her. And where Kevinâs eyes were a warm brown that had roused an immediate sisterly affection in her, Alexâs eyes were hard and as black as a moonless sky. And when heâd looked at her, when those midnight eyes of his had snapped to life with desire, she had in no way been inclined with feelings that were sisterly.
Nope, Alexander Stone didnât make her feel the least bit sisterly, Desiree admitted as she continued to study him. In fact, she couldnât help wondering what it would be like to really be kissed by him.
Like jumping from the frying pan into the fire, she told herself. Not only would it be stupid, but she didnât have the time or the inclination to let her hormones get in the way. At least not now. Not when she had a dinner theater set to open in less than a month, and not when one of her players was still missing.
âAnd you are...?â
Desiree dragged her attention to Alexâs outstretched hand. As she placed her fingers in his palm, a shiver of awareness shimmied down her spine. Well, what do you know, she thought, a bit excited by her reaction to him. Ever since her sister Loreleiâs kidnapping and wedding a few months before to the man whoâd been her first love, sheâd found herself daydreaming and wishing she would meet someone special. And now here was Alexander Stone. âDesiree. My nameâs Desiree.â
Alexâs fingers tightened around hers. âDesiree? Youâre Desiree Mason?â
âYes,â she said, surprised that he knew her full name, as well as by his quick release of her hand. âDid Kevin happen to mention me to you?â
âOh, yes. Heâs mentioned you all right.â
And judging by Alexâs chilled tone and the way his jaw had clenched, whatever Kevin had told his big brother about her hadnât been to Alexâs liking.
âYouâre the actress.â
He made the term actress sound as though it ranked right up there with the word thief. âYes, I am.â
âI see,â he said coolly.
Talk about rotten karma. âIt figures,â Desiree muttered. It was just her luck that the first man sheâd been attracted to in ages would be a stick-in-the-mud Adonis in a custom-tailored suit with a chip the size of a boulder on his linebacker shoulders.
âWhat figures?â
âThat you were just too good to be true.â
âI beg your pardon?â
Desiree doubted that Alexander Stone ever had to beg for anythingâespecially not from a woman. She shrugged. No way would she admit her foolish romantic thoughts to him or anyone else. âI was just thinking youâre a good actor,â she replied instead. âToo good for me to have mistaken you for a green drama student.â
âThank you. I think.â
âIf you ever decide to change professions, you should keep acting in mind. Youâd be great on the stage.â
âI donât think thereâs much chance of that happening.â
Desiree grinned at his clipped reply. He looked as though even the thought of doing such a thing would be about as pleasant as a toothache. âOne never knows. There are an awful lot of lawyers out there.â
âAnd according to statistics, there are just about as many would-be actors.â
âProbably because there are so many out-of-work lawyers. But I guess itâs to be expected.â
âAnd how do you figure that?â
âWell, from what Iâve seen of the legal system, thereâs not a lot of difference between acting and lawyering. One uses a stage and the other uses a courtroom.â
âSo what gives, Des?â Charlie, the playâs minister, called out. âWe gonna rehearse anymore or not?â
âNot,â she told him. Lifting the train of her wedding dress, she brushed past Alex and stepped to the center of the room. She clapped her hands. âAll right, everybody. Listen up. Thatâs it for today. But I want everyone here tomorrow morning at eight oâclock sharp.â
âEight oâclock?â
âThatâs right. Eight oâclock,â Desiree said, ignoring the groans. âAnd I donât want anyone to be late.â
âWhat about breakfast?â OâReilly, her groom, asked.
Desiree grinned. The only thing that OâReilly loved more than the ladies was food. âIâll see what Harry can scrape up for you guys. Just make sure youâre here on time.â
The old ballroom hummed with the sound of voices and shuffling feet as the cast began to file out. Try as she might to ignore him, Desiree was all too conscious of Alex standing right where sheâd left him. She could feel his gaze fastened on her as she saw the others out, studying her relentlessly as though she were some strange new species of bug under a microscope.
She cut a glance to him and watched those dark eyes of his slide over her, then ease back up to linger on her mouth. Her traitorous pulse jumped as she remembered their kiss. Suddenly it was there again. That breathstealing awareness between them. Quickly she turned away and drew in a steadying breath. She must have taken leave of her senses. No way did she want to get involved with Alex Stone. The two of them would be like oil and water. For starters, from everything Kevin had told her, his brother liked the females and they liked him, but the man was definitely antimarriage. While she...she wanted to get married someday and find the âhappily ever afterâ her parents and her sister had discovered. She started toward the mock church railing to retrieve the silk bridal bouquet sheâd left there.
With a speed that surprised her, Alex was moving in front of her, blocking her path. âArenât you the least bit interested as to why Iâm here, Ms. Mason? Or why I thought you were marrying my brother?â
At five feet eight inches Desiree didnât have to look up to find herself on eye level with most menâespecially not when she was wearing three-inch heels as she was now. But with Alex, she found herself tipping her head back. âI assumed you were looking for Kevin.â
âThatâs right.â
âAnd as you can see, he isnât here. But donât worry, Iâll be sure to let him know you came by.â Reaching past him, she scooped up the bouquet with one hand, then picked up the skirts of her wedding gown with the other. âNow if youâll excuse me, I have to go change.â
Alex caught her arm before she could take a step. âNot so fast, Ms. Mason. I do believe you and I need to have a little chat.â
Desiree blew at the wisp of hair that drifted across one eye. âI donât think thereâs anything for us to discuss. That is, not unless youâre interested in auditioning for the play.â
âAfraid Iâll have to pass.â
She shrugged. âYour decision. And since I donât have the time or the inclination to discuss the merits of acting with you, Iâd appreciate it if youâd let go of my arm.â She looked down at the large hand circling her forearm and back up at him. âThat is, unless youâd like to have me demonstrate some of the new moves Iâve learned in my karate class.â
Alex released her, but continued to block her path.
Exasperated, she said, âMr. Stone, Iâm a busy woman. And Iâve got a dinner theater to run. I strongly suggest you get out of my way.â Before she gave in to the impulse to kick him in the shins, she added silently.
âAnd Iâm a busy man with a law firm and a major corporation back in Boston to run, but Iââ
âThen Iâd suggest you start for the airport,â she said. âYouâve got about an hourâs drive ahead of you.â
âAs I started to say, Iâm not leaving here until we have a little discussion about you and my brother and I get some answers.â
âAnswers to what?â
âTo questions like whose idea was it for Kevin to drop out of law school?â
Desiree hesitated, chewing on that bit of news. âI wasnât aware that Kevin had dropped out.â In fact, Kevin hadnât said a word about doing any such thing when heâd told her he was going to Chicago to visit his sweetheart and audition for a new show. Heâd only asked if he could have his mail forwarded to her while he was gone.
âWerenât you?â
She didnât miss the accusation in his tone. âNo, I wasnât.â But thanks to Kevin, she was all too aware of Alexâs displeasure at his brotherâs interest in theater. It was the excuse Kevin had given her for not telling Alex the truthâthat he wanted to be an actor, not an attorney. As the youngest of three girls, she knew all about putting up with older siblings who thought they knew what was best for you and ended up trying to run your life. âBut if Kevin has decided to leave law school, Iâd say thatâs his decision and not yours.â
âOr yours?â Alex countered.
âNo,â she returned, frowning. âWhy on earth would you think it was my decision?â
âWhy indeed. Come off it, Ms. Mason,â he said, his voice as sharp as the look he gave her. âKevin told me when he was home during the holidays what close friends the two of you had become. I just hadnât realized how close that relationship was. Iâm sure your opinion on the subject of his attending law school would have had a great deal to do with his decision.â
Desiree pursed her lips. Evidently dear Kevin had also failed to explain the nature of their friendship to his brother. Given Alexâs reaction, she could understand why. She glanced up, read the disapproval and suspicion in his eyes. Temper spiked through her again. The heck with setting him straight. The man deserved to stew a bit, and she intended to make him do just that. âWell, youâre right about one thing. Kevin and I have become very close friends,â she said in her best imitation of a vampâs voice.
Alexâs dark eyes grew stormy, and Desiree told herself sheâd been right in her initial assessment of him. The man did have the eyes of a warriorâhard, cold, uncompromising. âBut as far as law school goes, you give me far too much credit. The only opinion that really matters is Kevinâs. After all, the decision is his to make. Not yours or mine.â
The smile he gave her sent a ripple of uneasiness down Desireeâs spine. âTrue. But what does matter is that Iâm the one who controls Kevinâs trust fund.â
âBully for you,â she quipped, feigning indifference. Trust fund? What trust fund? Sheâd assumed Kevinâs family had a bit of money. Anyone with brains in their head could see that he dressed well, drove a nice car, and while he wasnât flashy with money, he never seemed to be short of it. Besides, he was attending a prestigious and pricy law school in New Orleans. That in itself would have wiped out any scenarios about him being on the verge of poverty. Still, the way Alex had spit out the words trust fund she doubted he was talking about a few thousand dollarsâwhich had been the most her savings book had ever managed to reflect. âI still donât see how that affects me.â
âDonât you?â
âNo. Iâd say thatâs between you and Kevin. After all, itâs Kevinâs life.â
âYes, it is,â Alex said in a deadly soft voice. âAnd I have no intention of standing by and letting Kevin ruin his life by marrying you.â
Shock hit her first, then her anger kicked into high gear. She strangled the stem of the bouquet in her hand and silently condemned Kevin to a slow, painful death for getting her into this fix in the first place. Tipping up her chin up, she called on her training as an actress to make her lips curve into a smile that reached her eyes. She batted her lashes in what she hoped reflected all sweetness and innocence. âWell then,â she said laying on the Southern drawl like thick maple syrup. âI guess Iâll just have to be sure to tell Kevin not to bother sending you an invitation to the wedding.â
