* * *
Talk about a bumpy flight. Another wave of turbulence shook the Learjet. Kelsey checked her seat belt for the millionth time. Habit. Turbulence, she could handle. But Will Addison?
No matter which way she turned, she could see him, smell him, sense him. Talk about feeling claustrophobic. If only she had a parachute…
Kelsey didn’t understand what was going on. Okay, that wasn’t the entire truth. But the truth bothered her, made her feel lower than low. Not even worthy of being at the bottom of the food chain. Will might be Faith’s brother; he might even be married. But Kelsey was attracted to him, attracted to his looks, his smile, and his easygoing manner.
And she hated herself for the attraction she felt.
She sank into the luxurious leather seat and leaned her head back. Married was synonymous with leprosy because in her book, Will was untouchable, off-limits, whatever you wanted to call it. She wouldn’t be a catalyst for the breakup of a marriage. Kelsey would sooner gouge out her eyes than get involved with a married man. Which meant she had to ignore her attraction to Will Addison, had to ignore he was even a man.
She’d witnessed what infidelity could do to a marriage, to a family, thanks to her own parents. Her father had been the first to stray, but her mother had followed in his footsteps until eventually their world fell apart. She remembered the accusations, the fighting, the tears. But amidst her parents constant fighting, it was she and her brother, Cade, who had be the ones to lose. Worse, they’d become pawns in a vicious winner-take-all custody battle.
Will shifted in his seat and stretched his long legs out in front of him. His calf brushed hers, and a burst of heat emanated from the point of contact.
Ignore it, she ordered herself. Something told her she would be having to ignore many things over the next two weeks.
“So how did you become a wedding consultant?” he asked.
Thank goodness. A safe topic. Business-related, even. Kelsey counted her lucky stars. “My parents divorced when I was nine. When it came time for them to marry others, they both asked for my brother’s and my input. I think it was their way of trying to make things easier for us. My brother couldn’t have cared less, but I got into it. Each time they remarried—”
“Each time?”
“My father’s been married eight times, my mother six, and she’s currently engaged to number seven.” It wasn’t a big secret to anyone who knew anything about the Armstrongs. Many followed the happenings of America’s second most famous family. “Needless to say, I had lots of practice planning weddings.”
“Why did you pick Beverly Hills to open your business?”
“When I was thirteen, my mother married a producer, who moved us from Chicago to Beverly Hills and introduced me to the entertainment industry. He’s husband number three and five.”
Will’s eyes widened. “She married him twice?”
Kelsey nodded. “And divorced him twice, too.”
Will frowned. “Your family sounds a lot different than mine.”
“I know. Your parents have been together forever. Starr was very proud of that.”
Will smiled. “Divorce isn’t mentioned in our house. No Addison has ever been divorced.”
“None of them?”
“No grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, or siblings.”
“That’s…unbelievable.”
“But it’s true.” Pride rang out in his voice, and Kelsey felt a stab of envy. “We’ve all been fortunate to find the right person.”
“Not Faith.”
“She hasn’t married yet.”
“You don’t have to remind me.” Kelsey stared at him. “So, do all members of the Addison family stay in miserable marriages to avoid divorce?”
“We don’t have miserable marriages.”
And there was a pot of gold at the end of every rainbow. She nearly snorted. “Seems to me most marriages end up that way eventually unless you’re very lucky.”
He raised a brow. “This from a wedding consultant?”
