Suddenly Wed

By Suzana Thompson

Colton Alexander Moore. Bad boy, billionaire, and my new husband.
What was I thinking?
Will this marriage of convenience save me or ruin me?
 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Suzana Thompson
• Release date: Jun 22, 2025
• ISBN: 9781737453055

Book preview

Chapter 1

I’d known this day was coming.  I thought I was prepared for it, but I was wrong.  As the hours inexorably passed and took me ever closer to the appointed time, panic began to build within me.  I tried to stem it by reminding myself of my plan, but my rising anxiety overwhelmed me, and I veered into an empty classroom rather than continuing on to my last class of the day.  Slamming the door shut, I leaned back against it with my eyes closed and tried to calm my breathing.

Excuse you, a female voice said sarcastically.

My eyes flew open, and a jolt went through me when I saw the two people across the room.  It was obvious I’d interrupted their make-out session, because their bodies were pressed together, and his hands were gripping her rear.  They both had their heads turned toward me, and I could guess that they had been kissing when I rushed in and invaded their privacy.

I knew that I should apologize and leave—or at least avert my gaze.  But I just stared at them, or specifically at him.  Colton Alexander Moore.  Such a respectable name for our school bad boy.  The one who has starred in all my fantasies about my first kiss.  He was everything I shouldn’t want, but I couldn’t look away from the sight of him.  Messy, black hair looking more disheveled than usual.  Wicked, dark eyes staring back at me with interest.

Perverted much? the girl with him asked in a caustic tone, rousing me from my mesmerized daze.

I finally dropped my eyes to the floor in embarrassment and mumbled, Sorry.

Leave, Colton commanded.

Mortification swept through me.  It was what I should have done without needing to be told. 

Are you kidding me? the girl exclaimed before I could react.  You made plans with another girl at the same time as me!  What the fuck?

I said leave, he replied in a flat, uncaring tone.

You’re an asshole! she yelled as I raised my eyes in disbelief that he was saying that to her instead of me.

I was just in time to see her storming toward me.  She shoved me out of the way and yanked the door open to march out furiously.  As I was catching my balance, Colton strode past me and shut the door behind her, enclosing us in the room together.  I froze as my mind registered the fact that I was now alone with him.

It was a scenario I had imagined countless times, but not like this.  There was never another girl with him in my fantasies.  And it wasn’t me walking in on him randomly.  It was always him seeking me out and telling me that he liked me.  Then he would walk slowly toward me and kiss me, like a scene from a movie.

None of that was happening now.  He eyed me sideways from where he was standing a few feet away from me.  Are you hiding from someone?

I blinked and turned fully toward him.  What?

He turned to face me too.  You hiding out in here?  Who was chasing you?  Do you need help?

My mouth parted in surprise.  This bad boy was offering his help to me?  Uh, no, nobody was chasing me.  I’m just...

I shook my head.  Nobody can help me.

His eyes narrowed.  Try me.  Whoever it is, I can take him down.

Oh yeah? I retorted.  Can you take down my father?  Can you stop him from marrying me off to the highest bidder?  I don’t think so.

I gaped at him in shock at myself over having revealed that to him.  I felt all the blood drain from my face.  Please, I pleaded, don’t tell anyone I said that.

I turned to flee, but he was closer to the door and caught my arm as I hurried toward it.  I halted in my tracks, the electric jolt of his touch stunning me.  My gaze shot to his, and our eyes locked again.  We stared at each other for a long, charged moment before he roused himself and let go of my arm.

I can...

His voice came out gravelly, and he stopped and cleared his throat.  Uh, he can’t make you marry anyone.  This is America, not...whatever country he’s from.  You have the right to say no.

My shoulders slumped.  And I’ll be cut off as soon as I do.  Immediately, I mentally chided myself and took a deep breath as I straightened my shoulders.  I’ll make it.  I have a plan.  Lots of people are on their own at eighteen.

His look of disapproval tore down my fledging confidence.  What plan? he demanded.

I owed him no explanation, but I yielded to his authoritarian attitude.  He acted like he had the right to know, and I was conditioned to acquiesce to male authority.  To work, uh, to get a job, I stammered. 

He scowled at me.  That’s it?  You think you can just get some minimum wage job and pay for everything yourself?  Where are you going to live?  Do you know how much rent costs?  Do you know how much anything costs, princess?

His derisive glance skimmed down my expensive designer clothes, and I flushed, knowing that I looked like every other spoiled rich girl in this elite school.  I didn’t choose these clothes, I answered defensively.  My mother makes me dress like this.  She won’t let me leave the house if I don’t look presentable.

His eyes narrowed on me again.  And what does she think of your arranged marriage?

I sighed.  She doesn’t see anything wrong with it.  She thinks I’m crazy for complaining, because he’s rich and handsome, and she can’t understand why I wouldn’t want to marry him.  But the way he looks at me is...

I shuddered, revulsion skittering down my spine as I recalled his sleazy stare.

Colton’s gaze hardened, and mortification swept over me at annoying him with embarrassing details about my life.  Sorry for interrupting you and that girl, I blurted and made another attempt to rush toward the door, but his hand shot out and took hold of my arm again.

What if you marry me?

Every thought in my head came to a screeching halt.  What? I asked, sure that I had misheard him.

His dark eyes assessed me, and he nodded.  Yeah, we’ll get married.  That will solve both our problems.  I’ll get my inheritance, and you won’t have to marry that creep. 

I gaped at him speechlessly, but he continued on like it was all settled.  Bring your birth certificate tomorrow, and we’ll go get a marriage license.  You said you’re eighteen, right?

I found my voice.  Yeah, but—

Good.  Me too.  We can get married whenever we want.  Wait! he exclaimed, his gorgeous face brightening.  We can do it this weekend.  We’ll fly to Vegas and get it done.  I can’t wait to see the look on that bastard’s face when he finds out he has no control over me anymore. 

His satisfied smile had my heart tripping as he squeezed my arm.  I shook my head, trying to clear it.  What are you talking about?  My parents would never let me go to Las Vegas.

He rolled his eyes.  Don’t tell them.  Just go.  They can’t stop you anyway if you’re eighteen.

The thought of it shot a thrill through me.  The freedom of it, the excitement of an adventure.  Doing something that wasn’t planned by my parents.  How great would that be?

Then I came crashing back down to reality.  What had I been thinking?  I couldn’t run off to Vegas.  Especially not with Colton Moore.  He was reckless and irresponsible, and I couldn’t afford to get caught up in his whims.  I had to be careful and play it smart.  The first step was to graduate from high school.  Then I would put my plan into action by getting a job and moving out.  I knew that I would need a roommate to be able to afford an apartment.  I wasn’t as clueless about finances as Colton thought.

He was one to lecture me when he was the one acting like a spoiled rich kid.  He partied to excess and hooked up with girls all the time.  Hadn’t I just seen it with my own eyes?  Would he have had sex with her right here at school if I hadn’t walked in on them?  Was he trying to lure me to Las Vegas so he could have sex with me?

That had to be it.  His offer of marriage had to be a trick, because that was the only thing that made sense.

Nice try, I told him, but I’m not going to sleep with you.

He was taken aback, but then he nodded.  You’re right.  That would be stupid.  We need to be smart about this and treat it like a business deal.  That’s basically what it is anyway.  I get my inheritance, and you get...

He tilted his head at me.  What do you want?

I was still stuck on his remark that sleeping with me would be stupid, and I struggled to get past my disappointment and focus on his question.  What do I want? I questioned him, seeking clarification.

Yeah, he replied.  What do you want besides not to marry the creep?  What do you want for you?

I want to go to college, I blurted.

He reacted in surprise.  Really?  That’s what you want?  Not jewelry or money?

College costs money, so I guess I do want money, I admitted.

But only to pay for college, he said, narrowing his eyes at me suspiciously.

My parents won’t let me go to college, I replied, feeling compelled to explain.  Bitterness crept into my tone as I added, My husband will take care of me, so why would I need to go to college?

Colton’s expression cleared, and he confided, My dad thinks college is a waste of time.  He never went, and he built his business from the ground up, so he wants me to start in an entry level position and work my way up.  And he’s the one who gets to decide when I get promoted.  It’ll take me twenty years to make it to management with that hard ass.

I gaped at him.  You mean he’s not having you work with him and training you to take over when he retires?  My father would love to have a son to hand over the reins to the business one day.

Your father is a sexist asshole, he retorted.  A daughter can take over the business just as well as a son can.

I lowered my eyes, feeling uncomfortable with his criticism of my father, even though I’d secretly thought the same thing.

I won’t apologize, Colton told me.  I say what I think, even if it’s not nice.  You should know that about me if you’re going to marry me.

I felt that exciting jolt again, but I tamped down my unfamiliar giddiness and questioned him.  Why would you marry me?  You don’t even know me. 

He studied me thoughtfully.  Alessandra Bianchi.  Such a cool name.  You’re beautiful but untouchable.  I’ve been going to school with you for four years, but you’ve never spoken to me before.  You’re eighteen, an honor student, and you’re a good girl who never gets in trouble.  How am I doing so far?

Nervousness overwhelmed me and had me dropping my gaze to the floor.  He’d called me beautiful.  And he knew my name!  I didn’t know what to think or how to respond.

What do you know about me? he prompted.

I lifted my eyes to his in what was surely a wide-eyed stare, and he laughed wickedly.  The sound sent a thrill through me.

Yes, he said, it’s all true.

His words had a seductive affect, especially since he spoke them with his sexy gaze fixed on me.  I felt myself heating up like I had a sudden fever.  This was way beyond any embarrassment I’d ever experienced, but I couldn’t drop my gaze like I normally would.  Because the feeling wasn’t just embarrassment.  It was some kind of hot excitement that I’d never felt before.  It had my body tight with the thrill of anticipation, but also languid with the heat like on a sweltering summer day.

I got even hotter as Colton’s dark eyes began to smolder with the knowledge of his effect on me.  How I knew this I couldn’t say.  I could somehow decipher it in his gaze, as he obviously could see everything I was feeling in mine. 

Despite that, I couldn’t control the sudden flood of images in my mind.  They were from all my fantasies of him kissing me, and making that a reality was all I could think about now.  Like he could read my thoughts, his eyes dropped to my lips, and I parted them to accommodate my suddenly shallow breathing.

He captured my gaze again with a look so heated that my stomach twisted tightly with the intensity of it before the fluttering I’d been feeling there resumed with a frenzy.  It intensified to an almost unbearable excitement as he took a step toward me.

I could hardly believe this was happening.  Colton was going to kiss me.  The intent in his eyes was unmistakable.

Yet he stopped himself.

I watched him still and slowly straighten into a stiff, formal stance that reminded me of the way characters held themselves in a period movie, despite the modern clothes Colton was wearing.  His faded jeans and plain white t-shirt did nothing to detract from his sudden resemblance to Mr. Darcy.  His impeccable posture and proper demeanor were the furthest thing from the sexy bad boy he had