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“I take it she doesn’t know about your preemptive marriage?”
“Of course she doesn’t know.”
“Then you might want to come up with a cover story.” Kristy turned away, running her fingers over the smooth tabletop, meandering her way through the room.
“I get it,” said Jack with a frustrated sigh. “Go ahead. Tell me what it’ll take?”
“For me to disappear?”
“Of course.”
“Nothing.”
“Really?”
“I mean there’s nothing you can offer. Nothing I want.” Other than what she had here. She had exactly what she wanted right here. Except for Jack’s oppressive presence, obviously.
“Everybody wants something,” he said.
“Maybe. But I’ve already got it.”
“Do you want an apology? Is that it?”
She turned back. “An apology would have been nice four days ago.”
“Okay, I’m sorry. I’m sorry I misjudged you. I’m sorry I married you.”
“What you mean is that you’re sorry you’re stuck with me.”
“Can you be reasonable for a minute?”
“I don’t think so.”
Jack gave a hard sigh. “You made your bed,” she pointed out. “And I made a pretty damn fine bed for you while I was at it.”
“And I’m lying in it.”
His jaw tightened, and they stared at each other in crackling silence.
But, despite her best efforts, her sympathies were engaged. She had a mother, too.
“You don’t have to tell her we’re married,” she finally suggested.
“You announced it to the staff,” he reminded her.
“Oh, yeah.” She paused. “Bad luck.”
“That makes this partly your fault.”
“That’sthe tack you want to take?”
He’d had her there for a second, but he was quickly losing the advantage. This wasn’t her problem. It was his. And she didn’t need to feel any obligation to solve it for him.
But then he had the grace to look sheepish, and she felt bad again. And his motives, after all, were honorable. He was trying to help his grandfather. Kristy had merely been collateral damage.
“We could tell her the truth,” she offered. “We had a whirlwind relationship in Vegas.”
“And how do I explain that you’re in the guest room?”
“I didn’t work out? We had a fight?”
He advanced on her. “That’ll just raise more questions.”
“Well, we’re running out of options here.” She was trying to be helpful, but he wasn’t making it easy.
“Not quite.”
“What do you mean?”
“We pretend we’re happily married. Then we pretend we divorce in a month or so.”
Kristy shook her head. That sounded like way too much Jack, and way too often. “I don’t think so.”
He glanced around the big room. “Name your price.”
“I already told you, I don’t have a price.”
“Fabric? Notions? Sewing machines?”
“Cleveland beat you to it.”
“A staff?” Jack continued. “An unlimited budget.”
“No.”
“Do you have any idea what an unlimited budget means in my world?”
“You mean the world where you own private jets and rent helicopters?”
He nodded. “That world.”
She wasn’t sure if it was his apology, the expression in his eyes or the thought of an unlimited budget.
But, she hesitated.
“Do you want to win the contest?” asked Jack.
Sure, she wanted to win. Her life would change overnight if she won.
His voice dropped to a conspiratorial level. “I can make that happen.”
“You can’t bribe the judges.” What kind of a victory would that be?
Jack rolled his eyes. “I’m not bribing anybody. I can get you silk from the Orient, wool from Kashmir, lace from France, and I can fly you to the corners of the earth to pick it all out.”
Kristy was human enough to be tempted.
And Jack was smart enough to seize the moment. He held out his hand.
She narrowed her eyes, wanting to make sure their cards were on the table. “And I’d have to…?”
“Smile at parties, sip champagne, wrap a few gifts and skate on the pond.” Then his gaze went dark and his voice turned husky. “And sleep in my bed, of course.”
A rush of heat burst in her chest.
“Purely platonic, I promise,” he quickly added.
“You’ve lied to me before,” she pointed out.
“True enough.” He inched closer. “But I’m not lying this time. I’ll keep my hands off, and the world is yours for the taking.”
