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“I don’t make this offer lightly. Look, my sister Celia is leaving the business, and my brother Chase could not be less interested in getting involved. Eventually, my company will need someone competent to take over, and neither of my siblings will be that person. I need a child of my own. I may be young now, but time slips away fast. I don’t want to be one of those executives in his sixties picking up a twenty-something and being too old to bring the child up as a decent person.”
She started to say something, but she hesitated and bit her lip. “I…”
“I know this is a lot to take in,” I admitted, “but keep in mind, it would mean an heir for you, too. What’s mine is your and yours is mine, and any child that comes from us would inherit both our empires.”
Her cheeks were flushed. I was aware that in some sense, I was talking about her as if her womb was a commodity on the table to be traded with the rest of the property we were dealing with. The thought of that made my cock twitch, and judging by the way she was squirming, I wondered if it wasn’t getting her a little excited too, despite herself.
“So, this is sex for a favor?”
“Not at all,” I retorted, and my smile turned into a grin. “That part is just icing on the cake. We obviously already enjoy that part.” I cocked my head to the side. “Why don’t we make it so something useful can come out of it while we’re at it?”
14
Haley
I stared blankly at Chase, my eyes wide and my mouth hanging open. Was he really suggesting what it seemed like he was suggesting? Because if so… well, that was crazy, right?
“Chase,” I murmured, trying to get a hold on the situation. “You can’t be serious.”
He nodded, sitting up straight. There was not even the slightest shred of deceit or pretense in his expression. “This is not a joke. I mean every word I said,” he proclaimed.
“But that’s insane,” I protested. I was utterly flabbergasted.
This did not seem like the kind of thing that could possibly happen in the real world. This had to be the plot of some over-the-top, made-for-TV movie or something.
I shook my head. “No. I get that you’re offering this to make up for the fact that your company just bought my father’s legacy out from under me, but you know I can’t accept this. You’re trying to be noble, and I get that. But this? This is the most ridiculous half-baked idea I’ve ever heard. No offense,” I added.
“None taken. I understand how all of this must sound. But do me a favor and humor me on this. Just think about it,” he insisted.
He reached across the table to take my hand. I almost flinched away, but he was too fast. And as soon as his fingers closed over my much smaller hand, I felt a rush of warmth and affection I couldn’t fully explain. I hated that even the tiniest touch from Chase could render me weak and speechless. All he had to do was utilize one itty-bitty drop of his charm and suddenly I was putty in his hands.
“Okay. So, just to get this straight, you’re saying that we should marry each other to fix the mistake you just made,” I laid out. I stared at him.
“I wouldn’t call it a mistake so much as an unfortunate side effect of being an overworked, overzealous businessman who leaves the fine print to his team of lawyers,” he clarified.
I raised an eyebrow at him.
“Yeah. I would still call that a mistake,” I corrected him in a flat tone.
A brilliant, fiendish smile spread slowly across his face. My heart skipped a beat. He could take whatever I dished out at him, and we both k
new it. Hell, judging by the spark in his eyes, I had a feeling he actually kind of liked it when I gave him a hard time. Despite the serious nature of my situation, I had to fight to keep a smile off my own lips. His good humor was infectious.
“Whatever you want to call it, I think it would be in our best interest to turn this change into a benefit for both of us,” he reasoned. “There is no reason why either of us can’t make this work. There are winnings to be had on both sides. It’s a mutually-beneficial arrangement.”
“Careful,” I warned him. I smirked. “Using that corporate lingo might just turn me on.”
Chase chuckled. “See? This is what I mean. You and I work well together. We mesh. When the two of us come together, it’s magic. Especially if last night was any indication.”
I rolled my eyes even though my heart was pounding. I was willing my face not to blush as I replied, “I hardly think one night of admittedly awesome sex is an accurate predictor for how well we would work as business partners. Or as, well, make-believe life partners.”
“We could try,” he urged me.
All the joking disappeared from his demeanor. Now he was just earnest. Genuine. He was imploring me. Not begging, because Chase Hawthorne never begged for anything from anyone. But he was dead serious. Still, I knew this was a bizarre offer, no matter how earnestly suggested. No matter how gorgeous and brilliant and amazing Chase was. Who in their right mind would ever agree to such a crazy idea?
“I don’t know.” I shook my head and withdrew my hand from his grip, folding my hands in my lap as I looked at him.
He didn’t waver for even a moment, his eye contact unbroken. “What you’re offering me, what you’re suggesting right now in this cafe is that you want to get married. For convenience. As a strategic move.”
