The Texan's Contract Marriage

He smiled and sipped his drink before glancing at the cooker. “I’ll get the steaks.”

They ate outside at a glass-topped table with dinner served by his staff. After dinner they moved back to the lawn chairs overlooking the pool and yard. The staff quietly cleared the table, and, when they were left alone, Marek turned his chair to face her.

“Tell me what you propose,” he said. He listened as she talked about getting a place wherever she went that would be large enough for all of them and how he and his family could visit whenever and however long they chose.

Marek simply listened and nodded, and her heart raced as she talked. Her palms had grown damp.

After she finished, he sat quietly, sipping a tall glass of iced tea. She waited in silence, letting him take his time. It seemed eons before he set down his drink and spoke.

“That’s a feasible plan,” he said, and she let out her breath. She couldn’t relax completely because she was certain he had something else in mind.

“I have another idea. All I ask is for you to listen to what I propose. Don’t give me an answer tonight—we can talk about it. I want you to think it over before you answer.”

“That sounds reasonable but scary.”

He smiled again, a smile that softened his features and made him slightly less intimidating. “Good. You are totally tied up in your career and Noah, right?”

“Yes. You know that.”

“I lost my fiancée, and I’m not interested in a deep commitment. Jillian had my heart. I enjoy women and the day will come when I won’t be so numb with grief, but I can’t imagine ever loving again. What I’m getting at is both of us have set loving one special person on hold, more or less.”

“You’re right,” she said, her curiosity soaring.

“Camille, will you marry me? A marriage of convenience would help both of us and should be so much better for Noah.”

Stunned, she dropped her glass of tea, barely aware of it shattering on the patio.

Three

“Please don’t answer me now because I want you to think about it. Any answer you give me immediately will be a knee-jerk reaction. Marry me—it’ll be a marriage of convenience in the fullest sense,” he repeated. “At some point I would expect us to have a physical relationship. I think it would be unrealistic to expect otherwise.”

His voice sounded as if it came from far away, and she felt light-headed. Marry him! “Sorry, I think I’m going to faint.”

He stopped talking instantly and stood. “Put your head down for a moment.” She did as he said and soon felt a cold wet cloth being placed gently on the back of her neck. His warm fingers on her nape were disturbing in a far different way than his proposal had been.

As her head cleared, she sat up.

“Take a deep breath or two and just relax.”

“I broke your glass,” she said, glancing at the sparkling shards at her feet.

“Forget that. Just relax a moment. The proposal is a surprise, and that’s why I want you to think about it. When you feel clear and are ready to hear them, I can give you reasons I came up with this solution.”

“I suppose I’m ready.”

He studied her, and she gazed back, trying to calm down enough to listen to him. She wanted to blurt out a refusal now. Why would she have to think it over? How could he have ever expected her to accept?

“Marriage will give Noah the Rangel name. If we’re married, I think you’ll feel better about leaving him with me. We’ll work out times you can live with. I’ll be a dad for him. I would like to adopt him.”

“I’ll lose him,” she whispered. “He’ll be your son in every way except one. You’ll have far more claim over him than you will as his uncle.”

“You won’t lose him—I promise. And we will have a prenuptial agreement, a contract that you will approve. I will work with you on when I can be with him. I will see to it that financially you and Noah are completely taken care of. You’ll have a private plane whenever you want. You’ll have a generous allowance. You’ll be more financially free to pursue your career. I know you’re doing well, but I can help you do better, and I can definitely do a lot for Noah.”

“I don’t need money.”

“I know you don’t, but this will make it easier. Definitely better for him.”

“I want to do well with my career.”

“I expect you to,” he said. He took her hand again. While his hand held hers, his thumb brushed her knuckles lightly, keeping her aware of his contact. Married to him. Even as the proposal seemed impossible, the prospect made her pulse race.

“I hope to be part of Noah’s life,” Marek continued. “I want to be an influence in his life, to get to know him. By proposing, I feel I’m doing what Kern would have done if it had been my baby. I loved my brother. I just want to watch Noah grow up. I feel as if it gives me a tie to Kern,” Marek said, his voice deepening.

Camille’s eyes filled with tears.

“Camille,” he said quietly. “I don’t want to hurt or worry you. I want you to be happy with whatever we do.”

“How can I be happy with this? You’ll have Noah, and I won’t be able to do anything about it?” she cried, standing and walking away in embarrassment that she couldn’t control her tears.

He came up behind her to place his hands on her shoulders and turn her to face him. He framed her face with his hands and wiped away her tears with his thumbs.

“Stop crying. I promised I wouldn’t hurt you,” he said gently. “Causing you distress is not what I intended. If I were Kern and had just proposed—the two of you were not in love—wouldn’t you consider his proposal?”

Startled by his question, she gazed up at Marek while silence stretched. What would he do if she refused to marry him? He was far more powerful and had more resources. “I suppose I would give it thought,” she replied.

“I’m not Kern, but, believe me, I have his interests at heart.”

Mulling over what he said, she decided she would have given some serious thought to a proposal if it had been from Kern. “You’re a little more serious and forceful than Kern.”

Marek’s faint smile lifted one corner of his mouth, calming her slightly. “I’ll try to be less ‘forceful.’ All I ask is for you to think about the possibilities. Now, are you ready to hear what I propose in the way of finances?”

“Another surprise,” she said without thinking. “Finances are really incidental. That’s not the issue here.”

He released her. “I know it’s not the issue, but I think we ought to look at all aspects of this. Finances, arrangements, a physical relationship. Want some more tea while we talk?”

His voice deepened, and that surprising fire he could ignite effortlessly between them sent a shiver to her toes. With the flicker in the depth of his dark eyes, she guessed he felt the same sparks, too. “Yes, thank you,” she said, walking to the outdoor kitchen with him and watching while he poured another tall glass of tea for her. This handsome, wealthy Texas rancher intended to marry her. The idea was impossible.

After retrieving his tea, he directed her to a chair away from the broken glass and slid his chair close to hers.

As she sipped the icy tea, she focused on him. His eyes gave away nothing about his feelings. He could have been discussing the weather as far as his demeanor and expression were concerned.

“We will draw up papers so our arrangements are as binding as any contract. If you accept, I will pay you five million dollars.”

Her shock returned full force. What were his real intentions? To offer that much money, was he working toward getting custody of Noah? “If I marry you, I get five million dollars from you,” she repeated.

“That’s right,” he said quietly. “You’ll get one million when we sign the papers and four million as soon as we are husband and wife. You will get a million each year we are married, plus a generous allowance. I will set up a trust for Noah and pay for everything for him. You can spend the money I give you as you please because there will be no strings.”

Her shock mushroomed over the fortune that he was dangling as an inducement to accept what he wanted. She could only stare at him, speechless over his offer that would transform her life and the lives of every member of her family. The money was both frightening and dazzling. “Now I see why you get your way so often,” she whispered without even realizing she had spoken aloud.