The Millionaire's Redemption

‘Thanks for agreeing to have coffee with me,’ he said when he settled down beside her.

‘It was the least I could do after you helped me with Kyle. Even if you did throw most of mine in the bin.’

‘Sorry...’

Jacques smiled apologetically, but something on his face told her there was more.

He confirmed it when he said, ‘I actually wanted to talk to you in private because...’

He took a breath, and she felt a frisson of nerves deep inside.

‘I was hoping you would do a little more than just have coffee with me.’

‘What do you want?’ she asked stiffly, hearing a voice mocking her in her head.

Did you really think he was being nice to you because he liked you?

‘Nothing we haven’t already managed to pull off.’ He paused. ‘I’d like you to pretend to be my girlfriend.’

CHAPTER FIVE (#u4251f1d2-486d-519b-9800-37c01c75f833)

IT SOUNDED SILLY even as he said it—more so when he saw the look on her face—but he ignored the feeling. This was the point of continuing the charade for so long. This was the point of asking her out for coffee.

It shouldn’t matter that the easiness they’d shared this past half an hour—the ease responsible for that slip about his parents—had dissipated.

‘Are you sure you just want me to pretend to be a girlfriend?’ she asked quietly.

‘Yes. We’ve done a pretty good job at convincing Kyle. A few more people wouldn’t hurt.’

‘“A few more” isn’t quite the number, though, is it?’

Wondering how she knew, he answered, ‘Fine, it’s a lot more than a few. But you won’t actually be on television. I just need the people at the studio to know you exist, so when I mention you on air it’ll be believable.’

‘What are you talking about?’

‘Latte Mornings. I have an interview on the show tomorrow morning.’ He frowned, realising now that they weren’t on the same page. ‘What are you talking about?’

‘I heard your conversation, remember?’

She looked straight at him, and if her words hadn’t surprised him he might have acknowledged the way his stomach tightened in response.

‘You need a wife, right? Someone who will make you more...palatable to the public for some business deal you’re working on?’

‘Hold on.’ He took a deep breath. ‘You don’t get to make assumptions about things you overheard—out of context, I might add—in a private conversation.’

Her cheeks flushed, and the spirit that had had her looking him in the eye earlier faded as she averted her gaze. ‘I’m sorry that I eavesdropped, Jacques, but I... I can’t be your wife.’

‘I’m not asking you to marry me, Lily.’

‘Then what do you want from me?’

‘I just want you to pretend to be my girlfriend. You may have overheard that I’m not entirely willing to marry someone to get the public to like me.’ Not if I don’t have to. ‘But you gave me the idea tonight that I could pretend to have a nice, respectable girlfriend and that might have the same effect.’

‘And that’s the real reason you wanted coffee?

‘Yeah. It isn’t that much to ask, considering that I did the same for you tonight.’

He shouldn’t feel bad about this. He shouldn’t have to defend himself.

So why was he?

‘And maybe if you’d asked me straight I would have agreed. But instead you just told me to continue the charade for a bit longer—which now, of course, I realise is because you wanted to test whether it would actually have an effect, and not because you wanted to annoy Kyle—and then “coffee”.’ She lifted her hands in air quotes. ‘You manipulated me.’

‘And what you did wasn’t manipulation?’ he snapped back at her, guilt spurring his words. The picture she had painted reminded him too much of his father.

‘I didn’t manipulate you,’ she answered primly. ‘I told you why I did what I did. I was honest with you as soon as I had the chance to be.’

He shrugged, pretended her words didn’t affect him. ‘And I’m a businessman. I know how to capitalise on opportunities.’

‘This isn’t an opportunity,’ she said coldly. ‘I’m not an opportunity.’

‘Of course not.’ He said the words before he could think about how they might undermine the cool exterior he was aiming for.

‘Then stop treating me like one.’

She was right, he thought, and then remembered that she’d said if he’d been straight with her maybe she would have agreed.

‘You’re right—and I’m sorry for the way I went about this.’

She gave him a look that told him she didn’t entirely trust his words. That look combined with the wounded expression just behind the guard she was trying so desperately to keep up, made him feel a stab of guilt.

He had manipulated her. And he should know, since he’d witnessed his father manipulating his mother for his entire childhood. Somehow the man had made his wife believe that telling their children they were disappointments, failures, was normal. That raising them without the love and support parents were supposed to give was acceptable. And his mother, so desperately in love with a man who had only wanted her for her money, hadn’t believed she’d deserved more.

That her children had deserved better.

When Jacques had finally managed to convince his mother to kick his father out it had only taken his father a few minutes to change her mind. And now Jacques regretted it. The trying. The hope. The fact that he’d done it on the night of the championship.

It had been the reason he’d been so easily provoked into the fight that had got him suspended for three years. That had lost his team their chance to be a part of the international league they had fought so hard to play for.

It was why buying the Shadows now was so important. And why he needed to make amends with Lily.

‘Would you give me another chance to ask you to be my girlfriend? My pretend one, of course.’ He wasn’t sure why he clarified it, but it made him feel better.

‘If you tell me why you need a pretend girlfriend, yes.’

He nodded, and forced himself to say the words.

‘Seven years ago I was suspended from playing rugby.’ It took more strength than he’d thought it would to say the words. ‘I got into a fight that cost my team a championship game and the chance of playing in the highest league they could play in.’