His phone buzzed. He stepped away to answer. “I’ll handle the marriage situation,” he said, his voice tight. “Don’t worry, Grandpa won’t be disappointed.” He sounded annoyed. He lit another cigarette. The flickering light
illuminated his sharp jawline. Suddenly, I
realized I’d seen him somewhere before. He
turned, our eyes meeting. I quickly looked away.
He walked back towards me, the scent of his
cigarette strong. I coughed.
“Sorry,” he said, extinguishing it. He gestured to
his jacket. “Just give it to the staff later.”
Ihlushed again “Okay”
924
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His eyes flickered to my hand, still clutching the jacket. With the dress open, my skin brushed the fine lining, an intimacy only we were aware of. I self–consciously hunched my shoulders.
As he turned to leave, I blurted out, “I overheard your phone call… Could we… make a deal?”
I looked up at him. Maybe he needed a wife, someone discreet, someone who could disappear when needed. And I needed five hundred thousand dollars for my freedom.
“A deal? What kind of deal, Miss Miller?”
I was too nervous to notice he knew my name. “Do you… need a wife?” I asked, gathering my courage. “I won’t be any trouble, I’ll cooperate fully. And when you don’t need me anymore, I won’t bother you.”
He studied me, his silver shirt and dark pants accentuating his lean frame. His watch probably
<
accentuating his lean frame. His watch probably
cost more than this entire yacht.
“What are your terms?”
I hesitated, shame creeping in. “I need five
hundred thousand dollars.”
“For what?”
I lowered my eyes. “My fiancé wants to break off the engagement, and I have to return half
the engagement gift. I don’t have that kind of
money.”
“Broken engagement?” His gaze sharpened.
“Yes,” I said softly, looking out at the ocean.
The wind whipped my hair around my face. “I’m out of options.”
- 8.
“I accept your offer, but I have one condition.”
<
I looked up, hope flickering in my chest. “Sir?”
“We get married within three days.”
“So soon?”
“You heard my phone call. My grandfather’s ill.
He wants to see me settled.” He raised an
eyebrow. “Is that a problem?”
“No, not at all,” I rushed out.
“Then it’s settled.”
He stepped closer, tucking a stray strand of
hair behind my ear. “I’ll send someone for you
the day after tomorrow.”
“But how will you know where I am…?”
He didn’t answer. As he pulled his hand away,
his fingers brushed my cheek. Or maybe I
imagined it.
<
He left, and I stood there, lost in a daze. Then
Mark, drunk and unsteady, stumbled over and
grabbed my wrist.
“Ashley, I’ve been waiting three years for you to
beg me, to be like all those other women. If you just groveled, I would have given you anything, a million, ten million! Anything for your family!”
“You’re drunk, Mark…” I tried to push him away, but he wouldn’t let go.
He glared at me, his eyes fixated on the suit
jacket. “Whose clothes are you wearing?”
“It’s none of your business, Mark.”
“None of my business?” His face twisted in
anger. “I’ll show you whose business it is. I’ll
show anyone who dares to touch what’s mine!”
He yanked at the jacket, ripping it open. I tried
to hold it closed, but it was too late. The wind
<
blew, revealing my chest in the moonlight.
“Ashley…” Mark breathed.
927
Then Chloe’s shrill voice cut through the air.
“Ashley! You shameless hussy! How dare you
try to seduce someone else’s fiancé? Look,
Mark’s practically drooling! See, this is how it’s done!”
I scrambled to cover myself. Chloe, tears
streaming down her face, lunged at me, raising her hand to slap me.
