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She hated hearing the nickname only he had ever called her trip from his tongue with familiarity. She hated the blunt truth of his casual statement even more. She did need this promotion.
It was the only way to get closure on a past she'd rather forget.
Studying him through narrowed eyes, she said, 'Not that I'd contemplate your crazy scheme for a second, but if I did, what's in it for you?'
Something furtive shifted behind his steady stare before he blinked, eradicating the enigmatic emotion in an instant.
'It's time I married.'
'Why?'
Why now? Why me? Was what she really wanted to ask, but she clamped down on the urge to blurt her questions.
Why would he suggest something so outlandish when they shared nothing these days but a residual attraction based on old times' sake.
He shrugged and she hated his nonchalance in the face of something so important. She would've given everything she owned to be married to him once and now he'd reduced it to a cold, calculating business proposition that hurt way more than it should.
'I'm expanding the business, building more hotels in key cities around the world, but overseas investors won't take me seriously because of my age.’ His lips thinned and a frown marred his brow. ‘They see a young, wealthy, single guy and immediately think I'm a playboy dabbling in business for fun.'
He rolled his shoulders, tilted his head from side to side to stretch his neck, and she stifled the urge to massage it as she used to. He'd always had tense muscles after a hard day's farm work, and had relaxed under her soothing hands.
Her palms tingled with the urge to reach out and stroke his tension away, so she balled her hands into fists and swallowed the unexpected lump in her throat. Damn memories.
He rubbed the back of his neck absent-mindedly, oblivious to her irrational craving to do the same. 'Marriage will give me respectability in their eyes, solidify my entry into wider business circles, and open up a whole new investment pool.'
She stared at him, so cool, so confident, admiring the powerful businessman he'd become, lamenting the loss of the bad boy who hadn't given a toss about what people thought of him.
'That's it?'
He nodded, showing her his hands palm up as if he had nothing to hide. 'That's it.'
‘Why me?’ It had been bugging her since he'd first articulated his outlandish proposal, why a guy like him with charm to burn would choose her for his crazy scheme. "Surely the legendary Nick Mancini would have a bevy of babes eager to tie you down?"
His eyes glittered as she inwardly cursed her choice of words and rushed on. "I mean, why my in particular? What have I got to offer?"
"Do you really want me to answer that?"
Her breath hitched at the clear intent in his loaded stare and she took a step back. "Yes."
To her relief, he shrugged, the heat fading from his eyes. "You're a motivated businesswoman. You wouldn't have flown halfway around the world to make your pitch if you weren't. And I need that. Someone with a clear vision in mind, a business goal."
He pinned her with a firm glare. "Someone who won't cloud the issue with emotion, which is exactly what would happen if I chose a local wife."
His hand gestured between them. "This marriage between us is a straightforward business proposal, a win-win for us both. No chance of mistaking this modern marriage for anything other than a smart decision between two people who know the score and won’t allow emotions to complicate what they want to achieve. What do you think?"
She thought he was mad. Worse, she thought she was a fool for wishing his preposterous proposal held even the slightest hint of emotion that she still meant something to him other than as a means to gaining respectability.
Summoning what was left of her dignity, she nodded. 'I'll get back to you.'
'You do that.'
His confident grin grated. He knew she needed time to contemplate his marital equivalent of a pie chart, assuming she’d capitulate regardless.
With her mind spinning, she stalked across the room, head held high, his soft, taunting chuckles following her out of the door.
Chapter Eight
‘The prodigal daughter returns.'
