by Regina Duke
“What if they see it after the wedding?”
Kevin’s heart pounded. Could she be about to say yes to the arrangement? He was flustered and had to think before he answered.
“If they ever see this contract, they will raise hell in the courts for years.”
“Then aren’t you taking a terrible chance by showing this contract to anyone? Even prospective signers?” Megan could see that he hadn’t thought of that as his face fell and his brow furrowed with worry.
“I, er, didn’t think of that.”
“Did you show it to the other applicants?”
“No. We didn’t get that far.”
“And you haven’t shown it to me yet, so you’re safe.”
“It includes a confidentiality clause.”
Megan turned a hand over. “But that only helps if I actually sign the contract, right?”
“Oh, God, I’m screwed.” Kevin slumped in the chair. Why hadn’t he thought through to this point? Thank goodness he hadn’t shown those other women the contract.
Megan smiled genuinely for the first time since she entered the room. He was definitely fallible and obviously in trouble.
But then, so was she. The dreaded envelope practically burned a hole in her purse.
Megan rose and pulled her chair up to the mahogany desk. She laid her paper towel notes out flat, then pulled the envelope out of her purse and set it in front of Kevin.
“I think we can help each other.”
CHAPTER FOUR
“WHAT WE NEED,” said Megan, “is a prenup. Your father’s lawyers can never fault you for having a prenup, can they?”
“You mean, you’ll do it? You’ll pretend to be my bride?”
“Oh, don’t be silly. I’m not pretending anything. If you want me to help you secure your inheritance, I can do that. But I need to know that you will keep your part of the bargain. So we will get married legally with a prenup.” She tapped her finger on the envelope. “No matter what happens to our marriage, I need to know that this will be taken care of, either as your wife, or as part of the divorce settlement.”
Kevin studied the envelope. The return address was a hospital imprint. He frowned as he pulled the papers out. Page after page of medical billing stared up at him.
“Yours?”
Megan nodded. “Car accident. Everything I owned was in that car. I was moving to the city to start a new job. Never made it. I’ve been in the hospital for six months.”
Kevin couldn’t stop himself from staring at her. “Sorry, but you look great. Perfectly normal.”
“I am, now,” she said. “My mother flew home from Guatemala and stayed with me through the surgery and my first two weeks of physical therapy. But my father needed her at the mission. He’s building a school for orphans down there. So when mother felt like I was going to be okay, she went back. She left me forty dollars in cash and a mailing address for the mission. They’re very dedicated people.”
Kevin’s brow darkened. “Pretty damn cold, if you ask me.”
Megan tucked her chin. “Really? Not at all like your father, who wants to rip your inheritance out of your hands, right?”
Kevin held up an index finger. “You win that point.”
“Can you do it?” asked Megan, nodding at the envelope. “Do you have that much money? Or is this all a scam to get a girl in bed?”
“It’s not a scam.”
“Good. Because there will be no sexual contact until or unless I say so. After all, rape is rape, even when people are married, and since we are conducting a business deal here and you need your father to believe we are deeply in love and legitimate, it would ruin everything if I had to report you for rape. Details about our meeting today might get out.”
Kevin felt a cold knot form in his gut. He hadn’t seen that coming. If he didn’t pay her medical bills and legally marry her, she would go to his father. He hadn’t realized how attractive he thought she was until she shattered his growing fondness for her.
But he couldn’t show her the door. If she was willing to blatantly blackmail him, he didn’t dare kick her out. Besides, this was what he wanted in the first place, right? He had to agree to her terms in order to secure his siblings’ future.
She was a smart blackmailer, he had to give her that. She wanted a legal marriage and a prenup. Well, fine, he’d give her a prenup. He pulled himself together and turned the most businesslike face he could manage in her direction.
“All right,. Do you want that in the prenup? No sex against your will? Or is my word enough?”
Megan could feel him drawing back. She wasn’t sure why. She was just trying to help him out of his dilemma while helping herself out of hers. Wasn’t that what he wanted? A fake marriage to guarantee he would inherit?
She found herself irrationally irritated by his sudden cold shoulder. “You have to be a better actor than that if you want to pull this off. If we’re supposed to be in love, you can’t be distant.” She tapped the envelope. “Can you do it?”
Kevin nodded. “It won’t be a problem.” He tried to ignore his disappointment and restore the easy banter they had shared earlier, but he couldn’t think of anything witty to say. “You were right,” he said sadly. “Repartee is not the same thing as rapport.”
Megan found her resolve weakening. She put a hand to her mouth, searching for the right words. “You were ready to have me sign a contract,” she said. “Now you’re acting like my request for a prenup is all hard and cold. I don’t understand. The legal safeguards are okay for you, but they’re wrong when they’re my idea?”
That hit Kevin between the eyes. He sat stunned for a moment.
“Fine,” said Megan. “I knew it was too good to be true.” She stuffed the medical bills back in the envelope and shoved everything into her purse. The fruit she’d taken from the limo got in the way. She dumped it on the desk. “This was supposed to be my dinner, but I don’t want you to think I’m cheating you out of anything. So you keep this. It came from your mini fridge. Wish I could say it was nice meeting you.” She stood up and headed for the door.
“Wait!” Kevin shot out of his chair and beat her to the door. He blocked her path, his hands up in surrender. “Please, don’t leave.”
Megan pulled up short and waited for an explanation.
Kevin spread his hands. “I didn’t realize I was doing that,” he said. “What you said. Wanting legal safeguards for me but not wanting any for you. I never looked at it that way. Please. Let’s be businesslike. You need your medical bills paid, and I need your help.”
Megan’s shoulders loosened. “Okay, then. Let’s make a list.” She returned to her chair at the desk.
Kevin followed her. Whatever she had in mind, he could deal with it. He just had to get through that wedding and the transfer of the family trust into his hands. He would pay whatever price he had to pay to secure the future for his brother and sister. He didn’t have to live with this arrangement forever.
Megan waited for him to sit before she asked, “When can we get this agreement written up? How soon will it take effect?”
Kevin grimaced. She was so eager to begin reaping the benefits. Then he caught himself again. Maybe she was right. Maybe he was applying a double standard. He would reap benefits, too, as soon as they got through the wedding. He cleared his throat to cover the grimace.
“I can deliver the details to the lawyer today and have him here tomorrow morning with papers for us to sign.”
Megan seemed relieved. “Excellent. All right. Here’s what I was thinking.” She laid her notes out again on the desk.
Kevin leaned forward and studied her tidy handwriting. He read the list three times, then turned the paper towel over. Nothing there.
“This is it?”
Megan looked uncertain. “Is it too much?”
Kevin was confused. If she did turn out to be a blackmailer, she wasn’t very good at the extortion part.
“Basically you are asking for me to pay off your
medical bills?”
“Well, that and the $20,000 to cover the income I would have made if I’d been able to take my new job.” Megan’s features twisted. “And if I could have $200 of that in advance, I could get a hotel room for the night and maybe buy an outfit that wasn’t picked off the Salvation Army racks.”
Well, that explained why she looked so odd in her summer frock, thought Kevin. It didn’t suit her because it was a charity dress, and when you have nothing to wear, you take what you can get.
That realization humbled him. Megan was taking him up on his job offer because she literally had nothing, not even a place to spend the night.
Kevin never wanted his sister Karla to be in that situation. He never wanted her to have to sell her dignity to pay a medical bill or wonder where she was going to sleep or what she was going to eat for dinner. This marriage of convenience wasn’t convenient for anyone, not even for Megan.
Kevin pulled out his wallet and counted out a thousand in cash. “Here.”
“But that’s way too much,” said Megan.
“We’re going to be engaged and married, right? I had no idea you were living on the street. Take this and buy some clothes. Jeffrey, my chauffeur, will drive for you. I know it’s just a stop gap measure, but be sure to include a pair of jeans and comfortable walking shoes. We’ll be going to the family ranch for the wedding. When you’re done shopping, Jeffrey will take you to the Hilton. I have a suite there, and you’ll have your own room. Oh, take the fruit. You might get hungry while you’re shopping.”
Megan looked overwhelmed. “Thank you. And the prenup?”
“I’ll be very busy this afternoon, getting those details taken care of, among others.” He glanced at his watch. “You’d better go. It’s already after three.” He picked up the phone. A moment later, he spoke. “Jeffrey? Megan is coming down in the private elevator. She needs to shop for clothes this afternoon. Please put it on my credit card and see to her every need.”
CHAPTER FIVE
MEGAN LET JEFFREY escort her back to the limo. She was delighted to have a driver. She didn’t think she trusted herself behind the wheel of a car since her accident. She’d had far too many nightmares in the hospital, revisiting the crash. Every time she dreamed about it, she realized how close she’d come to dying.
The thousand dollars in her purse made her feel a little better about the arrangement she was about to enter into. But she couldn’t help being a little worried. Maybe scared was a better word. Even so, the sound of Kevin promising to pay off that onerous medical bill was music to her ears.
Of course, there was still the worry that he was a serial killer or had some other nefarious plans in mind. But Jeffrey Wong seemed like a stand-up guy. Oddly enough, she felt perfectly safe with Jeffrey. Maybe it was the uniform. Or maybe it was the gorgeous interior of the limousine. She helped herself to another soda and ate her banana during the drive to the mall. She decided she would call her mother before the end of the day. At least that way, someone, somewhere would know what she was doing. Just in case.
Jeffrey parked the limo, came to the door to let her out, then followed her into the mall.
“You can wait here, if you prefer,” said Megan.
“Mr. Wake said I should see to your every need, ma’am. That would include carrying your bags and being ready with the credit card.”
“Wow. Okay. I am definitely feeling pampered. I’ve never been in this mall before, but I’ll try not to take too long.” The truth was, she was feeling the fatigue of being out and about. She was missing the rest and relaxation of her hospital bed. She caught a glimpse of herself in the shop windows as she passed, and gasped in surprise.
“Is everything all right, ma’am?”
“Oh, fine. Sorry. I really do need to buy clothes, don’t I?”
Jeffrey did not respond, but she could swear she saw the hint of a smile.
The frock they’d brought her from the donations closet fit her okay, but it was so different from anything she would have picked out for herself, she didn’t even recognize the woman in the reflection. She was pale, and thinner than she had been six months before. She drew herself up and ignored the fatigue that hounded her. She needed clothes and fast!
Megan had no idea how much she would need, but if Kevin was willing to send her shopping with a thousand in cash and a chauffeur with a credit card, chances were good she would have an opportunity to add to her wardrobe later. So she concentrated on the basics. She allowed herself the luxury of purchasing top of the line items, instead of the WalMart bargains she’d been used to in college and afterward. She picked out all the necessities, and made sure she got two pairs of jeans. Then she indulged herself by draping blouses, tops, and summer suits over her arm to carry into the fitting room.
It took less than two hours to pick out more clothes than she’d ever bought in her life, and she still hadn’t selected any outdoor wear, save the jeans. Kevin said they were going to a ranch. Well, she would just have to make do.
But one thing she knew for certain. She was not wearing the flowered frock out of the mall. She waved a saleslady into the dressing room.
“I just got out of the hospital,” she said quietly. “I need to change and wear some of these clothes. Is that possible?”
The saleslady’s eyes grew wide when she saw the collection of items in the changing room. “Oh, that will be fine. Pick out what you plan to change into and I’ll keep the tags for you at the register. You can hand them to me over the door.”
When Megan emerged from the dressing room, she was elegant in a form-fitting creamy linen jacket and slacks.
Jeffrey took the rest of her selections gently out of the saleslady’s arms and followed her to the register.
“I’ll pay for these, ma’am,” he said, pulling out the credit card.
Megan looked down at her outfit approvingly, and felt one hundred percent better. Then she muttered, “Darn! I need shoes.”
“No problem,” said Jeffrey. “There are several shoe stores in this mall.”
Laden with Megan’s bags, Jeffrey followed her uncomplainingly through three shoe stores. When Megan hesitated over the purchase of hiking boots, Jeffrey quietly informed the salesperson, “Madame will also take the hiking boots.”
Megan left with running shoes, hiking boots, a pair of chunky heels, white sandals, and tan and cream flats with a strap over the instep. She discarded the white canvas shoes from the charity closet and wore the flats out of the store, a perfect match for her linen suit.
“Jeffrey, I vote we head for the hotel,” said Megan, refusing to let him carry all the shoe bags along with the clothes. “I’m tired and hungry.”
By the time they returned to the limo, Megan practically collapsed onto the back seat. Jeffrey stored everything in the trunk, then got behind the wheel.
“Would you care for a snack on the way back to the hotel, ma’am? Or you can order from room service after you arrive.”
“I’m almost too tired to eat,” said Megan. “Let’s go to the hotel.” She let her head fall back on the car seat. She’d never been in such a comfortable vehicle before. She found herself fantasizing about turning it into a mobile apartment. It had a fridge. The seats were comfortable enough to sleep on. And Jeffrey could just spend his life driving her around.
She didn’t realize she’d fallen asleep until Jeffrey touched her arm, gently calling her name.
“Ms. Mully? Ms. Mully, we’re here. Let me escort you to the express elevator. Your suite is on the thirty-fifth floor. Mr. Wake is already there. I’ll bring your bags up shortly.”
Megan straightened up and gave him an apologetic look.
“Sorry. Guess I was more tired than I thought. What time is it?”
“Eight thirty, ma’am.”
“Not too late for room service?”
Jeffrey looked amused. “It’s never too late for room service when you travel with Mr. Wake.”
“Oh.” Megan felt like a fish out of wat
er, but she was certain she could get used to this kind of life, given enough time. Say, another half an hour. “Great.”
Jeffrey called the elevator for her and waited for the doors to close.
Too late, Megan realized she didn’t have a room key. Oh, well, she’d just wait for him to come up with her things.
The elevator doors slid open silently and Megan stepped out into a private lobby. The double doors in front of her were slightly ajar. When she went through the doors, she was in a sitting room that extended fifty feet across. One wall was all glass and looked out over the city. The view of a million windows glimmering with the reflection of the setting sun was breathtaking.
Kevin straightened up from behind the bar, where he’d put ice in two glasses. When he saw Megan, his approval showed on his features.
“I like this outfit a lot better than the old one,” he said. “Cold drink?”
“Iced tea?” asked Megan.
Kevin nodded. “We’ve got it all. I take it the shopping went well.”
“Yes, thank you. Jeffrey will be up in a moment.”
Kevin chuckled. “You’re adjusting nicely. That sounded like something my mother would say.”
Megan made a face. “I hope that’s not a bad thing.”
Kevin delivered her iced tea. “Shall I make you a list of phrases not to use?”
Megan sipped tea, and her eyes closed with delight. “Maybe that would be a good idea. Forgive me, but I need to sit down.” Her free hand moved automatically to her right thigh. She moved to a bank of sofas and sank onto one, dropping her purse at her feet. For a moment she stared at it as if it were a bug that had crawled out from under the sofa.
“What is it?” asked Kevin.
Megan sighed. “I shopped for four hours and never even thought about getting a nice handbag.”
Kevin shrugged. “There’ll be plenty of time for that. Did you want to see my notes on the prenup?”
“Oh, please, not now,” said Megan. “Jeffrey said I could order something to eat from room service. I need to eat and lie down. Today’s schedule was a huge increase over my activity level in the hospital.”
