“O-kay,” Tristan said slowly when Paige paused for too long. “So you don’t want to lend them the money?”
Paige snickered. “I don’t have millions to lend them, Tristan. I get paid a good salary, but it’s nowhere near the vicinity of millions. But there’s the family trust fund set up by my Shipton grandparents. I’m not meant to get anything from it until I turn forty, but, apparently, I can get five million dollars immediately if I fulfil a couple of conditions. That’s where I come in.”
“What conditions?”
Paige stared at her hands. “My grandparents wanted their heirs to get an early gift from the fund if they start a family. I can get five million dollars before I’m forty if I get pregnant and married.”
Tristan’s brows rose, his heart suddenly pounding hard and fast. Was Paige going to propose to him?
“So my parents want me to marry Curtis—the son of their best friends.”
“What?” He couldn’t have heard that right.
“They want me to marry Curtis, and we have to pretend to be in love—because the trustees need to be convinced I got married for love and not for the trust fund money.”
Anger brewed inside Tristan. “I suppose Curtis will also be pretending to be the baby’s father.”
“He has to, which, apparently, he doesn’t have a problem with.”
“How much are your parents paying this Curtis guy?” he asked in disbelief.
“Nothing. His parents and my parents are very close. And Curtis is… he’s been interested in me for a long time.”
Tristan’s face heated up. “No way you’re marrying him so he can be daddy to my baby. How dare your parents even come up with this stupidity?”
Paige’s eyes welled up. “I don’t agree either, Tristan. I don’t want Tanner ever growing up and thinking you’re not his dad.”
Tristan’s fury abated somewhat at Paige’s words. “I can’t believe your parents are asking you to do this,” he muttered.
“To be fair, I don’t have to be married to Curtis for the rest of my life. We can start the ball rolling on a divorce as soon as I get handed the money.”
“Still, it’s ridiculous!”
“I know,” Paige said sadly. “But my parents wouldn’t have asked if they weren’t so desperate. I’ve never seen my dad beg for anything before, Tristan. But he begged me while he sobbed his heart out. I can’t not help them. I don’t know how else, though.”
Tristan stared at Paige, his mind whirling. This was clearly hard for her and, as much as he hated to give any leeway to Larry and Debbie, he had to do something for their daughter. Paige was stuck. He couldn’t just stand there and not help her out. All this stress couldn’t be good for the baby.
Besides, if he helped, the Shiptons might be more amenable to patching things ups. Frankly, he had better things to do than waste his time and money on going to court to settle their differences. He just hated being accused of lying, especially when he was sure he’d done nothing wrong.
“I’ll lend them the money,” he said.
Paige let out a mirthless laugh. “I don’t think they’ll agree to that at all. I’ve already tried asking them to sit down with you and have a conversation, but they’re strongly against it. They believe you’re going to try to crush Shipton Enterprise if they show any weakness against you.”
“That’s ridiculous! Why would I want to do that? I’m starting to wonder if there’s anything wrong with your parents’ brains.”
Paige shrugged helplessly. “My dad is renowned for his pride. It serves him well, but sometimes it’s a big detriment.”
“So then he asks you to make the sacrifice so he can keep his pride?” he asked angrily.
Tears cascaded down Paige’s cheeks.
Tristan felt a pinch in his heart. “Hey, come here.” He reached for her and enfolded her in his arms once again.
Paige sniffed softly on his shoulder.
“Are your parents aware that you’ve already told me about the baby?”
“Yes,” Paige said in a muffled voice. “They want me to tell you that I made a mistake, and that Curtis is the real father.”
He pulled away to gape at her in shock. “Are you kidding me?”
“No.”
“How can your parents…?” He shook his head, lost for words.
“They’re not usually like that,” Paige insisted. “This is the first time they’ve asked me for something like this. They’re obviously beyond desperate. And I do want to help them, but not in the exact way they want. I’m still willing to marry Curtis, since it’ll only be a three-month sacrifice on my part, but I’ll have to insist that there’ll be no lies regarding the paternity of my baby.”
Tristan’s breath shallowed. No, he didn’t like that idea either.
“I know,” Paige said, straightening suddenly. “We can say I had a one-night stand with you when I had a fight with Curtis. That will explain you getting me pregnant. Then Curtis and I reconciled and he’s okay with my pregnancy because he’s so in love with me. I think that can work. Bottom line is, people have to believe that even though I’m having your baby, I’m in love with—and marrying—Curtis.”
Tristan raked his hair.
“Tristan, please remember you promised to keep this to yourself—for Tanner’s sake, so he doesn’t grow up in a family in complete tatters. You can’t use this knowledge against my parents—please.”
Tristan hid a sigh. Paige looked so scared and hopeless that he didn’t want to add to her anxiety. “I won’t breathe a word about this to anyone. Are you and Curtis close?”
Paige snickered. “No. We’re not even friends. I try to avoid him when I can because he tends to be intense in showing his interest in me.”
“Then if your aim is to get the trustees to release the money early, I’m not sure that saying you’re pregnant with my child but marrying Curtis will give you what you want. If I were the trustee, I’d be suspicious, especially when you and Curtis don’t even have a long history of dating each other. I’d be inclined to wait and see if you and Curtis stick it out as an in-love married couple before handing you the money. So even though your idea is good and fair, it might not result in the trustees releasing the funds in time to save Shipton Enterprise.”
“Then what do I do?” Paige asked miserably, looking like the world was on her shoulders.
Tristan’s heart went out to her, and the words were out of his mouth before he could even consider them. “I’ll marry you.”
Paige gaped at him. “What?”
“It’ll be the same deal—a fake marriage for the benefit of the trustees. Larry and Debbie won’t be happy, but I’m sure they’ll get over it once they have your trust fund money in their hands.”
“Why would you want to do that?”
Tristan inhaled deeply. Why indeed? Well, he simply couldn’t stand Paige looking like this. “How much stress have you been under lately?”
“A hell of a lot,” Paige said in a small voice.
“I can imagine,” he said sympathetically. “I’ve heard that high levels of stress—especially ongoing stress—can affect a baby’s development in the womb. I don’t want anything bad to happen to our baby, Paige, and I know that my conflict with your parents is a big cause of that stress. So I’m willing to do this for you and Tanner. All I ask is that you convince your parents to chuck their pride out the window and admit they did the wrong thing by me. Or if they believe they’re in the right, then communicate with me so I can understand what happened. I actually would have walked away from all that if they hadn’t started spreading destructive rumours about me. If they apologise for the badmouthing and set the record straight, I’m willing to forgive and forget. I have better things to do with my time than wallow in this time-sucking issue.”
Paige’s eyes watered. “Thank you, Tristan. You don’t know how much I appreciate this. And, yes, I’m more than happy to help you settle things with my parents. But are you sure you’re up for a fake marri
age? It won’t be just a legal thing; we’ll also have to act in love. That means we can’t ever be seen dating other people while we’re together. That won’t be a problem for me, but it might be for you.”
Arguments for and against this unexpected plan ran through Tristan’s mind. The easy thing would be to leave the Shiptons to their own devices. Problem was, he couldn’t completely extricate himself because of the baby. Besides, it wasn’t a bad idea to insert himself into this fake marriage scheme. Larry and Debbie wouldn’t have much choice but to swallow their blasted pride and negotiate with him so they could all move on from the contract saga.
But above all else, he had to admit that he simply wanted to do it for Paige. From what he could sense, she wouldn’t stop finding ways to help her parents keep Shipton Enterprise. Might as well make things easy for her. “It’s fine with me,” he assured her.
“Thank you.” Paige gaped at him for a long moment, her eyes grateful, vulnerable and… captivating.
“I better make that tea for you, hey?” he said hoarsely, looking away before he drowned in her beautiful eyes completely. “The teas are all in here.” He opened the pantry and showed her the selection.
“This one’s good,” Paige said, picking one.
He put the kettle on. “Do you want anything to eat?”
“No, thanks. I’ll need to go soon. I have to wake up at an ungodly hour of four in the morning to catch my six o’clock flight to Melbourne to attend a ten-thirty meeting with our managers there.”
“Why’s your flight so early?”
Paige sighed. “I don’t know if it’s the pregnancy or the stress, but I totally forgot to book earlier for it. If I hadn’t gotten a reminder notice on my phone this afternoon to get ready for the trip tomorrow, I wouldn’t have remembered. Anyway, that’s the only flight I was able to book that will get me there on time.”
Tristan pursed his lips. “How about I see if Alexander Jets can arrange a charter flight for you at a later time?”
Paige looked horrified. “Tristan, I just told you Shipton Enterprise is having cash flow problems. The cost of a private jet is not in the budget.”
“Don’t worry about the cost. Consider it part of my support for the mother of my unborn child, because I don’t want you getting up at an ungodly hour and getting any more tired and stressed than you already are.”
“But… a private jet is so expensive. It’s not necessary.”
He didn’t answer. He poured boiling water in a mug and dunked her chosen tea bag in it. Then he speed-dialled Elle Milton at Alexander Jets. With everything Paige was going through, this was the least he could do for her.
“Hey, Tristan!” Elle said in greeting. “Is this about work, or are you calling to say hi?”
He chuckled. Elle wasn’t merely an efficient staff member at Alexander Jets, she was also Simon’s cousin and a good friend of his. “It’s about work. Hope you don’t mind.”
“Of course not. Need to fly again on short notice, huh?”
“Yes. Charge it to my account, but it’s a friend of mine who’s flying. She needs to arrive in Melbourne at…” He raised his eyebrows at Paige.
Paige’s eyes watered and she blinked rapidly.
Oh, God, he wished she wouldn’t do that. Every time she got teary, he wanted to hug her tight. And kiss her. He pressed his lips together to alleviate his need.
“Ten in the morning would be great,” Paige finally said with a shy smile.
“Ten in the morning,” he repeated to Elle.
“Let me check,” Elle said with some doubt in her voice. “We’re extraordinarily busy these last couple of days because of the World Cup.”
“Aw, you know you can always find an available plane for me,” he said teasingly. “Besides, Simon still has to make up for bumping me off my booked plane to fly someone else. Remember that? Maybe you can bump someone off for me.”
Elle chuckled. “That was a year ago! And, hey, by giving up your plane, you contributed to his meeting the love of his life.”
He laughed. “True. I better remind him of that.”
“Well, you can keep that up your sleeve for now. We still have one of the A-planes available. Want me to book that for you?”
“Yes,” he said without hesitation. The A-plane was a nickname for the most luxuriously appointed planes in the Alexander Jets fleet. Paige would love it. She could even have a quick nap in the comfortable bedroom on her way to Melbourne.
“Excellent,” Elle said. “Where should we pick her up?”
“Hang on.” He put the phone on speaker and pointed it towards Paige. “Elle wants to know where to send the complimentary pickup car to take you to the airport.”
“Oh.” Paige recited her address.
Good. Now he knew where she lived.
“Great!” Elle said. “Thank you, Ms. Shipton. Is a seven-thirty pickup okay?”
“Yes, that’s perfect.”
“It’s all set, then,” Elle said. “Our driver will see you tomorrow at seven-thirty.”
“Thank you,” Paige said.
“You’re welcome.”
“Thanks, Elle,” Tristan interjected. “And sorry for interrupting your Sunday night.”
“No worries. I’m just watching TV.”
“Well, you’ll get another five-star feedback from me.”
“Why, thanks! I expect nothing less for all I do for you, Tristan Grant,” Elle said, laughing. “See ya.”
“Bye, Elle.” He hung up and faced Paige, who had a dismayed look on her face. He frowned. “Everything okay?”
Paige flushed. “Yes, of course. Um…” She put on a neutral look, sipping from her tea mug. “You must be a frequent flyer with Alexander Jets. You were quite friendly with… Elle.”
He raised a brow. Was that jealousy he detected? He smothered a grin. “Elle’s my account manager there, but she’s also a friend. She’s Simon’s cousin.”
“Simon? Is that the guy who called you for me when your security wouldn’t let me in?”
“Yup. He owns Alexander Jets.”
Paige smiled, eyes shining with gratitude. “Thank you, Tristan. You have no idea how grateful I am for all that you’re doing for me.”
“Don’t mention it.” God, he so wanted to kiss her again. But his intrusive brain was sounding an alarm, warning him from complicating things further.
Paige stood up and placed a hand on his shoulder. Then she tiptoed to give him a peck on his cheek.
Unbidden, he cupped her face and searched it for the answer to his dilemma.
“Tristan,” Paige whispered, eyes wide and mouth parted. Then she licked her lips.
That did it. He captured her mouth with his and pressed her close against him.
Paige let out a small moan and snaked her arms around his neck, kissing him back avidly.
His body reacted with speed. The first time he’d spent a night with Paige, he’d been surprised at her ability to turn him on to full horniness in no time flat. Well, that special talent of hers hadn’t disappeared.
“I better go,” Paige said, stepping back.
He hid his disappointment. “Sorry. So it’s a no, huh?”
Paige bit back a smile. “It’s not a no. But I’m exhausted. Maybe I can come back here and have more tea on Tuesday? After we get our samples collected for the paternity test?” she asked hopefully, her eyes betraying her desire.
He grinned. “Okay.”
“Great. Goodnight, Tristan.”
“Goodnight, Paige.” He looked down at her belly and touched it. “Goodnight, Tanner.”
Paige inhaled sharply, her eyes watering.
Oh, no. Not those tears again.
He couldn’t help himself. He pulled her to him and kissed her tenderly, then wiped her cheeks with his thumbs.
“It’s the hormones, you know,” Paige said, sniffling and giggling.
He chuckled and walked her to the lifts. “Goodnight again. Have a safe flight tomorrow morning.”
> “I will. Thanks again.” Paige waved as the elevator doors closed.
“Don’t mention it,” he called out, grinning like a loon.
Well, it looked like he’d soon be in a fake marriage with benefits.
And he didn’t mind the thought one bit.
Chapter 8
“How could you?” Larry bellowed.
Paige stared back at her father unflinchingly. “Tristan wouldn’t let the matter rest, Dad. It would just make things worse if he used the courts to force me to take a paternity test with him. Wouldn’t we be faced with more problems—not to mention a big scandal—if that were to happen?”
Larry sank in an armchair and held his head in his hands, while Debbie sat still on the couch next to Paige, her eyes wide as saucers.
“Anyway,” Paige said, swallowing her nerves, “Tristan has agreed to help us for the sake of our baby.”
“Help us?” Larry hissed. “He’s not going to help us. He’ll make us look weak!”
Paige shook her head. It seemed that not losing to Tristan under any circumstances was more important to her parents than resolving the problems they faced. “Tristan is a reasonable and honest person. You’ll see that if you cast your pride aside and talk to him.”
Larry snorted. “Tristan is nothing but manipulative and cunning. Look what he’s doing now. He’s trying to poison you against us.”
“Oh, please. He’s not,” she said in frustration.
Larry glared at her. “You should never have told him he’s the father.”
Paige stayed silent. She wasn’t at all sorry for telling Tristan. But her dad’s stubbornness was becoming concerning. Why did he hate Tristan so much?
“What are we gonna do now?” Debbie asked tearfully. “We only have three, maybe four, months to come up with the money.”
“I’m going to marry Tristan,” she announced.
“What?! No fucking way, Paige!” Larry growled.
“Why not? We’ll get the money from the trust, and you guys and Tristan can talk your differences over a family dinner,” she said sarcastically.
“Don’t be absurd! We cannot let Tristan Grant into our family!”
The Unexpected Husband (Captured by Love Book 8) Page 7
