The Tycoon's Scandalous Proposition--A Marriage of Convenience Romance

by Miranda Lee

  Brother, that ‘fragile self-esteem’ of hers seemed to have taken a back seat. There was not a hint of vulnerability in her eyes at this moment. Kate had suddenly turned into one tough cookie. Blake suppressed a smile. He liked her tough almost as much as he liked her tipsy.

  The lights turned green and he drove on. More slowly this time.

  ‘I actually like the way you look today,’ he told her. ‘I’m not into Barbie dolls. So the offer still stands. It would be a wonderful addition to your résumé and will get you more work. Not here in Australia, however. You’d have to move to LA and get yourself an American agent.’

  ‘Move to LA!’ she exclaimed, her eyes widening for a split second before she got control of herself again. ‘I didn’t realise—I...um...forgot you’d moved over there.’

  ‘I’ll probably make the occasional movie back here in Australia, but not the one I’m offering you. Look, we don’t actually start shooting until late November, so you’ve got plenty of time to get yourself organised and over there. We’re still in pre-production and I’ve a few more minor characters to cast.’

  ‘I see,’ she said thoughtfully. ‘And how will you go about doing that?’

  Blake shrugged. ‘I’ll have a couple of the casting agencies I use send me some likely candidates and I’ll give them all an audition. Then I’ll choose.’

  ‘In that case that’s what I want to do too,’ Kate said firmly. ‘Go for a proper audition up against other people.’

  Blake suppressed his frustration and kept his voice calm. ‘But, Kate, there’s no need. The role’s yours.’

  ‘Why? It doesn’t make sense. Unless what Lachlan said was true. That you give the girls you fancy small roles in your movies just so you can shag them every night.’

  ‘Lachlan said what?’

  ‘You heard me.’

  ‘Bastard.’

  ‘Is it true?’ she demanded. ‘Do you do that?’

  Bloody hell. What did he say to that?

  ‘I have done,’ he admitted reluctantly. ‘Once or twice. In the long-distant past when I was hurting after Claudia divorced me. I’m not proud of it, but I haven’t done anything like that for many years. I can’t understand why Lachlan would say such a thing. These days I would never risk the success of one of my movies by offering actresses roles on the strength of how much I fancy them.’

  ‘That’s what Lachlan said too. That’s why you only ever offer the girls you fancy really small roles.’

  Blake’s temper rose. ‘So when did Lachlan say all this to you?’ he demanded through clenched teeth.

  ‘Last night.’

  ‘Yes, of course. It would have been last night. When, exactly, last night?’

  ‘When I left you briefly to go to the Ladies. He followed me. He said he cared about me and was worried about me getting tangled up with you.’

  ‘Yeah. Right. And you believed him?’

  ‘I believed what he said about you. After all, you’d already offered me a small part in one of your movies without knowing if I could act or not.’

  ‘Firstly, madam, I do know you can act. You’re a graduate of NIDA, for heaven’s sake! Secondly, it is not a small role. It’s a very good supporting role. Thirdly, I didn’t offer you the role because I wanted to “shag” you,’ he insisted. ‘God, I hate that term. It sounds disgusting. I much prefer to say “have sex”, or “sleep with”, or even “make love”. Anyway, wanting to have sex with you isn’t the reason I offered you that job.’

  ‘Oh? What was, then?’ Both her question and her eyes were full of scepticism.

  Blake sighed. ‘I just wanted to make you happy. To make you smile.’

  She stared at him for a long moment. ‘So you offered me a job out of pity?’ she bit out, angry now.

  ‘Absolutely not! I’m not into pity—especially where my movies are concerned.’

  ‘What are you into, then?’ she asked, a challenging note in her voice.

  ‘Success. And satisfaction.’

  ‘What kind of satisfaction?’

  His smile was rueful. ‘What do you want me to say, Kate? Okay, so I want to have sex with you. That’s hardly a hanging offence. I’m single. You’re single. You haven’t got a boyfriend and you’re not a virgin. I assume you do have a sex life? I honestly thought you might enjoy going to bed with me. I’d certainly enjoy going to bed with you. But, aside from all that, I wasn’t lying when I said my main motivation for all the things I did last night was to put a smile on your face. That was God’s honest truth and it still is. I’m sorry if I’ve offended you. That was the last thing I wanted to do. Look, if it makes you happy I’ll give you a proper screen test for the role. We can do it tonight. I’m sure I’ve already told you that I’m staying in Byron’s city penthouse for the next couple of days. We could go there early this evening, before I take you out to dinner. Or are you reneging on that as well?’

  ‘I’m not reneging on anything. I just need to get some things sorted in my head.’

  ‘Such as what?’

  ‘Such as if my audition’s all right, and you still offer me the role, does the offer come with strings attached? Will you expect me to sleep with you at some stage?’

  He looked at her long and hard. ‘Only if you want to,’ he said.

  She didn’t answer straight away, just turned her head to stare out through the passenger window for a while before glancing back at him.

  ‘Fair enough,’ she said, and rewarded him with a small, rather enigmatic smile.

  He wondered what it meant, that smile. Whatever, he took some comfort from it. And some confidence. Which was strange, given that confidence was never usually a problem with him—especially with members of the opposite sex.

  But Kate rattled him in ways he had yet to fully understand. Blake knew he was very attracted to her, but she stirred other emotions in him besides lust—emotions that were both uncharacteristic and unfamiliar.

  In the past few years his relationships with women had basically been selfish ones, his only concern what pleasure they could bring to his life. Sex. Companionship. Compliments.

  Oh, yes, he enjoyed the way the women in his world flirted with him, and flattered him, and, yes, were only too willing to go to bed with him. Which suited Blake just fine. He never felt he had to bend over backwards to please them. Didn’t need to declare love or promise commitment to enjoy their company.

  Kate, however, brought out the gentleman in him. Yes, he wanted her—but not quite so selfishly. His tendency to think only of himself was tempered by a compulsion to try to make everything right in her world. To make her... Yes...to make her happy. Of course that didn’t mean he wouldn’t try to seduce her tonight. He would. But he would stop if she made it clear that she didn’t want him to. The trick was to make sure she did want him to...

  ‘You might have to make a slight detour,’ she said suddenly. ‘I’d like to drop off my bridesmaid dress at the dry cleaner’s. No way am I taking it home the way it is. Do you know your way to the big shopping centre at Burwood?’

  ‘Not exactly.’ He wasn’t as familiar with the western suburbs as he was with the eastern, having being brought up there.

  ‘We’re not far away now. I’ll give you directions, if you like.’

  Half an hour later they were back in the Lexus and heading for Strathfield, which was the next suburb going west.

  ‘It will do you good to move away from home,’ Blake said, after seeing how stressed Kate had been at the dry cleaner’s, despite the lady there assuring her that the dress would be as good as new once cleaned properly. ‘Your mother sounds like a pain. And it’s perfectly obvious that Maddie is the family pet.’

  Kate sighed. ‘You’re right on both those counts.’

  ‘Then why are you finding excuses not to come to Hollywood and make a new life for yourself? You said you wanted to mov
e on. So do it!’

  ‘I’m not making excuses. I just want to make it on my own. I don’t want charity.’

  Lord, but she was one difficult girl. Any other actress would have jumped at the chance.

  ‘Don’t you believe in your acting ability?’ he challenged.

  Her chin came up and her eyes flashed. ‘Yes, I do. I’m very good. Damned good, actually.’

  ‘Then be “damned good” tonight and you’ll be on your way to LA.’

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  ‘WHERE’S YOUR BRIDESMAID DRESS?’ were her mother’s first words when Kate walked into the family kitchen shortly after midday. ‘Don’t tell me it’s stuffed into that silly little bag!’

  Kate counted to ten, then said, ‘It’s at the dry cleaner’s. Someone knocked into me and I spilt some wine on it.’

  ‘Oh, for pity’s sake, Kate. Couldn’t you have been more careful? Just as well I brought Maddie’s dress home with me or that would probably be ruined too.’

  ‘My dress is not ruined,’ Kate countered, quite calmly, hugging the hope that soon she wouldn’t have to put up with this kind of thing. ‘The dry cleaner said it would be as good as new.’

  ‘I hope so. Did Maddie finally get you? She rang me from the airport and said she’d tried to ring you but your phone was turned off.’

  ‘Yes. Yes, it was.’ And would remain so for now.

  The last person she wanted to talk to was Maddie. She didn’t want to hear how wonderful her wedding night had been. Neither did she want to hear a blow-by-blow description of every moment of her honeymoon. Kate had told her sister yesterday not to ring her, but to put her news on social media.

  Her mother rolled her eyes in exasperation. ‘What’s the point of having a mobile if you don’t turn it on? Anyway, Maddie sent you a message via me—though I have no idea what she was on about. She said she hopes you did what she told you to last night and that everything worked out. Does that make sense to you?’

  ‘Perfect sense,’ Kate replied, and searched her mind for a half-truthful answer which wouldn’t shock the pants off her mother. ‘Maddie suggested I suck up to Blake Randall and see if I could get myself a part in one of his movies.’

  ‘Goodness. Such language. I’m sure Maddie wouldn’t have said it like that. And did you do that? Er...“suck up” to the man?’

  ‘I sure did.’

  ‘And what happened?’

  Various images flashed into Kate’s head, none of which she could relate to her mother.

  ‘Blake said that since I was a graduate of NIDA he would gladly give me a screen test.’

  ‘Oh, my. What a clever girl your sister is.’

  Kate almost lost it then. Truly, did Maddie have to get the credit for everything?

  Another count to ten.

  ‘So when are you having this screen test?’ her mother asked eagerly.

  ‘Blake is organising one for early this evening,’ she informed her mother, thinking to herself that she really would have to turn her phone back on in case Byron wanted to ring her. ‘He flies back to LA in a couple of days, so time is of the essence. Now, I’m going to go and have a lie-down. Last night has exhausted me. Oh, and don’t worry about cooking me dinner tonight, Mum. I won’t be coming back here after the audition. Blake’s taking me out to dinner.’

  ‘Blake Randall is taking you out to dinner?’ she said, mouth agape.

  ‘Yes. Do you have a problem with that?’

  Her mother tossed her head, the way she did when she couldn’t think of what to say for a second or two. ‘Well, you’re not the sort of girl men like him usually take to dinner,’ she finally managed. ‘There again, I suppose you did look surprisingly attractive at the wedding yesterday.’

  Her eyes narrowed on Kate’s outfit.

  ‘Make sure you wear something better than what you’ve got on, though. And put on some make-up and do your hair properly. Truly, Kate, it’s no wonder you haven’t had a boyfriend for years. You simply don’t try.’

  Kate didn’t tell her that Blake had said he liked the way she was dressed today. Her mother probably had no idea he’d driven her home. Blake hadn’t come inside. No doubt she thought Kate had taken a taxi home.

  ‘Maybe I don’t want a boyfriend,’ she fired back.

  ‘More likely the one you want you can’t have,’ her mother muttered.

  ‘Oh, not you too, Mum,’ Kate said, hiding her hurt behind irritation. Did everyone in her family know about her infatuation with Lachlan?

  Yes, of course they did. Time, then, to put things to right.

  ‘If you’re talking about Lachlan, then you’re way off the mark. Yes, I did have a crush on him once—but I got over that ages ago. Frankly, I feel sorry for Maddie being married to him. He’s not the type to stay faithful.’

  ‘Oh, rubbish! Lachlan adores Maddie. And why would he look elsewhere when he has a wife as beautiful as she is to come home to? They make a brilliant couple. You’re just jealous, that’s all.’

  ‘No, Mum, I’m not,’ she said, with the kind of calmness which came with stating the truth.

  Because, as amazing as it seemed, Kate didn’t feel jealous of Maddie marrying Lachlan any longer. Not one iota. Her breakdown last night seemed to have somehow banished all the self-destructive emotions which had been affecting both her life and her career for ages. Her depression was gone this morning, along with her lack of spirit. She felt stronger, and a lot more confident.

  Kate suspected that her love for Lachlan was on the wane. Her rose-tinted glasses were off where he was concerned and she was finally able to see him for what he was. Not a charming golden boy, but a selfish, arrogant and narcissistic individual, whose only aim in life was his own success. She doubted he loved Maddie any more than Maddie loved him. They were both just trophies for each other. If their marriage lasted two years she’d be surprised.

  ‘Time will tell, I guess,’ she added, and walked out of the kitchen.

  By the time she reached her bedroom she’d totally dismissed her mother’s annoying remarks, plus all thoughts of Lachlan and Maddie. They were not what she wanted to think about right now. She had other things on her mind. Like what was she going to wear tonight?

  Kate wasn’t all that worried about the screen test. She suspected it was just a formality. Blake had said he was going to give her the part anyway; it was only she who had insisted upon a screen test to save her dignity.

  She would be wonderful tonight. Her pride demanded it. The same pride that had claimed she would not jump into bed with him just because he’d promised her a job.

  His reaction to her making that stand had been very telling. Lord, he’d almost crashed into the car in front of them. Clearly he had expected her to sleep with him. But he’d been clever enough to pretend that he hadn’t assumed as much.

  ‘Only if you want to...’

  What a devious and devilishly tempting invitation that was. Because she did want to. Had known it immediately he’d said those words. She hadn’t dared look over at him lest he see the heat in her eyes. So she’d looked away until her reaction could be controlled and she could reply with a brilliantly nonchalant remark.

  Not that he’d seemed put out by it. No doubt he still thought it was just a matter of time before she gave him what he wanted.

  Which was her. In his bed.

  The realisation still astounded her. Why her? She just didn’t understand the ongoing attraction on his part—and certainly not today, when she looked anything but attractive. But she would tonight. Oh, yes, her pride wouldn’t let her go for the screen test and then out to dinner with Blake looking, as Maddie would have said, ‘like a drack sack’.

  She did have some smart outfits—most of them bought for special occasions and nearly all of them chosen for her by Maddie, who admittedly did have good taste and was always on trend with fashi
on. One particular outfit came to mind. It had been in a shop window, on a tall mannequin with honey-coloured hair rather like hers. Maddie had dragged Kate out clothes shopping back in May, insisting that Kate buy something decent for her engagement party.

  ‘That’d look good on you,’ she’d pointed out.

  ‘Maybe...’ Kate had replied. ‘But it’s hardly a ball gown.’

  It certainly hadn’t been a ball gown, but a knee-length dark red satin cocktail dress, with finger-width straps, snugly fitted, and paired with elegant stiletto shoes. Hanging around the mannequin’s neck had been an oval-shaped diamond pendant on a long, fine silver chain.

  ‘No matter. We can look for a ball gown later. We’ve got all day. Let’s go in and try that on you.’

  It had suited her, and Maddie had insisted she buy the whole outfit—pendant as well. Thank God it had only been costume jewellery. As it was everything had come to over five hundred dollars. When Kate had dithered about the price Maddie had blithely used her credit card to pay for it all, telling her not to worry, that she wanted her to have it.

  ‘Call it an early birthday present,’ she’d said.

  Kate had thought the gesture terribly generous of her at the time. Now she wondered if there had been some guilt involved. Whatever—it was a stylish outfit, and one in which she would feel good tonight.

  Walking over to her wardrobe, she drew it out and hung it on the door. Then she turned her phone back on—surely Maddie would be in the air by now—lay down on her bed and tried to get some rest.

  But her mind wouldn’t let her. She kept thinking about Blake lying next to her last night, telling her that she was going to have a very late night tonight. She wondered if he still meant to seduce her, regardless of what he’d said in the car today.

  Surely he wouldn’t. A gentleman wouldn’t. A gentleman would keep his word.

  But he wasn’t really a gentleman, was he? It would be naive of her to pretend that he was. Yes, he’d been very kind to her last night. Quite the white knight. But she suspected that gallantry wasn’t his true nature; more likely he was a clever and ruthless devil who wasn’t beyond using bribery to get a girl into his bed.