An Outrageous Proposal

by Maureen Child

  He grinned and she felt a jolt.

  “Say yes, of course. I’ll be your first client, Georgia, but not your last.” He pulled her closer and she looked up into deep brown eyes that shone with pleasure and…something else.

  “With Irish Air on your résumé, I guarantee other companies will be beating down your door soon.”

  “It’s great, Sean, really. You won’t be sorry for this.”

  “I’ve no doubts about that, Georgia,” he said, then lifted one hand to smooth her hair back from her face.

  At his touch, everything in her trembled, but Georgia fought it. She had to fight it, for her own sake.

  “There’s something else I want to talk to you about.” His voice was quiet, thoughtful.

  And she knew instinctively what he was going to say. She should have known there would be another reason for his incredible offer. He had come here to tell her their engagement was done. Deal finished. Obviously, he’d offered her that job to take the sting out of the whole thing.

  “Let me help,” she said, pulling back and away from him. How could she think when his hands were on her? When she was looking into those eyes of his? “Laura told me that Ailish is mostly recovered now and I’m really glad.”

  “Thank you,” he said, “and yes, she is. She’ll see her doctor this week, then all will be back to normal.”

  Normal. Back to life without Sean.

  “So she’ll be headed back to Dublin?”

  “No,” Sean said. “Mother’s decided she wants to come home to Dunley. I offered her the left wing of the manor, but she says she’s no interest in living with her son.” He shrugged and laughed a little. “So she’s opted for moving into the gatehouse on the estate.”

  “The gatehouse?” Georgia didn’t remember ever noticing a gatehouse at Sean’s place.

  “It’s what we call it, anyway,” he said with a smile. “It was originally built for my grandmother to live in when she moved out of the manor in favor of my parents. Mother’s always loved it, and there’s plenty of room there for her friends to visit.”

  “Oh, okay. Well, it’s nice that she’ll be closer. I really like your mother.”

  “I know you do,” Sean said. “But the thing is, with mother recovering, it’s time we talked about our bargain.”

  “It’s okay.” Georgia cut him off. She didn’t want him to say the words. “You don’t have to say it. Ailish is well, so we’re finished with this charade.”

  She tugged at the ring on her finger, but he reached out and stilled her hand. Georgia looked up at him.

  “I don’t want to be done with it,” he blurted, and hope shot through her like sunlight after the storm they’d just lived through.

  She swallowed hard and asked, “What?”

  “I want us to marry,” he said, curling her fingers into her palm to prevent her from taking off the ring.

  “You do?” Love dazzled her. She looked into his eyes and saw them shine. She felt everything in her world setting itself straight again. In one split instant, she saw their lives spiraling out into a wonderful future. The home they’d make. The children. The family. She saw love and happiness and everything she’d ever wished for.

  The sad cynic inside her died, and Georgia was glad to see her go.

  And then he continued talking.

  “It makes sense,” he told her, a gorgeous smile on his face. “The village is counting on it. My mother’s got the thing half-planned already. We work well together. You must admit we make a hell of a good team. We’re great in bed together. I think we should simply carry on with the engagement and go through with the marriage. No one ever has to know we didn’t marry for love.”

  Eleven

  There, Sean told himself. He’d done it. Laid out his plan for her, and now she’d see exactly what they could have together. Looking into her eyes, he saw them alight, then watched worriedly as that light dimmed. He spoke up fast, hoping to see her eyes shine again.

  “There’s no sense in us breaking up when any fool could see we’ve done well together,” he said, words rushing from him as her eyes went cool and a distance seemed to leap up between them.

  He moved in closer and told himself she hadn’t actually moved away, just to one side. “You’re a sensible woman, Georgia. Clear-thinking. I admire that about you, along with so many other facets of you.”

  “Well, how nice for you that I’m such a calm person.”

  “I thought so.” He frowned. “But somehow, I’ve insulted you.”

  “Oh, why would I be insulted by that?”

  “I’ve no idea,” he said, but watched her warily. “I realize I’ve caught you off guard with this, but you’ll see, Georgia. If you’ll but take a moment to think it through, you’ll agree that this is the best way for both of us.”

  “You’ve decided that, have you?” She snapped a look at him that had the hackles at the back of his neck standing straight up.

  This wasn’t going as he’d thought it would, yet he had no choice but to march on, to lay everything out for her.

  “I did. I’ve done considerable thinking about the two of us since we took that trip to California.”

  “Have you?”

  Her tone was sweet, calm, and he began to relax again. This was the Georgia he knew so well. A temper, aye. What’s life without a little seasoning after all, but a reasonable woman at the heart of it.

  “I’m saying we work well together and there’s no reason for us to separate.” When her gaze narrowed, he hurried on. “The entire village is expecting a wedding. If we end things now, there’ll be questions and whispers and gossip that will last for years.”

  “That’s not what you said when we started this,” she countered. “Oh, they’ll all think you’ve come to your senses,” she added in such a true mimic of his own voice and words she had him flinching.

  “It’s different now,” he insisted.

  “How? How is it different?”

  He rubbed one hand over his face, fatigue clawing at him even as his muddled mind fought for survival. “You’re a part of things in Dunley, as am I. They’ll wonder. They’ll talk.”

  “Let them,” she snapped. “Isn’t that what a sensible woman would say?”

  “Clearly that word upsets you, though I’ve no idea why. You’re a lovely woman, Georgia, with a sound mind and a clear vision.” He pushed on, determined to make her see things his way, though the ground beneath his feet felt suddenly unstable. “You’re rational, able to look at a situation and see it for what it is. Which is why I know you’ll agree with me on this. Ronan insisted you wouldn’t, of course, but he doesn’t know you as I do…”

  “Ronan?” she asked, turning her head and glancing at him from the corner of her eye. “You discussed this with Ronan?”

  “Why wouldn’t I?” He stiffened. “He’s as close as a brother to me, and I wanted to get it all set in my mind before I came to you with it.”

  “And now you have?”

  “I do,” Sean told her, and felt worry begin to slither through him. She wasn’t reacting as he’d expected. He’d thought that his sensible Georgia would smile up at him and say, Good idea, Sean. Let’s do it. Instead, the distance between them seemed to be growing despite the fact she was standing right in front of him.

  She looked down at the emerald-and-diamond ring on her finger, and when he caught her hand in his, he felt better. She was considering his proposal, then, though he’d have expected a bit more excitement and a little less biting his damned head off.

  “If you’ll just take a moment to consider it, I know you’ll agree. You’re not a woman to muddy your thinking by looking through the wavery glass of emotion.”

  “Oh, no,” she whispered, rubbing her thumb against the gold band of her ring. “I’m cool and calm. That’s me. No emotions. Little robot Georgia.”

  “Robot?” He frowned at her. “What’re you talking about?”

  “Logical,” she repeated. “Rational. If I come when you whi
stle I could be your dog.”

  He scrubbed the back of his neck. Maybe he shouldn’t have come here first thing this morning. Maybe he should have waited. Gotten some damn sleep before talking to her. For now, he felt as though even his own thoughts were churning. He couldn’t lay a finger on how he’d gone wrong here, but he knew he had.

  The only way out was to keep talking, hoping he’d stumble on the words he needed so desperately. And why was it, he thought wildly, that when he most needed the words, they’d dried up on him?

  “Not a robot now, but a dog?” Sean shook his head. “You’ve got this all wrong, Georgia. ’Tis my fault you’re not understanding me,” he said benevolently. “I’ve not made myself clear enough.”

  “Oh,” she told him with a choked-off laugh, “you’re coming through loud and clear.”

  “I can’t be, no, or you wouldn’t be standing there spitting fire at me with your eyes.”

  “Really?” She cocked her head to one side and studied him. “How should I react to this oh-so-generous proposal?”

  Temper slapped him. He was offering marriage here, not a year in a dungeon. For all the way she was acting, you wouldn’t believe he was trying to make her his wife but instead ordering her to swim her way back to America.

  “A kiss wouldn’t be out of hand, if you’re asking me. It’s not every day I ask a woman to marry me, you know.”

  “And so graciously, too.” She fiddled with her ring again, thumb sliding across the big green stone. “I should probably apologize.”

  “No need for that,” he said, worry easing back an inch or so now. “I’ve caught you by surprise, is all.”

  “Oh, you could say that.” She pulled her hand free of his. “And your proposal to Noreen, was it every bit this romantic?”

  “Romantic? What’s romance to do with this?”

  “Nothing, obviously,” she muttered.

  “And I never proposed to Noreen,” he told her hotly. “That just…happened.”

  “Poor you,” Georgia told him with sarcasm dripping off each word. “How you must have been taken advantage of.”

  “I didn’t say that—” He shook his head and blew out a breath. “I’ve no idea what I’m saying now, you’ve got me running in circles so.”

  “Not sensible enough for you?”

  “Not by half, no,” he said flatly. “You’re behaving oddly, Georgia, if you don’t mind my saying.” Reaching for her, he blinked when she batted his hands away. “What was that for?”

  “Oh, let me count the reasons,” she muttered, stalking away from him to pace back and forth across the narrow width of the shop.

  The short heels of her boots clacked loudly against the wood floor and sounded to Sean like a thundering heartbeat.

  “You want me to marry you because your mother’s making plans and the village will be disappointed.”

  “That’s only part of it,” he argued, feeling control slipping away from him somehow.

  “Yes, of course.” She snapped him a furious glance. “There’s how well we work together, too.”

  “There is.”

  “And we’re such a good team, right?” Her eyes flashed. “And let’s not forget how good we are in bed together.”

  “It’s a consideration, I think you’ll agree, when wanting to marry.” His tone was as stiff as his spine as he faced the rising fury in her eyes.

  “Sure, wouldn’t want to waste your time on a sensible, rational, logical woman who sucked in bed.”

  “A harsh way of putting it—”

  She held up one hand to keep him from saying anything else, and he was shocked enough to obey the silent command.

  “So basically, you don’t want anything as pesky as love involved in this at all.”

  “Who said anything about love?” he demanded, as something cold and hard settled in the center of his chest.

  “Exactly my point.”

  Swallowing his rising anger, he kept his voice calm as he pointed out, “You’re not talking sense, Georgia.”

  “Wow, I’m not?” She flashed him a look out of eyes that had gone as dark as the ocean at night. “How disappointing for you.”

  Watery winter sunlight slanted into the room through the front windows and seemed to lay across Georgia like a blessing. Her hair shone, her features were golden and the flash in her eyes was unmistakable.

  Still, Sean had come here to claim her and he wasn’t willing to give up on that. “You’re taking this the wrong way entirely, Georgia. You care for me, and I for you—”

  “Care for?” she repeated, her voice hitching higher. “Care for? I love you, you boob.”

  Sean was staggered, and for the first time in his life, speechless.

  “Hah!” She stabbed one finger in the air, pointing it at him like a blade. “I see you hadn’t considered that in all of your planning. Why would rational, logical, sensible Georgia be in love?”

  She loved him? Heat blistered his insides even as words tangled on his tongue.

  “Well, I can’t explain that. It’s really not sensible at all,” Georgia muttered, pushing both hands through her hair before dropping her hands to her sides and glaring at him. “At the moment, it feels downright stupid.”

  “It’s not stupid,” Sean blurted out, crossing to her and taking hold of her shoulders before she could dodge his touch again. Love? She loved him? This was perfect. “It’s more reason than ever for you to marry me. You love me, Georgia. Who the bloody hell else would you marry?”

  “Nobody.” She yanked free of his grip.

  “That makes no sense at all.”

  “Then you’re not paying attention,” she snapped. “You think I want to marry a man who doesn’t love me? Again? No, thanks. I’ve already had that and am in no way interested in doing it all over.”

  “I’m nothing like that inexcusable shite you married and you bloody well know it,” he argued, feeling the need to defend himself.

  “Maybe not, but what you’re offering me is a fake marriage.”

  “It would be real.”

  “It would be legal,” she argued. “Not real.”

  “What the bloody hell’s the difference?”

  “If you don’t know what the difference is,” she countered, “then there’s no way to explain it to you.” She took a long breath and said, “I’ve come to Ireland to build myself a life. Myself. And just because I made the mistake of falling in love with you doesn’t mean I’m willing to throw those plans away.”

  “Who’s asking you to?” he demanded, wondering if she loved him as she claimed, how she could be so stubbornly blind to what they shared. What they could share.

  “I’m done with you, Sean. It’s over. No engagement. No marriage. No nothing.” She grabbed his arm and tugged him toward the door.

  Sunlight washed the street and, for the first time, Sean noted that a few of the villagers had gathered outside the door. Drawn, no doubt by the rising voices. Nothing an Irishman liked better than a good fight—either participating or witnessing.

  “Now get out and go away.”

  “You’re throwing me out of your shop?” He dug in his heels and she couldn’t budge him another inch.

  “Seems the ‘sensible’ thing to do,” she countered, her gaze simply boiling with temper.

  “There’s nothing sensible about you at the moment, I’m sorry to say.”

  “Thank you! I don’t feel sensible. In fact, I may never be sensible again.” She tapped the tip of her index finger against the center of his chest. “In fact, I feel great. It’s liberating to say exactly what you’re thinking and feeling.

  “I’ve always done the right thing—okay, the sensible thing. But no more. And if you don’t want me to redesign Irish Air, that’s fine with me.” She shook her hair back from her face. “I hear Jefferson King lives somewhere around here—I’ll go see him about a job if I have to.”

  “Jefferson King?” The American billionaire who now lived on a sheep farm near Craic? Just the th
ought of Georgia working in close quarters with another man gave Sean a hard knot in the pit of his belly. Even if that man was married and a father.

  Georgia belonged here. With him. Nowhere else.

  “There’s no need for that,” he said sharply. “I don’t break my word. I’ve hired you to do the job and I’ll expect you to do it well.”

  Surprise flickered briefly in her eyes. At least he had that satisfaction. It didn’t last long.

  “Good.” Georgia gave him a sharp nod. “Then we’re agreed. Business. No pleasure.”

  Outside the shop, muttering and conversations rose along with the size of the crowd. All of Dunley would be out there soon, Sean thought, gritting his teeth. Damned if he’d give the village more grist to chew on. If she wouldn’t see reason, then he’d leave her now and try again another day to batter his way through that hard head of hers.

  He lowered his voice and said, “You’ve a head like stone, Georgia Page.”

  “And so is your heart, Sean Connolly,” she told him furiously.

  Someone outside gasped and someone else laughed.

  “This is the way you talk to a man who offers you marriage?” he ground out.

  “A man who offered me nothing. Nothing of himself. Nothing that matters.”

  “Nothing? I offer you my name and that’s nothing?” His fury spiked as he stared down into those blue eyes flashing fire at him.

  She didn’t back down an inch and even while furious he could admire that, as well.

  “Your name, yes,” Georgia said. “But that’s all. You don’t offer your heart, do you, Sean? I don’t think you’d know how.”

  “Is that right?” Her words slapped at him and a part of him agreed with her. He’d never once in his life risked love. Risked being out of control in that way. “Well, I don’t remember hearts being a part of our bargain, do you?”

  “No, but with people, sometimes hearts get in the way.”

  “Oooh,” someone said from outside, “that was a good one.”

  “Hush,” another voice urged, “we’ll miss something.”

  Sean dragged in a breath and blew it out again, firing a furious glare at their audience then looking back again to Georgia. “I’ll be on my way, then, since we’ve nothing more to talk about.”