Her Indecent Proposal (The BAD BOY BILLIONAIRES Collection)

by Angelo, Judy

  “Thank you,” she managed, her throat tight. “And you, too.”

  He smiled and took her arm and, to her relief, there was no more talk about looking nice. Right then she had other, more pressing matters on her mind and she wanted to get it over and done with. She’d psyched herself up for this meeting and she wanted to say what she had to say before she had a chance to chicken out.

  After a surprisingly pleasant meal, one in which her dinner companion made light conversation which eventually put her at ease, Sloane leaned back in his chair and turned his gray eyes on her. “So, Melanie, what did you want to talk about?”

  Her mellow mood immediately disappeared. Here it was, the moment of truth. And dare. Because she would dare to be bold…and sleep with Sloane Quest.

  She cleared her throat. “I thought about what you said.” She kept her voice deliberately low and even. This was not the time to sound shaky. “I’ve decided…to accept your counterproposal. This is…extremely important to me so I’ll proceed as you recommended.”

  “You’ll proceed as I recommended.” Sloane chuckled as he regarded her with obvious amusement. “You make it sound so cold, so businesslike.”

  She flushed. “Well, it is sort of a business arrangement.”

  “And that’s something I’d want to change, Melanie. After all, there’ll be a child involved.” He leaned forward and reached for her hand and suddenly he didn’t seem so relaxed anymore. “And no matter how you may want to deny it, we will be involved.”

  Now what the heck did that mean? Melanie frowned as she looked at him but his gray eyes were unreadable. And he was holding her hand in his big, warm one and if he didn’t let go soon her palm would begin to perspire. Goodness, why did it always have to go damp when she got nervous? She gave her hand a little tug, nothing too obvious, just a small attempt to break contact. It didn’t work.

  “So…wh…when can we start?” Melanie dropped her eyes again. This was so hard. She could be a killer negotiator in a business meeting but when it came to discussing personal – worse, intimate – matters she was pathetic.

  He gave her an even broader smile and squeezed her hand. “Call me old fashioned, but seeing that I don’t plan to have a child out of wedlock, we can start as soon as we get married.”

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Now where had that come from? Sloane had never been impulsive but somehow, at that moment, it seemed that that had been the right thing to say. The only thing. Because it was what he believed.

  Okay, so he’d always been a rover, never staying very long with any one woman. But, like his friend said, maybe it was time he grew up. After all, he was not that far from forty, and if he planned to have a family he might as well start now. He wanted to at least have enough energy to play ball with the kid.

  And now, to his own surprise, he’d thrown another ingredient into the mix. Melanie had made her initial proposal because that was who she was – practical. And now he’d thrown marriage into the deal because that was who he was – surprising to admit but maybe, deep inside, he was a romantic at heart.

  “Get married?” Melanie looked like he’d suddenly grown a third eye. Her expression was a mixture of shock and horror. “Are you serious?”

  “Very serious. I’m from a traditional family with traditional values and starting a family is something I do not take lightly.” He sat back and folded his arms across his chest. "No marriage, no deal.”

  “B…but you hardly even know me. Why would you want to marry me?”

  Sloane almost laughed. “This, from the woman who asked me to give her a child. So it’s okay for virtual strangers to have a kid but weird for them to get married?”

  That shut her up. Her face fell visibly as his point sank in. “But marriage…”

  “Think of it as an arranged marriage. A marriage of convenience, if you will.” He shrugged.

  “I…I don’t know what to say.” And she really did look flabbergasted, like the thought had never even crossed her mind. “But what about your lady…friends? I mean-” She stopped abruptly and her face reddened.

  “I told you, Melanie, I’m a traditional man. Once I exchange vows, all of that ends.” His voice was firm as he spoke because he meant every word.

  “But what about love?” she asked, her face pale.

  “What’s love got to do with it? You’re an attractive woman and I hope you don’t find me repulsive. Many arranged marriages last a whole lot longer than ones where the players come together because of love.”

  “But…what if you find someone and then…you fall in love?” Her voice grew faint as she spoke.

  “And what about you?” he asked. “It’s a risk we’ll have to take. That is, if you think getting this child by me is worth that risk.” He raised an eyebrow as he watched the emotions flit across her face. “It’s totally up to you.”

  She went from pale to pink then she drew in her breath and let it out slowly. He could almost see her business mind, her practical side, ticking away.

  “Okay,” she said and this time her voice was firm. “I’ll do it.”

  ***

  “You sneaky girl.” Emily Parker beamed as Melanie broke the news to her. “So all this time you were telling me you wanted a baby you had this up your sleeve and didn’t tell me? You naughty thing.” She reached over and pinched her daughter’s cheek.

  “Well, not really,” Melanie began but she didn’t get a chance to go much farther.

  “How did you both hide it? How long have you been seeing each other? He’s the first son in the Quest clan, isn’t he? Isn’t he the one with the reputation?”

  The questions flew so fast Melanie couldn’t answer them all so she didn’t even bother to try. Instead, she leaned over in the sofa and put her arm up around her mother’s shoulder. “Mom, I just need your help on this. It won’t be big but I have no idea where to start. You’re the expert on these kinds of things.”

  It was her mother who had organized her younger sister’s wedding, and Kayla had been so pleased that she’d convinced Emily to take on her best friend’s wedding, too. And their mother had loved it.

  “The wedding planner will report to you, okay? Sloane says he wants nothing to do with it, outside of showing up on the appointed day. And me,” she raised her shoulders, “I’m hopeless with these things.”

  “I know, dear.” Emily patted her leg. “You’re a corporate executive. You’ve got a lot on your plate. Just leave everything to me.”

  “And Mom,” Melanie looked at her intently, “you don’t mind that I’m marrying the ‘enemy’?”

  “Please.” Her mother rolled her eyes. “You can’t fight love, Melanie. You fell in love and that’s all that matters to me.”

  ‘Fell’ was right. In love was another matter. Of course, Melanie didn’t go there.

  “Now how your father will react, that’s another story. But don’t worry about it. I’ll take care of him.”

  They’d set the date of the wedding for the week after her thirty-fourth birthday, three months down the road, and had deliberately planned small so that everything could be ready in time. There was no way Melanie was going into her thirty-fourth year without being in the position to start working on the biggest assignment of her life, her baby project. And Sloane had agreed, thank goodness. She’d thought he would have objected to the rush, maybe even change his mind about the whole thing, but no, he behaved like the kind of man who, once he’d made up his mind, would go all the way.

  The next few months went by with the speed of a flashflood and before Melanie knew it, she was walking up the aisle to stand by the side of her husband-to-be. This was all so surreal. Only months earlier she hadn’t so much as exchanged a word with Sloane Quest and now she was about to become his wife.

  As they stood before the minister Melanie stole a glance at Sloane, so tall and handsome standing there beside her, and she could not believe her good fortune. A baby in her future and a desirable man to go along with it. Was she dreaming th
e whole thing?

  And then the minister turned his attention to her and she knew it was all true. She, Melanie Parker, committed bachelorette and spinster, was about to become Mrs. Sloane Quest. “Do you, Melanie Parker, take Sloane Quest to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?”

  “I do,” she squeaked, suddenly feeling overwhelmed by the enormity of the situation. This was forever. Was she making the biggest mistake of her life?

  “And do you, Sloane Quest, take Melanie Parker to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?”

  “I do.” There was no hesitation in Sloane’s voice and Melanie almost sagged with relief. At least he didn’t sound like he was regretting his rash move.

  “I now pronounce you, man and wife.”

  And then, just like that, it was over and the minister was telling Sloane he could ‘kiss the bride’.

  As he turned toward her, Melanie drew in her breath and held it. Goodness. This would be their first kiss. And they’d have to do it in front of an audience. Was she that good an actress?

  Quickly, before her nervousness became obvious to everyone watching, she closed her eyes and willed herself to relax as Sloane pulled her into his arms. His lips descended on hers and then he captured her lips in a kiss that was bold and masterful, one that left her in no doubt that he was in charge. This was not the chaste kiss she’d expected, a kiss just to satisfy a curious audience. He was kissing her like he meant it, like this was for real.

  And to her chagrin, right there in front of the small gathering of well-wishers, her body began to respond to his domination. Instantly, her nipples hardened and her legs grew weak, and all Melanie could do was cling to the arms that were like steel bands around her.

  When Sloane finally released her lips and lifted his head her eyes flew open and she found herself staring into his smoldering gray ones. With that kiss he’d rocked the ground she’d been standing on, but now she could see that he’d felt it, too. He wouldn’t be looking at her this way if he hadn’t.

  And then the minister cleared his throat and the spell was broken.

  The organist struck the chord for Mendelssohn's Wedding March and as she walked down the aisle and out of the church, her new husband holding her hand, she saw her family beaming at her and her mother had tears in her eyes.

  And so it was that she came to the end of step one in her baby-making plan. Now it was on to step two.

  But with all her past hang-ups, she just prayed she wouldn’t make a darned fool of herself in bed.

  CHAPTER SIX

  “It’s…beautiful.” Melanie stood in the middle of the huge and airy living room and turned around and around, taking in the rustic charm of Ian Fleming Villa with its furniture made of bamboo and reddish brown mahogany beams. An entire wall seemed to have been removed as the room opened out onto a lush and colorful tropical garden.

  Sloane shoved his hands into his pockets but he was smiling at her. “I knew you would. That’s why I chose this place. Exotic, comfortable, and best of all, private.”

  “But…it’s so lovely and yet I’ve never heard of it before.” Melanie crossed the room and went to stare past the palm fronds and green leaves of the almond trees to the brilliant blue sea stretching out before them. “This is a part of Jamaica I’ve never seen.”

  Sloane came to stand beside her, taking in the tranquil scene before them. “Most visitors hit the popular tourist centers like Montego Bay or Ocho Rios but that’s not my style. I go for a more relaxed, personal experience.”

  “And it’s on this property that Ian Fleming created James Bond.” Melanie turned toward Sloane. “That’s what they said when we checked in, right?”

  He chuckled. “I see we’re paying attention. He wrote several of his James Bond novels right here in Oracabessa, at GoldenEye. I guess he bought the place because it stimulated his creativity.”

  Melanie nodded. “Hey, if I lived in a place like this I’d be creative, too. Look at it. It’s like we found the Garden of Eden.”

  And, looking out onto all that greenery, it made the early morning flight worth it.

  She’d gotten up at the ungodly hour of four o’clock and met Sloane at the airport at five. At first she’d grumbled when he insisted on heading out that early but now she could see why. They’d arrived at the villa just about lunchtime, with lots of daylight left so they could start exploring and enjoying the island right away.

  She’d been grateful when Sloane told her he would handle the honeymoon plans. Her only responsibility, he’d said, was to make sure she’d planned to take at least five days off from work because it was important that they used this time to get to know each other. He was right, of course. After all, how could you call a man your husband when you knew practically nothing about him? And having all the details of his professional life did not count.

  So here she was, in one of the most idyllic places on earth, with Sloane Quest by her side. She would spend the rest of the day getting to know him, probably relaxing on the sparkling white sand, and then later when the night fell and the ocean turned inky-blue, she would get to know him even better. Because that was when they’d make love.

  At the thought her breath caught in her throat and she stole a furtive glance at Sloane. Was he as nervous about tonight as she was? But Sloane looked one hundred percent relaxed, like he did this sort of thing every day – marrying a woman he hardly knew, taking her away on a honeymoon, getting ready to make love. Well, the making love part was definitely ‘old hat’ for him. Unfortunately, not so much for her…

  “Why don’t we grab some lunch then hit the beach?” Sloane turned away from the verandah and walked back into the living room. “Or do you prefer the pool? The villa comes with its own pool and private beach.”

  Melanie followed him into the room. “The beach, I guess. I like lying in the sun and digging my toes in the sand.” She shoved her hands into the pockets of her cargo pants. “So what’s for lunch?”

  “We can stay here. We have a private staff who will cook a meal for us. Or, if you don’t want to wait, we can always walk over to the Bizot Bar and grab something there.” He shrugged. “It’s up to you.”

  “Let’s go to the Bizot Bar. We’ll see other people there, right?”

  “Sure.”

  “Then let’s go.”

  He seemed amused by her eagerness but Melanie had a very good reason for wanting to get out of the villa. As spacious and open as it was, being there alone with Sloane, it was still too intimidating. It was too private, too intimate, and just then she did not want to be reminded about what was to come.

  At the Bizot Bar they sat down poolside and enjoyed a meal that featured samplings of the local cuisine – jerked chicken and spicy escoveitched fish with ackee and salted codfish in flaky pastry cups. As they ate they enjoyed the sounds of France’s Radio Nova playing in the background.

  Soon, though, it was time to head back to the villa and to their own little world. “Ready for the beach?” Sloane asked as he strolled toward the master bedroom. “Let’s get changed. We can do with some sun.” He didn’t even look behind to see if she was following.

  And so she hesitated. Sure, the bellhop had taken both their bags to the same bedroom. They were man and wife, after all. But the villa had all of five bedrooms. Why did they have to share the same one? If she could avoid changing in front of Sloane she would feel so much better.

  But then his voice broke into her thoughts and she realized she was being a perfect idiot. You’re planning to have sex with the man. He’s going to be seeing your body anyway, so why hide it now?

  “Where are you? Come and change.”

  It sounded more like an order than a request and Melanie frowned. She did not like being bossed around. But then she sighed and headed for the bedroom. She was the one
who’d said she wanted to try the beach so she might as well get moving.

  When she walked into the bedroom Sloane had already stripped off his shirt and trousers and was wearing shorts and sandals. And his chest was bare.

  Melanie could only stare. Talk about sexy. The man was in perfect shape, and not just for a thirty-six year old. Anyone looking at his taut muscles, broad pecs and narrow waist would swear they were looking at the body of a guy in his early twenties, he looked that good.

  But if Sloane noticed her staring, he didn’t acknowledge it. He walked toward where she stood in the doorway and as he approached, she stepped aside.

  “I’m heading beachside. Join me when you're ready.” And then he was out the door and gone, leaving her standing there, staring after him.

  Well, so much for having him watch her while she undressed. He hadn’t shown even a spark of interest. And, although she knew she was being contrary, she was not pleased. So she might not be Kate Moss but wasn’t he even the least bit curious about what she looked like? Melanie gave a soft sigh. She guessed he wasn’t.

  In minutes she’d changed into a neon-orange bikini bathing suit with a wrap thrown over it and was on her way down to the beach. There she saw Sloane already in the water, floating on his back as he stared up into the cloudless blue sky. As she crossed the sandy beach he turned his head and when he saw her, he smiled and waved.

  “How’s the water?” she called out, encouraged by his smile.

  “Awesome,” he yelled back. “Come on, try it.”

  And so she did. Sloane hadn’t flown her all the way to Jamaica for her to be a stick in the mud. She was sure he was paying several thousands per night for them to stay at this private villa so it only made sense for her to take advantage of all that the property had to offer.

  She stripped off her wrap and dropped it right there on the sand. “I’m coming in,” she yelled and ran through the crystal-clear water at the shore then dived in. She swam out to where Sloane was now treading water while he waited for her.