The Billionaire Bargain (Millionaire's Club) (13 page)

But marriage?

A great marriage needed more than just mind-blowing sex. Couldn’t he see that?

“You’re comparing apples and oranges, Daegen.”

“True,” he said, his copper eyes brushing her face. “And I’m offering a real marriage. Not only in name. A partnership.”

He’d lost his mind. The responsibility of having a son had flipped the crazy switch. She understood his son’s circumstance and she’d do anything she could to help.
But this?

“I can’t.”

“You mean you won’t.”

“My father will need me back in the States.”

“He won’t even see you of your own admission.”

“Doesn’t matter. I-I-I…” The tears which had been threatening rolled down her face. She couldn’t hold them back. She wanted to be Daegen’s wife. But she couldn’t. Not with what he was offering. Because the word love had never been uttered. And she wouldn’t marry for less.

Determination set across his features.

“Get some rest,” he said.

“Why?”

“We’re leaving first thing in the morning.”

If Rae knew Daegen at all arguing would do no good while he had his determined look stamped on his face. His jaw set, his gaze narrowed, meant he wouldn’t give up.

“Fine.”

Rae heard the front door open and close as she settled into the guest room.

****

The next morning, Rae dressed before moving into the kitchen.

Daniel was already there, sitting on a bar stool.

“What are you doing, kiddo?”

He didn’t ask for food, didn’t have to for her to know what he wanted, so she went digging around for something for the boy to eat.

“We’re going somewhere?” he asked, the unknown haunting his dark features.

“I am. My father is very sick.”

His gaze dipped. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. It’s fine.”

He cocked his head to the side. “Why do you say it’s fine when I see you were crying?”

“You know what, buddy? Me and you are not so different.”

“We’re not?”

“My mom left when I was a baby. I grew up without a father.”

Daniel’s eyes grew wide. “But you found him now. That’s all that matters.”

It doesn’t always work that way, kid.
The smile she offered was a flimsy mask meant to cover her pain. Because that’s where the similarities ended. “My father doesn’t want to see me.”

He took a contemplative bite. “Then you should forget about him. He doesn’t deserve to know you.”

The gleam of defiance in his eye made him look like Daegen. It was the only time he did. Even at eleven-years-old she wouldn’t want to be locked in a battle of wits with the boy. He was as sharp as he was determined. Too street-wise for his age.

And he was probably right.

“I’m not doing it for him.” Speaking the words out loud like that was so totally freeing.

“Then who?”

“For me. I barely know him. I want to see him one more time.”

Daniel nodded his understanding.

“To say goodbye,” he said deadpan. And he was right.

Daegen walked into the room. “The car’s ready. Say goodbye to whom?”

A knowing glance between Daniel and Rae told her he understood. That was the thing about orphans, they never really ever stopped wanting to believe their parent would turn out to be a superhero. No matter how much they were disappointed, they still expected a magic show with a grand gesture of love in the end.
I’d settle for being told my dad wanted me in the first place.

Daegen stopped, staring at the pair of them for a long moment. Realizing neither one was about to divulge their secret, he said, “Then let’s go if the two of you are ready.”

Daniel took Rae’s outstretched hand as they walked out to meet the waiting driver.

“Can I sit in the front?” he asked, excitement sparking in his brown eyes.

“Of course,” Rae said, regretting it the moment she realized the privacy partition was up and she’d be alone with Daegen.

He sat so close, their thighs pressed against each other with the slightest shift in position.

“Do you plan to let me in on the secret you share with my son?” he asked in a whisper.

His hand reached out and touched hers. His long fingers cradled hers. He turned her hand over so that her fingers rested on the flat surface of his square, strong palm as his thumb stroked hers.

“I want to know all your secrets.” The deep melody of his voice spread warmth along her neck, down the loose curls around her shoulders, sliding shivers down her spine.

He moved his hand to her hip, splaying his fingers, the tips pressing into her with just enough pressure to send sensitized currents through her body, alerting her nerve endings to his masculine presence. His touch reminded her she was a woman in every sense of the word.

Rae took in a long, deep breath to calm the sudden assault of awareness as he tightened his hold. “What about Daniel?”

“We’re completely alone back here.”

Leave it to a man like Daegen to ensure privacy in the back of his limo. Turning her head to the side to look directly at him, to tell him to let her go, she met his eyes—eyes that were hooded by dark lashes and focused on her mouth, eager, as though he were visually parting her lips.

He was uncomfortably close.

So much so that his breath joined with hers.

Whatever she planned to say a moment or two before drifted out of reach as her mouth lifted toward his. Her lips wanting contact. His tasted like coffee. His eyes darkened to the color of the night outside and he gazed deeply into her.

****

All morning he had felt the tsunami building. Building strong and silent with a force that threatened to obliterate him.

This feeling wasn’t one easily identified. Or welcomed.

Bottom line?

He should have stopped it, halted the rapidly rising turbulence, sending it back to be buried underneath the sea floor by sheer force of will.

His lips moved toward hers as though a natural force outside of him directed his movements.

His fingers grazed a trail up her spine reaching to the delicate, sensitized nape of her neck, while his mouth ached to play sensuously with hers.

All reason and logic had left him, swept away in the storm, as he took a harsh, heavy breath. Every muscle in his body felt the swell that had been building, gaining momentum, running stronger and stronger until reaching the point that was unbearable to endure.

Daegen wanted Rae. Craved her. And he wanted her to be his wife.

Based on the vibrations of her body every time he was near, she wanted him too.

Why fight it?

Even when she was being contrary, she had a voice that poured over his skin, bringing him to life, causing him to want. Daegen didn’t do
want.
Had never wanted without attaining the object of his desire.

He didn’t plan to start now either.

****

The sexual current vibrating between them nearly knocked Rae back. His smoky eyes, dark with desire, looked right through to her backbone. She felt vulnerable being this close to him. Because her lips remembered the imprint his left on them. And they wanted more.

His mouth was within an inch of hers. He grazed her lips ever so slightly, shooting hot volts of desire through her body and a bone-deep memory of feeling him. It was next to impossible to manage a word when she was the focus of his sensual gaze, let alone string enough together to form a coherent sentence.

His head lowered to hers. His kiss was more than heaven. Soft, tender, belying his pure masculine strength. Rae’s lips parted and she released a low, throaty sigh as his tongue slowly guided itself inside.

He pulled back first, pausing for an instant as his gaze searched hers. “Would it be so terrible to consider marrying me?”

A sensual haze had enveloped her, and she barely made out his words. “Huh?”

“We’d make a great team. Stay.”

As what? An employee?
Rae focused a little more. The fog cleared enough for rational thoughts to edge their way in.

What could she possibly say to make this man understand? It was torture to battle against her primal urges around him as it was. Last thing she needed was to stick around and make it worse.

Besides, she had messes to clean up back in the States. Rather large ones. Being reminded of that brought a shot of logical thinking to her mind.

“To do what?” she said through labored breathing.

“Whatever we want. We can write our own script.”

Rae would’ve backed up if she could. As it was her back was pressed against the unyielding leather and Daegen’s heft prevented her from making a mad dash to the other side of the car. And she wanted nothing more at that moment than to get away, and go far, far away because she was all but losing her mind. “I’m afraid I’m not following. What are you offering?”

“A life. Together. You owe it to us both.”

Without love?
How long could they get by on great sex?

Okay. A long time. But her heart needed more. “I can’t.”

“You need the money. And what about Daniel?”

Well that was a low blow. Of course she’d stay for Daniel.

Daegen wasn’t playing fair. Her fingers released their grip on his strong male chest and pushed him back enough for her to catch her breath. Incredulity cleared up the rest of the fog in the space of a heartbeat.

Hard to believe only moments ago she’d been heady with desire looking into those same dark eyes. Right now she mostly wanted to poke them. She’d have blasted out the door if she could have.

Cursing the physical effect he had on her body, she said, “I can appreciate your circumstance, but I’m afraid you’ve miscalculated.”

“Are you saying you don’t need financial help? This agreement would benefit us both.”

Money? There it was again. She was becoming so sick of that word she wanted to vomit. What was it going to take to make him see her heart wasn’t on the negotiating table?

And his eyes, the way they swept over her, sending chills up and down her spine, had her momentarily disengaged with logic. Because when his bedroom gaze was fixed on her, intent, she believed herself to be seeing something very meaningful in it. Impossible as it was, she actually thought there could be more to their relationship than just a fake marriage.

But there that word crept into conversation again. Money. Rae needed that jolt of reality to keep herself focused. She felt vulnerable. Being anywhere near the tower of strength that was Daegen made her lose touch with reality.

She didn’t want to read anymore into their relationship than was already there because she already knew she loved Daegen. In all the right and proper ways a woman could love a man. And if only he could say the words to her, the words she felt, then she might be able to consider his proposal. But he’d been clear. And Daegen Tan wasn’t a man to mince words. Love wasn’t in the bargain. He was to get a mother for Daniel. She was to be financially secure.

That was the offer.

His gaze softened. “I’ve seen you with Daniel. You’ll be an incredible mother to our children.”

Rae froze. “Our children?” came out fractured. She hadn’t even considered the possibility.

“Surely you realize we could have children. We haven’t exactly been careful.”

Her gaze dropped to her midsection. Motherhood? Before she could assess how she felt about it, she’d have to calm her shaky nerves.

“You must’ve thought about the possibility.”

She shook her head. With her gaze still trained on her stomach, she sank deeper into the seat. The idea of motherhood sat on her chest heavy for a moment.

Rae held up a hand, needing a moment to digest the thought.

It didn’t take long for a rash to begin at the base of her neck and crawl upward. Before long splotchy circles dotted her neck and face.

Motherhood?

Rae blinked.

As appealing as the thought of having Daegen’s baby growing inside her might be, the whole idea of motherhood reeled inside her head.

Her gaze rose to meet Daegen’s, his hooded lashes revealing nothing of what was behind his gaze.

“You will be an amazing mother some day,” he said.

“How do you know?” It wasn’t like she’d had any role models in that job. And she’d never been the type to lie in her bed dreaming of wearing a puffy white dress or cradling children to her chest. Motherhood was the cruelest thing women did to children. Fairytales and happy endings were for people who didn’t leave themselves broke and vulnerable. Rae was both at present. Not exactly parent material.

“I’ve seen you with Daniel. He adores you.”

“That doesn’t mean I’m motherhood material,” came out on a fractured sigh.

“What’s the one thing a child really needs?”

The answer came to Rae immediately, but she held onto it for a long moment before answering.

“Love.”

It had been one of the great many denials in her life.

Which was precisely why it was so important to her that if she should marry, it would be for nothing less.

Chapter Twelve

Rae silently prayed she wasn’t pregnant because that would change everything. A baby wouldn’t make Daegen love her but it would make her want to stay in a relationship with him. She would never allow her own child to grow up without both its parents.

And yet, she warmed at the thought of having his baby.

It was hard to imagine providing a better father to a child than Daegen Tan. She pushed loose tendrils of hair off her face with a shaky hand.

His fingers trailed along her midsection and there was something she didn’t immediately recognize in the back of his eyes. Pride?

“Would it be so unthinkable to have my baby?”

“I just never dreamed,” she said honestly.

“Not ever?”

“Not like this.”

“You mean not with me?”

As if it would even be possible to think about running into another man’s arms after being in his.

“Let me get this straight, you want us to have a baby?” she asked, and then stared at him blankly.

“The thought did occur to me. Yes. What would be so wrong in that? I’d expected to wait until after we got married but you had to realize we didn’t do anything to prevent pregnancy. You already know I’m careful.”