Her One Night Proposal

“Yes, it’s my job. I have some other interests as well, but the bulk of my time is spent training and participating in yachting competitions around the world. I’ve been in Australia for the last few years and I had hoped to captain the team I’d been training with, but they went in a different direction and I’m not really that great at taking orders so I’m doing my own thing. I need investors to help sponsor us.”

“Okay. I think I can help,” she said. “Actually, my dad manages all of my investments and I think this might be something that he would be interested in. He’s always trying to diversify but this is niche.”

“It is,” he said. “You want your dad to know you hired me?”

“No. What I’m now thinking is that you and I would be together the four days at the wedding and then, since this is going to be a big investment, could we possibly extend the arrangement for, say, three months to get through my new product launch? Then you could go off to do your yachting and we could drift apart but it won’t look like it was just for the wedding,” she said. Now that she knew what he wanted, it was easier to get her head where it needed to be. She turned away from him and moved to the sideboard where she knew pens and paper were kept.

She took two legal pads out and pens and then hit the intercom button on the phone and rang her father’s assistant.

“Hello, Bran. It’s Iris. Could we send some refreshments into the small conference room and I’ll need some time on my dad’s schedule in an hour or so,” she said.

“Certainly, Iris. I’ll get some fresh fruit and those cookies you like sent up. Shall I also bring in cold beverages and some coffee?” he asked.

She looked over at Zac. “Do you want coffee?”

“That’d be great,” he said.

“Yes, please. Coffee for two.”

“Certainly, Iris,” Bran said, hanging up.

She walked back to the table and pushed one of the pads of paper and a pen across to Zac, and then pulled out a chair for herself. He took the paper and pen, then came around and sat down next to her.

Dang, but he was impossible not to watch as he moved. He had a lithe, masculine grace. She was still staring when he sat down next to her.

“What are we doing?”

She shook her head. She had to get over this ridiculous attraction to him. He would be an employee like KT or Stephan. She had to treat him as such.

“I thought we could each write down the things we need. I know you already have a prospectus. Do you have a profit-and-loss sheet?”

“I do,” he said.

“Good. How do you feel about the three months?”

“I’m not even sure what it is you want from me,” he said.

“I need you to be my boyfriend in public. Take photos with me, of course. You’d have to give me permission to use them on all social platforms. There are four days of events at the wedding, so I’d want you there at all times by my side. Once the wedding is over, I’m thinking we’ll need one or two dates a week, as well as some cute social media exchanges and maybe a couple of live videos so I can keep us relevant. My product launch is in six weeks and once it does, I’ll be traveling and doing events. We won’t be together so maybe we can do some exchanges on social media again and possibly, if it works for your schedule, you could fly out and meet me at one of my appearances. I will give you the full schedule so we can see if that works.”

“Uh, I don’t know about that. Being your boo for the weekend is one thing, but all that other stuff is a big commitment. I’ll have to start hiring my team and get to work on having the yacht I’ve designed manufactured. My time is going to be pretty well spoken for. I can do the wedding but beyond that you are on your own.”

“Forget it then. I need someone... Actually now that you were photographed with me, I need you, Mister... I don’t know your last name,” she said.

“It’s Bisset. My dad is—”

“Mr. Bisset, I don’t think we need to go into families right now. All I’m interested in is the details. I’m going to be giving you a large amount of money, you are going to have to work for it.”

“You are investing in my racing team, Iris,” he countered. “You will see a profit from it when I win. I’m doing this as a favor because I like you, angel face.”

He leaned in closer and she felt the brush of his minty breath across her cheek. “I think you like me too or you wouldn’t have suggested this in the first place.”

Her skin was as soft as it looked and the more time he spent with Iris, the happier he was with his gut decision to help her out. He hadn’t liked watching the paparazzi question her, but he knew that was in no small part due to the way that they had treated his own little sister, Mari. Mari had had an affair with a married man when she was younger, and the press had sniffed that story out and made her life a living hell for a while.

As much as he knew that everyone seemed to live for the latest tea, he didn’t like it. His sister said that being in the spotlight meant taking the good with the bad, but he wasn’t sure about that. And because he wasn’t going to lie to himself, that kiss between him and Iris had been hot. Hell, hotter than he’d expected. He didn’t want to just walk away. But hanging out with her at the wedding was one thing. Three months of fake dates and appearances would be hard to maintain.

He wasn’t at the point in his life where he wanted to focus on anything but winning the America’s Cup and that meant his next few years were taken. But she wasn’t going to back down; he could easily read the determination in her eyes. And as she’d said, now that they’d been photographed together, it was either him or no one. And he didn’t want to leave her in the lurch.

“I do like you,” she said, at last, touching her finger to his lip and then drawing her hand back.

A tingle went through him at her touch.

“So then. Let’s make this work,” he said, shifting back because he couldn’t allow this to be anything more than a business deal. He needed investors and unless she was lying—and Iris didn’t strike him as a woman who would make things up—she could provide solid backing. This place belonged to her father; she had real money on the table. He would make the three-month arrangement work.

“Yes, let’s,” she said. “I’m going to make a list of every event I need you at for the next three months. You jot down your schedule, as well.”

“Before we do that, shouldn’t we make sure that your investors are on board?” he asked. “Or did you anticipate that it would just be yourself?”

“Um, yes, of course,” she said. “Let me see what you have. I think an investment group would be better, but I’ll ask my dad.”

He handed her his prospectus and she started going over it, making notes off to one side of her notepad. He watched as she flipped through the prospectus and the profit-and-loss sheet. Finally she sat back. “Okay I think you’ve got a solid plan here. I’m not sure why you weren’t able to secure investment on your own.”

“Me neither,” he said.

“I wanted to sort our part of the arrangement out first, but I think my dad is going to need some time to look into this. So let’s get him in here and we can discuss that. Regardless of his opinion, I will be investing in your run.”

“Why?”

“Because you are going to help me out,” she said. “I like a man who honors his word, and from what I’ve read in this document, you are qualified and know what you’re doing.”

“I’m not looking for handouts.”

“You’re not getting it. I’m not a passive investor. I’ll be looking for updates quarterly.”

“You will?”

“Yup, but don’t worry, you’ll be hanging out with me a lot so I can keep up to date,” she said, with a wink. She pushed her chair back and stood up, but he stopped her with his hand on her wrist.

That electric tingle went up his arm again and his touch drew her off balance. She started to fall and he caught her and steadied her as he stood up. “I don’t want you to think you’re the boss.”

“Why not? I clearly am. I’m going to work up an employment contract for the next three months for our personal arrangement,” she said. “And we will have the investment contract separately, okay? You were right. I don’t want my dad to know about this. It would be better for everyone if it seemed like you were into me.”

“I am,” he said.

“Perfect, keep that up,” she said. “I’ll go get my dad.”

“Not yet,” he said.

“What? Why not?”

“Because you’re giving me credit for being a much better actor than I really am,” he said, putting his hand on her waist and waiting to see if she pulled away.

She didn’t. Instead she tipped her head to the side, watching him with those wide brown eyes of hers. She nibbled on her lower lip as she waited, and he was struck again that she was two very different women. Strong and confident in business, a little shy and reserved personally. Which of course made a certain kind of sense when he thought about her asking to hire him for the weekend.

“I’m not sure this is a good idea,” she said, putting her hand on his chest. But she didn’t push him away.

“Why not?”

“We’re pretending to be a couple,” she said. “I don’t want to blur the lines.”

“We have to make it look real,” he said. “If you push me away when I touch you, no one will buy the act.”

She nibbled her lower lip again and he bit back a moan. She turned him on like no one he’d been with in a long time. But he was here for business. Which was part of the point he’d been trying to make to her. They had to appear to be lovers even though they were strangers.

He’d also been determined to make his own path and that had sometimes led him astray, but he had to be honest, this detour was the most interesting one he’d found himself on. Pretend boyfriend/lover to a lifestyle guru...who knew?

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