Negotiating Terms

Pov

Bryce

"I'm sorry?"

Her jaw dropped, and I fought back a smile. My amusement with her wasn't appropriate at the moment. But there was something about those full, pink lips, parted in shock and confusion...

Well, that woke my cock up, that was for sure.

I turned my desk around to hide the erection that was growing just by looking at her sweet, open mouth.

I expected her to look like she'd been hit by a freight train. I just didn't expect the sudden desire to pick her up, put her on my desk and taste every inch of her.

I leaned back in the chair. "You heard me."

No one gets a marriage proposal like this, especially not from me. But it had to be this way. I had to get married to get my father—and the hellish board—off my back. I needed to do it to keep my company.

No woman fit the bill the way Cora did. The women I knew were more than happy to sleep their way to the top. That was the last thing this company needed after I supposedly ruined its reputation.

"I don't understand," Cora said, furrowing her brow at me. "Marry you?"

I nodded. "Yes. I need you to pose as my wife."

"Pose? So we wouldn't really get married?"

I sighed. "No, we would actually get married."

She shook her head, trying to grasp what I was saying. I watched her as she tried to figure it out. Her eyes widened when she realized... something. And then her face shifted from surprised to furious.

"You think this is funny?" she snapped at me. "Is this your latest stunt? Making fun of the clumsy intern? I was already embarrassed enough with the toilet paper incident last night, and now you want to take it a step further and see what it takes to break me? Is that it?"

Her anger caught me off guard. I expected her to be shocked, not angry.

"I'm not making fun of you, Cora," I asserted. "I'm serious."

Cora shook her head and stood up. "I can't believe this," she said, more to herself than to me. "I thought you were too good to be true, you know? God, I'm such a fool."

I watched her, puzzled.

"I have to go," she said.

Her shoulders slumped as she walked towards the door.

"Don't leave," I said.

She glanced over her shoulder and scoffed. "I'm sure as hell not staying. This is madness!"

She reached the door. I'd have to up the ante a bit. I had prepared for this scenario, even if blackmail was the last thing I wanted to do with someone like Cora.

But my neck was on the line.

"If you leave, I'll have to report you to HR for theft. And maybe involve the police."

She froze when I said that, her hand paused on the doorknob. For a moment, she didn't move. Then, she slowly turned around.

"I thought you said it didn't matter," she said softly.

I sighed. She looked so hurt, as if I had betrayed her. And she barely knew me.

"I know what I said," I replied to her. "But that was yesterday, before I found out I'm about to lose my company. You can walk away, but I'll fire you for theft. Or... you can marry me."

She narrowed her eyes at me. "That's a very unfair ultimatum."

"Yes," I said sharply. "I know. Trust me, I'm in the same boat as you."

"I highly doubt that," she said coldly.

I shook my head and gestured to the armchair for her to sit back down. "Let me explain."

She hesitated, but I knew I had her. I really wasn't going to fire her—I wasn't a heartless jerk, and I knew she was already in a tough spot financially. But she didn't know I was bluffing, and that's all that mattered.

As she walked back to the armchair and sat down, she perched on the edge, knees together, hands folded in her lap. She was tense. That smile I liked was gone.

That was my fault.

"I need to save face with the board of directors. They're upset about my public behavior and the image I'm giving the company."

"I don't blame them," she said firmly.

I glanced at her before continuing.

"You need my help here as much as I need yours, so I wouldn't get too high and mighty about it," I said. "I need you to be my wife—legally—and play the part for six months."

"Why only six?" she asked.

For someone caught between a rock and a hard place, she had a lot to say.

"I need you around until my probation period is over. When I became CEO, I started a one-year probationary period with the board. I have six more months to go," I said. I had done some reading. Now I knew my contract was outdated and backward, and neither Daddy nor Allison Evans would catch me with a loophole again. "For the next six months, you'll live with me rent-free, I'll cover all your bills, and when it's all over... I'll pay you three million dollars."

She choked when I mentioned the money.

"Three million... are you kidding me?"

I shook my head. "I've never been more serious about anything in my life. There's a catch, though."

She narrowed her eyes. "Oh?"

"You have to play your part convincingly enough to persuade the board to let me keep the company."

"Ah," she pouted.

"Seems like a fair deal for three million, don't you think?"

"I guess," she paused, and I could see her processing everything I'd said. I didn't really know what that amount of money meant to her—money wasn't the same for me as it was for everyone else. But I knew she needed money, and I was willing to bet three million was more than enough for her.

She frowned, and I wondered if she'd go along with the deal. It was a lot of money, but being married to a stranger for six months... God, I didn't even know if I could. I wasn't the marrying type. I was a free spirit. I didn't want to play house. But if I wanted the company, I had to do it.

And despite my father's angry words, I wanted the company.

"We'll get a clean divorce at the end," I said cheerfully. "You'll have your own room in my apartment. You'll live comfortably. And don't worry, you won't have to sleep with me."

Her eyes darted away, and her face turned a bright shade of red.

"Unless you want to," I added.

Her blush deepened. She coughed into her hand as she shifted in her seat.

"Of course, you'll need to make appearances as my wife," I continued. "Play the part and all. A kiss or two might be required. And neither of us can date anyone else during this time."

She gave me a skeptical look.

"Rest assured, I'm entirely capable of restraining myself, Cora."

"Three million?" she asked softly.

"Three million."

"I'll do it," said Cora, and it was my turn to be surprised.

"That was easy."

"No, I'm not done," said Cora. "I'll do it, but I have my own conditions."

"You're not in a position to make demands," I said.

"From where I stand, neither are you," she countered. "Or should I step back and let you find someone else to marry?"

I grunted. She wasn't stupid—she had to know the women I usually dated weren't marriage material, not even for a performance.

"Or even better," she pressed. "I could go to the media and expose you for attempted blackmail and a sham marriage. The board could catch you red-handed."

Ouch. She was tougher than she looked.

"Fine," I said. "What is it?"

"If I'm moving in with you, I need you to take care of my mother's expenses as well. And you need to hire a housekeeper and a nurse who can look after her when I'm not there. Someone who will cook and clean and make sure she's okay. She can't be alone. Consider it an advance on the three million."

It seemed fair. More than fair. And selfless. Cora really was something else.

"Okay," I agreed. "It's a deal."

"And not later, Bryce," she said, her eyes fierce. "I need you to make these arrangements now."

Damn, her fierceness was exhilarating. I wanted to grab her and kiss her.

But first, I had to figure out how to make this grumpy woman my fake wife.