Chapter 9 Afraid I’ll Shake You Down?
“Didn’t you just say you didn’t want to get married? Especially to me?”
Ryan searched her face, trying to work out what he’d missed.
Grace’s humiliation only deepened. As far as she was concerned, he was a creep who went around looking down women’s tops. Yet somehow he was trying to walk away, and she was the one insisting on marriage.
“My parents died when I was young,” she said. “My grandfather raised me. I won’t hurt him or let him down. So I’ll marry you, but only as a formality.”
Understanding dawned.
“You mean a fake marriage?”
“A marriage in name only.”
“No.” Ryan shook his head. “I want a real wife someday. Once we do this, I’m a married man. That makes dating a little difficult. I understand that you want to make your grandfather happy, but that doesn’t mean I have to play house with you.”
“You want the pendant, don’t you?” Her voice was cold. “After three months, we’ll divorce and I’ll give it back.”
“Three months?”
“Yes.”
“And I won’t have to repay the money?”
“No.”
She said it through clenched teeth.
“Three months isn’t that long,” he mused. “But I’ll still be divorced afterward. What am I supposed to tell someone I date? She’ll want to know why my first marriage lasted three months. She might think I cheated, or worse.”
Grace’s fingers curled into fists.
What did he think that made her? She had a reputation to protect, too. If she was willing to risk it, why was this creep complaining?
“I’ll pay you another hundred and fifty thousand dollars. Will that satisfy you?”
He waved away the offer.
“Forget the money. Why three months?”
Something sad flickered in her eyes before her expression closed again.
“It should be enough time to get to know each other. Then we’ll tell Grandpa we tried, but we’re incompatible and making each other miserable. He won’t insist we stay together.”
Ryan considered that.
If they refused outright, Henry could always argue that they hadn’t given the marriage a chance. After three months, they could say they had. They would have honored the arrangement and kept their promises.
If it still didn’t work, there would be little reason to force it.
Three months wasn’t much. Once Ryan had the pendant and a lead on his origins, he could leave.
“All right. But outside of keeping up appearances, you don’t interfere in my life.”
Disgust sharpened Grace’s gaze.
Of course. He couldn’t even behave himself for three months. He wanted to keep chasing women.
“Play your part in front of Grandpa. That’s all I ask. Drink, flirt, do whatever you want. Just make sure he doesn’t hear about it.”
Ryan smiled.
“Then we have a deal.”
Some of the tension left her shoulders.
“I’ll draw up an agreement. You’ll need to sign it.”
“Afraid I’ll shake you down when it’s over?” He chuckled. “Fine. Write it up.”
She didn’t deny it.
What if he refused to divorce her? What if he demanded money or shares in her company before agreeing to leave?
Everything she’d seen so far had convinced her that he was a lecher and a scoundrel. She wasn’t about to trust his word.
“Let’s go back,” she said.
Ryan saw the distrust in her face and sighed inwardly.
What a mess. His engagement had turned into a business arrangement, and his future wife thought he was a villain.
Chloe came to mind again. That resemblance was too strong to ignore.
“Ms. Morgan…”
Grace looked at him.
“When we’re with Grandpa, call me Grace.”
Fair enough. They were supposed to be getting married. Calling her Ms. Morgan would hardly make them sound close.
“Okay. Grace, I—”
“In front of Grandpa.”
He spread his hands.
“It’s a habit. If I keep switching back and forth, eventually I’ll get it wrong. It’s only your name. If we can’t manage that much, how are we going to convince him we’re married?”
Grace stared at him.
Give him an inch, and he took a mile. Was this another excuse to get familiar with her?
Unfortunately, he had a point.
“Fine. Call me Grace. But don’t read anything into it.”
Ryan gave a rueful smile. Was he ever going to clear up this misunderstanding?
He had to try.
“Grace, do you have a sister?”