Bargained Marriage

ut her chin did

etical plan of yours? I mean running a stables, and ridi

hing I've been known for t

ot to him about Claire. She never reacted the way he expected. Sh

er. She stared up at the cei

Playing the party girl isn't the answe

fully. ‘I think you're being

you d

bli

ding what little self-respect I have left.’ He could se

ed the exhausted lines fanning from her eyes, and Lucas’s gut gave a sick kick. Hell, he'd be happ

l back down around her shoulders in a blonde cloud. ‘But my plan is to get a jo

? Was she hoping to land another gal

is very different from attending as a guest. I used to run all the gallery's events. And, even if I say it myself, I have a

nded the best when he entertained. She not only had a name and exp

g. ‘If you are really willing to marry me for a million

n of seeing her jaw drop. The waiter ch

o order desse

ye off Lucas. ‘Please.’ And champagne,’ Lucas s

or a million pounds,’ she whispered, when the

hypothetically…’He let the rest of the sentence dangle and

into your bank account…W

ion po

‘I believe that was the price you put on it.’ A million pound

f. ‘We are playi

nod

o be a strictly business arrangement. A paper

. So far

ver wanted

s bachelorhood for the vagaries of matrimony. He wasn’t inviting that kind of acri

hing to keep Alice healthy

ring considering the conversation they were having, but he didn’t. It t

t their champagne and slid her chocol

and his eyes lit up. ‘You

bout Claire. She didn’t just have impeccable manner

n Cornwall most of the times, so I don’t see any

and b

he odd dinner party or even

how having a wife at those events could be an advantage. Claire had a talent for ruffling

ou couldn’t just spring even

u want me to attend anything yo

ituation you’re giving me a million pounds,

then nodded and pointed her dessert fork at him, her tongue sweeping out check for c

at Micheal’s little sister lik