Kendra shook her head. “It’s too bad you aren’t married. That’s Lila’s biggest excuse, and this is a small enough town that it matters to people more than who will give him the best care.”
“No chance of that. Too many damned frogs and not enough princes.”
“Preach, sister.” She sobered and patted Siobhan’s shoulder. “I’ll check on him after hours if I have to. It’ll be okay.”
“I hope so.” She invited Kendra in so she could document the surroundings, including the spotless kitchen. With a sigh, she handed over Andy’s carrier and bent to kiss him. “Be safe, little man. I’ll get you back as soon as I can.”
* * *
“So, you’re telling me the woman has no debt, no criminal record, nothing I could use for leverage.” Siobhan was so damned clean it made his teeth hurt. She didn’t even have a fucking parking ticket. The only naughty thing he had on her was her choice of reading material. Hell, she didn’t have the liquid assets he did, but her credit score was nearly perfect and she wasn’t hurting for cash.
Matt frowned and jerked the notes off Jackson’s desk. “Leverage for what? She’s done nothing to you except for refusing a job after you and Mandy turned her morning into a clusterfuck.” Picking up his coffee mug, he added, “You might as well give up on hiring her. She wouldn’t come to work for McKenna on a bet.”
As Matt drank from his mug, Jackson said, “I’m going to ask her to marry me today. That way, I get both a wife and a temporary PA.”
Coffee sprayed everywhere as Matt choked on the hot liquid. His face red with exertion, he stared at Jackson in horror. “Are you serious? Forget the fact that she hates you, she’s so far out of your league, you’d need a shuttle launch to reach her.”
“Out of my league?” Jackson asked. “I’m not the one who showed up to an interview in a muddy suit.” He shook his head and slapped a palm down on the desk. “Look, all I have to do is marry the banging blonde, make the board happy, we buy out Nakamura, and I send her on her way with a fat severance check and an annulment. I just need leverage. Once I have that, she’ll be a good girl and do as she’s told.”
“Wrong on both counts.” Matt leaned forward, resting his elbows on Jackson’s desk. “You’re the one who got her suit muddy, remember? You could have at least offered to replace it after nearly killing her. And going from wanting to hire her to marriage is going to make her call 911 to have you committed.”
Jackson grimaced. He should have done that, but he hadn’t been able to make her hold still long enough to make the offer. “All right, so I go to her house with a thousand-dollar gift card and a few dozen roses. She says yes, and everything with Nakamura goes like clockwork.”
Matt scrubbed a hand over his face. “Dude, those shoes she was wearing were probably worth a grand.”
Sighing in exasperation, Jackson said, “Fine, two thousand. It’s not like I can’t afford it.”
Matt stood and leaned over the desk. “Look, I’m going to go on record and state that this is the absolute worst idea you’ve ever had. Not only is it really dishonest, but there are some things you obviously don’t know about her, or you wouldn’t be spouting this bullshit.”
“All right, wow me with your knowledge.”
“This is gossip, so don’t take it as gospel. Siobhan has custody of her nephew, Andy. Dan and Susan Sievers died in that big wreck last winter, remember?”
Jackson dredged up the memory of the news reports. The ice storms had stranded him in Cincinnati for several days, and he remembered Dan from high school, along with his overbearing parents. It was a sad situation, but had nothing to do with him. “What has that got to do with anything? I send the brat off to military school, give Siobhan a big settlement, and all is right.”
Barking out a laugh, Matt said, “Andy is less than a year old, dumbass. And everyone in town knows how you feel about dating women with kids.”
Ignoring the barb, Jackson said, “Whatever. A nanny, then. I can put up with him long enough for the sale to go through. Is that your titillating piece of gossip?”
“No. Andy’s grandparents are seeking custody. Word on the street is they’re trying to smear Siobhan’s reputation because she isn’t married. The little dude has a two-million-dollar trust fund.”
Jackson grinned. He had just the hammer he needed to bring a certain pinup blonde with a foul mouth to her knees with a ring on her finger. A collar around her pretty neck would be wonderful, but there was no sense getting greedy. Ignoring Matt’s protests, he put his plans in motion.
* * *
Someone knocked at the door, but she ignored it. Getting her fat ass off the couch was too much trouble. The only person she wanted to see was Andy, and he was gone. She tilted the bottle of wine to her lips and pretended he was upstairs in his crib. She also imagined watching a house fall on Lila. She would sing and dance as the old bat’s legs curled up and someone plucked the discount-chain pumps from her feet. Now, that was a gorgeous image.
The knocking continued and she clicked the remote to turn up the music. If she couldn’t hear it, the pounding didn’t exist. She wasn’t even drunk. More than two-thirds of the bottle of wine was left. She just didn’t care enough to answer the damned door. Unfortunately, she hadn’t locked it and her mystery guest’s shoes pounded on the wood floor toward her.
“Ms. O’Malley…” A huge bundle of roses hit her in the face and she snorted as she pushed them away. “I wanted to apologize to you for --”
“Get out. I’m busy.” She tossed the flowers to the floor and scowled up at Jackson McKenna. “Why are you here, anyway?”
He glanced down at her. She’d changed into shorts and a T-shirt, but hadn’t bothered with a shower. Her hair was tied up in a bushy ponytail. She must look truly homeless this time. Not that she cared.
Looking pointedly at the bottle of wine in her hand, he asked, “Are you drunk?”
Sighing, she sat up and tugged at her T-shirt to cover her belly. “No, but I was working on it before you decided to barge into my house uninvited. What do you want?”
He picked up the flowers and laid them on the coffee table before sitting in the loveseat across from her. “As I was saying, I wanted to apologize --”
“Thank you. Now, get out.” She lifted the bottle to her lips, dismissing him.
Glaring at her, he continued, “I owe you an apology for running you down, and for my receptionist’s behavior. I fired Mandy right after you left, so you won’t have to see her when you come to work.”
Wine sprayed from her nose, staining the front of her shirt with a very nice pinot noir. “Are you fucking kidding me? I wouldn’t work for you on a bet!”
The sound of yet another knock made her scream, and she slammed the bottle down on the coffee table as she stomped toward the door. “God damn it! I’m going to fucking end the next person who tells me something I don’t want to hear!”
She threw the door open and sighed heavily at the sight of her useless lawyer. “What do you want, Tom?”
“May I come in?” He looked around her and coughed nervously as he rubbed a hand over thinning brown hair. His dark eyes widened at the sight of her unwanted guest.
“You might as well. God forbid I deny you the chance to make my day just a little shittier.” Gesturing to Jackson, she added, “Asshole, meet asshole. Oh wait, you probably already know each other. Everyone in this inbred burg seems to.” She threw up her hands and turned away. “You’re all like little yappy dogs, pissing all over the floors because your brains are oatmeal.”
“Siobhan…”
She sighed and flopped back down on the couch. “Just tell me and get it over with, please.”
Tom looked uncomfortable as he handed her a manila envelope. “The judge has awarded temporary custody of Andy to Lila and Alfred until such time as your situation resolves.”
“Meaning, I don’t get to see my nephew until I find some idiot to marry.” She glared at him, her expression murderous. “Remi
nd me why I’m paying you?”
“Ms. O’Malley, the judge simply wants a stable home --”
“Stow it. The judge is in Lila’s pocket and you know it. He doesn’t give a fuck that Lila will bleed Andy’s trust dry, or that she can’t be bothered to take care of him.”
“I’m sure she’ll hire --”
“She’ll hire the cheapest babysitter she can find and fire her once the money runs out. Get out and take this other asshole with you. And by the way, you’re fired. Bless your wife for putting up with you, but since you’re married, you’re not any use to me that way, either.”
* * *
His hands twitched toward his belt buckle every time the woman opened her mouth. Granted, she had to be devastated and terrified at the thought of losing her nephew, but that was no excuse for such language.
He stood up and walked Tom to the door. As Tom walked out, Jackson said, “She’ll calm down. I’m going to fix it for her.”
Snorting out a laugh, Tom said, “Good luck with that. I’ll send flowers to your funeral.”
He shut the door behind Tom and turned back to his soon-to-be wife. Siobhan might be desperate enough she’d agree. And if they were married, he might have the opportunity to see her pinup body in his ropes. Even in cutoffs and a stained T-shirt, she was smoking hot. His fingers itched to tangle themselves in the wild mass of honey-blonde ringlets spreading out from a hair tie to trail down her back. He’d use that glorious hair as a leash when he…
He shook the thought away and focused on her, scowling when he saw several bandages on her bruised knees. She must have fallen in the street when he’d nearly hit her. The immediate desire to kiss them better surprised him.
She sat on the couch, her head lowered as she looked at the bottle of wine in her hands. Her posture screamed defeat and loss, and his teeth clenched as he watched a tear drip off the end of her nose.
“Why are you still here?” Her voice was dull and tired, so different from the filthy-mouthed termagant she’d been when he arrived.
“I have a proposition for you.”
She laughed, but didn’t look at him. “Despite what Lila tells everyone, I’m not a whore, Mr. McKenna.”
“I know. Lila is just a greedy old bitch. I have something else in mind.”
“If I listen, will you leave?”
“I promise, if you don’t like what I have to offer, I’ll walk out and never bother you again.” He hoped she was interested enough in the idea of being left alone that she wouldn’t hear the lie in his voice.
“Deal. Start talking.”
“You need something from me, and I’m prepared to offer it to you in exchange for you taking a permanent position with McKenna Logistics.”
She looked up, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. “I don’t need anything from you. I need --”
“You need a husband, and I need a liaison with Japan. Your résumé says you speak fluent Japanese, and you’ve done such work before.”
Her mouth fell open and a snort of laughter bubbled up. “I can’t imagine the universe in which I --”
He pressed his fingers to her plump lips, silencing her. “Even to get your nephew back from Lila? That universe?”
Pulling away from his hand, she said, “All right. You have me there.” She bit her lip and looked away. “What’s in it for you? I don’t see what you gain by riding in on a white horse to save Andy from them.”
He stood up and paced, his hands tucked behind his back. “I need your skills in Japan, and also probably in Russia in the future. Between your past work and your work as an event coordinator, you’re uniquely qualified to do that.”
He’d decided not to tell her about Nakamura. His decision might have been considered deceitful, but he wanted to see if he could make the offer about her instead of business. If it didn’t work, he could share the information, hoping to appeal to her business sense. He’d sweeten the pot with a few thousand shares of stock, if necessary.
“Okay, but I won’t be able to travel like I did in the past.”
“I understand. There will be some travel, but I hope to offer you enough to hire a nanny who can accompany you.”
“I’m not sure I’m interested in a position of that nature. Andy needs --”
“Andy needs to stay with someone who will care for him properly. I also think you and I would suit. You’ll be beautiful when you clean up, intelligent, and would make a suitable wife for me.” He waved a hand at her and added, “Hell, you’re gorgeous right now.”
Barking out a laugh, she said, “You don’t know me, and the only thing I know about you is that you’re an arrogant bastard who can’t drive.”
His hands twitched to his belt again, but he quelled the impulse to stripe her backside for her language. “You’re wrong. I know a lot about you.” He sat in the chair across from her and rested his elbows on his knees. “I know you went to the University of Chicago on an athletic scholarship. I know you got a master’s degree in international finance, which is frankly astonishing. I also know that you sold a very successful business to move here and care for Andy.”
“What has any of that got to do with getting married?”
He grinned and pointed a finger at her. “You, my dear, are the perfect woman. You love sports, you’re astute and intelligent, and you dropped everything for your child. Really, sweetheart, I couldn’t have asked for more if I’d ordered you from a catalogue.”
“Well, that’s… flattering?”
He swiped the bottle from her hand and took a drink. “So, what do you think? We can fly to Vegas, or do it here if we make it to the courthouse before they close.” Leaning back against the couch cushions, he added, “That just leaves the matter of you coming to work on time tomorrow. I’ll arrange for a nanny for Andy.”
“No.”
Shaking his head, he tugged at an ear, sure he hadn’t heard her correctly. “What did you say?”
“I said no.” Her lips turned down and she scowled. “Getting married is permanent. It’s supposed to happen between two people who love each other. I don’t even like you, and you said to my face that I look homeless. There’s no way the judge in charge of Andy’s case is going to believe it’s real.”
He stood and leaned over her, bracing his hands on the back of the couch. “Honey, you’re going to make it believable. You need to get married. I need a foreign liaison. Is your pride so important that you’d give up your nephew?”
Siobhan bit her lip and looked away. He almost hated pressuring her, but the future of his company was too important to cater to one woman’s needs. Grasping her chin between two fingers, he turned her face, forcing her to look at him. “Say yes, Ms. O’Malley. Say yes, and you’ll never have to worry about losing your nephew again.”
“I…” She jerked her chin from his grasp and her eyes darted around as she looked for escape. “I can’t just --”
Jackson wrapped his hand around her throat, watching with satisfaction as she relaxed into his hold. Her eyes dilated as he lowered his mouth to hers. “I saw what’s on your reader app, Siobhan. I’m sure your nephew’s grandparents would have a field day with that. Say yes, and that information is buried forever, but you and I are going to talk about your choice of literature.”
Chapter Three
“You utter bastard,” she whispered. “Are you seriously blackmailing me?” She tried to ignore the way he said her name. The syllables rolled off his tongue in a drawn out “Shi-vawn” that made her belly tumble.
His hand tightened on her throat. “Think of it more as a mutually beneficial arrangement. I promise, you will receive a very generous settlement for your time.”
Did everyone in this town think she was a whore? She stared at him in shock, her mind whirling. Andy versus her pride. God damn it, Andy was going to win every time. Jackson was a fleeting moment compared to a childhood of suffering at his grandparents’ hands. “What’s in it for you? Why are you so desperate to marry me that you’d sink so low?�
��
“I need you to work for me. You have unique skills --”
“I’m calling bullshit. I can work for you without marrying you.”
“My reasons are my own. If you like, we can set a time limit on our marriage, say three years. You play the doting wife for me, and walk away with Andy and a…” He smirked and added, “… a lucrative severance package. You’ll never have to worry about Andy’s grandparents again.”
Siobhan turned away and drank deeply from the wine bottle. Regardless of his reasons, he had her. She might be able to get Andy back without him, but not if he shared what he found on her reader. She didn’t have a choice. “Fine. I’ll do it, but I have a few stipulations of my own.”
“No. We stay married for three years. That’s nonnegotiable.”
“I suggest you listen before you say no, Mr. McKenna.” She tried to smile, but couldn’t force the expression. “You can keep your settlement in exchange for a few things.”
He sat down and crossed an ankle over one knee. “Okay, honey. Wow me with your negotiation skills.”
Christ! She’d never met anyone so incredibly cocky and arrogant. What she wouldn’t give to slap that nasty smirk off his face. “This marriage will be paper only. We will never share a bed.”
“We’ll revisit that at a later date. I’d like to offer you the opportunity to fulfill some of those book fantasies. I can give you names of some of my past submissive partners --”
Gross. “Never happening, asshole. Speaking of which, I ask that you be discreet when you break your marriage vows. I’m not going to be your side piece when you can’t manage to get laid.”
When he scowled and opened his mouth, she held up a hand to stop him. “Second, you will have no claim on Andy or his trust. To make things fair, I will not claim any company assets. Our finances will be completely separate.”
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