The Millionaire Plan

by Karen King

  He took her hand and shook it briefly, his face an impenetrable mask, his eyes cold and distant. ‘Bye, Amber. Take care. Don’t let the rich set change you.’

  He didn’t care that he wouldn’t see her again. She meant nothing to him. A sob catching at her throat, she pulled her hand away before he could see the tears in her eyes and turned to go. He reached out, grabbed her shoulder, and spun her round to face him again.

  ‘I think we can do better than a handshake.’ His mouth was on hers and she was lost in the ecstasy of his kisses. Again.

  Pull away before you get in too deep, the sensible voice in her head warned her. She knew she should but she couldn’t. She wanted to stay like this forever, just be with Jed, forget all about Randy and the Millionaire Plan.

  Randy! Oh no, she was supposed to be meeting him for lunch at twelve to give him her answer.

  ‘Don’t tell me you’re going to meet Randy?’ There was an edge to his voice.

  She bit her lip. ‘I’ve got to …’

  ‘Dammit, Amber!’ He released her. ‘I can’t believe you’re going straight from my arms to meet another man.’

  ‘And you’re going back home – to America!’ she retorted sharply, tears welling up in her eyes as reality set in. So they were attracted to each other. Had shared a few kisses, it changed nothing. At least not to Jed.

  She had to get away.

  Jed grabbed her arm, stopped her. ‘Forget about Randy. Marry me.’

  ‘Marry you?’ she repeated, staring at him in confusion. ‘Why?’

  ‘Because I love you,’ he said simply. ‘And I think that you love me too. Don’t you?’

  He loved her.

  Amber felt like she was bursting with happiness. He loved her. And she loved him too. She realised that now. The wonder of it brought tears to her eyes and she nodded, unable to speak.

  He cupped her chin with his hands. ‘Say it. Tell me you love me.’

  ‘I love you,’ she said softly, her eyes meeting his and seeing the love she felt reflected back in his gaze.

  He released his breath and pulled her into his arms. ‘I knew you did.’

  For a moment she was swamped with overwhelming happiness. Then reality kicked in.

  ‘I love you,’ she repeated. ‘But I can’t marry you.’

  ‘What?’

  Her heart felt like it was breaking as she pulled away from him and stared down at her hands, twisting them nervously. ‘I’ve told you. I’ve got to marry someone with money so I can help my parents. It’s my fault they’re in this mess. Please try and understand.’ Her eyes pleaded with him.

  ‘How the hell am I supposed to understand that you love me but intend to marry someone else?’ he demanded.

  ‘I don’t want to marry anyone else, Jed. I want to marry you,’ she told him, tears streaming down her face. ‘But I can’t. I just can’t.’

  ‘So you’re prepared to let me walk out of your life. To go back to America and never see you again?’

  A sob wrenched from her throat. ‘Can’t you see I have no choice?’

  ‘You do have a choice, Amber. There’s always a choice.’

  ‘But my parents …’

  He swore. ‘There must be another way your parents can sort out the mess they’re in. You can’t sacrifice your life for them.’

  Roughly, he pulled her to him and kissed her, passionately, desperately. She clung to him, returning his kisses with fervour.

  ‘I love you,’ the words came from deep within him.

  ‘I love you too,’ she covered his face with kisses. ‘I want to marry you. Really, I do.’

  ‘Then say yes. Marry me.’

  She longed to say yes. Her heart belonged to Jed, how could she marry someone else?

  She had to get away, think things through. She traced his lips with her finger. ‘I need a bit of time to think. Get my head straight. It’s been such a shock.’

  He gazed at her, his expression unfathomable. What should she do?

  ‘Jed?’ Her voice quivered. ‘Can I think about it?’

  ‘OK, I’ll give you until tomorrow morning,’ he agreed, releasing her. ‘If you decide you don’t want to marry me then I’ll sail back to America.’

  ‘Thank you.’ Her voice was a mere whisper.

  Jed stepped back, as if putting distance between them. ‘Remember, if I don’t hear from you by noon tomorrow, I’m sailing home.’

  It hurt him that she hadn’t instantly accepted his proposal but he knew it must have been a shock to her. It was a shock to him too. He couldn’t believe he’d proposed to her but it was what he wanted. He loved her and she loved him, he knew that. If only she wasn’t torn between this blind loyalty to her parents. She probably had to come to terms with the fact that if she married him she couldn’t bail them out and they would lose their home.

  Only they wouldn’t, would they? If Amber married him she would have more money than she could spend in a lifetime. But she didn’t know that yet, and he didn’t want her to. He wanted her to believe that he was just a normal, working guy when she accepted his offer of marriage. Not until they were married would he tell her the truth. That he owned this yacht and a large property company in America. That he was not in fact a millionaire, but a billionaire.

  Chapter Eight

  Rule number 8: Don’t wear your heart on your sleeve, keep him guessing.

  When did I fall in love with Jed, Amber wondered as she strolled along the beach, deep in thought. Was it the first time she’d seen him? She wasn’t sure, she hadn’t even acknowledged that it was love she felt for him until today. And when had he fallen for her? Perhaps he didn’t realise until today either. Until he thought he’d lost her to Randy.

  Just thinking about him gave her a warm glow in her heart. How could she marry Randy when her heart belonged to Jed? How could she let him go back to America and never see him again?

  She’d sent a text to Randy, telling him she was still thinking about his proposal and needed a bit more time. She promised to meet him later that night. Then she switched off her phone. She didn’t want him to phone or text her, try to persuade her. She needed to think and get her head straight.

  She stopped to pick up a stone and throw it into the sea, skimming the surface of the water. What should she do? How could she put her happiness before her parents’ welfare? She was sure that being forced to sell their home would cause her father to have another, possibly fatal, heart attack. Could she risk it happening?

  But she loved Jed so much and was sure he loved her, too. She didn’t want to lose him. If she rejected him she would regret it for the rest of her life.

  She remembered her dad always telling her that there was more than one way to solve a problem. Perhaps there was another way she could help them out rather than marry a millionaire. She’d never been happy with the idea. It was a wild scheme of Callie’s that she’d allowed herself to get carried away with. She didn’t want loads of money for herself, she just wanted to save her parents’ home.

  Then it hit her. She could sell her flat. There would still be a considerable sum left over once she’d paid off her mortgage. She could give it to her parents so they could pay off their debts and stay in their beloved home. She wouldn’t need the flat if she married Jed, would she? She’d be living with him, wherever that was. It suddenly occurred to her that she hadn’t asked Jed where they would be living but she guessed he would want her to come to America with him. Maybe she could get a job, persuade him to give up working for his millionaire boss and concentrate on photography instead. It was the ideal solution. She didn’t know why she hadn’t thought of it before.

  She hugged her arms around her, wanting to shout, to let everyone know that she was free. Free to marry Jed.

  What if he’d changed his mind? After all, a few hours had passed since she left him. He said he’d wait until tomorrow for her answer but what if he thought she couldn’t love him enough to marry him if she had to think about it? She reached for her phone t
o ring him, then hesitated. Should she tell him in person? But what if he was about to set sail and she missed him? She had to phone him.

  He answered on the second ring.

  ‘Amber?’ His voice sounded cautious.

  ‘Yes, Jed, Yes. I will marry you,’ she said. ‘That is, if you still want me to?’

  ‘Oh, sweetheart. Of course I still want you to! It’s what I want more than anything in the world.’

  ‘Me too.’

  ‘Where are you?’

  ‘On the beach, by the pier.’

  ‘Stay there, I’ll come and get you.’

  ‘No, I’ll come to you. I want to,’ she insisted.

  ‘I’ll be waiting,’ he whispered.

  He ran down to meet her as she approached the marina, swooping her up in his arms, to the amusement of some passers-by.

  ‘Did you mean it?’ he asked. ‘You’re really going to marry me?’

  ‘Yes!’ she shouted. ‘Yes, yes!’

  Then they were kissing each other and, arms entwined around each other’s waist, climbing onto the deck of the yacht, still hugging and kissing, too caught up in their happiness to care what anyone else thought.

  ‘What about Randy?’ Jed asked.

  ‘I’m going to meet him later and tell him. I’m sure he’ll find someone else to marry.’ She shrugged. After all, it’s not as if we’re even an item.’

  ‘So nothing happened between you?’

  ‘Nothing at all,’ she said solemnly. ‘I was never attracted to Randy in that way. Besides,’ she added mischievously, ‘Rule number six forbids it.’

  ‘And what does rule number six say?’ Jed asked, nibbling her ear.

  ‘Don’t get intimate with him too quickly. Keep him waiting,’ she replied. ‘Good job you’re not a millionaire, isn’t it? I’d have trouble keeping that rule with you.’

  Little do you know that you’ve got yourself a millionaire by breaking nearly every rule in the book. Jed enfolded her in his arms and tried to imagine the look on her face when, on their wedding day, he confessed who he really was. The fact that she’d chosen him above Randy, without knowing his true identity, meant a lot to him. He’d spent years fending off the attentions of gold-diggers, then Melissa had almost ensnared him. He needed to know that Amber was marrying him because she loved him, not for his money.

  ‘What about your parents?’ he asked.

  ‘I’ve thought of a way to sort that out,’ she told him, threading her fingers through his hair, pulling his head towards her. ‘Now, are you going to kiss me or not?’

  ‘I certainly am,’ he told her. ‘In fact, I am going to kiss you so much you’ll be dizzy with desire.’

  And he did.

  ‘How are you enjoying it in England?’ Chloe asked. She’d phoned him for their weekly chat just after Amber had left. ‘You’re not taking part in the race are you?’

  He chuckled. ‘No, not my scene. I’m just here to watch.’

  ‘Have you met anyone interesting?’

  He knew Chloe meant had he met any women. She’d been trying to match-make him ever since Melissa, saying he couldn’t judge half the human race by the behaviour of one woman, but he’d resisted her attempts. He had no intention of getting involved again.

  Until he met Amber. And now, after knowing her less than a week he’d proposed to her. Should he tell Chloe? They always talked about things.

  ‘Well?’ she asked quickly, as if guessing he was holding something back.

  No, he wasn’t going to tell her. It sounded too crazy. He’d take Amber over to meet her then Chloe would see how they were meant to be together.

  ‘I met a Lord, even went to a party on his boat,’ he told her. He soon had Chloe giggling as he recounted some amusing anecdotes from the party.

  ‘And did you go to that island and take some photos of the birds?’ Chloe asked when they’d both finished laughing.

  ‘Yes, I did. I’ll email you some of them,’ he said. ‘It was beautiful island. Mind you, we had a bit of drama there …’ He told Chloe all about Mike and having to stay to keep an eye on Tess and the pups, leaving out the bit about Amber going with him. He knew that as soon as he said her name Chloe would know how he felt, and he didn’t want to tell her yet.

  ‘Come home, Jed,’ Chloe said. ‘You’ve been a hermit long enough. Come back and start living your life again.’

  ‘I will. I’m coming home the end of the week,’ he promised. ‘Now tell me what my rogues of a nephew and niece have got up to this week.’ He was close to Chloe’s children, five year old Ryan and two year old Amy, and missed them dearly.

  ‘Believe me, you don’t want to know,’ Chloe said in mock-exasperation, then proceeded to tell him their latest escapades.

  Jed listened to her in amusement. Maybe in a couple of years he and Amber would have children too. He’d never wanted a family before, he’d always been too busy working but now he’d found Amber there was nothing he’d like better.

  ‘Callie! Are you there?’ Amber called as she opened the door to the apartment. She couldn’t wait to share her news with her friend, knowing that while Callie might tell her she was nuts to choose Jed over Randy, she’d be pleased for her once she knew how much they loved each other.

  Silence greeted her.

  Obviously, Callie was out. Probably with Simon again. Well, she’d just have to phone her. She took out her mobile phone and called Callie. After a few rings it switched to answerphone. Feeling a bit deflated, Amber left a brief message saying that Jed had proposed and she’d accepted.

  Then she fixed herself something to eat and decided to lie down for a while. She slept for a couple of hours and woke feeling more refreshed. A smile curved her lips as she thought of Jed. She could hardly believe that it was less than a week since they’d met and now they were engaged. Glancing at the clock, she saw that she had an hour before Jed was due to pick her up for dinner. Plenty of time to have a shower and get changed. He’d promised to take her somewhere special to celebrate their engagement.

  Callie must still be out, she thought as she turned on the shower, because she knew her friend would have woken her up to try and talk her out of the engagement. Not that there was any chance of her doing that. Jed was the one she wanted. The only one she’d ever want.

  Jed got out of the taxi, slipped the driver a fat tip, and looked over at the apartment where Amber was staying, reaching into his jacket pocket to feel the ring box. He’d resisted the urge to buy her the biggest diamond he could find. He didn’t want Amber to know the extent of his wealth just yet, but he had wanted to buy her a ring to be proud of, so had selected a delicate diamond set in an unusual twenty-two carat gold clasp. He doubted Amber would know how expensive it was, but if she did guess he’d tell her he got a discount from the jeweller his boss used – one of the perks of the job.

  He walked over to the apartment and pressed the buzzer for number 6A.

  ‘Is that you, Jed?’ Amber’s voice echoed down the intercom.

  ‘Who else are you expecting?’ he replied, teasing.

  ‘Come and up.’

  With a loud buzz, the doors opened and he stepped through, walked over to the lift and pressed the button for the second floor.

  The apartment door was open.

  ‘I’m almost ready,’ Amber shouted from the bedroom. ‘Pour yourself a drink if you want, there’s a bottle of wine in the fridge.’

  ‘No thanks, I’ll wait till we have the meal,’ Jed replied.

  He walked over to the elegant cream sofa – Callie’s aunt obviously had good taste – sat down, stretching his legs out in front of him, and leaned back. Something hard dug in his back. Sitting up again, he lifted the cushion and found a magazine stuffed behind it. He recognised the title, it was an upmarket fashion and gossip magazine like the ones Chloe often bought. He idly flicked through the pages and was stunned to see a photo of himself staring back at him. What on earth was he doing in this magazine? He hadn’t given any interviews since
before his mother died two years ago.

  It wasn’t an interview, it was a two page spread under the heading ‘Single, Solvent, and Sexy’. It featured half a dozen pictures of millionaires, including him and Randy. There was just a small paragraph about him under one photo, with a brief biography of how he’d come to amass his fortune – which they’d grossly understated. Apparently the men were all fodder for any gold-digging female who wanted to hook a millionaire.

  Like Amber.

  So she knew. She’d been stringing him along, working her ten point plan on him while pretending she was trying to hook Randy.

  No, she wasn’t that devious.

  Then what was the magazine doing stuffed behind the cushion?

  Amber had known about him right from the start and set out to ensnare him, telling him how she was worried she couldn’t dance, hoping he’d offer to teach her. And when he had, she’d pressed herself close to him, inviting his kiss, returning it with passion. It had all been part of her plan. She’d been playing him and Randy, seeing which one she could get to propose to her first.

  But she’d refused his proposal at first.

  Just a ploy to make him think she loved him so much she was giving up a millionaire to marry him, hoping to convince him she had no idea he was worth far, far more than Randy. He felt sick to his stomach. He’d been so sure Amber wasn’t like all the women who hung about the yachts hoping to hook a millionaire. She’d fooled him with her naïve, innocent act. Pretending she didn’t know how to behave in ‘rich’ society. Getting his sympathy with that story about wanting to help her parents out of a mess. And he’d swallowed it hook, line, and sinker.

  No, that wasn’t a story, it was true, he was sure it was.

  But that didn’t change the fact that Amber was only marrying him for his money.

  Fool. Idiot. Thinking she had chosen him because she loved him.

  He threw the magazine on the table and stood up.

  Well, the game was up. He’d found her out just in time.

  Single, solvent, and sexy he might be but stupid he wasn’t.