"The woman I was bringing to the wedding is no longer available, and my mother insists I have a date. It would purely be a business arrangement. I'd pay you."
Regardless of how bizarre his request was, there was a major reason for Jenna to consider it. Her mind was already doing sums. "How much?"
"What do you think a date with me is worth?"
She looked him up and down. From Polo logo, dress jeans, and tan leather boots, he was perfection. She bit her lip. That had no bearing on anything. This place, and how he dressed, meant he had to be worth a fortune. Still, it wouldn’t do to be too greedy. He was waiting. Should she?
"I thought you said it wasn’t a date.”
“It’s not really, but for the sake of my family and the other guests you’d need to pretend that it was.”
She worked in retail; she could pretend. “One thousand dollars."
"Done."
Darn it, by the smug look, she’d bet he wouldn't have flinched for double the amount.
He held his hand out for her to shake. What had she done? She should tell him no. But, it was a thousand dollars. She could certainly put that to good use. There was one major issue.
"I wouldn't have anything to wear."
Ben shrugged. "No problem, I'll pay for a dress. Naturally, over and above the thousand. Let's go get one."
"Now? I can't. Renee would definitely kill me if I deserted her."
Ben looked slightly flustered, then determined. "Okay, tell me what to do.” He waved at the decorations. “I'll help, then we can get out of here sooner."
Getting done faster would be great, since working with fake flowers, no matter that they were from Italy, grated on her more than she’d thought possible. But, shopping with a stranger? This was too bizarre.
"Do we have a deal?"
With the mortgage due, Jenna was boxed into a corner. "I guess."
Ben was as good as his word, once she’d explained what he had to do to get the right effect. They finished making and tucking gold bouquets into the bows at the back of the chair wraps in half the time she'd been hired for. She hoped Renee wouldn’t deduct anything.
Having finished checking every place setting, her sister was hovering nearby, not sure what to make of Ben and his helping hand. Jenna called her over.
"Is that all we need to do?"
Renee raised an unimpressed eyebrow. "It's all you needed to do."
"I was happy to help.” Ben gave Renee a smoking grin, which had the desired effect.
When Renee smiled back at him, her eyelashes were doing some crazy fluttering, which had Jenna swallowing laughter.
“If Jenna' s finished, I'm taking her shopping."
"Shopping?"
Renee almost choked on the word, and this time Jenna couldn't contain her laughter. The situation may be weird, but seeing her sister so dumbfounded was hilarious.
"Yes, Ben and I are going on a date."
"How? When?"
"It was love at first sight. He insisted we go shopping to celebrate."
While Renee couldn't comprehend what she was saying, Ben had gone a little pale.
"Oh come on, you two. I'm just joking. Renee, Ben desperately needs a date for his sister’s wedding tomorrow, and I drew the short straw. We're going to buy a fancy dress so his family won't be embarrassed by me turning up in my worn out jeans, and you know I can't afford to buy anything suitable myself. Okay?"
Renee rallied well, used to her sister's quirky sense of humor. "Well, if that's all it is, then be my guest. If you find something in my size, feel free to add it to the freebies."
Jenna laughed, while Ben clearly didn't appreciate the humor. That rankled a little. Neither Jenna, nor her sister, would let a man pay for anything, as a rule. This was totally a business deal.
Unimpressed, he looked at his watch. "If you two are done, could we please get going?"
At his tone, Renee shared a look with Jenna, and winked. He might be saying please, but he expected obedience. He'd chosen the wrong date, for sure.
Reluctant Billionaire
He might go snorkeling in the lagoon which should kill an hour or so. He walked down the path through the canopy of trees to the beach and saw her immediately.
The resort’s paddle board instructor was knee deep in the lagoon, his arms around the blonde’s waist as he helped her stand. Her little blue bikini top barely held her perky breasts and the matching bottoms, which stretched across her butt, could make a man weak at the knees. Of course, he’d noticed her great body earlier, but with her muscles clenching with effort and her butt stuck out for balance, he was practically a drooling mess.
Christian grabbed another board and paddle and carried it to the water, then walked it out a way before jumping on. It would have been better if the water was colder since he could already feel the arousal pushing at his swim shorts.
There were several young women on the resort—some far too young—wanting his attention, but Christian wasn’t interested. He might have been tempted, but ever since the day he’d first glimpsed her, the gorgeous blonde was barely out of his mind. It was only today that he’d taken the chance of talking to her and breached the barrier that invisible or not, could be felt at a distance.
Christian had not anticipated this attraction for the simple fact that he didn’t date blondes. He’d developed a distrust of them since his first girlfriend had tried to palm off her love child as his and demanded he marry her. The memory had faded, but he didn’t want a repeat performance. He gave any would-be girlfriend two or three dates then moved on. Or had a break. And, he was über-careful of making sure there was no danger of any babies appearing at a later time.
If he couldn’t find something or someone to amuse him, then he may as well be back at work. He loved his job, despite the pressure of being a leading surgeon, and if he was away from it for too long he was like a bear with a toothache.
Although, right at this moment he had other issues. His desire, which had been dormant for several months, was escalating with each arch of the blonde’s back as she used her body to counteract the small waves. She was a natural. Even when she wobbled slightly, it was done gracefully.
He should leave her be. Find another woman to satisfy his need, but he didn’t want any woman. He wanted her. She was a challenge, and his life centered around challenges.
Kneeling, he paddled to where, solo now, she appeared to be relishing the experience. With barely a wobble she moved across the calm lagoon.
He stood as he pulled closer and began to match her strokes. Christian called out to her. “Looks like you’re getting the hang of it.”
As she turned slightly, one foot shot off the board, and in a flailing of arms and legs she hit the water with a resounding splash. She surfaced spluttering and coughing, not quite as graceful as before and with a face covered in hair. She was less perfect than before, but somehow even more appealing.
She scraped angrily at the hair. “What the hell are you trying to do?”
He smothered his grin. “Sorry. I was merely saying how well you were doing. First time, is it?”
“Go away. Now!” She heaved herself over the board, her legs dangling in the water. Managing to get one leg over she tried to hoist herself up. Her other leg acted as a weight and pulled her and the board over like a crocodile in its death throes.
Christian did the only thing a gentleman could do. He slid into the water, grabbed her waist, and hoisted her onto the board with one arm, while he held it steady with the other.
Hair dripping, mascara smudged, and green eyes flashing with anger, she brought to mind a mermaid who’d had a rough night. Except these legs were so damn flawless.
“Would. You. Leave. Me. Alone.”
“Hey, I was helping you.”
“Your ‘help’ is something I can do without.”
She adjusted her bikini which had moved about precariously, something Christian was well aware of and enjoying immensely. Perhaps not trusting herself to s
tand, she carefully knelt on the board, snatching the paddle he held out to her, turned it around and headed for shore.
Well, he’d earned no points there. Either she was a tough crowd or he was slipping. He shook his head. It was undoubtedly the later, and Christian had no idea what had gotten into him.
Also by Cheryl Phipps
Billionaire Knights Series
Restless Billionaire
Ruthless Billionaire
Reluctant Billionaire
Reckless Billionaire
Resident Billionaire
Millionaire - Family Ties - Series
The Millionaire Next Door
The Millionaire’s Proposal
The Millionaire’s Seduction
Laguna Beach Series
Weddings in Laguna
Hidden in Laguna
Sycamore Springs Series - Romantic Comedy
Jack and Gill
Adam and Eve
Samson and Delilah out early 2018
Prossers Bay Series - set in New Zealand
Prossers Bay Boxed Set – Books 1-3
Doc’s Town
Finding Liam
Seducing Megan
Saving Stephanie
Emily’s Wish
Romantic Suspense
Bend but Never Break
About the Author
Cheryl Phipps is a USA Today best-selling romance author from beautiful Auckland, New Zealand.
As a young mother with three small children, Cheryl escaped the daily chaos of motherhood through her beloved romance novels. She loved being whisked away from nappies and wiping noses to exotic locations filled with suave heroes and feisty heroines in wonderful small towns with heart-warming tales of strong family ties and life-affirming true love.
Her bookshelves still hold those favorite authors – Nora Roberts, Marian Keyes and Cathy Kelly – plus new-found favorites like Marie Force and Bella Andre, who write stories that echo Cheryl’s own values: family always comes first, and life’s struggles and challenges are always surmountable through love.
Cheryl’s three children now have families of their own, leaving her free to pursue her dreams of writing novels. She lives in a quiet suburb and enjoys walks with her wonderful husband, who she married the moment she left school (yes, they were high school sweethearts), spending time with friends and, of course, weaving sensual stories that celebrate the joy of love, family and resilience.
Cheryl loves talking with fellow romance readers and fans. Join Cheryl's mailing list for news about new books or contact her at www.cherylphipps.com.
www.cherylphipps.com
[email protected]
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