A Merger by Marriage

by Cat Schield

  “And with the thirty you came into on your last birthday, you are three percent short of control.”

  “It’s a little more complicated than that,” JT explained, thinking of Violet and her damned skinny-dipping. “Turns out, Tiberius didn’t leave me the shares.”

  “Really?” Brent got up to refresh their drink.

  “Thanks to my dad, my uncle and I weren’t on the best of terms, but in the last month or so we’d started to reconnect.” JT considered all the tales his father had told him about Tiberius and wished he’d been smarter about where he’d put his loyalty.

  Brent frowned. “So who owns his shares?”

  “Tiberius’s unofficially adopted daughter.” JT held up his left hand and showed off his grandfather’s ring. “Last night we got married.”

  The number of times JT had successfully surprised his quick-witted cousin could be counted on one hand. Today marked the fifth one.

  “You’re married to...oh, what’s her name?” Brent snapped his fingers as he searched his memory.

  “Violet Fontaine.”

  “Tiberius took in her and her mother, didn’t he?” Uncertainty fogged Brent’s gaze. “But I thought her last name was Allen?”

  “Turns out she’s Ross Fontaine’s illegitimate daughter. After he died, Violet’s grandfather—Henry Fontaine, head of Fontaine Resorts and Hotels—came to Vegas to find her and make amends for his son’s neglect. She’s in line to succeed the old man as head of the company.”

  “And you married her instead of buying the stock?” Brent asked, sounding very much as if he thought JT wasn’t thinking clearly. “If you’re short on cash, you could have come to me.”

  A year ago Brent had sold the company he’d started and had not yet found a place to invest the four billion he’d made.

  “The terms of Tiberius’s will don’t allow her to part with the stock in any way until my dad dies.”

  “Good old Tiberius.” Brent grinned in admiration. “And until you married her, she couldn’t vote because she’s not family.”

  JT knew he could count on his cousin to grasp the entire problem. “That sums it up.”

  Brent blew out a worried breath. “When your dad finds out about this, things are going to get nasty.”

  “That’s why I need to meet with as much family as I can before he finds out.”

  With regret tugging his dark eyebrows together, Brent said, “I wish I could help you out.”

  “Me, too.”

  His cousin was one hell of a businessman. His father had taught him well. Again JT felt the twinge of envy. Why did bad things happen to good people while manipulative bastards like JT’s father sailed through life unscathed?

  “Where are you off to next?” Brent asked.

  “Atlanta.”

  “Cousin Skip.” JT’s cousin rolled his eyes. “I don’t envy you.”

  Six

  At midnight, Baccarat’s couches and barstools were occupied by a twenty-something clientele with palates sophisticated enough for Rick’s special blends. As Violet crossed the threshold into the lounge, her pulse escalated but she immediately told herself to calm down. Even if JT was in town, it was too late for him to be at the bar. She usually swung through here at eleven-fifteen, but tonight she’d been held up by the manager of the sports book.

  The only contact she’d had with JT in the last several days was a series of terse text messages, each less hopeful than the last. He was having no luck finding more shares to buy. His father had either bought up what he could or had convinced his family to vote with him.

  Her phone vibrated, indicating a text message had come in. Someone at the front desk was looking for her. Violet left Baccarat without catching Rick’s attention and headed for the lobby.

  As she approached, she saw a tall man standing with the night manager. The stranger had his back to her, but when Violet was five feet away, he turned his head and she glimpsed his profile.

  She almost stopped dead in her tracks. Preston Rhodes? What the hell was he doing here?

  JT’s father hadn’t spotted her yet, but she was too exposed to make a run for it without drawing unwanted attention. Gathering a deep breath, Violet stiffened her spine and marched forward.

  “Good evening,” she said, doubting her ability to pretend she had no idea who Preston was. Although the man had never appeared in Vegas before, she recognized him from articles she’d read about him. And then there was the resemblance to JT around the man’s eyes and chin. “Preston Rhodes, isn’t it?”

  While the night manager returned to his post, Violet held out her hand and wasn’t surprised when Preston clasped it in a punishing handshake. Of course the man would choose to demonstrate his power with brute force. That he wouldn’t pull any punches just because she was a woman wasn’t as flattering as it might have been if he were someone else.

  “Ms. Fontaine.” His smooth tone did little to hide the poisonous nature of the man’s character. “Or should I call you Violet since we’re now family?”

  She tried to keep her surprise from showing. His thin laugh let her know that she hadn’t been successful. JT hadn’t mentioned that he’d told his father. Irritation flared. She wished he’d warned her. Facing someone like Preston without preparation was better suited to Harper, who had a knack for staying calm no matter what the catastrophe.

  “Mr. Rhodes—”

  “Preston,” he corrected, a viper’s smile twisting his lips. “Unless you’d prefer Dad. I know you never had anyone you could call by that name.”

  It wasn’t in her nature to call him what he deserved. “Preston,” she acceded. With that one word, she was out of polite things to say to the man who’d ruined the most important man in her life and who cared little that his son distrusted him.

  “Why don’t we go have a drink and get to know each other a little better.”

  Preston caught her by the arm and turned in the direction of Lalique, a stylish two-story bar inside a spectacular three-story crystal chandelier that was Fontaine Chic’s centerpiece. Her grandfather hadn’t said a word about the three million dollars she’d spent on this single item. Crystal was Violet’s signature décor. Throughout the hotel and casino, multifaceted crystals sparkled above the gaming tables and from the fixtures that lined the walkways. Pillars sparkled with embedded lights made to resemble crystals and all the waitresses and dealers wore rhinestone-accented black uniforms.

  Preston’s firm grip left her feeling very much like a disobedient child being led to her punishment. Annoyed at being manhandled in her own hotel, Violet nonetheless went with JT’s father. A scene would harm her more than him and she was certain he knew that. Preston was a master manipulator. It was how he’d gotten the best of his wife’s younger brother.

  Once they were seated in a quiet table near the railing on the bar’s second floor, Preston signaled the waitress. “A bottle of Cristal. We must toast to becoming family.”

  Violet’s skin itched where he’d touched her. The thought of being legally connected to this man, no matter how briefly, made her physically ill.

  “I don’t drink when I’m working,” Violet protested.

  “Nonsense. This is a special occasion.”

  “Then shouldn’t we wait to celebrate with JT?”

  “My son is running around the country visiting family.” Preston’s smile didn’t reach his hard eyes. “Telling them his good news, I’m assuming.” JT’s father pinned her with merciless scrutiny. “And yet he left you—his brand-new bride—here. Why is that?”

  Again Violet feared her face would betray too much. Tiberius had told her over and over that she made a lousy poker player. She couldn’t bluff to save her soul.

  “It wasn’t a good time for me to be away from the hotel.”

  “No honeymoon for you
then? Stone Properties has a wonderful five-star resort in the Cayman Islands. I could call and have a suite made available for you two.”

  “Please don’t bother.”

  “It’s no bother at all.”

  The waitress arrived with their champagne and a pair of flutes. Violet appreciated the momentary distraction. She needed to stop reacting and get ahead of Preston. Why had he come? Nothing he did lacked motivation. If he knew JT was traveling, he’d shown up in Vegas to catch Violet alone. Anxiety flared, but she pushed it down. No matter how vile the man, he was powerless to do more than intimidate her.

  Once the champagne was poured, Preston handed her a flute. “To wedded bliss. May your life with my son be as happy as mine was with his mother.”

  More a curse than a blessing, Violet thought as she put the flute to her lips and wet them with the champagne. “Thank you.” She set the glass down. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I really have some pressing matters to attend to.” But before she could rise, Preston covered her hand with his.

  “How long have you and my son been together?”

  “A while.”

  “You must be good at keeping secrets because your wedding caught everyone by surprise.”

  “JT’s very private.” And for once she was glad. “We run rival hotels. He wanted to maintain a low profile until we were sure of our relationship.”

  “You certainly managed that. No one had a clue that you and he were dating, much less falling in love.” Preston leaned forward, his eyes intense. “You are in love with my son, aren’t you?”

  Violet hesitated before answering. Preston knew something was not on the up and up between her and JT. She saw the challenge in his gaze as if daring her to lie.

  “JT is the most amazing man I know. How could I not be?”

  That she didn’t answer the question directly wasn’t lost on Preston. His calculated smile was back.

  “And I’m sure he feels the same way about you. I’m glad. I would hate for you to have married him for the wrong reasons.”

  “Such as?” The instant she spoke, Violet knew she should have insisted she loved JT.

  “For his money.”

  Violet raised her eyebrow and glanced around her. “Do I look like I need money?”

  “From what I understand, all this belongs to Fontaine Resorts and Hotels, not to you.”

  “Regardless, I don’t need JT’s money.”

  “That’s good.” Preston finished his glass of champagne and stood. “I’m very protective of my son. If I thought someone intended to hurt him, I would take steps to see that didn’t happen.”

  She couldn’t believe what Preston was saying. He’d done more to hurt his son than the entire rest of the world combined. “I have no plans to hurt JT. Quite the opposite.”

  “Good. So are you planning on giving up your suite here and moving to my son’s ranch?”

  Again he’d caught her unprepared. “We haven’t decided yet.”

  “Because two people living apart isn’t much of a marriage.”

  “We’ll figure it out.”

  “And soon, I hope. Because if you’re not living together, someone might assume that your marriage is a fake and that would lead to questions.”

  The entire conversation had been charged with subtext and Violet grew more concerned with each exchange. She suspected Preston had figured out she and JT weren’t a love match. Not that there was anything he could do about it.

  “Why would anyone care?”

  “I care.” Preston at last dropped all pretense of being civil. “I know why he married you. To get at the stock Tiberius bought. Well, that only gives him forty-eight percent. Not enough to challenge me.”

  The speed at which JT’s father had figured out what they were up to startled Violet. And yet, should it? The man was devious. He would see a game being played from a mile away. How were they going to get ahead of him if he anticipated all their moves?

  “You look worried, Violet.”

  Preston obviously enjoyed having the upper hand and rubbing his opponent’s nose in the fact.

  Composing her expression, Violet replied, “I have nothing to be worried about.”

  “Because you and JT didn’t get married so he could use the stock Tiberius left you to stage a coup against me?”

  Goose bumps broke out on Violet’s arms, but she kept her gaze locked on Preston’s cold, flat eyes. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  “Of course you do and when I prove that you two aren’t married in good faith, I’m going to sue you for fraud and take back the stock in your possession.”

  “You can’t do that.”

  “Maybe. Maybe not. But I can tie up the stock in a lawsuit long enough to get rid of my son the same way I got rid of my brother-in-law.”

  While Violet sat in stunned silence, unsure if she’d ever experienced this level of malice, Preston topped off the champagne in her glass and stood.

  “Drink up, Violet. You and my son have embarked on a grand adventure. I only hope you know what you’ve gotten yourself into.”

  Preston strolled away before Violet could wrap her thoughts around his threat. Her phone buzzed and she checked the message. JT’s plane had just landed at the airport. He had news.

  Well...she texted back, agreeing to meet at his house in an hour...so did she.

  * * *

  The drive from Las Vegas to his desert ranch had never bothered JT before. But then again, he’d never had a woman like Violet to come home to either. He banished the thought the instant it entered his head. This was a business meeting. Simple as that.

  Violet had used the garage door remote he’d given her and let herself in. He found her curled up on the couch in the living room, staring at the cold fireplace. He had to say her name twice before she realized she was no longer alone. There was a split second of utter delight in her eyes before she frowned.

  “You look exhausted. Sit down and let me get you some tea.”

  “I’d rather have a beer.”

  “The tea will relax you and soothe your nerves.”

  “The beer will have the same effect, plus I prefer the way it tastes.”

  “Fine.” When she returned, she held two bottles. He raised his eyebrow as she handed him one, and she shrugged. “You really shouldn’t drink alone.”

  It was on the tip of his tongue to remind her that he drank alone all the time, but decided not to push her away. Instead, he held out his free hand and pulled her down onto the couch beside him. She landed close and he slung his arm over the back of the couch above her shoulder. Her body fit nicely against his side. He sipped his beer and sighed.

  “How’s your week going?” he asked, resisting the urge to nuzzle his nose into her silky hair. She’d taken it down and it cascaded around her shoulders in soft waves.

  “Until an hour ago, better than yours. You had no luck at all with your family?”

  Her first comment snagged his attention. “What happened an hour ago?”

  She tensed, and didn’t immediately answer. Perplexed, JT glanced down at her. She was staring hard at the beer bottle.

  “Violet?” he prompted, growing uneasy.

  “We have a problem.”

  Keeping a sudden flare of concern from his voice, he asked, “What sort of problem?”

  “Your father knows what we’re doing.”

  JT cursed silently. “How do you know that?”

  “Because he came to see me at Fontaine Chic. He basically told me if he finds out that our marriage isn’t real that he’ll sue us for fraud.”

  Fury held him immobile. How dare his father threaten Violet. This was a battle between businessmen. But JT should have been prepared for this. It wasn’t the first time Preston Rhodes had intim
idated someone who tried to take him on.

  “I’ll deal with him.” JT took a healthy swallow of his beer and swallowed his irritation. No need to get Violet any more worked up than she already was. This wasn’t her fight. It was his. That his father chose to confront Violet instead of him let JT know that he was feeling threatened. “It’s just a threat to distract us while he shores up support amongst the other shareholders.”

  “But he said that it would tie up the stock until after the August stockholders’ meeting. And that if he keeps control of the company he’s going to do to you what he did to Tiberius.”

  As threats went, it lacked teeth. “There’s no immediate family to turn against me,” JT reminded her. “As for ejecting me from the company, I was ready to go out on my own before we found out about Tiberius buying stock.” JT liked her fierce defense of him. It gave him an urgent need to pull her into his arms and offer her his ardent thanks. “Besides, if he wanted me gone, he could make that happen at any time. He hasn’t. He doesn’t want to risk losing the support of what shareholders he has at the moment.”

  “I suppose.” She didn’t look convinced. “But why should we risk the lawsuit and your reputation when there’s a simple solution.”

  JT grew apprehensive when he realized she’d concocted a plan in that nimble brain of hers. “And that is?”

  “We appear as if we’re truly married. I’ll move in here. We’ll let ourselves be seen around town looking like lovebirds. Meanwhile you keep talking to your family.”

  A simple solution? Maybe on the surface. Definitely for her. But with Violet living here, JT knew it was only a matter of time before he trampled their bargain and made her his wife for real. And then what? He just let her go in a month? Impossible. Once he made her his, there was no going back.

  “Sounds perfect,” he heard himself say and wondered just how long it would remain so.

  * * *

  Beneath Scarlett’s watchful eye, Violet packed a suitcase full of essentials and ignored most of her sister’s questions.

  “At least tell me this,” Scarlett said. “Are you going to give the man a chance to rock your world?”