A Royal Surprise: ( BWWM Romance )

by Tiana Cole

  “There is always divorce…if that’s necessary.”

  The man nodded. “I see. Since you have brought your lawyer out here, I assume you are considering all your options.”

  “And hers. We got into this together.”

  “Do you know why she married you? I’m quite curious about that. Regardless of whose idea it was to marry, do you know why she married you?”

  James sat back in his chair and steeled himself. The man knew something. He had no idea what it was or how he got his information, but he certainly knew something about what had happened. Honesty was generally the best policy in business if he wanted a long-term relationship, and at the moment, telling the truth could end this deal. Admitting that a young woman could con him so easily made him look a fool. Lying about it, salvaging his pride and using falsehoods to rescue the deal, just wasn’t going to happen. Shen Liang was a straight shooter.

  “I know exactly why. She was paid to marry me.”

  Liang didn’t seem surprised. “A great deal of money?”

  “She said she was supposed to get fifty thousand dollars.”

  “And why so much money for a foolish thing?”

  “She was told it was one rich man playing a prank on another—settling a personal score. But the man knew about the treatment for her sister and I suspect he offered that amount because he knew it was enough to pay for it.”

  “But it wasn’t a prank at all, and not a personal thing at all.”

  “Well, it was personal. He wanted to ruin my business, partly to get the deal himself, I suspect, but also as revenge for my winning a contract away from him. Regardless of the motives, it was intended to do exactly what it did—expose my foolishness and make me seem unfit to be your partner.”

  “And yet, you haven’t pointed a finger at anyone.”

  “That makes no difference, really.”

  “Was it McCabe?”

  “She said it was. I know he is in town and we went drinking together that night.”

  “Why didn’t you warn me that McCabe betrayed you this way?”

  James sighed. “Then I’d be acting foolish again—blaming him as if his actions excused mine. Even though I think he set things up, he didn’t make me do what I did. I would never go running to you with such a self-serving story.”

  “Tell me about your wife’s great need for fifty thousand dollars.”

  “As I said, her sister is dying. There is a new treatment, but the insurance won’t pay for it. The doctor believes it could save her life, and it costs that much.”

  “And you’ve verified this?”

  “I’ve check it all out personally. Her immediate concern is about her sister.”

  “She is staying with you?”

  “Yes. She has her own room at the hotel.”

  “I understand that she left for some time?”

  Shen Liang always had more information than you expected. It let him control the direction of the conversation. “A day. Before I knew about her sister, she took some time to think things over. She was tempted to continue with the game. All she had to do was stay out of sight for a week to get the money for her sister. At least so she was told. In the end, she returned to tell the truth.”

  “To what end?”

  James sighed. “He approached her after she’d left to talk. As she got to know him, she decided that she had been used. To be honest, I’m certain she realized that she wouldn’t get the money she was promised.”

  “The entire idea that someone would play such an expensive and elaborate trick on you seems odd. Is this woman extremely gullible?”

  “I don’t think she is, normally. She’s very clever.”

  “So what was there about McCabe’s scheme that made her act so foolishly?”

  “The quick payoff. The worry that her sister would die without treatment soon made her willing to believe almost anything that would get her the money.”

  “I see. And you understand that? You are willing to forgive her duplicity?”

  “I’m beginning to understand. Family means a great deal to her, much more than I would have believed before now. I think she never even considered her own honor or happiness before she acted. She simply saw the opportunity and took action.”

  Liang got up and walked deliberately to the window. He put his hands in his trouser pockets and James heard the jingle of the change in them. “Personally I have never cared much for Mr. McCabe.” He turned to face James. “I mean, he isn’t a person I would like to spend time with. His manner is abrasive and I don’t find him at all agreeable. But then, for my business needs, that is less important than finding someone who is resourceful, wouldn’t you agree?”

  The ping pong track of the conversation still seemed baffling. From Deja to McCabe…Liang had to be filling in small pieces of the puzzle he had chosen. “I suppose that’s true up to a point.”

  “And what is that point?”

  “For me, I’d say that if I were choosing a partner, of course he must be resourceful and effective. But I’d also care what he uses that resourcefulness to accomplish and how he uses it. I want to know if he left good or ill in his wake.”

  “I see. Would that same criteria apply to a wife?”

  The question made James burst out laughing. “I suppose so.”

  “So what will you do? Not about our deal, but what will you do about the domestic situation?”

  “I haven’t decided.”

  “And you say your wife’s sister hasn’t much time.”

  “Not unless she gets the treatment soon.”

  “And your wife has no money.”

  “Not anywhere near enough.”

  “It would be sad if she died for a stupid reason like that.”

  “Her sister is an incredibly brave person, and rather likable.”

  “You met your wife dancing?”

  “Yes.” The oddness of the conversation still puzzled him. They had said almost nothing about the deal.

  “Is she a good dancer?”

  James coughed. The question summoned up a memory of them on the dance floor, her melting in his arms, the feel of her delicate body, and her sexy perfume. “A wonderful dancer.”

  “I haven’t danced in years. I seem to stay too busy. The demands of business, you know.”

  The comment stung. He hadn’t neglected business. “Shen Liang, I—”

  “Let’s talk again in a few days, Mr. Andrews. We both seem to have a great deal of thinking to do. You decide what you must do about your wife, and even her sister, and I will decide what I must do about my business. Then we can talk again.”

  “I don’t see what my wife or her sister has to do with this, sir.”

  “I know you don’t.” He turned back to the window. “I think we must both come to understand how much time we should give to our business and how much to dancing.” Then he led James to the door and opened it. “The answer to that puzzle is not as obvious as it seems. Only lesser men would think this a simple question, and we cannot afford to be lesser men, Mr. Andrews. Can we?”

  “No, sir.”

  “Do you want to tell me anything else?”

  James hadn’t wanted to mention the last visit to the hospital with Kieran. To tell Shen Liang would make it sound like a cheap trick being performed for his benefit. Still, he was asking into these matters and it was up to James to provide those elusive puzzle pieces. “Barbara, Deja’s sister, is going to get the treatment in a few days. The doctor who developed the treatment is coming from UCLA to perform the procedure.”

  Shen Liang nodded as if he already knew. “Then you don’t worry that perhaps everything that happened was simply to trick you into paying for this treatment?”

  “Worry? No. The truth is that I don’t care.”

  “And this has nothing to do with what happens between you and your wonderful dancer? You aren’t using this as a payoff?”

  “She doesn’t know Barbara is getting the treatment yet. Even then, she’ll be told th
at the money came from a UCLA grant.”

  “Did it?”

  “A rather new one that was established for Barbara.”

  Shen Liang laughed. “A different sort of resourcefulness. When is the surgery?”

  “I’ll be taking her to the hospital later today for what she thinks is a normal visit, but we will arrive when Barbara is prepped for the procedure, so the doctor can brief Deja on what is happening.”

  “So she gets what she wanted.”

  “I suppose that’s true.”

  “Then you should go and play Good Samaritan. Let me know how it works out.”

  “I will.”

  “I heard your wife was having a little sickness of her own.”

  James started. “It comes and goes. I think she’ll be fine.”

  “I think you might be as well.”

  As the door closed behind him, James knew he’d missed something in that meeting. There had been a shift in the feeling in that room to something he didn’t understand at all. He had no idea if he’d been reprimanded, congratulated, or something in between. Whatever had happened, James had to put it out of his mind for now. What mattered was finding out what this new treatment could do for Barbara.

  * * * *

  Alan sat in the chair across from Shen Liang feeling like things might finally be going his way. “So James is still undecided about his new wife? Not sure what to do with her?”

  “It would seem that way.”

  “I always thought he’d lose his touch when it came to women. He’s gotten this far by avoiding entanglements and never learned how to deal with them.”

  “Perhaps. But what would you do in his shoes?”

  The question caught him off guard. “I wouldn’t let myself be in that spot.”

  “Suppose it happened. Hypothetically. If you found yourself married to a woman you admired, but hardly knew, and you were in charge, what would you do?”

  That didn’t take much thought. “I’d send her packing.”

  “Without any support?”

  “Hell no. Anyone tries to take advantage of you, when you catch them at it, the last thing you want to do is reward them for it.”

  “What if, as in this case, you learned that she was doing it for a selfless reason?”

  “Same thing. Her reasons don’t matter.”

  “I see.”

  Alan was growing tired of the Chinaman’s studied, inscrutable face. “What the hell does it mean that you see?”

  “It means that I understand what you are saying.”

  “That’s it? Do you agree?”

  “I’m not discussing this with you, I just wanted your opinion.”

  “Why? It has nothing to do with me.”

  “It’s a piece of the puzzle.”

  “What puzzle?”

  “The one I need to solve to make my decision.”

  “Look, Liang, you have a big operation. Your business is big time and you need someone willing and able to play hardball. There’s no room for a lot of crap about feelings in that kind of negotiation.”

  “You attempted to make James Andrews look like a fool.”

  “I helped show you that he was foolish. I pushed it along.”

  “And then you made it public. It wasn’t enough for me to know.”

  “I was making sure.”

  “You promised the woman a great deal of money. You got what you wanted. Why haven’t you paid her?”

  “There was nothing it writing about it. She’s got a rich husband. If she needs money, she can get it from him.”

  “So your word means nothing?”

  Suddenly Alan felt trapped. “I played the game and won. Sure I tricked a couple of people—a couple of losers. They deserve each other.”

  “That piece doesn’t fit well into my puzzle, Mr. McCabe. I can’t condone doing business with a man with no ethics.”

  “So you’ll give James the deal? Even though he’s weak, a sucker, you’ll give it to him because he’s all smooth and mannered?”

  “I don’t know if I will give it to him, Mr. McCabe. I’ve only decided that you and I won’t be doing business. And while it isn’t on account of your lack of manners, you might want to consider improving them if you want people to choose to do business with you.”

  Alan stood, his anger boiling over. He’d spent all he had on getting this deal. The fancy hotel room, the meals and drinks, were all on his credit card. And he was out the thousand dollars he’d given that bitch. That had been a waste too.

  “You are making a big mistake,” he said. “James Andrews is a crook.”

  “As I said, I haven’t chosen him. I’ve only rejected you.”

  As he went out the door, the image of James Andrew’s smug face was strong in his field of vision, fueling his anger. That bastard was winning again; once again he was taking away Alan’s chance to show what he could do, to take his rightful place. After what happened in Singapore he couldn’t just ask for his job back. Even if he hadn’t punched out his boss and left ahead of assault charges, he wouldn’t tuck his tail between his legs and crawl back, whimpering.

  He pounded his fist into the elevator, wrinkling the sheet metal. The pain in his knuckles was satisfying. Pain was good. And pain was better when you inflicted it.

  He considered hitting the wall again, but decided to save his energy. He knew what he needed to do. And this time things would end differently.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Deja woke to find herself in bed with James. The warmth of his body was reassuring. She was happy because they were getting along, and ecstatic because when they’d gone to the hospital, she’d learned that the doctor had found a grant that would pay for the treatment. They were all ready to go when she and James arrived.

  They’d sat waiting for hours, and when the doctor came out to meet them, they learned the treatment had gone brilliantly. Barbara had a long road to recovery ahead of her.

  “She’s weak, but with her spirit, and a little help…”

  “She’ll have more than she can stand,” Deja promised.

  With the world suddenly a brighter and more cheerful place she’d felt better than she had in a long time. James ordered a marvelous feast from room service, and afterwards, had surprised her by being affectionate. This wasn’t the comforting affection he’d shown her when she had her nightmares, but a lavishing, overwhelming passion that was all about her.

  She’d been delighted to be swept up in such attention. If it was just for that one night, so be it. And for that night, James was everything she could ever hope from a lover.

  Now, as she sat up, and surveyed her surroundings, her stomach turned upside down. As she made a dash to the bathroom, Deja couldn’t believe that her stomach was acting up again. It was over a week since she’d drank too much, and she’d taken care of herself ever since. But here she was bent over the toilet again. It hardly seemed fair. James had bounced back in a day. Maybe she had some kind of flu bug.

  “Are you all right?” James called through the door.

  “Please leave me alone. I’ll be out in a while.” Her illness embarrassed her and she couldn’t stand him to see her in such a weak state. Better to send him away.

  “I’ll be in the living room. Call if you need anything.”

  When she’d emptied her stomach, she felt better, and she brushed her teeth until the bitter taste was gone.

  What a terrible way to wake up from a lovely evening.

  When she came out of the bathroom she put on a robe and wandered into the living room where James and Kieran were chatting. They glanced up at her, stopping their conversation. “Are you all right, Deja?” James asked. “It seems like you are spending a fair amount of time in the bathroom. At least when I was sick we knew why.”

  “I think I must be fighting off a flu or something. Fortunately, whatever it is, it’s mild.”

  As James started to say something, his phone rang. “It’s Shen Liang,” he told them, and answered the call. He listened,
then looked puzzled. “Certainly,” he said, and held the phone out to Deja. “He wants to talk to you.”

  Deja took the phone with trepidation.

  “I apologize for not getting your phone number so that I could call you directly,” Liang said.

  “I don’t think this is a problem,” she said. “I’m done with secrets.”

  “I was wondering about your sister. How is she doing?”

  “Quite well. Yesterday she got the new treatment. A doctor from UCLA was able to get a grant to pay for it. The doctor said everything went as well as they hoped and they expect her to recover.”

  “A grant. How fortunate for her. That’s excellent news.”

  A suspicion crossed her mind. “Was it you? Are you behind this mysterious grant?”

  “Me? No, I’m afraid I can’t take credit for such a good deed, although if nothing else came up for you… Besides, it isn’t fair to pry into such generosity. If the person wanted you to know, then they wouldn’t go to such lengths to hide their identity.”

  “But if I don’t pry, I can never can be sure I’m not being rude to the one person in the world who truly deserves my gratitude.”

  “I can offer a simple solution to that problem. If you treat everyone with gratitude, show your thanks on your face, then you will manage to thank the correct person eventually.”

  She laughed. “I like the way you think, Shen Liang.”

  “I admire you as well, Mrs. Andrews.”

  Once again, he held out the reminder that she was a married woman. “I think you are trying to tell me something.”

  “No. What could I tell you? I simply wished to inquire after your sister.”

  “Have you met her yet?”

  “No. That she is so important to you is enough for me to care about her well-being.”

  “Why is that?”

  “Because I admire you, of course.”

  “Well, whatever your reasons, I thank you.”

  “And is there any decision about your future, now that you aren’t planning to spend your days watching your sister die?”

  “About us? We haven’t come to any decision yet. We’ve been focused on Barbara’s situation.”

  “Of course. Will you call me if there is any change? I know you have my number.”