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He almost growled aloud to banish his unruly thoughts and Faith’s gray eyes flashed to his face with a wary look he thought was probably normally aimed at large predators.
“Something wrong?” he asked.
“No.” Then she shook her head. “That’s not true. Why are you doing this?”
He gazed calmly back at her. “Dinner, you mean?”
She nodded.
“I’m your guardian. It struck me today that I haven’t done a very good job of it, either, so I thought we’d spend a little more time together. You can tell me more about your plans.”
She nodded again, as if his explanation made sense.
The ride to the small, quiet Italian restaurant where he’d made reservations was a short one. As the maître d’ showed them to their table, Faith caught his eye. As the man walked away, she whispered, “If this isn’t a Mafia haven, I don’t know what is!”
He chuckled, surprised she’d picked up on it. He’d been coming here for years—the food was reputed to be some of the best Northern Italian cuisine in the city. But the waiters, the bartender, certainly the man who appeared to be the owner greeting guests, had an air of authority, underlaid with an indefinable air of menace. “It’s probably the safest place to be in Manhattan,” he said.
Over dinner, he asked her questions about her interest in computers.
“I had a knack for it,” she told him, “and I started helping out in the computer lab at school. It got so that the instructors were coming to me with questions about how to do things, and how to fix things they’d messed up. That led me into programming and eventually I set up the school’s Web site. And once I did that, other people began to ask me to design their sites. It occurred to me that I could make a living doing something I really enjoy, so I decided on a double major in computers and business.”
“You’re planning to open your own company when you get your degree?”
She nodded, and her eyes shone with enthusiasm. “Eventually. I think I’d like the challenge. But I’ll probably start at an established firm.” She paused and her gaze grew speculative. “You had to take over Lachlan after your father passed away, and you’ve clearly been successful at it. You can give me some pointers.”
He shrugged. Discussing business with Faith was hardly at the top of his list of things he wanted to do. “I’m sure you’ll have no trouble.”
Their dinners arrived and while they ate, he inquired about her mother’s health.
“She isn’t able to get around without using a motorized scooter now,” she said, her face sobering. “She’s sixty, and the disease has started to accelerate. Recently she’s been having a lot of trouble with her vision. Some days are better than others. But it’s only a matter of time before she needs live-in assistance or she has to go to some kind of assisted care facility. She wasn’t happy that I’m working, either, but we’re going to be facing some serious expenses one of these days.” He could hear the frustration in her voice.
“She’s only thinking of you,” he said. “She wants you to have the freedom and enjoy normal experiences for a young woman your age.”
Moments later, Faith excused herself from the table and made her way to the ladies’ room. As he watched her walk across the room, he was struck again by her elegance and poise. Every man in the room watched her and he caught himself frowning at a few of them in warning.
That was ridiculous. He wasn’t her keeper.
Well, in fact he supposed he was. But this wasn’t the Dark Ages and she didn’t need his permission to accept a suitor. Or a husband, for that matter.
He didn’t like that thought. Not at all. Faith was still very young, and she fairly screamed, “Innocent.” She could easily be taken advantage of now that she wasn’t in the somewhat protected environment of an all-girls’ college. She was still his ward, though in her mind, at least, it was a mere technicality. In his, it was altogether different. He was supposed to take care of her. And he’d never forgive himself if she came to harm, even if it was only getting her heart broken by some cad. It frustrated the hell out of him that he wasn’t going to be able to keep her safe.
Then the perfect solution to his frustration popped into his head. He could marry her!
Marry her? Was he insane? They were ten years apart in age, far more than that in experience. But, he decided, the kind of experience he was thinking of could play no part in a marriage with Faith. It would be strictly a platonic arrangement, he assured himself. Simply an arrangement that would help him achieve a goal and protect her at the same time. If she was married, Faith wouldn’t be a target for trouble. In another year or so she’d be more worldly, and the best part was that he would be able to keep her safe during that time.
He was going to have to marry to satisfy his mother’s conditions anyway. And if they married soon, as soon as possible, then he’d be only a year away from achieving the goal of which he’d dreamed for years. He would be able to merge Smythe Corp. and Lachlan Industries into one bigger and better entity.
Then he forgot about business as Faith appeared again. She walked toward him as if he’d called to her, and as she drew closer he could see her smiling at him. He smiled back, knowing that the other men in the place had to be envying him. Long and lean, she had a smooth, easy walk with a regal carriage that ensured instant attention when paired with that angelic face. He doubted she even realized it.
As she passed one of the waiters, the man flashed a white smile at her. She gave him a warm smile in return, and she had no idea that he’d turned to watch her back view as she continued on through the restaurant to their table.
And that was exactly why she needed his protection, Stone thought grimly. He stood as she arrived and walked around to settle her in her chair. She glanced up at him over her shoulder with the same sweet smile she’d just given the waiter, and he felt his gut clench in response. She was far too potent for her own good.
“So,” he said, picking up his water and taking a healthy gulp, “while you were gone I was doing some thinking, and I have a proposition for you.”
“A proposition?” Her eyes lit with interest. “Are we talking about a job here?”
“In a sense.” He hesitated, then plunged ahead. “Are you serious about paying me back?”
“Yes,” she said immediately.
God, he hadn’t been this nervous since the first day he’d stood in front of the assembled employees of his father’s company for the first time. “I could use your help with something,” he said slowly.
Faith’s gaze searched his expression, clearly looking for clues. “You need my help?”
He nodded. Then he took a deep breath and leaned forward. “I need a wife.”
She stared at him, apparently sure she hadn’t heard him correctly. He couldn’t blame her. As soon as the words were out, he’d decided he was crazy. “You need what?”
“A wife.” He could hear the embarrassment and impatience in his tone and he forced himself to take deep, slow breaths. Calming breaths.
She spread her hands in confusion and her smooth brow wrinkled in bewilderment. “But how can I help you with that? I doubt I know anyone who—”
“Faith.” His deep voice stopped her tumbling words. “I’d like you to be my wife.”
Her eyes widened. Her mouth formed a perfect O of surprise. She put a hand up and pointed to herself as if she needed confirmation that she hadn’t lost her mind, and her lips soundlessly formed the word, “Me?”
He nodded, feeling an unaccustomed heat rising into his face. “Yes. You.”
Two
Stone couldn’t have shocked her more if he’d asked her to stand and start stripping. Faith stared at him, convinced he’d lost his mind.
“Not,” he said hastily, “a real wife. Let me explain.” He took a deep breath. He was looking down at his drink instead of at her, and she was surprised to see a dull bronze flush rising in his cheeks. “My mother is beginning to think about retirement. She’s offered me her company, but before she’ll turn it over she wants me to be married.”
“Why would she do that?” She was completely baffled. What kind of mother would put her own child in a position like that?
“She thinks I need to settle down and give her some grandchildren.” He snorted. “Although I can’t imagine why. She’s not exactly the most maternal person in the world.”
She wondered if he heard the note of resentment and what else? Longing, perhaps, for something that hadn’t been, in his voice. “Forcing you into marriage seems a little…extreme,” she said carefully.
His face was grim. “My mother’s a control freak. This is just one more little trick she’s playing to try to arrange my life to suit herself.” He bared his teeth in what she felt sure he thought was a smile. “So this time I intend to outfox her.”
“What happens if you refuse to get married?”
He shrugged. “I guess she liquidates or sells. I didn’t ask.” He leaned forward, his eyes blazing a brilliant blue in the candlelight. “It would mean a lot to me, Faith. I want to keep Smythe Corp. a Lachlan holding.”
“Why?”
He stared at her, clearly taken aback. “Why?” When she nodded, he sat back, as if to distance himself from the question. “Well, because it’s a good business decision.”
“But surely there are other companies out there that fit the bill. Why this company?”
“Because it’s my heritage. My great-grandfather founded Smythe Corp. It would be a shame to see it pass out of the family.”
There was something more there, she realized as she registered the tension in his posture, something she couldn’t put her finger on, that underlay his stated reasons for wanting that particular company. But she had a feeling he wouldn’t take kindly to being pushed any further.
“Will you do it?” he asked.
“I don’t know.” She chewed her lip. “It seems so dishonest—”
“Any less dishonest than trying to force me into marriage just because she’s decreed it’s time?” he demanded. For the first time, his control slipped and she caught a glimpse of the desperation lurking beneath his stoic facade. But he quickly controlled it, and when he spoke, his voice was calm again. “It would only be for a year,” he said, “or a bit more. Strictly temporary. Strictly platonic. Except that we’d have to convince my mother that it’s a real marriage. I’m not asking you to lie about anything that would hurt anyone.” He stared deep into her eyes. “Think about that company, Faith. It’s been in my family for three generations. If it’s sold to an outsider, who knows what kind of restructuring might occur? Hundreds of people might lose their jobs.”
She frowned at him. “That’s emotional blackmail.”
He grinned ruefully. “Did it work?”
She stared at him, her thoughts crashing over each other in chaotic patterns. “Would we live together?”
He nodded. “You’d have to move into my place for the duration. But we’d get an annulment when the time comes. And I’d expect to pay you for your time.”
Pay you. She was almost ashamed of the mercenary thoughts that rushed through her head. Practical, she told herself, not mercenary. Not much. She couldn’t possibly let him pay her. Not after all he’d done for her. This would be a good way to do something for him in return. Besides, if she moved in with him, she wouldn’t have to keep renting her apartment.
She could go back to school, get a lot farther along in her education more quickly, if she didn’t have living expenses. She only had a year and a half to go. Which meant that she’d be able to start repaying him sooner. Because regardless of what he said, she was going to pay back everything he’d done for her and her mother in the years since her father had died. And suddenly, that goal didn’t seem so totally out of reach.
A profound relief washed over her and she closed her eyes for a moment.
“Are you all right?” He reached across the table and cupped her chin in his hand.
She swallowed, very aware of the warmth of his strong fingers on her skin. His touch sent small sizzling streamers of excitement coursing through her and she suppressed a shiver of longing. “Yes.” But it came out a whisper. She cleared her throat. “But you can’t pay me.”
He released her chin, his brows snapping together. “Of course I’ll—”
“No. I’m in your debt already.”
“All right,” he said promptly. “How about this: if you marry me for the time I need to get Smythe Corp., I’ll consider all the debt you imagine you owe me to be paid in full.”
She froze for a moment as hope blossomed. Then she realized she couldn’t possibly make a deal like that. It wouldn’t be fair to him. She started to shake her head, but before she could speak, Stone raised a hand.
“Hear me out. Marriage would be a sacrifice. You’d lose a year of your freedom. You’d be expected to attend social functions with me and play the part of hostess when we entertain. We’d have to convince my mother it was a real marriage for real reasons.”
She didn’t ask what he meant, but she could feel a blush heating her own face now as she sat silently considering his proposal.
“It’s a fair deal,” he urged. “An exchange of favors, if you like.”
She wasn’t so sure of that. Taking care of her mother and her for eight years weighed a lot more on her scale than one measly year of marriage did. But when she met his gaze, she could see the iron determination there. If she didn’t agree to this, he was liable to start in about paying her again.
And there was another factor, one that outweighed even her concerns about her finances. A moment ago, she’d seen naked panic in his eyes at the thought of losing that company. It wasn’t financial, she was sure. But it was terribly important to Stone for some reason. And because she’d discerned that, she knew what her answer had to be.
“All right,” she said hoarsely. “It’s a deal. But there are three conditions.”
He only raised one eyebrow.
“I’d like to continue with my education—”
“You don’t need to finish school.” Impatience quivered in every line of his big body. “You’ll be doing me an enormous favor with this marriage. The least I can do is settle a sum on you at the end of the year. You won’t need to work at all.”
“I want to work,” she insisted. “And I want to go back to school.”
“You won’t be able to work,” he said. “Can you imagine what the press would do with that?”
Unfortunately she could. As one of the richest men in the country, Stone dealt with a ridiculous amount of intrusive press.
“You’d have to consider being my wife your job,” he said. “But I’ll pay your tuition if you insist on taking classes.”
“I do,” she said firmly. “I’ll reenroll for the summer session.”
“All right. Now what’s the third thing?”
She hated that she had to ask him for help with anything, but she had no choice. And it wasn’t for her. “My mother,” she said quietly. “The cost of her care—”
“Is not a problem for me,” he said firmly. Then he leaned forward. “In fact, if you like, we could move your mother into my home. There’s an apartment on the main floor for live-in help but I’ve never had anyone live in. She could stay there.”
It was a generous offer and a generous thought, even if he was doing it for selfish reasons. She swallowed, more tempted by the thought than she should be. It would make her life much easier in many ways. And she’d be able to see her mother every day, perhaps even help with her care
“Please,” Stone said. “I’d really like you to do this, Faith.”
She studied his handsome face, serious and unsmiling, his eyes intense with the force of his will and an odd feeling rippled through her. “All right,” she said. Then she cleared her throat and spoke more firmly. “I’ll marry you.”
The next morning, Saturday, he picked her up in his silver Lexus and took her to his home so that she could see where she’d be living and check out the apartment for her mother. He’d asked her to stop working immediately, and though he could tell she didn’t like it, she’d informed him when he picked her up that she was no longer employed.
“Don’t think of it as unemployed,” he advised. “You just switched jobs.”
She was silent as he maneuvered the car through Manhattan’s insanely crowded streets to the quieter area where he made his home.
He could see her chewing her lip as she had the night before and he wondered what she was thinking. Worrying, probably, about whether or not she’d made a bad decision.
As he braked for a light, he said, “Thank you. I know this isn’t an easy thing for you to do.” He put his hand over hers where it lay in her lap and squeezed. This time he was prepared for the sensation her soft flesh aroused. Or so he told himself. Still, the shock he’d absorbed when he’d touched her last night reverberated through him. All he’d done was place his hand beneath her chin, letting his fingers rest against the silken skin of her cheek.
He thought he’d steeled himself for the same reaction that had hit him yesterday when he’d touched her lip.
But he hadn’t been prepared for the strong current of attraction that tore through him, making him want to deepen the skin-to-skin contact in a very basic way. It was as if she was a live circuit and touching her plugged him in to her special current. He mentally shook his head. What was he doing, asking the girl to live in his home? Putting temptation right under his nose probably wasn’t the smartest thing he’d ever done.
Still, as he drew her from the car and took the elevator from the garage to his Fifth Avenue town house across from Central Park, he felt an immense relief. Faith had been sheltered her entire life. Who knew what kind of things might happen to a naive girl like her on her own? He’d promised his father’s memory that he’d take care of Faith, and he would.
Unlocking the door, he ushered her into his home. Inside the door, Faith stopped in the large central foyer, looking around. Though she’d spent her early years in a family that wanted for little, he imagined that the place seemed luxurious compared to the seedy little apartment in which she was living. Looking at it through her eyes, he watched her as he realized he was holding his breath waiting for her reaction.
“This is lovely,” she said quietly. “Simply lovely.”
