His Diamond of Convenience

Victoria frowned in return. “Why do you look so grumpy? I was only five minutes late.”

“I was only pondering the specifics of our arrangement,” he said.

That word made her brighten. She seemed to relish this entire process and he hadn’t decided yet if he trusted her. “Well, talking of specifics, I have drawn up some legal documents for us to go over.”

“That quickly?”

She waved a hand. “Oh, I had these drawn up weeks ago, when I was first formulating the idea. I know better than to leave these things until the last minute. The last thing you want to do a rush job on is legal documents. I didn’t want any reference to our engagement being false in them, but also I need to guarantee that you will in fact hand over the ownership of my father’s company upon the end of our little alliance.”

“And what makes you think I’ll sign this?”

She shrugged. “Because if you don’t, I walk.”

“I see.” He leaned back in his chair, then pushed against the surface of the desk and stood. “And where is my guarantee?”

“If I break off the engagement, then I don’t get the company. However, if you break it off, I do. So, if at any point I abandon you, my side of the agreement is void. This is sort of the pre-prenuptial agreement.”

“Is that something people do nowadays?”

“Actually, it is.”

She reached down and took a folio off the ground, pulling a thick stack of documents out of it. “It outlines several things, including what will become of the ring should we break up—it returns to you—and the fact that I’m not entitled to the company should I break things off with you. It also clearly states that upon our marriage the company reverts to me, but if we divorce and it’s my fault, ownership reverts to you. We need all of this seamless. It has to look legitimate even when it’s over.”

“You certainly don’t leave things to chance.” He examined her fine features, high cheekbones, the delicate rose color in her cheeks, the faint blush of her lips. She was very pale, her blond hair silvery. To some, he imagined she would appear very fragile, but then, that was what made her interesting. The fact that beneath the soft facade she was steel and ice.

She might appear to be an English rose, but she would not be half so easily crushed.

“Only fools leave these things to chance. Even the best gamblers are calculating odds, not taking wild stabs in the dark.” She placed the stack of papers on his desk and pushed them toward his side. He bent to pick them up, slowly leafing through the pages.

“Calculation is important,” he said, as he continued to scan the papers. “But you should never underestimate the importance of being able to follow your gut. When you’re in a fight there often isn’t time to play it out like chess, even if it would be ideal. Sometimes you just have to trust that if you need to feint right, your body will feint right.”

“A nice theory. But that has nothing to do with legalities. What do you think?” She looked at him with her sharp blue eyes, her hands folded neatly in her lap.

“Everything looks good.” He sat back down behind his desk and opened the top drawer, taking out the ring he had stashed in there earlier. The velvet box made a muted sound as he pressed it slowly onto the wooden surface.

She looked down at the box, then back up at him. “Is that what I think it is?”

“That depends on what you think it is. Perhaps you should open it.”

She shot him a look that could only be described as annoyed and reached out, taking the box in her hands. She cracked open the lid and for nearly a full second her expression was blank. Tellingly so. It was very difficult to describe the shift that took place between the look on Victoria’s face when she was genuinely at a loss, and the look that appeared when she was trying to make others believe that she was blasе. A subtle softening in her eyes, an added tension around her mouth. It was barely noticeable, but it was there.

By the time she looked up at him she was in full control again. “I told you I don’t care for colored diamonds.”

“But it suits you. I made an executive decision.”

She arched a brow. “It suits me? Or was it just the most convenient diamond?”

A smile curved his lips. “Does it really matter? I’ve made the decision. This is your ring.”

“So that’s how this is going to be?”

“Let me make one thing perfectly clear, Ms. Calder. You might have come to me, but the moment I agreed it became my game. I do like a challenge, but I also like to win.”

She smiled brightly, so brightly that he knew it was false. “That may be a problem, because I like to win, too.” She tilted her head to the side, her expression taking on a mock thoughtfulness. “I did a bit of research on your mentor. He was from New Orleans. Is that correct?”

“Yes,” he said.

Her expression shifted slightly yet again, and this time the smile seemed more genuine. “Good. That’s an excellent venue for charity. And a location people enjoy traveling to. Also, it will appeal to the local moneyed class.” He could see her mentally tallying everything up, valuing it.

“You are terrifying. Has anyone ever told you that before?”

“Oh yes.” She waved her hand dismissively. “I’ve been told that on many occasions. But I don’t like to be idle, and I don’t see the point wasting time—do you?”

“I told you I wanted this rolled out as quickly as possible. Obviously I don’t see the point in wasting time. In fact, on that note I have already been in touch with the press to let them know that you and I have decided to marry.”

Her pale brows shot upward. “Well, excellent.”

“You seem surprised by my efficiency.”

“I’m accustomed to being the most efficient half of any partnership. As I’m sure you can well imagine.”

“Oh, I can well imagine.” He smiled. “But this is the first time you have ever worked with me.”

“A mistake, I think. We might make a fairly deadly duo.”

“Oh, I am counting on it.”

Victoria snapped her folio shut and stood, hands held in front of her, every inch the efficient businesswoman she always seemed. Though, he imagined she wasn’t truly a businesswoman. Her reputation was largely as a socialite, and yet she did not appear to be as insubstantial as one tended to assume socialites were. She had all of the strength and steel of someone who was accustomed to doing battle in the boardroom. He knew that she had her own money, mainly from making savvy investments and turning an already-healthy trust fund into a bank account she would be hard-pressed to drain over the course of her lifetime.

He imagined many people underestimated her as a result of her appearance, her petite frame, the fact that she could be easily written off as a lady who lunched and nothing more. He also imagined that some of her strength came from the fact that people underestimated her. Victoria Calder had more dedication, brilliance and determination than half of the CEOs he knew.

“I’ll be in touch about the New Orleans charity event. Would you like to set a budget?”

“This is coming out of my pocket, is it?”

She waved a hand, a gesture he was becoming used to. “Of course it is. I’m doing you a service. Naturally you will be paying for it. I will see what I can manage to get donated, of course, but I need to establish a venue, and there will need to be food.”

“Louise will send you something.” He looked down at his computer for a moment, then back up at her. “I would prefer not to be bothered by the arrangements. I figure our agreement should have as many perks for me as possible. And somehow I get the impression that planning an event is a perk to you.”

“It most certainly is. Especially in New Orleans. In the meantime I will be in touch with the media about the event, and I will let them know how deliriously happy I am to be wearing your ring.” She picked the ring box up from the desk. “Even though yellow is not my color.”

“I disagree, I think yellow could be your color. You just seem to insist on wearing black.” He examined the black pencil skirt and fitted black top she was wearing today. He couldn’t deny that she looked striking in black, but still.

“You, too,” she said, indicating his suit.

“Touchе. We will be in touch.” She turned to go. “And Ms. Calder...” She turned back to face him. “You had better make sure to put the ring on. The press will be expecting it.”

The right corner of her lips tugged downward, and she reconfigured the things she was holding, opening the ring box and taking the jewel out. Then she slipped it, rather unceremoniously, onto the fourth finger of her left hand. “There—” she wiggled her fingers “—are you satisfied?”